Driving south on Highway 2 between Edmonton and Calgary near Olds, Alberta, I witnessed an extraordinary sight that late July night in 2014. Just after 1:25 AM, a kidney bean-shaped fireball appeared in the eastern sky, glowing with an intense aura that shifted through vibrant greens, blues, reds, and brilliant oranges. Unlike a typical meteor, it did not leave a heavy trail, only a faint spark and persistent glow that lasted between 20 to 25 seconds.
The object moved steadily from north to south, covering about a fifth of the horizon, when suddenly it seemed to pause and vanish into a kind of radiant haze. It gave the impression of skipping off the atmosphere, as if retreating back into the vastness of space. Despite its massive and seemingly close presence, it defied easy explanation.
Although I initially thought it might be a meteorite, the size and proximity felt unusual, making it difficult to reconcile with typical space debris sightings. Other drivers from my company, though dispersed across the region, reported a flash or glow in the sky as well, affirming something remarkable was occurring over Alberta that night.
Such fleeting, enigmatic encounters with unexplained aerial phenomena fuel the imagination and invite us to reconsider what we know about the skies above. Whether a rare meteorological event or something more mysterious, this brilliant fireball remains etched in my memory as a captivating celestial puzzle.