On Sunday night, sky-watchers across parts of Spain were treated to an extraordinary sight. Around half past eleven, a brilliant fireball streaked across the heavens, dazzling onlookers from Andalusia to Murcia, the southern reaches of the Valencian Community, and even the Balearic Islands. Many in Mallorca reported catching a glimpse of the spectacle, which lit up the night with an intense, sweeping glow.
Experts quickly determined that this was no ordinary meteor. Astrophysicist José María Madiedo, of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC) and head of the Smart project, stated on his X profile that the glow was the result of an artificial object making its way back through Earth’s atmosphere. Early indications suggested that it could well have been a decommissioned satellite.
Video by Michael Boon
According to Madiedo, the object entered from above the Atlantic Ocean at a staggering speed of around 29,000 kilometres per hour, cutting across the Iberian Peninsula towards the north-east before reaching the Mediterranean. The heat of re-entry caused it to flare brilliantly, creating what he described as an “artificial fireball” that first appeared about 118 kilometres above the surface and disintegrated into smaller fragments along its path.
The prevailing theory, he noted, is that the debris belonged to a Starlink satellite. While further analysis is under way to confirm its identity, preliminary calculations suggest that any surviving pieces would have ended up in the Mediterranean Sea. This has not stopped the event from igniting curiosity — and conversation — among sky-gazers.
Across Mallorca and beyond, people shared their videos and photographs online, many captured hastily on mobile phones. Social media channels have been flooded with footage of the luminous trail carving through the dark. Meanwhile, attention is already turning to tonight, when the annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak — offering, weather permitting, another chance to witness the wonders of the night sky, this time courtesy of nature alone.