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The answer could pretty easily be resolved if someone showed the video to a professional in perspective and lighting (not an armchair hobbyist with an agenda, but a professional), told him/her that it was taken at sunset on the Pacific coast, and asked: Judging by the the light source and shadow, what direction is this object moving?

An experienced retired misilleer who is a fairly longtime FReeper stated from the git-go that the object in the video looks like a missile, and it looks like it's headed west-northwest. Then folks pointed out that talking heads have said that the camerman said he "stayed on it" for ten minutes, although the cameraman (who stated unequivocally in an interview taped the day after the event that the object was heading "in a westerly direction") quite reasonably could have filmed the event AND the lingering plume for a total of 10 minutes. Old Missileer, being a pro with no agenda, noted that if the cameraman filmed it for 10 minutes, it couldn't be a missile because such a missile could only burn for about five minutes. It woud be interesting to see if the complete video shows the object moving for a duration of 10 minutes.

OldMissiler also FReeped, a few days after the launch: I would like to point out, and tell me if I am seeing it wrong, but many here have stated that it was a flight to Arizona. Given the position of the setting sun and the angle to which it reflects off the contrail would not the object in question be flying WNW or somewhat North? I thought Phoenix was to the Southeast from there (to the left of the video).

My question still is this:

Wouldn't the contrail appear to dim towards the east because the sun is rapidly setting in the west, even if the plane is at 35K feet? Wouldn't it dim more quickly than the sunset rate because the plane is also flying at 500mph in the opposite direction? Would you really expect to see a uniform reflection along the entire contrial if it is reflecting from the setting sun? At the end of the contrail, we even see the flare of relfection off the plane/missile. Is this really expected from an object at the furthest eastern part of a setting sun?

Wouldn't the reflection appear uniform only if the object were continuosly rising to remain in the direct sunlight?

-PJ

Until we (and your "light expert") can see the entire, uncut video -- with in-camera timestamps and the camera's('copter's) position at the time, trying to link this editing abortion to reality is but an exercise in frustration.

You wanted info on the video on which folks (including your "expert") have based their conclusions, Why not address the published video - instead of pushing your pet "expert"?

That the video looks like a missile is the starting point for whole controversy. It does look like a missile. Both to laypersons and some experts.

But then: What in the video doesn’t look like a missile?; what else does it look like?; which hypothesis fits the facts better?

On this thread, the point is offered that the video is not a very good source for reaching factual conclusions. The “raw video” offered as “raw” is not raw. This and other basic information is not forthcoming from KCBS. Why?

Thus far, the work done matching time, location, flight path, etc. are all on the side of contrail vs. rocket exhaust. To support the missile hypothesis some, at least, similar work is needed; otherwise, it still falls to stronger evidence.