Pentagon Confirms Mysterious Light In Western Skies Was Missile Test

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — People all along the Southern California coast and beyond reported seeing a green object streaking through the sky at about 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The unusual sight led to speculation from people up and down the Pacific Coast, and as far east as Utah.

"I was ready to duck and dodge from an explosion," said one man.

"I thought it was some aliens," a witness, Ziva Gray, said.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department later reported on Twitter that the sighting was the result of a U.S. Navy test.

A Navy spokesman confirmed that an unarmed Trident II (D5) missile was launched from the Kentucky, an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, in the Pacific Test Range off the Southern California coast.

Through Nov. 12, flights arriving into LAX from midnight until 6:30 a.m. will use the regular daytime approach over land because the military airspace west of LAX will be active.

Residents, meanwhile, were curious as to why it took the Pentagon nearly two hours to provide an explanation for the bizarre-looking light.

"I think basically they figured it was not such a big deal and that there was no need to advertise," GlobalSecurity.org's John Pike said. "The thing that was unique about this situation was a large, persistent contrail, and high altitude with a sunlight reflecting off of it in such a way that people on the ground are going to notice it."