Current:Home > FinanceWatch as shooting star burns brightly, awes driver as it arcs across Tennessee sky -OptionFlow
Watch as shooting star burns brightly, awes driver as it arcs across Tennessee sky
View
Date:2025-04-19 05:57:51
A meteor made a surprise appearance in the sky early Friday morning, burning brightly as it traveled across two neighboring states before dissipating.
Glenn Sparks, a driver headed east on Interstate 40 in Tennessee, documented the moment on Facebook, writing that he had just witnessed the "most amazing meteor of my life" at around 1 a.m. on Friday.
The shooting star, according to Sparks, looked like it was roughly over Greeneville, about 65 miles east of Knoxville, when he spotted it.
"It lit up the sky for over 10 seconds with multiple explosions along the way," Sparks wrote. "Absolutely gorgeous!"
Watch: Meteor briefly illuminate Tennessee skyline
Southwest Virginia residents also caught sight of the fleeting ball of fire, capturing the meteor, also known as a shooting star, on video as it whizzed by in a matter of seconds.
Sparks' awe was audible in the video clip that he took, saying "What?" and erupting into laughter.
While Sparks may have been in awe, meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere regularly, with NASA estimating that that "several meteors per hour" can usually be seen on any given night.
"Scientists estimate that about 48.5 tons of meteoritic material falls on Earth each day," according to NASA. "Almost all the material is vaporized in Earth's atmosphere, leaving a bright trail fondly called 'shooting stars.'"
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Jenna Ortega speaks out on age-gap controversy with Martin Freeman in 'Miller's Girl'
- Four are killed in the crash of a single-engine plane in northwestern Oklahoma City
- Lucille Ball's daughter shares rare photo with brother Desi Arnaz Jr.
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- I was an RA for 3 Years; Here are the Not-So-Obvious Dorm Essentials You Should Pack for College in 2024
- Freddie Freeman's emotional return to Dodgers includes standing ovation in first at bat
- As the Paris Olympics wind down, Los Angeles swings into planning for 2028
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- Maryland’s Moore joins former US Sen. Elizabeth Dole to help veterans
Ranking
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Kristen Faulkner leads U.S. women team pursuit in quest for gold medal
- Kamala Harris' vice president pick Tim Walz has a history of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé fandom
- Olympic women's soccer final: Live Bracket, schedule for gold medal game
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Carly Pearce berates concertgoer after alleged confrontation: 'Get out of my show'
- Why AP called Missouri’s 1st District primary for Wesley Bell over Rep. Cori Bush
- Microsoft hits back at Delta after the airline said last month’s tech outage cost it $500 million
Recommendation
What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
Authorities arrest man accused of threatening mass casualty event at Army-Navy football game
Weak spots in metal may have led to fatal Osprey crash off Japan, documents obtained by AP reveal
House of the Dragon Season 3's Latest Update Will Give Hope to Critics of the Controversial Finale
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
US safety board plans to quiz officials about FAA oversight of Boeing before a panel blew off a 737
Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu streaming subscription price hikes coming
Ancient 'hobbits' were even smaller than previously thought, scientists say