AMS event 690-2018 Bahia, Brazil
© American Meteor SocietyAMS event 690-2018
Residents of Salvador, the capital of Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia, reported a bright meteor fireball streaking through the night sky around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday 20th February according to A Tarde On Line. Sightings of the event were also recorded in other parts of the region and shared on social media reports Mídia Bahia.


"Has anyone else seen a 'meteor' crossing Pituba now?" asked a Facebook user. "I do not know it was a shooting star, but I just saw a fireball falling from the sky with a huge flash. Did anyone else from Salvador see?" Another on Twitter said "Does anyone explain this glare in the sky of Salvador? And that object falling and catching fire? I do not know what it was, I've never seen anything like it."



As you might have noticed from watching our monthly video summaries of extreme weather (of both the terrestrial and cosmic kind), the frequency of meteor fireball events is on the rise. The American Meteor Society's Fireball Log data provides a graphic representation of this:

ams data fireballs
© American Meteor SocietyClick to enlarge
See also: Michigan Meteor Event: Fireball Numbers Increased Again in 2017