Bright meteor spotted in Miami Valley Wednesday morning officially classified as a fireball

Update: The American Meteor Society now has more than 700 reports of people spotting the bright meteor Wednesday morning that is now classified as a fireball. Reports spread from Ohio all the way to Ontario, Canada!

Fireball Caught on Camera in Xenia, Ohio Crystal Hoskins of Xenia, Ohio shared this video of a fireball caught on camera early Wednesday morning, September 30, 2020. (Crystal Hoskins)

Reports started pouring in that a bright meteor was spotted Wednesday morning around 6:25a.m. in the Miami Valley and across the eastern United States.

Storm Center 7 Meteorologist Kirstie Zontini said people in the Miami Valley started sharing what they saw with her on Twitter and Facebook. The fireball likely flashed in the sky around 6:25 a.m. in the eastern sky. Residents in Springfield, Dayton, Sidney and Xenia reported seeing the flash.

A meteor is a meteoroid (a small piece of space rock or debris) that enters the Earth’s atmosphere and burns up. If the flash is very brighter than Venus it is considered a fireball. Fireballs can also produce colors when they burn up in the sky. The color can signify what material could have been found in the meteor like nickel, sodium or magnesium.

If you have a video or photo of this morning’s meteor, share it with us here!

Cox Media Group