Mysterious fireball streaks across Western sky

LOS ANGELES -- People from Sacramento to Los Angeles and Las Vegas reported seeing a mysterious light streaking across the sky Wednesday night.

The flashes of light spurred numerous calls to the CBS Los Angeles newsroom from people around the metropolitan area.

The light was also visible in other states, including Utah, and spurred a flood of reports and video on social media.

Witnesses said the ball of fire in the sky lasted about 30 seconds.

Vandenberg Air Force Base officials also told CBS Los Angeles they didn't have a launch Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service told the station the incident wasn't weather-related, and said in a tweet: It was seen here in Las Vegas. Looks like space debris burning up. Not confirmed."

Finally, the U.S. Strategic Air Command said Thursday the light was caused by Chinese space junk -- the remnants of a CZ-7 rocket body -- burning up upon re-entering Earth's atmosphere.

The sightings lit up Twitter: