Eyewitnesses in Morocco and Spain reported seeing a string of fireballs move through the night sky early on Tuesday. The sight wasn't an extraterrestrial phenomenon but was caused by a piece of Chinese rocket debris entering the atmosphere.
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - SEPTEMBER 8: In this handout photo provided by NASA, The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft lifts off on from Space Launch Complex 41 on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. OSIRIS-REx will be the first U.S. mission to sample an asteroid, retrieve at least two ounces of surface material and return it to Earth for study. The asteroid, Bennu, may hold clues to the origin of the solar system and the source of water and organic molecules found on Earth.
Chinese Rocket Debris Fly Over Morocco, Spanish Skies
Jose Maria Madiedo, a Spanish astrologer at the Andalusian Institute of Astrophysics, shared the stunning phenomenon on Twitter. In the footage, the Chang Zheng2F (CZ-2F) orbital carrier rocket's remnants reentered the atmosphere and fragmented into several fireballs.
The rocket was launched by the Chinese Space Agency (CNSA) on June 5. According to the Spanish news website Sur in English, China deployed three astronauts to the space station for a six-month mission as part of the Shenzhou 14 mission.
The rocket debris entered Morocco's northern regions, especially Tetouan, from the Atlantic Ocean at about 2:30 am (GMT+2).
According to Mediedo, the fireballs sailed over the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Morocco, passing around 10 kilometers from the Spanish city of Almeria.
Daily Mail said the rocket remnants were last discovered as they traversed the Mediterranean Sea between Algeria and Spain around 100 kilometers (60 miles) off the Spanish city of Murcia coast. About two minutes passed during the event.
John Rodgers, an eyewitness, captured footage of the debris shortly after Tuesday evening, illuminating the night sky above Fuengirola.
Experts said the fireballs would have also been seen considerably north in cities like Toledo, Madrid, and Valladolid.
They added that the reentry occurred over the Atlantic, off the coast of Morocco.
The rocket's wreckage flew northeast, passing over Tetuán in northern Morocco before continuing over the Mediterranean, according to Madiedo.
Anoche se produjo la espectacular reentrada en la atmósfera de un cohete chino https://t.co/v1lirgobFG @A3Noticias @EFEciencia @europapress @20m @malagahoy_es @opiniondemalaga @DiarioSUR @erequena @abcdesevilla @diariosevilla @Canvazmar @mjguzman40 @elCorreoWeb @EPAndalucia
— Jose Maria Madiedo (@jmmadiedo) June 21, 2022
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A video of the occurrence, provided by the Andalusian Institute of Astrophysics, shows the fantastic fireballs burning as it reenters Earth's atmosphere.
Eyewitnesses from Morocco and Spain who were startled by the fireballs blazing through the sky documented the occurrence with breathtaking images and videos posted on social media.
Spanish media said that panicked persons calling Andalusian emergency services reported seeing "shooting stars" and "fireballs" in the sky.
History of Rocket Reentries
The phenomenon wasn't new at all. It came after one of Elon Musk's boosters offered New Zealanders a beautiful sight over the weekend.
A spacecraft spilled its fuel, forming a bright blue swirl in the night sky. The rocket debris fireballs are being filmed only days after that amazing sight.
Despite some believing it may have an otherworldly connection, the exhaust plume originated from a SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher that had just launched a satellite into orbit.
A visible blue swirl that eyewitnesses described as moving "serenely" across the night sky were formed when the rocket rotated to release its fuel. This vapor trail also produced a vapor trail that reflected sunlight.
DailyMail said the plume had illuminated the sky over Nelson, a city at the southernmost tip of New Zealand's south island, by around 7:30 pm on Sunday. The debris traveled 750 kilometers (466 miles) south to Stewart Island.
The Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida served as the launchpad for the two-stage rocket on Sunday morning.
RELATED ARTICLE: Mysterious Blue Spiral Travelling Across New Zealand Baffled People Who Thought It Had Extraterrestrial Origins
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