Most reports of the fireball sighting came just after 5:30 a.m. A man who called 911 said "it lit up the whole sky" in the Milwaukie area.
FOX 12 meteorologist Drew Jackson said the object was likely the size of a basketball. He said that the object probably broke apart before hitting land.
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| ©KOIN |
| Meteor over Portland |
Video (courtesy KGW)
Video (courtesy CNN)
Jim Todd, the planetarium manager at OMSI, said some reports indicated hearing a sonic boom that rattled windows. He said the fireball moved from the west to the east.
Federal Aviation Administration officials in Portland said there were no reports of planes going down and they believe it may have been a meteor.
In the Portland area, there were reports of a bright flash of light being seen everywhere from Sauvie Island to Mount Tabor to Hillsboro.
Residents in the eastern Oregon cities of Baker City and Lagrande, and the southwest Washington cities of Woodland and Goldendale, also reported seeing the possible meteor.
Meanwhile, in Washington, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said a pilot reported seeing a burst of light in Adams County. Adams County sheriff's deputies and Washington State Patrol said there were no reports of an impact.
FOX 12 wants to hear from anyone who may have pictures, video or surveillance cameras that may have caught the fireball. Contact the FOX 12 newsroom by e-mailing FOX12news@kptv.com.
If you ever think you saw a meteor, you can report it via the American Meteor Society Web site.
Amazing too, how it appeared all of a sudden, without warning. But what amazes me the most is how people react to it: oblivious.