Potential meteorite-producing event over the Mediterranean Sea

A bright fireball flew above the coast of Almeria, Span and the Mediterranean Sea at 03:13 UTC on July 9, 2018. The object was recorded by several SMART Project detectors. It is possible that this was a meteorite-producing event.

According to the preliminary analysis by the SMART Project's Principal Investigator, Professor Jose Maria Madiedo of the University of Huelva, Spain, this fireball was produced by the atmospheric entry of a fragment detached from an asteroid.

Fireball's spectrum emission. Image credit: Calar Alto/University of Huelva

The object impacted our atmosphere at a speed of about 65 000 km/h (40 400 mph). The fireball began at an altitude of around 89 km (55 miles) over the province of Almeria and ended at a height of about 31 km (19 miles) over the Mediterranean Sea.

Madiedo's analysis suggests this was a potential meteorite-producing event. However, meteorites would have fallen into the sea, with a mass of just a few grams.

Featured image: Potential meteorite-producing event over the Mediterranean Sea on July 9, 2018. Credit: Meteoroides.net