Fireball first seen over Oxford, NASA says

OXFORD, Ga. — Without knowing it, the residents of Oxford were the first in the country to be graced by a “fireball” in the summer sky on Thursday afternoon.

The city of Oxford was one of numerous locations across the southeastern United States that bore witness to a meteor streaking across the sky just after noon on Thursday. Though they did not know it at the time, those in Oxford have been confirmed by NASA as the first to spot the projectile throughout the entire country.

According to Bill Cooke, a lead at NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, the now-confirmed meteor was recorded moving at a speed of 30,000 miles per hour with an altitude of 48 miles above Oxford.

The meteor traveled southwest for about 12 miles before it “disintegrated” over West Forest, Cooke stated.

“It disintegrated 27 miles above West Forest, Georgia, unleashing an energy of about 20 tons of TNT,” Cooke stated. “The resulting pressure wave propagated to the ground, creating booms heard by many in that area.”

This destruction – and accompanying booms – are believed to have caused the earthquake-like ground shaking and loud sounds that were reported across most of Newton County. However, no seismic activity was recorded at the time.

Oxford residents were among those across Georgia who heard and felt this break.

“I live in Oxford and just heard the loudest and most bizarre noise!!!” posted Laurie Crafton Miley in the “Covington GA Living” Facebook group. “It was not the usual quarry sounds!!! Could have been a sonic boom from a military jet.”

NASA was also able to offer insight into the probable size of the flying object.

“The fireball was produced by an asteroidal fragment three feet in diameter, weighing over a ton,” Cooke stated.

Meteor debris is believed to have landed near Blacksville, which is approximately 25 miles southwest of Oxford.

Cooke shared that multiple doppler weather radars had picked up on “meteorites falling to the ground.” Only one piece of suspected meteorite has been revealed at this time – a home in Henry County reported minor damage when a “rock” fell through the ceiling, cracking the floor.

The Covington News has not yet been able to make contact with the Henry County Emergency Management Agency for comment.

The News has also reached out to the Newton County Emergency Management Agency for any local impacts, but has not heard back.