Cause of strange bright object spotted in Irish sky revealed
What mysterious bright object spotted in sky over Ireland really was
- Irish skies were illuminated by a mysterious bright object on Wednesday night, sparking widespread curiosity among onlookers.
- Experts and amateur stargazers quickly identified the phenomenon as debris from an Elon Musk SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which had launched from Florida earlier that day.
- The dazzling display was caused by excess rocket fuel being expelled, freezing in the atmosphere, and reflecting sunlight back to Earth.
- Space commentator Leo Enright explained that venting fuel is a standard and necessary practice for rockets, with the spectacular visual effect depending on specific lighting conditions.
- Enright also highlighted the irony of the event coinciding with a meeting of astronomers discussing the increasing problem of satellite clutter and space debris - to which Ireland is particularly vulnerable due to its geographical location relative to launch trajectories.