Meteor passage brightens the sky and “night turns into day” in the Northeast; watch the video

The northeastern sky was lit up by a meteor in the early hours of this Saturday (13). The phenomenon was seen in cities in Bahia, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte and especially Piauí.

According to the images, at around 00:10, the night sky in the Northeast was clear until the camera images were distorted by the light from the celestial body. Watch the videos below:

Meteor turns night into day in Northeast Brazil – 07/13/24

In another image, it is possible to see a child playing with confetti on the floor of a space decorated for June festivals when, in the background, a green flash explodes and brightens the sky.

Understand the phenomenon

Prof. Dr. Alexandre de Castro Maciel, from the Physics Department of the Federal University of Piauí, explained how the phenomenon occurs. According to him, what the people of Piauí witnessed was a true science lesson.

“The meteor that caused this flash is classified as a bolide, a type of extremely bright meteor. This phenomenon occurs when a fragment of rock or metal from space enters the Earth’s atmosphere at a very high speed, burning due to friction. This intense brightness is caused by the vaporization of the meteor, which releases a large amount of light energy.”

In addition to the light, some residents reported tremors in their homes. According to the professor, the disintegration of the meteor can also generate sound as it enters the atmosphere, and this sound is the cause of the tremors.

For space lovers and curious people, Alexandre says that the show last night was just the first act of a bigger spectacle.

“This phenomenon may be part of the Delta Aquariids meteor shower. The peak of this shower is expected to be observed on July 31, but this phenomenon could already be observed as of yesterday. It is caused by the debris of a meteor. Events like this are rare and offer an impressive spectacle in the night sky.”