A bright green meteor streaked across the night sky over South Carolina on Sunday, creating a visible trail and a sonic boom [1, 2, 3].
Rare celestial events of this magnitude often prompt widespread public reporting and provide data for scientists studying the composition of near-Earth objects.
Footage from a police officer's dash cam captured the fireball as it moved through the atmosphere [1, 2]. The event was not limited to South Carolina, as residents across 15 states reported seeing the bright green light [4].
According to reports, the meteor heated up upon entry into the atmosphere, which produced the vivid coloration and the accompanying sonic boom [5, 6]. The phenomenon lit up the entire sky for observers in the southeastern U.S. [4].
While most reports centered on the Southeast, some conflicting reports suggested sightings in other regions, including the Lake Erie area [7]. However, primary footage from CTV News and ABC News focused on the South Carolina region [1, 3].
Similar fireballs have occurred in previous years, including an event in June 2025 that also resulted in a sonic boom [5]. These events occur when space debris or asteroids enter the atmosphere at high speeds, creating intense friction and heat.
Local authorities and news outlets shared the dash-cam video to document the trajectory of the object [1, 2]. No reports of impact or property damage were included in the available data.
“‘Lit up the whole sky’: Residents across 15 states spotted a bright green fireball”
The sighting of a green fireball suggests the meteor may have contained minerals such as nickel or magnesium, which often produce green hues during atmospheric entry. The accompanying sonic boom indicates the object entered the atmosphere at supersonic speeds, creating a shockwave. Such events highlight the frequency of small-body atmospheric entries that, while visually spectacular, rarely result in ground-level impact.
