I can definitely help—but I’ll need to actually see the photo to give you a solid identification.Right now, I can only give general possibilities based on similar situations.
What it’s most likely to be (based on common cases)
When someone spots something unusual in the sky a few miles away, it’s usually one of these:
1. Weather balloon or high-altitude balloon
- Can look strange, shiny, or even disk-shaped
- Often appears stationary or slow-moving
- Very commonly mistaken for “UFOs” (EarthSky)
2. Drone
- Can appear unusual depending on angle
- May look like a floating object or odd shape
- Common near residential areas
3. Aircraft (seen from a weird angle)
- Planes can look very different at distance
- Sunlight reflection can distort shape
4. Optical illusion / camera artifact
- Zoom + distance can distort shapes
- Lens flare or motion blur can create odd objects
5. Birds or kites
- At distance, shapes can look completely unfamiliar
- Movement may seem unnatural
Important reality check
Most “mysterious objects” in the sky turn out to be:
- Balloons
- Aircraft
- Satellites
- Light effects
Studies show the majority of UFO sightings are misidentified ordinary objects (Wikipedia)
Why it looks weird at 13 miles away
- Your brain can’t judge distance well in the sky
- Small objects far away can look large and unusual
- Camera zoom exaggerates shapes and edges (Notesread)
What I need from you
Upload the photo here and I’ll:
- Analyze the shape
- Look at lighting, shadows, and motion clues
- Give you a much more precise explanation
Without seeing it, any answer would just be guessing—but with the image, I can usually narrow it down very quickly.