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Credit & Copyright: Abe
Blair
(Abe Blair Gallery)
Explanation:
What is that unusual light in the sky?
A common question, this particular light was not only bright but moving and expanding.
It appeared just as the astrophotographer and his friend were photographing the
Golden Gate Bridge
in
San Francisco,
California against a more
predictable night sky.
They were not alone in seeing
this unusual display -- at least hundreds of people in California reported a
similar sight.
The consensus of
experienced sky observers was that the
plume resulted from a rocket launch -- an explanation
that was
soon confirmed as an unpublicized test of a
submarine-launched, unarmed,
Trident II D5 nuclear missile.
Such tests are not uncommon but do not usually occur just after
sunset
near a major metropolitan area -- when they are
particularly noticeable to many people.
Were plume images not posted to
the Internet and quickly identified, such a sky spectacle might have been understood by some
to be associated with
more
grandiose -- but incorrect -- explanations.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: rocket - launch
Publications with words: rocket - launch
See also: