A Bright Flash in the Sky: What Happened Over Georgia?

A strange sight lit up the sky over Georgia and nearby states recently. People saw a bright flash, like a giant firework, but it vanished quickly. No sound or smoke followed, which made it even more puzzling. Experts think it was a meteor. It started about 48 miles above Oxford and zoomed southwest at an incredible 30, 000 mph. It broke apart 27 miles above West Forest, releasing energy equal to 20 tons of TNT. That’s a lot of power! Many people reported seeing this fireball. Most sightings came from Georgia, but some were from North and South Carolina, and Tennessee too. A meteorologist said the object created a fireball and a sonic boom as it entered the atmosphere. Some even felt their homes shake. The meteor was a piece of an asteroid, about 3 feet wide and weighing over a ton. Fireballs like this happen often, but they usually go unnoticed because they happen over oceans or remote areas. The colors people see can depend on what the meteor is made of. Satellites picked up the event, showing a streak in the sky near the North Carolina and Virginia border. The Weather Service thought more meteors might be coming. There were even reports of something crashing into a home in Henry County, but it wasn’t confirmed. Most of the meteor likely burned up in the atmosphere. It’s rare for pieces to reach the ground. But during this event, weather radars detected signs of meteorites falling. That’s unusual! People called the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, curious about the bright streak. In 2009, a similar event happened there. A meteorite crashed into a home, making a big hole but hurting no one. The museum now displays that meteorite. The museum has a special camera to capture fireballs. They hope it caught this recent event, but they won’t know until the data is processed.