American Meteor Society
A bright fireball was seen and reported near Pittsburgh in the early morning on February 17th. The AMS has received over 120 eye witness reports from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and New York. Three witnesses from the Pittsburgh area reported hearing a delayed boom shortly after seeing the fireball.
Fireball Witness Reports
Below is a map of the fireball trajectory calculated from the witness reports.
Fireball Trajectory
The event was captured by three cameras in the NASA fireball network operated by Bill Cooke.
Pittsburgh Fireball Image – Credit NASA/Bill Cooke
Pittsburgh Fireball Image – Credit NASA/Bill Cooke
Pittsburgh Fireball Image – Credit NASA/Bill Cooke
Here is a video from one of the NASA cameras.
The light from the fireball was also captured on a security camera operated by Ron Shawley.
If you witnessed this fireball event, please fill out a fireball report.
A little before 5:00 am this morning, 2/17/15, I was outside cleaning the snow off my drive when the entire area light up from the bright fire ball. It appeared to pass directly over my house in Greensburg, PA. It was traveling slightly east of due north. It was very bright with a tail about 1/4th of the sky from the south to the north. The object was orange/yellow in hue, but the tail was white and was the brightest part. The tail appeared like a magnesium fire, bright and white lighting my hole neighborhood.
I saw the same exact thing in monroeville
seen the same thing in holmesville Ohio at 453 am
Here was the video of it lighting up the ground from my security cam… fast moving shadow from tree
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_nrb3tx6kM
I live in Kendall, NY and saw this bright fiery burst at approximately 4:50 am this morning on Tuesday, February 17th, 2015, it looked like it landed on the other side of my back yard, between our neighbors lot lines, I haven’t made it back there through our snow banks to investigate yet
In Akron, OH I too saw what looked like a flame that went out close to a housing complex. This was around 4:50 AM.
I saw the fireball as I was passing I-71 in Strongsville, Ohio about 4:50am. Brightest object I ever saw.
Around 4:50 a.m. I was traveling to work on Rt 108 just east of the city of New Castle, Lawrence Co, Pennsylvainia about 2 miles from Rt 388 intersection. The back of my car suddenly lit up and I was looking around, suddenly it became like daylight outside. To my right I saw a red fireball with a blue flame ad streak behind it. It looked like it was right above the houses.
Which direction were you traveling, east or west?
I live just out side of Albion PA and i to saw this bright fireball in the sky but i was only able to catch a glimpse of it. Was around 4:50 am on the 17th of February and it look to have gone down in the woods behind my house.
Just seen a red streak ir fireball in Omaha NE heading west around 6pm 2/17/2015 it was headed west
I was traveling south on Rt. 28 toward Pittsburgh, PA. today(2/17/15). I was near the Freeport exit at around 4:50 am. the sky and surrounding areas lit up almost like day light. This lasted a mere 2 to 3 seconds then faded. I thought I was crazy until I got to work, just off the Millerstown exit, and several people I work with had seen the strange light. I didn’t learn till later in the day that it was actually a meteor. Reports of the incident were posted on the WTAE website. Does anyone know, did it hit the earth or pass by?
Around 5 am I had just pulled away from my home in Leechburg PA when I noticed the buildings around me briefly illuminated in a blueish light.
I was cleaning the snow off my driveway this morning about 4:45 AM in White Oak PA and the fireball lit up the sky and reflected off of the snow for about 4-5 seconds. At first, I thought a transformer blew in the area. I’ve always heard about them but never witnessed one before. It was awesome.
On my way to work at 4:50am I was heading through Harrison City when the sky light up a bright blue color. I like lliked up and it looked like a firework with a stream of light trailing behind. As fast as it came it was gone but pretty cool.
I was leaving for work at 4:50 am near Saxonburg Pa on Feb 17th.There was a blue light that flashed and almost seemed like it swirled around my vehicle. It was very bizarre. I called my brother who was getting ready to go start his car. He stated he did not see the flash but he heard a huge boom. Several others I work with said they saw the flash. A woman who lives near me stated she was in bed at that time and heard a huge boom that shook her bed.
Headed to airport with the family and shortly leaving home in Murrysville we were stunned by a brilliant blue light coming from behind the car. Thought we were being pulled over but soon came to the conclusion we had witnessed a piece of the heavens burning up in the atmosphere!! Awesome
I had just got up to start breakfast. Poured myself a glass of milk for starters when I saw a flash of light at the kitchen window which faces SOUTH. “That’s strange. No cars or trucks outside.” I also heard a noise that followed shortly after. Later that afternoon, I learned about the morning fireball when I logged in to email. WTAE-TV had done a report on it. “I need to find out if that happened this morning when I was making breakfast!” Sure enough – around 4:40-4:45 AM.
Where do you live?
Approx around 4:50am seen a fire ball in the sky near 711 connector in Youngstown Ohio
It was 454 am when i heard a sonic BOOM thought. A car may have hit a pole or something in lower Burrell pa.
I saw it at work in butler pa. Told the guys about it they all said I was crazy lol
My husband and I did not see the fireball, but we did hear the loud boom. It sounded like blasting.
Where were you when you heard the boom?
On February 17th at about 4:50 am I saw a blue, green light streak across the sky in Port Clinton Ohio. I’ve never seen anything like it. It looked like a giant falling star. It was quite amazing, but left me wondering what I just saw !
I was on my work this morning in Lehigh Valley area, and saw it as well. Was about 4:40 am.
I was travelling on the 80/90 EB past the 480 interchange, in ohio near Cleveland about 0445/0450 when I heard a sonic Boom, thought i had a tire blown and saw a green tail with a bright white centre going from sw to ne direction rather low heading towards Cleveland proper, as it lit up the ground. It lasted a few seconds till it disappeared. I got on the CB announced it to the area drivers. I’m a truck driver. This one was not red, orange or yellow. It was beautiful green with a nice tail.
I spotted this same meteor yesterday. Crazy, on my way to the gym and looked left before turning right and down it came. I have never seen a green trail before, what would cause that? I am located in Middletown Indiana.
After reading all the reports I believe I captured this event during a time lapse in central Maine: https://www.facebook.com/miketaylorphoto/photos/a.271553242953456.54374.230524523722995/696652673776842/?type=1&theater
I live in Vienna, WV. At the same time that others reported seeing a fireball I was getting up and looking outside my bedroom window when I saw a bright yellow light with a bit of bright green passing slightly East of my location and at great speed. This was not a very big light, it looked more like a burning satelite but it was quite bright. I thought it was going down and I guessed it landed beyond Marietta, OH. My perspective upstairs must have been off.
Just before 5:00 am on 2/17/15 on my way into work in Dayton Ohio I saw a streak across the sky to the east it was going across at an angle then went straight down it looked pretty close so I looked around locally on the internet when I got to work but saw nothing about any type of sightings locally so I was not sure if it was maybe something that they were doing at WPAFB but now I know what I saw and it was alot further away than it looked. I t appeared to be much closer than it actually was.
This morning I was asleep around 5-6am at this time I had a Dream of my husband pointing out to my daughter and me to look in the sky and a bright shooting star (I thought at the time) shot across the sky and became so bright we had to put out heads on our lap and a loud weird noise followed after the explosion. meanwhile I got over it and thought it was just a dream until I’m exploring the internet and see that there was a meter shooting across Pittsburgh and when I played the clip it was just like my dream just in a different direction… scary
5 02 am walking in to work look up Better than fire works beautyfull sight 4 my eyes. Cleveland
Here in Frazer Twp Pa near Deer Lakes Park , I had just woke up and my wife and I heard a loud boom outside. We thought an explosion happened at one of the near by gas wells or maybe a transformer exploded. I am glad I am not the only one who heard it. I m sorry i did not see it.
Anyone that was close enough and able to hear the boom, whizzing or crackling would be smart to get outside and look for some black rocks.
I think I found the meteor rock from this meteor I live at point of impact