20 May 2024 , 06:01
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Footage has shown the moment a comet, travelling at a staggering 1,700mph, suddenly lit up the night sky in an unusual and beautiful display.
The fireball lit up the black sky into a greenish-blue spectacle, captivating stargazers in Spain and Portugal. Footage from the European Space Agency (ESA) showed this celestial event turning the skies over the Spanish city of Caceres into a kaleidoscope of blues and greens.
A car dashcam in Portugal captured mind-blowing footage of an iridescent blue fireball, looking like a falling star with a long tail. Then, the flaming space object quickly bursts forward, creating a sea of bright sapphire over people's heads.
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Over 100 meteors will be visible in the sky above the UK for incredible display
A teal sky over Spain and Portugal (@X)ESA confirmed the blue streak blazing across the sky was indeed a "stunning meteor," flying at roughly 1,700mph.
Only later did the agency clarify that the object was a "small piece of a comet," not a meteor as first thought. "The likelihood of any meteorites being found is very low," they stated, slightly deflating hopes for those wanting a physical memento of this astronomical event, according to the Sun.
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After its jaw-dropping spectacle, the comet is said to have completely burned up over the Atlantic Ocean. As per NASA's explanation, the comet's blue-green colour produced during its atmospheric burn owed to the presence of magnesium within its composition.
Last month, a similar bright flash awed stargazers in Ukraine. A flash in the sky over Ukraine sparked confusion with authorities claiming it was caused by Nasa.
According to the capital's military adviser, Sergiy Popko, the "bright glow" was seen over Kyiv at around 10 p.m. local time.
Officials said it was caused by a NASA satellite re-entering the atmosphere, while the US space agency denied involvement. An air raid alert was activated but "air defence was not in operation," Popko explained.
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The amazing event captivated everyone who saw (@X)
But a NASA spokesperson said the satellite in question was "still in orbit." The flash was seen in the sky over Kyiv at around 10 pm local time.
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Space officials in Ukraine later said that the flash had likely come from a meteorite entering the atmosphere. Earlier this week, NASA said its retired 660lb RHESSI satellite would reenter the atmosphere on Wednesday.
It expected most of the aircraft, used to observe solar flares, to burn up as it travelled through the atmosphere with some parts surviving the journey.
A spokesperson said: "The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is low – approximately 1 in 2,467." However, its communications office told the BBC that RHESSI was still in orbit at the time of the flash in Ukraine.