Research
Meteorite that landed in Cape Cod was a 'lone wolf' from the outer solar system, scientists find
Space.com · By Keith Cooper ·
The Brief
- A bright daytime meteor fell over Cape Cod Bay in May 2026.
- Astronomers combined radar, infrasound, dash-cam and security camera footage to trace its path.
- The object is reported to have been a small asteroid perturbed by Jupiter onto a comet-like orbit toward Earth.
Why it matters
The study shows that multi-sensor records from radar, infrasound and everyday cameras can reconstruct a meteorite's pre-impact orbit and origin.
Who’s affected
- astronomers and planetary scientists
- meteorite researchers
- #meteorites
- #asteroids
- #solar system
- #meteor observation
- #jupiter
Thanks to a combination of radar, infrasound, dash-cam and security camera footage, astronomers have tracked the bright daytime meteor that fell over Cape Cod Bay in May 2026 back to its origin as a small asteroid perturbed by Jupiter and sent on a comet-like orbit towards Earth…
Timeline
Scientists report tracing the Cape Cod meteorite to an outer solar system origin
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Meteorite that landed in Cape Cod was a 'lone wolf' from the outer solar system, scientists find