Meteor Fireball Explodes Over Georgia, South Carolina Midday

A bright meteor fireball was widely observed streaking across the southeastern U.S. states, including Georgia, South Carolina, and extending to North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, and possibly Virginia, around midday Thursday. The meteor, estimated to be about three feet wide and weighing over 1,000 kg, exploded above West Forest, Georgia, releasing energy equivalent to 20 tons of TNT and causing a sonic boom and bright flashes visible during daylight. Several eyewitness reports and videos captured the fireball, with some damage reported such as a rock penetrating a roof in Henry County, Georgia, but no serious injuries have been reported. The phenomenon is suspected to be part of the Beta Taurid meteor shower, which typically peaks in late June. Alongside public reports, satellite data confirmed the event, and emergency officials are investigating the impact area southeast of Atlanta. Meanwhile, unrelated incidents such as a massive explosion at a Montana industrial plant also produced a fireball, but this was a separate event with no injuries reported.