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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Mother of alleged shooter says she lived in fear ... New Medford police station almost ready for action ... Medford mayor vetoes Patridge as city manager ... Mother of alleged shooter says she lived in fear ... New Medford police station almost ready for action ... Medford mayor vetoes Patridge as city manager ... WEST COAST Chinese rocket sends streak of light across Western US sky Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jul. 28, 2016 at 3:42 PM By The Associated Press Posted Jul. 28, 2016 at 3:42 PM » Social News LAS VEGAS — A Chinese rocket body streaking across the night sky over the Western United States lit up social media as people shared photos and video of the bright object. The Chinese CZ-7 re-entered the atmosphere Wednesday night, U.S. Strategic Command spokeswoman Julie Ziegenhorn confirmed. That's when people in Nevada, Utah and California took to social media to report a small fireball streaking across the sky. Photographer Ian Norman was taking pictures of the night sky with friends in Alabama Hills, California, near the eastern Sierra Nevada, when he saw the light and started recording, thinking the flash was a meteor. "It was really strange to see something that bright," he said Thursday. "I thought it was just a really big meteor, but it was so slow-moving, I had never seen anything like that." The former SpaceX engineer heads out a few nights every month, but it was the first re-entry he's seen. "It was a cool experience, it was beautiful to see it going across the sky," Norman said. Further east in Utah, Matt Holt was outside a public library in Provo amid a large group playing "Pokemon Go" when he noticed the bright, colorful flash of light. Soon, others spotted it, too. "I didn't know what I was seeing because I've never seen space debris," said Holt, a student at Brigham Young University. "It looked kind of like a meteor, but it was going much slower." Holt said it lasted for about a minute. He later learned that the flash was a Chinese rocket, but it was mysterious at the time. "I didn't feel afraid. I was excited. I was in awe at the science of space," he said Thursday. The rocket took off June 25 from China's Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, according to the website of the Aerospace Corp., which provides research-and-development and advisory services to the U.S. Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office, among others. In announcing the launch of the new-generation rocket, China said it marked a milestone in its space program, keeping it on schedule to place its second space station into orbit this year. Rockets heading to orbit shed components that fall back to Earth. Components that fall back from space at high speed heat up due to friction with the atmosphere and break up as increasing density causes a rapid slowdown. But some pieces may survive. Of 27 previous re-entries this year, witnesses reported seeing five, according to the Aerospace Corp. website. The most recent was the body of a Russian rocket launched in mid-July from Baikonur cosmodrome. People on New Zealand's South Island spotted the re-entry several days later. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jul. 28, 2016 at 3:42 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501