A Giant Mystery Object Washed Up On A Beach In Japan & Everyone's Trying To Guess WTF It Is
All they know is it's not a bomb.
A large metal ball is shown on a beach in Japan.
Police in Japan are baffled by a giant metal sphere that recently washed up on a beach, and internet users are already offering up wild and hilarious theories about its origins.
Is it alien? Is it a weird egg from the bottom of the sea? Or might it be something more everyday, like a broken buoy or a lost wrecking ball?
Footage posted on Twitter by NHK World News shows two officials inspecting the object on the shoreline, and they both appear to be pretty put off by it.
\u201cA mysterious metal ball spotted on a beach in Hamamatsu City this week prompted local police to scramble the bomb squad. A careful examination revealed it is not a threat -- but shed no light on what it actually is.\u201d— NHK WORLD News (@NHK WORLD News) 1676982383
The object was first discovered by a passerby on the beach near Hamamatsu City on Saturday, NHK World News reports. Police quickly closed off the area around it out of fear that it might be a bomb or some sort of depth charge.
However, they've since determined that it's not a bomb, although they still don't know its true purpose.
The object itself is metal and about 1.5 metres (5 feet) in diameter, police told NHK World News. A bomb squad X-rayed the thing, but that only helped them rule out the theory that it might be a bomb.
\u201c\u3010\u52d5\u753b\u3011\u6d77\u5cb8\u306b\u8b0e\u306e\u9244\u7403\uff1f\n\n\u9759\u5ca1\u770c\u6d5c\u677e\u5e02\u306e\u9060\u5dde\u6d5c\u6d77\u5cb8\u306b\n\u76f4\u5f84\uff11\u70b9\uff15\u30e1\u30fc\u30c8\u30eb\u307b\u3069\u306e\n\u91d1\u5c5e\u88fd\u306e\u7403\u4f53\u304c\n\u6253\u3061\u4e0a\u3052\u3089\u308c\u3066\u3044\u308b\u306e\u304c\n\u898b\u3064\u304b\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\n\n\u8b66\u5bdf\u304c\u8abf\u3079\u305f\u3068\u3053\u308d\n\u7206\u767a\u306e\u5371\u967a\u6027\u306f\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u304c\n\u3069\u306e\u3088\u3046\u306a\u7269\u304b\u306f\u8a73\u3057\u304f\n\u308f\u304b\u3063\u3066\u3044\u306a\u3044\u3068\u3044\u3046\u3053\u3068\u3067\u3059\u201d— NHK\u9759\u5ca1\u653e\u9001\u5c40 (@NHK\u9759\u5ca1\u653e\u9001\u5c40) 1676972896
Despite sending in the bomb squad, officials still have no idea WTF it is — although the internet has been happy to jump in with ideas.
"I read this as 'mysterious meatball,'" one Twitter user wrote.
"It could be from outer space," joked a journalist in the replies.
"Dinosaur egg," suggested another.
Others suggested it's a "Godzilla egg."
\u201c@nhk_shizuoka_ \u9244\u306e\u9244\u7403\u3060\u3068\u601d\u3046 !\u201d— NHK\u9759\u5ca1\u653e\u9001\u5c40 (@NHK\u9759\u5ca1\u653e\u9001\u5c40) 1676972896
The world has been on edge about mystery objects in lately after the United States shot down a Chinese spy balloon and several other unidentified flying objects in recent weeks.
Although officials still haven't said for sure what the thing is, some people think they've already figured it out.
"It's a steel mooring buoy," concluded one Twitter user who also shared photos of several other buoys together.
\u201c@NHKWORLD_News It's a steel mooring buoy. They are specially designed for the mooring of vessels in the most economical way while protecting shorelines, natural habitats & other boats by giving those sailing or stationed an alternative anchoring point for all types of vessels.\u201d— NHK WORLD News (@NHK WORLD News) 1676982383
The mooring buoy pics certainly seem to match the thing on the beach... but we can dream of dinosaur eggs and alien pods, can't we?