On Sunday evening, the fireball crossed southern Spain and Portugal at a speed of 89 km/h and reached a brightness exceeding the brightness of the full moon.
This phenomenon was analyzed by researcher and astrophysicist José Maria Madiedo, who determined that the rock that caused the event came from a comet.
“Sharp friction with the atmosphere of our planet at such a high speed led to the fact that the surface of the stone heated to a temperature of several thousand degrees Celsius and became red-hot, which generated a fireball,” explains the astrophysicist.
It was recorded on the night of January 21 at 20:03 in Portugal. It achieved a luminosity greater than that of the full Moon because it suffered several explosions along its trajectory, which caused a sudden increase in its brightness.
The fireball, which traveled a total distance of about 111 kilometers, fragmented along its trajectory and therefore did not reach the ground.
Author: morning Post
Source: CM Jornal
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