Slow-moving fireball over the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal and Spain

A slow-moving fireball overflew the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal, and Spain at 04:38 UTC on April 11, 2023.

The event was generated by a meteoroid from a comet that hit the atmosphere at about 63 000 km/h (39 140 mph). The fireball began at an altitude of 89 km (55 miles) over the Atlantic Ocean. It moved southeast and overflew southern Portugal and the Gulf of Cádiz, ending at a height of around 57 km (35 miles) over the Rota, Cádiz Province, Spain.

This bright meteor was recorded in the framework of the SMART project, operated by the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network (SWEMN) from the meteor-observing stations located at Huelva, La Hita (Toledo), Calar Alto, Sierra Nevada, La Sagra (Granada), and Sevilla.

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: JM Madiedo (stillshot)