Mysterious 'Fireball' Spotted Over North Carolina

If you noticed a bright light shining high in the sky early Monday (November 7) morning, you're not alone. Several people from Wilmington to Greenville reported seeing what they described as a "fireball" flying through the skies above North Carolina around 5:30 a.m. Monday

According to WRAL, several residents across the Carolinas noticed the strange light brightening the early-morning skies. One resident noticed the light over their neighborhood, telling the outlet that "it seemed to be moving quick with a burning ball in front of it."

So what was the mysterious light? While it may have appeared to be an otherworldly sight or a UFO at first glance, it wasn't anything of extraterrestrial origin. Rather, it was likely the S.S. Sally Ride spacecraft being launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 5:32 a.m.

NASA shared footage of the craft, named after the first American woman in space, lifting off into the atmosphere early Monday morning on Twitter.

The launch was originally scheduled for Sunday (November 6) but was delayed after a fire alarm went off at the mission control center. The craft is heading to the International Space Station for a resupply mission and will remain at the station until January.