What was that in the sky? Fiery streak over Cook County thought to be StarLink satellite reentry
On Saturday night, shortly after 6 p.m., individuals across Cook County and the state observed what has been described as a white, fiery ball traveling through the night sky.
Observers from Grand Portage to Gunflint Lake and farther down the North Shore shared photos and videos of the mysterious object on social media throughout the evening. The white, fiery ball occasionally flared with green and yellow tones and left a long tail in its wake.
With the nearing Geminid Meteor Shower, expected to peak on Dec. 13-14, many on social media thought it was a meteor or fireball.
Observers also shared photos and videos via the American Meteor Society following the incident, with reports from across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, and farther north into Canada, including Manitoba and Ontario. In total, the American Meteor Society received 136 reports about the possible fireball sighting.
After reviewing the reports, the American Meteor Society determined that the activity was not a fireball but instead was most likely the reentry of StarLink satellite #3322.
The reentry of a satellite into Earth’s atmosphere is generally a scheduled process for space agencies or companies such as SpaceX, which owns and manages the Starlink satellites. When a satellite reaches the end of its life or suffers a mechanical failure, a controlled propulsive deorbit is planned. Starlink operates the world’s largest fleet of satellites, with SpaceX owner Elon Musk reporting approximately 7,000-8,000 currently in orbit.
According to SpaceX data, as of February 2025, 329 Starlink satellites are actively deorbiting. SpaceX selects targeted areas for satellite deorbiting, many of which occur in low or unpopulated regions.
“Starlink implements a targeted reentry approach to deorbit satellites over the open ocean, away from populated islands and heavily trafficked airline and maritime routes,” a 2025 StarLink satellite demisability report states.
A video of the StarLink satellite reentry near Isabella, Minn. is below. Credit Ed Wilkens.
Kalli Hawkins December 8, 2025
