A bright flash lit up the night sky over Northern California on Thursday evening. Around 7:45 p.m., people from Sonoma County to the Sacramento area spotted the unusual scene, sparking questions about whether it was a meteor, a rocket launch, or even satellite debris.
Experts believe this sighting wasn’t a typical meteor. The Aerospace Corp., which studies orbital debris, stated that several Starlink satellites were expected to reenter the atmosphere that night. Many eyewitnesses across the North Bay were captivated by the glowing object.
In Occidental, a vendor named Jessy McGibbons was packing up at the farmers market when she noticed a commotion. “Everyone started pointing to the sky,” she said. Intrigued, she looked up and saw a glowing ball racing across the sky. “It was only my second time as a vendor. First a double rainbow, then a meteor show? What’s next?”
Over in Cloverdale, Matt Kellogg was celebrating his father’s 72nd birthday with family when they saw the fireball. “It was bright and seemed to break apart as it moved,” he said. His son managed to record a video, but Kellogg felt it couldn’t capture the event’s full beauty. “It reminded me of the way the Autobots land in ‘Transformers.’ I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Reports of this fiery reentry also came in from Rocklin, Shingle Springs, Salida, and other areas.
Interestingly, incidents like this have been increasing. According to a report by the American Meteor Society, the number of recorded fireball sightings has risen significantly in the past decade. Growth in satellite launches may contribute to this uptick.
Social media exploded with reactions, too. People shared their excitement and disbelief across platforms, using hashtags like #Fireball and #CaliforniaSky.
This event reminds us how connected we are to the cosmos and how awe-inspiring moments can happen right above us.
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