A dramatic night sky event over Metro Vancouver has researchers concluding it was a bolide—a meteor blazing through the atmosphere at an extraordinary speed. NASA confirms the object illuminated the region, producing a brilliant fireball and a sonic boom that echoed online and across nearby areas.
In Vancouver and southeastern British Columbia, social feeds lit up Tuesday around 9:10 p.m. as witnesses captured the flash streaking from one horizon to the other, followed by a ground-shaking boom. Michael Unger of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre noted that reports started flooding in via email as people described what they saw.
Unger emphasizes that such events happen regularly; what made this one stand out is the audible sonic boom over a populated area. He explains that Earth continually encounters rocky objects while it orbits the sun. Most are small and simply leave a streak in the sky, much like shooting stars during meteor showers. He estimates the object could have ranged from 10 to 100 centimeters in diameter.
Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society concurred, reviewing Lower Mainland reports to determine that the bright flash was likely a fireball—a larger, brighter meteor. Based in San Diego, he also noted the event was unlikely caused by human-made space debris given its brief duration. In his words, “Average meteors are only about the size of a pea,” but their high speed makes them visible. A softball-sized meteor, he adds, can blaze as brightly as the full Moon; this object, while relatively small, produced a striking sky show.
NASA’s statement aligned with these observations, noting that the meteor appeared over the Pacific Northwest shortly after 9 p.m. Fireball reports and NOAA satellite data place the object about 98 kilometers above Coquitlam, B.C., traveling northeast to a degree at roughly 33 kilometers per second (about 119,000 km/h). It swept roughly 71 kilometers through the upper atmosphere, disintegrating around 65 kilometers up near Greenmantle Mountain.
Observers described a widespread flash and a sonic boom heard from the Fraser Valley to Washington state. Alison Bird, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada’s earthquake early warning program, said a handful of Lower Mainland seismometers clearly detected the disturbance at 9:10 p.m. While the readings confirmed the event was not an earthquake, the system isn’t designed to pinpoint atmospheric phenomena.
Unger noted the meteor may have shed small fragments that reached the ground, though locating them would be extremely challenging given their likely nickel-iron composition. Beyond its scientific interest, he argues the sighting highlights astronomy’s value in engaging the public with space and reminds us that even small objects can pose risks if left unchecked.
He compared the event to Chelyabinsk in 2013, where a larger meteor generated a powerful sonic boom, shattered windows, and caused injuries. Though such catastrophic impacts are rare, Unger cautions that preparations—similar to those for earthquakes—are prudent as scientists continue to develop early-warning capabilities.
Global space agencies are actively pursuing improved detection and warning systems to better anticipate larger bodies. The incident serves as a reminder: if a more massive rock were to strike Earth, the consequences could be far more serious, underscoring the importance of ongoing monitoring and preparedness.
