A Chinese satellite, GaoJing 1-02, disintegrated in a fiery, uncontrolled reentry over the U.S. on Dec. 21, creating a dazzling fireball visible across multiple states.

The satellite, inactive since January 2023, entered the atmosphere above New Orleans, traveling at 17,000 mph before breaking apart over Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.

Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell explained that the satellite naturally reentered due to atmospheric drag.

Social media buzzed with photos and videos, with some mistaking the event for the Ursid meteor shower, Live Science has reported.

Just a day earlier, a Chinese Long March 4B rocket also burned up over Puerto Rico after months of orbital decay.

Written by B.C. Begley