Stargazers in parts of Spain and Portugal were treated to a spectacular light show after what appeared to be a small piece of a comet streaked across the night sky late last night.
Videos shared across social media showed the sky lighting up as the object burned fiercely in the atmosphere.
Portugal’s Civil Protection agency said it was possible that a meteorite had fallen to earth in the Castro Daire region in the north of the country.
Social media lit up with comments and videos of the phenomenon, which occurred shortly before midnight local time.
Footage of the fireball was shared by the European Space Agency who said the object appeared to be “a small piece of a comet.
“ESA’s fireball camera in Cáceres, Spain, spotted this stunning meteor last night!
“Our Planetary Defence Office are currently analysing the size and trajectory of the object to assess the chance that any material made it to the surface,” the ESA said.
“It appears that this object was a small piece of a comet. We estimate that it flew over Spain and Portugal travelling at 45km/s before burning up over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of 60km.
“The likelihood of any meteorites being found is very low,” the ESA added.
