A brilliant fireball seen across Colorado, Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma on November 9, 2024, was likely the result of a SpaceX Starlink satellite, Starlink-4682, burning up during reentry.

The fireball, observed by dozens of eyewitnesses, was part of a batch of 54 Starlink satellites launched in 2022.

The spacecraft’s reentry was tracked over several states, with witnesses describing it as a fragmented fireball, Space.com has reported.

As more Starlink satellites reenter Earth’s atmosphere, concerns are growing about the potential environmental impact, particularly the release of aluminum oxide, which could harm the ozone layer and alter atmospheric temperatures.

Written B.C. Begley