Image of Blue Angels performing the “Hand of God” is an illustration, not a photograph

The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels, a flight demonstration squadron, can do backflips, 720-degree rolls, loops and other sensational aerobatic feats at speeds up to 1,000 mph. 

Social media users shared an image that purports to show the squadron performing a maneuver called the "Hand of God," which depicts five planes curving in different directions to create a smoke trail resembling a giant hand. 

"The Blue Angels perform the ‘Hand of God,’" reads the caption above the image. 

The Blue Angels really do perform a maneuver called the "Hand of God," which resembles the image. But the image being shared on social media is actually a piece of digital art, not a photograph.

It was created by Kiev-based artist Alexander Zienko, who posted it to the online art gallery Deviant Art on March 9, 2015. Zienko’s original artwork doesn’t reference the Blue Angels. 

The image shows a piece of digital art. It is not an actual image of the Blue Angels performing the hand of God maneuver, as the post says. We rate this post False. ​