Bright Alpha Capricornid fireball recorded over Northern Africa
A very bright fireball was observed over Northern Africa at 21:05 UTC on July 8, 2016, and recorded by Spain's SMART Project meteor-observing network.
The data collected by SMART network have been analyzed by its principal investigator, Professor José María Madiedo. The analysis showed that the fireball was a fragment of comet 169P/NEAT, the source of Alpha Capricornid meteor shower, active from early July to mid-August.
It flew over Northern Africa at a speed of about 95 000 km/h (59 030 mph). The fireball started at an altitude of about 107 km (66 miles) over Morocco and moved northwestward, reaching a final height of 74 km (46 mph). "At that point, the rock was completely destroyed, with no fragments reaching the ground as meteorites," Madiedo concluded.
Video courtesy SMART Project
Featured image: SMART Project
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