California 'UFO' scare: No need to fear, it's just a Trident missile test, says U.S. Navy
A bright object that streaked across the sky in Southern California on Saturday scared residents who initially thought it was a UFO.
However, it turned out to be a projectile fired by the US Navy during a missile test.
The sighting trended on Twitter with the hashtags #Navy, #comet and #UFO, according to Newsmax.
"There's a UFO in Los Angeles. I'm so excited. I'm so ready," posted Shane Dawson on Twitter.
"Los Angeles UFO? It was not a comet. My son saw the Unidentified Flying Object in Hollywood," tweeted @AnnieJacobsen.
The US Navy quickly clarified the sighting.
"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," said Navy Cmdr. Ryan Perry. "The tests were part of a scheduled, on-going system evaluation test."
The Orange County Sheriff's Department tweeted that the "light seen in OC sky was confirmed through JWA tower to be a Naval test fire off the coast. No further details," referring to the John Wayne Airport.
Perry, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, said the launches are conducted frequently to ensure stability of the system.
"Each test activity provides valuable information about our systems, thus contributing to assurance in our capabilities," he said.
The missile was not armed and missile launches are not routinely announced, the spokesman said.
It said the test range is an area northwest of Los Angeles, that is regularly used by the Navy to test-fire Tomahawk and Standard cruise from ships and submarines.
Law agencies in San Diego were flooded with calls about 6 p.m. because of the sighting, which faded from bright red to white or blue and traveled north to south.
Some people thought it was part of the annual Taurid meteor shower, but astrophysicist Brian Keating dismissed the idea.
"The Taurid meteors would be coming from the east — and this light came from the west. We'd also be more likely to see meteors about midnight, and the flash came near sunset," he said.
