SpaceX had some rocket debris burning in the sky and Seattle residents didn’t know what in the world was going on. A bunch of videos sprang up on Twitter about the lights going on in the night sky. Well, Jonathan McDowell from the Center for Astrophysics had an answer. The Falcon 9 second stage rocket used during the March 4 Starlink launch came back to Earth. The plan was for it to make a deorbit burn, but was in orbit for 22 days instead. Reentering after all that time, and in a different location, had some of those Seattle residents wondering what the heck was going on. But, in the end, it was pretty easily explained. Check out what McDowell wrote on Twitter down below:
Videos by ComicBook.com
Is that space debris over Seattle? #wawx pic.twitter.com/dey6yYYLe1
โ Justin Hendryx (@quantumbagel) March 26, 2021
“The Falcon 9 second stage from the Mar 4 Starlink launch failed to make a deorbit burn and is now reentering after 22 days in orbit. Its reentry was observed from the Seattle area at about 0400 UTC Mar 26,” the astronomer wrote.
Did you see any of the burning on social media? Or maybe up in the sky? Let us know in the comments!
Smooth info
The Falcon 9 second stage from the Mar 4 Starlink launch failed to make a deorbit burn and is now reentering after 22 days in orbit. Its reentry was observed from the Seattle area at about 0400 UTC Mar 26. pic.twitter.com/FQrBrUoBHh
โ Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 26, 2021
What was that?
Not sure what streaked across the Seattle sky. Here’s some video of it. Meteor shower or space junk. pic.twitter.com/9ejqJE0w2Q
โ Josh Dill (@joshjdill) March 26, 2021
Even better quality
Just caught a meteor shower on camera?? pic.twitter.com/dNCbFoaLOD
โ vampire enthusiast (@vampyreparty) March 26, 2021
Anyone else see?
Just saw this over the sky in the Seattle area, anyone else? Looked to pretty and creepy at the same time. They started fading and then disappeared completely. #stars #sky #meteor #seattle #aliens pic.twitter.com/QmBWcAvBB7
โ Damian Ian (@House_Averell) March 26, 2021
UFO?
Meteor, asteroid โ๏ธ UFO ๐ธ in Seattle pic.twitter.com/lGmzzTwIZa
โ RHurv (@RHurv) March 26, 2021
A big mystery
What is this?!???!!? Meteor? pic.twitter.com/KmsT7oHNLq
โ henry brannan (@henry_brannan) March 26, 2021
Not the dinos!
Watch out dinosaurs ๐ฆ https://t.co/9U3yqGHSS5
โ jseattle (@jseattle) March 26, 2021
Could you imagine?
Ummm… just caught this flying over my home in SW Portland. pic.twitter.com/CvQJwvWsyj
โ Vince LaVecchia (@vincelavecchia) March 26, 2021