On Saturday night, a mesmerizing cluster of fireballs illuminated the Southern sky, leaving witnesses both captivated and concerned. The sighting added to the growing unease caused by recent reports of mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey and other parts of the northeast.
This time, however, the truth is available for everyone to discover.
According to experts, the mesmerizing display of lights occurred when a disused Chinese satellite collided with the Earth’s atmosphere.
According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the decommissioned satellite made its entry into the Earth’s atmosphere above New Orleans at around 10 p.m. It then proceeded to burn over the states of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri. McDowell shared this information on X.
Videos captured by amazed individuals show a breathtaking sight of a colossal shooting star, which fragmented into multiple smaller fireballs as it disintegrated in the sky.
“I was just witness to an incredible sight in Mobile, Alabama – a massive meteor plummeting towards the earth with a trail that left me in awe!” shared a user on X.
Another person shared their experience, stating, “I convinced myself that there were some peculiar Christmas lights displayed on a hill.”
According to McDowell, the Beijing-based company SpaceView had utilized the satellite for imaging purposes.
Some individuals remain skeptical about the notion of “harmless space junk.”
Another person expressed their concern by saying, “Having Chinese satellites and drones flying over American territory? That seems like a recipe for disaster.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it is a regular occurrence for space debris to fall back to Earth, with approximately 200-400 objects re-entering the atmosphere each year.
The majority of these objects break apart before they even reach the Earth’s surface, and the fragments that do manage to survive usually end up falling into the ocean.
According to NOAA, there are approximately 30,000 fragments of floating space debris that are larger than a softball. Out of these, approximately 1,000 pieces are as big as a spacecraft.
NASA actively monitors space debris using its Space Surveillance Network, which relies on a combination of space and ground-based equipment.