When it enters the atmosphere it may appear as a fireball show, even in daylight
Update 09:25 – The satellite fell, no details have been provided yet. Updates will continue at this link.
Update - 07:45: The satellite has slowed down and has not yet fallen.
Update 00:30 The satellite is expected to fall at four in the morning
The UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite) which is the size of a bus is expected to enter the atmosphere tonight around 00:58 GMT (03:58 Israel time) plus or minus seven minutes.
In its latest update, NASA confirmed that the satellite will not pass over the US this time, but it may appear as a fireworks show to viewers in Europe and Asia. According to the forecast, it will end the journey in the Pacific Ocean.
Due to the solid nature of some parts of the satellite, it is likely that about 500 kilograms of material will hit the ground or water. The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) has issued a local space debris warning.
The calculation is that the risk of injury to any person from satellite debris is 1 in 3,200, says Nick Johnson, chief scientist of NASA's Space Debris Program. However, the chance that any person will be harmed is 1 in 21 trillion.
It is still unclear where the satellite will pass and over which area it will enter the atmosphere, but it is a fireball in the city that will be visible even in daylight. The shards will not be very hot. The heating of the objects passing through the atmosphere is stopped at an altitude of about 32 kilometers and then they start to cool.
