Nevada, California and Arizona were abuzz Tuesday night after streaking fireballs were spotted in the sky. There were some who thought that it was SpaceX's Falcon 9 explosion redux. But it was, of course, incorrect, as the rocket's launch and landing were successful the previous day, HNGN reported. It turned out the streaks of bright light were caused by Russian rocket debris, according to U.S. defense officials.

A Russian SL-4 rocket caused the fireball as its body reentered Earth's atmosphere around 9:08 p.m. ET, the U.S. Strategic command said in an NBC News report. The rocket was being monitored by U.S. authorities and it is reportedly part of 16,000 other objects. There is no official word whether the main rocket survived as it reentered the atmosphere.

Strangely, the rocket was also launched Monday, according to Engadget, the same day that SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket completed a successful vertical takeoff and landing at Cape Canaveral, Fla. The purpose of the Russian rocket is still subject to much speculation. U.S. authorities could not provide answers and have directed inquiries to the Russian Federal Space Agency.

People who saw the fireball immediately posted the events on social media. Here are some Twitter posts that included actual footage:

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