Thousands of people across the Southeast reported seeing a brilliant streak through the sky late Saturday.
Around 10 p.m., videos posted on social media showed a cluster of fiery objects traveling slowly over Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Several reports state the fireballs were likely Starlink satellite 3288 burning up as they reentered Earth's atmosphere. Meteorologist Spinks Megginson of RedZone Weather posted a video from Katie Griffin.
"I am seeing several reports over on X/Twitter indicating this is likely debris from STARLINK-3288 reentering the atmosphere and burning up, streaking across the sky," Megginson stated.
According to Starlink, its satellites are in a low orbit, allowing for lower latency. While over 6,000 Starlink satellites are currently orbiting Earth, they typically reenter the atmosphere within five years.
🚨Update: Thousands of witnesses in the United States see a fireball in the sky. It could be space debris or a disintegrating meteorite.pic.twitter.com/RUGR1IAQIV
— US Civil Defense News (@CaptCoronado) December 22, 2024
Starlink satellite 3288 was launched on Dec. 18, 2021. It is no longer available to view on NORAD's satellite tracker.
Similar sightings were reported in Pennsylvania in October and in California last week.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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