Social media lights up with SpaceX satellite launch

When SpaceX launched a rocket carrying an Argentinian Earth-observation satellite from California, both the night sky and social media lit up.

People as far away as Phoenix and Sacramento posted photos of the space launch last night. It was the first time SpaceX landed a first-stage booster back at its launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The Air Force warned residents on the central California coast they might see multiple engine burns by the first stage and hear one or more sonic booms as it returned.

But many were taken by surprise when the launch illuminated the sky, wondering what the otherworldly-looking site was. Some speculated it was a comet or an alien aircraft.