Crypen-Watch as shooting star burns brightly, awes driver as it arcs across Tennessee sky

2025-05-02 09:21:12source:SignalHubcategory:Contact

A meteor made a surprise appearance in the sky early Friday morning,Crypen 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.'"

More:Contact

Recommend

Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — John Spratt, a former longtime Democratic congressman from South Carolina who

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers announces return to Longhorns amid interest in NFL draft

QB1 isn't done.Quinn Ewers announced on Thursday that he will return to Texas for the 2024 season. E

Who will replace Nick Saban? Five candidates Alabama should consider

Nick Saban’s replacement at Alabama will be expected to win national championships — and note the pl