California, That Strange Light Streaking Across The Sky Was No UFO

Residents across California and Nevada were stunned last night by a bright spear of light that streaked across the night sky.

Of course, many of them took out their cameras and they went on Twitter and YouTube to post what clearly looked like a UFO. Here's what a resident of Los Angeles saw:

Here's what a resident of San Diego saw:

It turns out that the light was explained by the U.S. military. The light was produced by a missile being tested by the Navy.

UT San Diego reports:

"Navy Strategic Systems Programs conducted the scheduled Trident II (D5) missile test flight at sea from the Kentucky, an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, in the Pacific Test Range off the coast of Southern California, a Navy spokesman said. 　

"The test was part of a scheduled, on-going system evaluation test, said Cmdr. Ryan Perry with the Navy's Third Fleet.

"Perry said launches 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,' he said in a statement."