Public statements from the European Space Agency or other astronomical bodies

Bright Blue Meteor Lights Up Skies Over Portugal and Spain on May 18, 2024

May 19, 2024, 08:48 AM

A meteor illuminated the skies over Portugal and Spain on the night of May 18, 2024. The Portuguese Civil Defense agency confirmed that a meteorite fell in the town of Pinheir. The European Space Agency's (ESA) fireball camera in Cáceres, Spain, captured the event, and the ESA's Planetary Defence Office is analyzing the size and trajectory of the object. Experts believe the object was a small piece of a comet, traveling at approximately 45 km/s before burning up over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of around 60 km. Videos of the event have flooded social media, with many users sharing footage of the bright blue meteor lighting up the sky. The phenomenon, reported by Publico and InsiderPaper, was visible to millions and has sparked widespread interest and speculation on Saturday night.