Franklin Institute Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts Explains Mysterious Light Spotted Across Sky In Philadelphia Region
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A number of people spotted a mysterious light in the sky Sunday morning. A number of Eyewitness News viewers sent photos of the light into the newsroom after seeing it around 6 a.m. and believed it was a meteor or a comet.
@MPetersonWx This was taken this morning on Rt 41 near Parksburg. Wow!! pic.twitter.com/nWOBWZKlFq
— Dana Chew (@DanaChew18) March 14, 2021
Shortly after receiving these photos, Derrick Pitts from the Franklin Institute spoke with CBS3 about what this light may have been.
According to Pitts, the light was the SpaceX Starlink, set to deploy 60 new Starlink satellites.
"It launched from Kennedy Space Center and headed northeast up the coast. It would've been moving quickly as it headed to orbital insertion. The satellites were deployed 26 minutes into the flight and the booster landed successfully just nine minutes after launch," Pitts told Eyewitness News.
Pitts also says the bell shape may look like a comet, but a rocket moves much faster. The rocket was visible for several minutes this morning. Comets can be visible for weeks or months at a time.
— Jan Carabeo (@JanCarabeoCBS3) March 14, 2021