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Another meteor making noises

25 June 2019
Astronomy

A small asteroid exploded in the atmosphere near Peurto Rico on June 22nd – see http://spaceweather.com (June 25th 2019). It occurred in broad daylight and the airwaves produced were detected by the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisanization's infra red station in Bemuda. The explosion was coincident with a cosmic body several metres across and according to NASA such meteors, on average, happen at least once a year. It had the blast energy of between 3 and 5 kilotons of TNT. The asteroid/meteor broke apart close to the explosion but the pieces are now at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and unlikely to be retrieved. Earth is currently approaching the Taurid Stream (of rocky debris and dust) associated with the 1908 Tunguska explosion but this particular asteroid is said to be unconnected.

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