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I analyse a lot of online images, but I am not proficient with the ins and outs of lens flares. Literally know the basics.

Is the object in the sky in this photo a flare due to the shining headlight?

enter image description here enter image description here

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    \$\begingroup\$ Welcome to Stack Exchange - however, please note we allow anybody to answer a question; the community can then vote on which answer they think is the best, and you can accept the answer you think is the best. Thanks. \$\endgroup\$
    – Philip Kendall ♦
    Commented Oct 18, 2021 at 19:46
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    \$\begingroup\$ Does this answer your question? photo.stackexchange.com/a/35054/95856 \$\endgroup\$
    – maples
    Commented Oct 18, 2021 at 19:56
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    \$\begingroup\$ Is the photo cropped at all (the first one, not the zoomed-in crop)? If so, please edit your question to include an uncropped version. \$\endgroup\$
    – scottbb ♦
    Commented Oct 19, 2021 at 0:47
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    \$\begingroup\$ I believe this is what we are looking at \$\endgroup\$
    – timvrhn
    Commented Oct 19, 2021 at 9:52
  • \$\begingroup\$ Does this answer your question? is it normal to get significant lens flare with a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens? \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Oct 20, 2021 at 8:13

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Yes, it is the headlight. You can make out the aspheric projector element, the round curvature and whatnot.

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Looks somewhat like flare from the headlight... Same shape, some specular components that may be from the fender...

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  • \$\begingroup\$ @scottbb I'm never quite sure if speculation should count as an answer... \$\endgroup\$
    – BobT
    Commented Oct 19, 2021 at 18:06
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    \$\begingroup\$ Completely idle speculation, maybe not. Informed speculation like this when there isn't a better answer, definitely - if later on someone comes along and posts a definitive answer, you can always delete your speculative one. \$\endgroup\$
    – Philip Kendall ♦
    Commented Oct 19, 2021 at 19:43
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    \$\begingroup\$ Exactly what Philip said. But also, an answer like this is a good starting point to further develop the answer if you (or somebody else) are so inclined. Often, informed speculative comments get further developed as conversational comments to the question, which are sometimes interspersed with other trains of thought. Much better to just have that as the seed of an answer in the first place... \$\endgroup\$
    – scottbb ♦
    Commented Oct 19, 2021 at 22:18
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The artifact is an inverted and reversed reflection of the bright headlight exactly opposite across the center of the frame (of the original, uncropped image) from the artifact. This is a type of lens flare known as ghosting

For more about ghosting, please see the following questions/answers here at Photography SE:

is it normal to get significant lens flare with a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens?
What could cause this visible artifact which seems to a be a glowing inverse of something outside of the frame overlayed on this photograph?
Does high reflectiveness of digital sensor lead to poor lens performance?
What is the blue circle in this moon image?

This answer to the last question linked above explains the differences in color between very bright light sources and their much dimmer reflections.

For an example of how exposure level can affect ghosting and other types of lens flare, please see this answer to Can you photograph the milky way with a full moon out?

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