By Tim Binnall
Multiple villages in India were pelted by mysterious metal balls that rained down from the sky in what is likely a case of space junk falling back down to Earth. According to a local media report, the odd incident unfolded over the course of two days last week and impacted at least seven neighboring communities across the Indian state of Gujarat. The rather sizeable spheres, which can be seen 'showcased' in the video above, weighed approximately 12 pounds each and measured around one-and-a-half feet in diameter.
While there were no injuries from the bizarre 'rainfall,' there was one unfortunate victim in the form of a lamb that just happened to be grazing in the wrong place at the wrong time. “There was a huge sound from the sky and blinding light," recalled a witness to the creature's demise, "I could not see anything but almost the next instant, there was a loud noise and I saw that a metal piece had fallen on a lamb. It was hot and killed the lamb instantly." As one might imagine, the falling balls caused something of a stir in the various villages and left many residents understandably wondering about the origins of the weird spheres.
Fortunately, it would seem that the mystery surrounding the baffling balls may wind up being short-lived as authorities enlisted experts from the Indian government to examine the spheres and they determined that they were likely space junk. Specifically, it was noted that the objects were "made of high-density metal alloys" of the kind used in rocket launches. Narrowing down the nature of the balls even further, a scientist from the Indian space agency indicated that the spheres appear to have been fuel storage tanks. An astronomer who tracks space debris was even able to identify where, exactly, the objects likely originated, pointing to a Chinese rocket that was expected to reenter the atmosphere at around the time of the 'rainfall.'