Very bright fireball explodes over Brazil with an impact energy of 1.5 kt

A very bright fireball was observed over Monsenhor Hipólito, Piauí, northeastern Brazil, at 03:10 UTC on July 13, 2024. The recorded magnitude for the fireball was -19.5, making it approximately 500 times brighter than the full moon.

The event was captured by multiple cameras, including the one operated by Clima ao Vivo in the city of Olindina, Bahia, about 500 km (311 miles) from the event, according to the Brazilian Meteor Observation Network (BRAMON).

The meteor shone as brightly as the Sun for a moment, according to BRAMON. The recorded magnitude for the fireball was -19.5, which is approximately 500 times brighter than a full moon.

According to the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at JPL-NASA (CNEOS), the fireball was observed at an altitude of 34 km (21 miles) above the state of Piaui, NE Brazil. The event’s impact energy was equivalent to 1.5 kilotons of TNT, making it the largest fireball detected by CNEOS since June 21, 2023.

To put the energy released by this object in context, the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor in Russia, which caused extensive damage and injured around 1 500 people, had an energy release estimated at 400 – 500 kt.

The Tunguska event in 1908, which flattened a large forested area in Siberia, is estimated to have had an energy release of 10 – 15 megatons (10 000 – 15 000 kt).

According to the UnB seismological observatory, the sound of the explosion was picked up at stations in Bolivia and Ecuador, possibly also in Brasília, but the signal was inconsistent.

The event was also captured by lightning mapper aboard GOES-East satellite:

Featured image: Very bright fireball over NE Brazil on July 13, 2024. Credit: BRAMON