Video of Chinese satellite turning into giant fireball in US sky

(CLO) People across southeastern US states shared videos of bright burning objects in the night sky on Saturday night.

Initially, 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 such as Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee left viewers wondering what the object they were seeing was.

Video of satellite falling to Earth:

Witnesses said the event occurred shortly after 10 p.m. and was visible from several states. McDowell confirmed 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 northward over Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and was widely observed," he wrote on X.

McDowell added that the satellite had been decommissioned since January 2023 and had re-entered the atmosphere uncontrolled. "We knew it was coming down today, but we only had an estimate of the time plus two hours, so we couldn'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. This November, observers also witnessed a SpaceX satellite burning up upon re-entry, 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