An asteroid has exploded over the English Channel
A celestial body designated as Sar2667, measuring approximately 1 meter in size, entered Earth’s atmosphere in the early hours of this morning and subsequently exploded over the English Channel. This event created a visually stunning shooting star and an “airburst,” which was visible from a broad area including most of southern England and Wales, and as far south as the city of Paris in France.
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According to Mark Boslough, a prominent American physicist and specialist in airbursts at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, airbursts of the size generated by Sar2667 occur several times per year. However, such events are rarely detected in advance. In this instance, the detection of Sar2667 prior to its explosion represented only the seventh time in recorded history that an airburst of this type had been discovered in advance.
Additionally, Mr. Boslough highlighted that the explosion of Sar2667 marked a significant milestone in the history of airbursts, as it was the first time one had occurred over a populated area with sufficient prior warning to gather valuable data.
It is worth noting that Mr. Boslough is a highly-regarded figure in the field of planetary impacts and global catastrophes. He serves as a research professor at the University of New Mexico, is a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and chairs the Asteroid Day Expert Panel. These credentials solidify his position as a leading expert in the study of airbursts and planetary impacts.
Before the impact, an expert had cautioned that if meteorites were to result from the explosion, they would likely fall in the vicinity of Royville, France, a few minutes after the fireball had passed overhead.
As a result of the remarkable nature of the event, individuals across the United Kingdom captured the moment on camera and subsequently shared their photographs and videos online.
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