Astronomy. Meteorite in the sky last night: We explain everything to you

The phenomenon seen in the sky of our region from Saturday to Sunday night – a large ball that glows for a few minutes at night – is undoubtedly due to the entry of a meteor into the atmosphere.

It has nothing to do with the launch of the SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station, which is certainly an asteroid that hit Earth and became an amazing shooting star. Depending on its size, it may not be completely dispersed in the atmosphere, and small pieces may have ended up landing on Earth.

The meteorite found in Cannes and captured by a surveillance camera

7 tons of meteorite each year

The meteorite appears to have been found specifically in the south of France and was recorded by 10 cameras on the Freebon Network (summary of the Fireball Recovery and Intermediate Surveillance Network). The French organization, which monitors this type of “racing car” crossing the sky, made it possible to discover a meteorite on Italian soil on January 2.

With less than 7 tons of meteorites coming to our planet every year, trusting the experts is really nothing rare. But it is nothing compared to the alien dust coming from space. After a long journey of billions of years, millions of micrometers descend on our planet. Everything is over. If you have a garden, you should have micrometers in your garden.

Comet Thatcher and April Lirits

At this time of year, the event is called April Lirits. According to a NASA press release issued on April 22, 2021, “Every year from 16th to 25th April the lite meteor shower is visible on Earth”. This phenomenon is caused by the passage of the Thatcher comet. As the latter approaches the Earth, the grains of dust coming from the comet’s hair are torn off, creating these long light traces in the sky, As explained on the Sciences and Avenir website. This phenomenon has been repeated for 2,700 years.

Hardest care so far

Thatcher (named after the researcher who discovered it, but does not refer to the former British ruler) moved close to Earth in 1861. Thanks to shooting the stars, you can still see its effects every year. The next passage of the comet is to take place in 2276!

As of Friday, conditions were not optimal for observing Liritz’s shooting stars, which were compatible with the moon’s brightest phase. But this Saturday, our satellite was made more prudent to allow Saturday evening show.