Strange lights seen in the sky as SpaceX Falcon 9 debris falling into atmosphere mistaken for meteor shower

Andrew Griffin

https://twitter.com/vincelavecchia/status/1375297806307532800?s=19

Unusual bright lights appeared over the skies of the US overnight, leaving watchers “in awe”.Videos taken from the scene showed people shocked as the lights streaked across the sky and confused about what the lights might possibly be.

Officials and experts say that the lights are most likely the result of debris from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket burning up as it fell back towards Earth.
While the sight did look like an especially bright and busy meteor shower, none was forecast. And one such rocket that was launched earlier this month was supposed to make its way back to Earth but that appeared to have gone wrong.

Astronomer Jonathan McDowell said in a tweet that the rocket had been part of a Starlink launch and that its deorbit burn – to change its movement so that it would properly burn up – had gone wrong.
The lights were seen across the US Northwest, with videos coming from as far apart as Washington and Oregon.

The National Weather Service in Seattle said that there was no danger to people on the ground and that while it was waiting for further information it believed the objects were the result of the rocket burning up.