A motorist thought he spotted a UFO floating in the clouds near a volcanic peak – but it turned out to be the dish of a large telescope.
The driver was passing the volcano with his partner when they spotted the shiny metallic sphere seemingly floating in the clouds.
They zoomed in on the spherical ‘UFO’ while discussing what it could be.
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The couple spotted the mysterious object while passing the extinct volcano Sierra Negra, the fifth-highest peak in Mexico.
Standing at an altitude of 15,030ft (4,580m), Sierra Negra is situated next to the country’s highest mountain Pico de Orizaba in Puebla State.
The clip was shared on TikTok where it went viral with over 6.2m views in one day, sparking rumours of a possible alien invasion, as reported by What’s The Jam.
One local said: “Many have said the volcano could be a portal, even some scientists have said that, because you always see things going in and out.”
Another added: “Explain to me why the sun is on the left but shines on the right side of the sphere.”
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“It’s the Death Star,” guessed a third.
Israel warned others: “They’ve arrived, get ready.”
Marlon suggested: “It is an observatory.”
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The authorities were quick to point out that the ‘UFO’ was actually the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), one of the world’s largest single-aperture telescopes.
Mounted on top of Sierra Negra, the single-dish, movable telescope is operated by the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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