Meteor streaks are not the rarest celestial events, but their beauty and wonder are unparalleled. Capturing a meteor on camera is challenging due to its unpredictable timing and fleeting nature. However, Portuguese girl Milena Refacho recently got lucky and managed to capture a bright blue fireball lighting up the European sky.
Posting the surreal video on her X account, @milarefacho showed her viewers a glimpse of the bright blue fireball that flew across the sky on 19th May. The girl posted a brief clip of the celestial event with a Portuguese caption “O meteorito na tuga,” which roughly translates to, “The meteorite in the Tuga.” In the video, the girl places her camera slightly below her, capturing the night sky in the frame.
As the recording starts, the girl is seen talking to someone and smiling at the camera. Within a few seconds, a meteor lights up the sky in blue above her. The bright blue fireball stands out vividly against the backdrop of the night, making it look like a scene straight out of a science-fiction movie.
At the same moment, the girl’s reaction to the sight of the meteor was a visual treat for the audience. Her smile changes into a gasp as she notices the sky turning blue. Her head then follows the trail of the meteor. Realizing that she has recorded this unique phenomenon, the girl excitedly points towards her camera as her face lights up with pure astonishment.
Confirming the sighting of this rare meteor, the International Meteor Organization (IMO) received multiple reports of a fireball spotted over western Spain, Portugal, and France on Saturday night. The European Space Agency (ESA) also took to their X account to post an update about the meteor. Posting a video of the fireball from Caceres, Spain, they wrote, “ESA’s fireball camera in Cáceres, Spain, spotted this stunning meteor last night! Our Planetary Defence Office is currently analyzing the size and trajectory of the object to assess the chance that any material made it to the surface.”
A few hours later, ESA updated people about what the fireball actually was. Their post read, “It appears that this object was a small piece of a comet. We estimate that it flew over Spain and Portugal traveling at approximately 45 km/s before burning up over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of approximately 60 km. The likelihood of any meteorites being found is very low.”
As per NASA, the color of meteor, which appears bright while entering Earth’s atmosphere, is based on its composition. The blue color in meteors is because of the high presence of magnesium.
The clip posted by @milarefacho has received over 3.7 million views in almost 24 hours. Some have praised the girl for capturing a once-in-a-lifetime moment. “Once in a hundred lifetimes can a shot be this perfect! World record internet-shattering incredibleness!” commented @ADKRealty. “Wow, literal chills! You’re so lucky to have not only witnessed this but also gotten it in a reel, that too with you in it!” exclaimed @yavinakhro. “Steven Spielberg can only dream of landing such a shot!” added @melancholerical.
