A bright fireball was observed across multiple states in the western United States at 03:18 UTC on March 23, with sightings being reported from California, Arizona, and Nevada. The American Meteor Society (AMS) received 306 reports as of 09:30 UTC on March 24.
Preliminary analysis by NASA shows that the meteor was first detected at an altitude of 78.6 km (48.8 miles) above the town of Chowchilla, California.
It traveled slightly southeast at a velocity of 15.5 km/s (9.6 miles/s), covering a distance of approximately 93 km (58 miles) through the upper atmosphere before disintegrating at an altitude of 46.4 km (28.8 miles) above Calflax.
Most observers reported a green hue as the fireball passed their view. This indicates the possible presence of Magnesium, Nickel, or Copper, all three of which produce a green glow as they burn in the atmosphere.
Trajectory reconstruction was based on combined eyewitness reports and data from multiple camera systems, allowing for the determination of the object’s flight path, velocity, and disintegration altitude.
The fireball does not appear to be associated with any currently active meteor shower, according to NASA, indicating it originated from the sporadic background meteor population.
No confirmed reports of damage, injuries, or meteorite recovery have been issued as of March 24. The disintegration occurred at high altitude, reducing the likelihood of surviving fragments reaching the ground.
This fireball does not appear to be related to recent bright meteors that have attracted widespread public attention, having a different radiant and speed, NASA said.
Some of the most notable recent fireballs include the daylight event over the Houston, Texas area on March 21, when a bright meteor broke apart with sonic booms and a possible meteorite fragment was reported to have struck a house in north Houston.
This followed the March 8, fireball over western Europe, which produced meteorites that damaged residential buildings in Koblenz, Germany. Several fragments penetrated roofs in the city’s Güls district, and meteorites were recovered shortly after the event.
Other notable fireballs from 2026 include the March 17 daytime meteor over Pennsylvania and Ohio, the possible Earth-grazing meteor seen over western Turkey on March 15, the March 3 fireball over the southern United States, the February 11 event over the Indiana-Ohio border region, a long duration fireball over New Zealand’s South Island on Februrary 10, and a bright predawn meteor observed over western China on February 5.
From 2025, two of the most notable cases were the June 26 daylight meteor over Atlanta, Georgia, which damaged a home in Henry County, and the possible first recorded meteorite impact on a moving vehicle, reported in South Australia on October 19.
References:
1 Event: 20260323-031821 – NASA – March 23, 2026
2 Event: 2016-2026 – AMS – March 23, 2026