Meteor news: Fireball shoots over Europe ‘It was awesome’
Residents of Europe were stunned to see a powerful fireball exploding over the continent, with witnesses from several countries. The International Meteor Organisation (IMO) received more than 120 witness reports from countries including the UK, France, Germany, The Netherlands and even as far as Italy.
Due to the trajectory of the meteor, some believed they were witnessing the International Space Station (ISS) passing overhead.
David from the UK told the IMO: “I thought at first that it was the ISS but then realised that it was moving too fast and that it was green.”
Shannon, also from the UK, said: “It was awesome whatever it was!”
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.
Air seeps into the pores and cracks of the rock, pushing it apart and causing it to explode.
The IMO said: “Fireballs are meteors that appear brighter than normal.
“Due to the velocity at which they strike the Earth’s atmosphere, fragments larger than one millimetre have the capability to produce a bright flash as they streak through the heavens above.
“These bright meteors are what we call fireballs and they often strike fear and awe for those who witness them.”
While this meteor was small, the bright flash reiterates the need for eyes on the skies to watch out for potential asteroid collisions.
While the chances of a major asteroid hitting Earth are small – NASA believes there is a one in 300,000 chance every year that a space rock which could cause regional damage will hit – the devastating prospect is not impossible.
However, there are some plans on the go which could help Earth against potential asteroid strikes.
NASA is currently studying Asteroid Bennu, where its OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft arrived in 2018 to gather more information about the space rock.
Meteor fireball lights up daytime sky over US and Canada
Fireball watch: Stunned onlookers of northern Europe spot fireball
Fireball video: Huge fireball shoots over Europe
NASA fears the asteroid, which is 500 metres in length and has the potential to wipe out a country on Earth, could hit our planet within the next 120 years, with the next close flyby in 2135.
The mission will give vital information on how to deflect asteroids from their collision course with Earth.
But NASA reiterates while there is a very small chance Earth could be impacted, “over millions of years, of all of the planets, Bennu is most likely to hit Venus.”
Source: Read Full Article