[ad_1]
A bright green meteor swept across the southern coast of Tasmania, Australia, and researchers captured the fireball on camera as it parted over the ocean.
The meteor lit up the night sky on Wednesday (November 18) at 9:21 pm local Tasmanian time (5:21 am EST and 10:21 am GMT). A live camera on the Investigator research vessel, which is operated by the Australian National Science Agency, CSIRO, captured incredible views of the fireball as it descended from space and disintegrated over the Tasman Sea.
“What we saw when looking at the live footage amazed us; the size and brightness of the meteor was incredible, ”said John Hooper, CSIRO travel manager on board the researcher, said in a press release. “The meteor crosses the sky directly in front of the ship and then shatters – it was amazing watching the footage, and we were very lucky to have captured everything on the ship’s livestream.”
Related: Perseids 2020 Meteor Shower Brings Heavenly Fireworks to the Night Sky (Photos)
The live camera on board Investigator operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. meteor was captured when the vessel was about 100 kilometers south of the Tasmanian coast, where it is stationed to map the seabed of the Huon Marine Park, conduct oceanographic studies, and perform sea trials for various marine equipment, according to CSIRO (which stands for “Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization”).
Meteors are chunks of space rock that enter Earth’s atmosphere and often go unnoticed in unpopulated areas such as the Southern Ocean.
“Many meteors were once asteroids, traveling through space on their own path. This changes as they pass close to Earth, where they can be affected by its gravitational pull, “said Glen Nagle, researcher at CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science.” When they enter our atmosphere, they become meteors – and their entrance can be visually spectacular. “
Images of the meteor crossing the night sky were captured in black and white, but observers said the bright flash of light appeared green to the naked eye. Although there have been reports of additional sightings in the area, no further photos or videos have been shared of the meteor.
“Cameras are everywhere, in our pockets and around our cities, but they need to be pointed at the right place at the right time – RV Investigator was there at this time,” Nagle said in the statement.
Follow Samantha Mathewson @ Sam_Ashley13. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link