A burning rogue meteorite crashed near the coast of Australia, hitting an area known as the Great Australian Bight with the power of a nuclear bomb. The meteor began to burn, appearing as a massive fireball in the night sky as it traveled over the southern Australian coast on May 21st. According to the Center of Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the object was quite fast, traveling at a speed of 11.5 kilometers per second or 25,724 miles per hour.
The incredible speed forced the meteor to break partially before crashing into the waters. It is estimated that the impact zone can be found within the Great Australian Bight bat, at an approximate distance of 186 miles (or 300 km) from Mount Gambier. Before the impact took place, the meteorite released an amount of energy which was on par with the power of a small tactical warhead.
Meteorite Hit Near Australian Coast With The Power Of A Nuclear Bomb
Some calculations infer that the force of the explosion would equal to 1.6 kilotons (1,600 tons) of TNT. A researcher has also stated that the blast took place at a great height, which mitigated the potential damage that could have been caused if the energy was released near the surface area. The meteor exploded at an altitude of 31.5 kilometers.
As expected, the phenomenon attracted the attention of a large number of people, with several videos and images of the meteor being available on a social media platform. One of the most meaningful comments which accompany one of the pictures notes that the meteor should serve as a reminder of the fact that there are larger rocks in space which could also come to Earth. One of the most spectacular videos shows how the meteor starts to shine more intensely while moving towards the final destination. Some researchers think that the size of the meteor may have been as on par with the one of a large car.
Jasmine holds a Master’s in Journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto and writes professionally in a broad variety of genres. She has worked as a senior manager in public relations and communications for major telecommunication companies, and is the former Deputy Director for Media Relations with the Modern Coalition. Jasmine writes primarily in our LGBTTQQIAAP and Science section.