STS-80 Unidentified Object Image 2, 1996
One of three sequential photographs taken from Columbia's crew cabin, this image captures an unidentified object hanging near Earth's limb in low-Earth orbit — and its position suggests it has rotated or tumbled along its major axis between frames. That detail matters: axial rotation is exactly what you'd expect from unpowered debris drifting in microgravity, but the sequence of images makes it possible to actually track the object's behavior over time rather than dismiss it from a single frame. It's a rare case where the documentation is rigorous enough to support real analysis.
During STS-80, between November 19 and December 7, 1996, astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Columbia captured a series of three images of an unidentified object in low-Earth orbit. In the second photograph, the object is visible near the center of the frame, to the right of the limb of the Earth. It appears to have rotated or tumbled about its major axis, which is consistent with the behavior of a free-floating object.