Fireball in the sky over California identified as falling satellite

Sept. 26 (UPI) — A suspected meteor spotted in the night sky over Southern California and Nevada was identified as the remains of a Starlink satellite.

The American Meteor Society received more than 200 reports of a fireball in the sky from San Francisco to Reno, Nev., about 7:50 p.m. Thursday, when no meteor showers were expected.

Videos captured by witnesses show what appears to be a slow-moving object breaking up into smaller pieces as it descended.

The AMS determined the object wasn’t a meteor at all, but rather a Starlink satellite falling back to earth. The nonprofit Aerospace Corp., which tracks the movement of falling satellites, said several Starlink satellites were predicted to reenter the atmosphere Thursday evening.