Fireball, 7 May 2005
On 7 May 2005 at 09:31 UTC, sensors detected a fireball above 75.8°S, 163.7°E, 15.2 km up. It released energy equal to about 0.092 kilotons of TNT.
The numbers
- Date and time (UTC)
- 7 May 2005, 09:31
- Location
- 75.8°S, 163.7°E
- Height at peak brightness
- 15.2 km
- Speed
- 16.6 km/s (59,760 km/h)
- Light energy radiated
- 2.6 × 10¹⁰ joules
- Estimated total energy
- 0.092 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 this speed, it was roughly 1.2 metres across and weighed around 2.8 tonnes.
It penetrated deep into the atmosphere, which makes it more likely that fragments reached the ground as meteorites. About 70% of Earth is ocean, so most fireballs like this fall into the sea.
Known meteorites nearest this point
- David Glacier 92300 CK4, Antarctica · 71 km away
- David Glacier 92301 LL5, Antarctica · 71 km away
- David Glacier 92302 LL3.6, Antarctica · 71 km away
Saw a bright fireball yourself? Report what you saw.