A bright meteor lit up the night sky on Sunday, with hundreds of people across California, Arizona, and Nevada reporting the fireball as it streaked overhead.
NASA later confirmed the event, releasing data on the meteor’s trajectory, speed, and altitude. The fireball was reported around 8:19 p.m. PT on March 22, 2026.
The meteor first appeared about 49 miles above Chowchilla, California, the space agency said.
#MeteorSighting: A fireball was observed by witnesses in the western U.S. on Sunday night, March 22. The meteor was first spotted above the California town of Chowchilla. It traveled south at 35,000 mph before disintegrating above Calflax. This fireball does not appear to be… pic.twitter.com/3LwEbhBiOQ
— NASA Space Alerts (@NASASpaceAlerts) March 23, 2026
It traveled slightly east of south at roughly 35,000 mph, covering about 58 miles through the upper atmosphere. The fireball disintegrated at an altitude of about 29 miles above Calflax, with several witnesses submitting videos to the American Meteor Society.
The American Meteor Society said more than 200 witnesses submitted reports of the fireball.
Witness videos submitted to the American Meteor Society show the fireball from multiple locations, including Brentwood and Tulare.
Another footage, shared by AstroProZ on the American Meteor Society website, shows the fireball from Tulare in the U.S.
NASA said the event does not appear to be linked to other recent bright meteor sightings.
The fireball was also captured by the SkyCam system at Lick Observatory, appearing as a greenish streak moving from north to south in long-exposure images.
The observatory clarified that timestamps in its images are recorded in PT, even though the event occurred during daylight saving time.
What Are Meteors and How Are They Formed?
Meteors occur when small space rocks enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, often producing bright streaks known as “shooting stars.” Particularly bright events are called fireballs and can sometimes be visible across multiple states.
NASA estimates that tens of tons of meteoritic material enter Earth’s atmosphere daily, though most burn up before reaching the ground.
Whereas a fireball is a particularly bright meteor that can outshine planets like Venus. If any part of the object survives the journey and reaches the ground, it is called a meteorite.
NASA estimated that about 48.5 tons of meteoritic material falls to Earth each day, with most of it in very small particles.
Meanwhile, skywatchers can look ahead to upcoming meteor showers, including the Lyrids in late April and the Eta Aquarids in early May, according to the American Meteor Society.
Skywatchers can look forward to upcoming meteor activity, including the Lyrids meteor shower, expected to peak on April 21-22, and the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which will peak on May 5-6, according to the American Meteor Society meteor shower calendar.
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