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U.S Command: Mysterious light in sky was Russian rocket

By Bridget Webster

Updated December 23, 2015 11:48 AM

A streak of light is seen over an apartment complex in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015. U.S. military officials say the streak of light seen burning across the sky by people in three Western states was debris from a Russian rocket re-entering the atmosphere. (Gunnar Lindstrom via AP) Gunnar Lindstrom AP

The mysterious light in the sky that was spotted Tuesday night along the west coast was actually a SL-4 rocket reentering the atmosphere from Russia, according to the U.S. Command Public Affairs Current Operations Chief Martin O’Donnell.

People along the west coast posted pictures of the mysterious light on social media platforms Tuesday night.

The rocket was removed from the U.S. satellite catalog as a decayed object after it reentered the atmosphere today over the west coast around 6 p.m, said O’Donnell.

This was unrelated to the U.S. missile test Nov. 7 that created a mysterious light across states like California, Arizona and Nevada, O’Donnell said.

Additional questions about the rocket are encouraged to be directed to the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Bridget Webster: 559-441-6304, @bridgetw05

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 11:27 PM with the headline "U.S Command: Mysterious light in sky was Russian rocket."

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