"Many residents of the Bay Area and beyond, even as far east as Reno, reported seeing a meteor-like fireball in the sky that broke apart just before 8 pm Thursday. The streaks of light in the sky were seen around 7:45 pm, as KTVU reports, with the station reporting that they received messages from viewers all around the Bay."
"As of 2024 there were around 10,000 active satellites in Earth's orbit, with about 6,600 of those belonging to Elon Musk's SpaceX, under the Starlink banner. As Discover Magazine explains, satellites have finite lifespans, and many get decommissioned in this way, typically burning up harmlessly in the atmospher on reentry. Still, some of their largest and hardest components, like fuel tanks, can survive reentry and come crashing down to Earth."
Residents across the Bay Area and as far east as Reno observed a meteor-like fireball that broke apart just before 8 PM, with streaks seen around 7:45 PM. Observers described a long fire debris trail that split into three pieces traveling east. Astronomical characteristics — slower speed and lower brightness than meteors — identified the object as reentering Starlink satellite debris rather than a natural meteor. Forecasts indicated disposable Starlink components were reentering Earth's atmosphere that evening. Most decommissioned satellites burn up on reentry, but some large, hard parts like fuel tanks can survive and reach the surface. Approximately 160 large objects reenter annually, with agencies tracking debris and most fragments landing in remote areas or oceans. No confirmation yet exists of any surviving debris reaching the ground. SpaceX launched 24 additional Starlink satellites the same day.
Read at sfist.com
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