Florida Fireball: NASA Confirms Asteroid Fragment Streaked Across Night Sky

A bright fireball illuminated the skies over Florida and several other southeastern states on Tuesday, February 2, 2026, at 9:37 p.m. Local time. More than 100 residents reported witnessing the event, which NASA confirmed was caused by a fragment of an asteroid.

The American Meteor Society received the majority of reports from residents along the west coast of Florida, according to NASA. The event was also detected by two NASA meteor cameras and numerous public access cameras in the region. A video of the event is available here.

Meteor Trajectory and Characteristics

NASA analysis indicates the meteor was first observed at an altitude of 56 miles (approximately 90 kilometers) above the Gulf of Mexico, west of Bonita Springs, Florida. The fragment was traveling at 72.1 miles per hour (115 kilometers per hour) in a northwesterly direction before disintegrating 28 miles (45 kilometers) over the ocean.

At its peak brightness, the meteor rivaled the intensity of a full moon and exhibited a greenish-blue color, as reported by both eyewitnesses and camera recordings. NASA clarified that the fireball was not associated with a predicted meteor shower.

Superbolide Classification and Sonic Booms

The object has been classified as a “superbolide,” a term used for exceptionally bright meteors. A related event on June 27, 2025, saw a similar fireball over several southeastern states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee – produced by an asteroidal fragment weighing over a ton and moving over 30,000 mph. That event also generated a sonic boom, which was widely reported.

While the February 2nd event did not explicitly mention sonic booms in the provided sources, the June 2025 incident demonstrates the potential for such phenomena when large meteor fragments enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The pressure wave created by the rapid atmospheric entry can propagate to the ground, creating audible booms.

Meteor vs. Meteorite

It’s important to distinguish between a meteor and a meteorite. A meteor is the visible streak of light created when a small space rock enters the Earth’s atmosphere. A meteorite, however, is a space rock that survives the atmospheric passage and lands on the Earth’s surface. Following the June 2025 fireball, multiple Doppler weather radars detected signatures indicating meteorites had fallen to the ground, particularly in the McDonough, Georgia area.

Recent Fireball Sightings

Fireballs have been observed with increasing frequency in recent months. In November 2025, a daytime fireball was spotted streaking across the sky at 12:40 p.m., with reports coming from Gainesville, Florida. Another fiery streak was observed over Central Florida on November 10, 2025, with sightings reported from Titusville, Saint Cloud, and other locations. That event was initially attributed to remnants of an old satellite, rocket parts, or a meteorite.

On April 16, 2021, a massive fireball with a long, sparkling tail illuminated the skies along the east coast of Florida. While this event predates the more recent sightings, it highlights the ongoing phenomenon of atmospheric entry events.

Potential Impact and Debris

The June 2025 fireball event resulted in a fragment reportedly crashing through the roof of a home in Henry County, Georgia. Authorities responded to the scene and are investigating whether the object was a meteorite fragment or “space junk.” Several meteorites were also reportedly found by residents in McDonough, Georgia, indicating the fragment broke into numerous pieces upon disintegration.

While no reports of structural damage have been released regarding the February 2nd fireball, the possibility of debris reaching the ground remains. The NASA statement does not indicate whether any fragments from the February 2nd event were recovered.

The observation of such bright meteors, while relatively common, is a reminder of the constant influx of space debris into Earth’s atmosphere. These events provide valuable data for NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office, which studies the frequency and characteristics of these objects to better understand the space environment and potential risks.