VIDEO: Meteorite crashes northwest of Riyadh

Gulf Today Report

A video clip circulating on social media documented the moment a meteorite fell in Dawadmi Governorate, northwest of Riyadh.

Meteorologist Abdulaziz Al-Hussain said in a tweet: “A strong blue light appeared in the sky surrounding the meteor in the Najd region, and it was said that a tremor was felt on its impact.”

On the same level, the head of the Astronomical Society in Jeddah, Eng. Majed Al Zahra, confirmed that this bright meteor, which is also called (the fireball), is larger than the ordinary meteor, and it gained a lot of attention on social media platforms, where many confirmed seeing it in a very bright blue color. It lit up the earth's surface and was accompanied by a loud sound, which means that it descended very deeply into the atmosphere.

It is assumed that a series of shock waves will occur as a result of the meteorite disintegrating due to its high speed, and it is likely that small parts of it have reached the surface of the earth after most of it was burned in the air, as happened in similar cases around the world.

As for the blue and white color, the dominant composition of the meteorite can play an important role in the observed colors of the fireball, with some elements giving distinct colors when they evaporate, for example sodium produces a bright yellow color, nickel appears green, and magnesium appears blue and white, which is what was seen, but it could also be a result of atmospheric conditions, or even a camera, but the lack of multiple angle recordings of the meteorite makes this explanation less likely.

He pointed out that meteors enter the Earth's outer atmosphere and move from a speed of 40,000 to 257,000 kilometers per hour, and slow down quickly because they face friction from air clouds, and this friction generates huge amounts of heat, which causes the meteorite to evaporate or burn and glow.