Bright fireball streaks across the southern U.S.
A bright fireball streaked across the skies of the southern U.S. around 01:19 UTC on March 3, 2026, disintegrating above the Georgia Pacific Wildlife Management Area.
Fireball caught on camera in Walker Louisiana on March 2, 2026. Credit: Joelle LeJeune Sibley
A bright fireball was observed across multiple states in the southern U.S. on March 2, with reports coming in from Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
The meteor was first observed at around 19:19 CST on March 2 (01:19 UTC on March 3) at an altitude of 77 km (48 miles) above the town of Chickasaw in northeastern Louisiana.
The meteor travelled west at approximately 13.4 km/s (8.3 miles per second), covering a distance of over 66 km (41 miles) before disintegrating above the Georgia Pacific Wildlife Management Area at an altitude of 43 km (27 miles).
“This meteor was not associated with any currently active meteor shower and was part of the sporadic (“background”) meteor complex,” said NASA.
While the American Meteor Society has received multiple reports of the sighting, the event is yet to be verified and listed.
Observers reported yellow, green, and white hues, indicating the presence of metals like nickel, copper, magnesium, and sodium, which burn during the re-entry, producing the colorful glow.
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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