What we know about the drones spotted in New Jersey and other states

For weeks, mysterious drones have been appearing in the skies over New Jersey and other states, confusing residents and prompting lawmakers to demand more answers about what exactly is going on.

The drones have been lighting up the night sky since mid-November, without any real explanation. While there are still many questions surrounding the phenomenon, here’s what we know.

When were the drones first spotted?

The drones were first spotted in New Jersey on November 18th. They appear to appear in the late hours of the night, but it is not clear whether they are present every single night.

A senior official briefed on the drone sightings in New Jersey told NBC News that there have been reports of sightings every night except Thanksgiving and that there have been “little to no” reports of drone sightings during the day.

NBC News has been tracking reports of possible drone sightings since at least December 3, mostly in New Jersey.

Where are the drones being spotted now?

The drones were first spotted in North Jersey, but now appear to be popping up across the state. NBC News has also been tracking possible drone sightings in New York, Maryland and Florida.

Where do they come from and Why are they there?

These remain the biggest unknowns as officials are unable to pinpoint the origin of the mysterious objects or explain exactly what they are doing there.

“We have no idea where these drones come from or who they belong to. We should urgently conduct an intelligence analysis and get them out of the sky,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. said on Thursday.

The Pentagon has said they were not owned by the military and that they did not come from an Iranian “mother ship” on the East Coast, as Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., suggested.

What kind of drones are these?

Officials said the drones appeared to be commercial drones, not recreational ones, and that they could be up to 6 feet in diameter.

At a briefing Wednesday with a Department of Homeland Security representative and local New Jersey officials, officials said they could not confirm whether the drones belonged to U.S. companies or foreign companies.

How many drone sightings were there?

Mayors present at Wednesday’s briefing told NBC News that no one from state or federal authorities could confirm exactly how many drones had been spotted over New Jersey.

One said they knew of “at least 400 sightings,” while another said “it could be thousands.”

In a Wednesday segment from a broadcast on radio station WBGO, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said there could be “over-reporting” of sightings, with many residents potentially seeing the same device or mistaking other flying objects for drones.

A senior official briefed on the drone sightings in New Jersey said there were 79 reports of drone sightings in the state overnight from Thursday to Friday.

Several New Jersey officials said drone sightings occur up to 180 times per night.

What did the officials say?

Numerous officials, including the FBI, said the drones did not appear to pose a threat but were unable to provide further information. The FBI is the lead agency investigating the matter.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the drones earlier this week.

In a statement to NBC News, the U.S. Secret Service confirmed that it “currently has no unmanned aerial systems operating in or around New Jersey or New York.”

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a new drone-specific website designed to answer frequently asked questions about flying objects.

A common denominator among lawmakers is that no one really knows what’s going on.

Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said in a post that they pose no threat.

Lawmakers also expressed frustration with the lack of information from federal officials and called for timely answers.

“This response is completely unacceptable,” Hogan continued. “I join the growing cross-party chorus of world leaders demanding that the federal government address this issue immediately.”

Murphy, the New Jersey governor, wrote letters to Biden, Senators Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, Representative Mike Johnson and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, urging Congress to take action.

Murphy said he wants to “encourage Congress to pass legislation authorizing state and local law enforcement agencies to use advanced detection and mitigation technologies to deal with UAS.”

What happens if a drone is over your house?

Drones must be controlled by a pilot so that they do not pose a threat to people or their property, according to the FAA’s drone website. They recommend contacting local law enforcement if you believe someone is flying a drone in an unsafe manner.

But you definitely shouldn’t try to shoot them down, experts told NBC News, despite some lawmakers suggesting it.

Experts said shooting down drones was illegal and could cause serious injuries. The FAA classifies drones as aircraft, and under the Aircraft Sabotage Act, damaging or destroying aircraft is a federal crime – even if it’s flying over private property.

“A private citizen’s shooting at any aircraft, including unmanned aircraft, poses a significant safety risk. An unmanned aircraft hit by gunfire could crash, causing damage to persons or property on the ground, or collide with other objects in the air.” said the FAA.

It could also spark fires, according to Pramod Abichandani, an associate professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and director of the school’s Advanced Air Mobility Lab.

“For the most part, a drone has a lithium battery,” Abichandani said. “If you shoot it, assuming you aim it correctly and actually hit the drone, the drone will crash somewhere. The lithium battery can explode, cause a fire and of course cause property damage.”

Abichandani also pointed out the danger of shooting into the night sky.

“God forbid the stray bullet lands somewhere and hits someone,” he said.