Mysterious drones have been showing up in the skies above New Jersey and other states for weeks, confounding residents and prompting lawmakers to call for more answers as to what exactly is going on.
Since mid-November, the drones have been lighting up night skies with no real explanation. While plenty of questions remain surrounding the phenomenon, here is what we do know.
When were the drones first spotted?
The drones were first spotted in New Jersey on Nov. 18. They appear to show up in the late hours of the night, though it is not clear if they are present every single night.
A senior official briefed on the New Jersey drone sightings told NBC News there have been reports of sightings every night except Thanksgiving and that there have been “little to no” reports of drones during the day.
NBC News has been tracking reports of possible drone sightings, mostly in New Jersey, since at least Dec. 3.
Where are the drones being spotted now?
The drones were first spotted in North Jersey, but now appear to be popping up throughout the state. NBC News has also tracked possible drone sightings in New York, Maryland and Florida.
Where are they coming from and why are they there?
These remain the biggest unknowns, with officials unable to pinpoint where the mysterious objects originated or explain exactly what they are doing there.
“We have no idea where these drones come from, who owns them. We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. said on Thursday.
The Pentagon has said they are not owned by the military and that they are not coming from an Iranian “mothership” on the east coast, as suggested by Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J.
What kind of drones are they?
Officials have said the drones appear to be commercial-grade, not recreational, and could be up to 6 feet in diameter.
At a Wednesday briefing with a representative from the Department of Homeland Security and local officials from New Jersey, officials said they cannot confirm whether the drones belong to U.S. companies or foreign entities. Â
How many drone sightings have there been?
Mayors who were present at the Wednesday briefing told NBC News that no one from state or federal agencies was able to confirm exactly how many drones had been spotted over New Jersey.
One said they know of “at least 400 sightings,” and another said “there could be thousands.”
In a Wednesday segment of a program on radio station WBGO, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said that there could be “overreporting” of sightings, with many residents potentially seeing the same device or mistaking other flying objects for drones.Â
A senior official briefed on the drone sightings in New Jersey said there were 79 reports of drone sightings overnight from Thursday to Friday in the state.
Several New Jersey officials have said the drone sightings occur up to 180 times per night.
What have officials said?
Numerous officials, including the FBI, have said the drones don’t appear to pose a threat, but are unable to provide more information. The FBI is the lead agency investigating the matter.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the drones earlier this week.
In a statement to NBC News, the U.S. Secret Service confirmed it “does not currently have any unmanned aerial systems operating in or around New Jersey or New York.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a new website dedicated to drones that aims to answer common questions about the flying objects.
One common thread among lawmakers is that no one really knows what’s going on.
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a post on X, “neither the White House, the military, the FBI, or Homeland Security have any idea what they are, where they came from, or who has launched or is controlling them–and that they pose no threat.”
Lawmakers have also expressed frustration with the lack of information from federal officials, demanding answers in a timely manner.
“That response is entirely unacceptable,” Hogan continued. “I join with the growing bipartisan chorus of leaders demanding that the federal government immediately address this issue.”
Murphy, the New Jersey governor, wrote letters to Biden, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, Rep. Mike Johnson and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries urging Congress to take action.Â
Murphy said he wants to “encourage Congress to pass legislation empowering state and local law enforcement entities to use advanced detection and mitigation technologies to deal with UAS.”Â
What happens if a drone is over your house?
Drones have to be operated by a pilot so they aren’t a threat to people or their property, according to the FAA’s website dedicated to drones, which suggests contacting local law enforcement if you think someone is unsafely flying a drone.
But you definitely shouldn’t try to shoot them down, experts told NBC News, despite some lawmakers suggesting you should.
Experts said that shooting drones is illegal and could result in serious injuries. The FAA classifies drones as aircraft and, under the Aircraft Sabotage Act, damaging or destroying aircraft is a federal offense — even if it’s flying over private property.Â
“A private citizen shooting at any aircraft — including unmanned aircraft — poses a significant safety hazard. An unmanned aircraft hit by gunfire could crash, causing damage to persons or property on the ground, or it could collide with other objects in the air,” the FAA said.
It could also start fires, according to Pramod Abichandani, an associate professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the director of the school’s Advanced Air Mobility Lab.
“A drone has a lithium battery for the most part,” Abichandani said. “If you shoot at it, assuming you target it correctly and you actually hit the drone, the drone is going to fall somewhere. The lithium battery can explode, cause a fire, and of course, it can cause damage to property.”
Abichandani also noted the dangers of shooting into the night sky.
“God forbid that stray bullet lands somewhere and hits somebody,” he said.
