Sightings1979

Skylab reentry fireballs over Western Australia

When: 11 Jul 1979
Where: Esperance, Australia
Sources: 2 public sources

The largest recovered piece of Skylab, which fell over Western Australia in 1979 Rycho626 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

NASA's Skylab space station broke up on reentry and scattered debris across southern Western Australia. Esperance residents reported sonic booms and several bright orange lights crossing the sky, and recovered fragments are held at the Esperance Museum.

Sources

Official40 Years Ago: Skylab Reenters Earth's Atmosphere (opens in a new tab)NASA / 2019-07-11
OtherIt's been 40 years today since Skylab burned up off the south of Western Australia (opens in a new tab)Perth Observatory / 2019-07-11

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Where it fits

Earlier in SightingsSpanish Air Force file on lights over the Canary Islands, 5 March 19795 Mar 1979 Later in SightingsDeputy Val Johnson's patrol car encounter26 Aug 1979

See it on the timeline More in Sightings