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During a spacewalk on 7 October a 'UFO' was spotted hovering near the International Space Station (ISS), leading some to suggest Nasa had inadvertently revealed an alien spaceship in orbit.

Sadly the answer is much more straightforward, with the smudge being either an speck of dust or a lens flare from the sun.

That hasn't stopped some conspiracy theories arising though, with ufologists somewhat speculatively claiming it was proof that we are not alone in the universe.

A 'UFO' appeared briefly (shown in red ring) in a Nasa video of a spacewalk on the ISS on 7 October. The sighting led to speculation that it might be an alien spacecraft. But experts have revealed it is just an artefact in the image such as lens flare. 'My guess is that it's an artefact of some sort,' says Professor Andrew Balogh

The not-so-alien object was spotted when Flight Engineers Reid Wiseman of Nasa and Alexander Gerst of Esa conducted a spacewalk outside the ISS to fix an electrical problem.

In video shot by Nasa and uploaded to YouTube last week, the UFO can be seen hovering just for a few seconds behind the astronauts, before the camera cuts to another angle.

Nasa was yet to comment on the event when contacted by MailOnline. 

In images just before a point in the live feed the smudge is not visible, but then in the next moment it suddenly appears.

Some observers were quick to label the object a 'mysterious craft' or some other sort of UFO.

'The video showed astronauts spacewalking as they were working on a mission,' says UFO Blogger.

'Suddenly almost after 1:50 minutes, a mysterious craft appeared flying near the astronauts for a few seconds.

'The shape and size of the UFO could not be defined clearly as the telecast was not much clear.'

But others were less than convinced.

Professor Andrew Balogh from the Imperial College London Department of Physics tells MailOnline: 'Generally speaking UFO sightings are either explained by some artefact effect - even some space junk - or left unexplained as there is not enough evidence.

'UFO' spotted above astronaut as he repairs ISS

The event took place on 7 October as two astronauts performed a spacewalk. American Reid Wiseman and German Alexander Gerst moved a refrigerator-sized pump (shown in the foreground of this image) that had been left outside the station since December 2013

'It's difficult to judge from the video in this instance, because of its poor quality.

'If Nasa has access to high quality images, they may investigate further.

'It's difficult correctly to interpret the size of an object on a 2D projection.

'However, while the "object" was visible, the ISS must have moved a considerable distance [but] there appears to be no change in the size.

'So if it was indeed an object, it was travelling with the ISS.

'My guess is that it's an artefact of some sort, not space debris, unless something suddenly detached from the ISS.'

But he adds it's 'unlikely to be an "object" - this sighting isn't enough to convince the sceptics.'

Space science writer Amy Teitel adds: 'I'd say it looks like a reflection inside the camera, a trick of light.

'It's not moving at all so it's unlikely to be floating hardware, but it looks like it could be the reflection of some hardware hitting the lens the right way to show up on the image and look like a UFO when really, it's not physically there.' 

The ISS (shown) has a total mass of about 990,000 pounds (450,000 kilograms) and has liveable space roughly equivalent to a five-bedroom house. It completes an orbit of Earth every 92.91 minutes and moves at 17,100 miles (27,600 kilometres) per hour

Astronauts Wiseman and Gerst were working to relocate a failed cooling pump the size of a fridge and install a power cable device to provide backup electrical capability to the station. It was the station's 182nd spacewalk (shown) in support of station assembly and maintenance, and the first for both Wiseman and Gerst. 

Meanwhile Nigel Watson, author of the UFO Investigations Manual, says: 'In these latest images a faint elongated object appears and brightens.

'It is visible for a few seconds and it is not reportedly seen by the two astronauts carrying out repairs to the ISS.

'To sceptics it is caused by lens flare or light reflecting off a piece of debris; to ufologists this is convincing evidence that UFOs are taking a regular and active interest in the ISS.

'If it was a UFO it would have been nice if its alien occupants had stepped out and helped with the repairs.'

Some have incorrectly speculated that it could be one of two spacecraft docked to the ISS - SpaceX's Dragon or the Soyuz TMA-14M - but as both were docked at the time this isn't possible.

The fact that the ISS is quite clearly bathed in sunlight at the time - as the whole shot is in light -heavily suggests it is a bit of lens flare from the sun on the camera lens.

The Examiner was slightly more speculative in its analysis of the incident though: 'The October 7 incident cannot be video of either the Dragon X or Soyuz spacecraft which are docked. Nor does it appear to be caused by a lensflare/camera reflection.

'The elliptical shape of the object is consistent with earlier incidents at the ISS involving UFOs close by or even docking with the ISS.

'Is it possible that once again, a spacecraft of unknown origin has been captured on video visiting the ISS, this time monitoring a spacewalk by two astronauts?'

Seen here are the astronauts outside the ISS before the 'UFO' appeared. The fact that the ISS is quite clearly bathed in sunlight at the time - as the whole shot is in light -heavily suggests it is a bit of lens flare from the sun on the camera lens

Some might be disappointed that the real explanation, though, is slightly more mundane - if the event in which live footage is broadcast from a football pitch-sized space station hurtling around Earth at 17,150mph (27,600 km/h) can be considered mundane. 

Astronauts Wiseman and Gerst were working to relocate a failed cooling pump the size of a fridge and install a power cable device to provide backup electrical capability to the station.

It was the station's 182nd spacewalk in support of station assembly and maintenance, and the first for both Wiseman and Gerst.

A more recent spacewalk taking place today is shown in this frame grab image from a live Nasa feed showing Russian cosmonauts Maxim Suraev and Alexander Samokutyaev outside the ISS. The astronauts are performing maintenance, among other tasks - but no 'UFOs' have emerged in the latest footage