@KING5Seattle/Twitter

By Kale Williams

On Wednesday night around 7:30 p.m., the skies over Grays Harbor, Washington, lit up like it was daytime. A few seconds later, a loud boom swept over the area, strong enough to rattle windows and shake the nerves of Western Washington residents.

The unusual phenomenon was caught on surveillance video and published by KING5 News out of Seattle.

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MYSTERY FLASH >> Watch the sky light up in Grays Harbor County. There are also reports of a loud BOOM and homes shaking, via @ghcdem. No official word what happened. Thanks to Derek Hnilica for sharing this surveillance footage: https://t.co/mcWH6nT38g pic.twitter.com/Zpz4CgOAw0 — KING 5 News (@KING5Seattle) March 8, 2018

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While no one can say for sure exactly what caused the flash, Jim Todd, Director of Space Science Education at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, said the bright light was likely a bolide meteor exploding in the atmosphere and filtered through the overcast skies.

“Based off of the video, with the flashes and the sonic boom associated, this was likely a bolide,” Todd said in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

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Courtesy/American Meteor Society

Todd said the meteor appeared to come in at a low angle and broke up just above the clouds. The sonic boom, which was heard as far away as Portland, came moments later.

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A resource on meteor questions. https://t.co/26f9cXNM7l

IF the flash in GH county was a bolide meteor, it might have hit the atmosphere an angle of about 45° relative to those who heard a sonic boom. It can take 1 1/2 to 4 mins for the boom to reach ground after the explosion. — NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) March 8, 2018

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Meteors can enter the Earth's atmosphere at speeds ranging from 25,000 to as high as 160,000 mph. But, hey, Earth is already hurtling around the Sun at around 67,000 mph. Better yet, we're rushing toward some very spring-like temperatures early next week! 🌎 ☄️#wawx — NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) March 8, 2018

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Bolides differ from standard meteors in their brightness and that they explode in the atmosphere. Some bolide explosions can be as bright, or brighter than a full moon.

Todd said there were no reports of impact or damage, no reports of power outage and, sadly, no dashcam footage of the celestial occurrence.

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-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048

@sfkale