I’m sure this is probably unnecessary advice for many of Astronomy magazine’s readers, but make sure to look up this Friday. That’s when NASA has calculated its 20-year-old Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) should reenter Earth’s atmosphere. The odds that it hits someone are only 1 in 3,200 (and the odds that it hits you in particular are almost infinitesimal), but it still couldn’t hurt to remain extra vigilant and keep an eye out for pieces of the roughly bus-shaped 13,000-pound (5,900 kilograms) satellite .
NASA’s Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is due to reenter Earth’s atmosphere this Friday, but don’t worry, odds are you’ll be safe. // Photo illustration by NASA
Naturally, the idea that a piece of the sky will actually come hurtling to Earth in a few days has captured some peoples’ attention, but it’s not really that big a deal.
Apparently, the past 50 years have seen an average of one tracked piece of space debris fall back to Earth per day! This time, we just have the benefit of knowing about it slightly in advance.
Because of the complexity of predicting such a thing, NASA’s timeframe for the reentry is simply sometime during the afternoon September 23, United States time. Then, just to be clear, NASA adds, “The time reference does not mean that the satellite is expected to re-enter over the United States. It is simply a time reference.” (In fact, a recent update actually ensures the satellite won’t pass over North America.)
Is it just me, or does it sound like the agency’s getting a little tired about having to make that distinction?
So, if you’re outside on Friday, remember to glance at the skies every now and then. As always, who knows what you might see.