"We didn't know (what is was). We thought maybe we were under attack or something," says John Huelse of Parkersburg.

Fortunately, it wasn't a weapon, but instead a huge fire ball, specifically, a large meteor shooting Eastward across the sky.

"We were at work last night. It was about 11:15 p.m. We were sitting in the break area and all of a sudden it just became as light as day."

"The trail, it was kind of orange and white and of course the flash of light was kind of a fluorescent light, like bluish white," says Huelse.

Astronomers believe the meteor was about the size of a piece of furniture. While meteors are common in our atmosphere, larger ones like Sunday night's are harder to come by.

"We pick up, the earth that is, picks up about five tons of meteor debris every day. It's not as unusual a phenomenon as you may think," says PHS Planetarium Director Fred Doak.

"Large meteors as bright as the one was last night happen about six times a year in this area," he adds.

And while many missed the brilliant site, others were in awe of its brief presence.

"We were just, it was amazing. I mean, it had to be close!" says Huelse.

"It could have been left over from the beginning of the solar system or it could have been just passing space debris," says Doak.

But whatever its origins, it was a site to behold for all those lucky enough to see it.