In the sky the Australian flying ball of fire

In the night from Thursday to Friday, may 22, residents of South-Eastern Australia witnessed a spectacular celestial show. A bright object like a fireball flying through the night sky.

As The Guardian reports, a blazing fireball and its long tail was visible from the cities of Rochester, Kyneton, Echuca and Kashmir in the Australian state of Victoria. According to reports the Australian broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the celestial object was also seen in some areas of Tasmania.

The origin of the object has not yet been confirmed, but experts believe that it could be burning up in the atmosphere the third stage of a Russian rocket. Indeed, in that day, Russia has successfully launched a rocket "Soyuz-2.1 b" with the military companion EKS 4 from the Plesetsk cosmodrome North of Moscow.

In the comments under one of the videos it is noted that the object appeared at about 18:15 Melbourne time and was extinguished within 20 seconds. Rocket "Soyuz-2.1 b" was launched in 07:31 GMT.

"The object was moving slowly, at a slight angle, and if this was its decay. All this indicates that it is not an alien ship, a meteor or a comet," said astronomer Perry Vlahos in an interview with The Guardian.

In an interview with ABC astrophysicist Jonty Horner also noted that the slow speed of the object, about 6 km/s, is a clear sign that it was space junk, or third stage of a Russian rocket or small satellite.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»