Meteor Fireball Lights Up Georgia Sky and Crashes Through Roof

Yesterday, residents in Georgia stood stunned as a fiery meteor streaked across the midday sky, rattled houses, and reportedly punched through a McDonough home’s roof—without causing injuries.

🔥 What’s Happening: At about 12:24 p.m. Eastern, people from Macon to Calhoun and all through the Southeast spotted what NASA calls a “bolide”—an extremely bright fireball—a meteor entering the atmosphere at roughly thirty thousand miles per hour. It exploded about twenty-seven miles above Newton County, releasing energy equivalent to twenty tons of TNT.

The resulting sonic boom shook windows and rattled nerves, though the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed there was no earthquake.

🏡 Who It Affected: Although widespread damage wasn’t reported, one homeowner in McDonough said a rock blasted through their roof, cracked the ceiling and flooring, and came to rest inside the house—with no one hurt. Emergency crews are still investigating the origin of that debris.

🌠 Why It Matters: Daytime fireballs of this size are rare—only 10 to 20 occur globally each year. This one triggered satellite lightning detectors usually reserved for thunderstorms, showing just how bright and energetic it was.

🔍 Investigation Underway:
NASA and the American Meteor Society are tracking hundreds of reports—over 140 sightings across Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida. They’re working to map the meteor’s exact trajectory and locate any possible meteorite fragments on the ground.

🛠️ Take Action: If you think you found a piece of meteorite—typically heavy, metallic, and with a dark charcoal look—protect it; don’t clean it. Get in touch with local university geology departments or museum collections. They can verify its origin and document its fall.

🔮 What’s Next: Agencies will continue sifting through satellite, radar, and sighting reports to estimate where any debris landed. Henry County crews will further inspect the home struck in McDonough to confirm whether meteorite fragments caused the damage.