Fireball, 7 June 2007
On 7 June 2007 at 21:28 UTC, sensors detected a fireball above 21.9°N, 53.1°E, 29.6 km up. It released energy equal to about 0.11 kilotons of TNT.
The numbers
- Date and time (UTC)
- 7 June 2007, 21:28
- Location
- 21.9°N, 53.1°E
- Height at peak brightness
- 29.6 km
- Speed
- Not released
- Light energy radiated
- 3.1 × 10¹⁰ joules
- Estimated total energy
- 0.11 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 1.1 metres across and weighed around 2.3 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
- al-Jimshan H4, Saudi Arabia · 136 km away
- ar-Rakhbah Iron, Saudi Arabia · 157 km away
- as-Sanam Stone-uncl, Saudi Arabia · 220 km away
Saw a bright fireball yourself? Report what you saw.