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Old November 10th 10, 01:06 AM posted to sci.space.policy
Brian Thorn[_2_]
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Default A recent secret launch of a rocket off the coast of California?

On Tue, 9 Nov 2010 22:25:54 +0000 (UTC), Rick Jones
wrote:

Airliner flying in usual atmospheric and lighting conditions near
sunset.


Perhaps it was just the tiny video I saw, but if it were an airliner
shouldn't there have been two or more contrails?


You wouldn't see them at that distance, with the contrail appearing
very low just coming over the horizon, meaning the plane is very far
away from the viewer.

Further, if it were a rocket, that close to sunset we should see some
affects on the trail... changing brightness and color as the rocket
ascends from twilight into more direct sunshine. But what we see is
uniform in color, only expanding with time from the origin point,
exactly what you'd expect of an airliner cruising at altitude toward
and high above the viewer.

This was just a weird combination of exceptional atmospheric clarity
and people not used to sunset being an hour earlier.

Save perhaps I
suppose for something like an MD-80 with both engines in the tail.


A US Airways 757, Honolulu to Phoenix flew through the area at the
time of the sighting.

Brian