(CLO) People across the southeastern states of the US shared videos of bright burning objects in the night sky on Saturday night.
At first, many thought it was a meteor shower, but later, astronomer Jonathan McDowell at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics confirmed that it was China's commercial imaging satellite GaoJing 1-02 re-entering the atmosphere.
Videos posted on social media from states like Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee left viewers wondering what the object they were seeing was.
Video of satellite falling to Earth:
X
Witnesses said the event occurred shortly after 10 p.m. and was visible from several states. McDowell confirmed that the burning object was the GaoJing 1-02 satellite operated by the Chinese company SpaceView.
"The GaoJing 1-02 (or Superview 1-02) satellite, operated by Beijing-based SpaceView, re-entered the atmosphere over the New Orleans area at 10:08 p.m. CST, moving north across Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and was widely observed," he wrote on X.
McDowell added that the satellite has been decommissioned since January 2023 and re-entered the atmosphere uncontrolled. "We know the satellite is coming down today, but we only have an estimate of the time within +2 hours, so we can't pinpoint the exact point of impact," he said.
The event also raises concerns about the environmental impact of falling satellites. As satellites burn up and break up in the atmosphere, they release compounds such as aluminum oxide, which can damage the ozone layer and affect the atmosphere’s ability to reflect sunlight.
The re-entry of a Chinese satellite into the US atmosphere is not only an interesting astronomical phenomenon but also a sign of China's strong development in the space field.
Satellite re-entry has become an increasingly common phenomenon as the number of satellites launched into space has increased. In November, observers also witnessed a SpaceX satellite burning up as it re-entered the atmosphere, which was seen over the states of Colorado, Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma.
Ngoc Anh (according to Newsweek, NYP)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/video-ve-tinh-trung-quoc-bien-thanh-qua-cau-lua-khong-lo-tren-bau-troi-my-post326987.html
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