Bright Meteor 10/9/08 seen over Chicago. Did anyone see it?

Hey folks.
Just last night Thursday Oct. 9, 2008 around 9:07PM Central Time, I saw a large meteor come through. It was brighter than the moon but had no tail to it like a regular meteor. It looked like a white flare and lasted for at least 5-7 seconds or so. I thought it was a helicopter police light or a firework or even a plane coming in for landing (I live near O'Hare). But it was a meteor. Size about 1/8 the size of a full moon and MUCH brighter. It traveled from the west towards the east-southeast before it burned out. It was crazy. I wonder if anyone else saw it as well? It made my night!

hmmm...didn't see it sorry, I live in the Elgin area but I'm always traveling to the North shore. I was on the highway westbound to Elgin around 9:30 was that when it hit? With no trail it sounds like a UFO, how fast was it moving?

I live in the city at Leavitt & Addison and saw it. My wife and I were on our back balcony facing west when she pointed it out. It definitely had a tail when we saw it and seemed very low (though I have no background or experience with these things). I don't recall what your post said, but facing west, it was travelling east and slightly southbound. It was easily one of the coolest things I've ever seen in the sky (by the by, definitely not anything but a meteor) and I would love to know or find out where it wound up!!

reply to post by PinealGlandThoth


I disagree. Meteors can have long trails, or no trail at all. Technically, if it lasts less than one second it's called a "wake" by the way. If it lasts longer it's called a "persistent train".

GenRadek - if you want to report this fireball, there's an online fireball report form here.

reply to post by PinealGlandThoth


It was moving pretty fast and burned out. It was about 9:07PM looking south right below the moon. I knew it wasnt a UFO because of the way it "burned" out at the end with a little shower of sparks.

reply to post by C.H.U.D.


Thank you. I will check it out since it was pretty cool.

I was actually on my way home from school that night, and I was headed west on I-96 and I sar the same light. I thought I was seeing things, but my wife saw it as well. It lasted for about 7 seconds, and I saw it on from the west. This would have been about 10 o'clock. I thought I would see something on the news, and I searched for "Meteor" and added the date, and you popped up. Thanks!!!! P.S., i'm in south lyon, MI

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


heh, no problem. I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw it!

I saw it in Mount Zion Illinois. I reported it online at amsmeteors.org. At least 10 other people reported on that site what would appear to be the same thing.

The OP and others might want to check out this thread if they haven't done so already:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

The moon was in the east when I saw the moon oddity in question on that thread. Maybe what I saw was part of the same scenario, just a little later in time, a little further down the road.

I live about 80 miles south of Chicago out in corn country (very low background lighting). IMHO it was the international space station. I have been a sky watcher most of my life and have seen the ISS many times before. It did not burn or spark out, it just continued on out of view as it always does. It is always neat to see when it comes through, very bright. There is a NASA web site that tells where it can be viewed from but I don't have a link - Sorry.

In regards to the moon situation, in my case at least, that is not possible. The moon was to my back as I watched the meteor cross the sky.

Saw the bolide at about 9:05 pm October in the Southern sky. The meteor was about the brightness of the moon and when first sighted was at about an elevation of 45 degrees above the Southern horizon moving from West to East in a 45 degree downward trajectory. Duration was about 2 seconds. Meteor was white and then turned orange and left a trail of orange sparks. My location is Hickory Hill, IL. a SW suburb of Chicago.
Latitude 41deg 43'N Long 87deg 50'W

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


If it was almost a 1/3 the size of the moon and much brighter, it wasn't the ISS. Though I dont know if the ISS was visible this night.

On our way home me and my brother seen a bright white light it seemed like it could be just a plane or something it was that close but in a second or 2 it shot downwards like a falling star and disappeared but what was odd is that the light didn't fade and it had no trail it was there and then it was gone, but it was cool either way whatever it was. sounds similar to what you guys seen. I'm from fayetteville ga

I did see this great ball of fire in the sky. I was at dinner on Clark St. I was sitting in the window. It did have a tail and it was a pretty big size. I was stund, it was one of the most interesting things I have seen. It was so clear I could not stop looking at it, then it went behind a building. It was breath taking...

reply to post by GenRadek

I saw it in northern Des Plaines at about 9:10 p.m. -- it was traveling from the northwest to the southeast and it looked like a flare, but was moving very fast.

Saw this meteor at about 9:05 pm Oct 9 from chicago SW suburbs. Moved in southern sky at about 30 - 40 degree altitude on a W to E heading. As bright or brighter than moon and about 1/3rd the size. Duration about 2-3 seconds and covered about 1/3rd of southern sky. Bright white then orange-red with contrail of orange sparks. Next evening at about same time ANOTHER very bright meteor same heading but higher elevation. About Mag -10 duration 1-1/2 sec. These bolides, if that is what they were, must have been seen by thousands but as is typical the tv, radio and papers REPORTED NOTHING ! The media has a directive to not report UFO's, so they probably decided to not report it on that basis even though it was probably a meteor or re-entering spy sattelite etc. So much for our so-called "News" outlets and the way they filter out the information they feed us.

saw another meteor this morning, dec 10 at about 5ish am, in Mchenry County looking south. Moved from west to east in at very sharp downward angle. Cast a bluish tinge upon disintigration (sp)