The Great Meteor Procession
On a winter night, a slow parade of fireballs crossed the sky in formation, one group after another.
What was reported
On the evening of 9 February 1913, people across Canada and the north-eastern United States saw a long procession of bright fireballs moving slowly and steadily across the sky in groups, from north-west to south-east. Many said it lasted several minutes and was followed by a rumble like thunder.
The astronomer Clarence Chant of the University of Toronto collected reports from observers and published a study the same year. Later researchers found more sightings from ships far out in the Atlantic.
Explanations offered
The usual explanation is that a single meteoroid, or a small natural object briefly orbiting Earth, broke up as it skimmed through the atmosphere on a very shallow path, its pieces travelling in a line for thousands of kilometres. No fragments were ever found.
- When
- 9 February 1913
- Where
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Witnesses
- Hundreds of people across Canada, the US and at sea
- Status
- Probably natural
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.