On Friday evening, an unusual event illuminated the sky, which has been described as a parade of unusual lights that glided slowly across the sky. Several videos of the phenomenon were captured and shared with KTVU, including one filmed from above Vallejo.
The video shows the strange lights moving steadily across the sky, and it was posted on Twitter with a caption stating that it was observed at approximately 9:30 p.m. The lights appeared to be distinct from any typical celestial objects or aircraft, leaving many people puzzled as to what they could have been. Despite the confusion surrounding this event, it is possible that the strange lights were caused by natural phenomena or human activity, and further investigation may be needed to determine the true cause of this peculiar sight.
It could only be space junk
Renowned astronomer, Jonathan McDowell, has provided a potential explanation for the mysterious lights that many people reported seeing in the night sky. Based on his expertise, McDowell suggests that the lights were likely caused by space debris. With his vast knowledge of space objects and events, McDowell may have analyzed the trajectory, speed, and other characteristics of the lights to reach this conclusion.
@KTVU strange lights above Vallejo @9:30pm pic.twitter.com/23DhFjoaim
— Tnez (@Tnez111) March 18, 2023
The ICS-F was cataloged as object 45265, 1998-067RJ. It orbited the Earth as space junk for 3 years, and reentered at 0430 UTC (9.30pm PDT) over California, widely observed from the Sacramento area pic.twitter.com/2LPF9wI9Qu
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 18, 2023
Space debris can include man-made objects such as abandoned satellites, rocket parts, and other fragments that remain in Earth’s orbit. These objects can occasionally re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere, causing a streak of light as they burn up upon re-entry.
The rate at which space debris re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere depends on a number of factors such as the altitude of the debris, its size, and the density of the Earth’s atmosphere at that altitude. Generally, smaller pieces of debris re-enter more frequently, while larger objects can stay in orbit for longer periods of time.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), an average of between 100-150 tons of space debris enters the Earth’s atmosphere each year.
