New information released Sunday suggests a cluster of fireballs observed late Saturday across the Southeast could have been Chinese satellites deorbiting.
Astronomer Jonathan McDowell said the GaoJing 1092 Superview imaging satellite reentered Earth’s atmosphere above New Orleans around 10 p.m.
The commercial imaging satellite 高景一号02星 (GaoJing 1-02, Superview 1-02), operated by Beijing-based SpaceView (北京航天世景信息技术有限公司) reentered above New Orleans at 0408 UTC Dec 22 (10.08 pm CST Dec 21) heading northbound towards MS, AR, MO and was widely observed pic.twitter.com/GqbwpsAdb8
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) December 22, 2024
Thousands of people captured the burning “space junk” and posted images and videos on social media. McDowell said all pieces of the satellite likely burned before reaching the Earth's surface.
The Chinese satellite is operated by the company SpaceView. It was launched in 2016.
Earlier reports suggested the fireballs were caused by Starlink satellite 3288.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning or become a member to gain access to exclusive content and 1819 News merch.
