A meteorite with a power more than ten times stronger than an atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in Japan may feel the horror that you saw in the movie Armageddon. However, in December of last year, it became clear that this same meteorite was quietly falling into the earth without being detected by anyone.
On December 18, 2018, a meteorite crashed over the Bering Sea at the northernmost tip of the Pacific Ocean. Simon Proud, an Oxford University researcher, unveiled an image of his meteorite on his Twitter.
On 18th December 2018 a huge #meteor exploded over the North Pacific: https://t.co/r403SQxicZ
The Japanese #Himawari satellite caught the meteor smoke trail, which is almost vertical – the meteor entered the atmosphere very steeply! You can also see the trail’s long shadow. pic.twitter.com/juAtCHoUI4
– Simon Proud (@simon_sat) March 18, 2019
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In another photo he has seen, you can see orange shadows or trajectory shadows of meteorites in the clouds. This allows you to see the appearance of the meteor that rushes into the earth as it glows orange in the red area.
Some color views of the # meteor that flew over the North Pacific in December 2018, taken by Japan’s #Himawari satellite.
The meteor is really clear here – bright orange fireball against the blue + white background!Background: https://t.co/r403SQxicZ pic.twitter.com/ctNN8zxsXb
– Simon Proud (@simon_sat) March 18, 2019
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The meteorite looks just like a dot in a weather satellite at an altitude of 36,000 km. However, the energy released when exploding in the air is estimated to be equivalent to 173 kilotons of TNT. It is ten times more power than the atomic bomb that fell on Hiroshima, as I said. The magnitude of the explosion is in line with the massive meteorite in the state of Chellahovsk, Russia in 2013. It is the second largest of the last 30 years.
Unlike the meteorites that caused many explosions and witnesses near the city, the meteorite crashed over the Bering Sea and was not a topic at the time. According to NASA, however, the meteorite exploded two to three times a year. It is estimated that the meteorite exploded at an altitude of 26 km above sea level, entering the atmosphere at a speed of 116,000 km / h with a width of several meters. The energy released by the explosion represents 40% of the energy emitted by the Celavinks meteorite.
The explosion by this meteorite was massive, but no information came out. The observation team of Western Western University Ultra Low Frequency Observation Team was accidentally observed through a sensor network that detects nuclear tests. The explosion at the Bering Sea was massive, but no one was able to detect it before, which means that there is a risk that the meteor that will threaten mankind will suddenly collide with the earth without any warning. Though NASA plans to specify 90 percent of the asteroids over 140 meters in size by 2020, it is likely that it may take another 30 years to complete the plan. For more information, please click here.