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New Jersey folks thought they saw a UFO. Turned out, Musk was to blame

Sweta GuptaSeptember 18, 2023 | 13:30 IST

If you thought you saw a UFO in New Jersey, it's not quite what it seemed – more like an "optical illusion" than an intergalactic event.

What New Jersey residents initially believed to be a UFO turned out to be Elon Musk's Starlink satellites gracefully gliding above the Garden State.

This happened as SpaceX sent its newest set of devices into space.

What

  • On Saturday night, sky watchers were puzzled as they saw numerous lights moving in a straight line above them.
    Some speculated that these lights could be extraterrestrial UFOs.

  • People on social media were excited, thinking that aliens might be visiting New Jersey, especially with recent UFO hearings.

  • But it turned out to be less exciting as SpaceX explained that the lights were just their Starlink satellites passing by after launching from Cape Canaveral on Friday.

This isn't the first instance of a celestial oddity in the night sky turning out to be a Starlink satellite.

Earlier this year, researchers from the University of Vermont and the Center for UFO Studies discovered that SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, was responsible for an increase in UFO sightings since the start of the pandemic.

The company had launched numerous satellites in May 2019 to provide internet coverage to 50 countries, and reports of UFOs surged around the same time.

SpaceX currently has over 3,000 satellites orbiting the Earth, many of which are easily visible, forming the largest low-orbit satellite network in the sky. As SpaceX plans to launch more than 10,000 satellites by 2027, these satellites are likely to continue causing confusion in the future.

According to the website, Starlink is the world's biggest satellite network in low Earth orbit, providing fast internet for streaming, gaming, video calls, and more. Using advanced satellites and technology, Starlink offers high-speed, low-delay internet to users worldwide.

Last updated: September 18, 2023 | 13:30
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