Pub conversation
Strangely, a British amateur astronomer (*) was telling me about this down the pub (it's a Friday - where else?) and he had a few extra details:
- the spectroscopy says the surface is 'titanium oxide paint'
- the object is dense because it's oddly unaffected by solar winds (not blown off course) so likely to be more massive than usual space junk
- believed to be Russian 4th or 5th stage rocket
- 10% chance of earth interface in 2036
* http://www.birtwhistle.org/