Mysterious object soars over Southern California, leaving smoke trail. What was it?
A mysterious object that looked vaguely like a comet or a meteor was seen soaring over night skies in the southwestern U.S., according to the American Meteor Society and several news reports.
Several people in Southern California posted photos of the object to the society’s website on Monday, Feb. 10. Reports also came in from Arizona, Utah and Nevada.
“I would like to know what it was,” someone from Rowland Heights, California, wrote in their report, which included a photo of a white and orange smoke trail streaked across the sky. The neighborhood is about a 25-mile drive east of Los Angeles.
“It just appeared,” someone said from Nogales, Arizona. They included a photo showing the object looking just like a comet.
It looked similar in Scottsdale as well, according to another report. That person added they heard a “gravelly hum” with the sighting.
Some posted photos or videos to social media websites saying they thought it looked like a meteor or a comet.
The object was a SpaceX satellite launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to the company’s website.
“This was a rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base and not a fireball,” the American Meteor Society said on its sighting report page for the object.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 11:44 AM.
