Bright Blue-Green Comet Fragment Dazzles Europe's Night Skies

Caceres, Spain, Extremadura, Spain Spain
A bright comet fragment illuminated Europe's night skies on May 19, 2024 with a blue-green hue.
The European Space Agency confirmed the object was a comet fragment that entered Earth's atmosphere at approximately 60km altitude.
Witnesses in Spain and Portugal described seeing a bright light streaking across the sky, leaving behind a trail of blue-green coloration. Over 80 reports were received by the International Meteor Organization.
Bright Blue-Green Comet Fragment Dazzles Europe's Night Skies

A bright and unusual sight graced the night skies over Europe on May 19, 2024, as a comet fragment illuminated the darkness with a blue-green hue. The event was reported in various parts of Spain, Portugal, and even France. According to multiple sources,

The European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that the object was indeed a comet fragment that entered Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of approximately 60km.

One source reports that the comet burned up over the Atlantic Ocean, while another suggests it may have been a small piece of ice and dust traveling at high speeds. The exact origin and size of the comet are still under investigation.

Witnesses in Spain and Portugal described seeing a bright light streaking across the sky, leaving behind a trail of blue-green coloration. Some even captured footage of the event on camera.

The International Meteor Organization (IMO) received over 80 reports of the fireball from various locations in western Europe. The organization noted that such events are not uncommon but are always a fascinating sight to behold.

Despite its brief appearance, this comet fragment provided an exciting moment for stargazers and scientists alike. It serves as a reminder of the wonders that can be found in our universe, even in the most unexpected places.



Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • It's unclear whether the comet burned up over the Atlantic Ocean or was a small piece of ice and dust traveling at high speeds.
  • The exact origin and size of the comet fragment is still under investigation.

Sources

97%

  • Unique Points
    • A comet fragment exploded in the night skies over Spain and Portugal on Saturday.
    • The fragment was moving around 100,000 miles per hour when it entered Earth’s atmosphere.
    • Experts believe the fragment was a few feet in size and came from an unidentified comet.
    • It is not rare for comets to create shooting stars, but this was an unexpected interplanetary fireworks show.
  • Accuracy
    • The object left a smoldering trail of incandescent graffiti in its wake.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author makes several statements in the article that are not fallacious. However, there is one instance of an appeal to authority when Dr. Meg Schwamb's expertise is cited to support the identification of the object as a comet fragment. There are no instances of dichotomous depictions, inflammatory rhetoric, or formal or informal fallacies in the article.
    • “It was a fragment of a comet — an icy object that may have formed at the dawn of the solar system — that lost its battle with our planet’s atmosphere 37 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.” - Dr. Meg Schwamb, planetary astronomer at Queen©s University Belfast
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

  • Unique Points
    • A bright green comet illuminated the skies over Spain and Portugal on Saturday night.
    • The object had a cometary origin and likely contained ice, dust, and other organic matter.
    • The blue-green hue of the comet indicates a high concentration of magnesium in its chemical composition.
  • Accuracy
    • The European Space Agency (ESA) captured footage of the object in Cáceres, Spain.
    • The comet was traveling at approximately 45 km/s before burning up over the Atlantic Ocean.
    • It is unlikely that any meteorites will be found as the comet fully broke up at an altitude of around 60 km.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

92%

  • Unique Points
    • On May 20, 2024, a meteor lit up the night sky over Spain and Portugal.
  • Accuracy
    • A comet fragment exploded in the night skies over Spain and Portugal on Saturday.
    • A bright green comet illuminated the skies over Spain and Portugal on Saturday night.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

96%

  • Unique Points
    • A bright blue fireball was observed and filmed over Spain, Portugal, and France on May 19, 2024.
    • The International Meteor Organization (IMO) received over 80 reports of the fireball in western Spain, Portugal, and France.
    • The meteor turned the sky blue-green in some areas.
  • Accuracy
    • , A comet fragment exploded in the night skies over Spain and Portugal on Saturday.
    • , The meteor turned the sky blue-green in some areas.
    • , The object left a smoldering trail of incandescent graffiti in its wake.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    No ad hominem fallacies, no strawman arguments, no false dilemmas or dichotomous depictions, and only one appeal to authority. However, there is an example of inflammatory rhetoric and a slight exaggeration.
    • . Over the weekend, a blazing fireball flashed across the sky in parts of Spain, Portugal and France, momentarily turning the lights on in the night sky.
    • A dramatic fireball was widely observed and filmed over Spain and Portugal last night," the IMO said on X, formerly Twitter.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

  • Unique Points
    • A bright comet fragment lit up the skies over parts of Spain and Portugal over the weekend.
    • 'Small piece of comet' identified by European Space Agency (ESA)
    • The ESA estimates the comet burned up over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of 60km.
    • Scientists estimate the fireball streaked across the atmosphere for 500km before going extinct.
    • During a concert in the Portuguese city of Barcelos, the object was filmed streaking across the sky as the singer performed.
    • Bernardo Taborda, a Lisbon resident, saw the comet while walking with friends and described it as 'almost looking like daylight'.
    • Asteroids are mostly found in a ring between the orbit of Mars and Jupiter called the asteroid belt.
    • Meteoroids are small pieces of rock that can break off from asteroids.
    • Meteors are fireballs or 'shooting stars' that form when meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up.
    • Comets are made up of ice and dust, and when they get close to the Sun, their ice and dust content starts to vaporize.
  • Accuracy
    • The European Space Agency (ESA) identified the object as a ‘small piece of comet.’
    • The comet was traveling at roughly 45 kilometres per second.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    No formal fallacies found. Some inflammatory rhetoric and appeal to authority. Dichotomous depiction present in the comparison between an asteroid, meteor, and comet.
    • . . . treating stargazers to a rare spectacle.
    • the blue light streaking across the sky over the western Spanish city of Caceres . . . was travelling at roughly 45 kilometres per second.
    • The ESA estimates the comet burned up over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of 60km.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication