Mysterious drones have been popping up in the skies over New Jersey and other states for weeks, confusing residents and spurring lawmakers to demand more answers about what exactly is going on.
Since mid-November, the drones have been lighting up the night sky with no real explanation. While there are still many questions about the phenomenon, here’s what we do know.
When were the drones first seen?
The drones were first spotted in New Jersey on November 18. They appear in the late hours of the night, although it is not clear whether they are present every night.
A senior official briefed on the drone sightings in New Jersey told NBC News that there have been reports of sightings every evening except Thanksgiving, and that there have been “few to no” reports of drones during the day.
NBC News has been monitoring reports of possible drone sightings since at least December 3, mainly in New Jersey.
Where are the drones spotted now?
The drones were first spotted in North Jersey, but now appear to be popping up all over the state. NBC News has also been tracking possible drone sightings in New York, Maryland and Florida.
FBI Baltimore said in a statement it was aware of possible drone sightings in Maryland and Delaware.
Where do they come from and why are they there?
These remain the biggest unknowns, with officials unable to publicly identify where the mysterious objects come from, or explain what exactly they are doing there.
In a joint statement Thursday about the drone reports in New Jersey, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said they “currently have no evidence that the reported drone sightings pose a threat to national security or public safety, or have a foreign connection.”
The agencies said they are working with the New Jersey State Police and its federal partners to investigate the situation.
The statement said the agencies “have not confirmed any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection.”
“On the contrary, upon review of the available images, it appears that many of the reported sightings are in fact manned aircraft operating legally,” the statement said. “There have been no reported or confirmed drone sightings in restricted airspace.”
The Pentagon has said they are not owned by the military and that they do not come from an Iranian “mothership” off the East Coast, as suggested by Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J.
In a statement to NBC News, the U.S. Secret Service confirmed that there are “no unmanned aerial systems currently operating in or around New Jersey or New York.”
The lights of an apparent drone over New Jersey.
What kind of drones are they?
Officials have said the drones appear to be commercial grade, not recreational, and could be as large as six feet in diameter.
How many drone sightings have there been?
Mayors who attended a briefing Wednesday with New Jersey officials and a DHS representative told NBC News that no one from state or federal agencies could confirm exactly how many drones had been spotted over New Jersey.
One said they were aware of ‘at least 400 sightings’, and another said ‘there could be thousands’.
In a Wednesday segment of a program on radio station WBGO, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said there could be “over-reporting” of sightings, with many residents possibly seeing the same device or mistaking other flying objects for drones.
A senior official briefed on the drone sightings in New Jersey said there were 79 reports of drone sightings in the state from Thursday to Friday.
Several New Jersey officials have said the drone sightings are happening up to 180 times a night.
What else have officials said?
Numerous federal officials, including the FBI — the lead agency investigating the matter — have said the drones do not appear to pose a threat, but have not provided much more information.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a new website dedicated to drones that aims to answer frequently asked questions about flying objects.
But lawmakers and local officials have expressed frustration with the information from federal officials and are demanding timely answers.
“We have no idea where these drones come from, who owns them. We should do a very urgent intelligence assessment and take them off the air,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Thursday.
Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said in a post on X on Friday that he witnessed “what appeared to be dozens of large drones” over his home in the state on Thursday evening.
He said the public is “increasingly concerned and frustrated by the complete lack of transparency and dismissive attitude of the federal government.”
““I join the growing bipartisan chorus of leaders demanding that the federal government immediately address this issue,” Hogan said.
Murphy, the governor of New Jersey, wrote letters to President Joe Biden, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, Rep. Mike Johnson and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, urging Congress to take action.
Murphy said he wants to “encourage Congress to pass legislation that allows state and local law enforcement agencies to use advanced detection and mitigation technologies to address UAS.”
Biden was briefed on the drones earlier this week.
What happens if a drone flies over your house?
Drones should be flown by a pilot so they don’t pose a threat to people or their property, according to the FAA drone website, which suggests you should contact local law enforcement if you think someone is operating a drone unsafely flies.
But you certainly shouldn’t try to shoot them, experts told NBC News, despite some lawmakers suggesting you should.
Experts say drone shooting is illegal and can lead to serious injuries. The FAA classifies drones as aircraft, and under the Aircraft Sabotage Act, damaging or destroying aircraft is a federal offense, even if they fly over private property.
“A private citizen shooting at any aircraft – including unmanned aerial vehicles – poses a significant security risk. An unmanned aircraft hit by gunfire could crash and cause damage to persons or property on the ground, or it could collide with other objects in the air.” the FAA said.
This photo by Brian Glenn shows what appears to be at least one apparent drone flying over Bernardsville, NJ on December 5.
It could also cause a fire, according to Pramod Abichandani, an associate professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and director of the school’s Advanced Air Mobility Lab.
“For the most part, a drone has a lithium battery,” Abichandani said. “If you shoot it, assuming you aim it right and actually hit the drone, the drone will fall somewhere. The lithium battery can explode, cause a fire and of course cause property damage.”
Abichandani also noted the dangers of shooting into the night sky.
“God forbid a stray bullet goes somewhere and hits someone,” he said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
