You’re seeing more in the sky because Earth is likely in a debris field
Dec 30, 2014, 5:09 PM | Updated: 5:09 pm
PHOENIX — It seems like 2014 should be known as the year of the weird lights, as hundreds of people have claimed to have seen an odd twinkle or streak in the night sky.
More than 300 reports from coast-to-coast were filed Monday night by people claiming to have seen something odd in the heavens. Some official organizations were a little tired of the calls.
Yes, we are aware of a large “shooting star” visible across Southern California. No emergency or calls to 9-1-1. @LAFD = normal operations.
— LAFD (@LAFD) December 30, 2014
KTAR only received a couple of emails about the lights, but it seems everyone has a story this year about something overhead.
While it may finally make that bunker seem worth it for the small doomsday community, KTAR’s Dr. Sky said the uptick in calls is likely the Earth moving through a debris field.
“It’s possible the Earth is moving through a debris field of some extinct comets and, of course, smaller meteor showers,” he said.
Additionally, Dr. Sky said the materials we see burning in the atmosphere are far too small to be of concern to us Earthlings.
“There’s nothing that we know of that’s trackable yet in the asteroid area is going to get anywhere close (enough) to us to cause any concern,” he said.
Dr. Sky said the only threat — a remote one — is a rogue asteroid traveling from deep in the solar system.
KTAR’s Jeremy Foster contributed to this report.
