Someone better call Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis because Europeans just saw a gigantic meteor shoot across the sky. Videos published on social media showcased the very cool but scary experience.
So far this year, the sky has had some of the most beautiful, spectacular events. Take the Northern Lights stretching across most of America for instance. Likewise, this year also saw a once in a couple of decades solar eclipse.
In a video, a giant meteor beams across the sky. It burns bright in multiple colors, zooming across the horizon. It’s a moment that’s awe-inspiring and also a little scary as well.
Meteorite that tonight crossed the skies of Spain and Portugal on May 18,2024 pic.twitter.com/TAai593b9G
— Domenico (@AvatarDomy) May 19, 2024
Reporter Collin Rugg shared a video of the meteor on his X account. He also shared a few details for his audience, writing, “Meteor spotted in the skies over Spain and Portugal. This is insane. Early reports claim that the blue flash could be seen darting through the night sky for hundreds of kilometers.”
He continued, “At the moment, it has not been confirmed if it hit the Earth’s surface however some reports say it may have fallen near the town of Castro Daire. Other reports say it was closer to Pinheiro.”
Meteor Turns Sky Green as It Streaks Through the Night
This wasn’t the only video of the meteor as others reported seeing it as well and sharing it on social media.
However, Rugg also pointed out that you shouldn’t be scared. Most meteors never make it past the atmosphere. He wrote, “Yeah, most burn up. A very cool sight though! Very unlikely it hits Earth’s surface.”
Meanwhile, another person tried to identify the elements in the heavenly body. They wrote, “There different colors happen when different elements are burning up. The colors are below. In this video, it was likely Magnesium. Violet (calcium) Red (atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen) Orange-yellow (sodium) Yellow (iron) Blue-green (magnesium).”
Of course, there’s some other people with plenty of pop culture references. One wrote, “Optimus Prime has arrived.” Another commented,”CAPTAIN MARVEL.”
Of course, NASA is actively monitoring any planet killers out there. They also have a plan to alert the public to any meteors that pose harm.
“We definitely want to find all those before they find us,” said Lindley Johnson, Lead Program Executive for the Planetary Defense Coordination Office. “I don’t have a red phone on my desk or anything. But we do have formal procedures by which notification of a serious impact would be provided.”
They continue to monitor asteroids in the hopes of having as much time to prepare as possible. “That gives us plenty of time to then try to do something about them while they’re still in space, so that we completely avoid any catastrophe here on Earth,” Johnson said.