A strange giant cylinder object that nobody can identify was found on an Australian beach near Jurien Bay on Sunday afternoon. The Australian government is telling people at the beach to stay away from it because it might be dangerous.
Giant cylinder washes up on Australian beach as officials warn public to stay away
The object looks like a long cylinder and it could possibly be a piece of a spacecraft from another country, according to experts. The Australian Space Agency shared the news about the weird object on Twitter.
We are currently making enquiries related to this object located on a beach near Jurien Bay in Western Australia.
The object could be from a foreign space launch vehicle and we are liaising with global counterparts who may be able to provide more information.
[More in comments] pic.twitter.com/41cRuhwzZk
— Australian Space Agency (@AusSpaceAgency) July 17, 2023
“As the origin of the object is unknown, the community should avoid handling or attempting to move the object,” the authorities warned.
The Australian Space Agency added that if anyone sees any more pieces that they think could be related, they should let the local authorities know and also inform by emailing space.monitoring@space.gov.au.
“We are committed to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including debris mitigation.” The agency added that it will continue to highlight this on the international stage.
The container appeared on the shore of a beach in Green Head, which is about 250 kilometers north of Perth. People in the area noticed it and told others about it because they were curious.
A resident named Garth Griffiths mentioned that one of his neighbors informed him about the unusual discovery on a Sunday afternoon, according to abc.net.au.
“Sometime yesterday, a local lady and her partner discovered it just floating on the edge of the water and dragged it out with their four-wheel drive,” he said.
“It’s a sort of semi-cylindrical object, made of light carbon fibre material like lightweight resin. According to Mr. Griffiths, the container was being watched and protected starting from 8:00 a.m. on Monday. However, it seems that local people had already gathered at the site the night before.
Experts speculate on the origin of the mysterious object
At the same time, a few space experts believe that the container might be the fuel tank of a rocket called the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The PSLV rocket was last launched on April 22, 2023, as mentioned in a report by The Independent.
As the investigation was underway, the police in Western Australia took charge of protecting the unknown item throughout most of the day. This was done to ensure the safety of both the object and the people visiting the beach.
