Around 8:05 p.m. tonight, Jan. 16, many reported seeing a bright flash travel across the sky. Some even heard a loud noise. Initially it appears it may be a meteor.

Social media posts say the flash was seen in Traverse City, Chicago and numerous locations in southeast Michigan.

One social media post to me said there was even a loud noise.

Here's the video from Phil Kennedy's security camera in Ypsilanti (just south of Ford Lake) in southeast Michigan.

Brian Ottum, Ph.D., is an amateur astronomer from Ann Arbor. He owns a large telescope positioned in New Mexico, and he controls the telescope from Michigan.

Ottum says this was probably a meteor. He says a meteor can be made of rock, metallic material or even space debris. A meteor can produce a loud noise when it passes by you over the speed of sound.

For a noise to be produced, Ottum said, it was probably a fairly large meteor. He speculated it could be the size of a basketball.

Technology allows astronomers to triangulate reports and find an exact location of impact. We may know tomorrow where the meteor struck.

Only two people have been injured by meteors, Ottum said, but many buildings have been damaged by them.

We are working to find out more about this bright flash. If you have info or a report, please post in the comments section.