A bright flash and loud boom witnessed by residents of British Columbia on Tuesday night were caused by a meteor traveling through the Earth’s atmosphere, experts have confirmed. According to Robert Lunsford from the American Meteor Society, the event was classified as a “fireball,” which refers to a meteor larger and brighter than usual. Lunsford explained that typical meteors are typically no larger than a pea in size but can appear bright in the night sky due to their high velocity.
Johanna Wagstaffe, a meteorologist and science reporter at CBC News, suggested that the phenomenon was likely a meteor passing through the atmosphere. She pointed out that local seismographs recorded a spike around 9:10 p.m. PT, indicating the presence of a meteor. Wagstaffe highlighted that meteors are not commonly seen in western North America, making the event significant for observers.
NASA confirmed the meteor sighting over the Pacific Northwest shortly after 9 p.m. on Tuesday. The agency reported that the meteor became visible approximately 98 kilometers above Coquitlam, B.C., traveling at a speed of about 33 kilometers per second. The meteor disintegrated at an altitude of around 65 kilometers above Greenmantle Mountain in Garibaldi Provincial Park.
University of British Columbia astronomy professor Brett Gladman noted that the fireball was observed from various locations, including as far west as Comox and as far south as Seattle, Wash. He explained that the fireball was likely caused by a rocky asteroid fragment entering the Earth’s atmosphere, heating up and creating a visible glow. Gladman mentioned that the asteroid fragment could have been up to 100 centimeters in size and that recovering any surviving fragments on the ground would be challenging.