That is a European Hornet. People tend to notice them at this time of year as they are out looking for sweets to eat like rotting fruit or tree sap. (They will scrape bark off of lilac and birch at this time of year to lap sap or eat other insects that come to sip. They are not aggressive unless you bother them (or if protecting their nest, which they do en masse).

They are attracted to lights as well so it's not uncommon for them to come to porches or windows that are uncovered at night.
Here is our page on them: 
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/european-hornets


Christine