A month after the 4.3 magnitude earthquake that gave the Puget Sound region a little shake, Whidbey shook again Thursday evening, but the bright object seen in the sky Friday morning isn’t to blame.
The 3.1 magnitude quake occurred at about 4:48 p.m. A meteor was spotted the following morning.
According to a map on the United States Geological Survey website that shows reports from the community, the earthquake was mainly felt on Whidbey, Camano, and between Mount Vernon and Everett, but no damages were reported.
No emergency calls were made, either.
According to USGS, the earthquake originated about 1.5 miles southeast of Stanwood, at a depth of 11.24 miles.
Residents on various community groups said they felt a thump, but no damages were reported. Residents reported feeling a mild earthquake on the USGS website, as well, with 11 reports from Oak Harbor, eight from Coupeville, four from Clinton, two from Freeland, 11 from Langley and two from Greenbank, with a total of 38 reports. According to data provided by the website, 80 reports came from Camano Island.
The next day, at 6:25 a.m., some residents reported seeing a bright light streaking across the sky and leaving a bright trail behind. A woman claimed she saw it break up into smaller fragments.
“Brightest thing in the sky I have ever seen,” another user wrote.
The object may have been a Leonid meteor. According to NASA, Leonids meteor showers are a major showers that occur in November every year, and are some of the fastest meteors, traveling at 44 miles per second. This year, they are expected to peak Saturday, Nov. 18.