Debris from Russian Rocket Creates Light Show in Western Sky

USA military officials say a streak of light seen burning across the sky was in fact debris from a Russian rocket re-entering the atmosphere.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Strategic Command told the Associated Press that Russian Federation launched an SL-4 rocket on Monday, and the fireball was a piece of the booster reentering the atmosphere.

Dozens of people took to social media to share videos and photos. The use of rocket is not revealed yet, but some experts believe it was sacked to bring materials to a space station.

The Joint Space Operation Center had been tracking the rocket body, along with 16,000 other objects, Strategic Command spokesman Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell said in a statement.

The light spotted in and around Las Vegas was reportedly seen as far away as Bakersfield and Sacramento in California. Lindstrom, a bartender with a side business as a videographer, said his first instinct was to grab his cellphone camera.

Additional questions about the rocket are encouraged to be directed to the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Thousands of people saw the light and sent them into a frenzy reminiscent of last month’s Navy missile test that was seen in many states across the west coast.