A brilliant green light streaked across the sky above Moscow early Monday morning, stunning residents and sparking speculation across social media. The vivid fireball, captured from multiple angles around the Russian capital, illuminated the pre-dawn horizon before disappearing within seconds — an extraordinary celestial moment confirmed by experts to be a meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere.

Eyewitnesses described the light as “electric green” and “blindingly bright,” with many residents briefly mistaking it for an aircraft or missile. However, astronomers quickly identified the object as a meteor — a natural space rock or piece of debris burning up as it plunged toward Earth at tremendous speed.

Preliminary analyses suggest the green hue resulted from a high concentration of nickel or magnesium, elements that produce the distinct emerald glow when vaporized during atmospheric entry. Traveling at more than 20,000 miles per hour, the object disintegrated harmlessly before reaching the ground, with no reports of impact or damage.

Experts also linked the sighting to the lingering effects of the annual Orionid meteor shower, which peaked earlier in October. The Orionids are known to originate from remnants of Halley’s Comet — one of the most famous comets in recorded history — leaving behind streams of dust and rock that Earth passes through each year.

While meteors are not uncommon, one of this brightness and coloration over a major city is exceptionally rare. Videos circulating online show the moment the sky erupted in a flash of green, briefly casting shadows and reflecting off buildings across Moscow.

For many residents, the event served as a spectacular reminder of the natural wonders beyond Earth’s atmosphere — and how, even amid global uncertainty, the universe continues to offer moments of awe and unity visible to all who look up.