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‘Likely meteor’ — Flashing light seen in skies across Michigan; minor earthquake felt

Posted at 8:58 PM, Jan 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-17 09:14:13-05

DETROIT, Mich. -- There were several reports of a flashing light in the sky and a loud boom noise Tuesday evening in southeast Michigan.

FOX 17 Chief Meteorologist Joe Kopecek and the National Weather Service say it was a "likely meteor."

FOX 2 Detroit reports that several residents reported the incident from Ann Arbor to Detroit, with some saying they felt the ground shake.

Several dispatch centers in West Michigan say they also received reports of a flash of light in the sky. Reports were made in Barry, Ionia and Ottawa counties.

The American Meteor Society says it received hundreds of reports of a fireball Tuesday night over the state, including many in the Detroit area. Reports also came in from several other states and Ontario, Canada.

The society says the reports suggest a space rock penetrated deep into the Earth's atmosphere before it broke apart. The U.S. Geological Service says it registered as a 2.0 magnitude earthquake in Michigan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.