Green fireball lights up sky above erupting Mayon Volcano in the Philippines

A rare green fireball of apparent cosmic origin streaked across the night sky above the Philippines' Mayon Volcano while it was actively erupting and sending glowing lava down its slopes. The footage, captured on camera, quickly spread worldwide. The simultaneous occurrence of a volcanic eruption and a meteor event left many wondering whether a cosmic visitor had flown toward the volcano.

In a spectacle that rivals any Hollywood special effects sequence, the night sky above the Philippines produced one of nature's most extraordinary coincidences. While Mayon Volcano was actively erupting — sending glowing rivers of lava cascading down its slopes — a vivid green fireball of apparent cosmic origin flashed across the sky directly above, creating a scene that many observers described as almost surreal.

The footage, captured on camera near Mayon Volcano, spread rapidly across the globe once shared online. Viewers worldwide were left questioning what they were seeing: a volcanic eruption and what appeared to be a meteor event unfolding simultaneously in the same frame.

Two rare events, one moment

Mayon Volcano, located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, is one of the world's most active volcanoes and is renowned for its near-perfect conical shape. Eruptions there are not uncommon, but the appearance of a bright green fireball — a bolide or large meteor burning up in the atmosphere — coinciding with an active lava flow is considered an extraordinarily rare occurrence.

Green fireballs typically derive their colour from the presence of magnesium in the space rock as it burns through Earth's atmosphere at high velocity. While meteors are seen frequently around the world, capturing one on video while a volcano simultaneously erupts beneath it represents the kind of once-in-a-lifetime natural coincidence that fuels widespread fascination.

Footage goes viral

The rare footage prompted widespread discussion on social media, with many users joking that the cosmic visitor appeared to be heading straight for the volcano. Scientists and astronomy enthusiasts were quick to note that the two events were entirely unrelated — a volcanic eruption and a meteor passing through the atmosphere — but the visual drama of both occurring together in a single shot made the footage almost impossible to look away from.