Chinese balloon spotted drifting across southern Illinois

The suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was first tracked over Montana on Wednesday was allowed to continue drifting over the central U.S., eventually over Missouri by midday Friday and southern Illinois before sunset.

The balloon was spotted over St. Joseph, Missouri, then on to Columbia and almost directly over St. Louis. In Illinois, reports and photos came in from Washington County near Centralia, with accompanying sightings from Sparta and Red Bud.

People in southernmost Illinois and even the Paducah area said they could see the balloon to the north as it reflected sunlight just before sunset.

A NOAA tracking map figured in the prevailing jet stream winds at its altitude of 60,000 feet to estimate that the balloon's path would continue past Evansville into central Kentucky. By Friday night it was estimated to be headed for east Tennessee. On Saturday the balloon could fly over North and South Carolina before continuing out to sea over the Atlantic.

The jet stream at that altitude -- some 4 miles above where commercial jets fly --  is estimated to be blowing at about 200 miles per hour. The balloon is subject to those winds as far as its path, although the Chinese government made a statement that the balloon had "limited steering capabilities," it would have little effect against winds of that strength.

The balloon was estimated to have been originally launched from within China on Feb. 1. Their government said the balloon's path had "deviated far from its planned course."