NASA Says Flash Over Kyiv Wasn't Falling Satellite

Since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, the people of Kyiv have become all too familiar with things falling from the sky—but a flash that lit up the skies over the Ukrainian capital Wednesday night was unlike anything they had seen before. Officials initially believed it was a defunct NASA satellite that was due to fall to Earth, but NASA told AFP and the BBC that the RHESSI solar observation satellite was still in orbit at the time of the flash. Ukraine's air force said it did not believe it was a Russian attack, noting that the bright glow was also seen over Belarus to the north. Reuters reports that the flash led to speculation online that a meteorite or even aliens were involved. (More Kyiv stories.)