Dr. Jamal Mimouni, President of the Algerian Astronomy Society and President of the African Astronomical Society – in a statement to Al Jazeera Net over the phone – said that the space object that was seen on Sunday night, the seventh of May / May in many of the northern regions of Algeria can not be sure that it is a meteorite, but it is most likely a flaming fireball.
Many social media users in Algeria have circulated photos and videos of this fireball, which lit up the sky and passed at a strong speed from the western side of Algeria towards the southeast, in a phenomenon that did not exceed a few seconds.
The Center for Research in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Geophysics in Algeria issued on Tuesday an explanatory statement on this phenomenon, saying that the object entered the atmosphere at supersonic speed and took its course at an altitude of between 25 and 40 kilometers.
The difference between a meteorite and a flaming fireball
Maimouni explained that there is a difference between a meteorite and a flaming fireball, as the meteorite is a name we give to fragments and stones that fall to the ground, while the flaming fireball is a burning stone that is issued when it enters the atmosphere with a bright flash and light and then continues its path after leaving the atmosphere and does not fall.
"According to the reports we have seen, this object was so bright that its light was seen from parts of southern Spain, in which case it could be a meteorite, but no one has yet seen its fragments, so it is not possible to say for sure if it is really a meteorite or not," he said.
Although this phenomenon is normal and occurs regularly in all parts of the world, it is rarely seen in Algeria, and the same spokesman says, "It may occur dozens of times in many parts of the world, but it rarely occurs in Algeria, we may not have seen the like of it for 20 or 30 years, so it is a very exciting astronomical phenomenon, and it can be seen in the daytime if the flash is very bright."
According to preliminary estimates, the light of this sphere could be 100 to <>,<> times the luminosity of moonlight when it is full, Mimoni added.
Is there a risk when such phenomena occur?
Asked if the ball could pose a danger to the population, Dr. Jamal Maimouni said that in this case it posed no danger, but there are similar incidents that previously posed a danger when it approached the surface of the atmosphere where it emits shocking sound waves.
"This depends on the size of the object and its proximity to the planet, because its ultrasonic speed produces sound waves that may cause the windows of buildings and cars to break, and may result in serious damage," he said.
The statement of the Center for Research in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Geophysics in Algeria also stated that this astronomical phenomenon occurs in the world constantly at a rate of 10 times a year.