Within Reflections
How to Test a UFO Reflection
A few practical checks can reveal whether a photographed light belongs outside the glass or inside the reflection path.
On this page
- Geometry clues from camera movement and viewing angle
- Lighting clues from duplicates, glare and brightness
- What independent evidence would make reflection less likely
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Introduction
When a UFO photograph or video is taken through a window, windscreen or aircraft canopy, one of the quickest questions is whether the apparent object is actually outside the glass. Reflection testing is valuable because reflected lights can look remarkably convincing on camera. A nearby lamp, dashboard display, phone screen or cabin light can appear suspended in the sky, yet careful checks of geometry, movement and lighting often reveal that the light belongs to the reflection path rather than the outside scene.
The goal is not to dismiss a sighting automatically. It is to determine whether the recorded light behaves like an object in the external world or like an image tied to the glass and camera position. A small number of practical tests can often make that distinction.
Geometry Clues from Camera Movement and Viewing Angle
The strongest reflection tests rely on geometry rather than appearance.
A genuine distant object remains fixed within the outside scene when the observer shifts position slightly. A reflection, by contrast, is linked to the glass surface and viewing angle. If the camera moves left, right, up or down and the apparent UFO shifts relative to distant clouds, stars, buildings or the horizon, reflection becomes a strong possibility.
In video, this can be particularly revealing. Reflections often appear to “follow” the camera. The object may seem stationary at first, but frame-by-frame review shows that it drifts in ways that match camera movement rather than the motion of the outside environment. Research on reflection separation in video relies heavily on these differing motion cues because reflected and transmitted scenes often move differently across successive frames. [arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv User-assisted Video Reflection RemovalarXivUser-assisted Video Reflection RemovalSeptember 7, 2020…
Several practical checks are useful
Parallax check: Compare the object’s position against distant features while the camera changes position. Reflections tend to slide relative to the background.
Window-edge check: If the object approaches or leaves the frame when the camera angle changes but the outside scene remains largely unchanged, it may be tied to the glass.
Open-window test: If circumstances allow, opening the window or moving outside should eliminate a reflection instantly while leaving a real external light visible.
Multiple-viewpoint check: Images taken from different positions often relocate a reflection but preserve the position of a genuine distant object.
Another clue is the appearance of slight duplicate images. Ordinary glass reflects from both its front and rear surfaces. This can produce a faint secondary image offset from the primary one, creating a characteristic “ghost” effect. Optical studies of window reflections show that even a single pane can generate shifted double reflections from its two surfaces. [MIT CSAIL People]people.csail.mit.eduFor single-pane windows,MIT CSAIL PeopleReflection Removal using Ghosting Cues - People | MIT CSAILApril 13, 2015 — In double-pane windows, each pane reflects sh…
Lighting Clues from Duplicates, Glare and Brightness
Lighting behaviour often reveals the source of an apparent UFO.
Look for Double Images and Ghosting
A reflected indoor light may appear as two closely spaced copies rather than a single point. This happens because glass commonly produces multiple reflections from separate surfaces. In photography and optical engineering, such duplicate reflections are known as ghost images. [MIT CSAIL People]people.csail.mit.eduFor single-pane windows,MIT CSAIL PeopleReflection Removal using Ghosting Cues - People | MIT CSAILApril 13, 2015 — In double-pane windows, each pane reflects sh… [Lenspire]lenspire.zeiss.comtaking care of the unwanted lightcare of the unwanted light2 Jul 2020 — A ghost is a reflection between two optical surfaces. It's seen as a double image. You can reduce…
In UFO imagery, ghosting may appear as:
Two nearby lights with identical shape.
A bright object accompanied by a fainter twin.
A duplicated pattern that remains consistent across frames.
Perfect duplication is often more consistent with optics than with two independent airborne objects.
Compare Brightness with the Scene
Reflections can appear surprisingly bright compared with the sky around them. This happens because the reflected source may be only centimetres or metres from the camera while the background landscape is much darker.
Questions worth asking include
Is the light brighter than nearby aircraft, stars or streetlights?
Does it retain the same brightness despite major changes in the outside scene?
Does it remain crisp when distant atmospheric lights appear blurred?
An unusually clean and intense light against a dark sky can be a warning sign that the source is nearby and reflected rather than distant.
Check for Matching Indoor Sources
Many reflection cases become obvious when investigators search the environment behind the camera.
Common matches include:
Dashboard instruments.
Phone screens.
Aircraft cabin lights.
Ceiling lamps.
Illuminated buttons and displays.
Decorative lighting inside buildings.
A useful test is to identify whether the UFO’s shape matches a known light source. Circular lamps often produce circular UFOs. Rows of LEDs can produce rows of apparent lights. In some documented photography examples, ordinary household lighting has produced images that strongly resemble classic UFO photographs.
Watch for Changes When Interior Lighting Changes
Reflections depend on the brightness balance between the two sides of the glass.
If an apparent UFO weakens or disappears when an interior light is switched off, a screen is dimmed, or the camera is pressed closer to the glass, the reflection explanation gains strength. Photographers routinely use these techniques to reduce unwanted window reflections. [Digital Photography School]digital-photography-school.comDigital Photography School How to Prevent Reflections When Photographing ThroughUse a polarizing filter. A circular polarizer is generally used by landscape photographers to reduce reflections in water and waxy leaves…
What Independent Evidence Would Make Reflection Less Likely?
Reflection testing is not merely about finding reasons to reject an image. It is also about identifying evidence that points away from a reflection explanation.
Several forms of independent evidence weaken the reflection hypothesis.
Confirmation from Multiple Cameras
If cameras in different locations record the same object in the same position relative to the sky, reflection becomes much less likely. A reflection is tied to a particular viewing geometry and generally cannot reproduce itself consistently across independent viewpoints.
External Witnesses
Witnesses standing outside the vehicle or building provide an important cross-check. If observers not looking through the same glass report the same object at the same time, the reflection explanation loses force.
Consistent Position Against the Environment
An object that remains correctly aligned with clouds, terrain, stars or other external reference points despite camera movement behaves more like a real external target than a reflection.
Independent Instrumental Records
Radar tracks, astronomical observations, air traffic records or additional sensor data do not automatically prove an unusual object is present, but they can reduce reliance on a single potentially misleading image. Reflection explanations are strongest when the photograph or video is the only evidence available.
A Practical Reflection-Test Sequence
When assessing a UFO photograph or video taken through glass, a useful order of checks is:
Determine whether the image was recorded through a window, windscreen or canopy.
Compare object movement with camera movement.
Look for duplicated or ghosted copies of the light.
Search for matching interior light sources.
Examine whether brightness and sharpness fit the outdoor scene.
Check whether the object disappears when the viewing angle changes.
Look for independent witnesses, cameras or sensors.
In many cases, no single clue is decisive. However, when several of these indicators appear together—camera-linked motion, duplicate images, matching interior lighting and disappearance with angle changes—the evidence often points to a reflection rather than an object physically present in the sky. Optical reflections are real recorded light paths, but careful testing helps determine whether the apparent UFO exists outside the glass or only within the image created by it.
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Further Reading
Books and field guides related to How to Test a UFO Reflection. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
The UFO Experience
Encourages systematic evaluation of sightings and evidence rather than relying on first impressions.
Why People Believe Weird Things
Explores perception, evidence evaluation, and mistaken conclusions, all relevant to assessing reflection-based UFO photographs.
Camera Clues
Directly relevant to testing whether unusual images result from reflections, optical effects, or genuine external subjects.
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Endnotes
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Source: arxiv.org
Title: arXiv User-assisted Video Reflection Removal
Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.03281Source snippet
arXivUser-assisted Video Reflection RemovalSeptember 7, 2020...
Published: September 7, 2020
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Source: arxiv.org
Title: arXiv Separating Reflection and Transmission Images in the Wild
Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.02099 -
Source: people.csail.mit.edu
Title: For single-pane windows,
Link: https://people.csail.mit.edu/yichangshih/mywebsite/reflection.pdfSource snippet
MIT CSAIL PeopleReflection Removal using Ghosting Cues - People | MIT CSAILApril 13, 2015 — In double-pane windows, each pane reflects sh...
Published: April 13, 2015
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pennsylvaniaphotos/posts/3618927958377580/Source snippet
FacebookCreative UFO Illusion Photography from Living Room...I took this picture from my living room window and I had the kitchen light...
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Source: digital-photography-school.com
Title: Digital Photography School How to Prevent Reflections When Photographing Through
Link: https://digital-photography-school.com/tips-for-minimizing-reflections-when-photographing-through-windows/Source snippet
Use a polarizing filter. A circular polarizer is generally used by landscape photographers to reduce reflections in water and waxy leaves...
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Source: arizona.openrepository.com
Title: azu etd 10622 sip1 m
Link: https://arizona.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10150/195492/azu_etd_10622_sip1_m.pdf?sequence=1 -
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/462980690536435/posts/491484194352751/Source snippet
Window reflection photography techniquesA black and white photograph of a window with reflections feels both serene and evocative, blendi...
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Source: lenspire.zeiss.com
Title: taking care of the unwanted light
Link: https://lenspire.zeiss.com/cine/en/article/taking-care-of-the-unwanted-lightSource snippet
care of the unwanted light2 Jul 2020 — A ghost is a reflection between two optical surfaces. It's seen as a double image. You can reduce...
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Source: lenspire.zeiss.com
Title: technical article about the reduction of reflections for camera lenses
Link: https://lenspire.zeiss.com/photo/app/uploads/2022/02/technical-article-about-the-reduction-of-reflections-for-camera-lenses.pdfSource snippet
the reduction of reflections for camera lenses How TReflection at the air-glass interface may be reduced by destructive interference, whe...
Additional References
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Source: avantierinc.com
Link: https://avantierinc.com/resources/technical-article/ar-bbar-coatings/Source snippet
AR Coatings and BBAR CoatingsAR Coating, including BBAR Coating, optimizes light transmission across a wide wavelength [range]({{ 'range/' | relative_url }}) by minimizin...
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Source: ephotonics.com
Link: https://ephotonics.com/calculators/fresnel-reflection/Source snippet
Fresnel Reflection CalculatorPower Loss: Up to 4% is lost at every single glass/air surface. Ghost Images: Reflections cause flare and ar...
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Source: rp-photonics.com
Link: https://www.rp-photonics.com/fresnel_reflections.htmlSource snippet
Fresnel Reflections – impedance matching, suppression...Fresnel reflections occur at material interfaces due to impedance mismatch, wit...
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Source: adobe.com
Link: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/type/reflection-photography.htmlSource snippet
Reflection photography: A beginner's guideTry reflection photography to find unique perspectives. From bodies of water to mirrors, reflec...
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Source: imatest.com
Link: https://www.imatest.com/docs/veilingglare/Source snippet
Veiling GlareVeiling glare is measured by photographing one or more perfectly black regions inside a uniform white field that extends wel...
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Source: photo.stackexchange.com
Title: why do these reflections appear in some photos and how can i stop it from happen
Link: https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/92660/why-do-these-reflections-appear-in-some-photos-and-how-can-i-stop-it-from-happenSource snippet
do these reflections appear in some photos and how...14 Sept 2017 — This question already has answers here: What could cause this visibl...
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Source: dpreview.com
Title: mit algorithm aims to eradicate reflections from photos taken through windows
Link: https://www.dpreview.com/articles/2914705706/mit-algorithm-aims-to-eradicate-reflections-from-photos-taken-through-windowsSource snippet
MIT algorithm aims to eradicate reflections from photos...14 May 2015 — Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology claim t...
Published: May 2015
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Source: cloudynights.com
Title: The window has BBAR coating on both surfaces. I’ve read that such coatings
Link: https://www.cloudynights.com/forums/topic/902763-tilt-optical-window-to-eliminate-ghost-reflections-how-much/Source snippet
Tilt optical window to eliminate ghost reflections; how much?9 Dec 2023 — Dimensional constraints limit tilt angle to about 1.5 degrees...
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Source: physics.stackexchange.com
Title: reflection on glass angle of incidence and ghost image
Link: https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/599528/reflection-on-glass-angle-of-incidence-and-ghost-imageSource snippet
on glass, angle of incidence and ghost imageDec 9, 2020 — As I rotate the glass and increase the angle of incidence there appears to be a...
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Source: researchgate.net
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Fresnel-reflection-at-glass-to-absorbing-medium-interface-for-three-k-values_fig3_243574131Source snippet
ing analyte-containing medium by means of the evanescent wave at the fiber boundary...
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