Get ready for a cosmic showdown! A massive hunk of space junk, weighing over 1,000 pounds, is on a collision course with Earth and is expected to make its fiery re-entry between May 8 and May 11.

This isn't your average piece of space debris; it's the Kosmos 482 spacecraft, which has been orbiting our planet since 1972. Originally built by the Soviet Union, it was designed to explore Venus, but suffered a malfunction and never completed its mission.

What makes this situation even more intriguing is that Kosmos 482 comes equipped with a heat-resistant shield. This means that instead of disintegrating upon re-entry, pieces of it could survive the plunge into our atmosphere.

While the chances of it landing in a populated area are slim, experts caution that remnants might still hit the ground—especially since this spacecraft was built to withstand the extreme conditions of Venus. So, even if it partially breaks apart, chunks could very well make it through.

As we approach the re-entry window, keep your eyes on the sky! If conditions permit, you might witness a slow-moving meteor light up the night, a striking reminder of humanity's ventures beyond our planet.