An amateur astronomer has recorded images of the out-of-control US satellite as it tumbles back to Earth.

UARS could land anywhere between 57 degrees north and 57 degrees south of the equator - most of the populated world.

Nasa says that most of the satellite will break or burn up before reaching Earth.

But scientists have identified 26 separate pieces that could survive the fall through the atmosphere. This debris could rain across an area 400-500km (250-310 miles) wide.

There is so much junk up there, we actually look like we have a ring system like Saturn now, just not as pretty.

Nasa said scientists would only be able to make more accurate predictions about where the satellite might land two hours before it enters the Earth's atmosphere.

As of 9:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 22, 2011, the orbit of UARS was 110 mi by 115 mi (175 km by 185 km). Re-entry is possible sometime during the afternoon or early evening of Sept. 23, Eastern Daylight Time. The satellite will not be passing over North America during that time period. It is still too early to predict the time and location of re-entry with any more certainty, but predictions will become more refined in the next 24 hours.

The NASA twitter is saying that re-entry will now be later tonight or early tomorrow EDT.

I think the official line is 'fuk noes really'

Now there is an app for that.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/23/sate ... -you-avoid

Theres' speculation of some of it now hitting the US and the African Space Surveillance Ops Centre has issued warnings to people in Africa not to touch any debris.

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:16:50 AM GMT

NASA’s decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite fell back to Earth between 11:23 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m. EDT Sept. 24. The satellite was passing eastward over Canada and Africa as well as vast portions of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans during that period. The precise re-entry time and location are not yet known with certainty.

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:46:42 AM GMT

NASA’s decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite fell back to Earth between 11:23 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m. EDT Sept. 24. The Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California said the satellite penetrated the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. The precise re-entry time and location are not yet known with certainty.