Hundreds of people took to social media to report a strange white light in the skies over California.
The unusual spectacle, which blazed and spiraled across the night sky, saw hundreds of onlookers gather outside their homes to capture footage and to post details of their sighting on the Internet.
While some witnesses suggested that the object was evidence of extraterrestrial visitation, it was later revealed that it was in fact an unarmed missile fired from a US Navy submarine.
According to a spokesman, the Navy Strategic Systems Program had launched the missile from the USS Kentucky on Saturday night as part of routine testing to ensure the reliability of their systems.
Footage of the missile, which was recorded by one of the witnesses, can be viewed below.