An astronaut aboard the ISS has captured a fireball in the atmosphere

From the ISS, which orbits Earth, astronauts can observe many phenomena. Indeed, they can see storms on Earth’s surface, as well as events in the atmosphere. That was recently the case for astronaut Chris Williams, who photographed a fireball in the upper atmosphere.

This event occurred on April 27, 2026, as the ISS was flying over West Africa. While he was trying to locate the Progress MS-34 cargo spacecraft, he spotted a bright object in the atmosphere, as he explained: 

"I was scanning the sky to try to catch a glimpse of the approaching Progress MS-34 vehicle bringing new supplies. Just as we were passing over West Africa, I saw a bright object directly below us, streaking through the upper atmosphere. I saw its tail grow and then split apart into a shower of smaller pieces."

Although the object’s disintegration is visible in this image, which was captured with a Nikon Z9 and a 200 mm lens, its origin remains unknown. Indeed, several hypotheses have been put forward, but none have been confirmed. As a result, this astronaut may have seen the atmospheric reentry of the rocket that launched this spacecraft. But that’s not all, as it could also have been a satellite, space debris, or even a meteor, according to some astronomers.

However, this kind of phenomenon is not especially rare. Several similar events have occurred in recent years, such as the case of the Starship. Not to mention that several satellites have also encountered problems, causing similar phenomena.