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2024’s drone hysteria has gone on for weeks across the East Coast, and we still have far more questions than answers. The sightings may have started in New Jersey, but reports of possible drone sightings have continued to spread.
The usual authorities haven’t helped much, with bland statements like “There continues to be no known threat to public safety,” failing to tamp down anxiety and interest. What we do know so far is that this is a perfect storm for clout-chasing politicians and that our phone cameras aren’t really up to the task of taking pictures of stuff flying around in the sky.
Meanwhile, social media-fueled misinformation has rushed to fill the information vacuum about what people are seeing. Even if, in many cases, what they’ve seen are planes, stars, meteors, or drones sent up by drone hunters to try to find the mystery drones.
We’ll keep track of the best information we can pull together right here.
Even Congress can’t stop talking about the drones.
But they’re not passing anything yet, after Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) blocked Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) attempt at drone investigation legislation:
“The Biden administration keeps saying, well, it’s all normal stuff,” he said. “Why don’t we actually get to the truth of the matter of what actually exists and what the threat is before we propose legislation?”
Why is every picture of the New Jersey drones so bad?
This is such a weird episode of The X-Files.Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
Phone cameras are incredible little machines, capable of way more than their tiny lenses and sensors would lead you to believe. They can capture core memories at the beach and northern lights in the sky. But even with all of their computational smarts, they have their limits, including one that’s particularly obvious at the moment. You know all those clear, high-quality pictures you’ve seen of the drones hovering over New Jersey at night? No? Exactly.
You are probably aware by now that there are drones of mysterious origins visiting the New Jersey skies at night. And if you’ve watched or read a report on the drone situation, you’ve probably seen a grainy photo of distant lights in the sky, maybe with blurred trails from red and green navigation lights. You know the type, because they all basically look the same. But this isn’t happening in some remote part of the country, this is a seemingly nightly occurrence in one of the most densely populated parts of the country. And considering that everyone has a camera in their pocket, why is every photo of these drones so bad?
The New Jersey drone hysteria exposes one salient truth: no one knows anything
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
Okay, I get it, we’re all sick of the drones. I went to two holiday parties over the weekend in the New Jersey suburbs, and it was all anyone wanted to talk about. The news coverage has been breathless, all-consuming, and most importantly, completely unhinged.
No one knows anything. The cops don’t know anything. The feds sure don’t sound like they know anything. Sure, everyone has a theory. Depending on where you fall on the DSM-5 spectrum for conspiracy-addled nonsense, they could be a few DJI Mavic enthusiasts having a laugh, a bunch of small planes, or a full-on alien invasion of our nation’s most consequential state.
Chuck Schumer wants answers after another weekend of drone chaos
Sen. Chuck Schumer during a December 15th press conference.Screenshot: NBC News
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has asked the Department of Homeland Security to provide New York and New Jersey authorities with an advanced drone detection system to help “determine what the heck is going on” with continued sightings in the Northeast.
“We’ve seen lots of recent sightings in New York, New Jersey, Long Island, Staten Island.” Schumer said during a December 15th press conference. “With all these sightings over the last while, why do we have more questions than answers?”
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.
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