Fireball Bright Meteor Sighted Across Six Southern US States

More than 200 people across multiple southern U.S. states, primarily Georgia and South Carolina, reported witnessing a bright fireball streaking across the sky around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, an event captured by various cameras and widely discussed by witnesses. NASA identified the object as a bolide meteor roughly the size of a shopping cart that broke apart over West Forest, Georgia, releasing energy equivalent to about 20 tons of TNT and generating sonic booms heard by residents. Pieces of the meteor are believed to have landed near Blacksville, Georgia, with one fragment reportedly piercing the roof of a home in Henry County, causing damage to the ceiling and floor. The meteor's path was tracked using eyewitness reports, satellite images, weather radar, and cameras, confirming it was a rare and bright daylight event, brighter than the sun according to some observers. The National Weather Service and the American Meteor Society received numerous reports describing the meteor's bright tail, smoke trail, and the unusual daytime visibility. This celestial event sparked widespread amazement and curiosity among residents in the affected region.