Mystery object spotted over Wigan could be a spacecraft

Amateur astronomer Mike Johnston contacted Wigan Today to suggest the rugby ball-shaped UFO with a light on spotted over Newtown by Margaret Kay could be the Lightsail 2 spacecraft.

Related: Mystery object spotted in the sky baffles Wigan residentThe craft is one of two which form a project to demonstrate controlled solar sailing within low Earth orbit.

Mr Johnston, from Coppull, said the shape of Lightsail 2 will appear to change depending on the angle it is viewed from as it passes around the planet.

This tallies with Mrs Kay’s perception that it seemed to alter in size as she looked at it above Scot Lane and Laithwaite Road.