Bright light in Bay Area sky was missile test

A bright light with a glowing tail lit up the Bay Area sky Tuesday morning.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN FRANCISCO - A bright light with a glowing tail spotted in the San Francisco Bay Area sky Tuesday was a Navy missile test that had been in the works for years.

U.S. Navy spokesman John Daniels told the East Bay Times (http://bayareane.ws/2kGPsoA) that a submarine off the coast of California launched a Trident II D-5 missile at 3:30 a.m. and another at 6:20 a.m.

Daniels said the routine test was "not in response to any ongoing world activities" and that tests are conducted for training and maintenance of the missile system. He said the missiles fly over water, and not over inhabited areas.

The Trident II is a three-stage missile with a 4,000-mile range. Daniels said residents likely saw stage one, which lasts about a minute, and possibly part of stage two.

___

Information from: East Bay Times, http://www.eastbaytimes.com

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor