On Friday night, the Northern California sky lit up with streaks of light that made people wonder whether it was a meteor shower or an alien. In recent times, the United States has witnessed multiple strange occurrences in its airspace. Be it UFOs, Chinese spy balloons, or meteorites, the public has been left baffled by each of these phenomena.Friday night’s incident prompted Americans to share videos of the moving light streaks and ask what exactly caused it as they wondered what they were witnessing.One user, Aaron Gleason, shared a video on Twitter where streaks of light can be seen moving high up in the sky. The user, who witnessed it from Sacramento, asked:"Meteor? Alien? China?"Aaron Gleason@aye_ay_ronMeteor? Alien? China? Seen from Sacramento @kcranews @GoodDaySac519133Meteor? Alien? China? Seen from Sacramento @kcranews @GoodDaySac https://t.co/rO7amxAREhA meteor shower is an astronomical phenomenon in which a number of meteors originate from one point in the night sky. These meteors are generated by meteoroids (streams of cosmic debris) entering Earth’s atmosphere at an extremely high speed on parallel trajectories.Netizens react to the meteor-like phenomenon seen in the Northern Californian skyMany people around Sacramento, California, stopped to capture the band of lights they witnessed moving in the sky on Friday night. They shared the videos on Twitter and speculated about what the object could be.Some wondered if it was a UFO, while others asked if it was a comet. However, everybody seemed amused by whatever they thought they were witnessing.Phaylin Sok@PhaylinSokSaw a meteor/comet or something in the night sky by the Sacramento area. Wonder what it is?173Saw a meteor/comet or something in the night sky by the Sacramento area. Wonder what it is? https://t.co/8FVZ35UOYDOne user also wondered if it was a plane crashing in the sky.CassFos@cass_fosOk I just caught this on camera and there isn't any info on what is going on over our hemisphere. No reports in fireball.imo I dunno what it is but it's too big to be a meteor. I'm worried it's a plane crashing or if the sky. What do you think it could be?#oregon #sky #fireball12Ok I just caught this on camera and there isn't any info on what is going on over our hemisphere. No reports in fireball.imo I dunno what it is but it's too big to be a meteor. I'm worried it's a plane crashing or if the sky. What do you think it could be?#oregon #sky #fireball https://t.co/jQn0wGTR5bzach goonzalez@zach_gonzo_Wild meteor shower (I’m assuming) heading south over Carmichael sky. Hank and I are like wth they look like they’re low enough to land or explode close to the ground (he’s a smart dog)144Wild meteor shower (I’m assuming) heading south over Carmichael sky. Hank and I are like wth they look like they’re low enough to land or explode close to the ground (he’s a smart dog) https://t.co/I9a9KUBel2J-Man@EnemyGateIsDown@GoodDaySac @kcranews anyone know what this is?#meteor #meteorite #rocket #sacramento4611@GoodDaySac @kcranews anyone know what this is?#meteor #meteorite #rocket #sacramento https://t.co/TkCc0jjZToMarlon@marlon_smoshAnyone know what this is lol #meteor #astronomy #space #ufo #aliens #transformers #CA6612Anyone know what this is lol #meteor #astronomy #space #ufo #aliens #transformers #CA https://t.co/G8xGtwct7nChris Siouris@siouriscSacramento meteor shower or what?14Sacramento meteor shower or what? https://t.co/D5asicLbGajack gross@jackgrossUm… are we going to die? #meteor7Um… are we going to die? #meteor https://t.co/71Y8M0Ymcxken@muh_sacredclownthink i jyst witnessed a meteor shower81think i jyst witnessed a meteor showerLuis@luisromevaNever seen anything like this. What is this in the Sky? i5 by Mt Shasta. #Meteor or #UFO?71Never seen anything like this. What is this in the Sky? i5 by Mt Shasta. #Meteor or #UFO? https://t.co/qgwvqQzZhnAstronomer explains the light streak seen in the Northern Californian sky is a Japanese communications packageAstronomer and astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell explained what Americans witnessed on Friday night in Northern California.McDowell serves at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He explained on Twitter that the light streak was ICS-EF, a Japanese communications package that was being used to send data between Mission Control Tsukuba and the ISS Kibo module via the Kodama data relay satellite.Jonathan McDowell@planet4589This is ICS-EF, a Japanese communications package for sending data between the ISS Kibo module and Mission Control Tsukuba via the Kodama data relay satellite. It was launched to the ISS on the Space Shuttle in 2009 and had a mass of 310 kg.30945This is ICS-EF, a Japanese communications package for sending data between the ISS Kibo module and Mission Control Tsukuba via the Kodama data relay satellite. It was launched to the ISS on the Space Shuttle in 2009 and had a mass of 310 kg. https://t.co/ygzHdmfQc0He added that the communications package had a mass of 310 kg when it was launched to the International Space Station on the Space Shuttle in 2009. McDowell further explained that the communications package was installed in one of Kibo Exposed Facility's EFU bays.Jonathan McDowell@planet4589The ICS-EF package was installed in one of the "EFU" bays on the Kibo Exposed Facility, as shown here.667The ICS-EF package was installed in one of the "EFU" bays on the Kibo Exposed Facility, as shown here. https://t.co/Tbj6wVYcLzThe astronomer added that the ICS-EF orbited the Earth for three years as space junk and reentered the planet over California, making it widely observable from the Sacramento region. He said that it is probable that the package was almost completely burnt up when it reentered the Earth. However, he guessed that any surviving, small debris might have reached the Yosemite area.McDowell also described the abbreviation ICS-EF, which stands for Inter-orbit Communications System - Exposed Facility. He added that when it was in use from 2009 to 2020, the Japanese communications package relayed whatever data it collected, to an internal computer called the ICS Pressurized Module (ICS-PM).Jonathan McDowell@planet4589The ICS-EF abbreviation stands for Inter-orbit Communications System - Exposed Facility. When in use (2009-2020) it relayed its data to an internal computer called the ICS-PM (ICS Pressurized Module), hence the -EF distinction in the abbreviation716The ICS-EF abbreviation stands for Inter-orbit Communications System - Exposed Facility. When in use (2009-2020) it relayed its data to an internal computer called the ICS-PM (ICS Pressurized Module), hence the -EF distinction in the abbreviationEarlier this week, it was reported that an asteroid that was discovered on Monday was projected to pass through Earth on Friday. NASA’s asteroid database posted about a near-Earth object named 2023 EY. It was also listed as one of the next five approaching asteroids. Scientists estimated it to be about 54 feet wide.