Launch News Mystery missile launched off US Pacific Coast near LA

[Dambuster]

Are you sure about the contrail thing? The way the 'contrail' looked right after leaving the 'thing' didn't look anything like any contrail I've ever seen. In addition to that, check out this video around 0:44: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/11/09/national/main7036716.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody. What do you think of the way the thing appears to be illuminated? At first, the colour made me think it was definitely a missile, then right before the screen changes, it looks a bit green.

EDIT: Also, look at this picture -

. Just the way it's curved doesn't look like something a plane would do.

 

[OrbiterSpore]

LOL

Wow, even N.O.R.A.D. was looking into this.(...)

so get ready to a W.O.R.P.:lol:

 

[tblaxland]

What do you think of the way the thing appears to be illuminated? At first, the colour made me think it was definitely a missile, then right before the screen changes, it looks a bit green.

Most likely a specular sun reflection from the vertical stabiliser?

EDIT: Also, look at this picture -

. Just the way it's curved doesn't look like something a plane would do.

Planes follow curved paths too, at constant altitude.

 

[lennartsmit]

If this was a plane wouldn't there be lots of contrails from other jets as it's not far from LA?

 

[DoyleChris]

I live in michigan and many times i have seen contrails from jets going east and west in the sky, at dusk. and i must say that does not look like a contrail to me, also since it is at sun set if it is heading east with the sun setting behind it on the horizon the plane would be illumanated by the sun and it would be bright. also if it was heading west you still would see it in front of the contrail. never in the video did i see a shimmer from the (plane if it is one), it should have been bright as day the whole time.

 

[lennartsmit]

This is what the cameraman who filmed it says about it:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/cameraman-who-filmed-mystery-missile-describes-spectacular-sight.html

"Whatever it was, it was spinning up into the sky kind of like a spiral," and was easy to distinguish from condensation trails from jets, he said. "It was quite a sight to see. It was spectacular."

 

[FuzzyLogic]

I live in michigan and many times i have seen contrails from jets going east and west in the sky, at dusk. and i must say that does not look like a contrail to me, also since it is at sun set if it is heading east with the sun setting behind it on the horizon the plane would be illumanated by the sun and it would be bright. also if it was heading west you still would see it in front of the contrail. never in the video did i see a shimmer from the (plane if it is one), it should have been bright as day the whole time.

In the video on the BBC site you can see a glimmer on the top of the pillar of smoke that might be the plane. However, I've also seen my share of contrails from eastbound jets, and that surely does not look like one.

I'm placing my bets on a mad scientist bent on world domination operating from a a)rogue submarine b)secret underwater base. For the sake of aesthetics, mostly :lol:

 

[Hielor]

http://www.smartplanet.com/technolo...us-california-missile-launch-that-wasnt/5646/

 

[Urwumpe]

Also, it looks in the still images, as if the "path" crosses a layer of high cirrostratus clouds - such clouds are usually around the cruise altitude of planes.

 

[statisticsnerd]

I clearly see a fireball @ 0:20-0:25 in this video:

Now I'm not a scientist of any kind, but as a layperson who has seen plenty of contrails/ commercial aircraft flying, I have NEVER seen a plane that flies at a 50-60 degree angle and has fire coming out of it.

 

[JonnyBGoode]

I'm placing my bets on a mad scientist bent on world domination operating from a a)rogue submarine b)secret underwater base. For the sake of aesthetics, mostly :lol:

Dr. Steel has not been replying to my emails on the subject...

 

[Linguofreak]

I clearly see a fireball @ 0:20-0:25 in this video:
YouTube - Missile Launched Off Calif. Coast

Now I'm not a scientist of any kind, but as a layperson who has seen plenty of contrails/ commercial aircraft flying, I have NEVER seen a plane that flies at a 50-60 degree angle and has fire coming out of it.

Thing is, at that time of day, it could be a reflection of sunlight off the plane. If this had been filmed with a blue sky at noon, I'd definitely agree with you, as that color couldn't be anything other than flame at that time of day. But with the lighting conditions in the video I can't say for certain if it's a fireball or not. I'm also not sure if the apparent 50/60 degree angle is the actual angle it's flying at, or if it's simply an optical effect.

The contrail, however, does look very weird for a jet aircraft.

 

[JonnyBGoode]

I have to agree, the images don't look like any jet aircraft contrail I've ever seen, and I grew up around Edwards and Vandenberg.

 

[Unstung]

It could be a rocket launching a

 

[Pyromaniac605]

It could be a rocket launching a

BLASPHEMY! WE ALL KNOW THERE IS ONLY ONE !

And I have to agree, I have never seen a contrail like that in my life, it is a missile, ICBM or something not unlike a rocket launching.

Darren

 

[JonnyBGoode]

Wait... they left a note behind!

"So long... and thanks for all the fish!"

 

[FordPrefect]

Right. So if this actually was a missile climbing steeply into the sky, then please explain why the trail is lit by the same red sunset color from "bottom to the top"? Even if it only climbed a few thousand meters, you would see a change in the color pattern, as it would rise into (continously) changing light scattering levels.

 

[Sky Captain]

If it was plane wouldn't it be easy to confirm it from ATC radar logs? I think that positions of comercial planes are well known at all times especially near such crowded place like LA.

 

[Pyromaniac605]

No (commercial jet) plane takes off at that steep an attitude.
I agree about the ATC logs, from those it would be (relatively) simple to rule out or confirm if it was a plane.

Darren

 

[garyw]

No (commercial jet) plane takes off at that steep an attitude.

Correct. it was already in flight.

Imagine this. Stand out in a field, clear skies look at the horizon.
A jet flies over at 30,000+ it leaves a contrail. Now image it makes a course change to the left.

What would you have?

That image is not of a rocket but an aircraft doing exactly what I describe above. The brain interprets the "bottom" of the plume as being on the ground when in reality it's over the horizon.