Look up. Is it a bird? A plane? Aliens?
It's definitely not aliens, but SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is trolling concerned Los Angeles residents and celebrities who noticed something eerie in the early evening sky Friday.
It was definitely aliens
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2017
Many assumed the strange shape and smoke were from an alien spaceship or a UFO.
But relax, it was a planned launch from the nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base. At 5:27 p.m., the Iridium-4 satellite was launched as part of a series to form the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation.
SpaceX is launching 75 of 81 new Iridium satellites that will be part of the low-Earth orbit network. The satellites are set to deploy about an hour after launch.
Even singer will.i.am and actor Don Cheadle freaked out about the mysterious object.
What is that in the Los Angeles sky? pic.twitter.com/15fmC4FgLU
— will.i.am (@iamwill) December 23, 2017
uh ... pic.twitter.com/MrqKgZArk7
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) December 23, 2017
Pro-skateboarder Tony Hawk down in San Diego stopped to wonder what was flying above him.
Does anyone know what we just saw in the skies above San Diego? pic.twitter.com/EFNBh87Hc8
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) December 23, 2017
Elon Musk took the opportunity to troll some people on Twitter.
Nuclear alien UFO from North Korea pic.twitter.com/GUIHpKkkp5
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2017
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti tried to calm people down ...
It’s a #SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base. https://t.co/UZfkYXfi2A
— Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) December 23, 2017
... but they kept freaking out anyway.
WHAT IS HAPPENING OVER HOLLYWOOD RIGHT NOW? #LosAngeles #hollywood pic.twitter.com/lMM9ZB3DZD
— Keltie Knight (@KeltieKnight) December 23, 2017
So this is happening in LA right now. Um. pic.twitter.com/xeqPBX82RO
— Bill Burton (@billburton) December 23, 2017
NBD. Walked out my front door to a @SpaceX rocket launch. pic.twitter.com/w7n7QkFqwX
— Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) December 23, 2017
Smoke trail rocket is #SpaceX launch from #Vandenburg #iridium satellites. Western sky from LA pic.twitter.com/TXe1WV4FUj
— Wayne N2HD (@n2hd_oc) December 23, 2017
LA, city of angels — and aliens.