In the morning of February 19, around 4:45 (UTC +1) a bright flash of light illuminated the skies over Belgium and the Netherlands, sparking curiosity and speculation among residents. The phenomenon, initially thought to be a meteor or other celestial event, impacted in Poland and was later identified as SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket debris re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
According to the Royal Observatory of Belgium, the flash was likely caused by a piece of discarded space equipment burning up upon re-entry. Such occurrences are not uncommon, as thousands of defunct satellites, rocket stages, and other fragments orbit the Earth, occasionally re-entering and disintegrating due to friction with the atmosphere.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and other monitoring organizations regularly track space debris to assess potential risks. While larger objects can survive re-entry and reach the ground, most burn up before impact. Authorities confirmed that this particular event did not pose any danger.
Observers across Belgium and neighboring regions reported seeing the bright streak, followed by a brief but intense illumination of the sky. The spectacle serves as a reminder of the growing presence of space junk and the challenges it poses to space operations and safety on Earth.
Het object dat rond 4:45 NL tijd vanochtend boven Nederland in de atmosfeer terecht kwam en fragmenteerde was zeer waarschijnlijk de Falcon 9 bovenste rakettrap van de Starlink lancering van 1 februari (object nr 62878, 2025-022Y) #reentry @AETUDelft @SSC_NL pic.twitter.com/F6F7R08J8m
— Dr Marco Langbroek (@Marco_Langbroek) February 19, 2025
