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An astronomer for the Smithsonian says this was a piece of a satellite antenna from the International Space Station.
He says you could classify this as "space junk."
It's been orbiting the earth's atmosphere for several years, and experts knew it would re-enter sometime on Friday, but they didn't know exactly when or exactly where.
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It ended up soaring over Sacramento around 9:30 p.m. By 11 p.m., residents in Planada and Fresno saw the bright lights in the sky.
McDowell says there is no danger to anyone who's seeing it.
It'll break into very small bits before hitting the ground.
Based on the trajectory, he expects those pieces probably landed near Yosemite National Park.