Two fireballs on January 12th and 14th 2022


Two fireballs were registered with the SMART Project’s detectors operated at Calar Alto (Almería), Sierra Nevada, Seville, El Aljarafe, Huelva and La Hita (Toledo) observatories. The one happened on January 14th, was also registered with the detectors at La Sagra (Granada) and Madrid.

First one, on January 12th took place at 02h43 UT, while the second one on January 14th, happened at 21h27 UT.

In both cases, external cameras located at Calar Alto Observatory, in Almería, could also follow this event.

Data arose from the preliminary analysis carried out by Professor José María Madiedo (Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía IAA-CSIC), SMART Project PI, revealed the next:

pathinteriorJanuary 12th fireball:

  • Type of Event: asteroidal.
  • Initial estimated speed: 105.000 km/h.
  • Initial altitude of luminous part of the event: 82 km.
  • Final altitude of luminous part of the event: 51 km.

The whole path this fireball followed was above Mediterranean Sea, in front of Málaga coasts, following a northeast trajectory.

pathportadaJanuary 14th fireball:

  • Type of Event: asteroidal.
  • Initial estimated speed: 48.000 km/h.
  • Initial altitude of luminous part of the event: 86 km.
  • Final altitude of the luminous part of the event: 23 km.

In this case, the fireball flew above the skies of the south of Ciudad Real province with a direction from west to east.

Below are the videos registered with Calar Alto Observatory external cameras. In the first case, with two cameras and only one camera for the second one.

 

 


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 (IAA) to track that kind of objects. Specifically, Calar Alto (CAHA) station and the one at Sierra Nevada (IAA-CSIC) constitute a collaboration agreement between the IAA researcher José María Madiedo and both institutions.