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Bright Light, Sonic Boom As Meteor Streaks Across Southern Michigan

By Scott Neuman

Published January 17, 2018 at 7:23 AM EST

A car dashcam captures a view of a meteor near Bloomfield Hills, Mich., on Tuesday in this still image from video obtained from social media.

Updated at 10 a.m. ET

Michigan residents got a surprise Tuesday night when a meteor punched through the clouds with an explosive flash. It was powerful enough to register on seismic instruments.

About 8:05 p.m. ET, dashcams and security video caught the object as it streaked toward a northern suburb of Detroit, not far from the Canadian border. The U.S. Geological Survey, which has labeled the event a meteorite impact, says it measured magnitude 2.0 on the agency's instruments and hit about 5 miles west northwest of New Haven.

Social media postings indicate that it was seen as far away as Traverse City and Chicago. Some reported homes shaken by the explosion.

Although it is not possible to immediately verify the video, it appears that several posted on Twitter were of the same event seen from different locations.

People are telling me they heard a loud bang all across Southeast MI. Was it a #Meteor? Here’s another video: pic.twitter.com/mtxOWvJZfx
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 17, 2018

“When Armageddon is near, you better get out of of here. Looking like a Deep Impact. I ain’t afraid of no ‘stroid” #metrodetroitmeteor pic.twitter.com/MdibIt82TZ
— Topher 3000 (@topherlaine) January 17, 2018

You can see more at Twitter hashtag #meteor.