Meteor over Detroit: Incredible dashcam footage shows giant fireball hurtling towards ground before sparking 2.0 magnitude earthquake

This is the incredible moment a giant meteorite flew through the sky over Michigan before crashing in flames, causing a minor earthquake.

The impressive dash-cam footage, recorded from a vehicle travelling on a motorway near the US city Detroit, shows a dazzlingly bright object hurtling towards the ground.

Other clips posted on social media also show the meteorite lighting up the night sky. Terrified onlookers posted dramatic footage and images of the cosmic event online.

It sparked a 2.0 magnitude earthquake near Detroit eastern Michigan, and a powerful explosion that shook homes.

The National Weather Service said: “After reviewing several observational datasets, we can confirm the flash and boom was NOT thunder or lightning, but instead a likely meteor.”

The United States Geological Survey late confirmed a meteorite had been seen and heard in the area.

Meteors, also known as shooting stars, are created when little chunks of rock and debris in space fall through a planet’s atmosphere.

They leave a bright trail as they are heated by the friction of the atmosphere. If they hit the ground, they become a meteorite.

On Twitter, people reacted with shock at the phenomenon. “Did Michigan just get hit with a meteor? A bomb? A UFO?” one person said.