AREA 51: WHAT A MYSTERIOUS PLACE!

 

Located in Nevada, Area 51 is one of the most mysterious places in the world as it’s often linked to flying saucers, UFOs and extra-terrestrial creatures.

Among all the strangest places on Earth, Area 51 is definitely conspiracy theorists’ favourite.

But how come this place has been a source of so many fake news? What was it really for and why are there so many secrets concerning it?

Here are some interesting facts on Area 51 and its story.

 

1. It was discovered in 1955 by some CIA officials who were looking for a place to test their new aircraft. They flew over this dangerous and isolated area and thought it was the perfect place to try top-secret military technologies and train pilots for war.

 

2. The origin of its name isn’t certain. It’s common belief that it derives from a numbering grid system used by the Atomic Energy Commission, which already owned several sites in the Nevada Desert in the early 50s.

Area 51 is also often referred to as “Paradise ranch” or “Dreamland”: these names were chosen so as to make the place more appealing to the people who had to work there.

 

3. Why has it become conspiracy theorists’ favourite place?

Area 51 has the reputation of being the place that the American army keep secret, for no apparent reason.

On July 1947, the Roswell Daily Record reported a “unidentified flying object over the area”. The American army would then deny, saying that the mysterious object was just a weather balloon. And, at least in part, it really was the truth: it wasn’t “just a weather balloon”; it was a top-secret high-altitude complex of balloons made for spying the Soviet nuclear tests.

Later in the 80s, a man called Robert Lazar gave an interview with a Las Vegas radio station. He revealed he’d worked in Area 51 and he knew its activity with extra-terrestrial and UFOs. He also claimed that the area housed alien aircrafts. This when Area 51 got exposed in the public eye for the first time.

His statements were, of course, false: he also said he’d studied at MIT, which wasn’t true. After all, he’s not such a reliable person.

 

4. Did UFOs really flew over Area 51?

If Area 51 is often connected to UFOs, it’s because of the military tests on the U-2 aircrafts, conducted since the 1955. These military aircrafts were invisible to radars and could fly as high as 18,000 meters from the ground. At that time, airlines could only fly 6 km high: no one ever thought an aircraft could fly higher.

The U-2 aircrafts appeared “shiny” due to a curious optical effect. At the height they flew, the Sun hadn’t gone down yet: they were enlightened, while the planes at a lower height were already in the dark. 

Despite all the suspicious facts, Area 51 is still used today to train pilots and prepare them to war, to develop new technologies and recon drones.

Google Earth shows well-maintained runways and several groups of facilities built in the last ten years.

So, Area 51 is on maps, but trying to get close is impossible.  Due to top-secret information and spying aircrafts tests, its perimeter is monitored day and night by armed guards wearing a camouflage suit.

Whoever tries to cross its perimeter risks either a 1,000 dollar fine or 6 months in prison (or both).

However, many residential areas near to Area 51 have invested on tourism with an extraterrestrial-background, changing the bar names and even street names: there’s a street named “Extraterrestrial Highway”.

Maria, 3scB