English (UK)
On September 15 at 21:06 UT, the province of Toledo witnessed a brilliant fireball that crossed the sky towards Madrid, illuminating the night on its journey northward.
This astonishing event was captured by the detectors of the SMART Project, located at various observation points: Calar Alto (Almería), Huelva, La Hita (Toledo), Sierra Nevada, La Sagra (Granada), Seville, Olocau (Valencia), and Faro de Cullera (Valencia).
Additionally, on this occasion, two of the external surveillance cameras at the Calar Alto Observatory in Almería managed to capture the magnificent phenomenon, providing us with unique images of this spectacular celestial event.
The preliminary analysis of this event was carried out by Professor José María Madiedo (Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia IAA-CSIC). His findings are as follows:
- Type of event: Asteroidal.
- Initial speed: 51,000 km/h.
- Initial altitude: 81 km.
- Final altitude: 38 km.
As shown in the image, this fireball crossed the sky with a brilliant glow, moving from the province of Toledo towards Madrid, leaving a luminous trail that captured the attention of all who were fortunate enough to witness it.
Below are the videos from the external cameras of the Calar Alto Observatory.
The Calar Alto Fireball Detection Station (CAHA) , together with the station that the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC) has in Sierra Nevada, and others located in different parts of Spain, are part of the S.M.A.R.T Project, led by researcher José María Madiedo of the IAA, for the monitoring of this type of objects. Specifically, the Calar Alto (CAHA) and IAA stations in Sierra Nevada are a collaboration agreement between Professor Madiedo and both institutions.