2023-04-20 04:36:24
A flash observed in the sky of kyiv It sparked confusion Wednesday over its origin, initially attributed to the crash of a NASA satellite, though the space agency denied this.
“Around 10:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. GMT) on April 19, a bright flash of an aerial object was observed in the sky of kyiv“, declared the head of the military administration of the city, Sergiy Popko, on Telegram.
“According to preliminary information, the phenomenon was the result of the fall of a NASA satellite to Earth“he added.
United States space agency I hoped that an old 300 kilo satellite would cross the atmosphere again sometime on Wednesday, as reported two days ago.
However, in a statement to AFP, NASA claimed that its RHESSI satellite had not yet entered Earth’s atmosphere at the time the powerful flash occurred in the sky of kyiv.
The Pentagon anticipates that the satellite “will enter Earth’s atmosphere around 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday (0050 GMT on Thursday) with a window of about an hour,” the space agency said.
????????| NEW: The kyiv authorities have officially declared that the flash in the sky is the result of the fall of a NASA satellite. pic.twitter.com/pl5InARiL7
— News Alert ???? (@Alert_News_) April 19, 2023
“No other NASA satellites returned to the atmosphere earlier Wednesday“he added.
A bright flash appears in the sky over kyiv pic.twitter.com/GRf2ZSy3Rl
– RT in Spanish (@ActualidadRT) April 20, 2023
An AFP journalist in kyiv saw a spark in the sky over the capital, but this was not followed by any sound.
Popko specified that after the flash the anti-aircraft alarm was activated, although “air defense was not operational“.
Apparently,unknown type of Russian weapon attacked an unknown target in the Kiev shortly before pic.twitter.com/AAWzLfHcFm
— Spriter (@Spriter99880) April 19, 2023
The Ukrainian Air Force also claimed shortly after that the flash was “related to the fall of a satellite/meteorite“.
the air force added however that it was still necessary to clarify the episode.
Social networks They were filled with speculation and memes after the glowand the Air Force asked not to use its official emblem for humorous purposes.
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