American Meteor Society
The American Meteor Society received over 230 reports so far about a bright fireball event in northern Florida just east of Jacksonville. Observers from as far north as August GA reported seeing a bright light in the sky. Over 48 of the reports described a window rattling delayed boom. Below is a heat map of the witness reports.
AMS Event #449-2015 – February 21, 2015- Heat map
The estimated trajectory plotted from the witness reports shows the meteor was traveling from the south west to the north east and ended its flight about 30 miles due west from Jacksonville, FL.
AMS Event #449-2015 – February 21, 2015- Trajectory
The sonic boom reports appear to all be clustered around the ending point of the meteor, many from Lake City, FL.
AMS Event #449-2015 – February 21, 2015- Sonic Boom Reports
Here are some quotes from witnesses describing the sonic effects of this meteor:
- Loud window rattling boom – Maggie H, Starke, FL
- Loud Boom, like a canon blast or an explosion – DL, Sanderson, FL
- Sonic Boom, shook the house – Andrew C, Lake City, FL
- Sounded like an explosion – Kasey W, Lake City, FL
windows and walls shook along with a loud pop and boom – Lindsey E, Lake City, FL
If you witnessed this fireball or its sonic effects, please fill out an official fireball report.
I felt something and heard what sounded like somebody rattling my doors, windows or hitting our roof. I got up to look to see 8 someone or something happened outside.
In Lake Butler Florida visiting family, and my sister heard what sounded like heavy, heavy thuds coming from the ceiling.
Last night around 11pm my wife and I heard and felt the sonic boom from the meteor that hit the area around Lake City Fl.It shook the house and felt like a tanker explosion .This one must of been huge.
I also saw something last night, I was driving north on 75 from Sarasota to Tampa and I saw a bright light from a falling star/asteroid/whatever that appeared to be going straight down and I really was expecting to see some sort of crash or something in the distance but when it appeared to be closer to what I assumed was the earth’s atmosphere, it vanished. This was somewhere around 11:00 pm EST.
I saw a bright ball of light Saturday night around 11:00 pm. I was in my family room, watching TV when a bright light appeared in the sky it caught me and my dog’s eye at the same time (my dog barked) I thought it was some kind of fireworks and was waiting for the bang (that never happened). It came from the south looped over my house towards the north. Extremely bright.
You might contact owners of these webcams they are proper direction might’ve caught a glimpse
APM terminal gate camera on Blount island Jacksonville port
http://www.apmterminals.com/operations/north-america/jacksonville/information/gate-camera
A high quality camera but only streams for certain time during whole day.
http://myfloridafishing.com/live-cam-2/
thanks
I’m not sure whether or not to fill out the report. My grandson reported seeing the meteor streak across the sky. He said it lit up the whole sky just before it exploded. He and his friend were traveling west on I-10 just west of downtown Jacksonville at approximately 2300 EST. I heard a loud boom at approximately the same time. At first I attributed it to operations at the nearby Camp Blanding National Guard base where explosions are common but this was much louder than any explosion I had heard previously. I live in Middleburg, FL 32068. Neighbors also reported hearing the boom on Facebook. I will have my grandson fill out a report.
I seen a bright green light outside and a
then about a minute later there was a loud house shaking;;window rattling boom.
Febuarary 21, Saturday night around 11:30pm I saw a bright light in the sky when I looked up it looked like a ball of fire flying across the sky I could only describe it as an asteroid at the time I was in eureka Florida near Ocala.
I was outside and saw the meteor streak across the sky. It was spectacular! Heard the boom about 1-2 minutes later. Wow!!
The sound I heard was like an explosion. We thought maybe something blew up. It was a little after 11:00pm. Reports have said some activity with army has been reported in the olustee forest here so we assumed it was that but after calling 911 and told it was a meteor we didn’t believe it. Just thought something was trying to be covered up about activity in the forest. This morning I get in Facebook and there were hundreds of post about the meteor and people actually spotting it. Who knows….
I was closing out gate at the time a large fireball was over head, it lite up the road and where I was was standing like someone turned on a flood light. It was only about 5 seconds as the fireball took three steps when it decreased in size each time until the final small one that went out. I was amazed.
Hi, We live 3 miles out pinemount road in Lake City. My family had just sat down to watch a movie when we heard the boom and the house house rattleed but it seems the north end rattled more than the rest of the house. After the movie, (1 1/2 later) My daughter started looking on FB and one of her friends said they heard the boom and the sky lit up.
About 3 weeks ago around 11:00pm my husband and I was out side and heard a boom as well. I know it’s harmless, but nevertheless strange.
We live in South Florida (Cooper City ) and were startled on Saturday at around midnight with a loud explosion that shook our windows and lit up our room.
I was outside last night having a bonfire with some family when the entire sky lit up and a few minutes later we heard the boom. We would like to know what this was
The report does not allow for documenting just the affects of feeling the boom. I was inside and did not see the fireball, but the boom shook mine and my neighbors houses in zip 32092.
The collected data doesn’t account for situations like mine which would show a much larger affected area.
Whatever this thing was very pretty to watch the blue color that it emitted was so bright it turned night time into day time it flew directly over the top of us while we were having a bon fire and then several minutes later we heard the boom
Blue… I was waiting to see if anyone reported that color. I saw it too. Very cool.
The sound was so loud and shook the whole house I thought the gas pump at the b and b gas station in wellborn may have blown. It even had my dogs barking and going crazy.
We were camping out near Baldwin Fl and saw this fireball. Glad to know others did too. What was it?
While driving north on Interstate 75 in Florida, and as I was exiting at Clark Road (Exit 205 in Sarasota) at approximately 11:00PM on Saturday night (2/21/15), I observed a large fireball with several large accompanying fragments traveling southwest to northeast at approx 70 degrees off the horizon from my position. it appeared to be less that 10,000 feet in altitude and moving at several hundred miles per hour. I viewed it for about three seconds.
Felt the house,windows and ground shake thought something hit my house
House shook so hard thought something hit it -Live Oak Fl
I saw it in Melbourne streaking across the sky. It had a green tint to the light
Saw something falling in the sky last night. Long tail. Green in color? There were two. We were driving from Sarasota to Tampa On I75 north bound around 11:30/11:45 PM.
I live in SW Gainesville Fl. and a fireball landed in my backyard last night. While watching TV I saw bright white/silver ball of fire fly past my windows and land about 20 yards of the back of my house. Amazing and scary all at the same time.
I heard the boom and felt the shaking from it, i didnt know what it was or what was going on….
Seen three little lights that lite up the sky like lightin
While driving down 90 by O’Reilly. Followed by big blast
Couple min after. Lake city fl.
We are located on the Space Coast of Florida. We were in our Jacuzzi at around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 21, 2015 and saw the meteor go across the sky from the west/south west towards the north east. It was a bright meteor with a bright tail, followed by a greenish bright light and a flash. It was amazing to see!
My windows shook as well as dishes and knock knacks. The boom was incredible
Sometime around 11 PM on 2/21/15 we were sitting outside around a bond fire when we saw the sky light up and then a fireball or as we called it a fallen star, explode and fall toward the earth. Shortly afterwards we heard a boom. We live about 17 miles west of Lake City Florida and the explosion seemed to be heading northwest.
Saw the sky light up around 11 pm leaving the monster trucks in Jacksonville
felt and heard a loud boom Saturday night. Didn’t pay it much attention due to camp Blanding making noise firing artillery. I thought it was them until I read about the meteor Saturday night. I live in Middleburg, Fl.
I was outside and seen a flash of light looked around did not see anything until I looked up and what an amazing sight. Never ever seen one before that close
Could you tell me what time these were reported? We were driving and saw something. I’m trying to see if it was the same thing being reported here. What we saw was just before 11. Thank you.
I witnessed the fireball in tampa FL but I didn’t experience rattling or a boom. I just happened to look up and I saw a bright green/orange flame ball falling then instantly it disappeared???
I didn’t see it, because I was in bed (bummer – I wish I’d seen it!) but the noise sounded like a fairly large explosion and the house shook and windows rattled. I waited for a while to see if there would be more but only heard the one big boom.
my in laws while traveling to our home in the country abruptly were taken by surprise this evening as a red flash took up a big part of the sky while driving south ….it pulsated and then disappeared.
we are in Wv
Heard and felt very loud sonic boom last night. Today found out it was meteor. Some friends even saw it.
My wife and I witnessed it while we were northbound on highway 441 between Yeehaw Junction and St. Cloud. We had a visual for about 15 seconds. It was extremely bright as it was falling, and seemed to dim a bit as it neared the ground, and then “re-intensified” once more in what basically appeared to be an explosion at about 20 degrees above the horizon. It was green. Very amazing sight to see, I’m amazed it fell near JAX; it seemed like it was much closer to our location.
I saw a similar meteor fall last night in same area. It fell over Melbourne Beach. It burst into a flame at the end. But don’t know if it hit ground.
The meteor I just mentioned was on 7/8/2018 in Melbourne Florida on highway 92 at 11:30pm, near Yeehaw Junction. It so close I was awestruck. It burst into a flame at the end and almost hit ground near Melbourne near I-95.
I saw it Saturday, i was driving north on Nixon rd. in Tampa Florida.
I live in Lake City FL As I was watching TV I heard a BOOM and felt something NOT knowing what it was, I looked outside the side and back of my home, saw nothing, looked all out front, saw nothing, so saying to myself, I am not crazy I heard and felt SOMETHING…!! As I just spoke to a friend who lives a few miles from me, HE was telling me what he saw as he WAS outdoors as it happened..with a friend.. this would be the WELBORN AREA.. he said they saw the sky light up in GREEN and something went overhead and then they felt the earth really SKAKE and a LOUD BOOOOOM. He said it was like nothing anyone had ever seen or felt.. SO now I know what I was feeling and hearing also Just wanted to relay what they saw personally and that I also felt this.. As I keep my blinds closed I am sorry I could not have seen the lighting also.
Confirming I saw the ‘fireball’ around 9 PM Saturday night. It appeared to the north/northeast and looked like a fireworks display as multiple streamers rained down. I am in Homosassa, Florida 34446, about 50 miles north of Tampa.
We SAW it. I live in Jacksonville Beach, and my husband Jimmy and I were outside in our back yard and it appeared at exactly 11:02 and lasted about 25 seconds. It was a bright green-blue. It appeared in the middle of the western sky and traveled toward the north….then dissappeared.
I also saw the meteror… it was the most beautiful thing I ever saw. Omg. It lit the sky up so beautifully…
Also heard the sonic boom in White Springs around 11 pm. My neighbor was outside. He also saw heard and observed some of the visual effects as well. He described it as 2 separate bright flashes that lit up the entire sky.
I heard the boom in Neptune Beach, Florida, but I didn’t see the fireball. It was extremely loud; thought it might be a plane crash.
Did it hit the ground?
Jerry and All,
There have not been any reports of fragments of this object being found yet. Stay tuned!
Robert Lunsford
American Meteor Society
I found a fragment on the extended flight path in coastal Liberty co. Ga.The coastal area is formed with silt and sand and is completely devoid of rocks so it’s the same as finding it on an ice field.
I saw it too… Just happened to walk out to my car a few seconds before this meteor landed. Train was very bright and multi-colored. Lasted for about 10 seconds and the train got longer as it approached landing. I saw huge orb of mostly green, pink and orange light and a loud boom. I was in Davenport, FL near Disney World at around 11ish PM. I feel really, really lucky to have seen this.
My friend and i saw a very bright and blue fire ball north of us from Oviedo, FL on Saturday night. Glad to see this here since we couldn’t find any other information regarding the apparent meteor. We didn’t hear any noise, which seemed odd considering the size and brightness, but it makes sense now that I see it was close to Jacsonville which is a 2 hour north of us!
Saw bright light in bedroom, thought it was a spotlight. Followed by loud explosion, thought something blew up, or something hit the house. It was exactly 11:02 pm sat. Night.
My wife and I saw the brilliant meteor at ~10:20 p.m. Saturday night 02/21. The meteor desintigrated it appeared, with a bright green tint seen as it burnt up in the sky, only to reignite in all of about three seconds or so before it burned out completely. (Now I know what the booming sound was I heard ~10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning 02/17 there were a couple booms coming from the north of me that sounded local in our home.)
My wife and I in North Cape Coral, FL saw the brilliant meteor at ~10:20 p.m. Saturday night 02/21. The meteor desintigrated it appeared, with a bright green tint seen as it burnt up in the sky, only to reignite in all of about three seconds or so before it burned out completely. (Now I know what the booming sound was I heard ~10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning 02/17 there were a couple booms coming from the north of me that sounded local in our home.)
i heard the boom after 11 PM in a Tallahassee zip 32311.
Startled me. I too turn on lights inside and outside.
Driving North on I-75 from Ft. Myers to Nokomis Sat night around Port Charlotte/North Port green ball appeared in North over interstate and traveled eastward disapearing below trees. Appeared about size and brightness of the 4 bulb lights at interchanges (as viewed from 1/2 to 3/4 miles away) except it was green. very impressive. Got home and chked internet but did not find any info on a FL sighting of a Meteor.
When did you see it? I saw one in Fort Myers probably in 2013. Looked like a big green firy meteor. Faded pretty quickly but amazing while it lasted. Went south or southwest.
We heard it, sounded like an explosion but we didn’t know what caused it. All the neighbors came out looking for the source. Now we know what it was. Ocala, FL
I heard that same boom on feb 12 in Ocala Fl it shook my house a neighbors around the area
I was in my backyard in middleburg fl flashing my laser pen up in the air when out of nowhere this brightlight appeared with a green trail and it was huge and I thought it landed and Jennings Forest but I heard the sonic boom.
After reading at a site that tells how to check a meteorite for magnetism by using a string to hang the meteorite or the magnet and bringing them close together I find mine is magnetic. It is slightly magnetic overall but one corner is much stronger, enough to lift that corner a little. So my prior post stating that it was non magnetic is false.
I live in the Miami!, FL area and I heard a sonic boom on Wednesday evening. 2/24/2015. In Coral Gables, FL 3 miles away from me there were many reports of sounds and houses trembling.
I wasnt sure if I could believe my bro. but after reading what everybody here was saying they seen or heard. I need to be a little more open minded. I think it was Monday Feb. 23rd. 2015, between the hours of 9pm and 11ish. My bro. went to Mulberry fl. leaving before dark. When he came back, he was pale face and spooked, and told me this creepy story. that really I wasnt buying. Until I found this website. He said when he started home from Mulberry (headed east on 640) he got almost to Homeland and was stopped by law enforcement and told to find another way around Homeland there was no explantion why he had to go around. Well he said he could not afford the gas to go another way, so he pulled off the road and sat thinking that surely they would open the road way soon enough. Nope the officer told him he must find another way.But the weird part he said was when he sat on the side of the raod his cell phone would not work. no service…….. by the time he made it home which he did go another way. He got up the next day early snooping of what happened in homeland well he came back that somebody said that a very large object fell out of the sky hitting a lake/pit that the impact had such force that it broke a few windows and the water table dropped a foot or so. I not real sure if he was just telling this to excuse the lost time or if there is truth in it. Maybe somebody else had this same thing happen. thanks for reading
I was driving home from the UF vs UM game that Saturday night. I was somewhere between Gainesville and Palatka when my car lit up inside. I looked over my shoulder to the NW and saw the bright light. Does anyone know if it impacted?
On Friday Feb 16th around ten pm I heard a faint but strong double boom and saw a bright blue fire ball curving down above my ranch. 33850, 50 miles east of Tampa and 25 miles southwest of orlando. Sunday night at about 8 pm I saw another, I did not hear any thing with it, this one was much farther northeast.
We saw it as well. Driving north on I-75 between I-4 and Exit 275 late in the evening, we saw a green neon object fall from the sky and land somewhere East of the highway. It resembled a pitchfork head at that point with one prong down the middle between the two outer edges.
Sat night feb 22 11 pm got home just to see a giant orb dropping north east thru the trees 3 secds lake helen fl.32744
hear a boom @ about 10:00 pm last night sounded like a canon – Newark DE
I saw on 21 Feb at 7.10pm last night.. It was beautiful..
And its in Penampang, Sabah
We live in Ocala East Villas and we heard something last night 6/22 in the early evening and again tonight 6/23 at 9:20pm. There was a loud boom and the windows rattled as well as the floor. I’d like to know what’s going on
Danielle and All,
I searched our reports and found one event that occurred at the time you mentioned. Interestingly, it occurred too far north to be related to your sound event. Since there are no reports of a fireball from the Florida area at this time I would conclude that your sounds were most likely sonic booms.
Robert Lunsford
American Meteor Society
Do you hae any video of that? I’d love to find out some additional information.
We were having a gathering for our friends with musicians and such when we all heard a big explosion out in the back yard. Only a couple of us actually saw anything. What I saw was a very bright ball of light, about the size of a softball or so, about ten feet from the edge of our patio. There were one or two others that saw the same light. Only later, after some research by a friend, did we realize that it was, indeed, a meteor.