HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — A meteor streaked across the sky over metro Atlanta on Thursday afternoon, creating a spectacular fireball and a loud boom that startled thousands of people.
NASA confirmed that the meteor was first observed 48 miles above Oxford, Georgia, traveling at a speed of 30,000 miles per hour. The meteor, an asteroidal fragment with a diameter of three feet and weighing over a ton, disintegrated 27 miles above West Forest, Georgia, releasing energy equivalent to 20 tons of TNT, NASA said.
Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett told Action News Jax’s Atlanta station WSB-TV that he and his team felt the impact, which stopped them in their tracks.
Emergency officials are investigating reports that a piece of the meteorite may have penetrated the roof of a home in Henry County.
Ryan Morrison, the Henry County Emergency Management Director, visited the home to ensure the safety of its occupants. The homeowner described hearing a noise similar to a gunshot before discovering pieces of rock on the ground.
The meteor’s dramatic entry into the atmosphere and subsequent disintegration provided a rare and memorable event for residents across the region, with ongoing investigations into possible meteorite impacts.
*WSB-TV, Atlanta contributed to this report.
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