Any idea what went up in the sky about an hour ago over the Central Coast? Did it blow up?

[Hekate]

This is after 9pm now — I first noticed something strange maybe a quarter after 8pm. I looked out a window and saw a bright red cylindrical object, reflecting the sun from high up. Took me awhile to get outdoors, and by then it was gone, leaving very twisted and by then broken contrails behind — again, for awhile they glowed with the remains of the sunlight.

I didn’t hear a sonic boom, but then the coyotes were howling so I might have missed it. Vandenberg AFB (or Space Base, whatever it is now) is about 100 miles away, and we occasionally get to hear Muskrat’s satellites and whatnot taking off.

My problem with all nighttime sky phenomena is we live tucked into a valley, plus there are a fair amount of palm trees and mature oaks about. I feel lucky I saw this much by accident. But I still want to know if anyone knows what it was and if it was an unscheduled rapid disassembly of something.

Thanks.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

1. It was SpaceX from Vandenberg

[Hekate]

2. Kind of what I thought, but it really did not look normal, especially the curly-Q contrails

Thanks

[sdfernando]

3. I saw the same at around 8:45ish

and I’m in San Diego. Usually the contrails are pretty straight and somewhat arched….not the curly-q I saw tonight.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

5. The wind blows it around.

I was going to photograph it, but I thought it was still going to be too light. I can usually get a pretty good shot of it from my driveway.

[Jacson6]

6. Curly Q Contrails are caused by upper level winds. n/t

[hunter]

4. More of Elon Musk's environmentally destructive garbage.

Starlink Group 15-9, Falcon 9 Block 5, SpaceX

It was a "successful" launch. Air currents dispersing the tail of pollutants is what makes the show.

I won't link to any enthusiast's sites, including our own government.

None of Musk's businesses are viable without massive government subsidies and support and none of them are making the world a better place.