Flashes of light seen across the sky over south-eastern Australia on Monday night were likely to have been remnants of a Russian rocket, the country's space agency said.
The dazzling display was spotted over the southern states of Victoria and Tasmania, captivating stargazers who thought it might be a meteor.
But the Australian Space Agency said it was more likely to have been a Russian Soyuz-2 rocket re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.
The rocket had been launched earlier that evening from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia's north-west, the agency said.
"This launch was notified and remnants of the rocket were planned to safely re-enter the atmosphere into the ocean off the south-east coast of Tasmania.
"The Australian Space Agency will continue to monitor the outcomes of this re-entry with our government partners."
There is growing concern about the risks posed by wayward space junk to satellites, humans and the environment.
Jaime Andres Alvarado Montes of Macquarie University said Earth's orbital traffic had become "congested" with a "rise in objects and subsequent close encounters".
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Trump Assassination Attempt: How Does It Change The US Campaign?
Russia Says It's Ready To Work With Any US Leader Russia, Ukraine Exchange 95 Prisoners Of War Record Heat Temperatures In Ukraine After Russian Attacks On Power Plants Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Break 64-Year Royal Tradition In Surprise Move Biden Says Could Drop Election Bid If "Medical Condition" Emerged Russia Says It's Ready To Work With Any US Leader 3 People Die After Drowning In Lake In Telangana: Cops Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.