A meteor falling into Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday evening lit up the Midwestern sky. Within minutes, eyewitnesses, stargazers and enthusiasts lit up websites and phone banks to report the sighting.



The bright, green fragment streaked across the sky shortly after 8 p.m. Reports of sightings ranged from Des Moines in the west to eastern Ohio.



From NBC Chicago's Facebook page:



"thought at first it was a shooting star but it seemed larger and kinda green," said Mary Davison Ulrich.



"I think I saw it around 815. Went to go look in my backyard and they sky was green," said Jordan Wilson.



"Saw it around 8:20 as I was travelling west on Dundee Rd in Northbrook! Thought someone shot a green flare!" said David Seiller.



"Saw it when I was heading West in Oak Lawn. ... It was very bright, spectacular," said Connie Edmund Lemon.



"I saw it from my livingroom window, in Wauconda, really bright!!!" said Connie Burns McMahon.



"Yes I saw it, looked green.. Thought someone was setting up fireworks," said Laurie Millan-Eckhardt.



Similar reports have poured into enthusiast websites like Lunar Meteorite Hunters and The Latest Worldwide Meteor.



The April Lyrids, an annual meteor shower, is expected to begin next week.



In April 2010, a meteor lit up the Midwestern sky. Fragments of the rock were later found in Wisconsin and were put on display at Chicago's Field Museum.



Video of Wednesday's Meteor from Madison, Wis.: