Strange fireballs or shooting stars like objects were seen lighting up the sky in parts of Washington and Oregon in the US, and the rare natural phenomenon took residents by surprise. Soon, videos of the brightly lit objects over Pacific Northwest flooded social media sites.
Many people living in various parts of Seattle took to social media to share clips wondering the slow-moving objects were. Residents in Salem and Portland in Oregon, too, reported spotting similar objects in the sky. According to local reports, the long streak of lights slow-danced over the region around 9 pm on Thursday night.
While most were mesmerised thinking it was a passing meteor, others were worried wondering if something was wrong.
DID YOU SEE THIS? I have never in my life seen something so incredible. I am in awe. Just happened over Portland about 10 minutes ago. #LiveOnK2 pic.twitter.com/L9wLEXBrcW
— Genevieve Reaume (@GenevieveReaume) March 26, 2021
Ummm… just caught this flying over my home in SW Portland. pic.twitter.com/CvQJwvWsyj
— Vince LaVecchia (@vincelavecchia) March 26, 2021
Meteor? I don’t know what that was, but it was spectacular. @KATUNews @CNN @MSNBC @fox12weather @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/xNj5FsaSFt
— Krissy (@kaallori) March 26, 2021
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh pic.twitter.com/mJoFzeHv0r
— jv (@JoshVester) March 26, 2021
This was right over our heads in Forest Grove, Oregon. pic.twitter.com/moUcrZT9BE
— Ingrid (@Danusional_Kid) March 26, 2021
Just caught a meteor shower on camera?? pic.twitter.com/dNCbFoaLOD
— vampire enthusiast (@vampyreparty) March 26, 2021
What just passed through the sky over Seattle (Ballard)? @seattletimes @SeattleWeather #seattlesky @GovInslee @NASA pic.twitter.com/AzCpybWZo6
— Amy Harder (@AmyAHarder) March 26, 2021
My son in-law Brent Marshall captured this video over football field in Wilsonville, OR #falcon9 ? pic.twitter.com/2xYGWjLRBo
— ElisaJaffe (@ElisaJaffe) March 26, 2021
As the buzz continued online, many tagged astronomers and space experts to know if they can explain the lightshow.
Soon, astronomer Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) at the Center for Astrophysics and the National Weather Service (NWS) in Seattle (@NWSSeattle) tweeted that it’s not a meteor shower but space debris. The experts ruled that the phenomenon was caused by Falcon 9 rocket second stage debris that failed to de-orbit and burn up after launch, but got around to it 22 days later.
While we await further confirmation on the details, here’s the unofficial information we have so far. The widely reported bright objects in the sky were the debris from a Falcon 9 rocket 2nd stage that did not successfully have a deorbit burn.
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) 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. pic.twitter.com/FQrBrUoBHh
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 26, 2021
(2) satellites (including space junk like this rocket stage) orbit the Earth at over 7.5 km/s (17000 mph).
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 26, 2021
According to McDowell’s tweets, the rocket was “supposed to immolate itself over the ocean south of Australia, to dispose of it safely”.
No, it was supposed to immolate itself over the ocean south of Australia, to dispose of it safely. They haven’t yet solved the trick of returning upper stages safely for reuse
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 26, 2021
Another fun debris fact: this is the 14th piece of space junk with a mass over one tonne that has reentered since Jan 1st this year.
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 26, 2021
As space agencies continue to figure out what the object is, the NWS has stressed that there are no expected impacts on the ground in the region at this time.
Based on the observed video, this looks more likely than a bolide meteor or similar object as they would be moving far faster on impact with our atmosphere. There are NO expected impacts on the ground in our region at this time. More info will be posted as it becomes available.
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) March 26, 2021
The videos got plenty of reactions online, leaving many excited. It also sparked off a discussion on the impact of such debris to Earth’s atmosphere and other natural resources.
That is the coolest thing I have ever seen! Whoa! 😳😳😳
— Imtired16 (@Imtired161) March 26, 2021
This literally the beginning of the War of the Worlds?
— Michael Tapia (@michaeltapia) March 26, 2021
Looks like a squad of alien aircraft entering our atmosphere. They’re probably tired of all the grifting lawmakers in America, and are coming to sort it all out for us.
— Calibos is stuck (@Calibos420) March 26, 2021
Damn. I think Thanos is here. Anyone have Hulk’s number?
— Jimmy Sheridan (@JimmySheridanPG) March 26, 2021
This reminds me of those shooting stars you would see on cartoons as a kid 🥺
— Trey Hazard (@treyjhazard) March 26, 2021
People in the PNW tonight😆#meteor #Falcon9 pic.twitter.com/98OMJv3grc
— Bert Smith (@bearphat) March 26, 2021
Yes even SpaceX generates some orbital debris with each launch, like this Falcon9 2nd stage. It usually looks something like this when reentering but usually does so over the 70% of Earth covered by water rather than covered by cameras on dashboards, doorbells, and cellphones 😉
— Tony Rice (@rtphokie) March 26, 2021
SpaceX said on Wednesday that the Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth and landed as planned on its ocean-going barge off the coast of Florida.