Radar and Infrasound Observations of the 2026 May 30 Cape Cod Bay Superbolide
astro-ph.EP, astro-ph.IM
Submitted: 2026-10-17
Updated: 2026-10-17
Comments: 24 pages, 12 figures. Submitted to The Astronomical Journal
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The gist: Metre-scale impactors connect near-Earth-object dynamics, atmospheric-entry physics and meteorite delivery, but their pre-impact orbits and material properties are rarely measured together,
Abstract
Metre-scale impactors connect near-Earth-object dynamics, atmospheric-entry physics and meteorite delivery, but their pre-impact orbits and material properties are rarely measured together, especially for daylight events. We report observations of the 30 May 2026 Cape Cod Bay bolide. A very high frequency (VHF) meteor radar network detected atmospheric-entry plasma, weather radars detected falling meteorites, and infrasound sensors recorded the associated hypervelocity shock. VHF radar range--Doppler measurements resolve the meteor head echo from about 90 to 71 km altitude, while interferometric measurements localize short-lived non-specular plasma wake echoes down to an unusually low altitude of about 30 km. We identify this as the radar terminus, where breakup is expected to occur. A combined head-echo and trail fit constrains a steep southeastward trajectory over coastal Massachusetts. Weather-radar detections refine the dark-flight solution, place the likely fall region in Cape Cod Bay and constrain probable fragment sizes. Backward propagation of the fitted trajectory gives a heliocentric orbit near the cometary--asteroidal classification boundaries, with conflicting classifications from empirical dynamical criteria. Catalogue comparisons identify no convincing parent body or established meteor-shower association. Regional infrasound independently supports the terminal fragmentation region and yields an energy estimate of 0.5 kt TNT equivalent. The radar and dark-flight evidence are consistent with a dense, mechanically strong meteoroid, possibly iron-rich. The combination of meteor-radar plasma tracking, weather-radar observations of falling meteorites and infrasound measurements can provide accurate orbital elements and trace large meteoroids from atmospheric entry to nearly ground impact.
Related papers
- PDS 70 c and SR 12 c: Observational Constraints on Giant-Planet and Satellite Formation
- Gravitational Microlensing
- Two-stage disruption of resonant chains
- Detectability of resolved hydrogen lines from the accretion shock at gas giants and their circumplanetary discs
- Binary-lens Microlensing Degeneracy: Impact on Planetary Sensitivity and Mass-ratio Function
- Identifying deformed exoplanets with JWST and Ariel: A target selection metric for phase curve observations