A bright fireball was detected at 19:26 local time (22:26 UTC) on September 13, over central Argentina.
The object entered the atmosphere near latitude 38.0°S and longitude 64.8°W, at an altitude of 22.8 km (14.2 miles), releasing an estimated 0.38 kilotons (380 tons of TNT equivalent) of energy, according to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).
The International Meteor Organization (IMO) received two reports submitted from observers in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires Province, and Puerto Madryn, Chubut Province.
Observers described the fireball as extremely bright, with magnitudes between −5 and −6. One report noted a white terminal flash with fragmentation and a persistent incandescent trail lasting about 90 seconds. Another described a large explosion-like flash and a red cloud that remained visible for several minutes.
Muy buenas estas imágenes.
Bólido que se vio desde varias localidades de La Pampa hace unos minutos.El video es de Vanesa Wilberger, desde Alpachiri pic.twitter.com/QoIR7jh2Ku
— Cindy (@cindymfernandez) September 13, 2025
Meteorito en General Acha La Pampa pic.twitter.com/S99Yt8wFPr
— Agustin WRC (@Agustin_F1_) September 13, 2025
Local media in La Pampa and Buenos Aires reported multiple sightings of the bolide, describing a sudden bright flash followed by a glowing trail across the evening sky.
Some residents reported hearing an explosion-like sound and vibrations in rural areas, though no meteorites or ground impacts have been confirmed yet.
The bolide’s atmospheric flash was also detected by satellites, which recorded a bright optical signature over La Pampa Province, north-northwest of Río Colorado.
This event comes just four days after another bright fireball over northeastern Brazil. On September 9, a daylight bolide was recorded at 14:49 local time (17:49 UTC) over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Ceará State. According to NASA CNEOS, that object released 0.44 kilotons of energy at an altitude of 24 km (15 miles).
The American Meteor Society (AMS) and IMO received 10 reports from witnesses across Ceará, who described colors ranging from orange to blue, persistent trails, fragmentation, and sounds varying from faint hissing to thunder-like booms. Satellite imagery confirmed the atmospheric flash.
Fireballs of this scale occur several times each year worldwide. With an energy release under 1 kiloton, they typically disintegrate at high altitudes and pose no hazard to the surface.
References:
1 Fireball and Bolide Reports – NASA/CNEOS – Accessed September 14, 2025
2 Fireball Event 5744-2025 – IMO – Accessed September 14, 2025