I can try to help—but I’ll need a bit more from you first.
Right now I don’t actually have the photo you’re talking about, so I can’t see the object yet. Can you upload it here (or describe it in detail)?
A few things that will help me identify it quickly:
- Was it in the sky, ground, or water?
- Did it look like a light, shape, cloud, structure, or something moving?
- What time of day was it taken (daylight, sunset, night)?
- Was it stationary or moving?
- Any color or unusual features?
Since you mentioned it was taken about 13 miles from your house, that distance is actually important—at that range, common explanations often include things like:
- aircraft or helicopter lights
- weather balloons or scientific balloons
- power plant / industrial flare stacks
- lenticular or unusual cloud formations
- drones (especially at dusk/night)
- optical effects (lens flare, zoom artifacts)
But I don’t want to guess blindly without seeing it.
Upload the image and I’ll break it down step-by-step and tell you what it most likely is.