OK... So What Was It?
Pentagon officials say they cannot explain reports of a missile launch off the coast of California on Monday, November 8, 2010. So then what was it? I suppose a stray rocket propelled weather balloon that escaped from a weather testing station just won't cut it... but you never know.
Comments:
Has anyone considered the possibility that this was an amateur's rocket? The amateur rocketry community is capable of this type of launch.
In my humble opinion, it appears to be the contrail of an aircraft called a SCRAM jet. These bad boys operate between Machs 5 and 9 and are also being tested in Russia. Why the secrecy? They have been around since the nineties.
Latest theory is the contrail from a jet, with the illusion of missile launch due to viewing angle... Either that or a Chinese sub shooting off an ICBM.
I think that's the most likely explanation - a simple contrail. I saw an almost identical daytime contrail while living near White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. At first I thought it was a missile launch - after all, I was only about 40 miles from a the test range at the time and it was going up at what appeared to be an absolutely crazy angle relative to the local horizon. I watched it closely for several minutes - but as it got close to the zenith I realized it was just a jet contrail. Definitely not a missile - I could make out the individual engine plumes once it was close enough to my location.<br><br>Lesson for me was that despite my years of deep sky observing and aircraft observing, even an "experienced" observer can be fooled.<br><br>K. Michael M.<br><br><blockquote class="blockquote"><div class="italic"><i>Dave Loschiavo said:</i><br><br>Latest theory is the contrail from a jet, with the illusion of missile launch due to viewing angle... Either that or a Chinese sub shooting off an ICBM.</div></blockquote>
Hi all. I say that it was a meteor shooting tangentially across our atmosphere.<br><br>Bob Polcyn
Balloon Boy's parents trying to make a comeback?
I guess because it is eye-catching, sensational, and does not require any work on the part of a 'journalist', saying a jet's contrails are a "mystery sub-launched missile" sure does generate some extra advertising revenue.<br>All sorts of agenda's exposed with this report. Yawn...how the truth is just so 'boring' and common sense sometimes... <br><br>More here:<br><br>Jet contrails from some angles look like missile trails http://uncinus.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/4/<br><br>And you can see the flight track for the 08 Nov US Airways Flight # 808 from Hawaii to Phoenix here (which puts it west of LA right about<br>sunset...):<br><br>FlightAware<br>http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AWE808/history/20101108/1955Z/PHNL/KP<br>HX<br><br>
Those images of Jet contrails that look like missile trails at <br><br>http://uncinus.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/4/ <br><br>Look *exactly* like a "missile" I saw while living next to White Sands Missile Range in NM. See my other comment...<br><br>KMM<br><br><blockquote class="blockquote"><div class="italic"><i>Louis Busby said:</i><br><br>I guess because it is eye-catching, sensational, and does not require any work on the part of a 'journalist', saying a jet's contrails are a "mystery sub-launched missile" sure does generate some extra advertising revenue.<br>All sorts of agenda's exposed with this report. Yawn...how the truth is just so 'boring' and common sense sometimes... <br><br>More here:<br><br>Jet contrails from some angles look like missile trails http://uncinus.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/4/<br><br>And you can see the flight track for the 08 Nov US Airways Flight # 808 from Hawaii to Phoenix here (which puts it west of LA right about<br>sunset...):<br><br>FlightAware<br>http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AWE808/history/20101108/1955Z/PHNL/KP<br>HX<br><br></div></blockquote>
And the typical media reporters who can't bother trying to research anything. <br><br>Clear skies, Alan
Well they don't want to appear to be intellectual elitists. We all know that is bad.
It is very ironic that I saw a contrail that looked more like a rocket less than this one just 2 months ago. I was standing on the deck of my aunts house on East Lake Sammamish in Washington state roughly 2 months ago. I was looking west into the sunset when I saw a strange event unfolding. From the eye itt looked like the launch of a missile or space bound object without doubt. <br><br>I watched it for a few more minutes before getting my hands on a Nikon spotting scope. What was revealed through the scope was a large jetliner coming directly at me my from the west horizon. The contrail it left behind was 100x the size of the jet and with the setting sun it was the perfect illusion. <br><br>I was fooled for only a second. Baked beach bums I'm sure have another story to tell. I wish I had a photo it would be even more convincing than the ones I've seen.
I've seen similar contrails many times in Seattle over the years which are obviously high altitude aircraft coming from the south (here) at high alt (35-45000 feet). Just a combination of sun angle and altitude and maybe atmospheric disturbance/distortion. Saw the initial report and my initial reaction was simply a contrail. Seems a lot of folks are just too focused on their cell phones to "look up" once in awhile and see that's there's actually something else going on around them. Maybe this pertains to the media as well! <img class='' src='http://new.astromart.com/astromart/javascripts/sceditor/emoticons/wink.png' alt='wink' title='wink'/> <br><br>Phil
This is why I don't believe in ET visits. Question: Why do ET crafts need running lights or what seems to be there equiv? Aliens and spaceships are the equiv to witches on brooms and casper.
1. there is a visible glow from the combustion chamber. This is not the case with gas turbines. The view is looking to the west at sunset, thus the sun is behind the object and the glow therefore cannot be a reflection (east facing reflection requires light source to the east)<br> 2. there are two stratus type clouds in the picture and these would be reference frames for a horizontal trajectory -if they are in the general location of the object. The exhaust plume passes in front of one cloud, but behind the other, thus the object is not traveling in a horizontal reference frame.<br>3. all exhaust plumes dissipate. With jet aircraft at constant velocity the dissipation is proportional to distance from jet source. however, with the acceleration of a missile there is an offset of thinner plume with the increase in velocity. net effect is that rocket exhaust plumes exhibit less apparent dissipation. the plume is typical for an accelerating rocket, not a constant velocity jet.<br>4. properties of the object are most consistent with those of a missile
<blockquote class="blockquote"><div class="italic"><i>Michael Blaber said:</i><br><br>1. there is a visible glow from the combustion chamber. </div></blockquote><br>Easy. Sunlight reflecting off the plane.<br><br>Clear skies, Alan
#2 clouds are at different elevations<br><br>#3 exhaust plumes are being spread out by winds. And the conditions are present to preserve the plumes for a long time without dissipation. I've seen this many times. In fact some will actually hang on and look like a long narrow cloud formation if the conditions are close to producing clouds anyway.<br><br>It's a contrail, absolutely. I've seen these before here in S. Cal. <br><br>Mike Ratcliff
"It was a One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater..<br>One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater....." 8) <br>
Its a missile. It was just launced in an area where people are not used to seeing one. I grew up in and still live in the space coast in florida where a lot more missiles were launched and are still launched than what you hear about in the press. Just about every type of military machinery launches missiles and dont forget subs. or it may have been a reverse meteor.<br><br>Phil
Funding Member
