On Monday night, a streak of light adorned the skies above Southern California, drawing the attention of many who eagerly snapped photographs of the remarkable spectacle and shared them on social media platforms.
One photographer, posting images on X (formerly Twitter), described the event as “an absolute stunner,” encapsulating the collective sentiment of those who witnessed the phenomenon.
Curiosity sparked among observers, leading to speculations about the origin of the lights—ranging from space debris to asteroids, and even the possibility of unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
However, clarity soon emerged as it was revealed that Elon Musk’s SpaceX was behind the mesmerizing display.
Photographers Capture Mesmerizing Streaking Lights in Southern California (Credits: SF Gate)
The luminous streaks were courtesy of a Falcon 9 rocket tasked with deploying 22 new Starlink satellites into orbit.
Departing from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 7:30 p.m., the Falcon 9’s trajectory left a visible trail across the skies, spanning from Los Angeles to San Diego and extending as far as Joshua Tree National Park. Vandenberg, situated near Lompoc in Santa Barbara County, lies 160 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
This particular launch marked the 15th flight for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster rocket, which has previously undertaken eight other Starlink missions and numerous missions for the U.S. Space Development Agency, according to SpaceX.
Originally scheduled for Saturday, the launch had to be postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
