Timelapse Photographers Accidentally Capture Mystery Missile Test

Photography Tips  •  Time-lapse Photography

If you live near Southern California, you might have seen a blazing flash of light on the night of Saturday, November 7. You would have been forgiven for thinking it was a UFO—in reality, it was a U.S. navy missile test, and it made certain photographers very lucky that night. For instance, this already-beautiful timelapse was made all the more special by a blast of light around 10 seconds in:

The brief video, created by Taos Imagery with a Canon 6D, depicts a beautiful New Mexico sky interrupted partway through by a vast explosion.

But the lens behind Taos Imagery wasn’t the only one to capture the phenomenon. Justin Majeczky was shooting a similar project from the Golden Gate Bridge when he saw the rocket shoot up over it.

No need to worry about secret government missile launches, though; the missile wasn’t armed, and the navy released a statement clarifying the whole thing:

“The tests were part of a scheduled, ongoing system evaluation test. 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.”

Not as sexy as military missiles soaring through the sky, but that’s reality for you.