The spy satellite Kosmos-2551 from Russia returned to Earth in the early hours of Wednesday (20). During re-entry into the atmosphere, the satellite was glowing like a beautiful fireball as seen by observers in cities across the southern and northern United States. The American Meteor Society (AMS) has received reports of more than 80 people seeing a glowing object in the sky.
There is not much doubt about the identity of the object. AMS estimated that the fireball “lit up” at 1:43 a.m. EDT, estimating the exact time the Kosmos-2551 satellite would pass through the reporting areas. “So I conclude that the identity of Kosmos-2551 is solid,” commented Jonathan McDowell, astronomer and satellite tracker. Chris Johnson, one of the people watching the re-entry, posted a 27-second video that shows the satellite shining into the sky from Fort Gratiott Township, Michigan.
check out:
Want to catch up on the best tech news of the day? Access and subscribe to our new YouTube channel, Canaltech News. A summary of the headlines from the tech world for you every day!
Kosmos-2551 is a Russian reconnaissance satellite that was launched in September but failed. After launch, the satellite failed to adjust its orbit, and McDowell estimated that the satellite would re-enter the atmosphere the next day—the prediction took less than an hour to realize. The satellite’s re-entry probably did not leave debris, so there was little risk of people or buildings on the ground being affected.
This type of fireball, due to the re-entry of space junk, is a very rare phenomenon to see – recently, for example, Remains of a Falcon 9 Rocket, gives SpaceX, Starlink shone in the sky after the launch of a wave of satellites. Therefore, as humanity continues to launch more and more satellites into orbit, these events are expected to become more and more common.
Did you like this article?
Subscribe to your email at Canaltech to receive daily updates with the latest news from the world of technology.
