BOOM! and Lights Over Outer Banks, NC

Just had a conversation with an eye-witness who says he saw the lights first, then heard the boom about a minute later. I asked him a few questions. He says he was just north of Nags Head Pier, saw the lights out above the ocean, travelling toward the east (So, coming closer and moving slightly to the left side if standing facing the ocean directly.) This means they were NOT being blown toward the sea and were NOT released from the beach if they were lanterns.

When I asked if he thought these were Chinese Lanterns he replied

No absolutely something else there seemed to be no stars between the lanterns suggesting something opaque was present

Astounding!

I live in OBX, and just joined this site to take part in the conversation. We heard two booms, did not see any lights. We were in the back yard in KDH area at the time the booms occurred. Heard about the lights being seen this morning on the radio. Googling about the lights brought me to this forum.
At the time of the booms, the wind was calm. Also, it was NOT dark outside yet. It was more twilightish. We had just left the beach and I was considering going over to the sound side to take sunset pics. That's another thing that has me stumped about the reports of lights. IF they were chinese lanterns, and it wasn't dark yet, they would not be visible for very far. If the lights were moving to the east that would be moving further out over the ocean making them even less visible. So, I'm not certain how visible chinese lanterns would be from Roanoke Island at this time of early evening. I also would be interested to know where on Roanoke / Manteo the pic was taken and with what equipment.
The booms were not like the normal "window rattler" sonic booms we so often hear in this area. These booms were the type that made us stop and take note if there were going to be sirens following. They were around 5 - 8 seconds apart.
I guess since it's all been dismissed as chinese lanterns and navy exercise, that's all we'll hear about this event. I will however be very sure to try and take pics when I hear booms from now on.

a reply to: Aldakoopa

Gee, lanterns in the sky and we are a few weeks past the 4th of July...


Hmm....

originally posted by: Aldakoopa
He says he was just north of Nags Head Pier, saw the lights out above the ocean, travelling toward the east (So, coming closer and moving slightly to the left side if standing facing the ocean directly.) This means they were NOT being blown toward the sea and were NOT released from the beach if they were lanterns.

Winds at midnite that night were light (3 to 6mph)and from the SSW...which would mean they were blowing out to sea.

Intellilink weather info for Nags Head, NC

originally posted by: CarolinaGrl
I live in OBX, and just joined this site to take part in the conversation. We heard two booms, did not see any lights. We were in the back yard in KDH area at the time the booms occurred. Heard about the lights being seen this morning on the radio. Googling about the lights brought me to this forum.
At the time of the booms, the wind was calm. Also, it was NOT dark outside yet. It was more twilightish. We had just left the beach and I was considering going over to the sound side to take sunset pics. That's another thing that has me stumped about the reports of lights. IF they were chinese lanterns, and it wasn't dark yet, they would not be visible for very far. If the lights were moving to the east that would be moving further out over the ocean making them even less visible. So, I'm not certain how visible chinese lanterns would be from Roanoke Island at this time of early evening. I also would be interested to know where on Roanoke / Manteo the pic was taken and with what equipment.
The booms were not like the normal "window rattler" sonic booms we so often hear in this area. These booms were the type that made us stop and take note if there were going to be sirens following. They were around 5 - 8 seconds apart.
I guess since it's all been dismissed as chinese lanterns and navy exercise, that's all we'll hear about this event. I will however be very sure to try and take pics when I hear booms from now on.

About what time did you hear the booms? The man I questioned last night claimed he heard it around 9:15 to 9:30.

You're right about them travelling east (out to sea). I got my east and west mixed up.

originally posted by: gavron

originally posted by: Aldakoopa
He says he was just north of Nags Head Pier, saw the lights out above the ocean, travelling toward the east (So, coming closer and moving slightly to the left side if standing facing the ocean directly.) This means they were NOT being blown toward the sea and were NOT released from the beach if they were lanterns.

Winds at midnite that night were light (3 to 6mph)and from the SSW...which would mean they were blowing out to sea.

Intellilink weather info for Nags Head, NC

On the night it occurred winds were ESE.

www.weather.com...:1:US?startdate=20140722

EDIT: I can't seem to get the link working. The date was the 22nd.

originally posted by: coastlinekid
a reply to: Aldakoopa

Gee, lanterns in the sky and we are a few weeks past the 4th of July...


Hmm....

Sure, if you consider launching Chinese lanterns instead of fireworks ~20 days after the 4th of July, then yes, it was.

Well traveling towards the east would mean it came from over the land. d reply to: Aldakoopa

Hi neighbor. I'm in Hampton right across the river. There have been reports of booms here. Last year there was a report. But you know you can't turn around here without walking onrdto a military installation of some sort. My favorite beach is on the land that was Fort Monroe. If the booms were from a military source it wouldn't surprise me. Also Chinese lanterns released over the beach are pretty common here too. a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

originally posted by: AutumnWitch657
Well traveling towards the east would mean it came from over the land. d reply to: Aldakoopa

I know now. Thanks for the correction though, it's too late to edit my post. I was tired and got way to exited after talking with a witness. What I'm looking for its someone to verify that they saw lanterns, especially it'd they actually witnessed them being launched or saw them drifting up from over the land.

So far, nobody has come forward to testify for that.

a reply to: Aldakoopa

Lots of beach weddings on hot summer nights in that area. It's a very popular site for beach weddings. So not so out of the ordinary.

Don't you hate when you can't edit a post? All is good. a reply to: Aldakoopa

I know. I've only lived in the area my whole life. A wedding would have a lot of people there that may have heard a boom and could admit to releasing lanterns though.

Well weren't there people who said they had released lanterns? Those pictures sure look like lanterns to me. Weren't they from this event? Still these booms have happened in the past and local news say they are of unknown origin. WAVY has a story in their archives. a reply to: Aldakoopa

a reply to: AutumnWitch657

The first mention of lanterns was from Source1 when they were still speculating on the cause of the lights. They have a picture from a man, who later heard someone else claim it was lanterns and then the article from Source 2 uses that hear- say as proof, all the while repeating the no ufo line.

So the photos are not from the event?a reply to: Aldakoopa

Years ago at Fort Story I was on the beach and everyone was looking at this silver object in the sky. It looked like a tire laying on its side sort of oval but flatter. A man next to me said it was a weather balloon. I'd never seen one so I was really interested. I watched it for a while then I turned to get a drink out of the cooler and when I looked back I could not find it. Later when I went home I looked up images of weather balloons and none of them even remotely resembled what we all saw. They were all that typical inverted teardrop shape that ordinary balloons have. ( with the exception of Mickey mouse in a glass house LOL)
To this day I have no idea what I saw. a reply to: Aldakoopa

a reply to: Aldakoopa

Your own link for July 22 between 6pm and 7pm (the time of the noise/sightings) shows the wind from the south to southwest at 1mph....not coming from the east at all.

Weather link with wind speed

originally posted by: gavron
a reply to: Aldakoopa

Your own link for July 22 between 6pm and 7pm (the time of the noise/sightings) shows the wind from the south to southwest at 1mph....not coming from the east at all.

Weather link with wind speed

It does... I could have sworn it said ENE when I looked this morning. Maybe I was looking at the wrong day or AM instead of PM. It makes sense for it to blow from the west at night anyway.

as I posted earlier the Science Channel had an episode about the booms and lights seen in North Carolina. here is a short video on the subject.