A strange line noticed on weather mapping has sparked conspiracies across social media, with many feeling panicked after spotting a potentially bizarre object hovering over Washington D.C.
There's no doubt that America is the alien capital of the world, as countless extraterrestrial experts travel across the United States every single year to hunt for UFO sightings and visit famous locations like Area 51.
Many also keep their eyes keenly trained for potential alien sightings, though, and a recent weather report has caused conspiracy theories to stir over a strange radar reading.
What 'bizarre object' have people spotted?
As reported by the Daily Mail, some have noticed a strange line on a recent meteorological report over Washington D.C. and the east coast of America, and theories indicate that it could be anything from weather modification to an alien invasion.
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"What is this zooming across the radar over Washington D.C.?" Wrote Kari Lake, Senior Advisor for US Agency for Global Media, on X. "I just pulled up radar to check on the massive storm overhead and noticed an anomaly on the radar loop. Anyone know what is shooting across the radar over Washington D.C. around 3:30pm?"
Plenty in the replies have offered their own interpretations, from Santa Claus to weather-altering energy weapons, although officials have come to the rescue with a clear explanation of the bizarre event.
What have officials said about the radar footage?
Matthew Cappucci, senior meteorologist at MyRadar Weather, who controls the radar that Lake used, offered a clear explanation of the situation. Unfortunately, it's nothing to do with aliens, weather-altering tech, or an early Christmas visit.
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"This is the result of an obstruction from a structure east of @NWS_BaltWash's Dulles-based radar. (This is common with water towers/cell towers blocking the radar beam)," Cappucci explains.
"That can cause a bit of the emitted radar beam to bounce back to radar/cause spurious signal. These type of artefacts are common. You will also see things like ground clutter, superrefraction, etc.; sometimes we can even spot birds, butterflies, planes and meteors on weather radar!"
Cappucci also shared a video where he went through the process of discovering this radar anomaly, pointing out the exact tower that caused the radar to show the bizarre line, and how, in a thunderstorm, this can cause readings to bounce towards the tower and back again.
Users in the replies have thanked the meteorologist for his clear and easy-to-understand explanation, including one individual who drove down near the affected area to see if they could spot any UFOs or other strange objects themselves. Predictably, some remain still convinced that it's all part of a wider conspiracy.
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"I hope you people aren't buying this bullsh*t explanation," writes one tinfoil-hat-wearing user. "If towers obstructing signals were to blame, the obstruction would appear static and not in motion. While towers could explain an artefact, they don't explain its motion."
Cappucci goes over the reasoning for this in his video, which is outlined in the fact that the signal bounced back to the radar station after coming in contact with the water tower.