FIREBALL

Fireball near Dalnerechensk, Russia

Map: Fireball near Dalnerechensk, Russia

A fireball, a small asteroid burning up in the atmosphere, exploded about 89 km (55 mi) northwest of Dalnerechensk, Russia on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 02:15 UTC, about 32 km (20 mi) up. U.S. government sensors measured its energy at about 120 tons of TNT, and it was traveling at 15.8 km/s (35,345 mph). Explosions this high up rarely cause damage on the ground.

Energy120 t TNT
Altitude32 km · 20 mi
Speed15.8 km/s
Location46.6°N 133.1°E
Time (UTC)May 21 02:15
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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?

The Rubin Observatory. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which began surveying the sky in 2025, is expected to discover millions of new asteroids.

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

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