WATCH | Mysterious flash over Kyiv probably meteorite, says Ukrainian space agency

Amid Russian missiles and drones that have been causing panic in Kyiv for the past year, it is a fireball-like phenomenon now in the skies which is causing anxiety in the conflict-ridden country.An intense burst of light in the skies over the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv on Wednesday set off panic buttons in the country's defences which initiated an air raid alarm to caution people.

As soon as the images and videos of the bright light in Kyiv skies went public, netizens started calling it out as an alien invasion. The Ukrainian military also put rest to theories that flash light was from a Russian attack.“After verification and clarification, the information regarding the possible use of enemy aircraft or an air strike with missile weapons was not confirmed,” the military said.

Ukraine's space agency said that the light was “probably related” to meteorite entering into Earth’s atmosphere. Air sirens did initially sound in the city, as officials thought a NASA satellite or a incoming missile was heading towards the city. However, the US space agency denied that the bright flash was a satellite of theirs.

Head of Kyiv's military administration Sergiy Popko said on Telegram that a "bright glow" was seen up in the skies over Kyiv. The phenomenon was witnessed at around 10:00 pm upon which an air raid alert was activated.

Even though the alert was put in place, the air defence was not in operation, as per Popko.

Memes started to flood the internet making odd guesses about what the glowing light in the sky could be. Amid all the panic and anxiety, a post by the Ukrainian military claimed that it was a NASA satellite reentering the Earth's atmosphere.

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"According to preliminary information, this phenomenon was the result of a NASA space satellite falling to Earth," Popko wrote on Telegram. "While social media is amused by flying saucer memes... please do not use the official symbol of the Air Force to create memes!" the Ukrainian air forces said.

NASA's retired satellite 'RHESSI'

A couple of days ago, NASA said that Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), a decommissioned spacecraft, is anticipated to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in April, about 21 years after launch. According to the US space agency, there is no danger to people from it.

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The 2002-launched RHESSI satellite studied solar flares and coronal mass ejections from its low-Earth orbit. It aided in advancing scientific knowledge behind the production of potent energy bursts. The US agency also stated that as it enters the atmosphere, most of the spacecraft will burn up."But some components are expected to survive reentry," NASA said.

Something happened in Kyiv sky tonight. The whole city is at a loss, what it was. UFO? pic.twitter.com/DAic7QHae2 — olexander scherba🇺🇦 (@olex_scherba) April 19, 2023

Upon the risk posed by the spacecraft's entry into the earth's atmosphere, NASA estimated it to be low approximately one in 2,467.After 16 years, NASA decommissioned the satellite in 2018 due to communication problems.

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RHESSI has throughout the years compiled data on the enormous variety of solar flare sizes, from microscopic nanoflares to enormous superflares that are thousands of times more powerful and explosive.

Even findings unrelated to flares were achieved by RHESSI. It included improved measurements of the Sun's structure and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, released over lightning storms.It said that the 300-kilogram (660-pound) satellite will reenter the atmosphere sometime on Wednesday. The Ukrainian Air Force also stated that the flare seen over Kyiv was "related to the fall of a satellite/meteorite."

NASA says flash was not its satellite

Even as Ukraine said it was a NASA satellite, the claim was rejected by Rob Margetta from NASA's Office of Communications. In a conversation with a UK media portal, the officials said that RHESSI satellite was in orbit when the flash of light was seen over Kyiv skies. Margetta added that the spacecraft would re-enter Earth's atmosphere in night time. He added that NASA along with US defence department is tracking the satellite.

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