(FOX 5/KUSI) — A fiery spectacle lit up the skies over California and Nevada Thursday night, as a brilliant fireball streaked through the atmosphere — capturing the awe of more than 100 eyewitnesses and sparking a wave of reports to the American Meteor Society (AMS).
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The meteor made its dramatic appearance at precisely 8:12 p.m. Pacific Time on Aug. 21, flashing across the sky like a cosmic flare. According to AMS data — combined with footage from publicly accessible cameras — the fireball first ignited 49 miles above the Central Valley, between the farming towns of Firebaugh and Kerman.
Traveling at a blistering speed of 33,000 mile per hour, the meteor carved a glowing path across 84 miles of sky, heading slightly southeast. Its journey ended high above the western slopes of Sequoia National Park, where it disintegrated 28 miles above the forested region of Red Fir, AMS reported.
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According to witness reports submitted to AMS, the fireball was seen as far north as Reno, Neveda and Beckwourth, California. It was also seen much further south with submissions from Palm Springs and even Los Angeles.
A map of its flight path can be seen below:
Experts say this was a sporadic fireball — a lone traveler from space, not tied to any active meteor shower — making the event all the more surprising and unique.
No impacts were reported, and the meteor burned up safely in the upper atmosphere. But for those lucky enough to look up at just the right moment, it as a dazzling reminder of the universe’s unpredictable beauty.
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