Fireballs

New Comet C/2020 O2 (Amaral)

Ernesto Guido
Remanzacco Blogspot
Mon, 03 Aug 2020 19:44 UTC

CBET 4822 & MPEC 2020-P10, issued on 2020, August 02, announce the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~18) by Leonardo S. Amaral (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) on three 60-s CCD exposures taken on July 23 with a 0.3-m f/4 reflector. The new comet has been designated C/2020 O2 (Amaral).

We performed follow-up measurements of this object while it was still on the PCCP webpage.

Stacking of 16 unfiltered exposures, 90 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2020, July 27.05 from X02 (Telescope Live, Chile) through a 0.6-m f/6.5 astrograph + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a diffuse coma about 8" in diameter (Observers E. Guido, M. Rocchetto, E. Bryssinck, M. Fulle, G. Milani, C. Nassef, G. Savini, A. Valvasori).

Our confirmation image (click on it for a bigger version)

Meteor fireball bursts over UK 'I have never seen anything so bright'

Sean Martin
Daily Express (UK)
Fri, 31 Jul 2020 19:03 UTC

On July 30, a meteor burst into Earth's atmosphere producing a blast so bright it could be seen all the way in Belgium. The International Meteor Organisation (IMO) received more than 40 reports from Brits who were stunned by the astronomical phenomenon.

David said: "I have seen shooting stars previously but this was much more substantial and nearer to the planet."

Gemma added: "Only guessing it was a shooting star as have never seen anything move so fast or be so bright!"

Terry simply said: "Phenomenal". Asteroids and meteors produce a bright explosion of fire when they hit the atmosphere as it is the first time the space rock has ever met resistance.

David said: "I have seen shooting stars previously but this was much more substantial and nearer to the planet."

Gemma added: "Only guessing it was a shooting star as have never seen anything move so fast or be so bright!"

Terry simply said: "Phenomenal". Asteroids and meteors produce a bright explosion of fire when they hit the atmosphere as it is the first time the space rock has ever met resistance.

Bright meteor fireball blazes over southern Spain

Meteors
YouTube
Wed, 29 Jul 2020 10:47 UTC

This stunning meteor overflew the south of Spain on 2020 July 29 at about 2:31 local time (equivalent to 0:31 universal time). It was generated by a rock (a meteoroid) from an asteroid that hit the atmosphere at around 57,000 km/h. It began at an altitude of about 78 km over the province of Granada, and ended at a height of around 41 km over the province of Jaén.

The event was recorded in the framework of the SMART project, which is being conducted by the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network (SWEMN). The event was spotted from the meteor-observing stations located at Sevilla, Sierra Nevada (Granada), La Hita (Toledo), and Calar Alto.

Comment: Another meteor fireball flashed over southern Spain a week ago.

Meteor fireball lights up night sky over Colorado and New Mexico

RT
Wed, 29 Jul 2020 14:27 UTC

A fireball lit up the night skies across Colorado and New Mexico on Tuesday night, video of which has dazzled many online, while others couldn't help but speculate about invading aliens as a fitting addition to the chaos in 2020.

According to the American Meteor Society, there were at least 54 reports of a fireball spotted across the US at roughly 3am UT.

Incredible eyewitness video shared on social media captured the moment the apparent meteorite, complete with greenish hue, broke up upon entry in the Earth's atmosphere.

Guys, we just saw one of the craziest things we have ever seen in our lives and I managed to capture some of it. A meteor for the ages! pic.twitter.com/kPIchIPREV
— Amber Coffman (@Amber_Coffman) July 29, 2020

Home surveillance camera captures bright meteor fireball over southwestern Illinois

Inigo Monzon
International Business Times
Sat, 25 Jul 2020 16:16 UTC

An eyewitness in Illinois captured a video of a fireball flying across the sky. It is not yet clear if the fiery object was caused by a falling meteor that hit Earth or a piece of space debris that entered the atmosphere.

According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the fireball event happened on Saturday evening. It was spotted over Collinsville, Illinois.

The eyewitness who submitted the report to the AMS provided video footage taken by his home's doorbell security camera. The short clip showed a bright object streaking across the sky. According to the eyewitness, a loud sound similar to a jet flying can be heard as the fireball flew overhead.

The eyewitness, named Michael K., noted that the fireball appeared in the sky for about 20 seconds. It had a light yellowish color and a magnitude of -13, making it brighter than the planet Venus when viewed from Earth.

Meteor fireball flashes over southern Spain

Meteors
YouTube
Wed, 22 Jul 2020 16:01 UTC

This beautiful meteor overflew the south of Spain on 2020 July 22 at about 3:49 local time (equivalent to 1:49 universal time). It was generated by a rock (a meteoroid) from a comet that hit the atmosphere at around 220,000 km/h. It began at an altitude of about 120 km over the Gulf of Cadiz (Atlantic Ocean), and ended at a height of around 75 km over the sea level.

The event was recorded in the framework of the SMART project, which is being conducted by the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network (SWEMN). The event was spotted from the meteor-observing stations located at Sevilla and Calar Alto.

Bright meteor fireball captured on video over Scottish Highlands

Cheryl Livingstone
Press and Journal
Wed, 22 Jul 2020 16:05 UTC

Father of five Darren Landles was at home watching TV when he saw a bright flash outside.

Initially thinking it was lightning, he later decided to check a camera he has set up to record the sky.

The 37-year-old Tain resident said: "It is setup to look at the sky day and night as I love bad weather and I'm into astronomy on a very observe and enjoy what I see basis only. I'm in no way an expert.

"I was sitting watching a film in my living room when I saw the sky light up outside. I went to the window had a look and there was no visible storm clouds, so I checked my weather radar and lightning app and there was no lightning between here and Norway so I went to my camera to see if I could see what it was.

"The cameras had shut off at 01:14:15 for like a minute so was gutted thinking I had missed it and what ever it was had interfered with the cameras."

Mysterious lights spotted over Calgary during thunderstorm likely a meteor

Jillian Code
CTV News - Calgary
Tue, 21 Jul 2020 18:51 UTC

Initially considered an unidentified flying object, the mysterious red lights that streaked across Calgary's sky for a few seconds last week are now believed to have been a meteor.

Ian Turner was recording Thursday's lightning at around 10:30 PM when he noticed what appeared to be two sets of red lights.

"They were going too fast across the sky to be flights," said Turner.

Because meteors are typically blue, the light initially puzzled Jason Nishiyama of the Alberta Star Party.

After closer analysis, it was determined the cloud coverage contributed to the unusual colour.

Meteor fireball streaks over Irkutsk, Russia

Sott.net
Tue, 21 Jul 2020 14:30 UTC

The American Meteor Society (AMS) has received 43 reports (event 3547-2020) about a meteor fireball seen over Irkutsk Oblast, Irkutskaya oblast', Республика Бурятия and Иркутская область on Sunday, July 19th 2020 around 14:40 UT.

A video by Oleg B. was uploaded to the AMS website.

Comet Neowise, meteor, and mysterious aurora-like phenomenon called STEVE all share night sky in Manitoba, Canada

Morgan McFall-Johnsen
Business Insider
Sat, 18 Jul 2020 20:23 UTC

© Donna Lach
A meteor streaks overhead as a Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE) dances near the aurora and Comet Neowise hangs over Manitoba, Canada, July 14, 2020.

Comet Neowise — a glowing ball of space ice with two colorful tails — has starred in countless photos as it streaks through the skies across the Northern Hemisphere this week. On Tuesday, three cosmic co-stars joined it, making for an astonishing spectacle.

The image above shows a split-second meteor streaking across the sky, the green aurora shimmering over Comet Neowise, and purple ribbons dancing in a mysterious atmospheric phenomenon called Strong Thermal Emissions Velocity Enhancement (STEVE).

The shot was one of nearly 600 that photographer and farmer Donna Lach snapped on Tuesday night near her farm in Manitoba, Canada. Lach volunteers for a citizen science project called Aurorasaurus, funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation, which first discovered STEVE in 2016.

The aurora appears when charged particles from the sun interact with oxygen and nitrogen in Earth's atmosphere, but STEVE's origins are still a mystery.

Quote of the Day

"An extraordinary and very perilous state of affairs had been created in the [US] South by the sudden and absolute emancipation of the negroes. Here was a vast laboring, landless, homeless class, once slaves, now free; unpractised in liberty, unschooled in self-control; never sobered by the discipline of self-support never established in any habit of prudence; excited by a freedom they did not understand, excited by false hopes; bewildered and without leaders, and yet insolent and aggressive; sick of work, covetous of pleasure - a host of dusky children untimely put out of school."

Future (Democratic) President under whose leadership the US set out to 'make the world safe for democracy'.

(From 'The Reconstruction of the Southern States', Atlantic Monthly, 1901)

- Woodrow Wilson

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Fireballs

New Comet C/2020 O2 (Amaral)

Meteor fireball bursts over UK 'I have never seen anything so bright'

Bright meteor fireball blazes over southern Spain

Meteor fireball lights up night sky over Colorado and New Mexico

Home surveillance camera captures bright meteor fireball over southwestern Illinois

Meteor fireball flashes over southern Spain

Bright meteor fireball captured on video over Scottish Highlands

Mysterious lights spotted over Calgary during thunderstorm likely a meteor

Meteor fireball streaks over Irkutsk, Russia

Comet Neowise, meteor, and mysterious aurora-like phenomenon called STEVE all share night sky in Manitoba, Canada

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