Strange lights seen in the sky as SpaceX Falcon 9 debris falling into atmosphere mistaken for meteor shower
- by The Independent
- Mar 26, 2021
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“While we await further confirmation on the details, here’s the unofficial information we have so far. The widely reported bright objects in the sky were the debris from a Falcon 9 rocket 2nd stage that did not successfully have a deorbit burn,” the NWS wrote on Twitter.
“Based on the observed video, this looks more likely than a bolide meteor or similar object as they would be moving far faster on impact with our atmosphere. There are NO expected impacts on the ground in our region at this time.”
In follow-up tweets, it explained what appeared to have gone wrong with the re-entry to make it burn up so spectacularly.
“As a follow up to the debris observed earlier. Here’s some more info on atmospheric re-entry. Typical manmade objects obtain low Earth orbit at speeds around 17,500 mph. As they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere, the angle must be just right. If it’s too steep, they burn up,” it wrote.
“If the angle is too small, they risk “skimming” the atmosphere like a stone on water. Meteors, on the contrary, can easily reach the top of atmosphere at speeds greater than 45,000 mph. In addition, the angle of impact can be very steep...which can incinerate the object quickly.”
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