Morristown Lights (New Jersey Hoax)
2009 formation of lights later revealed as a flare-and-balloon hoax
| Morristown Lights (New Jersey Hoax) | |
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| Date | January 2009 |
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| Location | Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Type | Hoax |
| Status | Debunked |
Numerous New Jersey residents reported red formations of lights moving silently across the night sky on several occasions in January 2009, drawing significant local and cable-news attention before a scheduled "final" appearance drew large crowds of onlookers and press.
Assessment
Two local men came forward and admitted responsibility, demonstrating for reporters how they had attached ordinary road flares to helium balloons and released them in formation; the case is universally regarded as a confirmed, admitted hoax, and is frequently cited by skeptics as an illustration of how easily convincing-looking UFO sighting waves can be manufactured.
[1]See also
References
- ^ Contemporary press coverage of the hoaxers’ public demonstration and admission, February 2009.