A super "bolide" lights up the sky of Spain: What was it?
The night of this past Saturday and early Sunday morning a bolide illuminated the sky of Spain and Portugal. A huge meteorite that has crossed the sky to the surprise of everyone, leaving a bright trail in its wake.
There are numerous images circulating on social networks of people surprised after seeing this enormous bolide and this type of phenomenon, not unusual, never ceases to impact everyone who witnesses it. But what has it been? And could it happen again?
Night became day in many parts of Spain
This past night an impressive ball of light has been sighted in Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, the Community of Madrid, Extremadura and Galicia, as well as in areas of northern Portugal and the capital, Lisbon.
The car entered the atmosphere at more than 160,000 km/h and reached its maximum altitude at approximately 00:46 a.m. at about 122 km high.
A bolide is not the same as a meteorite
There are clear differences between a bolido, a meteor and a meteorite, so in this case we cannot say that we have seen a meteorite unless we find the remains of the rock somewhere. But what does each of these terms mean?
Meteorite: A meteorite is a fragment of rock or metal that survives entry through the Earth's atmosphere and reaches the Earth's surface. Meteorites are remains of asteroids, comets or other celestial bodies that have traveled through space before colliding with Earth. Once they hit the Earth's surface, they are called meteorites.
Meteor: A meteor, commonly known as a "shooting star," is the bright flash of light produced by the entry of a meteorite into the Earth's atmosphere. When a meteorite travels through Earth's atmosphere, friction with the air heats it and makes it glow, creating a flash of light in the night sky. These flashes of light are what we see as shooting stars.
Fireball: A fireball is an especially bright and spectacular type of meteor. These are meteors that are particularly large, luminous and can leave a visible trail in the sky for several seconds or even minutes. Fireballs are caused by relatively large meteorites entering the Earth's atmosphere and burning intensely due to friction with air.
Bolide: The term "bolide" is often used interchangeably with "fireball," but is sometimes used specifically to refer to a meteor that explodes in the atmosphere with intense light and energy. These explosions are the result of the meteorite breaking up due to friction and atmospheric pressure as it hurtles toward Earth. Fireballs can be spectacular and can produce audible shock waves known as "sonic booms" or "meteor booms."
Are these bolids frequent?
Fireballs are produced by relatively large meteorites that enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn intensely due to friction with the air. Due to their larger size and brightness, bolides are more spectacular than common meteors.
While meteors are quite common and can be observed several times in a night during meteor showers or simply by looking at the night sky in a dark, clear location, bolides are less frequent.
They can occur several times a year, but their exact frequency varies depending on several factors, including the size and density of the meteorite population entering Earth's atmosphere, as well as sky observation in a given area.