A bright meteor from the Geminid shower was filmed early this Wednesday near the Cabo Rojo region, on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico.
In a recording shared on social networks by photographer Frankie Lucena, a powerful explosion is observed a few seconds after the passage of the celestial body.
“This is simply a remarkable coincidence. The trajectory of the meteor coincides with the location of the explosion (…) The explosion was not heard in my area, but my VLF receiver from NASA, which is connected to my camera, was able to capture his electronic signature. The power went out in my area, but only for about a minute,” Lucena said on her YouTube channel.
The Geminid shower, considered the ‘king’ of meteorite showers, is produced by the remains left by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, discovered in 1983. The astronomical phenomenon, which will be active until December 24, reached its peak viewing on the night of this Wednesday to Thursday. The rain can be observed in both hemispheres, although in the southern hemisphere the rate of meteorites will be lower.
A video shared on social media shows the bright meteorite followed by a powerful explosion in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. The recording was shared by photographer Frankie Lucena and has since gone viral on social media. The Geminid shower, considered the ‘king’ of meteorite showers, is produced by the remains left by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon and reached its peak viewing on the night of Wednesday to Thursday. The astronomical phenomenon will remain active until December 24 and can be observed in both hemispheres, with a lower rate of meteorites in the southern hemisphere.