Huelva, Spain
The detectors of the SMART project, of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC), of the astronomical observatories of Seville, La Hita (Toledo), Calar Alto (Almería), The Sagra (Granada) and Madrid, have recorded the passage of a fireball over central Spain at 72,000 km / h.
According to the analysis of the principal investigator of the SMART project, José María Madiedo, of the Institute of Astrophyphysics from Andalusia (IAA-CSIC), The fireball was recorded yesterday, April 1 at 11:05 PM.
The phenomenon occurred when a rock enters the Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of about 97,000 kilometers per hour above the western part of the province Toledo.
Because of this high speed, the sudden friction with the air caused the rock to glow when it was at an altitude of about 92 kilometers, creating a bright fireball that could be seen from more than 500 kilometers due to its great brightness. away..
The fireball advanced in a northwestern direction and died out when it was about 27 miles (43 km) above the city of Toledo in Toledo. Oropesa, after traveling a total distance of about 40 miles in the atmosphere.
The project detectors SMART operate under Red from B.Ohread and Meteors of the South West Europe (SWEMN), which aims to continuously monitor the sky to record and study the impact of rocks from various objects in the solar system on the Earth’s atmosphere.