Surprise!!! Don’t Miss To Watch Out Collision of 2,300 Kg Space Junk with Earth
A Space Junk named WT1190F, which is in a colloidal path towards Earth, will re-enter the atmosphere by this Saturday, November 14 at 6:20 am AEDT (2:20 pm Friday EST and 7:20 pm Friday UTC) over the Indian Ocean, about 100 km off the coast of Sri Lanka.
Once back to Earth, WT1190F will burst into flames due to the heat caused by friction against the air molecules. The bursting of the Space Junk looks like a marvelously executed fireworks.
A similar incident happened in 2008, with the European Space Agency sentencing one of its Automated Transfer Vehicles, called Jules Verne, to death by re-entry.
Though WT1190F won’t be that much as that of Jules Verne, it is a certain treat to watch along the Sri Lankan coastline, if people look in the right place at right time.
Observational Astronomer for Lowell Observatory, Nicholas Moskovitz, said, “Unfortunately, it is right around mid-day, which means the sun is going to be up, but the object is probably going to get as bright as the full moon.” Moskovitz informed. “So, if you’re looking in the right location … you could probably see it.”
He made a mention that WT1190F is a residual shell from a long-lost mission, and the name of the mission was uncertain. The re-entry of the Space Junk is a special moment as the scientists have calculated the right place and time of the collision with planet Earth for the first time.
With a half million of space junk revolving the earth at 17,500 miles per hour, here is an illustration of how it looks:
It is an overall view to reducing the chances of collisions as they may cause damage to the satellites or even to the International Space Station. To bring down the collisions, we should reduce the clutter.
The study on the re-entry and collision of WT1190F will provide a deeper knowledge of the features of other unchartered objects like meteors, might behave.
WT1190F is expected to reduce to ashes before it reaches the ground and there is to be no harm to the sailors on the sea or sea life.
