Fireball, 19 January 1999
On 19 January 1999 at 02:32 UTC, sensors detected a fireball above 7.9°N, 85.8°E. It released energy equal to about 0.086 kilotons of TNT.
The numbers
- Date and time (UTC)
- 19 January 1999, 02:32
- Location
- 7.9°N, 85.8°E
- Height at peak brightness
- Not released
- Speed
- Not released
- Light energy radiated
- 2.4 × 10¹⁰ joules
- Estimated total energy
- 0.086 kilotons of TNT
What does that mean?
That is a small burst by fireball standards: the Chelyabinsk fireball of 2013 released about 440 kilotons. If the object was stony rock entering at a typical 20 km/s, it was roughly 1 metres across and weighed around 1.8 tonnes.
Most objects of this kind break up and burn away high in the atmosphere, but larger ones can drop small meteorites. About 70% of Earth is ocean, so most fireballs like this fall into the sea.
Known meteorites nearest this point
- Mulletiwu L, Sri Lanka · 569 km away
- Kalugalatenna L6, Sri Lanka · 582 km away
- Valdavur H6, India · 803 km away
Saw a bright fireball yourself? Report what you saw.