Meteorite seen over Spain and Portugal, may have fallen near the town of Pinheiro

Meteor seen over Spain and Portugal, may have fallen near the town of Pinheiro
5-18-2024
Portugal's Civil Defence agency says a "meteorite fell" in the Pinheiro area in Castro Daire

A meteorite is a rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical interactions with the atmospheric gases cause it to heat up and radiate energy. It then becomes a meteor and forms a fireball, also known as a shooting star; astronomers call the brightest examples "bolides". Once it settles on the larger body's surface, the meteor becomes a meteorite. Meteorites vary greatly in size. For geologists, a bolide is a meteorite large enough to create an impact crater.