Mysterious Drones Fill The Skies Over Philly Area Thursday Night

SOUTHEASTERN PA — Drones were spotted throughout the greater Philadelphia area on Thursday night, perhaps the most widespread night yet of the unexplained sightings of aerial objects in the local area.

While sightings have been going on for weeks in New Jersey, there had only been scattered and intermittent reports around Philadelphia and the five county suburban area until Thursday night.

Related: Unexplained Drone Sightings Reach Philly Area

On social media, residents reported sightings in Pottstown, Lower Providence, Kimberton, Audubon, parts of Phoenixville, the Lehigh Valley, across Bucks County, and elsewhere.

"We don't live near an airport," one Pottstown resident shared on X. "We never see this many airplanes. And they're too low and slow and too close together to be airplanes. What the hell is going on? It feels like an invasion."

The drones — so named for lack of a better word, though they truly are unidentified flying objects — come in multiple sizes, but some are as large as SUVs, residents report. Many have blinking, multi-colored lights. They look similar to drones, and some of them may be drones, but that has never been definitively confirmed.

While skeptics have been quick to point out they could be planes, many of the drones appear to be stationary for long periods of time, and they also appear together in large groups, with one resident reporting up to 15 spotted together at one time in Lehigh Valley Thursday.

State and federal leaders called for a full investigation into the sightings.

"Today, I sent an urgent letter to the DHS, FBI, and FAA calling for immediate answers and decisive action regarding the increasing reports of unexplained drone activity," U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick said in a statement. "The safety and security of our community, our neighbors, and our nation depend on transparency and accountability from our federal agencies who have a responsibility to keep us safe."

An FBI investigation is already ongoing into the sightings in New Jersey.

Conspiracy theories have run rampant in recent days, ranging from foreign government spies and American government experiments to extraterrestrial technology.

Authorities urge all suspicious drone activity to be reported immediately to the FBI 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or http://tips.fbi.gov.