Image courtesy Corel Corporation

Fireball explodes in sky near Chicago
News story originally written on April 4, 2003

A large meteor exploded in the sky near Chicago shortly after midnight on the morning of March 28, 2003. People in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio saw the meteor break apart in Earth's atmosphere. Several pieces from the meteor fell across an area about 80 miles long by 20 miles wide near the south side of Chicago. Some of the pieces hit houses in the area. One family found a five-pound meteorite, which had knocked a hole in their ceiling, in their living room. Some pieces as large as 7.5 pounds were found in the area.

The stony meteor was probably about the size of a small car before it exploded. Small meteorites frequently strike the Earth. It is very unusual for meteorites to land in areas where many people live. Luckily however, the pieces that fell didn't hit any people.

Last modified April 11, 2003 by Randy Russell.

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