Slow-moving fireball over central Spain

A slow-moving fireball was recorded over central Spain at 21:49 UTC on July 2, 2021, and recorded in the framework of the SMART project, operated by the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network (SWEMN).

This bolide overflew the province of Cuenca (region of Castilla-La Mancha) and was generated by a rock from a comet that hit the atmosphere at about 72 000 km/h, said the principal investigator of the SMART project. Dr. Jose M. Madiedo, of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC).

It began at an altitude of about 91 km (56 miles) and ended at a height of around 41 km (25 miles).

This bright meteor was recorded from the meteor-observing stations located at Sevilla, La Hita (Toledo), La Sagra (Granada), Calar Alto (Almería), Cerro Negro (Sevilla), Sierra Nevada (Granada), and Madrid (Jaime Izquierdo, Complutense University of Madrid). The event has been analyzed by the principal investigator of the SMART project: Dr. Jose M. Madiedo, from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC).

Featured image credit: Meteoroides

Featured image: Meteoroides