Melbourne satellite re entry?
 

Those of us over s/e Victoria tonight were treated to a spectacular show as an object re entered the atmosphere and burned up, around 9:45pm. My guess is satellite, anyone else see it and have an idea?

I took a video but it predictably didn't turn out. Hell of a show though. Looked like the shuttle disaster.

Reportedly visible from Melbourne in eastern sky heading northwards. Also visible on south coast of NSW too, obviously very high. If multi colored sparks, then it's likely to be satellite debris with the different metals burning different colours.

Otherwise most likely a bolide, or rock shattering on impact with the atmosphere with the greater surface area of the parts allowing more burning, thus appearing brighter than something that might actually reach the ground.

Also visible from Campbelltown NSW at about the same time. We were heading south on the M5 towards Narellan and saw it heading in a westerly direction. Appeared to be very high. It was indeed spectacular.

Oh no!

The Triffids have arrived.

You shouldn't have looked:ooh:

EWL

Was airborne, and one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Everyone was talking about it over the radio's and the guard police out in force too, good times!

How was that Qantas bloke worried they might encounter debris, classic!

Looks like it was a meteor.

In todays papers.

Maybe, but a few minutes sleuthing reveals that space debris number 14037j was tracking to renter the atmosphere overhead Melbourne SSE to NNW at approx 2138 local.

OK, thanks.

Normally they give a warning if something is coming down over suburbia
or they have done in the past.

Impressive piece of video here.

Don't see how people can be "shocked" unless we have become
a bunch of pansies.

Meteor: 'Space junk' lights up Australian skies

Re lack of warnings. It was likely only a rocket stage or something similar not expected to make ground contact.

I wonder if Geoffrey Thomas will give us an expert opinion of the potential aviation safety risk this event may have caused? Perhaps he can recreate some creative scenarios in the Sim and dazzle us with how his expertise would mitigate such an occurrence if it were to happen again?

He was on Ch 7 the other day about that Go around because of jet crossing the runway.

I couldn't listen to him !

That confirms it for me, at that time I was on approach into OOL and saw a long stream of orange lights to the west. By the time I said to my FO "WTF", checked my TCAS and looked back up it had disappeared. At the time I put it down to the 'mushrooms'.

Golden rules: one head up at all times. (Airbus)

Nah, that was the Pacific Motorway. Check your Rad Alt next time. :O

Good advice, I hope the Air Asia X guys are reading this also ;).

From the background comments of whoever shot that video, are you sure it wasn't an outtake from "The Bogan Hunters"?

Ha Ha, you are joking ofcourse, the vast majority of Australians would not have had a clue what they were looking at, including me.
you are clearly some sort of genius that instantly knows all about everything, amazing, I stand in awe.:cool:

Arnold,

Are you saying most people don't know about meteorites and them entering earths atmosphere ? Especially after the publicity of the Russian ?

Not a genius, just done a lot and been exposed to a lot in my life.

Errr, wasn't a meteorite.:hmm:

I know, but most things falling out of the sky that make big fireballs are so that is likely to be the most likely thing to think of.