Fireball streaks across Southeast sky, satellite detects flash
Georgia’s MACON (41NBC/WMGT) On Thursday afternoon, reports of a dazzling fireball illuminating the midday sky came pouring in from all over the Southeast U.S.
Satellite-based lightning detection systems captured a visible streak in a cloudless sky over the North Carolina-Virginia border between 12:51 and 12:56 p.m., however specifics are still unknown. The core of the streak was close to Gasbury, Virginia.
The satellite’s sensors most likely recorded the fireball’s dazzling passage—typically a very bright meteor entering the Earth’s atmosphere—rather than genuine lightning. Witnesses reported seeing a brilliant streak or flash, occasionally followed by a sonic boom, across several states, including Middle Georgia.
As of Thursday afternoon, there have been no reports of damage or ground impact.
The origin of the fireball and if any meteorites may have made it to the ground have not yet been established by authorities or scientific organizations.
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There have been numerous reports of a fireball in the Southeast U.S. Although it is uncertain, satellite-based lightning detection above the NC/VA border near Gasbury, VA, reveals a streak in the cloudless sky. The detection of this streak occurred between 12:51 and 12:56 p.m.image.twitter.com/2TeSNLjzI3
June 26, 2025, NWS Charleston, SC (@NWSCharlestonSC)
