A Florida family found a mystery sphere some believed could be a alien orb. Pic credit: History/YouTube
A Florida family stumbled upon a metallic sphere near their Fort George Island home in March 1974.
Antoine, Gerri, and their son Terry discovered the orb- known as the Betz Mystery Sphere- while exploring an area of land near their property razed by fire. They took the metallic ball home believing it was a relic from the past, possibly a centuries-old cannonball.
But soon after, strange things began happening that made them rethink their assumptions.
Many people have reported sighting metallic orb UFOs. Paranormal Papers reported in July that a resident filmed a metallic sphere about the size of “smart car” flying over Lubbock, Texas.
Betz Mystery Sphere came to life
The first strange incident involving the mysterious 8-inch diameter, 22lb sphere occurred days after they took it to their house.
Reportedly, a family member was playing a guitar in the house when they noticed the sphere emitting a pulsatile noise in sync with the music.
They also claimed they saw it moving when no one touched it. They said it moved purposely, rolling along the floor and pausing as if weighing what to do next before changing direction.
Young Terry was the first to notice the alleged strange behavior. He claimed to have observed patterns of anomalous behavior under different circumstances. His parents corroborated his observations.
They all agreed it seemed to have a life of its own. It moved by itself and trailed family members around the house.
Was the Betz Mystery Sphere an alien orb?
The family soon began sharing their experiences with relatives and friends. News about the strange object spread quickly and caught public attention.
People soon began speculating about the origin and nature of the sphere. Ron Kivett, who hosted a paranormal show on local radio, proposed it was of extraterrestrial origin.
Others thought it was a UFO or an alien probe that crashed on Earth.
Skeptical reactions: Just a ball bearing
Media outlets took an interest and investigated the claim. They sought expert opinion about it.
Media reports suggested that the consensus among civil and military engineers was that the sphere was a ball bearing. They believed it came from an industrial plant or a machine.
While opinions differed about its source, they all denied conspiracy theory claims that it was of extraterrestrial origin.
They insisted it was a human-made object.
[Note: Ball bearings are widely used in mechanical and electronic systems to bear load and facilitate rolling, rotational, or spinning movements of parts relative to each other.]
Skeptoid also investigated and concluded it was likely a machine component. They suggested it seemed to move by itself because the Betz home had uneven stone floors.
Due to the ball’s precise engineering, it was prone to rolling by itself when placed on uneven surfaces.