Residents across several European countries were captivated by a spectacular light show in the early hours Wednesday, as bright lights with long fiery tails streaked across the sky.

The flaming debris was part of the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched 22 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California on Feb. 1, experts say. The Falcon 9 upper stage is expendable (unlike the rocket's first-stage booster) but is designed to be brought down in a controlled fashion shortly after launch.