No, you didn't see a UFO or a meteor on Tuesday night. What flew past Delaware on Feb. 4
Did you see that bright light in the sky on Tuesday night?
Plenty of people in the region did, but despite the guesses about shooting stars, meteors and unidentified aerial phenomena, it turned out to be none of those.
The American Meteor Society received 17 reports of a fireball seen over Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia on Tuesday at around 6:20 p.m.
In Delaware, Tim Levin reported seeing something in the sky from Newark at 6:19 p.m.
'Maybe unrelated, but there was a mild but unusual 'burnt' smell in the air maybe 20 minutes afterwards,' Levin wrote in his online report.
He said the sighting lasted for about 20 seconds and had a glowing trail, with what looked to be smoke, that faded after a while.
Other Delaware residents took to social media Tuesday evening to inquire about what the disturbance in the sky was and ask if others saw it, too.
In Conway, South Carolina, Ross E. saw something similar at 6:20 p.m. that lasted for about 45 seconds and was blue and white.
'One of the craziest things I have ever seen with my own eyes,' he wrote in his report. 'Me and my father were working on a car and out of the corner of my eye I saw it and we watched it go from one side of the night sky to the other.'
Sorry to burst your bubble, everyone, but that was no fireball. It was actually a rocket launch, the American Meteor Society confirmed.
On Feb. 4, 21 Starlink satellites were launched by Falcon 9 at 5:15 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, along with the Maxar 3 mission from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, in Florida.
Newark news: Former state lawmaker, Newark residents file petition to attorney general over fields
While it might be a letdown that it wasn't a fireball, spotting a rocket launch is still a cool sight to see, especially when it lights up the night sky like something out of a sci-fi film.
As for fireballs spotted in the area, the American Meteor Society has received reports of three separate sightings in Delaware so far in 2025. The first was on Jan. 1 at 6:38 a.m., followed by one on Jan. 23 at 8:01 p.m. and another on Jan. 29 at 6:15 p.m.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delawareans recount seeing something glow in the sky on Tuesday
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Space Station Leak Is Rearing Its Ugly Head Again
Space tourism company Axiom Space has had to postpone its fourth chartered SpaceX flight to the International Space Station after NASA announced it needs more time to investigate an air leak affecting the orbital lab. For five years, NASA and its Russian counterpart Roscosmos have been hunting down leaks in the station, which has been continuously occupied for 25 years. The issue has since been traced back to the Russian segment of the ISS, specifically the Zvezda service module, and was identified as a "top safety risk," according to a 2024 report by NASA's inspector general. The delay highlights the deteriorating condition of the rapidly aging orbital lab, which is expected to host scientists for another five years before being retired with the help of SpaceX. Most recently, three cosmonauts occupying the station had inspected the inside walls of the module and its adjoining tunnel, sealing "additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate," according to a Thursday update by NASA. "Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure," the agency said. While NASA says none of the station's current crew members are in any danger, Axiom's fourth mission remains on hold to give NASA and Roscosmos more time to "evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary." As a result, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is still grounded at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The launch had already been delayed due to bad weather. Then, a liquid oxygen leak in SpaceX's rocket delayed the launch once more. For now, all Axiom can do is hold off on launching its crew of four astronauts, led by retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has since joined Axiom. "This is the right thing to do," said Axiom executive chairman Kam Ghaffarian in a statement. "We will continue to work with all of our partners to finalize a new launch date." Ironically, the firm was awarded a NASA contract to develop a private successor to the ISS. More on the leaks: NASA Says It's Totally Fine the Space Station is Absolutely Riddled With Cracks and Leaks
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Axiom Space back on track for possible Space Coast launch next week
A leak in space and a leak on Earth have both been taken care of clearing the way for the next human spaceflight from the Space Coast. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped with a new Crew Dragon spacecraft looks to bring the four private astronauts on the Axiom Space Ax-4 mission on a trip to the International Space Station as early as Thursday morning from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A during a launch window that runs from 4:45-5:05 a.m. The crew faced a series of delays already last week. A planned Monday launch was called off by weather, and a Tuesday attempt was delayed so SpaceX could fix a liquid oxygen leak found in the rocket's first-stage booster. While SpaceX retested its booster on Thursday with no leak detected, NASA announced it would have to delay the launch because of recent repairs to a years-old leak on the Russian side of the space station that needed to be monitored. 'Following the most-recent repair, pressure in the transfer tunnel has been stable,' reads an update from NASA released Saturday. 'Previously, pressure in this area would have dropped. This could indicate the small leaks have been sealed.' NASA said Roscosmos was still monitoring the pressure levels, but had allowed SpaceX and Axiom Space to target a new earliest launch opportunity. The mission would send former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson on her fifth trip to space. She is commanding three customers from three countries that have not flown astronauts in more than four decades. In the role of pilot is India's Shubhanshu Shukla while both Sławosz Uznański of Poland, a European Space Agency project astronaut, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are mission specialists. The quartet look to dock with the space station a day after launch for about a two-week stay on what would be the fourth visit by Axiom Space, and second commanded by Whitson. She previously flew three missions with NASA and already has a combined 675 days spent in space, which is both an American record as well as the record for women. The mission was originally targeting a 2024 launch, but has faced a series of delays including having to give up their planned ride, the Crew Dragon Endurance, to NASA's Crew-10 mission that flew in March. The tradeoff is they will fly on SpaceX's fifth and what's planned to be SpaceX's final Crew Dragon capsule, and that gives them the traditional honor of naming it once it reaches orbit. In addition to Endurance, the other Dragon capsules were named Endeavour, Resilience and Freedom. This marks the third human spaceflight from the Space Coast this year following the Crew-10 mission, whose astronauts remain on the space station to welcome Ax-4, and the private polar orbital Fram2 mission, which was also in March. Since its first human spaceflight in 2020, SpaceX has flown its four existing Crew Dragon spacecraft 17 times carrying 64 humans to space.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
This rocket launch may be visible in Arizona: What time is SpaceX Falcon 9 liftoff?
SpaceX's regular launches from Southern California will continue with another orbital delivery of Starlink satellites – and Arizonans could have a chance to see it. The commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk is planning to get another Falcon 9 rocket off the ground from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. The two-stage 230-foot rocket, one of the world's most active, has become central in SpaceX's ongoing campaign to deploy internet-beaming Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. And fortunately for space enthusiasts in Arizona, the impending weekday launch, coming after Father's Day weekend, could be visible in parts of the state, as long as weather conditions are clear. But it's important to keep in mind that rocket launches can be — and often are — scrubbed or delayed due to any number of factors, including poor weather conditions or unexpected issues with spacecraft. Check back with for any updates on the rocket launch. Here's what to know about the launch from Southern California, as well as when and where to watch it in neighboring Arizona: California rocket launches: Here's a look at the upcoming schedule from Vandenberg A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory indicates SpaceX is targeting the launch for as early as Tuesday, June 17, with backup opportunities Wednesday, June 18. However, multiple websites that track rocket launches suggest the launch window could open at 5:51 p.m. Monday, June 16. Neither Vandenberg Space Force Base nor SpaceX have officially confirmed the launch. The launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver the Starlink satellites, will take place from Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Most launches from Vandenberg fly at a south or southeast trajectory. Following the delivery and deployment of the satellites, the Falcon 9 rocket's booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean. This allows for SpaceX personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights. SpaceX will provide a livestream of the launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X. Because of Arizona's proximity to the launch site, there's a good chance people there can see the spacecraft streak across the sky, especially at night or very early morning. Here's a list of some possible viewing locations compiled by The Arizona Republic, a USA TODAY Network publication. Dobbins Lookout, South Mountain, 10919 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, Arizona Papago Park, 625 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona Fountain Hills, a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, which in 2018 was designated a Dark Sky Community with little light pollution Superstition Mountains, located 40 miles from metro Phoenix in Arizona Cave Creek, a town in Maricopa County about 30 miles north of Fountain Hills, Arizona Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 3400 Sky Harbor Blvd., Arizona, which has a parking garage that is popular for plane-watching Black Canyon City, an unincorporated community in Yavapai County, Arizona Any mountain park in Arizona , 14805 W. Vineyard Ave., Goodyear, Arizona , 2600 N. Watson Road, Buckeye, Arizona , 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell, Arizona , 6533 W. Phillips Road, Queen Creek, Arizona Monument Hill, a 150-foot slope on 115th Avenue, in Arizona Elon Musk, the world's richest man, founded SpaceX in 2002. The commercial spaceflight company is headquartered at Starbase in South Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border. The site, which is where SpaceX has been conducting routine flight tests of its 400-foot megarocket known as Starship, was recently voted by residents to become its own city. SpaceX conducts many of its own rocket launches, most using the Falcon 9 rocket, from both California and Florida. That includes a regular cadence of deliveries of Starlink internet satellites into orbit, and occasional privately funded commercial crewed missions on the Dragon. The most recent of SpaceX's private human spaceflights, a mission known as Fram2, took place in April. SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024. SpaceX additionally benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads. Owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starlink is a constellation of more than 7,000 satellites that provide internet service to customers around the world. SpaceX has spent more than six years delivering the satellites to orbit with a regular cadence of rocket launches from both Florida and California. While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up. That allows Starlink's satellites to have lower latency and data time between user and the satellite, improving performance of things like streaming, online gaming and video calls. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: SpaceX rocket launch today: Falcon 9 may be visible in Arizona
