Superbolide lights up the night sky over Algeria, potential meteorite dropper
On the night of May 7, 2023, a huge superbolide turned the sky into a natural light show over Algeria.
The spectacular astronomical event took place at 22:59 UTC and was captured from staggering distances of up to 1 000 km (620 miles).
Dr. Josep M. Trigo, lead astrophysicist, planetary scientist, and a professor at the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC) said the event had an absolute magnitude of -18 and is one of the brightest recorded by the Red Investigación Bólidos y Meteoritos (SPMN) network in 27 years of operations.
A superbolide is a fireball brighter than magnitude -16 (those exhibiting an intermediate luminosity between the Moon and the Sun, and detectable from space).
The impressive spectacle was not just for show, as experts at the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) believe the superbolide could be a potential meteorite dropper.
Meteorite droppers are meteors that survive their fiery descent through the Earth’s atmosphere and reach the ground as meteorites. These remnants of space debris can provide valuable insights into the composition of celestial bodies and the history of our solar system.
The event is currently under study by the ICE-CSIC, a research institute under the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Further information, including the estimated size of the superbolide and any potential meteorite landing sites, is expected to be released as the investigation progresses.
Featured image: The superbolide brightest flare compared to the Moon (on top) as imaged from Bartolo Peak in Benicàssim at 750 km of distance. Image courtesy: Vicent Ibàñez/Red SPMN-CSIC
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.