On Friday, August 30, 2024, at approximately 05:15 Universal Time (00:15 local time), residents of many US states, including North Carolina and Tennessee, were able to observe an extremely bright fireball. The object disintegrated over the town of Altapass, North Carolina, producing energy equivalent to 10 tons of TNT. There is a possibility that meteorites could have fallen in the area of Spruce Pine, Ingalls, and Altapass.
According to data collected by the American Meteor Society (AMS), a total of 168 observations of the phenomenon had been reported by 21:45 UTC on Saturday. The object was identified as a fragment of an asteroid and was observed over Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The fireball was recorded by numerous cameras in the region, as well as by the Geostationary Lightning Mapper aboard the GOES-16 satellite.
Analysis of the data by NASA's MeteoroidEnvironment Office (MEO) indicates that the fireball was first observed at an altitude of 72 km (45 mi) over Piney Flats, Tennessee, moving east from south at about 50,400 km/h (31,300 mph). The asteroid fragments weighed almost 450 kg (1,000 lb) and were just over 0.6 m (2 ft) in diameter.
Observations from multiple sources have allowed scientists to piece together the exact sequence of events that occurred. The fireball was first spotted over Tennessee and then flew over North Carolina, where it disintegrated over the town of Altapass. Analysis of the data suggests that the Spruce Pine, Ingalls, and Altapass areas may have been impacted by meteorites.
Although such events are not uncommon, the scale and brightness of this fireball caught the attention of not only residents of the region, but also scientists from all over the country. This phenomenon is a valuable source of information on the composition and structure of celestial bodies orbiting near Earth.
Observations of the fireball provide valuable data on the dynamics and composition of space objects entering the Earth's atmosphere. Analysis of this information can help to better understand the processes occurring during meteoroid entry into the atmosphere and to develop more effective methods for monitoring and forecasting such events in the future.
Scientists from NASA's Meteorological Environment Office emphasize that such observations are extremely valuable for research on the threats associated with near-Earth objects. Analysis of data from this event can contribute to the development of more effective methods for detecting and tracking potentially dangerous space objects, and thus improve human safety.
Although the fireball over North Carolina and Tennessee did not cause any damage, such phenomena can pose a serious threat, especially in the case of larger objects. Therefore, research on meteoroids and their interactions with the Earth's atmosphere is crucial for protecting our planet. Observations of the fireball from August 30, 2024 provide valuable information that can help scientists better understand the processes taking place in space and on Earth. Analysis of this event will certainly contribute to the further development of research on the threats associated with near-Earth objects and will allow the development of more effective methods for monitoring and responding to such phenomena in the future.
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