The “shooting meteor”, the name given to a very intense meteor, illuminated the sky with blue light on the night of Saturday, May 18 to Sunday, May 19, 2024. Its passage was captured by many Internet users in northern Portugal and Spain. These photos caused a sensation on social media.
The blue color of this fireball is due to… “High magnesium content” According to astrophysicist Rodrigo Gonzalez Peinado, who works at the National Museum of Science and Technology in La Coruña, northwest Spain. “Remember, we only call it a meteorite when it hits the Earth.”He explained.
Preview in Portugal and Spain
According to the Portuguese newspaper PublicoThe “bulid” began to appear around midnight in the north of the country, reaching its capital, Lisbon. Spanish newspaper El Pais Reports indicate that this phenomenon was also visible in several regions, including Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, Galicia and Andalusia.
According to the Portuguese newspaper Coimbra DiariesAbout twenty emergency service personnel were mobilized in the municipality of Castro Dyer, after being informed of an emergency “The possibility of a meteorite falling”. However, they found nothing in the area.
Although it is not yet possible to confirm that it is a meteorite, astrophysicist José María Madedo believes there is a good chance that the blue fireball is of alien origin.
Entering the atmosphere at a speed of 161,000 km/h
“It was produced by a rock from a comet. The rock entered the atmosphere at a speed of 161 thousand kilometers per hour. It happened on May 19 at 12:46 am local time on the Spanish Peninsula »has detailed in several publications about X.
According to him, the unknown object, which can be seen from a distance of more than 800 kilometers, will be scattered throughout its journey, and the pieces will disintegrate in the atmosphere.
On social media, a video clip of a young woman filming herself in a selfie before seeing the color of the sky change and the “sunrise” passing over her was viewed more than three million times in just a few days.
