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 54.6°N, 144.1°W on Monday, March 23, 2026 at 19:23 UTC, about 35 km (22 mi) up. U.S. government sensors measured its energy at about 170 tons of TNT, and it was traveling at 11.5 km/s (25,726 mph). Explosions this high up rarely cause damage on the ground.

Energy170 t TNT
Altitude35 km · 22 mi
Speed11.5 km/s
Location54.6°N 144.1°W
Time (UTC)Mar 23 19:23
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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?

A big moon. The Moon is about a quarter as wide as Earth, unusually large compared with its planet.

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

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