Post navigation

Prev: (03/25/21) | Next: (03/25/21)

UPDATE: Rocket! — Reports and videos from across city as streaking lights cross Seattle sky

Videos showed streaking lights as reports from around Seattle described something like a meteor apparently burning up in the atmosphere lighting up the night sky over the city Thursday.

There has been no official confirmation of what caused the brief light show just after 9 PM but reports from areas across the city and the Pacific Northwest showed multiple streaks slowly sparkling and streaking across the sky.

We’ll update as we learn more. Let us know if you find interesting videos and pictures to share.

UPDATE: Jonathan McDowell, astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, reports the display was caused by a SpaceX rocket burning up on reentry after it “failed to make a deorbit burn” and has been orbiting the earth since early March. Estimates put the cost of a Falcon 9 second stage at around $10 million so, if you like, you can find a little extra satisfaction in seeing those streaks of light as watching Elon Musk’s money burn.

 

PLEASE HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE!
Subscribe to CHS to help us pay writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.

 

 
Subscribe and support CHS Contributors -- $1/$5/$10 per month

12 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Tod Harrison
Tod Harrison
3 years ago

I am in Medford Oregon and saw the show from when it first exploded.

Sue
Sue
3 years ago

Yes! We saw this from West Seattle! So exciting- glad you captured on video.

Greg B.
Greg B.
3 years ago
Reply to  Sue

Greg, here in Bremerton.. Walking the dogs, looked up and saw the whole event. It was awesome, beautiful and so glad it wasn’t a diaster. 🐆🐅🙄

Zach
Zach
3 years ago

The irony of people saying “Are we about to die?” during a global pandemic.

Jessica
Jessica
3 years ago
Reply to  Zach

Yesssss ikr? It was crazy!!! I posted it on snap chat and my friends thought it was an alien!! 😂🌠

Jenn
Jenn
3 years ago

It was Elon musks Falcon 9 failing at re-orbit and burning

Kevin Stone
Kevin Stone
3 years ago
Reply to  Jenn

De-orbit.

Kevin Stone
Kevin Stone
3 years ago

The quip makes no sense. The 2nd stage is meant to expend in the atmosphere. Elon Musk didn’t lose money on that display he made money.

KinesthesiaAmnesia
KinesthesiaAmnesia
3 years ago
Reply to  Kevin Stone

Agreed. Makes no sense as news facts, and as a joke it is not constructed well. I was just explaining to a friend moments before I read this that Capitol Hill Seattle gets some great news leads but it often comes with a garnish of very personal and subjective cilantro.

Jim K
Jim K
3 years ago

So that’s what it looks like to burn through $10,000,000 in less than a minute.

Lizbeth Campos Prado
Lizbeth Campos Prado
3 years ago

Seen that in othello wa.

Tina Just-Tina
Tina Just-Tina
3 years ago

That is awesome! Nothing that exciting on the East Coast… Just thunder storms!