THE SKY IS FALLING!

The predicted uncontrolled re-entry of NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is expected to happen late tonight or early tomorrow. There is a very slim (but not zero!) chance that someone will hurt by the falling debris - but not in Nanaimo, as the defunct satellite passed over the vicinity of the city (just 10 degrees over the horizon) after 2 a.m. last night and not going to come back again. Now it seems that it may reenter over the United States - well, watch the skies over there, its coming home...!

(Uncontrolled re-entries are nasty - and unsafe. In fact, the six-ton satellite was supposed to be retrieved by the Space Shuttle - using its Canadarm -, but after the Columbia accident it was out of question.)

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/uars/index.html