Daytime meteor explodes over Atlanta, meteorite strike damages Georgia home
A very bright daylight meteor exploded over Atlanta, Georgia, at 12:26 local time (16:26 UTC) on June 26, 2025, producing a sonic boom and damaging a home in Henry County. Additional fragments may have reached South Carolina.
Daylight meteor over Atlanta on June 26, 2025. Credit: Anna Sparks
- The fireball released a total impact energy of approximately 0.48 kilotons. Peak brightness occurred at an altitude of 32.6 km (20.3 miles), centered near latitude 33.4°N and longitude 84.1°W, placing the atmospheric detonation above the Atlanta metropolitan area.
- In Henry County, Georgia, local emergency officials reported structural damage to a residential home caused by a meteorite that pierced the roof and cracked the flooring. The event is consistent with documented meteorite falls involving high-velocity atmospheric fragmentation.
A daytime fireball exploded over the southeastern United States at 16:26 UTC (12:26 EDT) on June 26. The American Meteor Society (AMS) received 142 reports from observers in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, describing a bright flash followed by a sonic boom or loud rumble.
The event was detected by the GOES-East satellite’s Geostationary Lightning Mapper, which recorded a distinct atmospheric flash over metro Atlanta at the same time. Several dashboard and security cameras across Georgia and South Carolina captured the meteor streaking through the daylight sky.
Fireball seen today across the southeast. Maybe space debris or a very large meteor. #fireball video via John Eckard in Lexington, SC. pic.twitter.com/4dMFZzbOIu
— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) June 26, 2025
Initial analysis of eyewitness trajectories and available radar data suggests the meteoroid fragmented in the atmosphere, with meteorites possibly falling near the Georgia–South Carolina border. The potential strewn field may extend from the eastern suburbs of Atlanta toward areas near Greenville, South Carolina.
In Henry County, Georgia, local emergency officials reported structural damage to a residential home caused by a meteorite that pierced the roof and cracked the flooring. The event is consistent with documented meteorite falls involving high-velocity atmospheric fragmentation.
“It pierced through the roof all the way through and cracked through the laminate flooring to the concrete,” said Ryan Morrison, director of emergency management for Henry County, a suburban area southeast of Atlanta. “That’s why we think it’s part of this meteor storm.”
The homeowner requested not to be identified due to family privacy concerns, according to Morrison.
Fireballs of this brightness and duration, capable of producing sonic booms and surviving as meteorites, occur 10–20 times per year globally. However, confirmed meteorite recoveries remain rare, typically fewer than a dozen annually. Documented cases of structural damage caused by meteorites are even more uncommon.
References:
1 Fireball event 3455-2025 – AMS – June 26, 2025
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