Explanation:
On October 7, the early dawn over northern Sudan revealed this
twisted, high altitude trail.
Captured in a video frame, the long-lasting
persistent train is
from the impact of a small asteroid cataloged as 2008 TC3.
That event was remarkable because it was the first time an asteroid
was detected in space
before
crashing into planet Earth's atmosphere.
In fact, after astronomers discovered
2008 TC3,
the time and location
of its impact were predicted based on follow-up observations.
Later, the impact predictions were confirmed by sensors, including a
Meteosat-8 image of a bright flash in the atmosphere.
Astronomers are now
hoping for more reports of
local ground-based observations of what must have
been a brilliant meteor
streaking through
Sudan's night sky.
Additional reports
could improve the chances of recovering
meteorites.
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Aesthetics and Astronomy.
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