Fireballs visible in the night sky, were probably part of a meteor shower for some, but nothing more than a publicity stunt for some who reported seeing them in the Chicago area.
People in and near Chicago, as well as others in more than a dozen eastern states, reported seeing a fireball in the sky Monday evening, November 3, 2014.
Some experts attributed the sightings to possible signs of the Taurid meteors, which happen between mid-October and mid-November according to space.com. That was, more than likely, exactly what was seen by hundreds who reported it along the eastern seaboard.
But, not in Chicago.
What some of those people in Chicago saw may have actually been skydivers.
At least nine people reported seeing the fireball, which appeared to have a tail, at about 6:30 p.m. Monday, November 3 in the Chicago area. What they were seeing were three skydivers who had flares shooting from their shoes according to the Chicago Tribune.
The skydivers were part of a Red Bull promotion, staged to draw attention to the “Red Bull Art of Can” exhibit in Chicago’s Millennium Park.
Taurid meteors are still visible in November, particularly between November 5 and 12 according to earthsky.org. They appear to radiate from the constellation Taurus, which is low in the eastern sky a couple of hours after sunset and rises to a position nearly directly overhead by about 1:30 a.m.