Video: NASA Shares "Epic" Visuals Of Bright Object Streaking Through Upper Atmosphere

NASA has recently shared a mesmerising visual of an "object" burning through Earth's atmosphere. We often witness human-made debris falling on Earth, appearing like a shooting star. But the video shared by the US-based space agency grabbed attention as it was captured from the International Space Station (ISS). From orbit, the event looked like a glowing fireball tearing through the atmosphere, leaving a bright and long trail behind it.

The video was captured on April 27 at about 10:40 PM GMT by astronaut Chris Williams. "I was in the @iss Cupola and saw something really neat. I was scanning the sky to try to catch a glimpse of the approaching Progress MS-34 vehicle bringing new supplies," Williams wrote on Instagram.

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"Just as we were passing over West Africa, I saw a bright object directly below us, streaking through the upper atmosphere. I saw its tail grow and then split apart into a shower of smaller pieces. I think it must have been some piece of orbital debris or a satellite breaking up as it entered the atmosphere. It was quite a light show!"

Reacting to the video, one user said it looks like "Optimus Prime on the way", referring to the main protagonist of the Transformers franchise. Another user simply called it "epic!"

Watch the video here:

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A post shared by Chris Williams (@astro_chrisw)

Nasa later confirmed that the event was not caused by the cargo resupply ship, as Progress 95 (also called Progress MS-34) docked safely on April 27 as planned.

However, according to the space agency, the astronaut may have witnessed the reentry and breakup of the rocket used to launch it. It could have been another rocket body, a satellite, or other human-made space debris.

A scientist with NASA's Crew Earth Observations office noted that without knowing exactly where the handheld camera was pointed, it's difficult to pinpoint the source. NASA also said that it's possible that the light show was caused by meteoric material burning up.

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Astronauts aboard the International Space Station regularly witness re-entries. They describe it as one of the most spectacular sights you can see from space. As per NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office, the majority of large orbital debris comes from fragmented satellites and launch vehicles. The material is concentrated within 2,000 kilometres of the surface and typically orbits at speeds of roughly 25,000 kilometres (16,000 miles) per hour.

Re-entering space junk is a planned part of satellite operations. Many modern satellites are designed to burn up completely on re-entry to avoid dropping debris on populated areas. Space agencies also track larger objects to predict where surviving fragments might land, though the ocean is the usual target.