Bright lights in the sky near Vancouver after recent SpaceX launch
Hyunki Shin and his wife were camping in Porteau Cove Provincial Park Saturday night when they saw an unusual sight in the night sky.
Around 10:30 p.m., several bright lights appeared in a line, moving from west to east across the sky.
It wasn't a streak, like a comet or a meteor, but more like a train of lights.
"It was like so many bright (meteors) flying in a row very fast," Shin said, adding that it was an "amazing experience."
Shin was one of several viewers to reach out to CTV News with photos and video of the phenomenon, with some speculating that it was SpaceX's Starlink satellites being deployed.
Devices launched by the satellite-based internet service have been visible from Vancouver in the past.
In early May 2021, the U.S. National Weather Service in Seattle confirmed that a string of bright lights visible in the sky was related to a recent Starlink launch.
While no such similar confirmation has been issued for Saturday's lights, a post on the SpaceX website indicates the company launched 53 Starlink satellites from Florida on Friday evening.
An online tracker suggests the company's satellites would've been visible from Vancouver around 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
Last year, University of British Columbia astronomer Aaron Boley explained the reason for the light show when new satellites are launched.
“SpaceX launches 60 satellites at a time and they move slowly into their intended location," Boley said at the time.
“As they’re going up, they’re quite low and visible to sky watchers on the ground.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.