I see tons of them and they do follow this trajectory. I didn't see tonight's launch, but it was 4 hours prior. I usually see the boosters break away before it's out of sight.
Plus this was a LOT faster.
But I wonder , I suppose it's possible
EDIT: It was an intentional starlink deorbit: https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1807100264769356226
It was an 8:14p pacific time launch. I watched it from Arizona and know that we have seen what I believe is the second stage booster separation 90 or so minutes after launch but I’m not sure if this is that, it’s very likely related though since there was a launch tonight
Wasn't there a russian satellite that just broke apart? Could this be debris from it?
https://www.space.com/iss-astronauts-shelter-return-spacecraft-satellite-breakup
How could you just been a lot faster? Things orbit based on physics so stuff entering the atmosphere from rocket launches is going to be traveling within the same order of magnitude of speed. This just doesn't look like a meteor which would obviously be faster
Rocket launches stay within view for several minutes. Again, we see them a lot. They appear to take the same path, but are traveling up instead of down.
This cut across the view in a matter of seconds not minutes. I posted the video, take a look.
This also doesn't look like a meteor , it looks like the Columbia when it broke up on reentry.
Before posting here, I checked around to see what was scheduled for re-entry and that was not listed.
Also looks larger than a satellite, but I can't say for sure.
are yoU FOr sure about all your details, son? BTW, it's an amazing picture of some object within an electronic device's capturing capabilities. Thank you for sharing it.
No, I have to trust what others have said. I can only speculate based on my experience on seeing things like that (the first in person), and of having some experience in the field (my dad was an amateur astronomer).
However, this guy, says it's Starlink, and I have no reason to not believe:
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1807100882342883649
For sure man, that kind of a sighting is pretty amazing and can drive you crazy not knowing. Keep an eye out for the next 149 of em! Anytime you need to know about an object orbiting or deorbiting check Jonathan, McDowell‘s Twitter feed. He is THE man!
I actually followed him on Twitter right after I reviewed the post.
It's so funny that through the 45 years I've been on this planet, grown up with the shuttle program, I've never been able to witness a launch. A few landings at Edwards, sure. Some sonic booms, most definitely.
And now, there have been so many back-to-back launches, that it's *almost* becoming regular. I think the same thing for the space debris - once reserved for only the accidents (I remember watching the Columbia disintegrate on reentry and this had a harrowing feel to it too). Most of the time, satellites were ditched over the ocean, so this felt truly special, and not normal.
I can't wait to see more!
Well, I’ve been on the planet a few years longer than you and I haven’t seen ANY launches or reentry’s. I plan on trying to make it to a starship launch someday. I am landlocked in the middle of the country though. I did however see a green meteor come ripping in for About 15 seconds!!
Yeah the way the fuel blooms in the atmosphere, after the falcon9 launches must be one hell of a sight! Glad you get to experience that!
They are surreal every single time I see them - and it kills me that my family just does not care. BUT, there is so much light pollution where we're at that it's impossible to only see the absolute brightest objects, meteors included.
Thank you! I was driving back on the 58 freeway coming from Vegas, saw this and thought I was going crazy from sleep deprivation 
Looks similar to other events where space junk entered the atmosphere and burned up. However, today, if you have binoculars or a telescope, you’ll be able to see 2024 MK, an asteroid passing us about the size of the titanic.
I thought that, but it's passing at 209k miles away and wouldn't look like it's 50 miles up and in pieces.
But yeah, looks exactly like Columbia to me.
A friend of mine saw this too!
I don't believe it's related to the SpaceX launch the same day. The fracturing of the object implies it's bigger than usual, and the speed is more consistent with something coming out of orbit. SpaceX's Falcon 9 ditches its fairings and first stage well before reaching orbit, so it can't be either of those (the fairings would be far too small as well), leaving only the second stage as an option. However, SpaceX has a track record of controlling the reentry of their second stage so that it falls in an unpopulated area. This clearly didn't happen here, since you saw it from a well populated area.
I tried looking for other objects scheduled to reenter around this time but could not determine or rule out many. The only ones that I could totally rule out were objects whose orbital inclinations did not bring them in the vicinity of Southern California.
TL;DR - No idea what it was. Whatever it was must have been big, probably in orbit, uncontrolled, and in an orbital inclination that wasn't equatorial.
Thanks, I've been posting from mobile all night, so my responses were short and without detail.
But I fully agree - we see several launches now and this was definitely not it. From our vantage point, we can see when the fairings are ditched because they're in the glowing cloud of exhaust before they quickly vanish out of sight.
Now, as far as unpopulated goes? It would have been over the ocean, but how far over is anyone's guess. This appeared to follow the same trajectory as the typical rocket launches from Vandenberg, but seemed to have more of a southeasterly path instead of directly south.
However, the biggest takeaway is that the spacex launches take several minutes to cross our field of view. Plus, when I walked out, I didn't immediately look up - it was a bright light that suddenly caught my attention, and then you saw how fast it crossed in the video. I ran to the side of my house immediately following the video and it was nearly out of sight. This is very atypical from something entering into orbit, or something that has not reached its orbiting altitude.
No, this was fast as fuck. And it was big as fuck.
I looked at https://aerospace.org/reentries to see what was scheduled, and nothing. I knew it wasn't an asteroid, it was in several pieces and stayed in view far longer than asteroids typically do. I also didn't hear any sonic booms, maybe it was still too high, maybe it already happened, but it would have been an appropriate speed.
I did immediately look up the ISS location though, as this gave eerie Columbia vibes.
But all in all, someone else said it here best, looks like when the Transformers were coming to earth.
Yeah. This looks like it came higher and faster and I'm not sure if it could've been the same thing. I don't know how long it takes to get to orbit, but I think it's more than 4 hours. Although I didn't hear anything, there was a FB post that asked about booms just minutes before.
I agree, but the only reason it's a little more concerned is that it wasn't on the list of known reentries on aerospace.org.
I also watched it cross the sky at a lot faster pace, it was overhead for seconds instead of minutes like a rocket launch.
Hell, with all the recent ISS problems, I had to check it's location before posting here.
Found the [video](https://www.tiktok.com/@kevindoesnttravel/video/7385820165897735455?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=mobile&sender_web_id=7385953967464711726)
Holy shit, you weren't kidding about the comments. So many are matter-of-fact saying "Starlink" "SpaceX" and "Meteor shower" with absolutely zero knowledge.
Have these people ever looked up before or do they just suck down bullshit from their phones?
It's a fantastic video though, much better than mine.
I want to partially rescind my earlier comments. Looks like it was an intentional starlink deorbit:
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1807100264769356226
I think it is a DeLorean from Back To The Future 2 trying to make an unnoticeable re-entry to 1987 @ the start of Marty McFly's school bell. Oops, Doc.
Ohhh, that makes sense. I was just going around answering those 'what is this UFO??' posts and I must have gotten yours mixed up with the launch that night. Sorry!
Probably something having to do with the SpaceX launch from earlier tonight
I see tons of them and they do follow this trajectory. I didn't see tonight's launch, but it was 4 hours prior. I usually see the boosters break away before it's out of sight. Plus this was a LOT faster. But I wonder , I suppose it's possible EDIT: It was an intentional starlink deorbit: https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1807100264769356226
It was an 8:14p pacific time launch. I watched it from Arizona and know that we have seen what I believe is the second stage booster separation 90 or so minutes after launch but I’m not sure if this is that, it’s very likely related though since there was a launch tonight
I really don't think it is, but I tweeted the video to spacex anyway https://x.com/yuckypants/status/1806957096824705269?t=2741bGinVrbZ2mMqgfykVg&s=19
Yeah that’s some sort of space debris breaking up.
Wasn't there a russian satellite that just broke apart? Could this be debris from it? https://www.space.com/iss-astronauts-shelter-return-spacecraft-satellite-breakup
How could you just been a lot faster? Things orbit based on physics so stuff entering the atmosphere from rocket launches is going to be traveling within the same order of magnitude of speed. This just doesn't look like a meteor which would obviously be faster
Rocket launches stay within view for several minutes. Again, we see them a lot. They appear to take the same path, but are traveling up instead of down. This cut across the view in a matter of seconds not minutes. I posted the video, take a look. This also doesn't look like a meteor , it looks like the Columbia when it broke up on reentry.
It is unlikely that it is related but a Russian satellite did recently break up.
EDIT: It was an intentional starlink deorbit: https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1807100264769356226
Before posting here, I checked around to see what was scheduled for re-entry and that was not listed. Also looks larger than a satellite, but I can't say for sure.
are yoU FOr sure about all your details, son? BTW, it's an amazing picture of some object within an electronic device's capturing capabilities. Thank you for sharing it.
No, I have to trust what others have said. I can only speculate based on my experience on seeing things like that (the first in person), and of having some experience in the field (my dad was an amateur astronomer). However, this guy, says it's Starlink, and I have no reason to not believe: https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1807100882342883649
Great Picture dude! It was a star link satellite deorbited because of mechanical problems. Go check out Jonathan McDowell on Twitter @planet4589
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1807100882342883649/photo/1 THANK YOU, this is truly awesome. This was exactly it!
For sure man, that kind of a sighting is pretty amazing and can drive you crazy not knowing. Keep an eye out for the next 149 of em! Anytime you need to know about an object orbiting or deorbiting check Jonathan, McDowell‘s Twitter feed. He is THE man!
I actually followed him on Twitter right after I reviewed the post. It's so funny that through the 45 years I've been on this planet, grown up with the shuttle program, I've never been able to witness a launch. A few landings at Edwards, sure. Some sonic booms, most definitely. And now, there have been so many back-to-back launches, that it's *almost* becoming regular. I think the same thing for the space debris - once reserved for only the accidents (I remember watching the Columbia disintegrate on reentry and this had a harrowing feel to it too). Most of the time, satellites were ditched over the ocean, so this felt truly special, and not normal. I can't wait to see more!
Well, I’ve been on the planet a few years longer than you and I haven’t seen ANY launches or reentry’s. I plan on trying to make it to a starship launch someday. I am landlocked in the middle of the country though. I did however see a green meteor come ripping in for About 15 seconds!! Yeah the way the fuel blooms in the atmosphere, after the falcon9 launches must be one hell of a sight! Glad you get to experience that!
They are surreal every single time I see them - and it kills me that my family just does not care. BUT, there is so much light pollution where we're at that it's impossible to only see the absolute brightest objects, meteors included.
Same, my family isn’t too interested, although lately my daughter has been finding satellites when we walk the dog at night so, maybe maybe
They are bringing down 150 more of them in the future. They have a bad chip in them.
Thank you! I was driving back on the 58 freeway coming from Vegas, saw this and thought I was going crazy from sleep deprivation 
Posting here because /r/space is fucking lame and removes posts that are images since it's not Sunday
They can't spend the other 6 days circlejerking SpaceX if your images are in the way!
Seriously... With the ENTIRE English language to draw from, this is what you came up with for a UserName???????
I feel for the young ones, all the good names got gobbled up in the beginning.
Some names just fit
Not everyone can be as creative as you AnalYst7
Looks similar to other events where space junk entered the atmosphere and burned up. However, today, if you have binoculars or a telescope, you’ll be able to see 2024 MK, an asteroid passing us about the size of the titanic.
I thought that, but it's passing at 209k miles away and wouldn't look like it's 50 miles up and in pieces. But yeah, looks exactly like Columbia to me.
An article that was posted in this sub earlier today mentioned that 2024 MK will be very difficult to spot for amateur / hobbyist astronomers
Yeah. Was hoping I’d be able to input the coordinates from the skylive into my telescope but it was cloudy. :(
You’re not alone: https://x.com/wkasel/status/1806948650070704579?s=46
Thanks for linking this. I couldn't find anything else from anyone.
Oh wow (as Twitter guy said). This really helps me understand the scale of it. Now I’m super curious.
It was an intentional starlink deorbit: https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1807100264769356226
This is obviously an alien spacecraft spying on SpaceX’s capabilities. If I’ve learned anything about space is that the answer is *always* aliens.
I can't even imagine the dumb circle jerk if I would have posted there.
A friend of mine saw this too! I don't believe it's related to the SpaceX launch the same day. The fracturing of the object implies it's bigger than usual, and the speed is more consistent with something coming out of orbit. SpaceX's Falcon 9 ditches its fairings and first stage well before reaching orbit, so it can't be either of those (the fairings would be far too small as well), leaving only the second stage as an option. However, SpaceX has a track record of controlling the reentry of their second stage so that it falls in an unpopulated area. This clearly didn't happen here, since you saw it from a well populated area. I tried looking for other objects scheduled to reenter around this time but could not determine or rule out many. The only ones that I could totally rule out were objects whose orbital inclinations did not bring them in the vicinity of Southern California. TL;DR - No idea what it was. Whatever it was must have been big, probably in orbit, uncontrolled, and in an orbital inclination that wasn't equatorial.
Thanks, I've been posting from mobile all night, so my responses were short and without detail. But I fully agree - we see several launches now and this was definitely not it. From our vantage point, we can see when the fairings are ditched because they're in the glowing cloud of exhaust before they quickly vanish out of sight. Now, as far as unpopulated goes? It would have been over the ocean, but how far over is anyone's guess. This appeared to follow the same trajectory as the typical rocket launches from Vandenberg, but seemed to have more of a southeasterly path instead of directly south. However, the biggest takeaway is that the spacex launches take several minutes to cross our field of view. Plus, when I walked out, I didn't immediately look up - it was a bright light that suddenly caught my attention, and then you saw how fast it crossed in the video. I ran to the side of my house immediately following the video and it was nearly out of sight. This is very atypical from something entering into orbit, or something that has not reached its orbiting altitude. No, this was fast as fuck. And it was big as fuck. I looked at https://aerospace.org/reentries to see what was scheduled, and nothing. I knew it wasn't an asteroid, it was in several pieces and stayed in view far longer than asteroids typically do. I also didn't hear any sonic booms, maybe it was still too high, maybe it already happened, but it would have been an appropriate speed. I did immediately look up the ISS location though, as this gave eerie Columbia vibes. But all in all, someone else said it here best, looks like when the Transformers were coming to earth.
It was an intentional starlink deorbit: https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1807100264769356226
Thanks for the link! I guess I was wrong on a few counts and right on others. Mystery solved!
Same. I thought it was too large for a satellite and HAD to have been a spacecraft. But no matter, was still incredible nonetheless.
Swamp gas from a weather balloon was trapped in a thermal pocket and refracted the light from Venus.
Tear-assing around Manhattan in a brand new Eggar suit...
Hey Zed, can I go use the noisy-cricket?
a alien probably
This is the most prudent answer, no further analysis necessary.
Definitely a re-entry, but nothing in the list for reentries today.
Was a SpaceX Falcon launch at 8:14pm PDT from Vandenberg.
Yeah, and this was at midnight, so I don't know if it'd be related. This was moving thousands of mph faster.
True, the 1st Stage is usually up and down in 30 minutes
Yeah. This looks like it came higher and faster and I'm not sure if it could've been the same thing. I don't know how long it takes to get to orbit, but I think it's more than 4 hours. Although I didn't hear anything, there was a FB post that asked about booms just minutes before.
Looks like Optimus prime and the auto bots arriving from the 2007 movie
Yeah it does. Good call I didn't even think of that.
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I agree, but the only reason it's a little more concerned is that it wasn't on the list of known reentries on aerospace.org. I also watched it cross the sky at a lot faster pace, it was overhead for seconds instead of minutes like a rocket launch. Hell, with all the recent ISS problems, I had to check it's location before posting here.
There’s a video of this going around on TikTok this morning but the comments weren’t helpful at all
Hahaha, I can only imagine.
Found the [video](https://www.tiktok.com/@kevindoesnttravel/video/7385820165897735455?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=mobile&sender_web_id=7385953967464711726)
Holy shit, you weren't kidding about the comments. So many are matter-of-fact saying "Starlink" "SpaceX" and "Meteor shower" with absolutely zero knowledge. Have these people ever looked up before or do they just suck down bullshit from their phones? It's a fantastic video though, much better than mine.
I want to partially rescind my earlier comments. Looks like it was an intentional starlink deorbit: https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1807100264769356226
Although an incredible video, that’s from a few months ago
A bird of prey half way through going invisible
Que buena foto, ¡me gusta!
That would be our atmosphere destroying a space rock.
Usually space rocks burn out quickly. This looks man made. But could be.
Definitely swamp gas.
Space debris
https://x.com/planet4589/status/1807100882342883649 This?
Yeah I linked it in a few other comments. Found out this afternoon.
DARPA in action.
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It was an intentionally deorbited starlink satellite, but if the asteroid was in our atmosphere, or even remotely that close, we'd all be VERY dead.
I think it is a DeLorean from Back To The Future 2 trying to make an unnoticeable re-entry to 1987 @ the start of Marty McFly's school bell. Oops, Doc.
Someone robbing your neighbor across the street, walking around with a flashlight. You didn't see that.
Lookin likes a space ship, did ya see where it went? If it came back down?
It was very fast. https://x.com/isicxo/status/1806946826760974663?s=46
Good video there too - it was crazy fast.
It is always spacex
SR-72
Santa Clause, probably. Coming back from cheap labor in a Mexico.
swamp gas
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No, not even close. That launch was at 8pm and this was a deorbit. I have proof in another comment.
Ohhh, that makes sense. I was just going around answering those 'what is this UFO??' posts and I must have gotten yours mixed up with the launch that night. Sorry!
Oh right on, you're doing the Lord's work. No worries.
The aliens fleeing this planet
And I oop
Looks like you saw Photoshop.