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Satellite image of circular structure in Sahara sparks viral UFO theories and ancient alien speculation online.
Experts suggest it's likely a wind turbine foundation linked to Algeria’s renewable energy expansion projects.
Viral interest highlights how pareidolia and internet culture often drive fascination with unexplained satellite imagery.
A mysterious phenomenon has recently garnered significant online attention: a peculiar, disc-shaped structure visible on Google Maps in the Sahara Desert has sparked intense speculation regarding the possible presence of an ancient extraterrestrial spacecraft. Located in eastern Algeria, near the town of Bordj Omar Driss, the discovery features a remarkably circular formation embedded in the desert landscape, prompting some to hypothesize that it may be the remnants of a crashed UFO.
The object in question was first brought to attention by Scott C. Waring, a well-known UFO enthusiast and blogger. According to Waring, the coordinates 28°8'45.15'N 6°48'20.85'E reveal what he claims could be a buried spacecraft, potentially dating back over 21,000 years. His theory suggests the object might have been covered over time by desert sands, leaving only the topmost ring visible from above.
Within hours of the claim, UFO communities across platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and TikTok began distributing screenshots and running with fanciful theories. The beguiling image sparked thoughts of extraterrestrial visitors, ancient civilizations, and clandestine crash landings in some forgotten corner of Earth.
But, according to specialists in satellite imagery and renewable energy development, a more mundane reason is plausible. Many have indicated that the so-called UFO is just a closely resembling layout for the foundations of wind turbines. With Algeria aggressively pushing into renewables, such as wind and solar installations across the Sahara, the existence of structures like these cannot be unexpected.
Nick Pope, a former UK Ministry of Defence UFO investigator, and freelance science writer Mick West have both pointed out that this shape and its location align perfectly with known wind turbine groundwork. It is a pattern and size ideally suited to base wind turbines, especially in wind-prone desert regions.
This is not the first occasion when a strange formation seen on Google Earth has caused a stir. Pareidolia (in our natural human tendency to see familiar shapes, faces, or objects from random patterns) plays a key role in making any sighting viral. The element of remote desert locations only adds to the excitement, giving these detections some exotic and mysterious appeal.
Psychologists are of the view that unexplained incidents become a blank canvas upon which the public projects its deepest curiosities and conspiracies. And with the popular culture stressing the alien themes for several decades, anything circular and out of place gets linked with UFOs.
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Let us Contrast Theories:
UFO Crash Landing: Proponents state that the structure looks like a craft partly buried deep under sand, left under the open sky for millions of years.
Wind Turbine Foundation: On the other hand, engineers and skeptics claim that the circular concrete base fits in perfectly with wind-energy-type infrastructure, with the location offering wind-energy potential.
Impact Crater: A further less-favored idea is that the site can be a meteoric-impact zone, yet no ejecta or crater-like formation would be present to assert that.
All signs point toward the most common answer: a renewable energy installation base built and exposed either in an underdeveloped state or captured halfway in construction.
The 'UFO' in the Sahara is one among a long list of peculiar findings on Google Earth. Other desert anomalies have sparked similar debates. Examples include the Eye of the Sahara in Mauritania and the Desert Breath artwork in Egypt. Some circular patterns have been identified as irrigation systems or art installations. Others are simply natural formations.
Although most of them are debunked in no time, they continue to attract attention owing to the curiosity they spark in minds and the ease with which their news is spread online.
The disc-shaped object spotted in the Sahara opened that one single doorway into curiosity with an alien hunter for a tiny while across the globe. The truth of the matter is that this object probably isn't a buried flying saucer at all. Rather, it would be a wind turbine foundation caught by satellites and misunderstood by ordinary Earthlings.
And nevertheless, the story remains a reminder of the power of imagination and the might of tools like Google Maps in bringing forth incidents that tilt the delicate balance of real and unreal. Whether a UFO or a utility project, the Sandy mystery reiterates how our love for the unknown will never cease.
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