Bright Green Fireball Lights Up Pacific Northwest Sky

Another meteor streaks across the U.S. as dashcam footage captures the spectacular celestial event.

Mar. 25, 2026 at 10:33am

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A bright green fireball was captured on video in the early morning sky over southwestern Washington state, about 20 miles north of Portland, Oregon. The driver who recorded the event initially thought it might be a comet, but experts say it was likely a fireball - a particularly bright meteor that can be seen up to 80 miles above the Earth. Fireballs have been spotted across the U.S. in recent days, including a 7-ton meteor that broke apart over Ohio and a meteor that crashed through a roof in Texas.

Why it matters

The increasing prevalence of dashcams and doorbell cameras has led to more reports of these rare and spectacular celestial events. Fireballs like the one seen in the Pacific Northwest can provide valuable data to scientists about the composition and trajectory of meteors entering the Earth's atmosphere.

The details

Jason Jenkins was driving to work before dawn when the bright green streak beamed across the sky. His dashboard camera captured the moment at 6:06 a.m. on Monday. Experts say the green color is often due to the presence of magnesium, which emits a bright blue-green light when heated and vaporized in the Earth's atmosphere. With multiple sightings reported, it may be possible to determine the direction the fireball was traveling and whether any fragments reached the ground.

  • The fireball was spotted at 6:06 a.m. on Monday, March 25, 2026.
  • Similar meteor sightings have been reported across the U.S. in recent days.

The players

Jason Jenkins

A driver in southwestern Washington state who captured the bright green fireball on his dashboard camera.

Jim Todd

The director of space science education at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, who commented on the fireball sighting.

Bill Cooke

The head of NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office, who discussed a recent 7-ton meteor that broke apart over Ohio.

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What they’re saying

“It kind of reminded me of a lightning strike because it was so bright. The video doesn't do justice on how bright and close it seemed.”

— Jason Jenkins

“It was bright, it was green, it was spectacular. One tiny little piece of rock put on such a show this morning.”

— Jim Todd, Director of Space Science Education, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

“Some fragments, some tiny pieces of it, actually made it to the ground.”

— Bill Cooke, Head of NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office

What’s next

Scientists may be able to use the multiple sightings and video footage to determine the fireball's trajectory and whether any meteorite fragments reached the ground.

The takeaway

The increasing prevalence of dashcams and doorbell cameras has led to more reports of rare and spectacular celestial events like fireballs. These sightings can provide valuable data to scientists about the composition and behavior of meteors entering the Earth's atmosphere.