FIREBALL

Fireball near Wenatchee, Washington

Map: Fireball near Wenatchee, Washington

A fireball, a small asteroid burning up in the atmosphere, exploded about 46 mi (75 km) northeast of Wenatchee, Washington on Friday, August 14, 2026 at 07:48 UTC, about 30 km (19 mi) up. U.S. government sensors measured its energy at about 130 tons of TNT, and it was traveling at 12.2 km/s (27,291 mph). Explosions this high up rarely cause damage on the ground.

Energy130 t TNT
Altitude30 km · 19 mi
Speed12.2 km/s
Location47.7°N 119.4°W
Time (UTC)Aug 14 07:48
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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?

Comet or asteroid?. Comets are icy and grow glowing tails near the Sun; asteroids are mostly rock or metal and have none.

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

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