Mystery Space Object WTF1109F Breaks Up Over Sri Lanka (VIDEO)

A mysterious space object called WT1109F, which has been nicknamed “WTF” has made entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists believe it to be space junk, perhaps a piece of debris from a past space mission. This didn’t stop social media from spinning this event into everything from dooms day predictions to extraterrestrials or a UFO.(Video Below)

Earlier this morning the ESA and NASA caught footage of the object breaking up in the earths atmosphere over the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka.

Space debris, also known as orbital debris, space junk and space waste, is the collection of manmade defunct objects in orbit around Earth. This includes spent rocket stages, old satellites and fragments from disintegration, erosion and collisions. Since orbits overlap with new spacecraft, debris may collide with operational spacecraft.

As of 2009 about 19,000 pieces of debris larger than 5 cm (2 in) are tracked, while an estimated 300,000 pieces larger than 1 cm exist below 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi). For comparison, the International Space Station orbits in the 300–400 kilometers (190–250 mi) range and the 2009 satellite collision and 2007 antisat test events occurred at from 800 to 900 kilometers (500 to 560 mi).

Watch the Video: