Watching a rocket blast into space is always quite the sight, but it was particularly mesmerising for people living on California's coast on Sunday.

SpaceX launched (and landed!) its Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, which sits just north of Los Angeles.

The rocket's trail left a haze of light in the night sky, culminating in a spectacular show which lasted for a few minutes. Despite warnings of the launch, some people on social media wondered if what they were seeing happened to be erm, aliens.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti cleared up the confusion with stunning photos of the launch on Twitter.

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While SpaceX CEO Elon Musk couldn't help but post a photo of the event, the public took some equally impressive shots.

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The launch also looked just as stunning in video.

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