A blazing fireball that streaked across Brazilian skies has been identified as the remnants of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched over a decade ago.

The luminous object was observed in multiple regions, including the states of Bahia, Mato Grosso, Goias, Minas Gerais, and the Federal District, on 14th May, as reported by the Brazilian Meteor Observation Network (BRAMON).

The rocket, designated NORAD 40108, was launched on 5th August, 2014, as part of the AsiaSat 8 mission, placing a communications satellite into geostationary orbit.

After completing its mission, the Falcon 9's second stage remained in orbit as space debris for nearly 11 years before re-entering Earth's atmosphere.

BRAMON's analysis indicates that the object was first sighted over Brasilia at 6:24pm and disappeared over Bahia by 6:28pm, covering approximately 930 miles in four minutes at speeds between 13,400 to 15,700 mph.

The re-entry produced a bright trail visible across several states, leading many residents to initially believe it was a meteor.

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, corroborated BRAMON's findings, stating that the observed trajectory matched the expected re-entry path of the Falcon 9's second stage.

Videos of the event circulated widely on social media, capturing the attention of both the public and experts.

Astronomer Ricardo Ogando from Brazil's National Observatory confirmed that the phenomenon was consistent with the re-entry of space debris rather than a natural celestial event.

Experts warn that such occurrences may become more frequent due to the increasing amount of space debris orbiting Earth.