During 2002, multiple UFO reports and purported photographs or videos were reported from locations across New Jersey. The reports included bright or metallic disc-shaped objects, spheres, unusual lights and other aerial phenomena. Several cases were reported to organizations including NUFORC and MUFON, while some contemporary UFO investigators described the activity as part of a broader wave of sightings along the U.S. East Coast. The evidence varies considerably between cases, and the available documentation does not establish that all of the reports were related to a single phenomenon.
New Jersey generated a number of UFO reports during 2002, including several cases involving photographs or video recordings. Contemporary UFO investigator George Filer described a wave of sightings occurring across the eastern United States during the year and included multiple New Jersey reports in his investigations.
One notable case occurred near Bridgewater on February 14, 2002, when two witnesses reportedly observed a large blue spherical object. George Filer reported that one witness was Gordon Dillard, a college student, while another witness was described as working in law enforcement. Filer stated that the second witness was a college student from North Carolina who was driving through New Jersey. The case was reported through both NUFORC and MUFON channels.
On April 16, 2002, two witnesses in Byram, New Jersey observed a bright object that appeared to hover or move only slightly in the sky. The witnesses recorded approximately 10 minutes of video using a camcorder with up to 32x zoom. They reported that the object appeared to increase and decrease in apparent size or brightness. The witnesses also stated that they contacted police later that evening. NUFORC preserved the report.
On June 17, 2002, a witness in Somerset reported seeing a bright silver disc moving slowly across the sky. The witness stated that the object disappeared when a jet aircraft came into view and that the object did not resemble the aircraft. The report was published in contemporary MUFON material.
Additional New Jersey reports occurred during the summer and autumn of 2002. These included reports of unusual lights, spherical objects and other shapes. The number and diversity of reports make it difficult to treat the entire year's activity as a single UFO event.
The term 'photograph wave' should therefore be understood as an archive grouping rather than evidence that one object or phenomenon was photographed repeatedly. Some reports involve photographs or video, while others are eyewitness reports without surviving imagery.
The available evidence is mixed. Some reports have identifiable witnesses and contemporaneous reporting, while the actual photographic or video material is difficult to independently authenticate or analyze. Several reports also have potentially conventional explanations that cannot be ruled out from the available information.
The case is consequently classified as Mixed. The underlying reports are genuine reports made by identifiable or documented witnesses, but the evidence does not establish that the objects represented extraterrestrial or technologically anomalous craft.
| Date: | 2002-02-14 |
| Location: | New Jersey, United States |
| Country: | United States |
| Category: | Civilian |
| Credibility: | Mixed |