Booming meteor lights up Northwest sky

SEATTLE – A meteor that streaked across Western Washington early Thursday morning was the most dramatic light and sound show of its kind over the Puget Sound in decades, according to a University of Washington astronomy lecturer who specializes in meteorites.

“Earth is hit all of the time. What is uncommon is how very bright this was. Most (meteoroids) burn up very high and nobody sees them,” said Toby Smith, who has been in the UW astronomy department for about 10 years.

A meteoroid is what the object is called above the atmosphere. The light streak it creates when it bounces off or passes through the atmosphere is called a meteor. If it hits the ground, it becomes a meteorite.

Witnesses along a 60-mile swath from Tacoma to Whidbey Island and as far as 260 miles to the east said the sky lit up brilliantly at 2:40 a.m. Thursday, and many reported booming sounds as if from one or more explosions.

The bright light can be attributed to the speed at which the object hit the atmosphere. The sonic boom that followed about a minute or two later can be explained by the size of the object falling out of the sky, Smith said, adding that it’s rare for meteors to be heard. “This tells us it was a relatively substantial piece,” he said.

One of Smith’s colleagues, Don Brownlee, said his son saw the bright light and then the whole family heard the sonic boom from inside their houseboat. “We heard this incredible noise that sounded like a truck landing on the dock,” Brownlee said.

Geoff Chester, a spokesman for the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., said meteors are not rare, but many fall over the ocean and are never seen. “For the average person, it could be a once- or twice-in-a-lifetime kind of event,” Chester said, adding that in the past 40 years of actively watching the night sky because of his job and interests, he has only seen three or four meteors.

Brownlee said he believes it likely the object did make it to the ground without disintegrating, but it could be as hard to find as a shower of gravel over several square miles. It could also be as big as a car, but Brownlee noted, “The bigger these things are, the rarer they are.”

Scientists are interested in recovering meteorites because they offer a glimpse of the kind of material that formed the Earth and the other planets, without the impact of the intervening 4.5 billion years of life inside an atmosphere.

“Some of these objects are as old as the solar system itself. That’s why geologists and astrogeologists want to get their hands on as many as possible,” Chester said.

Earlier speculation that the flash in the sky could have been space junk rather than natural material falling through the atmosphere was discounted by Chester, whose department tracks man-made materials orbiting the earth. He said nothing in orbit large enough to make such a bright light show was in the vicinity when the meteor was reported.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Hundreds rally against Trump on Presidents Day in Everett

People lined Broadway with signs and flags, similar to other protests across the country

Alina Langbehn, 6, center, and Vera A., 6, right, sit on a swing together at Drew Nielsen Neighborhood Park after school on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council votes to renovate Drew Nielsen Park

Construction on the $345,000 upgrade could start as early as this fall.

Northshore School District bus driver Stewart O’Leary pictured next to his buses shattered drivers side windshield on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Put me in, coach’: Bus driver back at work after struck by metal bar

Stewart O’Leary, a Northshore employee, has received national attention for his composure during a frightening bus trip.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Lynnwood councilor Joshua Binda speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Does the Lynnwood Council VP live in Lynnwood? It’s hard to say.

Josh Binda’s residency has been called into question following an eviction and FEC filings listing an Everett address. He insists he lives in Lynnwood.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

An American Robin picks a berry from a holly tree on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Calling all birders for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count

The Audubon Society will hold its 28th annual Great Backyard… Continue reading

A view of one of the potential locations of the new Aquasox stadium on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. The site sits between Hewitt Avenue, Broadway, Pacific Avenue and the railroad. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Initial prep work for AquaSox stadium to start, with $200k price tag

The temporary agreement allows some surveying and design work as the city negotiates contracts with designers and builders.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.