Victorian residents have been treated to a rare sight after space junk, believed to be from one of Elon Musk's satellites, soared back into the earth's atmosphere.
The astronomical display initially looked like a meteor illuminating the sky about 5.27am AEDT – but Melbourne astronomers quickly identified it as a piece of space junk.
Observational Astronomer Associate Professor Michael Brown said the debris was likely a piece of Musk's Starlink-5103 re-entering the sky.
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"Starlink-5103 is a match in both position and being in the current TIP window," amateur astronomer and scientist Marco Langbroek added in a post on Bluesky.
Despite the simple explanation, early risers all over the state were still stunned to witness the piece of junk streak across the sky.
Keen-eyed stargazers filmed the satellite from multiple Victorian suburbs, including Hastings, Langwarrin, Sandringham and Mortlake.
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There is an easy way to tell the difference between space junk and meteors.
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.
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Around 10 of these satellites are working, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell.
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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