A bunch of the “drones” are just distant aircraft that appear ro be moving slowly like a drone might because of the distance. Called out a couple that were super-obvious with features like landing lights, anticollision lights, beacon, etc. all in the correct places for an airplane and not a drone. Promptly got blocked by the person I replied to.

They want their conspiracies and mysteries for clicks, they’re also posting fakes deliberately.

Given that the former Governor of Maryland mistook the constellation Orion for a drone, I’m going with mass hysteria as my theory of choice.

The Copycat Theory certainly accounts for a portion of the sightings. Anybody that doesn’t think there are a lot of people with drones that would go flying them during this just to mess with their neighbors is a fool.

Mass hysteria also certainly accounts for more of the sightings. You only need 1 out of every 600 people to see an airplane/satellite/bright star and think they’re seeing a mysterious object to have over half a million Americans saying they’ve seen one. I’ve personally known several people in my life that would easily fall into this camp. Need I remind anyone about rainbow sprinkler lady?

As for what got this all started or any current sightings (if there are any, anymore) that don’t fall into the above categories? 🤷

As someone from the area: It’s airplanes. If you map out all the sightings, the biggest concentrations are people who live by/underneath approaches to Philadelphia Airport and Newark Airport. And anything thats not a plane or a hobbyist drone is probably Boeing testing the military helicopters they build just across the river, or Dragonfly Pictures testing their military cargo drones next to that.