According to a story on the evening news tonight, some local reported that he saw his neighbor sending up highway flares on balloons, thereby explaining the appearance and behavior of the mysterious lights. He did not reveal the culprit, although it appears this would be a crime, or at the very least, a violation of FAA safety regs concerning hazards to air navigation.

Of course, this guy could just be a hastily assembled cover story by sinister authorities to hide the real truth. Still, this is a good illustration of how this type of case usually plays out. Is it possible that this witness is lying as part of a conspiracy and that the lights are either alien spacecraft or secret government test flights of experimental planes? Sure. That hypothesis cannot be disproven.

But is it likely? From a distance, we simply have to make a decision based on what is most likely, and the flares on balloons gag is somehow easier to swallow than either the aliens or the spooks.