A closer look
In 1979, an American Vela satellite specifically designed to catch people breaking the nuclear test ban treaty detected a massive double flash in the desolate ocean between Africa and Antarctica. This optical signature is the undisputed fingerprint of an atmospheric nuclear detonation. The US government panicked, but nobody claimed responsibility. Rather than admit Israel and South Africa probably teamed up for a secret rogue nuke test, the Carter administration convened a panel of scientists who shrugged and officially blamed a random micrometeoroid hitting the satellite's lens.
