On Saturday night, residents of Spain and Portugal were treated to a spectacular celestial display as a giant meteorite blazed across the sky. Reports indicate that the bright blue flash could be seen for hundreds of kilometers, with numerous videos capturing the event quickly surfacing online.
Several social media users documented the extraordinary phenomenon, showcasing the meteorite’s brilliant blue light darting through the night sky. One particularly striking video, captured by a driver’s dash-cam, shows a burst of blue light illuminating the darkness. Another clip reveals the sky turning neon blue, leaving onlookers in awe.
“UNREAL!! MASSIVE Meteor sighting over Portugal! To see a streak like this is a once-in-a-lifetime event! No word on whether it hit Earth and became a meteorite! Also seen for hundreds of miles! Wow,” commented an X user while sharing a video of the event.
Another user speculated on the meteorite’s composition, noting, “Wow, this was impressive, so bright! From the color it seems to be made of magnesium.” A third user expressed amazement at the frequency of rare astronomical events, writing, “Same month as the aurora borealis. Why are all these once-in-a-lifetime events happening so close to each other? Makes you wonder if the solar eclipse was a warning.”
Here are some of the videos shared by witnesses
Meteorite that tonight crossed the skies of Spain and Portugal on May 18, 2024
Witness the sky ablaze as a meteorite makes its grand entrance into Portugal’s atmosphere. Meteor spotted in the skies over Spain and Portugal
Early reports suggest that the meteorite’s blue flash was visible over a vast distance. However, there has been no official confirmation about whether it hit the earth’s surface. Some speculations point to a potential fall near the town of Castro Daire.
According to NASA, meteoroids are objects in space ranging in size from dust grains to small asteroids. When these space rocks enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up, they produce fireballs known as meteors.
“When meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere (or that of another planet, like Mars) at high speed and burn up, the fireballs or ‘shooting stars’ are called meteors,” NASA explains.
The meteorite sighting over Spain and Portugal adds to a series of remarkable astronomical events this year, sparking wonder and curiosity among stargazers and scientists alike.
