Lightning
© NjerzWinslet believes this photo is of a similar lightning event.
A New Jersey UFO case is now closed - with a final report from Field Investigator Kristen Ann Winslet, according to a report Winslet recently released.

The original report of a UFO was filed with MUFON on Feb. 14, 2009, and includes the following description. This witness statement is unedited.

"At approximately 7:30pm while sitting on my front porch I witnessed the most beautiful color appear in a southern sky. It covered the width of three streets and was roughly rectangular in shape and coverage of the sky. It was a bright turquoise in its center with darker vivid blue and green at its edges and lasted for approx. 2 seconds. There was a plane approaching at the time which veered off to the left of this illuminated area of sky. I thought I was seeing things, called to my son and waited for a reappearance which did not occur. I then googled what I had witnessed and found similar stories of recent sightings. It was truly breathtaking, I hope an explanation can be provided for what I was lucky enough to have witnessed."

Winslet reports a Summary Description of the UFO as "Brilliant bright turquoise blue flash in a foggy, damp, low visibility sky. Overhead in Newark, NJ."

There was a single witness, with the following UFO description: "Bright blue flash the width of three streets and was roughly rectangular in shape and coverage of the sky. It was a bright turquoise in its center with darker vivid blue and green at its edges and lasted for approx. 2 seconds."

Winslet entertained two theories. First, that this was an IFO or Identified Flying Object, a natural phenomena, specifically lightning. "The possibility that the witnesses may have seen lightning in the skies is very plausible. The NOAA had documented that the sky was overcast with temperatures in the low to mid 40's F. the possibility of lightning was included in the forecast by weather services in the area."

The second theory is that the sighting is an Unknown - Other - of UFO. "The possibility that the witnesses may have seen an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) in the skies cannot be substantiated. As no other reports of such an event have been reported in the area as is reported here, this theory can be discounted. As this was a very populated area, additional sightings would have been reported and thus this theory can not be corroborated by other witnesses."

Winslet's conclusion: "As no other witness(s) to this specific event has been identified and no other possible explanation to this event can be made by this witness or by this investigator based upon the theories provided, I believe that the evidence afforded by the witness is conclusive. The theory that the 'Flash' sighted by the witness was Lightning is quite plausible.

"As a result of this analysis and evaluation of all the evidence provided, I believe that this case file # US-NJ-2009.02.14 baring the introduction of any further substantiating evidence can be considered closed as 'IFO - Natural Phenomenon' in the MUFON Case Management System."