On 18 May 2024, a fragment of a comet was spotted in the sky 60km above Spain and Portugal.[1][2] The comet was estimated to have been traveling at 162,000 kilometers per hour. The comet was not detected before the event occurred. On May 18, 2024, a bright "blue meteor" or comet fragment, traveling at around 45 km/s, lit up the skies over Spain and Portugal, leaving many people awestruck. The European Space Agency (ESA) described the event as a "stunning meteor" and later confirmed it was a small piece of a comet burning up over the Atlantic Ocean.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Date and Time: The event occurred on May 18, 2024, at approximately 22:46 UT (Universal Time).
Location: The meteor was visible over parts of Spain and Portugal.
Description: People in both countries witnessed a bright blue-green flash streaking across the night sky, with some describing it as a "fireball" or "super bolide".
Speed and Trajectory: The object was traveling at an estimated speed of 45 km/s (28 miles/s).
Nature of the Object: The ESA initially described it as a "stunning meteor" but later confirmed it was a "small piece of a comet".
Social Media Reaction: The event was widely shared on social media, with videos and photos capturing the spectacular display.
Possible Origin: The Spanish Calar Alto astronomical observatory suggested a preliminary analysis revealed the object had a "cometary origin".
Burning up: The meteor burned up over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of about 60 km.
Possible impact: The likelihood of any meteorites being found is very low. [3]
