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What initially appeared to be a meteor lighting up the sky at 5:27 a.m. AEDT over Melbourne was swiftly identified by astronomers as a piece of space debris.
Amateur astronomer and scientist Marco Langbroek confirmed on Bluesky, “Starlink-5103 aligns perfectly with both the position and the current TIP window.”
Even with this straightforward explanation, early risers across the state were captivated by the sight of the debris streaking across the sky.
Enthusiastic stargazers captured footage of the satellite from various suburbs in Victoria, including Hastings, Langwarrin, Sandringham, and Mortlake.
There is a simple method to distinguish between space debris and meteors, experts say.
Space junk from satellites typically travel at a slower pace, at around eight kilometres per second, and move almost horizontally.
Meteors and shooting stars, meanwhile, can travel tens of kilometres per second.
This comparatively leisurely pace means observers can capture space junk on camera.
A growing number of satellites and space debris in orbit around Earth are impacting the night sky.
As of December 2025, there were currently 9357 Starlink satellites – owned by billionaire Musk’s company SpaceX – in orbit.
The Starlink satellites orbit around 550 kilometres above the earth and are designed to stay in the sky for between five and seven years.
Musk previously described Starlink as “rebuilding the internet in space”.
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