Current:Home > reviewsWatch as shooting star burns brightly, awes driver as it arcs across Tennessee sky -TrueNorth Finance Path
Watch as shooting star burns brightly, awes driver as it arcs across Tennessee sky
View
Date:2025-04-11 15:44:20
A meteor made a surprise appearance in the sky early Friday morning, burning brightly as it traveled across two neighboring states before dissipating.
Glenn Sparks, a driver headed east on Interstate 40 in Tennessee, documented the moment on Facebook, writing that he had just witnessed the "most amazing meteor of my life" at around 1 a.m. on Friday.
The shooting star, according to Sparks, looked like it was roughly over Greeneville, about 65 miles east of Knoxville, when he spotted it.
"It lit up the sky for over 10 seconds with multiple explosions along the way," Sparks wrote. "Absolutely gorgeous!"
Watch: Meteor briefly illuminate Tennessee skyline
Southwest Virginia residents also caught sight of the fleeting ball of fire, capturing the meteor, also known as a shooting star, on video as it whizzed by in a matter of seconds.
Sparks' awe was audible in the video clip that he took, saying "What?" and erupting into laughter.
While Sparks may have been in awe, meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere regularly, with NASA estimating that that "several meteors per hour" can usually be seen on any given night.
"Scientists estimate that about 48.5 tons of meteoritic material falls on Earth each day," according to NASA. "Almost all the material is vaporized in Earth's atmosphere, leaving a bright trail fondly called 'shooting stars.'"
veryGood! (143)
Related
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Why Baby Reindeer’s Richard Gadd Has “Toxic Empathy” for Real-Life Stalker
- The Daily Money: How much does guilt-tipping cost us?
- Indiana professors sue after GOP lawmakers pass law regulating faculty tenure
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- NFL schedule release 2024: Here are the best team schedule release videos in recent memory
- Beyoncé's name to be added to French encyclopedic dictionary
- 'The Voice': Team Dan + Shay leads with 3 singers in Top 9, including Instant Save winner
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Yes, Zendaya looked stunning. But Met Gala was a tone-deaf charade of excess and hypocrisy.
Ranking
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- House Republicans will turn to K-12 schools in latest antisemitism probe
- Harvey Weinstein is back at NYC’s Rikers Island jail after hospital stay
- British AI startup raises more than $1 billion for its self-driving car technology
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Olympic flame arrives in Marseille, France, 79 days before the Paris 2024 Games
- Watch live: USA TODAY discusses highlights from May 7 Apple event, 'Let Loose'
- Kim Kardashian’s Daughter North West Lands Role in Special Lion King Show
Recommendation
Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
Did Miss USA Noelia Voigt's resignation statement contain a hidden message?
Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, gives adorable update on twins Rumi and Sir Carter
Judges say they’ll draw new Louisiana election map if lawmakers don’t by June 3
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
What happens if you fall into a black hole? NASA simulations provide an answer.
Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert wins fourth defensive player of year award, tied for most ever
How Phoebe Dynevor Made Fashion History at the 2024 Met Gala