RPS member Krisztina Almasi-Tucknott captured a remarkable video of a meteorite entering the Earth's atmosphere over the English Channel, near Brighton on 13 February 2023. The sequence which lasts for around five seconds presents a unique record of a phenomena that is rarely captured. Krisztina caught it with her Samsung S9 smartphone rather than her usual digital camera.
Speaking to the RPS she said, "it was serendipitous, and I was in the right place at the right time. It was a sight I never expected to see". Krisztina who was struggling to sleep saw a reference to the meteorite at 0245 and at first thought it a hoax until she researched it further and quickly grabbed her smartphone which was to hand. Opening her home's skylight, and standing on a stool she rested her S9 on a ledge having worked out the likely direction the meteorite would appear, before pressing 'record'.
Krisztina is an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and a member of the Disabled Photographers' Society. Her footage went viral and has since been seen on Google, The Daily Telegraph and DailyMailOnline amongst many other outlets.
For nearly 24 years until 2020 Krisztina was a videographer with Sussex police before being made redundant. Affected by ill health she caught Covid during the pandemic and is now suffering from long Covid. She said, "photography is an escape for me and keeps me going". She added, "I struggle to get out and photograph in the same way I used to, and today has just proved incredible for my spirits and has made me more determined to continue capturing my experience of the world. I'm in the process of updating my website, but my photography work is well represented there".
Her husband, David, is also an Associate of the RPS.
You can see more of Krisztina's work on her website www.kriszti.uk.