Current:Home > NewsWatch as shooting star burns brightly, awes driver as it arcs across Tennessee sky -Wealth Momentum Network
Watch as shooting star burns brightly, awes driver as it arcs across Tennessee sky
View
Date:2025-04-18 15:27:54
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! (115)
Related
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Kentucky sheriff charged in fatal shooting of judge at courthouse
- Brewers give 20-year-old Jackson Chourio stroller of non-alcoholic beer for clinch party
- Shohei Ohtani becomes the first major league player with 50 homers, 50 stolen bases in a season
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- College football Week 4 predictions: Expert picks for every Top 25 game
- Nike names Elliott Hill as CEO, replacing John Donahoe
- Who is Arch Manning? Texas names QB1 for Week 4 as Ewers recovers from injury
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- North Carolina Republican governor candidate Mark Robinson vows to stay in race despite media report
Ranking
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Hotter summers are making high school football a fatal game for some players
- Jets' Aaron Rodgers, Robert Saleh explain awkward interaction after TD vs. Patriots
- As fire raged nearby, a tiny town’s zoo animals were driven to safety
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Chris Pine Confirms New Romance During Vacation in Italy
- California governor signs package of bills giving state more power to enforce housing laws
- South Carolina prepares for first execution in 13 years
Recommendation
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
SpaceX faces $633,000 fine from FAA over alleged launch violations: Musk plans to sue
Georgia jobless rate rises for a fourth month in August
Hotter summers are making high school football a fatal game for some players
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
Yankee Candle Doorbuster Sale: Save 40% on Almost Everything — Candles, ScentPlug, Holiday Gifts & More
Road work inspector who leaped to safety during Baltimore bridge collapse to file claim
How RHOC's Heather Dubrow and Alexis Bellino Are Creating Acceptance for Their LGBT Kids