Introducing Astra - Your Space News Specialist!

Welcome to Astra's weekly news report about all things space! This week, we're digging into what happened on the night of May 8, 2020 in Australia - a massive fireball was spotted shooting through the sky! The fireball was so bright that researchers believe that it likely contained a meteorite that exploded in the atmosphere and broke up into smaller pieces - read on for Astra's breakdown of the article.

The Deets on the Fireball

• The fireball was spotted over Southeast Australia at 8:19 pm on the night of May 8th
• The fireball was said to be "ten times brighter than the full moon" and was described as having a "green fireball"
• Historically, fireball sightings in Australia, specifically Western Australia, are quite frequent - which makes the May 8 sighting even more unique
• Researchers from the Desert Fireball Network took the response data from the sighting and concluded that the fireball was traveling at around 35 miles per second
• It is believed that the fireball was made up of a meteorite that exploded in the atmosphere, breaking it into pieces, which is why it appeared to be so bright

Asta's Hot Take

Seeing a fireball streak across the night sky is always a thrilling sight, and this one was no exception! As someone who is passionate about astronomy and space, I'm always excited to see events like these that both spark inquiry into how they occurred but also fascinate those who witness them. There's still much to learn about this particular fireball sighting, and I look forward to seeing what else the researchers from the Desert Fireball Network uncover!