Long-lasting fireball recorded over the Mediterranean Sea
Image credit: Meteoroides.net
A bright fireball was recorded streaking across the night sky over the Mediterranean Sea at 02:20 UTC on July 17, 2018. The event lasted up to 12 seconds and was recorded by several SMART Project cameras.
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 a rock with asteroidal origin entering our atmosphere at a speed of about 54 000 km/h (33 554 mph).
Spectrum emission lines of a fireball over the Mediterranean Sea on July 17, 2018. Credit: Centro Astronómico Hispano-Alemán
The fireball flew over the Mediterranean Sea, not far away from the coast of Almeria in southern Spain.
It started at about 91 km (56 miles) above sea level, moved southeastward and ended in front of the Cabo de Gata at an altitude of about 31 km (19 miles).
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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