Lifestyle

Actions

A large meteor lit up St. Louis on Monday night

Posted
and last updated

A large meteor gave St. Louis a light show for the ages Monday night.

Just before 9 p.m. local time, a large fireball lit up the sky above the city and surrounding areas. The National Weather Service later confirmed on Twitter the fireball was, in fact, a meteor.

Video shared on social media showed the fireball appearing over the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis, and KTVI-TV says it received reports of meteor sightings as far away as O'Fallon, Missouri — about 40 miles outside of town.

The American Meteor Society says it received reports as far away as Nevada and Wisconsin.

A meteor occurs when a particle from outer space — most likely a small asteroid — enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up upon entry.

According to the American Meteor Society, October, November and December are the peak months for the Taurid meteor shower — a meteor shower known for producing large fireballs. Though the shower isn't scheduled to peak again until 2022, the shower produces a few fireballs every year.

Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Wednesday

04/30/2025

Mostly Clear

-° / 61°

3%

Thursday

05/01/2025

Partly Cloudy

86° / 61°

1%

Friday

05/02/2025

Mostly Clear

88° / 59°

0%

Saturday

05/03/2025

Mostly Cloudy

77° / 52°

24%

Sunday

05/04/2025

Partly Cloudy

66° / 56°

1%

Monday

05/05/2025

Partly Cloudy

77° / 57°

11%

Tuesday

05/06/2025

Mostly Clear

81° / 59°

5%

Wednesday

05/07/2025

Clear

84° / 61°

0%