One day there will be an opportunity, and we never know when it’s going to be, for something large to hit and create a catastrophic situation,” warned University of Georgia planetary geologist Scott Harris.

The rock ended its space-faring days striking Earth's atmosphere, heating up and exploding in a spectacular fireball as it whistled through the sky. A piece of the meteorite then crashed through the roof of a suburban home in Atlanta's south-east, leaving a dent on the floor where it had shattered on impact.

A fireball, or a bright meteorite, was seen across the southeastern United States on Thursday and later exploded over Georgia, creating booms heard by residents in the area, according to NASA. The American Meteor Society said it received more than 160 reports of a fireball… pic.twitter.com/c7yBQjAQan — CBS News (@CBSNews) June 27, 2025