People in Sheboygan County with their eyes to the skies have reported seeing a bright meteor streaking over the eastern skies on Monday night, an event also witnessed in several surrounding states and Canada.
Monday night’s fireball – the name for an extremely bright meteor – was seen not only in Wisconsin, but also in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario, Canada at around 8:33 PM. It was reported to the American Meteor Society, which makes detailed records of the events. An observer from Sheboygan named Jeff said it lasted about 3-1/2 seconds and was over three times brighter than Venus at its most brilliant. Another report from Taryn R. in New Holstein saw it for over 7-1/2 seconds reporting that it was even brighter, comparable to that of a full moon. Many reports also noted that the meteor broke apart as it streaked across Saginaw Bay, Michigan.
Although most meteors are spotted during regular meteor showers – which wasn’t the case last night – regular skywatchers do seem to report more fireballs near the equinox for unknown reasons. The next actual meteor shower, known as the Lyrids, occurs in mid April.
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