On Sunday morning, residents of Arizona in the US were startled after hearing a loud booming noise from the sky. Local authorities believe it was caused by an asteroid that collided with the planet and exploded in the atmosphere.
Eyewitnesses from different cities across the state reported hearing the strange sound. Many residents thought an earthquake caused the incident while others believe something had fallen from the sky.
Eyewitness Reports Of The Incident
Over at the American Meteor Society's website, a total of 17 eyewitness reports were filed regarding the incident. Many of the eyewitnesses who reported the loud noise were from Phoenix and Scottsdale. One resident from Scottsdale said that he saw a bright object flying across the sky when he heard the loud noise. He said the strange object flew faster than an aircraft.
"I was looking out the north windows of my house at about 7:26 am and saw a bright bluish/green flashing and flaming object with a very short smoke trail moving extremely fast, much faster than any aircraft, from the east heading down and west," Joe Faranda said according to Arizona Family.
Spotting A Meteor In The Sky
Faranda noted that the bright fireball appeared for about three seconds. Other residents in the city reported seeing the same object along with fragments flying beside it. Local authorities and agencies in the state are still investigating the matter to determine the cause of the loud noise. But, based on eyewitness reports, they believe the object was a meteor that burned up in Earth's atmosphere. The space rock may have exploded as it streaked across the sky.
Possible Cause Of The Explosion
Through Facebook updates, the Yavapai County Sherriff's Office (YCSO) confirmed that there were no aircraft traffic events when the fireball was spotted and the loud noise was heard. For now, the agency is referring to the incident as a meteor fall.
"So far some type of meteor event, as witnessed by numerous residents in the area, seems to be the best explanation for the loud boom heard earlier," the agency stated. "YCSO has received no official explanations at this time."
