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Fireball spotted in Midwest wasn't a meteor, but a failed satellite

Fireball.jpg
Posted at 5:53 AM, Oct 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-22 12:50:28-04

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Stargazers in the Midwest spotted a fireball in the night sky this week, but the bright streak actually turned out not to be a meteor.

NASA said the long-lasting fireball seen Tuesday was caused by the “reentry and fragmentation of a satellite.”

The American Meteorological Society confirmed the fragment was from Kosmos-2551, a Russian reconnaissance satellite that launched in September, but it failed to maintain orbit

Regardless of what it was, those who spotted the fireball were treated to quite the show

Multiple people in Ann Arbor, Michigan, were able to capture the phenomenon on video and they shared their clips on social media.

“Bro, is this how the dinosaurs went out?” one person said in one of the videos.

WARNING: Profanity can be heard in the clips below.