FORT SMITH, Ark. -- Area astronomers said Thursday that a flying, bright object that had plenty of Hometown residents perplexed Wednesday night was likely a large meteor.

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Astronomers Say 'Fireball' Was Large Meteor

The meteor burned out about 40 miles above Earth's surface around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Experts said the object was traveling at a speed of about 30,000 mph.

A video taken by a Texas law enforcement official (see photo, left) captured the object many were referring to as a "fireball" Wednesday night.

Reports of meteor sightings poured into newsrooms and weather centers in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Louisiana.

Stargazer Bob Moody is a member of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Astronomical Society. He was testing a new telescope at the Coleman Observatory in the hills of Van Buren when the meteor passed overhead.

"We saw something in sky that lit up the ground like a searchlight," Moody said. "I noticed my shadow first because my back was to it and as I turned around, it was just ending its burn ... whatever it was. It was an extremely bright, yellowish bright light."

According to Moody, meteors hit Earth's surface almost every week. He said that because Wednesday's meteor burned up at such a high altitude, it is unlikely that any fragments of the object made it to the ground.

Moody said the largest "fireball" to pass over the Hometown area was recorded in 1920.