Mind voice news-Ukraine space agency confirms meteor caused blinding flash over Kyiv
Key points:
* On Wednesday night, a bright flash lit up the skies over Kyiv, causing speculation as to what it could be.
* Initially, officials suspected it could have been a Nasa satellite falling to Earth, but Nasa confirmed the satellite was still in orbit at the time.
* Ukrainian space officials now believe the flash was likely caused by a meteor entering the atmosphere.
Blinding Flash Over Kyiv Was Probably Meteor
-Says Ukraine Space Agency
A mysterious bright flash lit up the sky over Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on Wednesday night, sparking much speculation about its source. Initially, officials in the city suspected that it might have been a NASA satellite falling to Earth. However, the US space agency later confirmed to the BBC that the satellite was still in orbit. Ukrainian space officials later announced that the flash had probably come from a meteor entering the atmosphere.
The glow was observed in the sky over the capital at around 22:00 local time (19:00 GMT), and an air raid alert was activated. However, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, Serhiy Popko, said that “air defence was not in operation”. Mr Popko suggested that the flash was caused by a retired NASA space satellite, referring to a 300kg (660lb) spacecraft that was announced to be re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday. However, NASA’s office of communications stated that the satellite was still in orbit at the time of the flash and was due to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere during the night.
Satellite-tracking website Satflare indicated that the satellite was nowhere near Ukraine at the time. Ukrainian social media was abuzz with theories and memes about what the flash could have been, with some speculating that it might have been caused by aliens. But the air force spokesman, Yuri Ihnat, told Ukrainian TV that the flash had also been seen over neighboring Belarus to the north. Ukraine’s space agency said that it was likely related to a cosmic body entering the dense layers of the atmosphere.
Kyiv officials stated that it was up to experts to determine the flash’s source, but the most important thing was the city’s security. Air raids and Russian air attacks have been all too familiar to the city since the invasion last year, and the air force was confident that it was not a Russian air attack. The incident highlights the importance of maintaining vigilance and preparedness for such unexpected events.
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