The source of a red-hot, eight-foot metal ring that crashed down in Kenya late last year is even more a mystery after a recent report ruled out all the most plausible space objects. While many scientists have identified the large item as a piece of space debris, astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell has now stated, "I am not fully convinced that the ring is space debris at all."

According to McDowell's research, the strongest theory is that the ring belonged to the SYLDA adapter on a specific European rocket. However, the timeline doesn't add up, since the US Space Force projected this object would re-enter Earth's atmosphere hours after the ring's reported impact.

Another candidate for the ring's origin is a US rocket launched in 2004, yet again, discrepancies in timing and location don't match the fallen ring. McDowell dismissed additional known space objects from consideration, as they also did not re-enter over Kenya or fell at entirely different times.

If the piece didn't originate from any known spacecraft, then the question remains: Where did it come from? Let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page!