Dazzling fireball streaks over Gateway Arch in St. Louis

By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Nov. 12, 2019 9:24 AM

As the Northern Taurids meteor shower peaked Monday night, reports emerged from across the country of a dazzling fireball racing across the sky.

The American Meteor Society (AMS) said it received over 90 reports about a bright fireball seen above the Missouri sky as it traveled from east to west. Most of the reports occurred around 8:52 p.m. local time Monday.

An EarthCam image captured the brilliant burst of light igniting over the Gateway Arch in St. Louis before the meteor trailed off into the distance. According to KMOV in St. Louis, many viewers reported hearing a loud boom in addition to seeing the flash of light.

Earth Cam

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A fireball turned night into day over the Gateway Arch in St. Louis on Monday, Nov. 11. (Image/EarthCam)

Reports of the meteor also came in from states such Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Nevada, Kansas and Minnesota. In total, there have been about 120 reports of people seeing the fireball.

According to the AMS, a fireball is another term for a very bright meteor.

The Northern Taurids are known to produce spectacular fireballs at the height of their peak, as opposed to other showers such as the Orionids or Perseids which can produce shooting stars at a prolific rate. Only five meteors per hour were expected for this year's peak of the Northern Taurids.

While the peak of the meteor shower concluded Tuesday morning, the Northern Taurids last until mid-December, so there could still be opportunities for stargazers to see another fireball in the coming weeks.

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