Space debris lights up night sky across Midwest

CHICAGO - A satellite, initially identified as Starlink-5693, reentered Earth's atmosphere Tuesday evening, putting on a dazzling display across several Midwestern states. 

Residents in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan reported seeing the debris as it whizzed by from west to east in the night sky.

"Something big just broke apart above Northern Illinois. What a sight," a resident of the Prairie State wrote on social media.

The bright streaks resembled a shooting star but with a much more dramatic display.

Jonathan McDowell, a famed astronomer, said the debris appeared to be part of a satellite from SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, which was being closely tracked by space agencies.

"If it reentered around 9:03 PM CST, it would have been over Milwaukee, matching the widespread observations from neighboring areas, including Chicago," McDowell stated on X.

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According to SpaceX, "Starlink satellites operate in a low Earth orbit below 600 km altitude. Atmospheric drag at these altitudes will deorbit a satellite naturally in 5 years or less, depending on the altitude and satellite design, should one fail on orbit. SpaceX proactively deorbits satellites that are identified to be at an elevated risk of becoming non-maneuverable."

The constellation is thought to consist of over 6,000 satellites, which provide broadband internet access to rural areas and communities with limited connectivity.

While the event was widely visible, no damage was reported during the immediate aftermath, as the satellite likely burned up in the atmosphere.

Spotting space debris from Earth’s surface has become more common as hundreds of rockets and satellites are launched every year.

In 2024, NASA and SpaceX announced the move of recovery operations for crewed spacecraft from the East Coast to the Pacific, in an effort to cut down on potential debris falls.

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NASA said it is aware of around half a dozen instances where debris that was designed to disintegrate in the atmosphere made it to Earth’s surface during crewed missions.

Fortunately, none of these events resulted in injuries or significant property damage, but they did make for eye-opening spectacles.