Strange lights were seen hovering over Morris County in New Jersey on Jan. 5, 2009.Posted on 01/07/2009 11:56:43 AM PST by BGHater
Cops, Residents Puzzled By Bizarre Lights Over Morris Co.; Flares? Balloons? Pilot Tells CBS 2 HD He's Baffled
Was it a UFO or is there an explanation for it?
Strange, red, blinking lights could be seen across Morris County on Monday night, and officials thought they had figured out what caused them.
Now, they're not so sure.
Between 8:30 and 9 p.m., the Hurley family in Whippany captured images of a bizarre object in the sky and contacted WCBSTV.com.
"It was unsettling for sure," said Cindy Hurley. "It was something you've never seen before, and a very strange pattern."
Eleven-year-old Kristin was the first to spot them, a group of three lights together, and two lights together, seen in the horizon through the trees. "I looked up outside. I was really scared and saw five red lights," she said.
The family all went out onto their deck to look at the strange sight. Paul Hurley, a pilot who works at Morristown Airport, said they weren't planes.
"I've been in aviation for 20 years and never seen anything like it," he told CBS 2.
Paul was one of several people who e-mailed WCBSTV.com after witnessing the lights.
"Red lights in the sky over the Morristown-Morris Township area, 5 red lights in a weird pattern over the area," one viewer wrote.
"The formation of 5 lights were first noticed over Cedar Knolls and then as they approached the Madison/Morris Township border the rear half of the formation slowly faded and appeared to drop from the sky and then the front part of the formation went out one by one," wrote another.
At 8:28, the Hanover Township police received the first of seven 911 calls.
"It looks like flares attached to balloons," said a caller.
Paul Hurley, who called the Morristown Airport control tower, says the lights had also been spotted from there, and they caused no interference with flight operations. Between those officials and the Morristown Police, the best guess as to what the lights were: nothing more than a prank, roadside flares attached to helium balloons. Yet, they left rather quickly.
"It like, it took off, very strange," said Paul.
There's been no report of any recovered, and police don't know who released them.
The Federal Aviation Administration tells CBS 2 news, with the exception of laser lights and weather balloons, there is no regulation on releasing balloons or lights into the sky.
Strange lights were seen hovering over Morris County in New Jersey on Jan. 5, 2009.
lights ping.
NJ Swamp Gas.
NJ Conservatives practicing their “balloon maneuvers” when the wall gets built between the Socialist North and Northeast and the free lands to the south and west.
I’m waiting for reports of a Loch Ness Monster sighting in nearby Lake Hopatcong!
Dang you. Took the words right away from me.
Must be from one of the superfund sites.
New Jersey?
What exit...?
Yeah, “Hoppy” would be a natural name for a tourist attraction!
just the photo reminds me of the actually shape the lights seem to make in other ‘lights’ pics from other locations, a bit the phoenix lights and one other I cannot recall by name.
It seemed pretty harmless until a fire official pointed out it's against the law. Seems flares, candles and other burning objects set loose at the whims of the wind can start fires. Makes sense to me.
Any news from Grover’s Mill?
You’re showing your age. ;-)
News at eleven.
The metal on the sheath is . . . well, I’ve never seen anything like it. The color is sort of yellowish-white. Curious spectators now are pressing close to the object in spite of the efforts of the police to keep them back. They’re getting in front of my line of vision. Would you mind standing to one side, please?
Glad to see I’m not the only lover of the classics around ehre.
Huh.
Lubbock, perhaps??
I read the original War of the Worlds and gave a book report. I bought two copies of that comic and cut one up to add pictures to that book report!
Unfortunately i bundled those comics and put them in the attic when I entered high school and then to college.
I entered the Air Force after college and started antiquing! While home on leave I looked in the attic and they were gone 'cause Dad thought they were a fire hazard so he threw them in the garbage.
I grew up in New Jersey and my Dad told us of the famous riots when Orson Wells broadcast that Halloween thriller! We would take weekend trips to Lake Hoptacong. In the summer we would vacation at the Jersey Shore and I remember the Blimps from Lakehurst that were patrolling the skies.
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