This photo taken by Trisha Bushey shows the skyline at dusk and bright spots around Lebanon … [+]
Over the last week, there has been a spate of sightings of weird lights in the sky across the northeast of the U.S., mainly New Jersey, but also New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, and even Ohio. Some of these mysterious flying objects are suspected to be drones. Many will be planes. Others satellites.
Are there celestial explanations? Potentially, yes — and more than one. Here are a few culprits you might be unwittingly seeing across the U.S. this week that could easily be confused for something mysterious … perhaps even the original source of the “Star of Bethlehem” or “Christmas Star” story.
New Jersey Drones: Satellites?
When: an hour after or before sunset and sunrise, respectively.
Mysterious flying objects overhead are often satellites, not drones. If you see a constant white light cross the sky, it could well be a satellite. It’s shocking to many people who look outside at night and see the hundreds of satellites for the first time. Many are SpaceX Starlink satellites, which were launched in recent years to provide broadband internet services. Satellites don’t have red-blinking tail lights, as planes typically do. Instead, you’ll see a constant white light, particularly an hour after or before sunset and sunrise, respectively, when the satellite’s solar panels catch the sunlight.
New Jersey Drones: ‘Shooting Stars’?
When: directly above, close to sunset and sunrise.
December is excellent for seeing fast-moving shooting stars — meteors bursting into Earth’s atmosphere. Three important annual meteor showers begin or peak in December. The Geminids — the most prolific of the year — peaked overnight on Dec. 13/14 and will continue producing bright “fireballs” until Dec. 20. The Ursid meteor shower runs from Dec. 13-24 and the Quadrantid meteor shower from Dec. 12-Jan. 12.
New Jersey Drones: Jupiter?
Where: in the east after dark, moving across the south and setting in the west at sunrise.
The solar system’s biggest planet is currently about as bright as dominant as it gets. Still sparkling since its annual opposition — astronomy-speak for it getting closest to Earth — on Saturday, Dec. 7, Jupiter is showing off its entire disk and rising opposite the sunset as it gets closest to Earth. That means it’s bright in the east immediately after dark — easily in the eye line of anyone outside as it gets dark. It will remain a very bright light in the night sky until mid-January.
New Jersey Drones: Venus?
Where: setting in the west after sunset.
The brightest object in the night sky is currently setting shortly after dark but shining very brightly before it does so. It’s no accident that sightings of UFOs increase when Venis is in its so-called “Evening Star” phase — as it is now. Since Venus is getting brighter and setting later as it gets closer to Earth, expect it to become even more dominant and potentially cause more confusion through February.
New Jersey Drones: Mars?
Where: rising in the east about 90 minutes after sunset, moving across the south.
Mars will come to opposition on Jan. 16, something it only does every 26 months as it swings close to Earth. That’s why it’s already so bright and golden, making it an unusually colorful sight in the sky. It’s also rising shortly after dark in the east, behind Jupiter, so it is ripe for being spotted in the evening. This week, Mars hangs out very close to the Pollux and Castor in the constellation Gemini, another reason Mars could be confused for a drone.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.