On the evening of last Wednesday (14), residents across several cities in Minas Gerais, Brazil, were astonished by a bright light streaking across the sky. The glowing trail, which resembled a fireball, quickly gained attention on social media. People in parts of Bahia and the Federal District also reported seeing the event.
Following the widespread buzz, experts analyzed the footage and determined that the phenomenon was caused by a piece of space debris — specifically, a component of the Falcon 9 rocket, originally launched in 2014 by the American company SpaceX.
What Was the “Fireball” Exactly?
According to the Brazilian Meteor Observation Network (BRAMON), the object seen in the sky was the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, which detached during its mission nearly 11 years ago. Since then, it had been orbiting the Earth as space junk until it re-entered the atmosphere, creating the stunning light show.
BRAMON calculated that the object traveled approximately 1,500 km in about four minutes, at an estimated speed of 6 to 7 kilometers per second.
Not a Meteor — It Was Space Junk
Astronomer Renato Las Casas from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) clarified that this wasn’t a meteor. “Because the object was moving relatively slowly, we can rule out a meteor. Meteors come from much farther away and enter the atmosphere at much higher speeds,” he explained.
Las Casas added that space junk refers to any man-made object in space that no longer serves a purpose — from defunct satellites to tools lost by astronauts.
Why Did It Light Up the Sky?
The dramatic light was caused by extreme atmospheric friction, which causes the object to heat up, ignite, and break apart before reaching the ground. According to the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), it’s rare for any fragments of such objects to survive the descent. If any pieces are found, they should be collected and analyzed.
Original Falcon 9 Mission
The Falcon 9 rocket was launched on August 5, 2014, with the mission of deploying the AsiaSat 8 communications satellite, designed to provide services to the Asia-Pacific region. After completing its task, the rocket’s second stage remained in orbit as space debris, slowly decaying until it reentered Earth’s atmosphere this week.
BRAMON confirmed the object’s identity as Falcon 9 body NORAD ID 40108, based on available reentry data and tracking records.
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