A bright meteor was caught on camera streaking across the skies above Mayon Volcano late Monday night, briefly startling state volcanologists who initially believed it had struck the volcano’s slopes — before a fuller review of monitoring data confirmed it had burned up in the atmosphere without making ground contact.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said the event was recorded at 10:33 p.m. on May 25, 2026, by the agency’s Ligñon Hill IP Camera in Legazpi City. The initial post from PHIVOLCS described what appeared to be a meteor striking the northern slopes of Mayon, quickly drawing attention online.
A separate livestream also captured the spectacle, with viewers observing a bright green fireball descending before vanishing behind the volcano.
The agency, however, was quick to walk back its initial assessment. A review of seismic, infrasound, and additional camera footage showed no evidence of a ground impact. PHIVOLCS confirmed the meteor had disintegrated while still in the atmosphere, and reiterated the clarification in a subsequent update.
The dramatic sighting came on an already active night for Mayon. The volcano was on its 140th consecutive day of effusive eruption, with lava collapse-fed pyroclastic density currents moving along the Mi-isi and Basud gullies, and minor Strombolian activity producing brief lava fountains and glowing volcanic ejecta.
While the double spectacle of a meteor and an erupting volcano drew widespread attention on social media, authorities emphasized there was no additional hazard from the celestial event. Mayon remains under active monitoring by PHIVOLCS.
