FIREBALL

Fireball near Vostok

Map: Fireball near Vostok

A fireball, a small asteroid burning up in the atmosphere, exploded about 599 km (372 mi) southeast of Vostok on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 14:00 UTC, about 29 km (18 mi) up. U.S. government sensors measured its energy at about 160 tons of TNT, and it was traveling at 17.8 km/s (39,819 mph). Explosions this high up rarely cause damage on the ground.

Energy160 t TNT
Altitude29 km · 18 mi
Speed17.8 km/s
Location81.0°S 133.9°E
Time (UTC)Apr 29 14:00
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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?

Keeping the ISS up. The ISS slowly sinks in the thin upper atmosphere, so visiting spacecraft fire their engines every few weeks or months to boost it back up.

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

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