Russian military satellite debris puts on stunning light show in the sky over Tasmania

Anyone keeping an eye on the night sky has been treated to a spectacular light show – and it all started from an event nearly 15,000km away.

HUNDREDS of Tasmanians were left starstruck on Friday night as a group of bright burning lights shot through the skies.

Many posted to social media in confusion about what they had seen, wondering whether it had been shooting stars, a meteor shower, or a comet.

The bright lights were actually debris burning up in the earth’s atmosphere after the launch of a satellite on the other side of the globe.

So sitting around the fire and just saw this across the sky. Was just amazing. Thoughts on what it was ? Anyone else see it ?

Posted by Kerrie Shurley on Friday, 22 May 2020

A Russian military satellite was launched about 5.30pm AEST which was expected to result in a visible re-entry over parts of Victoria and Tasmania about an hour later.

According to NASA, Russia’s Aerospace Forces launched the Soyuz-2-1b rocket carrying a satellite designed to give the Kremlin advance warning of missile attacks.