Bright fireball over Morocco on July 08 2016.


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This bright fireball was registered by SMART Project detectors and Calar Alto surveillance south camera on July 08 2016 at 23:05 local time (21:05 UT). The luminous part of this object could be recorded from Calar Alto, Sevilla, La Hita (Toledo), Huelva and Sierra Nevada observatories.

pathAccording to the preliminary analysis carried out by Professor José María Madiedo (University of Huelva) and PI of the SMART Project, the event happened as result of the impact against the Earth atmosphere of a meteoroid which came from comet 169P/NEAT, at a speed of about 95.000 km/h. This event is associated to the alpha-Capricornids meteor shower. The fireball started at an altitude of about 107 km and flew over Morocco northeastward. The luminous phenomena finished at about 74 km over the ground.

 

On the above image you can see the trajectory ground projection, and below is the video recorded with Calar Alto Observatory south surveillance webcam.


Calar Alto (CAHA) fireball detection station, together with the one at the Observatory of Sierra Nevada (IAA-CSIC) and others placed at different locations in Spain, are part of the S.M.A.R.T. project led by Professor José María Madiedo (University of Huelva) to track that kind of objects. Specifically, Calar Alto (CAHA) station and the one at Sierra Nevada (IAA-CSIC) constitute a collaboration agreement between Professor Madiedo and both institutions.