FIREBALL

Fireball over open water

Map: Fireball over open water

A fireball, a small asteroid burning up in the atmosphere, exploded over open water at 52.9°S, 143.7°W on Friday, March 20, 2026 at 10:45 UTC, about 27 km (17 mi) up. U.S. government sensors measured its energy at about 98 tons of TNT. Explosions this high up rarely cause damage on the ground.

Energy98 t TNT
Altitude27 km · 17 mi
Location52.9°S 143.7°W
Time (UTC)Mar 20 10:45
See it on the live 3D globe →Watch live on YouTube🔔 Get alerts near you

How big was it?

Most fireballs come from rocks a meter or a few meters across. The 2013 Chelyabinsk fireball over Russia, about 440 kilotons, was the largest in a century; it shattered windows across the city. Most land over the ocean, unseen.

Did you know?

Where the Moon came from. Most scientists think the Moon formed when a Mars-sized body slammed into the young Earth about 4.5 billion years ago.

Data: NASA JPL CNEOS fireball reports, from U.S. government sensors.

More: every space weather and near-Earth page · all events

More from around the world