Bright fireball over Andalucía (South Spain) on July 28th 2017

Last night of July 28th, at 03:29 local time (1:29 UT), a bright fireball was detected by SMART Project's detectors operated at Calar Alto, La Hita (Toledo), Huelva and Sevilla Observatories. This event could be also recorded with the Calar Alto Observatory West surveillance webcam. The fireball flew over the central part of Andalucía (South Spain).

The analysis followed by the SMART Project's PI, Professor José María Madiedo (Univertity of Huelva) points that this fireball was originated due to the impact against our atmosphere of a meteoroid detached from comet 169P/NEAT. The fireball started at an altitude of about 104 km over the south of Córdoba province. The luminous phenomena finished at an altitude of about 75 km above the ground, nearly in the vertical of the town of Baena.

On the above image, you can see the ground path this object followed over Andalucía.

Together with the SMART Project detectors located at Calar Alto Observatory, the fireball was also recorded with one the surveillance webcams this observatory has. Below are the videos recorded with both devices.

Calar Alto (CAHA) fireball detection station, together with the one at the Observatory of Sierra Nevada (IAA-CSIC) and others placed at different locations in Spain, are part of the S.M.A.R.T. project led by Professor José María Madiedo (University of Huelva) to track that kind of objects. Specifically, Calar Alto (CAHA) station and the one at Sierra Nevada (IAA-CSIC) constitute a collaboration agreement between Professor Madiedo and both institutions.