Anyone else catch this tonight? @westseattleblog @NWSSeattle Seen from Genesee Hill in West Seattle at 9PM or so. pic.twitter.com/uBvDzgvbqy
— Chris (@bensoncSEA) March 26, 2021
9:19 PM: Did you see that too? Chris tweeted the video, and we’ve had multiple messages from people who saw those lights in the sky looking southward around 9 pm. We’re looking into it …
(Added – video from Matt Bridge)
9:26 PM: Thanks to a caller who mentioned this – here’s the explanation, via astronomer Jonathan McDowell on Twitter: “The Falcon 9 second stage from the Mar 4 Starlink launch failed to make a deorbit burn and is now reentering after 22 days in orbit. Its reentry was observed from the Seattle area at about 0400 UTC Mar 26.” Here’s more on the Falcon 9. (added) And here’s more on Starlink.
10:03 PM: Added more of the visuals we’ve received from readers (thanks!).
(Video from Rudy Willingham)
Here’s coverage of the March 4th launch from which this originated.
(Video from Jessica Tulloch)
ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: In case you wondered too:
It looks like the burn up would have started at around 140km (~85± miles) above us. (Data from https://t.co/SBWuRQA2Xl and https://t.co/8bWHxBSSQz.)
For reference, cruising altitude for airliners is ~5 miles. The International Space Station is ~250 miles up. @WestSeaWx— Alice's AstroInfo (@AlicesAstroInfo) March 26, 2021
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