Meteor Lights Up Midwestern Skies

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A fireball has been reported soaring across the sky in many Midwestern states. Reports from Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois started to come into the American Meteor Society shortly before 5:30 pm EST Thursday. Sky watchers in Iowa said that the fireball lit up the sky just after sunset before disappearing beneath the horizon. The spectacular light show caused many to take to twitter and report their sightings. Although the sighting was rare, it is not all that unusual for this time of year as the Ursids meteor shower peaks shortly before Christmas and creates a display of up to 25 Ursids an hour.