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 March 28, 2003. People in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio saw the meteor break apart as it flew across the sky. Many pieces of the meteorite were found on the ground in the area. Some of the pieces that were found weighed more than seven pounds. The pieces of the meteorite did not hit any people.

Some of the pieces hit houses in the area. One family found a five-pound meteorite in their living room! The meteorite had crashed through their roof.

The meteor was made of stone. It was about the size of a small car before it exploded. Meteorites almost never land in areas where many people live. But small meteorites do land on the Earth several times each year.

Last modified April 11, 2003 by Randy Russell.

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