Mysterious Fireball Lights Up Night Sky, Sparks Curiosity

Reports of a bright "fireball" in the sky over Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and other areas were likely caused by space debris from the second stage of a Falcon 9 rocket. The debris was part of the AXIOM-2 mission to the International Space Station and reentered Earth's atmosphere on August 10. While many initially thought it was a meteor from the Perseid meteor shower, evidence suggests it was man-made. Most space debris burns up during reentry, creating a "fireball" effect. The Perseid meteor shower, unrelated to the debris sighting, is still visible and expected to peak this weekend.