Space rock that caused flash over West could have weighed 10 tonnes: expert
At least one expert believes a bright flash that lit up the sky over parts of Western Canada on Monday night was likely caused by a space rock that weighed up to 10 tonnes when it barrelled into the Earth’s atmosphere.
There were reports of a mysterious fireball streaking across the sky in several locations, including Calgary, the Okanagan Valley and Kootenays in the B.C. Interior and the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island.
In some areas of southern B.C., people said the light was followed by a loud booming sound.
Alan Hildebrand, an associate professor of geoscience at the University of Calgary, said based on videos he saw, the object appeared to be exceptional in size when it entered the atmosphere — between one and 10 tonnes.