Spain-Portugal comet fragment

On 18 May 2024, a fragment of a comet was spotted in the sky 60km above Spain and Portugal. 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.

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