Mysterious Light Appears In The Sky After Rocket Launch Canceled At Vandenberg Air Force Base
10 p.m. Update: The National Weather Service Bay Area is calling this a Noctilucent cloud, a cloud that can be formed from a meteor or space debris entering the upper atmosphere.
The mysterious light created a lot of buzz around Northern California Wednesday.
Read more about the mysterious light here.
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A bright light lit up the sky across Northern California Wednesday night leaving many questioning what they saw moving through the sky.
Yes, it started as a streak of light like a shooting star or rocket and then it left that lingering light trail pic.twitter.com/oGAazIiLjO
— elk grove (@ElkGroveCA) December 20, 2018
Vanderberg launch of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket was scrubbed tonight - so whatever this is in the Sacramento sky, is not that. Also being seen in the Bay Area. pic.twitter.com/Wexkes7sNU
— Randol White (@RandolWhite) December 20, 2018
The scheduled 5:44 p.m. launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket in Southern California was scrubbed, or canceled, leaving many wondering what was in the sky.
Launch Alert: we have declared a scrub for today's launch of the #DeltaIVHeavy. We will set up for a 24 hour recycle and the next launch attempt will be 12/20 at 5:31pm PST.
— ULA (@ulalaunch) December 20, 2018
CBS13 viewers said the light remained in the sky for several minutes.
There were three rocket launches scheduled for Wednesday but all of those launches were scheduled to launch outside of California.
A representative from Vandenberg Air Force Base had no information about the sight in the sky. Travis Air Force Base also did not have information on the light, but the National Weather Service believed it may have been a meteor.
Still not 100% certain, but evidence is growing the object seen was a meteor. A meteor can create a very high level cloud called a noctilucent cloud. @NASA has a great webpage explaining the cloud formation. https://t.co/eDquECamLl #cawx
— NWS Bay Area ???? (@NWSBayArea) December 20, 2018
There has not been an official confirmation of what caused the light, but multiple National Weather Service accounts have speculated that it was from a meteor or meteorite.
The National Weather Service in Reno said the light appeared to be a meteor or space debris entering the upper atmosphere.
Based upon several videos and reports, it appears as though the bright light in the sky seen at approximately 5:34 PM PST was likely a meteor or space debris entering the upper atmosphere.
— NWS Reno (@NWSReno) December 20, 2018
From Brentwood pic.twitter.com/mIoSkJWDab
— Jennifer (@lunnacy23) December 20, 2018
This is what it looked like by my house. pic.twitter.com/uX6NWvMepe
— J Rafael (@IrishPuritan916) December 20, 2018