LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. Hear our news on-air at our partner site:
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
It wasn't Santa Claus, Star Wars, an alien invasion, or another missile test. Nope—it was the Russians.
On Tuesday around 6:15 p.m., people across Southern California, Arizona and Nevada reported seeing a fireball streak across the night sky, prompting speculation over what the source of it was. Turns out it just old fashioned space junk, courtesy of the Russians. A spokeswoman for U.S. Strategic Command told the Associated Press that Russia launched an SL-4 rocket on Monday, and the fireball was a piece of the booster reentering the atmosphere.
— US Strategic Command (@US_STRATCOM) December 23, 2015
"It went on for 10 to 15 seconds—much longer than the meteorites I'm used to seeing," Howard Acquistapace, a man who saw the fireball, told KEYT.
Last night's light show caused less of a stir than last month's missile test. The LAPD told the L.A. Times they received no calls about the fireball.
Soyuz booster fireball reentry over Vegas: https://t.co/YaHGEoW1ee
— Manish Vij (@vijmn) December 23, 2015
Fireball over Santa Barbara tonight hoping it's just another ICBM pic.twitter.com/2XqNIiXriG
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) December 23, 2015
Video: Meteor also seen over Nevada via @SteeleSoldie pic.twitter.com/VSOdZdtXae #fireball
— UFO Community (@UFOcommunity) December 23, 2015