NASA Reveals the Nature of ‘Fireball’ Observed over the Southeast

NASA has confirmed that a meteor caused the bright midday flash seen over the Southeast U.S. on June 26. The meteor entered the atmosphere near Oxford, Georgia, at 12:25 p.m. EDT, traveling at nearly 30,000 mph.

Measuring about three feet wide and weighing over a ton, the meteor broke apart 27 miles above West Forest. The resulting explosion released energy equal to 20 tons of TNT, creating shockwaves that caused loud booms and ground shaking.

Footage from dashcams and doorbell cameras in South Carolina and Georgia captured the fireball’s dramatic descent. Some residents reported vibrating or cracked windows, and radar and satellite tools used for weather detection picked up the meteor’s activity.

One home in McDonough, Georgia, reported structural damage after a rock pierced the roof and cracked the floor. Emergency officials confirmed unusual damage, though they have not definitively linked it to the meteor.

Nearby, Doppler radar showed signs of debris near a Home Depot facility in Blacksville. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Over 100 eyewitnesses from Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee described the event as a fiery streak followed by a loud boom.

Some initially mistook the tremors for an earthquake, but the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed it was a sonic boom. Witnesses shared awe-struck reactions, calling the fireball “crazy” and “like a firework.”

Astrophysicist Alissa Bans believes the meteor was a bolide — a rare, bright meteor that explodes on entry. Officials continue to investigate the event and examine any possible meteorite fragments.