VIDEO: ‘Impressive’ small asteroid shoots across Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic

A brilliant meteor lit up the night sky over the Dominican Republic on Saturday, January 25, 2025. Footage captured by X user @PhillyMadeRai shows the meteor glowing an intense green as it streaked across the sky over San Jose de Ocoa.

SAN JOSE DE OCOA, Dominican Republic – A close encounter with the cosmos unfolded over Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic as a small asteroid blazed across the sky, according to astronomers.

The Caribbean Astronomy Society (SAC) initially classified the event as an “impressive meteor” but later confirmed it as an asteroid, visible across the entire Caribbean region at 7:05 p.m. local time Saturday.

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Footage captured by X user @PhillyMadeRai shows the meteor glowing an intense green as it streaked across the sky on Saturday night.

(@PhillyMadeRai via Storyful)

Footage captured by X user @PhillyMadeRai shows the fiery rock fragmentation glowing an intense green as it streaked across the sky, trailing in a fiery orange plume moving from east to west.

“Just caught the craziest meteor EVER over San Jose de Ocoa, Dominican Republic. It lasted for so long that I had time to pull my phone out and record,” he wrote. “It broke into pieces RIGHT above me and displayed colors of blue/green/purple as it broke into pieces.”

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SAC Vice President Eddie Irizarry said the vivid colors strongly suggest a metallic composition, likely rich in magnesium, iron and nickel. 

Irizarry said that the asteroid’s impressive size – up to 13 feet in diameter – and extended visibility contributed to a memorable public viewing experience. This was evident in the turnout of about 1,200 people who gathered in Cabo Rojo for a special observation night.

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“The bright meteor caused a big haze and because the sighting lasted for a reasonable time, those looking away managed to turn around and see the impressive collision,” the SAC indicated.

The organization added that it’s not very common for an asteroid or a meteor to be seen from more than one country, but it can happen when it’s of remarkable size.