Fireball meteor makes spectacular Midwest appearance

Chicago, Ill. (CNN) — A flaming meteor was spotted early Monday in the lower sky across the Midwest, giving a rare up-close look of the phenomenon, which was caught on video, the National Weather Service said.

It was unclear if the meteor struck earth or burned out.

It might have even dropped into Lake Michigan, where it was briefly spotted on radar near Cheboygan, Michigan, at about 1:30 a.m. Central Standard Time.

In suburban Chicago, a Lisle, Illinois, police dashcam recorded a video that drew thousands of views and shares on Facebook.

Weather Service meteorologists in Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay, Wisconsin, said meteor showers are common in the area — but a spectacular view like this is rare. People reported seeing it from Wisconsin to Illinois to Indiana.

Some in Wisconsin reported hearing a sonic boom, which is caused when a meteor enters the atmosphere, said NWS meteorologist Sarah Marquardt in Milwaukee.

Comments on social media indicated a range of responses from fear to excitement.

On Facebook, Sherry Udit wrote that she saw it in Oswego, Illinois, adding, “Thought I was just imagining things!”

And football fan Ryan Grubbs observed, “That was Matt Ryan’s star crashing back to Earth … lol.”