Fireball, 20 May 2016
On 20 May 2016 at 11:59 UTC, sensors detected a fireball above 32.8°S, 15.1°E, 30.6 km up. It released energy equal to about 0.11 kilotons of TNT.
The numbers
- Date and time (UTC)
- 20 May 2016, 11:59
- Location
- 32.8°S, 15.1°E
- Height at peak brightness
- 30.6 km
- Speed
- 20.8 km/s (74,880 km/h)
- Light energy radiated
- 3.07 × 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 this speed, it was roughly 1.1 metres across and weighed around 2.1 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
- Piquetberg H, South Africa · 338 km away
- Diep River L6, South Africa · 339 km away
- Muizenberg L6, South Africa · 344 km away
Saw a bright fireball yourself? Report what you saw.