On November 13, 2025, three witnesses at Derby Park in New Bern, North Carolina captured what may be one of the clearest photographs of a black triangle UFO in recent years. The mysterious craft, displaying the classic triangular configuration with lights at each corner, appeared at 9:29 PM and vanished within seconds, leaving the witnesses both amazed and unsettled.
The sighting was officially documented in the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) database as case #194088, joining thousands of similar black triangle reports that have puzzled researchers for decades.
The Derby Park Encounter
Reddit user MaxwellLogan_ posted the remarkable photograph to r/UFOs, describing it as “one of the best black triangle’s I’ve seen captured.” The image shows three distinct lights forming a perfect triangle against the night sky, with the craft positioned at approximately 45 degrees elevation above the park.
According to the NUFORC report, the three witnesses observed “a triangle in the sky and it took off in the matter of two to three seconds off into the sky and disappeared.”
The official description provides additional details: “Triangle with three lights one on each corner spotted in Derby Park New Bern, NC. Appeared for 3 seconds and took off into the sky.”
What makes this sighting particularly intriguing is the photograph itself. Despite the brief duration of the encounter, one of the witnesses managed to capture a clear image showing the craft’s distinctive light configuration. User GeneralBurg expressed the same question many had: “You got a photo in 3 seconds?”
The Mystery of the Photo
The timing raises interesting questions. If the object appeared for only two to three seconds before accelerating away, how did the witness capture the photograph? User ParadoxDC commented, “Would love clarification from OP about this.”
This detail actually lends credibility to the sighting. If someone were fabricating a UFO report, they likely wouldn’t include such a short timeframe that immediately prompts questions about the photograph’s authenticity. The witnesses may have already had their phones ready, or the object may have been visible for slightly longer than initially estimated in the excitement of the moment.
User eNaRDe noted another curious detail: “Second pic you can see the bubble around it.” This observation suggests possible atmospheric distortion or an energy field surrounding the craft, a characteristic occasionally reported in other UFO encounters.
Black Triangles: A Persistent Phenomenon
Black triangle UFOs are described as having a triangular shape and dark color, typically observed at night, characterized as large, silent, hovering, and displaying pulsating colored lights.
The phenomenon gained significant attention during the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, with triangular UFO reports coming from across the U.S. and beyond, including sightings over Connecticut, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas, London, Madrid and Czechoslovakia.
Before the 1980s, triangular UFOs were relatively rare, with the classic “flying saucer” dominating UFO reports. Today, triangular objects account for roughly 25% of all UFO sightings reported to major databases, representing one of the most significant shifts in reported UFO characteristics over the past four decades.
UFO researcher David Marler has reviewed more than 17,000 case files involving unidentified triangular craft, making black triangles one of the most commonly reported and well-documented types of unidentified aerial phenomena.
The Abduction Question
One unsettling detail in the NUFORC report caught many readers’ attention: the case characteristics include “Possible abduction.” Reddit user usernam45 asked directly: “Possible abduction? Can you elaborate?”
As of this writing, the original poster has not provided clarification on this intriguing notation. The NUFORC form includes “Possible abduction” as one of several characteristic options witnesses can select when filing reports, but it’s unclear whether this was checked intentionally or by mistake.
The lack of follow-up regarding this detail leaves one of the case’s most provocative aspects unexplained.
Military Connection?
User Ok-Car1006 raised a relevant question: “Military bases nearby or nuclear sites?”
New Bern’s location in coastal North Carolina places it relatively close to several military installations, including Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point approximately 20 miles away and Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach roughly 200 miles north. Former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence Chris Mellon noted that “there have been many instances in which these vehicles have been observed over bases operated by the Strategic Air Command.”
Some researchers speculate that black triangles might be classified military aircraft. A geographic analysis by the National Institute for Discovery Science suggested that black triangles might be U.S. Air Force craft, particularly experimental vehicles being tested near military installations.
However, if the New Bern sighting represents military technology, several questions remain unanswered. Why would such advanced craft be openly displayed over a public park? Why would it accelerate away so dramatically after only three seconds? And most puzzling, what technology could enable such rapid acceleration from a hovering position?
Conventional Explanations
Several Reddit commenters offered prosaic explanations for the sighting. The most common suggestion was that the witnesses had photographed conventional aircraft, a satellite, or even a balloon.
User Bong-Hits-For-Jesus, however, disagreed with these standard explanations: “wow definitely cant say thats one of the usual suspects plane, satellite, balloon, or flare. excellent shot.”
The photograph does show an unusual configuration. Commercial aircraft don’t typically display three lights in a perfect triangle, and the object’s reported behavior—hovering silently before rapid acceleration—doesn’t match conventional aircraft performance.
Drones present another possibility, though a drone large enough to display three widely-spaced lights at a 45-degree elevation angle would need to be substantial. The witnesses reported the object “took off into the sky” rather than descending or moving laterally, which would be unusual flight behavior for consumer or even commercial drones.
North Carolina’s UFO History
North Carolina is the #10 state with the most UFO sightings, according to data from the National UFO Reporting Center, giving the state a rich history of unexplained aerial phenomena.
The National UFO Reporting Center, founded in 1974, has catalogued almost 170,000 reported UFO sightings over its history, most of which were in the United States. The organization maintains a 24/7 hotline for witnesses to report sightings and provides one of the most comprehensive databases of UFO reports available to researchers and the public.
User Snarkosaurus99 captured the mixture of curiosity and skepticism that characterizes the modern UFO discussion: “Black triangles? Alien abductions? Sightings in Derby Park New Bern?? Reddit UFO theorists say…….possibly.”
The Bigger Picture
Whether the New Bern black triangle represents classified military technology, a misidentified conventional object, or something truly anomalous, it adds to a growing body of triangular UFO reports that demand explanation.
The National Institute for Discovery Science study points out: “The United States is currently experiencing a wave of Flying Triangle sightings that may have intensified in the 1990s, especially towards the latter part of the 1990s. The wave continues.”
The study further notes that “The Flying Triangles are being openly deployed over and near population centers, including in the vicinity of major Interstate Highways,” suggesting that whatever these objects are, their operators don’t seem concerned about being observed.
What makes the Derby Park sighting particularly valuable is the photographic evidence. While brief and showing limited detail, the image provides a concrete data point that researchers can analyze alongside thousands of other reports describing similar characteristics.
The three witnesses experienced something unusual enough to report it to NUFORC and share their photograph online. Whether their encounter represents advanced human technology operating in the open or something more mysterious, it contributes to our understanding of one of the most consistent patterns in modern UFO reports.
You can view the original Reddit discussion and photograph here, and access the official NUFORC report here.
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