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Morristown UFO hoax

March 04, 2023

The 2009 Morristown UFO hoax[1][2] was a series of aerial events involving mysterious floating red lights in the sky, that first occurred near Morristown, New Jersey, on Monday, January 5, 2009, between 8:15 pm and 9:00 pm. The red lights were later observed on four other nights: January 26, January 29, February 7, and February 17, 2009. The events were later revealed to be a hoax, perpetrated by Joe Rudy and Chris Russo. Rudy and Russo have described the hoax as a social experiment,[2][3] with the ambition of exposing "ufology" as a pseudoscience and raising consciousness around unreliability of eyewitness claims.

The 5 red lights attached to balloons released by Chris Russo and Joe Rudy over the skies of Morristown, NJ

Five flare lights attached to helium balloons were released by Rudy and Russo and seen in the skies above Morris County, New Jersey. Sighting reports were concentrated in the towns of Hanover Township, Morristown, Morris Plains, Madison, and Florham Park.

On January 5, 2009, at 8:28 pm, the Hanover Township police department received the first of several 9-1-1 calls.[4] Neighboring police departments also received numerous phone calls in regard to the strange lights. Morristown Police Lt. Jim Cullen alerted Morristown Airport about a possible hazard to airplanes. Airport control tower workers reported seeing the lights in the sky, but could not determine what they were.[5] Hanover Township police also contacted the Morristown Airport to try to pick up the objects on radar, but they were unable to pick up anything.[4]

Major and local news networks covered the story, and websites, including the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), posted information about the incident. On April 1, 2009, Rudy and Russo came forward with video evidence proving they were the perpetrators of this hoax, demonstrating how easy it is to fool the so-called UFO "experts."[2]

On April 7, 2009, Russo and Rudy pleaded guilty to municipal ordinance charges of disorderly conduct and were sentenced to fines of $250 and 50 hours of community service.[6][7]

Joe Rudy releasing a balloon with flare attached. Chris Russo (kneeling) preparing balloons for launch

Revealing the hoax

On April 1, 2009, Rudy and Russo went public announcing that they had perpetrated this hoax to "show everyone how unreliable eyewitness accounts are, along with investigators of UFOs."[2] The reveal came in the form of an article written by the two men, and published online by Skeptic Magazine. Rudy and Russo described in detail how and why they perpetrated this hoax, and provided links to videos showing their preparations, the launch, and subsequent media coverage and involvement.[8][9]

Accounts quoted in media

Two men from the Morristown area claimed to see the lights while driving on Hanover Avenue in Morris Plains. They recorded several videos and still photos of the event, which have been posted on news stations, websites, blogs, and YouTube. Rudy and Russo were interviewed on News 12 New Jersey, where they offered what would later be revealed to be a fictitious account of their sighting.[10] They have since come forward as the perpetrators of the hoax resulting in the Morristown sightings. In the interview, Russo stated, "We were driving on Hanover, when all of a sudden we see these lights literally zip over our car." Rudy stated, "The lights seemed to ascend and descend almost in a sequence. They would rise up slowly and dip down."

A family in Hanover Township reported seeing the lights from their home. An 11-year-old, Kristin Hurley was the first to notice the lights. Paul Hurley, a pilot, saw the lights and said they were not planes. The Hurley Family took video of the lights, which appeared on several news broadcasts, including cable news networks such as Fox News.[11] Hurley stated, "I have been in the aviation industry for 20 years and have never seen anything like this, a little scary, little scary."

A Morristown resident said that he saw an L-shaped formation oscillating in the sky. The man was interviewed by the Morris County newspaper Daily Record[5] and stated that, what he saw "didn't seem man-made" and, "No way this could have been weather balloons."

Hanover Township's health officer said that he saw the lights while walking his dog in Madison at 8:38 pm. He stated the lights did not appear to be flares because they "did not leave trails". He also said that they sometimes appeared to move against the wind. He was quoted as saying "These things were moving fast, holding formation, and then moving in three different directions; I don't know what it was."[5]

Initial explanations and hoax theories

Before Rudy and Russo came forward, there had been many different explanations for the lights. These included extraterrestrial craft, supernatural and/or spiritual phenomena, helicopters carrying cargo, a surveillance blimp, a secret military project, or an elaborate hoax.[12]

The Morristown police department had stated the lights were most likely road flares attached to helium balloons, although witnesses and many other Morris County residents did not agree with this claim.[5] "We are reasonably certain, from what we were able to observe," Morristown Police Lt. James Cullen told the Bergen Record, "...that they were red flares attached to a balloon."

Reporters from News 12 NJ contacted Peter Davenport who has been director of the National UFO Reporting Center since 1994. By telephone he told News 12 NJ that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires aircraft to have a single red light on the left tip of the wing. He did not believe it was an aircraft. In addition to serving as the director of the National UFO Reporting Center, Davenport has served as the director of investigations for the Washington Chapter of the Mutual UFO Network.[13]

One source had speculated that the red lights may have been sky lanterns released during a celebration.[14]

Reappearances

After the initial January 5 incident, Rudy and Russo built up the media attention by repeating the hoax four more times over various parts of Morris County, NJ. The subsequent hoaxes and sightings took place on January 26, January 29, February 7, and February 17.[15][16]

The largest cluster of lights occurred on February 17. Nine red lights were reported to be traveling in formation. Shortly after that sighting, Capt. Jeff Paul, a spokesman for Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi, said that federal authorities have expressed concern that the objects might be a threat to flights on their final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration advised Paul that they would issue an advisory to aircraft in the area. Paul said “numerous” 911 calls were received on the evening of February 17 in Morris Plains, Morristown, Morris Township, Hanover, Denville, Parsippany, Montville and the Morris County Communications Dispatch center. The lights appeared to be traveling north, he said, and air traffic controllers at Morristown Airport reported that they appeared to be at an altitude of about 2,500 feet (760 m).[17]

Dorian Vicente, 46, of Parsippany, said the lights caused traffic to slow on Route 80 in Denville at 8:40 p.m. as people watched them floating overhead. There were nine lights, she said, and they were scattered at first. Then she said they aligned in a straight line. That is when she and several other cars pulled to the side of the highway to try to capture the lights on video. "It was the weirdest thing," she said.[17] Ray Vargas, a witness to the lights on February 17, was interviewed by the media and stated, "If it's a hoax, it's a real good hoax. There were no flares, no streaks … they were almost as if they were communicating with each other."[18]

Officials with the Morris County prosecutor's office called the military and determined that no military flights were in the area, Paul said. The prosecutor's office also contacted the FAA, the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center.[17]

Conviction

Prosecutor Robert Bianchi used what he called a "measured approach" and filed disorderly-person charges, rather than charges of indictable offenses.[19] Bianchi criticized the defendants for wasting police resources, posing a fire threat, and posing an aviation threat.[7] The defendants plea-bargained and received a sentence fine of $250 each and 50 hours of community service at the Hanover Recreation Commission.[7]

Praises and criticisms of the hoax

Reactions were mixed about the hoax after Rudy and Russo revealed the details. Newsweek's Sharon Begley wrote an article praising the hoax for fooling UFO "experts" and believers, and praising the hoaxers by concluding her article with "Nicely done, guys."[20]

George Filer, state director for the Mutual UFO Network of New Jersey, criticized the hoaxers for using flares which could have potentially started a fire.[21]

The Center for Inquiry painted the hoax in a positive light, the question was asked "should skeptics pull pranks and hoaxes, even to prove a skeptical point? Should skeptics hoax the public, or is that a breach of ethics that ultimately harm the skeptical position?"[22]

In the media

The Morristown UFO has been featured on the homepage of the American documentary television series UFO Hunters. Host Bill Birnes investigated the January 5, 2009 sighting and interviewed several eyewitnesses. Throughout the two-part mini-documentary, Bill Birnes and his team do not accept previous skeptic claims that the lights could have been Chinese lanterns or flares. "We know this couldn't be flares attached to a rigid structure."[23]

On April 1, 2015 truTV featured the Morristown UFO hoax on Best Hoaxes Ever, a show recounting famous internet claims and hoaxes.[24][25]

In July 2021, the UFO hoax was spotlighted on an episode of Vice Media's "Fakes, Frauds and Scammers". The episode, entitled "How We Staged a UFO Hoax",[26] was narrated by Rudy and Russo.

See also

References

  1. ^ . Archived from the original on March 28, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d "How We Staged the Morristown UFO Hoax". eSkeptic. Skeptics Society. April 1, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
  3. ^ "09-04-01". skeptic.com. April 1, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  4. ^ a b . wcbstv.com. January 6, 2009. Archived from the original on January 15, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d "Little red lights over Morris raise a big stir, questions | Daily Record | Daily Record". Dailyrecord.com. Retrieved January 12, 2009.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "NJ Men Fined $250 for UFO Hoax". livescience.com. April 8, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  7. ^ a b c Sarah Schillaci (April 7, 2009). "Judge hits Morris County UFO hoaxers with fines, community service". New Jersey On-Line / Star Ledger. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  8. ^ Skeptic (April 26, 2011). "How We Staged the Morristown UFO Hoax, Part 1: The Setup". Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2018 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Skeptic (April 26, 2011). "How We Staged the Morristown UFO Hoax, Part 2: The Launches". Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2018 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "News 12 Video Player". News12.com. Retrieved January 12, 2009.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "FOXNews.com – New Jersey Under Alien Attack Maybe – Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News". FOXNews.com. January 8, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  12. ^ http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901080347[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "AsylumCam.Com – UFO sighting over New Jersey Jan 5 TH". AsylumCam.Com. December 30, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  14. ^ "More red lights are reported in Morris County skies". nj.com. February 18, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  15. ^ http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090130/UPDATES01/90130019[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090219/COMMUNITIES32/902190320&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ a b c "Daily Record". Daily Record. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  18. ^ Ryan, Michael (November 16, 2015). The Third Kind: A Compendium of U.F.O. Encounters. Michael Ryan. ISBN 978-1-5193-5586-7.
  19. ^ . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  20. ^ Begley, Sharon (April 1, 2009). "The Great UFO Hoax of 2009". Newsweek. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  21. ^ "Probers not fooled by Morristown UFO hoax".
  22. ^ Kreidler, Marc (April 2, 2009). "NJ UFO Hoax by Skeptics Proves Point But Raises Questions | Center for Inquiry". from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  23. ^ . Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
  24. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the : "Best Hoaxes Ever - New Jersey UFOs". YouTube.
  25. ^ Productions, Meetinghouse (December 17, 2015), BEST HOAXES EVER_AIR MASTER, retrieved April 1, 2019
  26. ^ YouTube, July 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cW8RsWNnKg

External links

  • UfoSightingsToday.org Morristown UFO Hoax report
  • Rudy and Russo's video

March 04, 2023
morristown, hoax, 2009, series, aerial, events, involving, mysterious, floating, lights, that, first, occurred, near, morristown, jersey, monday, january, 2009, between, lights, were, later, observed, four, other, nights, january, january, february, february, . The 2009 Morristown UFO hoax 1 2 was a series of aerial events involving mysterious floating red lights in the sky that first occurred near Morristown New Jersey on Monday January 5 2009 between 8 15 pm and 9 00 pm The red lights were later observed on four other nights January 26 January 29 February 7 and February 17 2009 The events were later revealed to be a hoax perpetrated by Joe Rudy and Chris Russo Rudy and Russo have described the hoax as a social experiment 2 3 with the ambition of exposing ufology as a pseudoscience and raising consciousness around unreliability of eyewitness claims The 5 red lights attached to balloons released by Chris Russo and Joe Rudy over the skies of Morristown NJ Five flare lights attached to helium balloons were released by Rudy and Russo and seen in the skies above Morris County New Jersey Sighting reports were concentrated in the towns of Hanover Township Morristown Morris Plains Madison and Florham Park On January 5 2009 at 8 28 pm the Hanover Township police department received the first of several 9 1 1 calls 4 Neighboring police departments also received numerous phone calls in regard to the strange lights Morristown Police Lt Jim Cullen alerted Morristown Airport about a possible hazard to airplanes Airport control tower workers reported seeing the lights in the sky but could not determine what they were 5 Hanover Township police also contacted the Morristown Airport to try to pick up the objects on radar but they were unable to pick up anything 4 Major and local news networks covered the story and websites including the Mutual UFO Network MUFON posted information about the incident On April 1 2009 Rudy and Russo came forward with video evidence proving they were the perpetrators of this hoax demonstrating how easy it is to fool the so called UFO experts 2 On April 7 2009 Russo and Rudy pleaded guilty to municipal ordinance charges of disorderly conduct and were sentenced to fines of 250 and 50 hours of community service 6 7 Joe Rudy releasing a balloon with flare attached Chris Russo kneeling preparing balloons for launch Contents 1 Revealing the hoax 2 Accounts quoted in media 3 Initial explanations and hoax theories 4 Reappearances 5 Conviction 6 Praises and criticisms of the hoax 7 In the media 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksRevealing the hoax EditOn April 1 2009 Rudy and Russo went public announcing that they had perpetrated this hoax to show everyone how unreliable eyewitness accounts are along with investigators of UFOs 2 The reveal came in the form of an article written by the two men and published online by Skeptic Magazine Rudy and Russo described in detail how and why they perpetrated this hoax and provided links to videos showing their preparations the launch and subsequent media coverage and involvement 8 9 Accounts quoted in media EditTwo men from the Morristown area claimed to see the lights while driving on Hanover Avenue in Morris Plains They recorded several videos and still photos of the event which have been posted on news stations websites blogs and YouTube Rudy and Russo were interviewed on News 12 New Jersey where they offered what would later be revealed to be a fictitious account of their sighting 10 They have since come forward as the perpetrators of the hoax resulting in the Morristown sightings In the interview Russo stated We were driving on Hanover when all of a sudden we see these lights literally zip over our car Rudy stated The lights seemed to ascend and descend almost in a sequence They would rise up slowly and dip down A family in Hanover Township reported seeing the lights from their home An 11 year old Kristin Hurley was the first to notice the lights Paul Hurley a pilot saw the lights and said they were not planes The Hurley Family took video of the lights which appeared on several news broadcasts including cable news networks such as Fox News 11 Hurley stated I have been in the aviation industry for 20 years and have never seen anything like this a little scary little scary A Morristown resident said that he saw an L shaped formation oscillating in the sky The man was interviewed by the Morris County newspaper Daily Record 5 and stated that what he saw didn t seem man made and No way this could have been weather balloons Hanover Township s health officer said that he saw the lights while walking his dog in Madison at 8 38 pm He stated the lights did not appear to be flares because they did not leave trails He also said that they sometimes appeared to move against the wind He was quoted as saying These things were moving fast holding formation and then moving in three different directions I don t know what it was 5 Initial explanations and hoax theories EditBefore Rudy and Russo came forward there had been many different explanations for the lights These included extraterrestrial craft supernatural and or spiritual phenomena helicopters carrying cargo a surveillance blimp a secret military project or an elaborate hoax 12 The Morristown police department had stated the lights were most likely road flares attached to helium balloons although witnesses and many other Morris County residents did not agree with this claim 5 We are reasonably certain from what we were able to observe Morristown Police Lt James Cullen told the Bergen Record that they were red flares attached to a balloon Reporters from News 12 NJ contacted Peter Davenport who has been director of the National UFO Reporting Center since 1994 By telephone he told News 12 NJ that the Federal Aviation Administration FAA requires aircraft to have a single red light on the left tip of the wing He did not believe it was an aircraft In addition to serving as the director of the National UFO Reporting Center Davenport has served as the director of investigations for the Washington Chapter of the Mutual UFO Network 13 One source had speculated that the red lights may have been sky lanterns released during a celebration 14 Reappearances EditAfter the initial January 5 incident Rudy and Russo built up the media attention by repeating the hoax four more times over various parts of Morris County NJ The subsequent hoaxes and sightings took place on January 26 January 29 February 7 and February 17 15 16 The largest cluster of lights occurred on February 17 Nine red lights were reported to be traveling in formation Shortly after that sighting Capt Jeff Paul a spokesman for Morris County Prosecutor Robert A Bianchi said that federal authorities have expressed concern that the objects might be a threat to flights on their final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport The Federal Aviation Administration advised Paul that they would issue an advisory to aircraft in the area Paul said numerous 911 calls were received on the evening of February 17 in Morris Plains Morristown Morris Township Hanover Denville Parsippany Montville and the Morris County Communications Dispatch center The lights appeared to be traveling north he said and air traffic controllers at Morristown Airport reported that they appeared to be at an altitude of about 2 500 feet 760 m 17 Dorian Vicente 46 of Parsippany said the lights caused traffic to slow on Route 80 in Denville at 8 40 p m as people watched them floating overhead There were nine lights she said and they were scattered at first Then she said they aligned in a straight line That is when she and several other cars pulled to the side of the highway to try to capture the lights on video It was the weirdest thing she said 17 Ray Vargas a witness to the lights on February 17 was interviewed by the media and stated If it s a hoax it s a real good hoax There were no flares no streaks they were almost as if they were communicating with each other 18 Officials with the Morris County prosecutor s office called the military and determined that no military flights were in the area Paul said The prosecutor s office also contacted the FAA the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center 17 Conviction EditProsecutor Robert Bianchi used what he called a measured approach and filed disorderly person charges rather than charges of indictable offenses 19 Bianchi criticized the defendants for wasting police resources posing a fire threat and posing an aviation threat 7 The defendants plea bargained and received a sentence fine of 250 each and 50 hours of community service at the Hanover Recreation Commission 7 Praises and criticisms of the hoax EditReactions were mixed about the hoax after Rudy and Russo revealed the details Newsweek s Sharon Begley wrote an article praising the hoax for fooling UFO experts and believers and praising the hoaxers by concluding her article with Nicely done guys 20 George Filer state director for the Mutual UFO Network of New Jersey criticized the hoaxers for using flares which could have potentially started a fire 21 The Center for Inquiry painted the hoax in a positive light the question was asked should skeptics pull pranks and hoaxes even to prove a skeptical point Should skeptics hoax the public or is that a breach of ethics that ultimately harm the skeptical position 22 In the media EditThe Morristown UFO has been featured on the homepage of the American documentary television series UFO Hunters Host Bill Birnes investigated the January 5 2009 sighting and interviewed several eyewitnesses Throughout the two part mini documentary Bill Birnes and his team do not accept previous skeptic claims that the lights could have been Chinese lanterns or flares We know this couldn t be flares attached to a rigid structure 23 On April 1 2015 truTV featured the Morristown UFO hoax on Best Hoaxes Ever a show recounting famous internet claims and hoaxes 24 25 In July 2021 the UFO hoax was spotlighted on an episode of Vice Media s Fakes Frauds and Scammers The episode entitled How We Staged a UFO Hoax 26 was narrated by Rudy and Russo See also EditList of UFO sightings HoaxReferences Edit The Great UFO Hoax of 2009 Lab Notes Blog Newsweek com Archived from the original on March 28 2010 Retrieved April 6 2009 a b c d How We Staged the Morristown UFO Hoax eSkeptic Skeptics Society April 1 2009 Retrieved April 16 2009 09 04 01 skeptic com April 1 2009 Retrieved April 16 2018 a b Police Puzzled By Strange Lights Over Morris County wcbstv com wcbstv com January 6 2009 Archived from the original on January 15 2009 Retrieved January 12 2009 a b c d Little red lights over Morris raise a big stir questions Daily Record Daily Record Dailyrecord com Retrieved January 12 2009 permanent dead link NJ Men Fined 250 for UFO Hoax livescience com April 8 2009 Retrieved April 16 2018 a b c Sarah Schillaci April 7 2009 Judge hits Morris County UFO hoaxers with fines community service New Jersey On Line Star Ledger Retrieved June 21 2013 Skeptic April 26 2011 How We Staged the Morristown UFO Hoax Part 1 The Setup Archived from the original on December 15 2021 Retrieved April 16 2018 via YouTube Skeptic April 26 2011 How We Staged the Morristown UFO Hoax Part 2 The Launches Archived from the original on December 15 2021 Retrieved April 16 2018 via YouTube News 12 Video Player News12 com Retrieved January 12 2009 permanent dead link FOXNews com New Jersey Under Alien Attack Maybe Science News Science amp Technology Technology News FOXNews com January 8 2009 Retrieved January 12 2009 http www dailyrecord com apps pbcs dll article AID 2009901080347 permanent dead link AsylumCam Com UFO sighting over New Jersey Jan 5 TH AsylumCam Com December 30 2008 Retrieved January 12 2009 More red lights are reported in Morris County skies nj com February 18 2009 Retrieved April 16 2018 http www dailyrecord com article 20090130 UPDATES01 90130019 permanent dead link http www dailyrecord com article 20090219 COMMUNITIES32 902190320 amp referrer FRONTPAGECAROUSEL permanent dead link a b c Daily Record Daily Record Archived from the original on January 20 2013 Retrieved April 16 2018 Ryan Michael November 16 2015 The Third Kind A Compendium of U F O Encounters Michael Ryan ISBN 978 1 5193 5586 7 2 reveal UFO hoax but prosecutor for Morris not smiling NJ com Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved June 28 2022 Begley Sharon April 1 2009 The Great UFO Hoax of 2009 Newsweek Retrieved January 5 2022 Probers not fooled by Morristown UFO hoax Kreidler Marc April 2 2009 NJ UFO Hoax by Skeptics Proves Point But Raises Questions Center for Inquiry Archived from the original on November 11 2020 Retrieved January 5 2022 UFO Hunters History Archived from the original on March 10 2009 Retrieved January 29 2009 Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine Best Hoaxes Ever New Jersey UFOs YouTube Productions Meetinghouse December 17 2015 BEST HOAXES EVER AIR MASTER retrieved April 1 2019 YouTube July 2021 https www youtube com watch v cW8RsWNnKgExternal links EditUfoSightingsToday org Morristown UFO Hoax report Rudy and Russo s video Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Morristown UFO hoax amp oldid 1131375718, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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