WATCH: Rocket Debris Lights Up Night Sky Over Washington

SEATTLE, WA — If you saw something suspicious in the sky late Thursday night, you weren't alone.

Just after 9 p.m. social media streams lit up with videos like this one from KEXP DJ John Richards, showing a mysterious string of lights sweeping across the sky:

Many of the reports Thursday night came from west Seattle, but the lights could be seen as far away as Portland, Oregon.

After some initial confusion, it quickly became clear that the glittering show was actually the burning debris from a Falcon 9 rocket.

According to the National Weather Service, the rocket's second stage did not fire correctly, and the resulting debris burned up upon re-entry over the Pacific Northwest.

As meteorologists explain, the debris didn't reach the ground and there was no danger to the public. Interestingly, had the angle of re-entry been slightly different, the debris actually could have bounced off the atmosphere.