# A small meteoroid struck the satellite and sunlight reflected from the ejected debris into the bhangmeters.

> Disputed: A small meteoroid struck the satellite and sunlight reflected from the ejected debris into the bhangmeters.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/vela-incident/answers/ANS0CW4X0XC3N6F/a-small-meteoroid-struck-the-satellite-and-sunlight  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

---

[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[1979 Vela incident](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/vela-incident)[Was the signal of 22 September 1979 a nuclear explosion?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/vela-incident/questions/QST0CW4WXZM2TV0/was-the-signal-of-22-september-1979-a-nuclear-explosion)Answer

Answer · 1979 Vela incident

# A small meteoroid struck the satellite and sunlight reflected from the ejected debris into the bhangmeters.

A small meteoroid struck the satellite and sunlight reflected from the ejected debris into the bhangmeters.

**Disputed** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Disputed** Two pieces of evidence for, three against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Bhangmeter traces inconsistent with a burst in some respect.
- No corroborating signal anywhere.

## What would rule it out

- Impact modelling showing debris could not enter the sensors' field of view, or independent corroboration of a burst.

## Evidence 2 for · 3 against

[The bhangmeters disagreed in part of the second pulse, which the panel had not seen in earlier tests.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/vela-incident/evidence/EVD0CW4X1562SC0/the-bhangmeters-disagreed-in-part-of-the-second-pulse-which)

Suggestive

FOR

[The panel called the debris explanation reasonable but did not claim it was correct.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/vela-incident/evidence/EVD0CW4X1D073DE/the-panel-called-the-debris-explanation-reasonable-but-did)

Speculative

FOR

[Given the satellite's geometry and solar panels, most impact debris would move away from the sensors' field…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/vela-incident/evidence/EVD0CW4X24E0K8R/given-the-satellites-geometry-and-solar-panels-most-impact)

Supported

AGAINST

[The DIA put the chance of a single-meteoroid cause at under one in a hundred billion.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/vela-incident/evidence/EVD0CW4X1WM3DAY/the-dia-put-the-chance-of-a-single-meteoroid-cause-at-under)

Suggestive

AGAINST

[Two-meteoroid scenarios would produce such a signal about once in a billion years.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/vela-incident/evidence/EVD0CW4X1MT26S5/two-meteoroid-scenarios-would-produce-such-a-signal-about)

Supported

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[Was the signal of 22 September 1979 a nuclear explosion?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/vela-incident/questions/QST0CW4WXZM2TV0/was-the-signal-of-22-september-1979-a-nuclear-explosion)

Most likelyA low-yield atmospheric nuclear test of a few kilotons, near the ocean surface

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). A small meteoroid struck the satellite and sunlight reflected from the ejected debris into the bhangmeters. [Answer ANS0CW4X0XC3N6F]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0CW4X0XC3N6F
```

Key

**ANS** 0CW4X0XC3N6F

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

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