5 State Meteor
July 8, 2004

Bright Lights Seen in Sky Over 5 States

A meteor shower Wednesday night lit up the sky from Texas to western Tennessee, prompting a flood of reports to law enforcement officers throughout a five-state region. The lights flashed across the sky shortly after 9 p.m. in portions of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Tennessee. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said the spotting was a meteorite, probably several. A spokesman for the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said the sightings were not tied to a weather event.

 

Large Meteor Seen Over Several States

Thousands of reports tonight across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri of a big ball of fire with a tail, flying across the northeast sky. Calls began coming into our newsroom a little after 9:30, all with the same story. Witnesses describe something that looked like a meteor or a comet. Authorities across East Texas are looking for answers tonight. A spokesman for the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said the sightings were not tied to a weather event and were likely a meteor shower. NORAD has told FEMA today was the first day of heightened meteor showers that could last the rest of the month.