Fireball over Ballwin, MO
A witness account on file, unevaluated. Most of the archive rests here, and honestly so.
The report, as filed
Sighting was around 9:30 PM CST. My friend and I both saw a large fireball shoot across the sky. I was facing Northeast and the object traveled from my right to my left, then disappeared. It was an incredible bright white and left a solid white tail behind the initial light source that faded rather quickly. At first we thought it was a Roman candle type firework but then realized it was too large and intense as well as too high in the atmosphere to be a firework. The closest thing that I’ve personally witnessed that I could compare it to would be the Hale-Bopp Comet, but I haven’t been able to find any reports of meteor activity in my area.
Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center (record NUFORC #175279). Witness text is preserved verbatim, including its spelling; nothing is edited beyond formatting.
Ask for the records
What would the paper say?
For a dated, located U.S. sighting, FAA radar data and ATC communications are the records most likely to exist. Through Aletheca, the house instrument, anyone can commission the request — filed, chased, and published in the open, refusals included. The draft goes over already written: the records sought, and the date window they would live in.
Routed to: Federal Aviation Administration · records window 2023-04-05 → 2023-04-22
From the same sky
Related entries
August 9, 2020 · 1:35 AM · UNKNOWN
Ballwin, MO
Last night there was a terrible storm. Our electric went out at 1:30am CT. My husband and I were talking, the storm significantly quieted down with long periods of time in between distant thunder. The sky still had consistent lightning. We heard a craft fly over us, and it was very loud and peculiar sounding. It was very fast and sounded like the stereotypical spaceship flying sound from tv shows and films. We looked at each other shocked. My husband commented that at first he was wondering if it were a tornado when it first started. A few minutes later it happened again, following the same flight path [I believe NE to W, but am not certain] though it was somewhat quieter. We get a lot of fly over from military and commercial, and are familiar with normal flight sounds. This was unlike anything we've ever heard, and with as much lightning and with as loud/low as the craft sounded like it was flying, I am unsure whether a military or commercial craft would fly that low in these conditions over a residential area. The sounds also did not follow the path of streets near us. We did not see anything. Could it be a rare sound created by weather? Do traditional aircraft somehow sound different in certain storm conditions?
June 26, 2017 · 12:10 PM · LIGHT
Ballwin, MO
I saw a very bright low light traveling north at a high rate of speed then turned and headed east, up and away, quickly accelerated out of sight. Object was silent.
November 22, 2015 · 5:30 AM · OTHER
Ballwin, MO
So I made a report from ballwin mo. About an hour ago I was able to take a picture it doesn't show much but as you blow it up they have the shape of a sea horse. Venus? PD
November 22, 2015 · 4:30 AM · TRIANGLE
Ballwin, MO
So I first noticed just this one bright multi colored star at about 1am. I then asked my wife to come and take a look she sees it and says its just a star. She had to leave are place a 2am to go to her mother's as she is leaving that (1) object takes off across the sky west on Manchester Rd. Same direction as she. Its now 5 am and there are at least 4 of the same shape and color objects just setting in the sky flickering about. What are they. Venus? PD
December 29, 2012 · 9:00 PM · FIREBALL
Ballwin, MO
It was red, orange and yellow. It made no noise. I followed it and it disappeared right in front of me.My phone took ok pictures bu
June 24, 2012 · 2:30 AM · LIGHT
Ballwin, MO
Saw three orange colored fireball type lights to the east forming somewhat of triangle, 2 stayed east 1 went up to NW direction