[ETL]

There are various atmospheric conditions and/or local environmental conditions that can produce all sorts of strange “mirage-like” optical effects, some of which involve distant car head or tail lights, or other such man-made sources of light. The cars themselves can actually be *below* the horizon, their light being refracted, or bent, by the atmosphere.

[Finny]

Hmmmmm ... must be pretty rare atmospheric conditions. First time I've seen this in the 11 years I've been here and 25 years easy of enjoying So Cal's evening air traffic shows on a nightly basis from other places I've lived down here (I don't smoke in the house; a couple of evening smokes are routine), but anything's possible, especially in the area populated by about eight million people! I look for it every night now but it's been too overcast most nights.