Blue Orb "Selects" the US Flag From a Row of Flags

Photo date: August 18, 2015. Photographer: Mark Mahin.

In this photo taken in midtown New York City, we see a row of flags. A mysterious blue orb is floating next to one of the flags: the US flag.

Six days earlier I had passed by this location, and  photographed a similar-looking blue orb "select" the flag of France, as shown here.

There was no fog, mist, rain, or precipitation on this night. The air quality as listed on airnow.gov was "good," with a rating of 50.