Light in the night sky: More than a rocket?

A bright streak of light in the night sky -- and it lit up social media, too. Many jumped to social media to ask what exactly is it? July 28, 2016

A bright streak of light in the night sky on Wednesday had many turning to social media to discuss exactly what they saw.

The U.S. Strategic Command spokeswoman Julie Ziegenhorn confirms the streak was caused by a Chinese CZ-7 rocket reentering the atmosphere around 9:40 p.m. PST, but some people still needed a little convincing.

“I don’t think it’s UFOs, no way!” Jason Chantry said.

“It had to be like a UFO because Einstein says we’re not alone,” Duke Wise added.

Julie Van Kleeck is the Vice President of the Advanced Space and Launch Business Unit for Aerojet Rocketdyne in Rancho Cordova. She also confirms what thousands of people saw in the sky was space junk.

“I believe it’s a spent rocket stage that’s reentered the atmosphere,” Van Kleeck said.

If you’re still skeptical, we asked for a second opinion from President of JP Aerospace John Powell.

“The Chinese booster reentering over Utah, California, and Oregon, and Nevada,” Powell said.

Still, many on social media have their own theories.

One person wrote on the ABC10 Facebook page, “I thought it was a shooting star, guess my wish won’t come true now.”

Powell said space junk is way better than shooting stars.

“Because a regular shooting star is just kind of a rock and they only last a second and this was in the sky for like 30 seconds as we saw parts coming off it it’s like 100 shooting stars at once so if you’re going to get a wish, that’s the one to do,” Powell said.

Then there’s the political theories. One person posted, “They are sending Hillary’s emails.”

Van Kleeck can’t help but laugh.

“The logistics of doing that are… you’d be spending a lot of money to be sending those emails, I don’t think that’s what it is,” Van Kleeck said.

Some will go as far as thinking Pokemon Go has something to do with it.

“It was team rocket,” another post joked.

“Team rocket? I don’t even know who team rocket is,” Powell said.

Team Rocket is a duo portrayed as the villains in Pokémon.

“Yes, that’s who it was,” Powell added.

If it’s not Pokémon, others are convinced it’s something extraterrestrial.

“They’re probably UFOs heading into area 51,” part of another post reads.

“It’s heading the wrong way though,” Powell exclaimed. “They landed over in Utah, and they flew over area 51 they missed the exit. Maybe they were chasing Pokémon instead of… it’s like Pokémon and driving. You’re not supposed to do that.”