The dramatic moment that a giant flaming METEORITE lights up the sky and then hammers into the earth so hard that terrified witnesses in the Costa del Sol felt ‘the ground move’ 

  • The fireball smashed down in southern Spain at about 10.25pm on Sunday
  • Moment the meteor crashed at almost 45,000 mph was witnessed by tourists
  • Footage shows the space matter hit the earths atmosphere and burn up
  • Observatories in Almería, Toledo, Granada and Seville reported seeing the light

By Rachael Burford For Mailonline and Rita Sobot In Tenerife For Mail Online

Published: 06:24 EST, 13 December 2016 | Updated: 13:12 EST, 13 December 2016

The moment a meteor crashed to earth at almost 45,000 mph was witnessed by stunned tourists.

The fireball smashed down in southern Spain at about 10.25pm on Sunday and the huge streak of light in the sky was described by tourists and residents in the Costa Del Sol as similar to an 'earthquake'.

Witnesses described feeling 'the earth moving' and compared the impact to a small earthquake or explosion.

The fireball smashed down in southern Spain at about 10.25pm on Sunday and the huge streak of light in the sky was witnessed by tourists and residents in the Costa Del Sol

The space matter hit the earths atmosphere at almost 45,000 mph and burned up, causing a bright light illuminate the night sky

Footage shows the space matter hit the earths atmosphere and burn up, causing a bright light illuminate the night sky.

Observatories in Almería, Toledo, Granada and Seville reported seeing the light. 

The crash happened as the earth went through the Geminids meteor shower, which occurs in December every year. 

It is caused by debris from the 3200 Paethon asteroid that passes close to the sun during its orbit.

Website meteoroides.net said: 'Numerous witnesses claim to have heard an explosion associated with this fireball, as well as having felt a tremor similar to a slight earthquake.

Witnesses described feeling 'the earth moving' and compared the impact to a small earthquake or explosion. The night sky was completely illuminated and observatories all over southern Spain reported the light

'Both these testimonies and the preliminary analysis of the phenomenon indicate that it is probable that a part of the rock has survived its abrupt passage through the atmosphere, falling to the ground in the form of meteorite.' 

Meteors are small rocks in outer space that burn up as they enter earth's atmosphere creating streaks of light. They are are significantly smaller than asteroids and  range in size from small grains to one meter-wide objects.

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