A very bright fireball was observed over central Indiana at around 09:05 UTC (04:05 local time) on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. The event lasted about 3 – 5 seconds and was accompanied by a sonic boom.
The American Meteor Society (AMS) received 31 reports from people living in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin.
One observer from Big Rapids, Michigan said he first saw a dark orange tail that went into a bright orange round fireball.
A man from Kokomo, Indiana, described it as a fiery orange ball – big and amazing.
Another person, from Clay City, Indiana, described the event as bright blue or white light that took over the sky, followed by another flash as the object broke through the cloud cover.
Many people reported hearing a sonic boom, a loud explosive sound generated when a meteor travels through the atmosphere at supersonic speeds. As the meteor compresses the air in its path, it forms shock waves that propagate as sound.
These booms are often associated with larger meteors or fireballs that penetrate deeper into the atmosphere, creating an audible impact after their visual display.
This fireball is likely associated with the Geminid meteor shower, active from November 19 to December 24.
The meteor shower is forecast to peak between December 13 and December 14, with a maximum rate of 120 meteors per hour under clear skies, translating to one meteor approximately every minute in ideal conditions.
References:
1 Fireball event 7647-2024 – AMS – December 10, 2024
Featured image: Indiana fireball – December 10, 2024. Credit: Mel Uberto