NASA Confirms Asteroid Fragment Fireball Over Tennessee

NASA says a small asteroid fragment created a bright fireball over the southeastern United States before breaking apart near Chattanooga. The object, about 2 inches across and weighing roughly 6 ounces, was first detected 53 miles above Robbinsville, North Carolina, traveling around 47,000 mph, and disintegrated about 25 miles above East Ridge, Tennessee, less than 10 seconds later. Four cameras in NASA’s All Sky Fireball Network recorded the event. Although its timing raised questions about the active Taurid meteor shower, NASA said the fragment was unrelated to it.