Officials in the southeastern United States are investigating reports of a “fireball” seen in the sky. The event occurred around midday, as per Fox News. Over 100 sightings from Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee were reported to the American Meteor Society. As per Fox News, a bright fireball was seen across the Southeast sky on Thursday. Witnesses spotted the event between 12:15 and 12:30 pm ET, as per the outlet.
The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg stated that the fireball appears to be a meteorite, as per South Carolina’s WYFF TV. Videos show a streak of smoke emitting from the object as it moves across the sky.
The meteor crashed through a roof in Georgia.
What is a fireball meteor?
Exceptionally bright meteors are also called fireballs or bolides. These astronomical terms are used for meteors that can be seen over a very wide area, according to NASA. These fireballs enter the Earth’s atmosphere at a very high speed.
What users said about the fireball video from US
{{/usCountry}}Exceptionally bright meteors are also called fireballs or bolides. These astronomical terms are used for meteors that can be seen over a very wide area, according to NASA. These fireballs enter the Earth’s atmosphere at a very high speed.
What users said about the fireball video from US
{{/usCountry}}Many people shared clips of the fireball streaking across the afternoon sky.
What National Weather Service said
The official X account of the National Weather Agency stated,that it received any reports of a fireball. "It is not certain, but the satellite-based lightning detection shows a streak within cloud free sky over the NC/VA border, over Gasbury, VA. This streak was detected between 12:51 to 12:56 pm,” the post read.
As per Fox News, satellite imagery indicated a possible trail of smoke from Tennessee into northern Georgia. Officials in Anderson County, South Carolina are looking for a possible crash site in the Upstate region to see where the mysterious fireball crashed.
Other fireball meteors in recent months
In May, another fireball was spotted in Australia on Mother’s Day, People reported. The celestial phenomenon was seen over western Australia. As per the Perth Observatory the visuals most likely indicated “an iron meteor” that had been “orbiting within the inner Solar System.” The meteor was believed to be about the size of a cricket ball to a basketball, according to the observatory.
The recent fireball spotted in the US has garnered a lot of scrutiny since these events are rarely seen in broad daylight.