Fireball Detection


IR sensors aboard DOD satellites detected the impact of two day time bolides over the Czech Republic.  
The first occurred on 6 May 2000 at 11:54:52.545 UTC and the second on 10 May 2000 at 17:15:22.787 UTC.
The 6 May object was first detected at 50.42 degrees North Latitude, 17.95 degrees East Longitude at an 
altitude of approximately 36 km.  It followed a nearly flat trajectory, inclined 2 degrees to the horizontal
on a heading of 146 degrees. It was last detected at 49.64 degrees N, 18.76 degrees E at an altitude of approximately
33 km.
The object was simultaneously detected by space based visible wavelength sensors operated by the DOE. 
The observed peak intensity was 1.05 X 10^10 Watts/ster. The total energy was 2.5 X 10^10 Joules. 
The 10 May object was first detected at 48.53 degrees N, 16.38 degrees E at an altitude of approximately 55 km.  
It had a relatively steep trajectory, inclined 57 degrees to the horizontal on a heading of 113 degrees. 
It was last detected at 48.49 degrees N, 16.53 degrees E, at approximately 38 km altitude.
This object was also detected simultaneously by visible wavelength sensors operated by the Department of Energy.  
The peak intensity was also 1.05 X 10^10 Watts/ster, but the total energy was a bit less at 1.9 X 10^10 Joules.


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