After a three-week investigation, astronomers at the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan) concluded that an air explosion that hit Bone waters in South Sulawesi on Oct. 8 was a result of a falling meteorite.
Lapan expert Thomas Djamaluddin said the meteorite struck the atmosphere at a speed of 20.3 kilometers per second, causing a major blast that equaled an explosion of 50 kilotons of TNT (trinitrotoluene).
The meteorite was part of a 10-meter diameter asteroid, Thomas told kompas.com.
He said falling asteroids rarely caused damage on earth, except for those with diameters of 25 meters or longer.
The blast sparked rumors of a plane crash as it occurred at the same time that Indonesian Air Force’s Sukhoi jets and choppers were carrying out routine sorties.
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