Video: Fireballs spotted in Dutch skies likely the remnants of SpaceX rocket
Early risers in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe spotted luminous fireballs flying through the sky between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Meteorologists at Weerplaza believe it was likely the remains of a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX burning up in the atmosphere after a launch.
Omroep Brabant received reports throughout the province from people who spotted the mysterious balls of light. “I first thought it was a crashed plane and wondered, should I call the emergency services?” one witness said.
Another man spotted it above Udenhout, looking toward Veghel at around 4:40 a.m. “It’s strange when you see it. I thought I was still asleep,” he told the broadcaster. In Landhorst, witnesses reported three fireballs visible for 30 seconds. In Heijningen, people could only see two fireballs.
On social media, reports of the lights also came from elsewhere in the Netherlands, as well as Poland and Germany, among others.
Weerplaza meteorologist Floris Lafeber can’t say for certain but thinks the fireballs were remnants of a SpaceX rocket burning up in the atmosphere. “We know that a Falcon 9 rocket was launched on Tuesday,” he said to the broadcaster. “The rockets are unmanned and are sent into the sky with a load of satellites. It may have broken down in space, and it was the parts of the rockets that burned up in the atmosphere.”
