By Patrick Wilson
The Virginian-Pilot© March 30, 2009
Were they meteors? A comet? UFOs?
People from Maryland to Hampton Roads heard loud explosions and saw brilliant, streaking lights in the sky Sunday night.
There was no immediate explanation, the National Weather Service office in Wakefield said. The Virginia Beach 911 center had numerous calls waiting just before 10 p.m., a supervisor said.
The Weather Service said reports were made from Dorchester County, Md., to the Virginia/North Carolina border. People said they saw a streak in the sky and heard an explosion.
“It was orange, like a fireball,” said Steve Wagner, who lives in the Great Bridge area of Chesapeake and said what he saw was too close to be a shooting star. Wagner was outside cooking with family when he saw the streak. He said he went inside when his daughter called, then heard an explosion that sounded like thunder.
Chris Wamsley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Wakefield office, said there could be various causes of the explosions and lights. A team of people is looking into what happened, he said.
Lindsey Hosek of the Great Neck area of Virginia Beach was jogging along the water with her dog when the sky lit up, she said.
“The bright light at first terrified me because I thought somebody was shining a light on me, and then I saw it, and I was in complete awe because it was so beautiful,” she said.
Then she saw something that looked like a comet moving low toward the ground; it was blue in front followed by orange and appeared to be the shape and size of a refrigerator.
“It was just so low. It was like where a bird should be,” she said. “It was definitely heading downward.”
She was on the phone with a friend a minute later when she heard an explosion.
Kenneth Martin of Chesapeake’s South Norfolk neighborhood said he saw what appeared to be lightning, then the sky turned blue.
Then, he said, a white ball of fire shot close to the ground and appeared to burn out. He said he’s sure it was a meteor.
“It was so vivid in the sky, blinking,” he said. “It was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen.”
No damage was reported, the Weather Service said.
Patrick Wilson, (757) 446-2957, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com
9 comments:
I live near off Bonney Road near Baxter Road in Virginia Beach. When I heard and felt the boom, it sounded like something big like a propane tank had exploded. I went outside and there were tiny flakes of ash in the air but it was quiet. Brenda
I live in Suffolk, off route 10, and when I was just standing inside I saw flashes outside that resembled lightning so I just brushed it off, but then I heard about what happened. Even though there were no booms or anything, I saw flashes from inside.
My wife and I saw it from Front Royal VA, but did not hear anything.
I live in Winchester, VA, and saw it. I thought it was a shooting star at first, but it got bigger and bigger as it got closer to the earth, and turned bright green before it appeared to explode and turned bright orange like it was on fire. That is when my boyfriend saw it too.
I live in Stewartstown PA (on the MD/PA border) and I saw it too! It was a huge yellow/green streak that lasted a few seconds then faded to an orange spark. It was so big I thought it landed in town! I was working on my computer which sits in front of a window and it appeared just to the side so I got a perfect view of it.
I live in Baltimore County near the Mason Dixon line, and my woods lit up with a orange glow. I saw a huge orange contrail in the sky, and then a huge orange explosion... I thought it could have been an airplane. I called the police precinct and numerous people in my area were calling it in.
My daughter and her friends said they saw this from Chestertown, Maryland At first they said it was a comet, but then they said maybe a meteorite or some kind of debris falling from space.
I live in Calvert County. I was outside between 930 and 10pm when I saw what looked like a shooting star but way to big. At first I thought it might be someone shooting fireworks but there was no sound. I watched it fall towards the ground. It had to be big because it looked big but when it feel towards the ground I did not hear anything. It was beautiful to see. I called my dh but by then it was gone. He called me this morning to tell me I was not crazy that others were talking about it. ( I didn't think I was :)
I live in Snow Hill, MD just south of Ocean City, MD and I saw it too. It appeared high about southwest and moved at a slight angle down to the southeast changing colors as it fell, from fade-in white to green/blue to fire yellow then it split in two and faded out. I heard no sound but it definitely was close. I assumed it was a meteorite. The sound people heard could have been a sonic boom. It was definitely moving fast enough! I sure would like to know what it was for sure.
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