‘UFO’ spotted over Taipei was a weather balloon: astronomer

A mysterious white orb in the sky left many Taipei locals confounded on Monday. The internet was buzzing with chatter about the sighting. Some wondered if it was a planet or even a UFO. But the Taipei Astronomical Museum says the reality is probably much more mundane. Lee Chin Taipei Astronomical Museum research assistant Many people called in to the astronomical museum to ask about the object. After some observation with a telescope, we realized it was just a balloon. If it were a celestial body, its movements would be still – it would be fixed in the sky. They usually don’t move around. But this balloon was drifting slowly. The museum says the object was likely a weather balloon launched to diagnose conditions at high altitudes. But the mystery isn’t all solved yet. The Central Weather Bureau says that, judging by the time and location of the sighting, this was not a balloon it released.