BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A bright fireball streaked across the skies of south Louisiana shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday, June 28, generating reports from observers across multiple southern states. Most witnesses reported seeing it in the eastern or southeastern sky, and there is no indication it survived its fiery passage through the atmosphere to reach the ground.
The fireball was captured by multiple cameras in the Sky9 camera network, with the clearest view coming from the camera atop Our Lady of the Lake Hospital on Essen Lane. Other Sky9 cameras did not capture the fireball itself but recorded the bright flash it produced, briefly illuminating the pre-dawn sky.
What is a fireball?
The American Meteor Society defines a fireball as an exceptionally bright meteor that reaches a visual magnitude of -3 or brighter — roughly the same brightness as the planet Venus. Fireballs are produced when larger pieces of space debris—typically ranging from pebble-sized to about a meter across—enter Earth’s atmosphere. They can be visible over hundreds of miles and, in some cases, even during daylight.
Viewer submissions
Viewer Alex Jerome submitted footage from a security camera on his property in Denham Springs.
Viewer Katie Bownds also submitted video from her doorbell camera in St. Francisville. Most reports indicate the fireball appeared in the eastern or southeastern sky.
Multi-state sightings
The American Meteor Society’s website shows the fireball was spotted by multiple people across several southern states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.
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