The American Meteor Society has received over 300 reports about a bright fireball over San Antonio Texas Saturday night at approximately 8:45 local time or 2:45 Universal Time. Witnesses reported an extremely bright green light that rivaled the brightness of the sun. Bill Cooke (Meteoroid Environments Office Lead / NASA) were able to estimate the peak brightness at >-14 (stellar magnitude), which means this meteor was at least four feet wide, weighed about 4,000 pounds and burned five times brighter than a full moon.

You might ask how an object so small can create such a bright flash and be seen over such a wide area? The answer is the extreme velocity at which these objects strike the atmosphere. Even the slowest meteors strike the atmosphere at a velocity of 10 miles per SECOND. The videos of this object (see below) show a meteor moving at an impressive speed so the actual velocity could have been twice this speed. These objects also become visible while at least 60 miles altitude so they can be seen over a wide swath of land.

Below is a 3D trajectory computed from the witness reports.

Here is a video of the fireball caught during a concert in Austin TX

Here is a video of the fireball taken from a dashboard camera:

The amazing picture below has been taken by John Gutierrez – www.Anticipationvideos.com (Canon 70D – Sigma 17-50mm lens, ISO 3200, f/6.3, 1/160 second diffused flash). John said: “Just what are the chances that when pressing on the shutter button while photographing the Solero Latin Band a falling star appears, a meteor? I had just focused my camera looking through the viewfinder of the Salero Latin Band playing at Dia de los Muertos in Round Rock tonight, and just when I began to press the shutter button, this falling meteor appears. What makes this photo so interesting is that it made a perfect backdrop for the band while playing rather than an empty dark sky. At first I thought it was a firework, but they don’t fall at that speed. (…) Definitely a shot of a lifetime!”

Below is the heat map of the witnesses of this event.

For more information about fireball meteors see the AMS Fireball FAQ. If you witnessed this event please fill out an official fireball report.

Here is another video of the fireball taken from a dashboard camera:



Mike Hankey Mike Hankey is a software developer, entrepreneur, amateur astronomer, astrophotographer, meteor observer and meteorite hunter. Mike's enthusiasm for meteors led him to the American Meteor Society where he volunteered his time and the services of his software development company to redesign the AMS website and fireball reporting tool. In 2011 Mike was awarded the society's C.P. Olivier award for his work. In 2012 Mike was promoted to the role of Operations Manager. Mike and his company continue to maintain and enhance the AMS website and fireball reporting tools. You can see Mike's photography work and read more of his posts on his astronomy blog: Mike Hankey is a software developer, entrepreneur, amateur astronomer, astrophotographer, meteor observer and meteorite hunter. Mike's enthusiasm for meteors led him to the American Meteor Society where he volunteered his time and the services of his software development company to redesign the AMS website and fireball reporting tool. In 2011 Mike was awarded the society's C.P. Olivier award for his work. In 2012 Mike was promoted to the role of Operations Manager. Mike and his company continue to maintain and enhance the AMS website and fireball reporting tools. You can see Mike's photography work and read more of his posts on his astronomy blog: MikesAstroPhotos.com . Mike can be contacted here