NUFORC Sighting 25910

Occurred: 2002-11-02 02:00 Local
Reported: 2002-11-02 14:37 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Chester, NJ, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Lights on object, Left a trail, Aircraft nearby

North New Jersey Rocket shaped craft seen

Rocket shaped craft seen and heard over north new jersey.

I myself did not witness this event as i was asleep on the first level and windows faced opposite direction ( east, event was witnessed to the west ). Early this morning(november 3) my two young daughters aged 5 and 8, along with their friend(9) and my girlfriend(26)woke meto explain to me what they had witnessed just hours ago in the early hours of saturday november 3rd. It unfolded like this: At 2am of november third my oldest daughter and her friend were awaked by a very loud sound, described to me to sound like a rocket leaving the earths atmosphere(lot of thrust), upon looking out the window, which faces west and is right alongside bed, she saw over the trees of our property a rocket shaped craft speeding toward the sky at a reasonably high rate of speed and holding a steady course up. She then awaked her friend who was sharing the bed with her, as well as my girlfriend laying a bed away, to look out the window at the rocket ship ripping through the sky. The window is on the second floor and faces west. The visibility of the area of sky, from top of trees on property to highest visible point of sky is ample as the trees are low and the windows high.

Note: this morning i had both my daughter and her friend both seperately draw what they had seen and they were exactly the same. Also, my girlfriend cooborated the intense rumbling at the time of the sighting, so i know the children weren't fantasizing/dreaming/playing.

Description: A perfect rocket shaped craft, long(vertically) shape with a conical tip. 2 to 4 unblinking yellow lights sat at the top area of the craft and did not flash or otherwise blink in such a way the FAA would require of an aircraft. They also described the presence of intense flames shooting from the rear, in true rocket fashion, as well as the possibility of some sort of window(s) along the lateral side of the craft. Lights were also seen at the bottom portion of the craft above the exhaust area. As it moved skyward it created a contrail of either smoke or steam.

The entire sighting may have lasted no more than a couple minutes, long enough for it to appear over the treeline until it was no longer visible from the window.

Not being a scientist or otherwise, i immediately assumed it was a launch of some type of rocket or military type craft headed for the great void. This after some thinking didn't sit well with me or make any sense for the following reasons. First off there is no known base in this immediate area, the description of the size was that of a large house, this coupledwith the level of detail they described led me to believe it was much closer than any launch from neighboring states etc. Also, my girlfriend, whom never turned to look at it as she was tired, described a dopplereffect. The sound she said began as a low rumble and peaked so loud she believed whatever it was would crash into the house, so it was close. The sound was that of a space shuttle launch on takeoff and not the whine of a passenger jet turbine. The most dramatic feat in question is that of it changind direction i.e altering its course in a marked fashion by turning about 45 degrees and keeping a course more or less straight up.

Anyway, first thing after hearing this i phoned the local police station and was promptly accused of making a crank call. I spoke in length with the desk sargeant about this and he soon realized it was no joke an listened. He claimed no one els\e reported the event after checking through the nights log and so on. I also asked him whom i should call to report the event and claimed he didn't know and furthermore there was no reason to as any military activity would have beed reported to them beforehand, which it wasn't.

Could you please contact me with any information regarding this event, military rocket activity, etc.? And did anyone else see this in the north jerresy area? I thought maybe it was a Vandenburg rocket launch, but whywould it be so close and so lowhere in new jersey?! thanx and please contact me when you can



NUFORC Note:

We do not know what the witness observed. Vandenberg AFB is in California. PD


Posted 2002-11-04

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