‘Startling’ green fireball reported soaring over Carolinas, meteor society says

A fireball was seen soaring over North and South Carolina just after 7 p.m. on Presidents Day, according to the American Meteor Society.

Eleven witnesses — from Aiken, South Carolina, north to Durham, North Carolina — have filed reports of seeing the object Monday, Feb. 20, about an hour after sunset.

It was bright, fleeting and had a greenish hue, witnesses said.

“Heading straight down, very bright green despite overcast sky,” a woman in the Aiken, South Carolina, area reported. “Long trail, no sound of impact or shockwave, legitimately startling.”

“It looked like if it was going to land,” a witness in Saluda, South Carolina, wrote. “I had to make a fast stop in the middle of the road. ... I did not know what it was. It all happened very fast.”

“It was a big bright light that disappeared as quickly as it came,” a Statesville, North Carolina, man posted.

Reports were also filed by people in Charlotte, Asheboro and High Point in North Carolina, along with a witness in Spartanburg, South Carolina, officials said. None reported any sound accompanying the fireball.

It was the sixth time a fireball has been reported over North Carolina in February, the society reports.

The fireballs are likely associated with Alpha Centaurids Meteor Shower, which was forecast to last from Jan. 28 through Feb. 21.

This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 2:03 PM with the headline "‘Startling’ green fireball reported soaring over Carolinas, meteor society says."