On the evening of the 30th, many netizens from Weifang, Rizhao in Shandong, China, and other areas expressed on social media platforms that they captured an unidentified flying object passing through the night sky. Some netizens from Jiangsu, Anhui, and other areas also claimed to have seen it. In response, some netizens speculated it might be a meteor; however, some astrophysics bloggers suggested it was a reconnaissance satellite launched by a foreign country.
Netizen Ms. Wang told the media that around 8:45 PM, she and her sister saw an unidentified flying object fly by in Changyi County, Weifang City. They observed a large object followed by several smaller ones, "quite bright, didn’t react in time to make a wish". Another netizen "Weizi Comes" stated that she saw the unidentified flying object in Anqiu City, lasting about 20 seconds.
Astrophysics PhD Liu Boyang, after investigation, believes this should be the reconnaissance satellite numbered 'Cosmos 1674', launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Soviet Union on August 8, 1985.
Another space science account claimed this was the scene of a satellite burning up upon re-entry into the atmosphere. The account also introduced that this was an electronic reconnaissance satellite from Russia, launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome on August 8, 1985.
On the morning of the 31st at 8 AM, a staff member from the Shandong Astronomical Association told the media that due to poor weather conditions in his area at the time, he did not observe a similar situation and was not very clear about the aforementioned event.