ISS Astronaut Chris Williams Photographs April 27 Fireball Over West Africa as Origin Remains Unconfirmed
Updated
Updated · Notebookcheck.net · May 18
ISS Astronaut Chris Williams Photographs April 27 Fireball Over West Africa as Origin Remains Unconfirmed
3 articles · Updated · Notebookcheck.net · May 18
Chris Williams captured images from the ISS on April 27 of a bright object streaking through the upper atmosphere over West Africa before its tail split into multiple fragments.
The sighting happened while he was scanning for the approaching Progress MS-34 cargo spacecraft, and he photographed the breakup with a Nikon Z9 and 200 mm lens.
No source has been confirmed: astronomers say it could have been the rocket stage linked to that cargo mission, a satellite, other space debris, or a meteor.
Similar upper-atmosphere breakups are not unusual, with recent spacecraft and satellite incidents producing comparable fireball displays.
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