A glowing meteor was spotted as it came speeding in from the sky above the Philippines’ slopes of the famous Mayon Volcano, where continuous volcanic activity has been happening for recent days, state volcanologists said on Monday night. The rare view was captured by one of the monitoring cameras operated by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), which then led to that dramatic video going viral on social media pretty fast, and naturally, many netizens assuming it might be some kind of close range impact near the volcano.
Watch The Video
METEOR slams into erupting Philippines VOLCANO pic.twitter.com/JeOfRtfgIZ
— RT (@RT_com) May 25, 2026
What Happened Here?
PHIVOLCS stated that the event occurred at exactly 10:33 PM on May 25, 2026. The viral clips show, among others, footage from the Ligñon Hill IP camera, which has been set to keep a constant watch on Mayon Volcano in Albay province. A bright fireball like object is visible in the video flashing across the dark sky, near the northern flank of the volcano, while volcanic activity is present in the background. The agency first identified the footage as ‘a meteor striking the northern slopes of Mayon Volcano’, and caused a lot of curiosity and speculation on social media.
Did The Meteor Strike The Volcano?
Later, PHIVOLCS said that the meteor in fact did not strike the volcano. According to officials the video only created the visual impression of hitting the slopes due to the camera angle and distance perspective. The meteor was observed instead moving through the atmosphere near the volcano with a spectacular illumination before it went out of sight. Despite the clarification, the active volcano and the blazing meteor created a spectacle which was stunning and fascinated viewers across the country and beyond.
UPDATE: Our review of seismic, infrasound and additional camera footages around the volcano indicate that the meteor disintegrated while in the atmosphere and did not strike the slopes of Mayon, contrary to our initial post.
— PHIVOLCS-DOST (@phivolcs_dost) May 25, 2026
Where Did This Occur?
Mayon Volcano with its almost perfect cone shape and frequent eruptions is still closely monitored as volcanic activity persists in the region. Authorities have taken precautions around this volcano for ash, lava flow and rockfalls. The sudden appearance of the meteor made for an added layer of drama to the already tense natural event, with many people on the Internet calling the footage ‘apocalyptic’ and ‘surreal’. The rare nighttime occurrence was soon shared in videos that made the rounds on social media platforms and got the whole nation talking about the natural phenomenon this week.
