‘From a Different Universe’: A Spiky Bright Object Over New Jersey

What happened

On 11 October 2026, the Mexican UFO promoter Jaime Maussan posted a clip on X. In Spanish, he wrote that “the wave of objects of unknown origin in the state of New Jersey continues,” and asked: “And they still say they’re drones?” The paranormal YouTuber Caspersight then reviewed the footage in an episode. On 16 October, IBTimes UK reported his reaction: “This thing is just like something from a different bloody universe.” IBTimes added that “the video’s exact recording date, origin and authenticity remain unverified.”

The footage

The clip was posted by @jaimemaussan1 on X on 11 October 2026 (14:50 UTC, decoded from the post ID). Its length and original camera source are not stated in the cited sources, and the sources give no timestamps. IBTimes UK describes “an exceptionally bright aerial object that initially resembles an aircraft,” with a “spike-like” feature. A person heard in the footage “suggests the object resembles a plane but appears abnormally bright.” IBTimes notes the footage “does not establish whether the apparent protrusion belongs to the object itself or results from the camera’s viewing angle.”

Timeline

• 2023: The FAA’s night-operations rule for drones takes effect, which Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas later cited as a possible cause of the rise in sightings (NYT).
• November–December 2024: New Jersey drone flap.
• 12 December 2024: The FBI and DHS report “no evidence” of a threat or foreign nexus.
• 16 December 2024: A DHS, FBI, FAA and DoD joint statement (the FAA page is dated 17 December).
• 11 October 2026: Maussan posts the clip.
• 16 October 2026: IBTimes UK covers it, quoting Caspersight.

What witnesses reported

No original camera operator is identified. Caspersight’s remarks, all via IBTimes UK: “It’s got a little spike coming out of this plane, but it just looks incredibly bright.” Relaying unnamed contacts, he said: “They were saying that these drones were morphing into different shapes.” And recounting witnesses’ reactions: “You don’t have to tell me what a plane looks like, right? And this ain’t no plane.” IBTimes says he “acknowledged that perspective might explain some of its strange characteristics.”

What the research found

The 2024 federal findings. The joint statement said the FBI had “more than 5,000 reported drone sightings” with about 100 leads. It concluded: “we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.” The agencies added that nothing anomalous had been identified. The FBI and DHS had earlier noted that “upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully.”