Case · C-069

Morristown: the red lights were flares tied to balloons

Morristown and Morris County, New Jersey · United States · Jan 5, 2009 – Feb 17, 2009

In flight Civilian witnesses Video Photos

What happened

On January 5, 2009, and on four other evenings until February 17, many residents of Morris County reported red lights in formation rising and descending; the police received numerous 911 calls and the Morristown airport controllers saw the lights without identifying them or detecting them on radar. On April 1, 2009, the two creators revealed the hoax with their videos. The county prosecutor's office charged them with disturbing the public peace, citing the risk to air traffic and of fires, and each was sentenced to a $250 fine and 50 hours of community service.

Proposed explanation

Hoax confessed and documented: Joe Rudy and Chris Russo showed with videos that they had launched flares tied to helium balloons as a “social experiment”; the Morristown police had already indicated this explanation as probable.

Official investigation

Local police departments (Morristown, Hanover); Morris County Prosecutor's Office; FAA (notice to pilots)

Sources

1. Live Science, “NJ Men Fined $250 for UFO Hoax”, April 8, 2009 (press)
2. Morris News Bee (newjerseyhills.com), “Probers not fooled by Morristown UFO hoax”, April 2009 (press)
3. Center for Inquiry, “NJ UFO Hoax by Skeptics Proves Point But Raises Questions”, April 2, 2009 (analysis, skeptical)
4. Wikipedia – Morristown UFO hoax (other)

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