sciencehabit writes: Although tales of people being killed by meteorite impacts date back to biblical times, few have been documented until the past decade or so. Now, Turkish researchers have uncovered the earliest evidence that a meteorite killed one man and paralyzed another when it slammed into a hilltop in what is now Iraq in August 1888. Documents chronicling the event…
Tag: fireball
Photos of April’s Lyrid meteor shower
The Lyrids end the “meteor drought” that happens each year between early January and April. Enjoy these photos of the April 2020 Lyrid meteor shower from the EarthSky community. Thanks to all who contributed! Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/photos-lyrid-meteors-april-2020…
Mystery object plummets from the sky over UK
A bright fireball was spotted spiralling down from the heavens over the Cambridgeshire area earlier this week. The impressive spectacle, which appeare… Source: https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/336408/mystery-object-plummets-from-the-sky-over-uk…
One express ticket to Jupiter, please
The team from the Desert Fireball Network at Curtin University has found that Earth acted as a slingshot to alter the orbit of a meteor and propel it back into deep outer space near Jupiter. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-04-ticket-jupiter.html…
Qarman CubeSat: Falling into a fireball
This Wednesday 12 February, ESA’s latest mission will enter the vacuum of space, not aboard a rocket but by being released from the International Space Station. The first task of the shoebox-sized Qarman CubeSat is simply to fall. While typical space missions resist orbital decay, Qarman will drift down month by month until it reenters the atmosphere, at which point it…
Active asteroid unveils fireball identity
At around 1 a.m. local standard time on April 29, 2017, a fireball flew over Kyoto, Japan. Compared to other fireballs spotted from Earth, it was relatively bright and slow. Now, scientists have determined not only what the fireball was, but also where it came from. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-01-asteroid-unveils-fireball-identity.html…
Top 10 tips for meteor-watchers
How to watch a meteor shower. Tips for beginners. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/observing-meteors…
Approach to make quicker and more exact analyses of fireball observations
There is not enough time for more close study of all fireballs observed in the sky. The observation of a bright phenomenon reveals that a meteoroid has entered the atmosphere from space, but does any part of it end up on Earth? Only those with the survived terminal mass will reach the earth, but unfortunately many of them remain undiscovered. Source:…
Start watching for Ursid meteors
The Ursid meteor shower peaks around the December solstice each year. In 2019, the moon is in a waning phase and shouldn’t intrude on the shower’s peak, around the mornings of December 21 and 22. But start watching now! You might catch some. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/ursid-meteor-shower-active-around-wintter-sosltic…
2017 meteor was a ‘grazing fireball’
A team of researchers at Curtin University in Australia reports that a meteor that streaked across the Australian sky back in 2017 was a rare “grazing fireball.” The group has written a paper describing their observations and findings and have posted it on the arXiv preprint server. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-12-meteor-grazing-fireball.html…