It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a shooting star: Fireball spotted over Alberta and U.S.
Early risers were treated to a colourful overhead show as a fireball was seen soaring over parts of Alberta, including Edmonton and Calgary.
Fireballs are meteors that reach a certain brightness after entering the Earth's atmosphere.
The fireball was reported around 6:30 a.m. MT by more than 140 people ranging from Edmonton to Regina and as far south as Utah, according to the American Meteor Society.
The green glow was visible south of Edmonton.
Considering how low it was in the sky, if the meteorite did land, it would likely have done so in southern Alberta or Montana, Frank Florian, the senior manager of planetarium and space sciences at the Telus World of Science.
"If researchers get enough eyewitness accounts and the cameras show them the path of the object, there's a potential they could find the location where some of these rocks may have fallen," Florian said.
"They might send out a crew of individuals, even amateur astronomers, to go out and actually scour fields looking for little black rocks that might be strewn somewhere over the countryside."
If people do find pieces of this meteor or any other one, they are safe to touch.
Only the outer shell of a meteor heats up when it enters the atmosphere, which gives off that glow, according to Florian. The inside of the rock remains at the temperature of outer space during the fall, around -270 degrees.
A meteor flashes in the sky south of Edmonton on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Bryan Evans)
"For the most part, these rocks are going to be cold to the touch and most likely there won't be this black ooze coming out of it like you see on the X-Files and things like that," he said.
"It's just going to look like a little black rock sitting around on the ground somewhere."
Several sources of meteor activity could be visible this week, including the Andromedids, the Northern Taurids and the alpha Canis Majorids, among others.
Thousands of meteors reach fireball classification every day, but most happen over oceans, uninhabited regions or are hidden by daylight, according to the American Meteor Society.
Due to most falling in places that are hard to reach or can't be accessed, meteorites are considered rare and can fetch a high price.
"You can basically get about $10 per gram, if not more, depending upon the rarity of meteor … it's almost like a fine jewel here on the earth," said Florian.
Researchers also like to acquire them, because meteors can tell them information about the early history of the solar system.
In the past, Canada had a set of sky cameras as part of the Meteorite Observation Recovery Project, but they ran on film and needed new film daily. Most of the time, the film wouldn't show anything, Florian said.
Now, with technological advancements, including doorbell cameras and dash cams, there is increased chances of being able to track and find meteorites that survived the trip.
Florian estimatesWednesday's meteor may have been around a metre in size. Based on reports that people around Calgary and Montana heard sounds associated with it, he believes it likely fragmented.
Any fragments people might come across will have a black, coal-like outer shell and will be slightly magnetic.
Farmers often bring in rocks to be identified, and some do turn out to be meteorites, though the majority aren't.
Fireballs can be reported to the American Meteor Society online, which shares the information with other meteor organizations.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants
The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately.
Could the discovery of an injured, emaciated dog help solve the mystery of a missing B.C. man?
When paramedic Jim Barnes left his home in Fort St. John to go hunting on Oct. 18, he asked his partner Micaela Sawyer — who’s also a paramedic — if she wanted to join him. She declined, so Barnes took the couple’s dog Murphy, an 18-month-old red golden retriever with him.
opinion How will the weak Canadian dollar affect your holiday and travel plans?
As the Canadian dollar loses ground against major global currencies, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains how current exchange rates can impact your travel plans, and shares tips to help you plan smarter and protect your wallet.
The world has been warming faster than expected. Scientists now think they know why
Last year was the hottest on record, oceans boiled, glaciers melted at alarming rates, and it left scientists scrambling to understand exactly why.
The latest: Water bottle, protein bar wrapper may help identify shooter in UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing
The masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson used ammunition emblazoned with the words 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose,' a law enforcement official said Thursday. Here's the latest.
7.0 earthquake off Northern California prompts brief tsunami warning
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items off grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast.
Saskatoon based dog rescue operator ordered to pay $27K for defamatory Facebook posts
A Saskatoon based dog rescue operator has been ordered to pay over $27,000 in damages to five women after a judge ruled she defamed them in several Facebook posts.
Pete Davidson, Jason Sudeikis and other former 'SNL' cast members reveal how little they got paid
Live from New York, it's revelations about paydays on 'Saturday Night Live.'
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim admits to being 'orange pilled' in Bitcoin interview
Bitcoin is soaring to all-time highs, and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim wants the city to get in on the action.