FIREBALL

Fireball near Waitangi, New Zealand

Map: Fireball near Waitangi, New Zealand

A fireball, a small asteroid burning up in the atmosphere, exploded about 364 km (226 mi) northeast of Waitangi, New Zealand on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 03:14 UTC, about 27 km (17 mi) up. U.S. government sensors measured its energy at about 180 tons of TNT, and it was traveling at 13.8 km/s (30,871 mph). Explosions this high up rarely cause damage on the ground.

Energy180 t TNT
Altitude27 km · 17 mi
Speed13.8 km/s
Location41.8°S 173.1°W
Time (UTC)Oct 4 03:14
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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 football field in orbit. The International Space Station is about as long as an American football field, end zones included, and weighs about 420 tonnes.

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

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