Flashes of Light Could be Asteroids

If you saw some bright flashes of light in the California sky last night, authorities say it was likely a small asteroid or debris from space burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

MyMotherLode.com received several reports from residents in the Mother Lode who said they saw the flashes.

A dispatcher with the state Office of Emergency Services says nothing hit the ground but the clear sky over parts of the state made for a spectacular light show.

According to witnesses and the OES, bluish-white lights moving west to northeast were seen at about 8:20 p.m. in Palm Springs and as far north as Napa and Amador counties.

OES says a brief North American Aerospace Defense Command investigation concluded that the lights were a small asteroid or space debris.

Vandenberg Air Force Base reported it had not tested missiles or made any other launch Thursday night.