A Martian meteorite housed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Feb. 6, 2019. A bright fireball seen in the sky across Europe on Sunday evening, thought by many to be a rocket, was a meteor that broke apart in the atmosphere. (David McNally/U.S. Army)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A bright fireball seen above the largest U.S. military base in Europe and other nearby installations that some witnesses mistook for a rocket was in fact a meteor, German authorities said.
Officials in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz — home to Ramstein Air Base, Spangdahlem Air Base and dozens of U.S. Army installations — said they had received emergency calls Sunday reporting a bright streak of light in the sky and a loud bang.
A meteor seen over Alsdorf, Germany, on Feb. 8, 2026. (Rebecca C./International Meteor Organization fireball.imo.net)
“The event is not related to any military activity,” the Office for Fire and Disaster Protection said in a statement that evening, adding that there were no reports of injuries, just isolated property damage.
The sighting came as Europe remains on heightened alert amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East between Iran and the joint forces of the U.S. and Israel.
Since the war began Feb. 28, Iran has carried out retaliatory attacks against numerous U.S. bases and allies in the Middle East with missiles and drones.
Tens of thousands of U.S. service members, civilians and family members at Ramstein and other installations in Rheinland-Pfalz make up the Kaiserslautern Military Community, the largest American military community outside the United States.
Witnesses in other German states with U.S. military installations, including Baden-Württemberg and Hesse, also said on social media that they had seen the fireball.
Observers across Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands shared reports and visuals on the International Meteor Organization’s fireball reporting system, which collects sightings worldwide.
The meteor broke apart in the atmosphere, with fragments reaching the ground around 7:15 p.m. local time, state officials said.
Callers reported seeing “a brightly lit object with a brief flash of fire in the sky,” a separate statement Sunday by Kaiserslautern police said.
“Based on current police findings and in consultation with military police at Ramstein Air Base, there is no indication of a safety-related incident,” the statement said.
In Koblenz, a city about 85 miles north of Ramstein, fragments of the meteor struck the roof of a residential building, creating a hole about the size of a soccer ball, German public broadcaster SWR reported, citing local police.
The residents were in another room at the time of impact and no one was injured, SWR said.
