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Stunning fireball from a comet detected by Al Akhawayn Astronomical Observatory on Jan. 30th, 2022

Written by AUI | Jan 31, 2022 3:44:00 PM

A stunning fireball, having a brightness similar to a full moon, and moving at a speed of 255,000 km/h, was seen from northern Morocco and southern Spain on Sunday, January 30, 2022, at 2:16:48 UT. This fireball was detected at the Al AkhawaynAstronomical Observatory (AAO) by a camera of the Moroccan Observatory for Fireball Detections (MOFID) network. A short video of this very fast event has been recorded and can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/YnYmu2BUG7A  

The Southwestern Europe Meteor Network (SWEMN) has also recorded and analyzed this bolide. SWEMN reported that the bolide that caused this phenomenon originated from a comet and entered the Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 146 kilometers over Oulad Sidi Abd El Hakem (east of Morocco) and moved in a northwesterly direction before dying out at an altitude of about 62 kilometers over Tafersit(northeast of the kingdom). Sudden rock fractures occurred along its path, approximately 198 kilometers into the atmosphere, causing explosions and sudden increases in luminosity. A video with some of the images recorded for this bolide and its trajectory can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/6CfXcaLaGXk