A NASA scientist has confirmed the source of a bright light and booms across the North Escambia area about 9:15 Saturday night was likely a meteorite dropper at least the size of a basketball.

Took a look at the eyewitness reports there is a lot of scatter, but I was able to use a software tool developed by a colleague to derive a ground track. The fireball first appeared to the NE of Mobile and moved westerly at about 56,000 miles per hour. The best reports indicate that it broke apart above U.S. 43 north of Mobile, and the reports of sound indicate it probably penetrated fairly low into the atmosphere before fragmenting, perhaps as low as 14 miles altitude, Bill Cooke, lead of NASAs Meteoroid Environment Office located in Huntsville, AL, wrote in a Facebook post.

The objects average brightness was about that of the full moon, with reports of it being seen as far away as extreme North Alabama and Arkansas.

A search of the Doppler weather radar in the area may be helpful in determining if there were meteoritic particles falling to the ground, he said.

NorthEscambia.com received reports of distant shooting start sightings from Saturday night Panama City to Pensacola, and more fireball-like descriptions from readers either side of a line from Bay Minette to Atmore to Bratt to Flomaton to Brewton. Many of those residents also reported a boom or explosion that rattle windows and shook their homes.

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NASA scientist confirms fireball, boom was likely meteorite - WEAR