Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and orbital debris expert, said on social media site X that the "widely observed" sight was in fact a retired SpaceX Starlink satellite launched into orbit in 2022.

Unlike traditional communication satellites placed in geostationary orbits (around 22,000 miles above Earth), Starlink satellites operate in low earth orbit, at about 342 miles above the ground.

Liftoff occurred at 12:23 a.m. EST on Thursday (Nov. 14). SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from California's central coast on Thursday (Nov. 14). A Falcon 9 rocket ...

Falling Starlink satellites shocked stargazers across the United States over the weekend. In four minutes, the de-orbiting satellite shot across the U.S., from Washington to Texas. It caught many off ...