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Rocket launch
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Kevin Gill

That crazy light above L.A.? Just an ordinary SpaceX rocket launch.

Michael Juliano
Written by
Michael Juliano
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If you looked up around 5:27pm on Friday, you were in for a treat, Angelenos. And, if you’ve been obsessing over that New York Times U.F.O. story, your conspiracy theory gears probably started spinning.

But rest assured, that otherworldly streak above Southern California had a perfectly logical explanation: SpaceX launched its Falcon9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Iridium-4 launch began a mission to deliver 10 satellites into orbit from the Hawthorne-based company’s reusable rocket.

Of course, if you had no idea the launch was set to occur on Friday, an ordinary rocket launch probably wasn’t your first thought, judging by social media.

And then there was the front page of the Los Angeles subreddit.

Really, we can’t blame people for the earthquake-like overreaction. Just look at this spectacular sight.

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