NUFORC Sighting 179466

Occurred: 2023-11-19 16:07 Local
Reported: 2023-11-23 08:36 Pacific
Duration: 30 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Shamong, NJ, USA
Location details: In a rural area of southern New Jersey near the Wharton State Forest

Shape: Egg
Color: Silver/White
Estimated Size: Smaller than any other visible aircraft
Viewed From: Land
Direction from Viewer: ESE
Angle of Elevation: 50
Closest Distance: 25,000 feet
Estimated Speed: Much slower than a plane
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

Silver egg-shaped reflective object heading south at dusk at an usually slow speed for its altitude

At just after 4:00 on Sunday 11/19/23, I looked up because I heard a helicopter hovering around and something caught my eye at a much higher altitude beyond the helicopter. I saw a small silver metallic object moving in a southerly direction. It was hard to track with the naked eye due to the dusk lighting, it was shimmering inconsistently, and it appeared to be reflecting the sunlight much brighter than I have seen from any other object. I pulled out my iPhone, started a video, and pointed it in the direction of the object on full zoom not knowing if it could pick up the object. When replaying the video, I was surprised to see it showed up exactly how I saw it with my eyes. I held the phone as steady as I could (within 1/8”) and I do not have shaky hands. For the altitude of the object, it appeared to be moving unusually slow compared to the speed a plane would be traveling at that same altitude. I live in a rural area between Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and McGuire AFB where most plane traffic is at a visible altitude and traveling in a consistent flight path. This object was traveling from the northwest to southeast, which does not fit any air traffic I have seen before. It was also odd that the helicopter I witnessed at the lower altitude seemed to be hanging around with no defined flight path, unlike the Coast Guard, State Police, or news helicopters that fly straight over just west of my location. I am an engineer and I work for a defense contractor at a Navy test facility. I always look to the sky when I hear or see an aircraft and I have never seen anything like this before. I would like to submit an FOIA request for radar data for that day/time to see if there is any object appearing in that flight path at the time I observed.

Posted 2023-12-09