Reports Report 2481cq (Event 2481-2024)
| Observer | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ana Luísa M |
| Experience Level | 3/5 |
| Remarks | I observed it above my head in central Porto, crossing from NW to SE, as did pedestrians across the street from my balcony. We all finished our observation in Awe and facing SE. Many videos were captured across Portugal because there were people holding cameras during open-air live concerts. In Matosinhos a crowd was gathering for fireworks to start at midnight a few minutes later. You may look for these videos online (some are in selfie mode so the direction of the fireball is mirrored). My balcony faces NW and the fireball came from about that angle, and proceeded to SE. Train also dissipated at the NW tip first and proceeded to dissipate towards the SE. There are reports it may have fallen SE of where I am in Castro Daire. However, I'm very confused as reports that a fireball entered the atmosphere above Badajoz and travelled to the NW of Portugal to fall over the Atlantic have been reported--the reported direction is completely opposite to the one I experienced. I'd like to get some answers as to whether there was more than one fireball or if there is any chance of an optical illusion as to what the direction of the fireball actually is. As we saw this right above our heads, vertically speaking, I assume we have a better indication of the direction it came from and went to. |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Address | Porto, Porto (PT) |
| Latitude | 41° 9' 4.68'' N (41.1513°) |
| Longitude | 8° 37' 7.58'' W (-8.618772°) |
| Elevation | 84.937447m |
| Time and Duration | |
|---|---|
| Local Date & Time | 2024-05-18 23:46 WEST |
| UT Date & Time | 2024-05-18 22:46 UT |
| Duration | ≈7.5s |
| Direction | |
|---|---|
| Moving direction | From down left to up right |
| Descent Angle | 15° |
| Moving | |
|---|---|
| Facing azimuth | 340° |
| First azimuth | 330° |
| First elevation | 90° |
| Last azimuth | 140° |
| Last elevation | 90° |
| Brightness and color | |
|---|---|
| Stellar Magnitude | -20 |
| Color | Orange, Red (scattered clouds and sky was bright green and bright as day before fireball became visible below cloud height) |
| Concurrent Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Delayed Sound | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Unknown |
| Remarks | - |
| Persistent train | |
|---|---|
| Observation | Yes |
| Duration | 8s |
| Length | 30° |
| Remarks | The train was wide, about two fingers' width with hand held at arm's length, and it formed above my head after a major green filled the sky that lit up as bright as day. As fireball became visible at/just below cloud-level, it left a long and enduring train behind. Train lasted quite a few seconds, incandescent, thick and copper in color, and dissipated slowly in rolling wisps (starting from the earliest part of the train first) as the train grew a bit in girth. The wisps rolled outwardly very slowly and as they did so the incandescence dissipated too. |
| Terminal flash | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Fragmentation | |
|---|---|
| Observation | No |
| Remarks | - |