Dazzling Green Meteor Blazes Across Pacific Northwest Sky in Stunning Dashcam Footage
A bright green fireball was visible in parts of the Pacific Northwest as it beamed across the sky
Green fireball captured on dashcam video as a meteor streaks across the Pacific Northwest sky
Residents across the Pacific Northwest were treated to a dazzling celestial spectacle on Tuesday evening when a bright green fireball streaked across the night sky, leaving onlookers stunned and scrambling for their phones. The meteor, which was visible for several seconds before burning up in the atmosphere, was captured on multiple dashcam and doorbell camera videos that quickly went viral on social media. Reports of the sighting poured in from witnesses in Washington, Oregon, and parts of British Columbia, with many describing the event as one of the most brilliant fireballs they had ever seen.
Dashcam footage shared widely online shows the meteor blazing a vivid green trail as it descended at a steep angle toward the horizon. The striking emerald color, according to astronomers, is likely the result of the space rock's composition, as metals such as magnesium and nickel can produce green hues when they burn up upon entering Earth's atmosphere at high speeds. The American Meteor Society reported receiving hundreds of eyewitness accounts within hours of the event, with most sightings concentrated in the greater Seattle and Portland metropolitan areas.
Experts say that while meteors enter Earth's atmosphere on a daily basis, fireballs of this size and brightness are relatively uncommon and occur only a handful of times each year over populated areas. Dr. Karen Liu, an astronomer at the University of Washington, explained that the object was likely a small fragment of an asteroid, probably no larger than a basketball, traveling at tens of thousands of miles per hour before atmospheric friction caused it to disintegrate. She noted that there is no indication any fragments survived to reach the ground as meteorites.
The event has reignited public interest in skywatching across the region, with local astronomy clubs reporting a surge in inquiries and membership requests. Scientists are encouraging anyone with additional video footage or photographs of the fireball to submit their observations to the American Meteor Society, which uses such data to calculate the trajectory and origin of meteors. While the green fireball may have been a fleeting moment in the night sky, its impact on the imaginations of Pacific Northwest residents is likely to last much longer.