Rare fireball detected over Antarctica with an impact energy of 5.1 kilotons

A significant fireball was detected over eastern Antarctica at 14:08 UTC on July 20, 2024. The event’s total impact energy was calculated to be 5.1 kilotons (kt).

The fireball’s peak brightness occurred at a latitude of 73.5 degrees South and a longitude of 22.5 degrees East, placing it above Queen Maud Land, which is a part of the Norwegian Antarctic Territory.

This peak brightness was observed at an altitude of 38.8 km (20.7 miles) above the geoid. The velocity at peak brightness was 30.8 km/s.

The total radiated energy from the fireball was measured at 2.3 trillion joules (J). This fireball was reported by CNEOS on July 22.

In terms of total impact energy, this is the strongest fireball reported by CNEOS since April 15, 2023, when a 6.3 kt event was detected over Mozambique, southeastern Africa. CNEOS archive dates back to April 15, 1988.

The strongest fireball detected by the CNEOS occurred on February 15, 2013, at 03:20 UTC. This event took place at a latitude of 54.8 degrees North and a longitude of 61.1 degrees East, near Chelyabinsk, Russia.

This fireball had a total impact energy of 440 kt, making it the most powerful event recorded by CNEOS. At its peak brightness, it had an altitude of 23.3 km (14.5 miles) above the geoid and a velocity of 18.6 km/s. The total radiated energy was approximately 375 trillion J.

Known as the Chelyabinsk event, this is the biggest asteroid airburst since the 1908 Tunguska event. It is also the only asteroid confirmed to have resulted in a large number of injuries.

Although it was just about 20 m (65 feet), its light was brighter than the Sun and visible up to 100 km (62 miles) away.

Chelyabinsk asteroid, officially named Chelyabinsk meteorite, was undetected before its atmospheric entry, in part because its radiant was close to the Sun.

More than 3 000 buildings were damaged, and over 1 500 people injured, mostly by broken glass.

In the hours following the visual meteor sighting, a 6-meter (20 feet) wide hole was discovered on Lake Chebarkul’s frozen surface and scientists from the Ural Federal University collected 53 samples from around the hole the same day it was discovered.

In June 2013, Russian scientists reported that further investigation by magnetic imaging below the location of the ice hole in Lake Chebarkul had identified a 60 cm (2 feet) wide meteorite buried in the mud at the bottom of the lake. Following an operation lasting a number of weeks, it was raised from the bottom on October 16, 2013. With a total mass of 654 kg (1 442 lb), this is the largest found fragment of the Chelyabinsk meteorite.

In November 2013, a video from a security camera was released showing the impact of the fragment at Chebarkul Lake. By measuring the time difference between the appearance of the meteor’s shadow and the moment of impact, scientists calculated that the meteorite hit the ice at about 225 meters per second, which is 64 percent of the speed of sound.

This is the first recorded impact of a meteorite on video. You can see it below:

Featured image credit: The Watchers