It was the last night in July when skies over Madrid turned especially bright. It was a meteor burning out, but the story becomes more fascinating at that point.
Scientists were able to track the remains of the meteor and determine that it originated from a comet, whose disintegration started many millennia ago. Even more fascinating is the statement that the same comet had a life billions of years long.
The actual disintegration started almost 50 centuries ago, when the comet lost half its size. This particular event was not dangerous, but it shows that such events could potentially be harmful.
Key Takeaways:
- A bright meteor that appeared in the sky on July 31 has been traced back to Comet 169P/NEAT.
- When an icy comet is heated by the sun, it releases steam that includes a stream of material.
- The Alpha Capricornid meteor shower that appears in July and August is expected to become stronger in the future.
“Scientists tracked the trajectory of the fireball using footage shot by an ESA-operated camera of the AllSky7 network in Cebreros, Spain”
Read more: https://www.space.com/madrid-fireball-comet-origin-evaluation
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