English (UK)
Last October 28th 2015, two bright fireballs could be observed. The most impressive was the first one that flew over Mediterranean sea. Both objects were associated to Encke comet. The first, over Mediterranean sea one took place about 3:05 UT while the second one, over Madrid Spanish region, could be seen about 22:16 UT (23:16 local).
Fireball at 03:05 UT
This fireball was produced by comet Encke fragment.that impacted against our atmosphere at 03:05 UT, last October 28, 2015. The phenomena was analyzed by Professor Madiedo (University of Huelva), who is the project PI. Preliminary calculations points that the impact took place at a speed of more than100.000 km/h and at a height of 100 km over Mediterranean sea, as you can see from the fireball path trajectory below.
The collision produced a fireball much more brilliant than the full moon. The object was moving northeastward and it extinguished at about 25 km above the sea level. The fireball could be observed from the detection stations at Calar Alto, La Hita and Sevilla. Unfortunately the clouds prevent this object to be observed from Sierra Nevada and La Sagra.
But the most outstanding of this analysis is that the data taken revealed that some part of the fireball survived the impact an fall over the sea in meterorite form. It would be a mass of less than 100g.
Below are the videos from the Calar Alto fireball detection station and Calar Alto surveillance webcam.
Fireball at 22:16 UT
The second fireball, also associated to Encke comet, flew over Madrid region in Spain. In this case, the same day but at 22:16 UT (23:16 local). This meteoroid impacted against the atmosphere at a height of about 110 km over Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), moving northeastward with a speed of more than 100.000 km/h. This object was totally destroyed at about 57 km over the ground, in the vertical of Hoyo de Manzanares (Madrid). Below are the videos from both Calar Alto north surveillance webcam and Calar Alto fireball detection station.
Below are the videos from both Calar Alto north surveillance webcam and Calar Alto fireball detection station.
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.