This bright bolide was spotted from Spain on December 20, at 22:10 local time (equivalent to 21:10 universal time). The fireball was observed by a wide number of casual eyewitnesses, who reported it on social networks. The event was generated by a rock (a meteoroid) from an asteroid that hit the atmosphere at about 79,000 km/h. The fireball overflew the province of Toledo (Spain). It began at an altitude of about 86 km over the locality of Portillo de Toledo (province of Toledo), moved west, and ended at a height of around 38 km over the locality of Nuño Gómez (province of Toledo). This bright meteor was recorded in the framework of the SMART project, operated by the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network (SWEMN) from the meteor-observing stations located at La Hita (Toledo), Calar Alto (Almería), Sierra Nevada, La Sagra (Granada), Sevilla, and Mazagón (Huelva). The event has been analyzed by the principal investigator of the SMART project: Dr. Jose M. Madiedo, from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC). Its code in the SWEMN database is: SWEMN20251220_211023.
About The Author
Jose Maria Madiedo
PhD in Astrophysics and PhD in Chemistry. I currently work as Associated Doctor at the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC). I am the coordinator of the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network (SWEMN), which operates in Spain and neighbouring areas (www.swemn.org). I am running the SMART Project (Spectroscopy of Meteoroids in the Atmosphere by means of Robotic Technologies). In the framework of this survey I currently operate over 80 high-sensitivity video cameras and spectrographs from 10 different observatories, together with three systems for the detection of radio meteors. I also conduct the MIDAS Project (Moon Impacts Detection and Analysis System) together with the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA), to detect and analyze impact flashes produced by meteoroids that hit the lunar surface.
ISSN 3041-4261
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