Mystery "Missile Launch" Explained

In my last blog, I shared a startling picture from the Skunk Bay Weather website (run by Greg Johnson), showing what looked like a missile ascent over Whidbey Island (see below) at 3:56 AM on June 10.

I asked what folks thought of this, whether anyone heard or saw anything, or if someone had insights into this event.  There were 115 comments on this blog, with all kinds of theories.  Some were sure it was a missile, some suggested a contrail lit by the ascending sun, others thought it was a commercial jet, and others suggested alien activity.

Slowly, but surely, the possible explanations peeled away.  The routes of the few commercial flights were not positioned or timed to match the image.  Sunset was over an hour later and would not illuminate contrails at that time.  A missile launch would make a huge noise, which was not reported by anyone in the area.  Same thing with the bright light of the exhaust.  I will dismiss the alien origins as a matter of principle.

One comment by Tyler Rogoway was particularly insightful.  He noted that there was a Airlift NW helicopter that went right over the Skunk Bay location at exactly the right time (see below)

 

And the final piece of evidence fell into place today as the helicopter's pilot revealed that the search light was ON, facing straight down, and retracted under the nose.

And all of a sudden it all makes sense.   And it is a good example of confusing perspective and how the human eye/brain can jump to the wrong conclusions. 

This was not a missile launch far to the north over Whidbey Island.   All the action was close to the camera, which took an image that extended over 20 seconds.

A helicopter was flying at low levels towards the north, with the search light providing the illuminated line.  If you look closely you will see that the light is passing below the clouds, before going into them at the bottom.  So the helicopter was going from the top to the bottom of the image over time.

What about the apparent missile at the top of the light trail (see below)?  Elementary, Dear Watson!  The search light is on the front of the helicopter.  When the 20-second exposure began, the back of the helicopter body was lightly illuminated, producing the "missile-like" shape.  This was not seen later because the body followed the trajectory of the light.

So all is explained.  A nighttime helicopter with a search light.   Low and close to the camera.  No secret rocket launches, no Korean intrigue, no missile sub mishaps, and certainly no aliens.

But there is something that continues to be unnerving. 

A Coast Guard cutter has been stalking offshore of the Skunk Bay weather location (see below).  If this was just an innocent helicopter passage at night, why all the snooping on weather-loving Greg Johnson?  I will let the conspiracy theory crowd run with this.