Portugal fireball captured on satellite and video
Fireball spotted from above and below
On May 18, 2024, a brilliant fireball lit up the skies over Portugal and Spain. At 22:46 UTC, locals noticed the sky turn bright with a distinct bluish hue as the fireball coasted overhead. Experts with ESA said on Sunday it was most likely a comet fragment. Many people captured videos of the event and shared them on social media. And yesterday (May 22), ESA said a weather satellite meant to track lightning captured the signature of the fireball as it headed toward its end in the Atlantic Ocean.
In addition, a camera with ESA’s AllSky7 network also caught the fireball. This camera is part of the Planetary Defence Office. ESA said they estimated the object was about 3 feet (1 meter) in size and between 1,100 and 2,200 pounds (550 and 1,000 kg).
The International Meteor Organization said:
The high speed of the asteroid combined with its long-lasting period made it visible on more than 280 miles (450 km).
Portugal fireball on social media
O meteorito na tuga pic.twitter.com/4ZxJ50ZFIo
— ???? ???????????? ?? (@milarefacho) May 19, 2024
Para quem não viu aqui está o cometa pic.twitter.com/cHV8nIhoSN
— ?100noçao (@LaranjaLuis) May 18, 2024
Brutal!!!!!!! ??
Conseguimos ver o meteoro a atravessar a atmosfera!
Porto, Portugal ?? pic.twitter.com/2LsaZ4Tnfc— Márcio Santos – Meteorologia e Ambiente (@MeteoTrasMontPT) May 18, 2024
Mais um registo incrível!
??? pic.twitter.com/1bbsWHAQr8— Márcio Santos – Meteorologia e Ambiente (@MeteoTrasMontPT) May 18, 2024
Tires, Cascais, Portugal. ??#Tires #Cascais#Portugal #Fireball #Meteor #meteoro #meteorito #España#Spain
pic.twitter.com/HDtnhQEYG7— Mr. Shaz (@Wh_So_Serious) May 19, 2024
???
Noite memorável em ?? pic.twitter.com/v6Kf5Dkep5— Márcio Santos – Meteorologia e Ambiente (@MeteoTrasMontPT) May 18, 2024
Animals saw it, too
And to be sure, it wasn’t just people who witnessed the event. For example, watch these ducks in a farmyard in Portugal notice the bright flash above. Perhaps they were thinking: “Our ancestors warned us about this!”
A group of ducks in Portugal witnessed the meteor while on Twitch pic.twitter.com/DL5YEr9lf9
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) May 21, 2024
Bottom line: The Portugal fireball that brightened skies on May 18, 2024, was captured from the ground on video and from satellites in space. The fireball was most likely a comet fragment.
The post Portugal fireball captured on satellite and video first appeared on EarthSky.