SpaceX satellite re-entry lights up the night sky in Dötlingen, Germany

On July 24, 2026, in Dötlingen, Germany, @kamel_cha shared a video capturing a bright object streaking across the night sky. In the video, a long, glowing trail illuminates the dark sky as a bright object moves steadily overhead, leaving a luminous streak visible for several moments before gradually fading from view. According to experts, the phenomenon was observed between approximately 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. across parts of northern Germany, including Dötlingen and the Bremen area. Skywatchers in northern Germany and the Netherlands reported seeing a slow-moving, multi-fragment fireball, which aerospace forecasters identified as the controlled atmospheric re-entry and burn-up of retired SpaceX satellite hardware rather than a natural meteor.