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| Navy says southern California 'UFO sighting' was test missile launch | Navy says southern California 'UFO sighting' was test missile launch |
| (25 days later) | |
| Bright light streaked across California and was visible as far away as Nevada and Arizona, sparking a flurry of calls and an uproar on social media | |
| Associated Press in San Diego | |
| Sun 8 Nov 2015 18.30 GMT | |
| First published on Sun 8 Nov 2015 14.32 GMT | |
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| The US navy fired an unarmed missile from a submarine off the coast of southern California on Saturday, creating a bright light that streaked across the state and was visible as far away as Nevada and Arizona. | The US navy fired an unarmed missile from a submarine off the coast of southern California on Saturday, creating a bright light that streaked across the state and was visible as far away as Nevada and Arizona. |
| The lack of information about the streak of light around sunset led to a flurry of calls to law enforcement agencies and lit up social media as people posted photos and video of the celestial sight. Many people thought – or hoped – the light was a sighting of an unidentified flying object, or UFO. | The lack of information about the streak of light around sunset led to a flurry of calls to law enforcement agencies and lit up social media as people posted photos and video of the celestial sight. Many people thought – or hoped – the light was a sighting of an unidentified flying object, or UFO. |
| One witness, Julien Solomita, happened to be shooting some video footage when his group saw something odd in the sky. | One witness, Julien Solomita, happened to be shooting some video footage when his group saw something odd in the sky. |
| “It was very wild watching this in the sky,” he said in an email. “I can’t really say what I thought it was because I’ve never experienced anything remotely close to it.” | “It was very wild watching this in the sky,” he said in an email. “I can’t really say what I thought it was because I’ve never experienced anything remotely close to it.” |
| Kevin Stack was walking to dinner with his young son in north-eastern Los Angeles when he was stopped in his tracks by what he thought was an especially intense light from a police helicopter – except that it was completely silent. | Kevin Stack was walking to dinner with his young son in north-eastern Los Angeles when he was stopped in his tracks by what he thought was an especially intense light from a police helicopter – except that it was completely silent. |
| “It intensified then shot across the dark sky, leaving a green trail,” said Stack, 41. “Then it fizzled and appeared like a dying dot on an old television screen.” | “It intensified then shot across the dark sky, leaving a green trail,” said Stack, 41. “Then it fizzled and appeared like a dying dot on an old television screen.” |
| Stack’s five-year-old son, Blackstone, was under no illusions about what he had just seen. | Stack’s five-year-old son, Blackstone, was under no illusions about what he had just seen. |
| “It was an alien,” he said. | “It was an alien,” he said. |
| It was not clear whether the test was related to the rerouting of night-time flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport because of an active military airspace from Friday to 12 November. | It was not clear whether the test was related to the rerouting of night-time flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport because of an active military airspace from Friday to 12 November. |
| Flights usually arrive and depart over the ocean from midnight to 6.30am to minimize noise, but they will now have to go over communities east of the airport. | Flights usually arrive and depart over the ocean from midnight to 6.30am to minimize noise, but they will now have to go over communities east of the airport. |
| A navy spokesman told the San Diego Union-Tribune the Navy Strategic Systems Programs conducted the missile test at sea on Saturday from the USS Kentucky, a ballistic missile submarine. | A navy spokesman told the San Diego Union-Tribune the Navy Strategic Systems Programs conducted the missile test at sea on Saturday from the USS Kentucky, a ballistic missile submarine. |
| Commander Ryan Perry said such launches were conducted on a frequent basis to ensure the continued reliability of the system and that information about such test launches is classified prior to the launch. | Commander Ryan Perry said such launches were conducted on a frequent basis to ensure the continued reliability of the system and that information about such test launches is classified prior to the launch. |
| The test was conducted in the Pacific Test Range, a vast area northwest of Los Angeles where the navy periodically test-fires Tomahawk and Standard cruise missiles from surface ships and submarines. | The test was conducted in the Pacific Test Range, a vast area northwest of Los Angeles where the navy periodically test-fires Tomahawk and Standard cruise missiles from surface ships and submarines. |
| A message seeking comment from the Federal Aviation Administration was not immediately returned. | A message seeking comment from the Federal Aviation Administration was not immediately returned. |
| The light was visible for hundreds of miles, startling people in Nevada and Arizona and as far north as California’s Sonoma Valley wine country. | The light was visible for hundreds of miles, startling people in Nevada and Arizona and as far north as California’s Sonoma Valley wine country. |
| “Anybody else see the big white ball of light in the sky?” wrote California state senator Mike McGuire, a Democrat from Healdsburg, on Facebook. “Wow.” | “Anybody else see the big white ball of light in the sky?” wrote California state senator Mike McGuire, a Democrat from Healdsburg, on Facebook. “Wow.” |
| Seems like people haven't seen this yet.. There's multiple recordings. #UFO pic.twitter.com/Hxm65ohwmA #alienstakingoverearthparty | Seems like people haven't seen this yet.. There's multiple recordings. #UFO pic.twitter.com/Hxm65ohwmA #alienstakingoverearthparty |
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