At least 15 people contacted police to report seeing strange lights in the New Jersey sky over the weekend. (ABCNEWS.com)

Strange Lights

'I Think We Witnessed Some Type of Miracle'

C A R T E R E T, N.J., July 17 — Something dazzled the people of New Jersey this weekend. Something bright, high in the sky.

"It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen," said eyewitness Joe Malvasio. "They were just hovering, and then they just disappeared. One at a time, each one started to fade until they were gone."

Some witnesses thought the phenomenon may have been a sign of an alien presence. Others called it a miracle. But no one knows just what it was — all they can do is attempt to describe it.

"I saw 16 golden-orange colored lights, several in a V-type formation," said Lt. Daniel Tarrant of the Carteret Police Department. "Others were scattered around the V."

At Least 15 Report Lights to Police

At least 15 people contacted Tarrant's department to report the strange lights. But Tarrant and other police officials are at a loss to explain just what it was hovering in their skies.

Most callers described the same scenario: golden-orange lights moving quietly, some say beautifully, across the night sky over the Arthur Kill river. They described how the lights flickered and how they seemed to vanish into the night, one-by-one.

Some drivers even pulled off the New Jersey Turnpike for a better look.

But even more amazing is the explanation: there is none, not as of yet.

According to the Associated Press, nearby Newark Airport reported no unusual flight patterns, and a National Weather Service meteorologist could find nothing in the weather to explain the lights.

Peaceful, Easy Feeling

"It's really amazing," said Veronica Bagley, whose family captured the lights on video.

Paulette Holmes said whatever it was, she was unafraid.

"I wasn't alarmed because it was peaceful," she said.

Patty Ercallino, another witness, took it a step further.

"Very peaceful, very serene, very beautiful," she said. "I think we witnessed some type of miracle."

ABC station WABC in New York contributed to this report.

-- Anonymous, July 17, 2001

Answers

Just heard on the news, many people saw strange lights over New Jersy last night...even a patrolman, and he said it was not airplanes! Hmmm...anyone from out that way...what's the scoop!???

Hahahahaha I just came here to post this!!!!

-- Anonymous, July 17, 2001

I live in NJ so I keep an eye out for news stories about things happening in my state. There have been a lot of reports lately from folks in NJ about some strange things, flying triangles, discs, orbs, etc. I see them come in to a guy who is in charge of MUFON here and he posts them on his web site. Rarely do they make it to media news.

As far as these particular lights, I predict they will be ignored by virtually everyone, except those who saw them of course. Then, if there is any pressure for an explanation over the next few days, some "authority" will be quoted with a pat answer about military exercises, flares, meteor showers, or something along that line. I have never yet seen any official statement that these things are actual, bonafide, UFOs. At least not here in the US.

-- Anonymous, July 17, 2001

Maybe some of you would like to see George Filer's web site. As far as I can determine, after more than a year of looking at his postings, I would say he is legitimate in what he provides. Some of the stories have not been validated yet, meaning they are raw reports. They try to screen obvious kook and hoax reports but it can take a few months to track down witnesses and get other corroboration, so you get the first report sometimes without final statement of validation.

Filer's Files

-- Anonymous, July 17, 2001

From the July 16th "file" on Filer's File...

"The US Congressional House Subcommittee on Space Science is now encouraging research into extraterrestrial life beyond the Earth."

I hadn't realized that Congress admitted any interest. Surely this is a good development?

-- Anonymous, July 17, 2001

Brooks,

I wouldn't make too much of some subcommittee paying lip service to searching for ET life out there in the cosmos. That's the official position, that we are interesting in seeking evidence of some sort of ET intellingence. That's what the SETI project was all about, giant radio listening stations, as if they really expected to hear some transmission, when all the time there were military people, and astronauts, and even some FAA personnel who have been saying they are *here*, right now, flying around our skies.

If Congress doesn't schedule hearings from the 100s of people that Dr. Greer alone has made available to them, then they are just playing a political game of pretending to be seriously interested, when in fact they are not. Politicians are pros at seeming to address issues when in reality they are just posturing in order to "look" like they are doing something.

-- Anonymous, July 17, 2001

At least the channel 8 news di not make it a joke tonight...they treated it like a news story.

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2001

SAR, that was probably their 'fluff' piece.

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2001