MUFON case closed: bright lights over New Jersey

June 12, 4:57 PMUFO ExaminerRoger Marsh

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Depiction of object’s trajectory during the sighting. MUFON illustration.

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Another case solved from New Jersey Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) Field Investigator Kristen Ann Winslet - a case of a Bright Light over New Jersey.

Summary

The witness was searching the sky the evening of August 5, 2008 at approximately 20:45 Hrs EDT. While looking N x NW, the witness saw a bright star like object on a south easterly trajectory which seemed to be at an altitude that would negate it as being in orbit. When the witness looked at the object through his binoculars as it passed overhead and slowly changed direction from an easterly, to southerly direction, the witness saw a bright star burst from the object. The object continued on its southerly trajectory until it faded out below the terminator. On the horizon.

Summary Description of UFO

Three occurrences during the week of August 5, 2008.

UFO Witness’s Statement

"I’ve been watching the skies for years and have seen many things, last winter pulling in my driveway I witnessed in the north sky a star like (very bright white light) at a high velocity decent. I searched the report sites that night and for days without seeing any postings of the incident. Two nights ago while sitting in my back yard sky watching I had my neighbor come by and he started asking me why I had my binoculars with me. I told him of the years of sightings and many explained and unexplained things I’ve seen. At that point, I glanced to my right (I had turned my torso due west to speak to my neighbor) 10o N x NW and saw a bright star like object on a steady path heading S.E. at approximately 500 ASL (above sea level) much lower than a star. I reached for my binoculars while telling my neighbor that this is the reason for them. I noticed and later found out that my girlfriend was watching it for about 15 seconds before me and she said it flashed in as she was watching the sky. I have a very good pair of Steiner Commanders 7 x 50 binoculars that are military grade, with the binoculars, I could zoom and focus before it was directly in front of me (facing the north) it traversed the sky slowly and silent and would slightly shift from an easterly trajectory to a southerly trajectory. I handed the binoculars to my girlfriend and then my neighbor who was speechless. All we saw was an extremely white star burst No FAA aircraft strobes or red, green and yellow white safety lights.

"I was the last person to watch it as it disappeared in the eastern sky by fading out. We (my girlfriend and I have seen this from two other different locations in town with different trajectories since then). I believe that this area has a very large amount of un-identified air craft being very close to large commercial airport and most people being pre occupied with the traffic on the streets and not watching the sky; (Assumption by the witness)."

Second UFO Sighting included in this report filing by the witness:

"I’ve witnessed spheres as large as a small SUV flying in tandem between houses to flying in formation while splitting up and going in separate directions and against the wind, (See addendum for similar photo’s of this scenario). Some of these sightings have been witnessed by people who have been sitting with me while watching our skies.

"My feelings and of those with me during this particular sighting were stable no anxiety at least none admitted speaking for my self I have no problems with these sightings or what they may be. I understand the government’s stand and why and look at all of the sightings objectively I know many types of aircraft commercial, private and military. I understand logistics and I’m a high tech professional. The only time I felt anything was when two SUV sized spheres/orbs flew over my head at about 106 ASL in tandem during a late winter 7 years ago at the same location . .. . thanks and watch our/your skies."

NOTE: The 2nd UFO description appears to be Hoax - Keystroke as the description matches that of a same scenario from the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”.

Number of Witnesses: 3

UFO’s Description: 1st Sighting: A bright star like object, (Satellite, see depiction in the summary of this report). 2nd Sighting: Spheres that split while in formation, (See addendum for photo of this scenario).

UFO Location to Witness(s): Estimated Altitude: 500 ft. Degrees in Altitude: Approximately 75o to 90o from witness.

UFO’s Movement: Steady trajectory from the N x NW sky through to the E x SE.

Witness(s) Interview: The reporting witness, C.A. was contacted via e-mail on August 10, 2008 with a request for additional information. The following additional information was ascertained from the witness as a result of my e-mail correspondence: (Received August 10, 2008 at 12:41 pm EDT)

Hello Kristen,

Thank you for the contact. I had another sighting yesterday afternoon. You know speaking from a hunting point of view if you look for it you will find it, and I’m finding myself spending more time looking these days. Well from yesterday’s sighting (which I’m not posting at this time) I was sitting outside (in my back yard) at approximately 16:30 hours having a smoke and waiting for my girlfriend to come out to go get dinner and I noticed the Sun reflecting on a distant expanding contrail it was glowing like gold. So I got my binoculars and started watching the silver I was sitting so the Sun was not impacting on my vision. I was facing West and 15 degrees to the silver with a grapevine and fence blocking the direct light of the Sun, as I was scanning the silver I see what I could describe to look like a rice grain in binoculars view heading upwards at an extremely high rate of speed it passed behind and through the contrail/cloud and disappeared into the atmosphere within 2 seconds (out of range of binoculars) I was calm and glad I got the binoculars. I tried scanning the area and atmosphere and nothing then at about 10 seconds after the first another object looking and doing the same thing but in a different location of the first. Both of these objects were heading upwards or out into the atmosphere region, extremely high rate of speed and the objects positioning where at angle and not parallel either vertically or horizontally to their trajectory in other words they were slight tilted but heading up in a slight tilt.

Best Regards

C

Case Analysis: (Pertaining to the 1st sighting)

Based on the witness account of this event; there are four possible theories to the report which was filed with MUFON by the witness:

1.) Orbital Object: (Satellite)

Based on the witness’s identification of seeing a small bright object moving in a slow trajectory from N x NW to E x SE direction, I would categorize this sighting as that of a satellite.

Most satellites in orbit travel from west to east at various different degrees from the equator from north to south depending on the path to which the satellite was designed to orbit.

Due to the earth’s rotation from west to east, launches direct satellite to orbit from west to east which gives the launch vehicle of the satellite assistance in gaining proper velocity. If a launch vehicle were to travel in a westerly direction, much more energy would be required to put an object into orbit.

In this case, because the path appeared to ‘shift’ as it progressed across the sky, I would suggest that this particular satellite was in an elliptical orbit -vs- circular orbit. This would explain the change in apparent path as the object crossed the visible area of sky that the witness observed the object. The satellite was at it’s apogee/perigee of the orbit.

In explaining the ‘star burst’ seen by the witness as the object approached the south east, this would be caused by the reflection of the sunlight off the satellite as it traversed through it’s orbit.

2.) Entry of an object through the atmosphere: (Meteor/Space Junk)

The possibility that what the witness watched in the sky that late evening was the entry of a piece of space hardware ‘junk’ left from a launch vehicle or from that of a satellite is very possible.

As such a piece space hardware would indeed be traveling in a west to east orbit, this theory would indeed be possible. In fact, if there was any remaining fuel left from the spent booster rocket or satellite, it may have caused an explosion as the object re-entered the atmosphere due to the heat of re-entry.

3.) Military Aircraft: (Aircraft Flares)

Some military aircraft use flares in order to spook incoming weaponry from maintaining it’s path to the targeted aircraft. This defense mechanism has proved to be very effective in battle.

As there is a military air base in southern New Jersey (McGuire AFB) it is possible that a military aircraft may have been testing it’s flares which would have explained the ‘star burst’ that the witness sighted.

4.) Unknown: (UFO)

It is very possible that what the witness had sighted was a UFO, however the evidence in the report which was submitted to MUFON pertaining to the original event as explained by the witness does not provide anything substantial which would help substantiate this theory as being ‘un-explainable’.

As to the detailed descriptions of spheres/orbs in the second paragraph of the original report, I would suggest that this information is a hoax. I have provided a photograph of exactly that scenario of an orb splitting into several objects which was part of a scene from the movie; Close Encounter’s of the Third Kind.

With regard to the information which was provided by the witness as a result of my follow-up request, I tend to believe that the additional information lacks credibility.

Report’s Conclusion:

As no other witness(s) to this specific event has been identified and no other possible explanation to this event can be made by this witness or by this investigator based upon the theories provided, I believe that the evidence afforded by the witness is inconclusive. The theory that the object sighted by the witness was a satellite by this investigator is quite plausible in the first instance. The second and third event as described in this report can not be substantiated and is not credible as determined by his investigator.

With respect to the additional information provided by the witness in the second sighting that is not directly related to this case filing submitted, but offered up as being another sighting; this investigator feels that the credibility of the witness is in doubt for this second event.

As a result of this analysis and evaluation of all the evidence provided, I believe that this case file # US-NJ-2008.08.05 baring the introduction of any further substantiating evidence as it pertains to the 1st sighting event, this case can be considered closed as ‘IFO - Man Made’ in the MUFON Case Management System.