Wichita police Officer Brad Elmore said he was about to give a traffic ticket to a motorist near 21st and Amidon streets when the motorist pointed to four bright orange fireballs streaking from south to north across the sky. Each fireball left a trail of smoke that looked like a jet contrail, he said. Novacek said the trails of smoke probably were 40 to 50 miles from Earth, much higher than airplanes fly. Judging from the description, the object probably measured several feet across when it hit the atmosphere, he said. Most shooting stars that sky watchers view during meteor showers are no larger than a grain of sand, he said.
Stuff hits the Earth all the time.