Meteor credited for bright light, noise rattling Michigan

DETROIT — Experts say a bright light and what sounded like thunder in the sky above Michigan was a meteor.

The American Meteor Society says it received hundreds of reports of a fireball Tuesday night over the state, including many in the Detroit area. Reports also came in from several other states and Ontario, Canada.

Some Michigan residents reported their homes shaking.

The society says the reports suggest a space rock penetrated deep into the Earth’s atmosphere before it broke apart. The U.S. Geological Service says it registered as a 2.0 magnitude earthquake in Michigan.

Bill Cooke with NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office tells The Detroit News it was “definitely a meteoroid” and a rare sight for Michigan.

Other states where people reported seeing a fireball included Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri.