It may look like the world’s strangest tree, but before it was in this sheep paddock near Jindabyne in NSW, it wasn’t on this world at all.
Rather, the curious three-metre hunk of blackened metal is believed to be space junk from a SpaceX Dragon craft that flew over NSW last month, sparking reports of a loud explosion and flashes of light up above.
“At that time, people heard the sonic boom re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere and saw the bright lights and bits breaking off. So, we had a piece of junk that was catalogued over the area and seen and heard around the right time,” said ANU astrophysicist Dr Brad Tucker in a YouTube video, in which he described the space junk’s impact as “an extremely rare event”.
Superintendent John Klepczarek of the Monaro Police District told Riotact that samples have been sent off for analysis as to their origin, pointing out the hundreds of tonnes of space junk already (depressingly) clogging up Earth’s orbit; he also told potential looky-loos that they should keep away from the debris so as not to trespass.
“Not that we want to be spoilsports, but it’s out of respect for the land owners – they didn’t ask for this to happen,” he said.
Here’s hoping that if it does turn out to be aliens, the police issue them a hefty fine for littering, payable in Australian or Altairian dollars.
