Residents of Tashkent observed a bright object in the evening sky leaving a long glowing trail on September 19. The Academy of Sciences reported that Kamoliddin Ergashov, a senior researcher at the Mirzo Ulugbek Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, conducted a preliminary analysis of photos and video materials shared on social media.
According to the specialist, the object's characteristics, its movement, and the trail it left do not match the signs of a meteor or fireball. The observed phenomenon is more similar to processes associated with a rocket or its upper stage.
Experts consider the most likely explanation to be a connection with a space launch that took place in China on September 19. The Long March-2D (Chang Zheng-2D) carrier was launched from the Taiyuan satellite launch center, and four satellites of the PIESAT-2 series were placed into orbit.
Preliminary orbital calculations showed a good match between the launch time, the rocket's trajectory, as well as the time and direction of the object's observation over Tashkent. Nevertheless, specialists noted that it is too early to draw a final conclusion about whether the object is a specific part of the Long March-2D rocket. International orbit catalogs do not yet contain the necessary elements for independent identification of recently launched objects, which could confirm such a connection.
Thus, the preliminary conclusion of the specialists is that the bright phenomenon observed over Tashkent did not possess the characteristic features of a meteor or fireball.