Balloon-like object in Japanese sky sets Twitter afire with talk of UFOs, Godzilla

A balloon-like white object in the sky is pictured in Sendai, Japan in this photo taken by Kyodo on June 17, 2020. — Kyodo/Reuters

TOKYO: The appearance of a mysterious white object in the sky over northern Japan on Wednesday set social media ablaze, with speculation ranging from UFOs to coronavirus and North Korean propaganda.

Television footage taken in the northeastern city of Sendai showed a balloon-like object above a cross, on which propellers seemed to be turning. Officials in the Sendai Weather Bureau said it had appeared near dawn and hung in the sky for hours, largely unmoving, until obscured by clouds.