Space debris lights up night sky over California

Watch simulation of space debris orbiting the Earth

The following graphics are computer generated images of objects in low-Earth orbit that are currently being tracked. The orbital debris dots are scaled according to the image size of the graphic to optimize their visibility and are not scaled to Earth. (Courtesy: NASA ODPO)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Fiery space debris lit up the night sky over the Golden State on Thursday, sparking hundreds of reports from residents and leaving many to wonder what they had witnessed.

The American Meteor Society said that within the first 24 hours after the event, it received more than 200 accounts from witnesses ranging from near the California-Oregon border southward to areas outside Los Angeles.

Videos from Oakland, the Bay Area and near Fresno showed the bright orange streak, with many calling the sighting a fireball. But astronomers who track debris believe the event was of human origin rather than from a natural source.

According to professional astronomers, who regularly monitor objects in orbit, the debris aligned with the trajectory of a SpaceX Starlink satellite that was reentering Earth’s atmosphere.

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Space debris spotted above California on 9/25/2025

(KTVU FOX 2)

Many eyewitnesses reported that the debris was visible for at least 20 seconds and was illuminated as brightly as a full Moon - another indication that the object was likely not a meteor.

The satellite was identified by space experts as Starlink-1586, which originally launched in 2020 from Florida’s Space Coast as part of SpaceX's broadband internet network.

The private space company's Starlink program provides low-cost internet access worldwide through thousands of satellites currently in operation.

There were no reports of debris striking the ground, which is common during the breakup of small satellites in the atmosphere.

Events such as spacecraft and rocket reentries often result in larger pieces of debris, increasing the chances of fragments reaching the ground.

A Starlink internet "dishy" on a roof in rural Oklahoma. (Image credit: SpaceX)

(SpaceX / FOX Weather)

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So far, debris from SpaceX missions has landed harmlessly in mostly rural areas of the planet. However, in the rare event that damage or injuries are caused by falling space junk, a 1972 agreement spells out who would be responsible.

According to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, "A launching State shall be absolutely liable to pay compensation for damage caused by its space object on the surface of the Earth or to aircraft in flight."

Despite the U.S. tracking nearly 50,000 objects in space, the chance of being hit by debris is considered less than one in a trillion.

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