Discarded ISS Antenna Causes Mysterious Streaks of Light Over California

The bright streaks of light that blazed across the sky over Sacramento, California, were caused by a piece of space debris that burned up as it reentered Earth’s atmosphere. The debris was a Japanese communications antenna that was once attached to the International Space Station (ISS) and was discarded in 2020. Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell explained that the antenna likely almost completely burnt up during reentry, but any small surviving debris may have reached the Yosemite area. As more objects are launched into Earth orbit, the chances of creating space junk that eventually falls back through the atmosphere increase.