A weird UFO-type orb was discovered in a field in Clasparra, Murcia, Spain, on Tuesday by two goat farmers. Technically, it is not a UFO (unidentified flying object), because it was on the ground when found, and not flying. However, the finding triggered hundreds of fanciful theories by extraterrestrial enthusiasts.
The two brothers, Francisco and Juan Espín del Amo, who had been attending to their herd in the area, were amazed to find a dark-grey orb, which they said looked like nothing anybody had ever seen before in the area.
According to local newspapers, they said “This must have fallen from the sky,” (“Esto ha tenido que caer del cielo”).
Authorities cordoned off the area and sent in bomb-squad experts in hazmat suits. (Image: El País)
Patricia Ortega Dolz, writing in Spain’s national newspaper El País, wrote that locals first suggested it may have been a part of some military equipment. Perhaps the army had been carrying out tests in the area, or a weather rocket had been launched from an airplane.
Probably from a rocket or satellite
The Guardia Civil, Spain’s national police force, confirmed it was likely a piece of aerospace equipment, and suggested it may have come from a rocket or satellite.
Some bomb-squad investigators said it was not the first time such objects had been found. “A couple of years ago, similar pieces of equipment were discovered in Brazil and Australia.” (“Hace un par de años, se encontraron piezas similares en Australia y Brasil”).
According to El País, the object is cylindrical in shape, weighs about 20 kilos (44 lbs), and is about 1 meter (39.4 inches) across. It is enveloped in some kind of black insulation material.
On being informed of the mysterious orb, the Guardia Civil immediately activated Protocol NRBQ (nuclear, radiológico, bacteriológico y químico), quarantined the object and ordered an investigation.
Two goat farmers found the orb in Calasparra (pop: 10,500), a municipality in the autonomous community of Murcia in Spain.
No explosives or radiation
However, by the time Protocol NRBQ was ordered, Francisco’s and Juan’s brother-in-law, who the brothers had called as soon as they saw the object, had carried out several searches online.
He believed it was a pressure vessel for gases, perhaps from a space station. “These objects are made of material that allows them to re-enter the atmosphere intact, and even withstand catastrophic explosions,” (“Estos objetos están hechos de un material tan resistente que sobreviven casi intactos a reentradas en la tierra y hasta a explosiones catastróficas.”)
Members of the Guardia Civil’s bomb-squad came and soon determined that the object contained no explosive substances or elements. They took it away in a squad car.
On Wednesday, scientists announced that the object had no alpha, beta or gamma rays (less than natural radiation levels).
Spanish authorities say they are holding onto the orb until an organization claims it.
Video – Mysterious orb found by goat farmers in Spain