A bright meteor was observed early on Sunday (the 5th). It was recorded by the cameras of the Bate-Papo Astronômico observatory in Santa Maria (RS) and the Clube de Astronomia do Campus Santo Ângelo of the Instituto Federal Farroupilha.
Meteor Monitoring
Both stations are part of the Brazilian Meteor Monitoring Network (Bramon) and are managed by Bate-Papo Astronômico. The phenomenon occurred at 00:41 Brazilian time and was observed in the southwestern direction of Santa Maria, characterized by intense brightness. In Santo Ângelo, the registration was less noticeable due to cloud cover, but the meteor was briefly visible on two occasions.
Planetary Defense and Asteroids
Asteroids constantly cross Earth's orbit. Some pass millions of kilometers away, while others approach the planet relatively closely. Although none of these close approaches pose an immediate threat, it raises a question that intrigues scientists and the public: how do we know when a celestial body might become dangerous?