Fireball, 29 May 2008
On 29 May 2008 at 21:23 UTC, sensors detected a fireball above 15.7°N, 83.5°W. It released energy equal to about 0.076 kilotons of TNT.
The numbers
- Date and time (UTC)
- 29 May 2008, 21:23
- Location
- 15.7°N, 83.5°W
- Height at peak brightness
- Not released
- Speed
- Not released
- Light energy radiated
- 2.1 × 10¹⁰ joules
- Estimated total energy
- 0.076 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 1.6 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
- Rosario Iron, IAB-MG, Honduras · 570 km away
- Aguas Zarcas Unclassified, Costa Rica · 617 km away
- Heredia H5, Costa Rica · 637 km away
Saw a bright fireball yourself? Report what you saw.