What Was That In Chicago's Sky On Saturday, January 21, 2012?

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January 22, 2012 - Chicago, did you see that thing fall from the sky? At 10:28 PM (CT), I was looking south from the Logan Square area on Chicago's north side. I had just stepped outside and looked up to enjoy the half dozen or so stars that you can see from there, through the orange glow of the city's night sky.

Then I saw it: A very bright object moving at high speed from north to south. Smaller, glowing chunks seemed to fall off and trail behind, dimming rapidly as they did so. Technically, this was a "UFO." That is, it was a flying object and unidentified. It was definitely not a spaceship, however. Perhaps some terrestrial space junk in a pyrrhic homecoming?

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The object I saw was definitely burning, and it reminded me of an acetylene torch being applied to steel.

It might have been a meteor, or "shooting star," I suppose. If so, however, it was like none I've ever seen. After years of driving in the desert of the American Southwest and seeing meteors hundreds of times, I don't recall ever seeing one that looked like the one I saw last night. This was brighter than usual, with a bluish glow.

It suddenly stopped glowing, before it reached the horizon. That's normal for a falling meteor, but I've never seen one over a city before, only in the open desert. The part of Chicago that I was in does not have any tall buildings (nothing over 5 stories), and the tallest structures near me were 2-3 story apartment buildings. I found myself holding my breath, listening for the sound of a crash. The sound never came. But it must have landed somewhere, unless it vaporized. Possible, I suppose, but I had the impression that this thing was low, perhaps only a mile or two high.

So, did you see it too? If you were lucky enough to get a photo, would you share it with us? Share the photo in the comments here, or tell us a link to your photo if you post it online.