The Giant Noodle
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2010
- Messages
- 7,332
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- Location
- Northern Illinois
- Gender
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- Political Leaning
- Independent
The truth is up there: Traffic ground to a halt and thousands looked to the skies at the strange object whizzing over Manhattan
New Yorkers came to a standstill as they watched the lights in the sky last week
As for the lights in El Paso this weekend, speculation is rife on the internet - and no definitive explanation has yet been given.
Many have suggested a military explanation. One observer at Headhot wrote: 'They are magnesium flares on parachutes. They are used to light up battlefields.
'A single mortar is launched, then the three flares ignite and drift down on parachutes. Then they burn out and go dark.
'Odds are there was some national guard training going on.'
Other users suggested they were a night skydiving team practicing for an airshow.
In New York, the shiny balloons which were meant for language arts teacher Andrea Crapara were released at around 1pm. The first 'UFO' sighting was just thirty minutes later.
NYPD revealed that the sightings prompted several 911 calls and brought parts of the Chelsea district to a complete standstill.
Mystery: Police and the Federal Aviation Authority were deluged with calls and despite mounting an investigation were unable to ascertain what it was
Veteran UFO spotters had come forward even before the school balloon explanation and were cynical that the object floating in the sky would be unexplained.
Peter Davenport, director of the National UFO Reporting Center in Washington DC said at the time: 'It had the flavour of a cluster of balloons in my opinion'.
Most people were sceptical that the objects were extra terrestrial life, yet remained transfixed nonetheless.
Witness Daniel Calhoun, 52, said: ‘Common sense says it wasn't a UFO. Common sense says it was a plane or a balloon, but this thing stopped everyone in the street for two blocks.
'Any New Yorker will tell you, that alone is extraordinary.’
Witness Pete Bryant, 32, added: ‘There was no way that thing was a balloon... Light just doesn't reflect off balloons like that.’
Read more: After New York 'UFO' sightings how do they explain mirror image over El Paso? | Mail Online

As for the lights in El Paso this weekend, speculation is rife on the internet - and no definitive explanation has yet been given.
Many have suggested a military explanation. One observer at Headhot wrote: 'They are magnesium flares on parachutes. They are used to light up battlefields.
'A single mortar is launched, then the three flares ignite and drift down on parachutes. Then they burn out and go dark.
'Odds are there was some national guard training going on.'
Other users suggested they were a night skydiving team practicing for an airshow.
In New York, the shiny balloons which were meant for language arts teacher Andrea Crapara were released at around 1pm. The first 'UFO' sighting was just thirty minutes later.
NYPD revealed that the sightings prompted several 911 calls and brought parts of the Chelsea district to a complete standstill.

Veteran UFO spotters had come forward even before the school balloon explanation and were cynical that the object floating in the sky would be unexplained.
Peter Davenport, director of the National UFO Reporting Center in Washington DC said at the time: 'It had the flavour of a cluster of balloons in my opinion'.
Most people were sceptical that the objects were extra terrestrial life, yet remained transfixed nonetheless.
Witness Daniel Calhoun, 52, said: ‘Common sense says it wasn't a UFO. Common sense says it was a plane or a balloon, but this thing stopped everyone in the street for two blocks.
'Any New Yorker will tell you, that alone is extraordinary.’
Witness Pete Bryant, 32, added: ‘There was no way that thing was a balloon... Light just doesn't reflect off balloons like that.’
Read more: After New York 'UFO' sightings how do they explain mirror image over El Paso? | Mail Online