The Pacific Northwest fire shower
The account
A line of fireballs crossed the night sky, and many people filmed what looked like a fleet of UFOs.
What investigators found
It was the second stage of a Falcon 9 rocket reentering uncontrolled; one part landed on a farm.
The story
On the night of March 25, 2021, residents of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia filmed dozens of points of light crossing the sky in a line. On social media, the videos were called a meteor shower, an attack and even an alien fleet.
Astronomers quickly identified the cause: the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which had remained in orbit after a launch and reentered the atmosphere uncontrolled. Days later, a pressure tank from the rocket was found on a farm in Grant County, Washington. The episode became an example of how rocket debris fuels UFO reports.