Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Over Istanbul on November 24, 2025: Analysis of Sightings

In the early hours of November 24, 2025, residents across numerous districts of Istanbul witnessed and documented a bright, moving, unidentified object traversing the night sky using their mobile devices. This object momentarily hovered before abruptly vanishing, triggering an immediate flurry of activity on social media platforms and sparking widespread public curiosity and speculation regarding its origin.

Eyewitness accounts have leaned toward classifying the sighting as either a meteor or some other transient atmospheric event. However, the absence of any official explanation has kept the debate concerning the light's true nature very much alive. Citizens are drawing comparisons to previous incidents involving unidentified objects detected by aircraft radar systems over Istanbul airspace back in January 2025. During that earlier month, signals consistent with TCAS warnings—indicating potential collision risks—were registered near Sabiha Gökçen Airport, leading to subsequent unsuccessful search efforts conducted across sea, air, and land sectors.

This November observation occurs against a backdrop of heightened anticipation related to increased solar activity forecasted for 2025. While the peak of the Southern Taurid meteor shower had already passed around November 12, 2025, the date of the November 24 sighting does not align with the zenith of any recognized meteor stream. Experts had previously suggested that solar flares might lead to more frequent appearances of the Aurora Borealis; nevertheless, a direct causal link between this specific event and polar light phenomena remains unconfirmed.

Public interest in the incident remains exceptionally high as the community awaits definitive conclusions from authorized bodies. Key institutions expected to issue statements include the Kandilli Observatory, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). The lack of concrete numerical data pertaining to the object significantly complicates any rigorous scientific analysis, leaving researchers primarily with visual evidence. Furthermore, the context of heightened awareness surrounding anomalous celestial events in 2025—including reports of interest in the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS—only serves to amplify public fascination with any unexplained light appearing overhead.

Consequently, the sighting of the brilliant, moving object above Istanbul on November 24, 2025, stands as a case of visual testimony to an unidentified aerial phenomenon that warrants verification from relevant authorities. This situation underscores the current public sensitivity toward UAP phenomena, especially when juxtaposed with prior aviation incidents in the region and the general climate of elevated space weather conditions.