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A fireball races across the skies over Western Europe on Saturday night, May 18, 2024.
The sky over Western Europe became a sensational attraction over the weekend as a blazing blue fireball raced across the heavens in Portugal, Spain and France.
The International Meteor Organization reported: "Many people were out in Spain and Portugal on Saturday night. The ones that were fortunate enough to be located in the Western parts of the Iberic peninsula could observe a dramatic meteoric event: a huge and fast moving fireball appeared in the sky and nearly turned it into daylight on May 18, at 22h 46min UT."
☄️ On May 18, 22h 46min UT, a huge fireball turned Spanish and Portuguese night into daylight: https://t.co/1ECA36FpiP pic.twitter.com/KI1Ajn6ZhV
— IMO Meteor Org. (@IMOmeteors) May 19, 2024
"The phenomenon was widely observed and filmed. ... The high speed of the asteroid combined with its long-lasting period made it visible on more than 450 km (280 miles)!"
Have you ever seen a fireball of this magnitude?
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The fireball view from Cadiz, Spain
The IMO says the object ended its journey in the Atlantic Ocean.
A blue fireball was seen crossing the skies of Spain and Portugal in the early hours of Sunday. pic.twitter.com/QK0Zv32QjC
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) May 19, 2024
"Fireballs are meteors that appear brighter as the pieces of space dust made up of rock, ice and metal hit Earth's atmosphere," Fox Weather reported.
"The type of material that composes the meteor will determine the color we see on Earth as it shoots across the sky. According to NASA, meteors containing magnesium can create a blue-green light like those across Western Europe saw over the weekend."
It noted: "A fireball will be brighter than any other object in the sky besides the Sun and the Moon. According to the IMO, a true fireball meteor can survive the journey to Earth's surface."
☄️ ESA’s fireball camera in Cáceres, Spain, spotted this stunning meteor last night!
Our Planetary Defence Office are currently analysing the size and trajectory of the object to assess the chance that any material made it to the surface.
Credit: ESA/PDO/AMS82 - AllSky7 pic.twitter.com/gSU4unncQW
— ESA Operations (@esaoperations) May 19, 2024
Path of the May 18, 2024, 22h 46min UT fireball calculated by the team of Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory. (Courtesy)
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