What was that mysterious fireball streaking across the Florida sky? US scientist thinks it was Chinese space junk
- American Meteor Society reports two dozen sightings from Jacksonville to Key West
- Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell says unusual lights came from rocket that was breaking up as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere
Conspiracy theorists took to social media in a flurry of excitement on Wednesday after a mysterious flying object resembling an orange fireball streaked across the Florida sky.
The American Meteor Society reported two dozen sightings from Jacksonville to Key West after midnight and tweeted there’s “no real explanation yet”.
Even the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office joined in on the fun after receiving reports about the mysterious lights, posting on social media that “we were not invaded last night by Martians, but we appreciate the level of confidence you have of us to stop intergalactic invaders”.
Jonathan McDowell of the Centre for Astrophysics has a more logical explanation for the unusual flashes of light, with a not-so blockbuster finale: he said they were just pieces of a Chinese rocket as it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere.
The rocket, launched in January, weighs more than two tonnes and is roughly nine metres (30 feet) long.
