Maybe a drone? Spotted in Rio Rancho New Mexico. 01/25/2026 6:58PM.

[MichaelJ]

For my first attempt at Sitrec, I am trying to answer this reddit post I found from a few weeks ago. The key information is:

• Appearance: 1 or 2 orbs, green light than white/blue.
• Date & Time: 01/25/2026 6:58PM (MST)
• Location: Meadowlark RD, Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87124
• Coordinates: 35.24035318007252, -106.65179285993335
• Info from post: "Object was traveling southwest, other people at the Walmart in 528 and southern said they saw 2 objects, they said they looked like 2 green orbs and later changed color."
  • For reference, Walmart is nearby to the south.

Here is the location on google street view:

Here is the Sitrec I made: https://www.metabunk.org/sitrec/?cu....amazonaws.com/21865/Local/20260216_190208.js

I see a helicopter and a plane in roughly the right spot, although they seem further north in the sky than the video. If the video was taking ~10 minutes earlier than they say, it lines up better.

Question: Could someone assist with identification of this object? I think the green color is likely a clue pointing towards us seeing the starboard side of the helicopter. Here's a link a night image of this helicopter model.

 

[jarlrmai]

The main issue with Reddit posters is the given time is often not accurate, intentionally or not.

Really you need the original accurate file date which you can often get them to give you by asking them to take a screenshot of the info screen from their phone.

 

[Mick West]

40 seconds in, looks like six stars are visible.

 

[Mick West]

Identified the stars, none of the tracks you identified there come close, viewed from that location. The orientation seems right, meaning the time is about right

 

[Mick West]

none of the tracks you identified there come close,

But the chopper N911ZZ does slightly later, and the motion matches perfectly. The zooming in and out masks it a lot.
https://www.metabunk.org/sitrec/?custom=https://sitrec.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1/Rio Rancho Helicopter/20260216_205332.js


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJp8qwWdoiE



It's always a good idea to sample tracks several minutes AFTER the time, so you get a bit of a buffer.

 

[MichaelJ]

Thanks Mick! Looks like a match!

I see you have to choose "model" for an object to get Lights added, with that only being an option on a subset of the plane models. The documentation for adding blender models doesn't mention custom lights, is that supported? Or do you have to do that manually on the backend? I don't have any immediate plans for a flying disco ball model, just curious.

 

[GM4AJK]

For my first attempt at Sitrec

Nice to see a new user, welcome to the party and a good first start.

 

[Mick West]

Thanks Mick! Looks like a match!

I see you have to choose "model" for an object to get Lights added, with that only being an option on a subset of the plane models. The documentation for adding blender models doesn't mention custom lights, is that supported? Or do you have to do that manually on the backend? I don't have any immediate plans for a flying disco ball model, just curious.

Yeah it's a bit ad hoc. I added lights to the 737-800 and the PA-28, but that's it. I'll have to document it.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

Doing it the old fashioned way...

This is the tail end of the constellation Cetus (Whale): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetus_(constellation)
(There are some nice galaxies in this neighborhood.)

The brightest star - just to the right of the Mystery Light - is Diphda (β Ceti). AKA Deneb Kaitos.

Azimuth 219
Altitude 26

We're looking generally SW.

Diphda is a Magnitude 2 star, so judge the brightness of the Mystery Light on that.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

I know... It doesn't matter.

My hard earned skills aren't relevant anymore.

I'm the fighter pilot who could fly the hell out of a P-51... in 1953.

I'm the guy who made the best gosh darn buggy whips in the country... in 1925.

I'm the saltiest windjammer captain who ever sailed 'round the Horn... in 1936.

I'm not even relevant in amateur astronomy. You just punch in what you want to see on your laptop and your telescope finds it. You don't even know where the telescope is pointing, because you don't ever look through an eyepiece. Half the people out at a star party can't naked eye a constellation to save their life.