A rare astronomical event occurred Tuesday night in West Michigan as a clearing in the clouds allowed viewers to catch a stunning display of scattered space debris entering Earth’s atmosphere. The unusual pattern, characterized by multiple streaks, was attributed to the re-entry of a Starlink satellite.
According to Jonathan McDowell, a space tracker, the satellite, designated as Starlink 5693, entered the atmosphere over southern Wisconsin and Michigan between 9pm CST on January 29th. The event was widely observed in neighboring regions, including Chicago.
The NASA Orbital Debris Program explains that most space debris is composed of human-generated objects, such as spacecraft parts, paint fragments, and defunct satellites. In low Earth orbit, these pieces move at incredible speeds, reaching up to 18,000 mph.
NASA’s program works to mitigate the debris problem by tracking and removing it from space. The organization aims to reduce orbital debris through equipment design and other initiatives.
Source: https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/space-debris-seen-burning-up-over-west-michigan-skies