Fireball above the Mediterranean Sea on November 18th 2016


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A fireball flew above the Mediterranean Sea last November 18th at 23:31 local time (22:31 UT). This object was registered by the SMART Project's fireball detection stations at Calar Alto (Almería) and La Sagra (Granada) observatories. The fireball was also followed by three webcams of the Calar Alto Surveillance System. 

Following the analysis carried out by the PI of the SMART Project, Professor José María Madiedo (University of Huelva), this event occurred as a result of the impact on Earth's atmosphere of a meteorite at about 72.000 km/h. 

The luminous phenomenon started at about an altitude of about 80 km above the Mediterranean Sea, in front of the Almería's north coast. The event finished at an altitude of about 60 km above the sea level. 

The top image shows the path this fireball followed in front of Almería's coasts. 

Below are the three Calar Alto Observatory Surveillance webcam videos and the one adquired with the SMART Project detection station east camera, also located at Calar Alto Observatory.

 

 

 

 


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.


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