The Sky’s Not Falling – It’s Just a Satellite the Size of an SUV

When you’re out and about this Veterans Day weekend, watch your head. A 2000 pound satellite is due to crash to the ground sometime today or tomorrow “somewhere on Earth.”

A defunct satellite from the European Space Agency the size of a Chevy Suburban is set to plunge to Earth somewhere between Sunday night and Monday afternoon — and experts say there’s no way to precisely determine where it will crash.

GOCE, or Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer, ran out of gas last month and has been steadily sinking towards the Earth. As the planet rotates, the satellite whizzes over nearly every point on Earth. Experts expect it to plunge harmlessly into the oceans that cover 70 percent of the surface of the planet. But what if it doesn’t? (source)

The satellite was put in space to study gravity, and now, gravity is the very property that will pull it on its destructive final course. Most of the satellite is expected to break up and burn as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere but scientists predict that about 45 pieces of debris, that could weigh up to 200 pounds each, will reach the Earth’s surface. (source)

If you happen to be a the betting type, Making OddsG ambling houses are taking bets on where the space junk will land.

Here’s the odds (as of Saturday morning) on the GOCE satellite crashing down on different continents, British gaming company Ladbrokes told FoxNews.com.

North and South America: 6/4

Russia and Asia: 2/1

Africa: 4/1

Europe: 5/1

Australia: 10/1

Bets are void if it lands in the sea, the company noted. (source)