When Tabatha and Wendell Bell checked their security camera this morning they found a pretty amazing surprise. Streaking over the tree line in the peaceful community of Helton was a meteor! Bright enough to light up the sky in Leslie County, this "shooting star" blasted into the atmosphere this morning at 2:13 AM. It looked like the middle of a sunny day, so wild. Keep reading to see the amazing video for yourself.

Tabatha Bell
Tabatha Bell
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While the Bells did not wake up to the rumbling booms of the meteor, there were some others in the area who did. Several reports of curious dogs barking up a storm around the same time. Other folks have also captured the meteor on their outdoor cameras and such, but this video is most definitely the best I have seen so far.

CANVA
CANVA
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A Supermoon Set the Stage

This is even cooler when you think about the fact that it happened the same night as the first of two Supermoons expected this month. What exactly makes a moon "Super?" Well, the Earth's orbit being an ellipses means that at certain times, the moon is closer to us than others. When that happens, you will notice that it is especially bigger and brighter in its full moon cycle.  The other Supermoon is scheduled to take the stage  August 30th and being the second of the month will classify it as a "Blue Moon." How about that?

CANVA
CANVA
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It is Primetime for the 2023 Perseid Meteor Showers

While this kind of thing has never happened in Helton before, it's a slightly early jump-start into prime "meteor season." According to Farmer's Almanac, "The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year from about July 23 to August 22, with the peak from late midnight August 11 to dawn August 13. The Perseids’ fame comes from the fact that it reliably has the brightest and most numerous meteors. In 2023, if you’re watching from dark skies, except 50 to 70 shooting stars every hour! That’s about a meteor a minute!"

See this amazing spectacle from space for yourself thanks to the Bell family of Leslie County, Kentucky. Big thanks to them for sharing!

When I chatted with Tabatha, she said that to her knowledge no one has gone out to investigate the area around where the meteor looks to have landed. While this event has a totally reasonable explanation, with all of the UFO talk floating around, I am intrigued as to what they find!

LOOK: The states with the most UFO sightings

For each state, we’ve also included details of famous UFO sightings in that state. Of note is that almost three-quarters of all UFO sighting reports in the United States occur between 4 p.m. and midnight, and tend to peak between 9 and 10 p.m. Food for thought next time you're out scoping for alien life. Keep reading to see which states have had the most UFO sightings.

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