Russia's rocket space junk triggers speculations of meteor sighting in Australia

Residents of Australia’s Victoria reported a meteor-like bright streak of light on May 22 which turned out to be debris from a Russian Soyuz rocket re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. Social media was flooded with videos of night sky in Kyneton, Echuca and Cashmore and eye-witnesses wondered about source of light.

A Facebook account named ‘Victorian Storm Chasers’ shared video with title 'Meteor sighting' and it immediately went viral. “EPIC!! Check out this incredible vision captured by Mel Aldridge t long ago at Cashmore near Portland! We're getting plenty of reports. Please ensure you mention who took vision and where,” wrote Facebook p.

Several netizens thought it was a meteor entering earth’s atmosphere and some of m even triggered speculation of disintegrating satellite and alien invasion. “I'm expert but how could something last that long in Earth's atmosphere in that state without fragmenting and burning up completely? sonic boom I guess as thing reported. Very interesting indeed (sic),” commented a user. Check out some of or reactions:

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Soyuz-2-1b debris

However, experts observed that it wasn’t a meteor or alien craft because of speed of object. Perry Vlahos, vice president of Astromical Society of Victoria, reportedly said that slow-moving object at a shallow angle and amount of disintegration gave it away that it was neir a meteor r an alien craft. According to media reports, Russia launched Soyuz-2-1b rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome on May 22 and object was junk from rocket that re-entered atmosphere.

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