Thousands of people in the South saw a bright object streaking across the sky Saturday night about 10 p.m. CT, moving generally from south to north. While the Ursid meteor shower is ongoing this weekend, this was more likely a piece of space debris breaking up in Earth’s atmosphere.
People all across the southeastern U.S. and in the Midwest reported seeing fireballs streaking across the sky on Saturday night.
Videos show the occurrence, with many speculating what it could’ve been: Asteroids? Meteors from the Ursid meteor shower? Drones?
LAST METEOR SHOWER OF THE YEAR PEAKS JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Fireballs reported in Bryant, AR on Saturday night.
(@ReaganJonesAR/X / FOX Weather)
While the Ursid meteor shower did reach its peak on Saturday night during the winter solstice, the answer is most likely chalked up to space debris that was breaking up within Earth’s atmosphere.
The American Meteor Society received 120 reports of the fireball across Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and as far north as Missouri.
Online reports indicate the debris could be from a Chinese space satellite that was expected to break apart Saturday evening.
No official word has been given identifying what caused the possible space debris.