WATCH: Fireball caught on camera from Eugene, detected in other PNW cities

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Some Pacific Northwest residents spotted a flaming object soaring across the night sky earlier this week.

The American Meteor Society has reported that the object known as a “fireball” appeared in Eugene at 10:10 p.m. on Wednesday. The AMS log shows residents in other cities throughout Oregon and Washington — including Grants Pass, Ashland and Ridgefield — could have spotted it as well.

A Eugene resident shared a video in which a glittering trail can be seen making its way through the sky before dispersing, with KOIN 6.

NASA describes fireballs as bright meteors caused by objects that measure at least one meter. The one spotted in Eugene could have been either a meteor or space debris, according to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s Director of Space Science Education Jim Todd.

“Fireballs are caused by space rocks that enter the Earth’s atmosphere and are slowed down and heated by friction,” Todd explained in an email. “Fireballs are caused by space rocks that are made of stone, ice, metal, or a combination of these materials.”

He added that the Perseid meteor shower, prompted by debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle, neared its peak on the same day the fireball was spotted.

Todd said meteors are only visible for a few seconds, whereas human-made objects re-enter the atmosphere more slowly and are visible for longer. He noted that meteors travel rapidly, while other objects move more like fast aircraft.

But also on Wednesday, SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket holding more than 20 satellites. Todd estimates the launch could have caused the fireball as well.

“When the second stage completes its mission, it typically undergoes a controlled deorbit maneuver. However, sometimes the deorbit doesn’t happen as planned, and the stage enters the atmosphere at a different angle or time, causing it to burn up and create a bright fireball,” he said.