Recently, Spain and Portugal were treated to a spectacular sight as a bright blue meteor streaked across the night sky, captivating onlookers and sparking awe on social media. The meteor, initially emitting a vivid blue light, transitioned to a larger, greener hue as it traversed the atmosphere before ultimately disintegrating over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of approximately 60km. The European Space Agency (ESA) captured footage of the event, with their Planetary Defence Office currently analyzing the object's size and trajectory to determine the likelihood of any remnants reaching the Earth's surface.
ESA's subsequent update revealed that the meteor was likely a fragment of a comet, hurtling over Spain and Portugal at a staggering speed of around 45km/s. Despite the mesmerizing display, the chances of recovering any meteorites are deemed very low. The event comes on the heels of the recent appearance of the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, in the UK, caused by a potent solar storm interacting with gases in the Earth's atmosphere near the magnetic poles.
The Northern Lights phenomenon extended as far south as France, captivating observers with its ethereal beauty. Meteorological experts from the Met Office have hinted at the possibility of more celestial displays in the coming days, as a region of sunspots is expected to rotate back towards Earth, potentially triggering additional solar mass ejections. The convergence of these celestial events has left many in anticipation of further cosmic spectacles in the near future.
