A bright flash and loud boom witnessed by residents of British Columbia on Tuesday night were caused by a meteor passing through the Earth’s atmosphere, experts have confirmed.
Robert Lunsford from the American Meteor Society described the event as a “fireball,” which refers to a meteor larger and brighter than usual. While most meteors are only the size of a pea, their high speed can make them visible in the night sky. Lunsford explained that even a softball-sized meteor can produce a flash as bright as a full moon, qualifying it as a fireball.
According to meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe from CBC News, the spike detected on local seismographs around 9:10 p.m. PT and the sonic boom are typical signs of a meteor passing through the atmosphere. Wagstaffe highlighted that meteor sightings are rare in western North America, making it a significant event when one is visually observed.
NASA confirmed reports of the meteor over the Pacific Northwest shortly after 9 p.m. on Tuesday, stating that it became visible about 98 kilometers above Coquitlam, B.C., traveling at a speed of roughly 33 kilometers per second. The meteor disintegrated at an altitude of about 65 kilometers above Greenmantle Mountain in Garibaldi Provincial Park.
University of British Columbia astronomy professor Brett Gladman noted that the fireball was observed as far west as Comox, as far east as Merritt, and as far south as Seattle, Washington. Initial assessments suggest the fireball was caused by a rocky asteroid fragment entering the Earth’s atmosphere, creating the visible meteor and the audible boom due to its speed exceeding that of sound.
Gladman mentioned that the fireball likely descended north of Coquitlam into a densely forested, mountainous area, making it challenging to locate any surviving fragments on the ground. Further analysis will be conducted by various groups and astronomers to gather more details about the event.