ESA’s Meteosat Third Generation Imager weather satellite, which usually spots lightning from space, saw the May 18, 2024, fireball for 6 seconds as it streaked across Portugal into the Atlantic Ocean. See videos of the Portugal fireball below. Image via ESA/ EUMETSAT.
Fireball spotted from above and below
On May 18, 2024, a brilliant fireball lit up the skies over Portugal and Spain. At 22:46 UTC, locals noticed the sky turn bright with a distinct bluish hue as the fireball coasted overhead.