Residents of southern California were left
more than a little worried after a mysterious light streaked across the
sky just after sunset on Saturday.
Police were apparently inundated with calls "reporting
everything from a flare to a comet to a nuclear bomb", according to The
San Diego Union-TribuneNewspapers and broadcasters were also besieged by concerned members of the public, as people posted images and videos on social media.
The light was reportedly seen as far away as Nevada and Arizona.
As it turned out, it was an unarmed Trident missile fired from a Navy submarine, the USS Kentucky, off the Californian coast.
A Navy spokesman told the Union-Tribune it was part of a routine test in an area northwest of Los Angeles.
He said the area, known as the Pacific Test Range, was frequently used to ensure the continuing reliability of weapons systems.
Unfortunately, the tests are classified so it is not possible to give advance warning of them.
An indication of military activity came when it was announced that night flights in and out of Los Angeles were being rerouted from 6 to 12 November.
Flights usually arrive and depart over the ocean from midnight to 6.30am to minimise noise, but until next Thursday they will go over communities east of the airport. see more
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