Early Thursday morning, a bright blue-green fireball ripped across northern Utah's pre-dawn sky, jolting early risers and lighting up dashcam and doorbell cameras. The whole thing was over in seconds, but the object flared noticeably brighter as it dropped toward the horizon before disappearing. People across the Salt Lake Valley and nearby counties reported a brief flash and, in some cases, a soft boom that followed.
Footage shared with FOX13 shows a compact blue-green ball that intensifies as it falls, the station reported. According to FOX13, the newsroom is checking in with officials to get a clearer read on exactly what streaked over the region before sunrise.
What scientists are saying
Spring is prime time for bright meteors and fireballs, and recent weeks have seen a noticeable uptick in widely spotted events, a pattern highlighted by Space.com. The Lyrid meteor shower, active April 14–30 and peaking April 21–22, can produce bright fireballs, EarthSky notes, which makes the shower a plausible culprit for Thursday's flash.
How to report footage or fragments
If you caught the streak on camera or think you have found a possible meteorite, researchers want to hear from you. They ask that you send details and video to the American Meteor Society's fireball portal so experts can triangulate the trajectory, and that you check NASA's CNEOS fireball page for official bolide data. The American Meteor Society is already reviewing pending reports from Utah, and NASA's CNEOS fireball database lists searchable records of known events.
If you believe you have located a meteorite, document the exact spot with GPS or clear photos and avoid disturbing private property or protected land. Local law enforcement or nearby university geology departments can offer guidance on how, or whether, to attempt a recovery.
