Overview
- Witnesses across Saxony, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern reported a bright point that became a streak and diffuse light between about 17:30 and 17:45.
- CENAP says sunlight reflected off ice crystals that formed when a Falcon 9 upper stage vented residual propellant.
- The stage had launched the 'Twilight' mission from Vandenberg into a sun-synchronous orbit roughly three hours before the sightings.
- Reports arrived from cities including Dresden, Görlitz, Zwickau and Großenhain, with photos sent in for analysis.
- CENAP, founded in 1976, reports rising sighting numbers since 2019, including 1,348 cases in 2025 often linked to satellites, rocket activity and drones.