UFO Sighting Report / Reddit r/UFOs
Small reflective object filmed above North London as an aircraft passes
Two witnesses reported watching a small bright object over North London for about ten minutes and preserved a 22-second section of the original phone video.
What the video shows
The 22.14-second portrait video shows a small bright point against a blue daytime sky. The camera follows the point while a high-flying aircraft and its contrail pass through the wider scene near the end. The target changes brightness and shape by only a few pixels, and camera motion makes its independent path difficult to measure. No surface detail, propulsion, abrupt acceleration or departure is resolved.
Witness description
The verified reporter said his wife first noticed the object while they were sitting in their garden near Alexandra Palace in North London. They reportedly watched it travel in one general direction for about ten minutes, sometimes appearing to speed up or slow down, until it passed behind houses. The reporter allowed that it could have been a balloon after commenters raised that possibility.
Source and provenance
UFO Sighting Report 12644 links the submission to verified account u/Neilcooperdesign and preserves an untouched 10.5 MB camera file. The file records an Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, H.264 video, 3840 by 2160 source resolution, 23.99 frames per second and a capture timestamp of 2026-07-24 18:45:33 UTC. The form lists 7:00 p.m. BST, about 45 minutes earlier than the file timestamp. The local MP4 retains the full 22.14-second video and audio; the Reddit discussion is https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1v5ktvh/metallic_sphere_moved_straight_and_steady_high/.
Evidence notes
The verified account, original camera file and technical metadata provide stronger provenance than a re-upload alone. However, a single moving camera, a target only a few pixels wide, no calibrated direction or angular measurements and the form-to-file time discrepancy prevent reliable estimates of altitude, distance, speed or physical shape. A catalog check reported no bright satellite overhead, but that does not identify the object.
Possible explanations
A reflective balloon remains a leading explanation because the point appears to drift and vary in brightness, while a bird nearer the camera could also remain unresolved at this scale. The separate aircraft and contrail provide context but not a distance reference for the target. Camera shake, focus and compression can create apparent loops or speed changes, so the video does not establish anomalous flight.
Verification notes
The source page, verified submitter, original media, metadata, local video and source frame are documented and the full local file decodes correctly. The video confirms a small bright target was recorded, but it does not resolve what the target was; credibility is rated C.