NASA's Meteor Cam Caught a Hell of a Fireball Over Alabama

The meteoroid caught in the video above is no joke. The fireball was first spotted about 57 miles above Tennessee, from where it raced across the sky at about 47,000 miles per hour, following a 100 mile southeasterly path before breaking up above the town of Henagar, Alabama. By that point it had slowed to a mere 10,000 miles per hour. The last observed fragments were spotted about 18 miles above the Georgia state line.

NASA reports that, "based on the meteor's speed, final altitude, and weak doppler radar signatures, it is believed that this fireball produced small meteorites on the ground somewhere between Borden Springs, AL and Lake Weiss, [AL]."

NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office has a call out to area residents that may have heard any sonic booms or loud sounds in general on the night of Aug. 2 at around 10 PM. They should contact Dr. Bill Cooke at william.j.cooke at nasa dot gov.

Note that the meteoroid at first sight was only 15 inches in diameter, weighing in at around 100 pounds. At 47,000 miles per hour, it doesn't take very much.