Bolide of asteroid 2018 LA (ZLAF9B2) above Botswana on 2 June 2018 at ~18.49.17-23 local time (UTC+2)

Last update: 7 July 2018

First meteorite (17.92 g) of Botswana bolide of 2018 LA (2 June 2018) found in Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

The bolide of asteroid 2018 LA

CCTV recording by Barend Swanepoel and Wikus van Zyl recorded from Swanepoel’s father’s or his father’s friend’s farm near location -26.743643, 26.223267 between Hartebeesfontein and Ottosdal, South Africa.

Video from Randfontein, Gauteng (-26.1541°, 27.6800°)

Video of the bolide by B. Lombard. Camera location: -24.6459°, 25.8157°

CCTV recording of the bolide by O. Delport from camera location -26.7229°, 22.3395°

CCTV camera of ‘Kuruman Radiators’ in Kuruman, South Africa at location -27.471877, 23.432932 (time is wrong). Video: Christian Matthys Grobler

The bolide from camera location -24.6225°, 25.9158° in Gaborone Botswana. Photo: Dhiraj Sharma

The Apollo NEO 2018 LA / ZLAF9B2 was discovered at 8:14 UTC by the Mount Lemmon Survey (MLS)/Catalina Sky Survey, 8.5 hours prior to impact.

Orbit data of 2018 LA (JPL Small-Body Database)

NEO ZLAF9B2 detected by Catalina Sky Survey

Bill Gray’s time/location plot

AMS reports for event 1924-2018

Bill Gray’s Pseudo-MPEC for ZLAF9B2.

A simulation of the ZLAF9B2 trajectory on orbitsimulator

Simulation of the approach trajectory of ZLAF9B2

Dhiraj S provided this AMS observation report about his sighting from location (24°37’21”S, 25°54’57”E) in Gaborone in the South-East District of Botswana at 16:44 UTC.

Peter Brown reports a “strong infrasound detection of a bolide at station I47 in South Africa today at 1730 UT. Origin time between 1645-17 UT over Botswana. Yield 0.3-0.5 kT, corresponding to 2m diameter asteroid.”

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