For the past month, New Jerseyans have reported strange lights in the night sky, a spate of drone sightings that have attracted the attention of residents, politicians and even President-elect Donald Trump.
Concerned witnesses described clusters of lights, saying they looked like drones hovering over populated areas around the country. Now, even though the sightings have extended to New York and Maryland, government officials have not been able to put people’s minds at ease.
So who (or what) is behind the mysterious drone sightings?
Federal authorities have tried to reassure citizens that things do not appear to be working badly. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have said these appear to be mostly not drones at all.
“Historically, we have encountered cases of anonymity, where drones have been reported, which are, manned aircraft or buildings,” the organizations said in a joint statement.
The government has also said that it has not supported these findings. Lawmakers in New Jersey say they believe there is more to the story than what state officials have publicly shared.
More: Mystery drones are swarming the New Jersey skies, but can you shoot them down?
The lack of clear answers has given rise to speculative and sometimes outlandish or joke theories.
“Drones in New Jersey can be easily explained. Teams are closely monitoring the behavior of the Jets and Giants and that is why they are worried this season,” former NFL player Lawrence Tynes said in a letter on X.
“First, a Chinese spy balloon hovered over the US for a week. Now, unidentified drones are flying over New Jersey, avoiding radar detection. The holes in our air are being exploited, and because of that, the safety of Americans is at risk,” New Jersey Representative Jeff Van Drew wrote.
Here’s a look at some possible explanations for the sightings — and evidence for or against the theory. Because the observations are not confirmed to be related, it is also possible to see different observations for different explanations.
For the past month, New Jerseyans have reported strange lights in the night sky, bursts of sightings that have attracted the attention of local residents. These photos were taken on December 8 in Toms River, NJ
Are these drones for real?
Government officials said there would likely be no drones in sight. White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said most of the sightings were of piloted aircraft flying legally.
Harry Direen, an electrical and software engineering expert at DireenTech, said he wouldn’t be surprised if people saw drones at first, but that once the concept of drones caught on, people thought any aircraft they couldn’t identify was a drone.
“After what has been seen of potential hobbyist drones, all aircraft can be imagined,” he said.
Hoaxes, UFOs, witches, drones: NJ is no stranger to strange occurrences
Kirby said at a news conference that authorities have not been able to confirm “any of the reported sightings” – even using “electronic detection technology.”
“The FBI, DHS and our federal partners, in cooperation with the New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy personnel and expertise to investigate this situation and determine whether the reported aircraft are drones or human-operated aircraft or otherwise misidentified,” the agencies said in a statement.
Foreign government scrutiny?
US government officials this week assured the public that the spotted plane does not appear to have been sent by a foreign government, dispelling the theory of Van Drew, who said the planes could be controlled by Iran.
There is no evidence that drones pose a threat to national security, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday. The sightings may be of legitimate flying, the agencies said. Also worth noting: the ship did not fly in the restricted area, they said.
“To be clear, they have not uncovered such a malicious activity or motive at this time,” a joint statement from the said organizations said. “Although there is no known adverse event occurring in New Jersey, the reported sightings there, however, show the inadequacy of the existing authorities.”
New Jersey attorneys told the Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, that they were informed by the State Police and told authorities that they do not know where the drones are coming from, and they cannot see them.
“Listen, I hope it doesn’t matter, but the federal government needs to tell the truth.” New Jersey Assemblyman Greg Myhre said.
US government drones?
Government officials, including the Pentagon, have said the drones seen by civilians over the past few weeks are not used by the US government or the military.
It seems unlikely that a government agency would be flying drones in public areas, Direen said.
“Obviously they’re not stealing much if they are,” he said.
Kids playing a prank, or hobbyists?
Can drones people still see as someone playing a prank, or drone hobbyists just having a good time? It is illegal to fly drones in New Jersey, but you must meet certain requirements based on the size of the drone and the reason you are flying it, according to federal and state laws.
If that’s the case, it should be easy for senior officials to consider, Direen said.
“If drones are being operated legally, the ADS-B transponder on the drone should make it easier for authorities to identify the drone and its operator,” he said.
UFOs?
Could drones be the work of aliens? At this time, officials have not provided evidence to that effect, but there is also no evidence of remorse. (And many UFO sightings are believed to have a supernatural explanation.)
“I think some alien kids might be flying their toy dolls while their parents are in the business of abducting people and doing research on them,” Direen said.
(This article has been edited to correct spelling/typing and to change or add an image or video.)
This article first appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Drone sightings’ are a quick concern, but there may be an explanation.