Fireball Streaks Across Midwest Skies

NASA confirms meteor traveled 48 miles through atmosphere at 29,000 mph

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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More than 100 people witnessed a bright fireball shooting through the night sky late Tuesday across multiple states in the Midwest, including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Wisconsin. NASA analyzed eyewitness accounts and data from public cameras, confirming the fireball's first visibility 48 miles above Trinity, Indiana, before it disintegrated 27 miles above Laura, Ohio, at a speed of 29,000 mph.

Why it matters

Fireballs, or unusually bright meteors, are relatively rare sights in the night sky, and this event provided a dramatic celestial display for residents across the region. NASA's analysis helps provide scientific context and understanding around the nature of the object that produced the fireball.

The details

According to NASA, the fireball was not part of an active meteor shower, but rather a small fragment of an asteroid that entered the Earth's atmosphere. The agency said the relatively slow speed of 29,000 mph suggested the object was a small asteroid piece rather than a faster-moving meteoroid.

  • The fireball was spotted just before midnight on Tuesday, February 11, 2026.

The players

NASA

The U.S. space agency that analyzed eyewitness accounts and data to confirm details about the fireball.

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What they’re saying

“The relatively slow speed suggests that the object producing the meteor was a small fragment of an asteroid.”

— NASA (nypost.com)

The takeaway

While fireballs are relatively uncommon, this event serves as a reminder of the dynamic nature of our solar system and the constant influx of small space debris that occasionally enters the Earth's atmosphere, providing a rare and dramatic celestial display for those lucky enough to witness it.