NUFORC Sighting 179109

Occurred: 2023-07-31 08:55 Local
Reported: 2023-10-25 02:41 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Szeged, Csongrád County, Hungary
Location details: Flood Memorial Statue (Árvízi Emlékmű), Huszár Mátyás rakpart 1.

Shape: Sphere

A red metallic sphere flew over me silently

It was a sunny morning and I just finished my usual run by the river Tisza, in Szeged, Hungary. As I approached the Flood Memorial (coordinates: 46°14'43"N 20°9'0"E), the square around the statue was quite empty, only cars were driving by. I checked my smart watch and saw: 8:55 AM. "Oh, no! - I thought. - I'm gonna be late from work!" This is when I looked straight up (I wonder why...?) - and noticed a red, metallic sphere flying above my head. It was about 10 meters high, to me it seemed like it was basketball-sized, but I can't be sure of its exact size because there was a neutral blue sky behind it.

The sphere gave out no sound. The shade of red was #ff0000. It had no visible motor, wings or emission. It was so close that I could see it's not a helium toy balloon, nor a real balloon. It seemed like a drone - except I've never seen a silent, dull metallic sphere drone with a homogenous surface. I saw no letters, camera or light source on it. I was so surprised! It sort of gilded with an even speed.

After a few seconds of trying to compute the sight in my head, it became apparent that this object is totally unknown to me. So I decided to take a photo of it. While I was struggling to find the camera app on my phone, it somehow flew high up in a matter of seconds as if it was camera-shy. By the time I aimed my phone at it, it was hiiiigh up, so it looks like a small dot in the photo. It continued its journey to the same west-to-east direction (the border of Ukraine is not far, I must add). I watched it as it crossed the river and became so tiny I couldn't see it anymore.

I have no clue what this was. I asked the local airport if they sent up a weather balloon maybe, but they replied: no, they didn't - they only asked for my photo documentation as a reference. I'm also sure it was not a child's toy, besides I was alone on the square. If it was a drone, I have no clue of its type. Somebody suggested that it might be a Pico balloon, but it was not plastic, nor shiny, and it's just not it.

What I find strange is that it came so close, then it went away so fast... as if it came to check me out - but who or what could/would do that? Finally, I must say: I always believed in extraterrestrial life but I never was into UAPs. Since then I'm very intrigued by the topic and I hope this wasn't my last sighting.

Posted 2023-10-28