Strange Space Junk Washes Up on Green Head Beach; Australian Space Agency To Investigate Debris Further

A huge golden cylindrical object, which had barnacles encrusted over it, was found washed up on Green Head Beach in Western Australia. While authorities are still trying to figure out what the object exactly is, initial observations suggest that it could be space debris of some sort.

Puzzling 'Space Debris' Found in Green Head Beach

Futurism reports that local residents found the odd object on Green Head Beach on a Sunday afternoon. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation adds that, according to a resident who was at the scene, the object appeared to be around ten feet tall and eight feet wide.

The safe or hazardous nature of the object is still being determined by the Western Australian police. Nevertheless, until the object's exact origins are found out, they warn beachgoers to stay away from the scene.

NDTV explains that the police do not think that the debris comes from a commercial aircraft. They also cautioned people to avoid jumping into conclusions, as several individuals have connected the finding to the missing MH370 Malaysian flight and UFOs.

The police add that to maintain the investigation's integrity, police officers are keeping the object guarded.

Australian Space Agency To Examine Further

A spokesperson from the Australian Space Agency explained that they were looking deeper into the object and that the agency is trying to verify if the object could be a chunk of a space vehicle that ended up getting washed on the shore. As such, they are also liaising with other global institutions that could possibly shed light on the mysterious debris.

He adds that, given the unknown origins of the object, moving or handling it should be avoided.

What Could the Object Be?

Speculation regarding the mysterious object has been circulating across Twitter, Space.com reports. More specifically, some people think that the object could be the third stage of the LVM3 rocket of India, which recently launched the Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission. However, the object is observed to have barnacles, algae, and other marine organisms that suggest that it was there for more than three days.

There are also others who speculate that the object could be part of the third stage of a different rocket from India, the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle). Space.com adds that Jonathan McDowel, a space debris expert at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center, explains in a tweet that things do not appear that way to him.

NDTV adds that Earth's oceans have been greeted with several rocket bodies falling into them. The Indian Ocean, particularly, is part of the flight path that several missions that launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Center tend to pass through. As such, it is not odd for a rocket stage from India, if the object is indeed confirmed to be one, to wash up on the beach in Western Australia.

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