Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has confirmed that the mysterious glowing object seen streaking across the skies of Lampung and Banten on Saturday night was re-entering space debris, not a natural celestial body.

"The bright object witnessed by residents, which appeared to break into several pieces, was the remains of a Chinese CZ-3B rocket," said BRIN Astronomy Professor Thomas Djamaluddin on Sunday (5/4/2026), as reported by antaranews.com.

According to orbital analysis from Space-Track, the rocket fragment traveled from India toward the Indian Ocean, passing over the western coast of Sumatra. At approximately 7.56 pm local time, the debris descended below an altitude of 120 km, entering the dense layers of Earth's atmosphere. The friction caused the object to incinerate and fragment, creating the spectacular visual display captured in viral social media videos.

Authorities reassured the public that such re-entries are monitored, though they often appear dramatic to ground observers. The incident serves as a reminder of the increasing density of space junk in low Earth orbit, with agencies like BRIN, continuing to track atmospheric entries to ensure public safety and scientific accuracy.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)