Flash over Kyiv was probably caused by falling meteorite, State Space
The State Space Agency of Ukraine officially named the cause of the outbreak on the evening of April 19 in Kyiv.
This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to the press service of the agency.
"The main center of special control of the SSA informs that on April 19, 2023, at 21:57 Kyiv time, a high-energy acoustic event was registered on the territory of Ukraine by the infrasound means of the State Technical Center of Ukraine. The estimated place of the epicenter of the explosion is in the Kyiv region. The event is probably related to the entry of a space body into dense layers of the atmosphere, the information is being clarified," the message reads.
According to scientists, the most likely outbreak was caused by the fall of a meteorite from the Lyrid stream.
"Lyrids are very fast and bright meteors produced by Comet Thatcher's plume. Lyrids do not leave long burning trails as they sweep through the Earth's atmosphere, they are characterized by bright flashes, or so-called 'fireballs.'
The Lyrid meteor shower is one of the oldest known to mankind. It was still observed by the Chinese in 687 BC. e. The Lyrid stream got its name from the Lyra constellation, from which the meteorite rain supposedly falls.
On April 15, 2023, Earth entered the plume of Comet Thatcher, which is leaving the Lyrid meteor stream. Our planet will come out of it on April 29. The peak of the falling star falls on April 21," State Space said.
The agency reported that a similar incident occurred in February this year. At night, a meteor fell over northern France and burned up in the atmosphere. During the explosion, the meter-long celestial body lit up the sky above the country, which was recorded by surveillance cameras and eyewitnesses.
It will be reminded, on the evening of April 19, a bright flash was noticed in the sky over Kyiv during an air alert.
Social media started posting videos of it and speculating about what it could have been.
Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said that the outbreak was caused by the fall of a NASA space satellite. According to him, the air alert was announced to protect people from debris.
This version was also confirmed by the Air Force - however, noting that the information is still being clarified, and it may not be a satellite, but a meteorite.
