Hundreds of people across the western US reported seeing a mysterious green flash ripple across the sky this week.

According to NASA Space Alerts, the meteor was first spotted over Chowchilla on Sunday night, traveling at about 35,000 mph.

The agency said the fireball streaked 58 miles through the upper atmosphere before disintegrating roughly 29 miles above Calflax.

More than 300 people across California, Nevada and Arizona reported seeing the bright green meteor to the American Meteor Society, which collects public sightings of fireball events.

One witness, Gregory E, who spotted the fireball from Lake Nacimiento in San Luis Obispo County around 8.20pm local time, said it was ‘like nothing I’ve ever seen before.’

‘I’ve seen plenty of satellites, SpaceX launches (and explosions), and meteor showers,’ he wrote in his sighting report.

‘We thought it was a missile at first, it was kinda terrifying. By the end, it looked more like a firework, but it was far too bright.’

Another witness, Aelin G of Morro Bay, wrote: ‘It was a streak and then looked like it broke into pieces that were on fire. It started as a circle, then shattered.’

Hundreds of people across the western US reported seeing a mysterious green flash ripple across the sky this week

Hundreds of people across the western US reported seeing a mysterious green flash ripple across the sky this week

According to NASA Space Alerts, the meteor was first spotted over Chowchilla on Sunday night, traveling at about 35,000 mph

According to NASA Space Alerts, the meteor was first spotted over Chowchilla on Sunday night, traveling at about 35,000 mph

Locals also reported hearing a loud boom as the fireball appeared in the sky, triggered by the meteor creating a shockwave as it compressed air in front.

Residents across the region flooded social media with reports of a powerful blast, with many describing a thunderous noise that shook homes and echoed for miles. 

In Fresno, Stephanie O reported to the American Meteor Society that she heard a small boom after the fireball appeared. 

‘We heard a boom that wasn’t loud enough to shake the house approximately two minutes after seeing the fireball,’ she wrote.

Another witness, Douglas H. of Clovis, said he initially mistook the fireball for something else.

‘I have never witnessed anything like this,’ he stated. ‘At first, I thought it might be a drone flying overhead.

The fireball was at least the third to be seen shooting through the US skies in the last week. 

On March 17, another object was spotted making turns that seemed to defy the laws of physics over Texas.

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More than 300 people across California , Nevada and Arizona reported seeing the bright green meteor to the American Meteor Society, which collects public sightings of fireball events

More than 300 people across California , Nevada and Arizona reported seeing the bright green meteor to the American Meteor Society, which collects public sightings of fireball events

Videos capturing the object over Red Oak flooded social media, revealing an orange fireball that did not move in a straight line like a shooting star crossing the horizon.

Instead, the object was seen zig-zagging through the sky, appearing to move closer to the ground before turning upwards and changing direction.

While officials have not yet identified the object, described by some as a UFO, orb, or meteor, witnesses reported it emitted a bright orange tail resembling a rocket engine or the fiery trail of a space rock entering the atmosphere.

Residents across Pennsylvania and Ohio were startled that same morning when a meteor was widely seen crashing to Earth.

Witnesses in Pittsburgh reported seeing what appeared to be a burning object streaking through the sky, describing it as ‘a rocket or something like a meteor.’

One local wrote online: ‘911 calls in the city. I have relatives who heard the boom from Hinckley, Ohio, all the way to Sandusky.’

‘Totally reminded me of the sonic booms produced by the fighter-jet test pilots in the early 1960s,’ another person shared.

The National Weather Service (NWS) later said the fiery object was likely a meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere.

The meteor was spotted by space satellites around 9am ET and seen by human eyes about one hour later.

As of January 2026, the Meteoritical Bulletin Database has recorded 1,270 officially confirmed ‘observed falls,’ meteorites that were seen falling to Earth and later recovered.

Scientists estimate around 17,000 meteorites strike the planet each year, but most land in oceans or remote areas, meaning only about 1.8 percent of meteorites have actually been witnessed.