UFO fever as Falcon 9 flies
When SpaceX launched a rocket carrying an Argentine Earthobservation satellite from California’s Central Coast, both the night sky and social media lit up.
People as far away as San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix and Reno, Nevada, posted photos of the Falcon 9 rocket’s launch and return on Sunday night, local time. It was the first time SpaceX landed a first-stage booster back at its launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, about 210km northwest of Los Angeles.
The Air Force warned residents on the Central Coast that they might see multiple engine burns by the first stage and hear one or more sonic booms as it returned.
But many far beyond the region were taken by surprise when the launch illuminated the sky, wondering what the otherworldly looking sight was. Some speculated it was a comet or an alien aircraft.
‘‘Something exploded in the sky west of Phoenix,’’ Laura Gadbery wrote on Twitter. ‘‘Anyone catch it or know what it was?’’
Lloyd Lawrence, another user in Phoenix – about 790km away from the launch site – said he was driving on Interstate 10 when he saw the launch and ‘‘couldn’t believe my eyes.’’
‘‘I wondered who was holding the gigantic flashlight in the sky,’’ he wrote.
Others in Reno, Nevada — about 550km – also saw the galactic wonder.
Jill Bergantz Carley wrote : ‘‘OK Twitter, what the heck is this #UFO #brightlight #plumea-licious thing we just saw in the sky above #Reno — it radiated beams of light!’’
Debi Hammond wrote : ‘‘Strangest thing I’ve ever seen in the sky. Anyone know what this is?’’
Californians from Los Angeles to Sacramento – 435km from the launch site – also posted their confusion. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was among those trying to clear up the speculation, tweeting a photo of the launch and writing: ‘‘Nope, definitely not aliens.’’
Those who knew they were watching a satellite launch posted videos they captured of the stunning spectacle.