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Weird Metal Sphere Washes Up on Beach, Sparking Wild Theories

A UFO? A spy balloon component? It’s been a strange year.

Authorities in Japan have been left flummoxed after the inexplicable arrival of a large metal sphere on a beach. The object of unknown provenance washed up on the shores of the city of Hamamatsu, with local authorities saying they have no idea what the iron ball is. X-Ray equipment was used to determine that the sphere is hollow after concerns were raised that it could be a mine. Media reports also suggest that there are no indications that the ball was used in the spying activities of neighboring countries China or North Korea, despite recent reports that Japan “strongly suspected” Chinese balloons had flown over its land in recent years. One theory is that the sphere is simply a mooring buoy which broke off and floated away, but some social media users have speculated that it’s really a UFO.