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Cruise missile streaks across Google Earth

Utah flying munition caught on camera?

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Once in a while, something really interesting pops up on Google Earth, and we're obliged today to reader Christopher Wagner for pointing us the direction of this spendid find in the skies above Utah:

Cruise missile as captured on Google Earth

Impressive stuff indeed. Here's a closer look:

A close-up of the cruise missile

Well, we at first thought this particular beast might be a Tomahawk cruise missile, but although it pretty well fits the profile, the wings look a bit short. No doubt the Google Earth aficionados among you will be able to sniff out the truth* behind this mysterious flying object. ®

Bootnote

*Yes, yes, the truth is out there somewhere. No more emails, please - have a look at comments to this story for enlightenment.

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Latest Comments
Anonymous Coward

Definitely an aeroplane

If you look to the top of the picture you can see an odd artefact.

From my own experience looking at aircraft in flight on Google Earth, they often separate into more than one image (I don't know why this is, but I've seen several examples) leaving the aeroplane dull and dark whilst the bright colours appear as a separate ghost image.

This appears to be another.

Can somebody explain why this happens?

A very clear example can be found at 52°48'51.01"N 1°22'37.11"W

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MD80 (Maybe a CL65) on its way to Salt Lake from PHX

The image is of an MD80 (Now owned by Boeing) passenger airliner. The light markings on the inboard section of the wing are not engines, but marked-nonskid areas for passengers over-wing evacuations of the aircraft. Two engines, which are visible on the tail and the contrails indicate its not a weapon just an airliner.

Amazing all the hubbub this has stirred up.

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Definatly an airplane

Looking at the coordinates of the plane and overlaying the airspace system on it, the plane is on a Jetway, J-11, traveling between the Bryce Canyon and Fairfield VOR's.

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