Late Friday night the FAA announced that flights to and from LAX would avoid flying west over the Pacific Ocean, and airport officials apologized to those living east of the airport for the unexpected noise they would be experiencing. No one disclosed exactly why this was happening, though the FAA indicated that military airspace had been activated in the area. Since most people aren't up to date on FAA alerts, when a light flew over the Southern California sky last night, earthlings naturally assumed what they were seeing was a UFO.
Twitter and Instagram were filled with legitimately confused citizens trying to comprehend what was happening before their eyes. The above photo is what the missile launch looked like to confused onlookers who thought they were about to be abducted. The photo was taken by Preston Newman, whose publicist told us this morning that the image was captured "during his photo shoot at the 4th Street Bridge over the 110 Freeway in Downtown Los Angeles." Others chose to film the phenomenon...
"That had to be a UFO," the man in the below video quietly whispered to himself. He had been filming from a rooftop when the light appeared in the sky—watch closely and you can see any sense of reality start to crumble before him.
Others declared it was a meteor shower, but even though the Taurid meteor shower is still gong on (expect it to rain down fireballs on November 11th), they were wrong, too. So what was it? As we mentioned last night, it was just the government shooting off missiles! NBD.
Word eventually came from the U.S. Navy that an unarmed Trident missile was fired from the USS Kentucky navy submarine, according to the San Diege Union-Tribune. Navy Cmdr. Ryan Perry addressed the scheduled evaluation test, noting in a statement that they are frequently conducted—"Navy Strategic Systems Programs conducted scheduled Trident II (D5) missile test flight at sea from USS Kentucky, an Ohio Class SSBN, in the Pacific Test Range off the coast of Southern California. Each test activity provides valuable information about our systems, thus contributing to assurance in our capabilities."
The military has activated that airspace through Thursday, so it's possible you'll see this happen again. And with citizens of Earth now privy to these missile launches, it's the PERFECT time for a real UFO make its move.
If you are unsatisfied with the government's explanation of "missiles," the internet has provided plenty of places where you can dig a little deeper.
- Source: http://laist.com
A missile test was the cause of a mysterious light that appeared in the night sky over California and parts of the West Saturday, prompting calls to officials and speculation on social media, the military said.
The missile was not armed, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy said. It was launched from a submarine.
"Navy Strategic Systems Programs conducted scheduled Trident II (D5) missile test flight at sea from USS Kentucky, an Ohio Class SSBN, in the Pacific Test Range off the coast of Southern California," Navy Cmdr. Ryan Perry said in a statement.
"The tests were part of a scheduled, on-going system evaluation test," he said. The Trident II is a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
The strange light was seen at around 6 p.m. local time (9 p.m. ET). Singer Josh Groban joked on Twitter that the streaking flare signaled "impending doom."
Actress Lena Dunham, the creator of the show "Girls," also posted video of the sight and joked on Instagram "was I abducted?"
Savannah Hilde was driving home with her sister from church in Murrieta, California, when they spotted what they thought was a shooting star, but which slowly faded to a dot before growing again with a large white tail.
"It looked like it exploded in the air and the whole sky illuminated into a huge white circle," she said.
The National Weather Service in Hanford, California, said it received numerous reports from curious observers about the strange light.
The Orange County, California, sheriff's office took to its Twitter account to confirm that the light was from a Naval test fire.
NBC Los Angeles said it fielded many calls from viewers wondering what the strange object was. Similar calls came in to NBC stations in San Diego and the Bay Area.
The light was reportedly visible as far away as Arizona.
The Navy said it does not typically announce missile tests, and information about tests of Trident II missiles is classified prior to launch.
Los Angeles International Airport announced Friday that active military airspace was prompting it to stop "over-ocean operations" — where arriving and departing flights fly over the ocean to minimize neighborhood noise — until Nov. 12.
That pattern usually lasts from midnight to 6:30 a.m., meaning flights will go over neighborhoods to the east during that time.
Story and video: http://www.nbcnews.com
Instead of landing from the east over Inglewood, planes begin flying from the west and over the ocean to keep noise levels down, but due to secret military operations, the airspace over the Pacific is closed to incoming flights for the next week.
"We clearly understand that neighbors and communities east of the airport will experience noise and we apologize for that," said Nancy Castles, LAX public relations director.
The military is not saying what exactly is causing the change, and LAX claims it's also in the dark. Castles said all they know is planes can't be flying at low altitudes to our west.
Six years ago, ABC7 cameras captured a military operation in downtown LA. Helicopters were seen swooping between high-rises, close enough that residents were able to see armed soldiers in camouflage outside their window.
Authorities claimed it was part of a training exercise designed to ensure the military's ability to operate in urban environments and to prepare forces for upcoming overseas deployment.
What's going on this week is a mystery.
"And plus if it's a military thing it's a good thing, that means they're making it safer for us so I wouldn't let it bother me," said Steve Devosion of Inglewood. "I'd be more interested in them not doing something about what's going on than them doing something about what's going on."
- Source: http://abc7.com
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