Blue Meteor Dazzles Observers in Spain and Portugal Skies
Late Saturday night, a suspected meteor sighting captivated observers across Spain and Portugal as it streaked through the sky, casting a vibrant blue glow. Videos capturing the phenomenon quickly spread on social media, documenting the moment the sky was illuminated and the reactions of onlookers. Despite the widespread sightings and video evidence, the exact location where the meteor might have landed remains unknown, with some suggesting it could be near the towns of Castro Daire or Pinheiro.
Firefighters and local authorities in Viseu, Portugal, have conducted searches but have yet to find any physical evidence of the meteor's impact, leading to the possibility that it disintegrated upon entering the Earth's atmosphere. NASA has previously noted that meteoroids often burn up when they encounter Earth's atmosphere at high speeds, creating the visual spectacle known as meteors.
The incident has sparked discussions among social media users about the composition of the meteor and the frequency of such events. According to NASA, Earth's atmosphere is regularly penetrated by meteoroids, with an average of 48.5 tons of material from space entering daily. The timing of the event coincided with predictions of meteor showers associated with the remnants of Halley's Comet and the annual Eta Aquariid meteor shower, though it has not been confirmed whether this meteor was part of these showers. The Lyrid meteor shower, another well-documented astronomical event with a history dating back over 2,700 years, peaks in late April, adding context to the frequency and visibility of meteors during this period.
