Did you see this 'UFO' in the sky over Preston last night?

The unidentified flying object, dubbed the 'Preston Prison UFO', was spotted in the skies above the city at 1.30am on Thursday (February 20)

If you had gazed at the night sky above Preston in the early hours of yesterday morning (February 20), you might have spotted a bright white object moving over the city's rooftops.

The mysterious object was caught on camera by Preston woman Gail Jacques, who said she first caught sight of it above Preston Prison at around 1.30am.

She said the object remained stationary in the air for several minutes before "moving really fast".

Is it a plane? Is it a drone? Or is it something out of this world...?. Pic: Marek Ostiadel

Gail, a retired production operative at Royal Sanders at Red Scar, said she immediately snapped pictures of the curious object.

Her bid to uncover the true identity of the 'Preston Prison UFO' led her to share them with friends on social media.

"Did anyone else see this over Preston Prison? It was so strange.

"It was too fast and precise for a helicopter. It moved so quick, in seconds!," said Gail.

Retired Preston woman Gail Jacques caught the mysterious object flying over Preston Prison at 1.30am on Thursday (February 20). Pic: Gail Jacques

The pictures have generated fierce debate online, with intrigued Prestonians offering possible explanations.

Is it a plane? A drone? Or maybe a helicopter? Or is it something not of this world?

Some say Venus, some say Jupiter. Others say the International Space Station.

But some believe it might have a different extraterrestrial explanation...

Gail's picture of the 'Preston Prison UFO' has since been magnified. Pic: Marek Ostiadel

What are people saying?

"Interesting, it's below the cloud cover, so not a star," said Stephen Hall.

"Depending which direction you're looking it could have been a plane in holding pattern for Manchester," said Steve Thornley.

He explained: "The landing lights at a distance can appear to move pretty quick in the turn."

Steve Connolley said: "Seems too far away from sunset or sunrise for the ISS (International Space Station) as it’s generally only visible close to these times.

"And, as Steve (Thornley) said above, don’t think there are any ISS passes at the moment."

"It is the planet Venus," declared a sceptical Trevor Edwards.

"Not at 1:30 am, Venus sets at around 9.30pm at the moment," countered Alison Fiddler.

Patricia Bilsborrow added to the intrigue, stating: "I’ve seen this a few times in the last week or two and wondered what it was. It doesn’t look like a star."

What do you think? Is the truth really out there? Let us know what you think of the 'Preston Prison UFO' in our Facebook comments.