1-04-2025 4:18am

New Year's Lights Seen Locally Arouse Curiosity, Concern

Lesley Misko Editor

Image from Unsplash.

by Lesley Misko

Agents Mulder and Scully, the main characters in the old TV show “X-Files,” always told us, “The truth is out there.”

Area residents who looked to the sky New Year’s night weren’t so sure. Concerned comments flowed in locally-based Facebook groups and phone apps like “Next Door Neighbor.” Many sounded anxious. They all asked the same question: “What are those mysterious lights in the sky?”

“So, who else saw this string of lights at 6:25 approaching Boyertown from the south? They were moving and after about 40 seconds they began to disappear sequentially from the closest to the furthest and in another 20 seconds they were gone. Ideas??” asked James G. in a local Facebook group.

On Nextdoor.com, Geoff H. provided more detail:

“Did anyone see weird lights, just south of and over Bally, at around 6:15 tonight, as I was driving past Butter Valley Golf Course toward Bally, I saw in the sky to the left what looked like a really tall (I mean REALLY tall!!!) tower with lights going up it. I stopped by the Bally Post Office to check it out and the lights were now horizontal over Bally, then they were just gone! Initially the lights looked like they were going up the tower with sections unlit. I have no idea what it could have been! When it went horizontal there were less lights, and they may have been spaced a little further apart. I was going to take a picture but by the time I got out of the car with my phone they were gone! SMH (Scratching my head).”

Of course, social networking group members are always quick to provide answers. Several friends, neighbors, and self-declared experts claimed the mysterious lights were drones.

Walt G. disagreed. Also on Nextdoor.com, he offered “UFO’s.” “The Mothership from Iran,” contributed Chris F., while still others declined to speculate and just expressed their feelings with words like, “crazy” and “creepy.” “Starting of the meteor showers,” suggested Keith H.

If the majority is always right, it seems that we are safe from space aliens. Most of those who commented stated with confidence that the mysterious lights belong to “Starlink.” One helpful group member, Sheryl E., explained:

“Elon Musk invented a satellite internet for anyone but mostly people who have terrible service… think ships, remote cabins, etc. The light trains that are seen in the night sky are just some of the almost 7,000 satellites he has deployed to relay his Starlink network.”

Eventually the conjecture wrapped up, suggesting most were content with the answer, but undoubtedly, a few skeptics remain.