On 2 November 2025 at 20:41 CET, ESA’s AMS82, a meteor detection station located in Casas de Millán, Cáceres, Spain, recorded a bright bolide streaking northwest over Portugal.
Operated by ESA’s Planetary Defence Office and part of the AllSky7 network, the station captured the blazing object from its appearance at 97 km above Lousã, Castelo Branco, before disintegrating at an altitude of 43 km above Amiosinho, Coimbra, both in Portugal. It was travelling at approximately 81 000 km/h. The object was not detected prior to impact.
Calculations from the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network (SWEMN – IAA-CSIC) suggest the object originated from a comet. Upon entering Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, its surface heated to several thousand degrees Celsius, becoming incandescent.
The event was marked by a striking explosion, caused by the sudden rupture of the rock, which produced a sharp increase in brightness. Before extinguishing, the fireball travelled roughly 80 km through the atmosphere.
The bolide was preceded almost an hour before, at 19:42 CET, by a meteor that lit up the skies for around 8 to 10 seconds. Despite the close timing, the two events followed distinct trajectories, indicating they were likely unrelated.
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