Giant fireball seen over Moscow: Mysterious object breaks apart

Cameras captured a bright green object streaking across the night sky over Moscow, Russia, on October 27, 2025.

Early morning commuters and residents across Moscow observed a mysterious celestial display on Monday.

The vivid green colour and trailing sparks suggest it was a significant fireball event, similar to the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor, which also occurred in Russia and caused widespread attention due to its brightness and the damage it inflicted, as reported on social media, including geologist Sergio Almazan.

The Chelyabinsk meteor, entering Earth's atmosphere at about 30 km/s, resulted in many injuries and highlighted the vulnerability of urban areas to such events.

The 2025 Moscow meteor, while not causing reported damage, likely sparked similar concerns about the need for a spaceguard system, as echoed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev after the Chelyabinsk incident.

The event's timing, just before dawn, and its visibility over a major city underscore the unpredictable nature of meteor sightings.

The green hue is often associated with the presence of nickel in the meteor's composition, a detail that might interest amateur astronomers and scientists.

The video's circulation on social media platforms amplifies public interest in celestial phenomena, especially in a region with a history of notable meteor events.

The lack of immediate reports of damage or panic suggests this event was primarily a visual spectacle, but it reignites discussions on planetary defence mechanisms.

The space object's trajectory and disintegration into sparks, as seen in the video, align with typical fireball behaviour, where atmospheric friction causes the object to break apart.

This event, occurring amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions in Russia, might also prompt considerations of whether such natural phenomena could be misinterpreted in a conflict zone, adding a layer of complexity to its observation.

The video's documentation provides valuable data for astronomers studying meteor trajectories and atmospheric interactions.