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Large drones are flying over New Jersey at night and no one knows why

Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images

For over a week, New Jersey residents have spotted unidentified aircraft in the northern part of the state, including Morris County and near Newark — and now the authorities are urging people to remain calm.

The FBI’s Newark office, along with Morris County officials, recently issued a statement asking the public to share any information they might have on the mysterious drones, while reiterating that there is “no known threat” to the public. And NJ Governor Phil Murphy said that his office is actively monitoring the situation.


Image: Julie Shavalier via NBC News
One of the drones looks like an airplane.

The drones were captured on camera by residents in multiple boroughs in the state, mostly at night. Some images and videos shared in news broadcasts and social media depict strange winged aircraft that look like small planes (or “car-sized drones”). Others seem like groups of consumer-level drone copters.

The drones would fly back and forth for “hours,” some witnesses said. Following the reports, the FAA has banned drones from flying over President-elect Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf course, NJ.com reports.

@krisandersen7

finally got a video of my own. the mystery “drones” that have been circling nj and puzzling its residents. even the FBI has requested these sightings be reported as they are allegedly investigating them further. the best I could do given my shite phone and the fact that I was freezing my fingies off #newjersey #drones #mysterydrones

♬ original sound – Jenny Talia

This drone mystery has taken over the New Jersey subreddit and is spawning a bunch of citizen investigations. It even has the attention of UFO enthusiasts. Some are speculating that the aircraft could be foreign spy drones like the Chinese spy balloon last year, or US military tests, or surveillance drones from the local authorities. Even the FBI is being targeted as a potential culprit.