Screenshot/KRON4
A view of the bright light seen across the San Francisco Bay Area sky Saturday night, November 7, 2015.
According to multiple reports, the light appeared to be trailing an object before eventually burning out. It could be seen from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay Area. Local news outlets have suggested the light could be the result of a meteor shower.
JUST IN: Coast Guard tells @10news green film was military testing, bright light was #Taurid MeteorShower. #breaking pic.twitter.com/G9L5kFtQap
- Preston Phillips (@10NewsPhillips) November 8, 2015WTF IS THIS UFO IN ORANGE COUNTY RIGHT NOW pic.twitter.com/v9XPOAJGoP
- Elijah Daniel (@aguywithnolife) November 8, 2015Giant blue light from this plane/rocket/ship over San Francisco. Lit up the sky. pic.twitter.com/SVBSUrlzjZ
- Biz Carson (@bizcarson) November 8, 2015What was that bright light in the sky? It's being described as a streak of light that burst into a display of blue pic.twitter.com/yVb60ntCpH
- San Diego 6, The CW (@SanDiego6) November 8, 2015Great shot of the "blue light"above SoCal by @LBlocalnews -- likely from military exercises planned for tonight pic.twitter.com/2HkRMoib22
- Shelby Grad (@shelbygrad) November 8, 2015Video of bright light that left green film in sky, seen all across western U.S. shot by my wife in South #SanDiego. pic.twitter.com/p4b0H27ivD
- Preston Phillips (@10NewsPhillips) November 8, 2015Similar occurrences have been noted when the US Military conducts exercises in local airspace. Reuters reported late Saturday afternoon that nighttime flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport would be diverted away from airspace over the Pacific Ocean for precisely that reason.
The military and FAA usually do not disclose the nature of the exercises, and did not comment for Reuters, but the wire services reports that airspace over the Pacific Ocean was "activated" Friday night for the military activity. It's expected to remain off-limits to other aircraft until Thursday.