Meteorite Fireball Streaks Across Atlanta Sky, Strikes Home in Henry County

     Between GA-- A rare and dramatic fireball lit up the midday sky over metro Atlanta on Thursday, June 26, 2025, startling residents across Georgia and the Southeast with a brilliant flash, a thunderous sonic boom, and reports of shaking windows and floors. The phenomenon, confirmed by NASA and the American Meteor Society as a meteor, culminated in a fragment crashing through the roof of a Henry County home, officials said.

     Shortly after noon, witnesses from Atlanta to Macon and as far north as South Carolina and Tennessee reported seeing a blazing streak of light cutting across the sky, followed by a loud boom and noticeable shaking. Social media was flooded with videos and photos of the fireball, which appeared as a bright, fiery object with a tail of light.

     NASA confirmed the object was a meteor, first detected 48 miles above Oxford, Georgia, traveling at roughly 30,000 miles per hour. The meteor, measuring about three feet in diameter and weighing over a ton, disintegrated approximately 27 miles above West Forest, Georgia. The disintegration released energy equivalent to 20 tons of TNT, producing the sonic boom that startled residents across the region.

     The National Weather Service and the Global Lightning Mapper (GLM) on NOAA weather satellites detected the meteor’s entry, registering the flash as a lightning-like event due to its intensity and speed. The object’s velocity and altitude made it too fast for conventional radar or satellite imagery to track in real time.

     Moments after the fireball was seen, emergency officials in Henry County responded to a report of debris crashing through the roof of a home in McDonough, just south of Atlanta. According to the Henry County Emergency Management Agency, a rock-like object pierced the roof and ceiling, cracked the laminate flooring, and came to rest inside the home. No injuries were reported, and officials are investigating whether the debris is indeed a meteorite fragment.

     Astrophysicists, including Alissa Bans of Emory University, identified the fireball as a "bolide"—an exceptionally bright meteor that explodes upon entering the Earth's atmosphere. Such events are rare, with only a handful reaching this intensity each year.

     The American Meteor Society recorded over 100 reports of the fireball across 20 states, and the event was visible in broad daylight, making it even more unusual. While most meteors burn up before reaching the ground, Doppler weather radar and eyewitness accounts suggest that fragments from Thursday’s meteor did survive atmospheric entry.

     Residents across metro Atlanta described the event as shocking and awe-inspiring. “It was crazy. I keep replaying it in my head,” said Michelle Hartley of Calhoun, Georgia. “I just happened to look up and I seen it coming down out of the sky like it was white, and the ball of it was like on fire”.

     Authorities, including NASA and the National Weather Service, continue to analyze data and collect eyewitness accounts to determine the meteor’s exact trajectory and the nature of the debris that struck the Henry County home. The Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville is reviewing footage from its fireball camera in hopes of capturing more details of the event.

     Despite the dramatic display and the rare impact on private property, no injuries have been reported. The incident has sparked widespread interest in astronomy and meteor science across Georgia and the Southeast, with experts reminding the public that while fireballs are not uncommon, daytime events of this magnitude are exceptionally rare.

     Officials urge anyone who finds unusual debris or has additional footage to contact local authorities as the investigation continues.