Morristown flare hoax
- Date
- 5 Jan 2009
- Place
- Morristown, Hanover Township and Morris Plains, Morris County, New Jersey, United States
- Record
- Curated case
- Assessment
- Explained
- Evidence strength
What was reported
On 5 January 2009, and on four more nights into February, red lights floated in formation over Morris County, prompting 911 calls, police checks with the Morristown Airport tower (which saw them but had no radar return) and national news and MUFON coverage. On 1 April 2009 Joe Rudy and Chris Russo revealed with video that they had tied road flares to helium balloons, calling it a social experiment on eyewitness reliability and ufology; on 7 April 2009 they pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and were fined. Some UFO commentators had already offered elaborate interpretations of the lights.
What officials concluded
Resolved
Hoax: flares on helium balloons (perpetrators confessed)
Strongest ordinary reading
Hoax: road flares on helium balloons
Evidence profile
Sensors2 of 9
- Yes: Visual
- No: Infrared
- No: Radar
- Yes: Video
- No: Photo
- No: Film
- No: Audio
- No: Night vision
- No: Other sensor
Witnessescount not stated
- Yes: Civilian
- No: Military aircrew
- No: Military ground
- No: Airline crew
- Yes: Sensor operator
- Yes: Law enforcement
- No: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- No: Intelligence official
- No: Other
ShapeLight only
- Yes: Light only
- No: Orb or sphere
- No: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- No: Other shape
Effectsnone reported
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Outside sources
- Wikipedia: Morristown UFO hoaxen.wikipedia.org
On the map
40.80° N, 74.48° W, plotted at the town or city
Show on the map