The phenomenon, which was caused by a meteorite that entered the atmosphere at a speed of 61 thousand km/h, was spotted in the Foros de Vale Figueira area, in the district of Évora, at an altitude of 91 kilometers, according to a researcher from the SMART project at the Andalusian Astrophysics Institute (IAA-CSIC), José María Madiedo.
The rock then moved northeast and disintegrated at an altitude of approximately 19 kilometers, over the parish of Cano, in the municipality of Sousel.
Along the meteorite's trajectory, there were several explosions that were due to "abrupt ruptures in the rock", which in turn created "sudden increases in luminosity".
However, a preliminary analysis showed that the meteorite was not completely destroyed, with part of it falling to the ground.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - these normally once in a lifetime events are happening several times a year. I was one of thousands that witnessed the giant fireball over Lisbon just 4 weekends previous to this event. What is going on in our skies?
By Wes from Lisbon on 19 Mar 2024, 08:13