Usually when something washes up on the beach, it’s easily identified – debris from ships, trash, seaweed. But when a giant, perfectly round ball made its way to the shorelines in Japan, no one had any idea what it could be. Not even one of the United States top scientists.

The puzzling sphere is leaving everyone wondering, where did it come from. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said he was left as stumped as anyone else, when asked if he could help figure out what exactly was on the shorelines. But instead of searching for an answer, he had this to say to CNN:

 I have no idea,” he said, laughing. “Why does everybody have to know everything at all times?”

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said he was left curious as anyone else about a mystery metal ball that was found on a beach in Japan. Photo by Getty

But as to his possible guesses, he said, “It could be a hoax, somebody put it in the ocean and had it wash up” — or, he joked, it could be “Godzilla’s egg.” “I’d be delighted when we learn what it is,” he said. However, he warned that sometimes the truth is not as entertaining as not knowing. “People’s imaginations just run wild, and that’s fun, that makes great fiction and great science fiction stories. But usually it’s something less interesting.”

First seen on Enshu Beach in Hamamatsu, Japan, the gigantic metal ball caused alarm. The BBC reported that the area was blocked off, with police in hazmat suits, as well as a bomb squad being sent out to check the mysterious globe. Officials managed to quickly realize that the item wasn’t going to explode, or was it some secret spy globe that washed ashore. But, an actual answer has yet to be determined.

Japanese officials were mystified after a metal sphere washed up on a beach. Photo by BBC

But that isn’t because the public hasn’t been trying. Everything from a mooring buoy, to something from outer space, and yes, even Godzilla’s egg, has been suggested. Despite the intense interest, officials told reporters that the metal ball will have to be scrapped at some point. For now, they said, it will be stored “for a certain period of time (then) disposed of.”

“I think everyone in Hamamatsu City was worried and curious about what it was about, but I’m relieved that the work is over,” one official told reporters. But others felt a bit of embarrassment for their country, with some tweeting:

• “I can’t believe officials from a country surrounded by ocean don’t recognise a ball buoy.”
• “OMG! It’s a steel mooring buoy people. I’m embarrassed to be Japanese.”

With no official word on what it is, Hamamatsu’s local civil engineering office said it “considers it to be a foreign-made buoy.” Scottish oceanographer, Prof. Mark Inall, said that was likely what the mystery ball was.

It’s very recognisable,” he told the BBC. “We use (them) to keep instruments floating in the ocean.”

He said he was a bit surprised that it hadn’t been identified as of yet, but that the public might not be as aware of them as others. “It could be confused for a World War 2 mine … but those would have spikes sticking out of them,” he said. Regardless, for the Japanese town, the mysterious object made for interesting headlines and gossip for days. Get a glimpse of the mysterious sphere below.

Sources: People | BBC | The National News