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On Sunday night, people living between Singleton, Cessnock, and East Maitland, just northwest of Newcastle, witnessed an intriguing phenomenon in the sky.
One by one, mysterious lights appeared overhead, lingering for a time before eventually fading away.
The spectacle spurred a flurry of speculation among locals, with theories ranging from extraterrestrial visitors to government-operated drones.
“Time to pack up and head for the hills,” one social media user humorously suggested.
Another person pondered, “I wonder if this is why they recently introduced that nationwide alert system for our phones.”
“Not sure if I should report it,” a third added.
Hunter MP Dan Repacholi has set the record straight and said the lights were part of a “totally normal” military exercise at the Singleton base.
“Look, I hate to disappoint but it wasn’t ET popping into the Hunter for a cheeky wine tour,” he said.
“What people were seeing were military illumination flares used during nighttime training exercises at the Singleton Base.
“They’re dropped from aircraft with a small parachute attached and burn really bright for a few minutes while slowly drifting down.
“Because of the low cloud cover, the light reflects back down and makes them look like glowing orange orbs just hanging there in the sky.”
The Australian Defence Force previously announced it would be conducting ground and air training exercises at the Singleton base between the hours of 8am and 11pm, starting last Wednesday February 25.
The exercises are expected to continue until December 15.
“Members of the public should not be alarmed if they hear increased activity in the area during these periods,” defence said.
“This essential training is vital to maintain Australia’s military capability.”
The Singleton base, which covers 14,000 hectares, includes the Lone Pine Barracks and the Training Area.
It is a key army training facility where all infantry soldiers undertake their initial training and is one of the country’s major live-fire and tactical training ranges.
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