Is this a UFO flying over North Carolina? No, Goodyear blimp says: 'That's definitely us'

Josh Hafner | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Ride in the Goodyear Blimp An exclusive look inside the Goodyear Blimp.

The minute-long video purports to show a space craft eerily hovering in the distance over Lake Norman near Charlotte, North Carolina. And while buzz on the video swings from claims of hoaxing to apparent belief, one iconic airship has claimed responsibility: the Goodyear Blimp

"We don't want to get in the way of a good story, but that's definitely us," the Goodyear blimp's team stated from its verified Twitter account. "We left the Charlotte area 5/29 after covering the Coke 600."

Indeed, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca Cola 600™ race took place that week at Charlotte Motor Speedway — kudos to winner Kyle Busch — and the apparent UFO video, from YouTuber Jason Swing, was published on May 29, the date the blimp departed.

In the video, a man states that "this is a space craft" before shakily panning over to the lake, showing a grey, oblong ship in the sky ahead. After more shaking, the narrator exclaims he must leave. The video ends.

Commenters on the footage criticized the shaky camerawork, which some called cover for a hoax. Others, perhaps more inclined to belief, groaned that the cameraman squandered "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," as commenter Tom Brown said.

The video went largely unnoticed for weeks before a UFO-focused site, called The Hidden Underbelly 2.0, picked it up, according to The Charlotte Observer. But Goodyear remained confident the ship isn't from Mars or some CGI software.

"Based on the timing, location, and what little visibility is in the video, we have every reason to believe this is WF1," the blimp's team stated, referring to the Wingfoot One member of the tire company's fleet. "We're not aliens, but we do come in peace."

Follow Josh Hafner on Twitter: @joshhafner

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