Atmospheric entry and fragmentation of the small asteroid 2024 BX1: Bolide trajectory, orbit, dynamics, light curve, and spectrum

Abstract

Asteroid 2024 BX1 was the eighth asteroid that was discovered shortly before colliding with the Earth. The associated bolide was recorded by dedicated instruments of the European Fireball Network and the AllSky7 network on 2024 January 21 at 0:32:38–44 UT. We report a comprehensive analysis of this instrumentally observed meteorite fall, which occurred as predicted west of Berlin, Germany. The atmospheric trajectory was quite steep, with an average slope to the Earth’s surface of 75°.6. The entry speed was 15.20 km s−1. The heliocentric orbit calculated from the bolide data agrees very well with the asteroid data. However, the bolide was fainter than expected for a reportedly meter-sized asteroid. The absolute magnitude reached −14.4, and the entry mass was estimated to be 140 kg. The recorded bolide spectrum was low in iron, based on which, the meteorite was expected to be rich in enstatite. The recovered meteorites, called Ribbeck, were classified as aubrites. The high albedo of enstatite (E-type) asteroids can explain the size discrepancy. The asteroid was likely smaller than 0.5 meter and should rather be called a meteoroid. During the atmospheric entry, the meteoroid severely fragmented into much smaller pieces already at a height of 55 km under an aerodynamic pressure of 0.12 MPa. The primary fragments then broke up again, most frequently at heights 39−29 km (0.9–2.2 MPa). Numerous small meteorites and up to four stones larger than 100 g were expected to land. Within a few days of publication of the location of the strewn field, dozens of meteorites were found in the area we had predicted.