‘Meteor’ over Bay Area sky was missile test launch

A bright light traveling across the dark sky Tuesday morning was one of two missile tests conducted by the U.S. Navy over the Pacific Ocean, a Navy official said.

Numerous area residents posted on social media about the trail of light that flashed by at about 6:30 a.m. and many speculated it was a meteor.

But U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs spokesman John Daniels confirmed that it was the second of two Trident II missile test flights conducted in the Pacific Ocean Tuesday morning.

Possible rocket launch this morning? One of our forecasters took these pics look S from #Monterey of what looks like vapor trails. #cawx pic.twitter.com/WI9Hlg21sX

— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) February 14, 2017

Both missiles were launched at sea from an Ohio Class submarine, flew over the sea and landed in the sea, Daniels said.

Daniels said:

“Flight tests are conducted on a frequent, recurring basis to ensure the continued reliability of the system…Each test activity provides valuable information about our systems, thus contributing to assurance in our capabilities.”

The tests were not in response to any recent world events, Daniels said, or intended to be a demonstration of power. The Navy conducts test flights frequently to determine the reliability of the system, he said.

The sighting Tuesday morning even drew attention from the National Weather Service, which posted photos on Twitter taken by a forecaster of the trails left by the missiles, speculating it was a rocket.

Bay City News

Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. © 2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.