A dazzling fireball lit up the skies over the Southeastern U.S., sparking reports of a bright flash and a loud boom across four states. In Georgia, a family got an unwelcome cosmic surprise when what’s likely a chunk of the meteor crashed through their roof, causing damage but thankfully no injuries. Scientists are buzzing about the rare event, which serves as a stark reminder that space rocks can—and do—reach Earth’s surface.

Editor’s Note: Most meteors burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, but this one made it to the ground—a reminder that Earth isn’t isolated from the chaos of space. While the odds of getting hit by space debris are astronomically low, this incident highlights why agencies track near-Earth objects. For scientists, it’s also a chance to study fresh meteorite material, which could hold clues about our solar system’s origins. For everyone else? A wild story to tell at the dinner table.