UFO Discovered in Colombia? Scientist Weighs In
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Colombian radiology specialist says a mysterious metal orb discovered in his country is an unidentified flying object (UFO) of extraterrestrial origin, though experts remain skeptical of the claim.
Jose Luis Velasquez, the radiology specialist, determined the extraterrestrial origin after inspecting the object and finding no marks indicating the metal orb had been welded together or contained joined parts in any way, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter, from a creator who labels their content as entertainment.
The object - known as the "Buga Sphere" - was discovered in Buga, Colombia earlier this year, according to video in the social media post.
Images of the orb show a silver-colored sphere about the size of a bowling ball covered in what appears to be foreign text and drawings.
However, Dr. Julia Mossbridge, founder of the Mossbridge Institute and a researcher affiliated with multiple universities and technology companies, expressed strong doubts about the extraterrestrial claims when contacted by Newsweek.
"Buga Sphere, I really suspect it's a piece of artwork," Mossbridge explained. "It looks so human made to me."
Newsweek reached out to Velasquez via email for comment on Sunday during non-working hours.
Why It Matters
After decades of denying any knowledge of UFOs, the Pentagon released a report in November of 2024 regarding unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) following a congressional hearing in which House lawmakers urged for greater transparency.
The report documented hundreds of instances where balloons, birds and satellites were mistakenly identified, along with a few cases that remain puzzling—such as a close encounter between a commercial airliner and an unidentified object off the New York coast.
Federal efforts to investigate UAPs have prioritized potential risks to national security and air safety rather than delving into theories. Officials at the Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), established in 2022 to track UAPs, have stated there is no evidence suggesting that any cases they examined have extraterrestrial origins.
Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray points to a video display of a UAP during a hearing of the House Intelligence, Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee hearing on "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena," on Capitol Hill,...
Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray points to a video display of a UAP during a hearing of the House Intelligence, Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee hearing on "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena," on Capitol Hill, May 17, 2022, in Washington. More
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
What To Know
Dr. Tim Gallaudet, a retired Rear Admiral U.S. Navy was one of four witnesses who spoke during the congressional hearing about UAP last year.
The Admiral said the discoveries led him to the "new realization that we are not the only advanced intelligence in the universe."
"As a former science agency leader, I have always sought the truth in human knowledge and thought," Gallaudet said during the hearing. "Now that we know UAP are interacting with humanity, and these include unidentified submerged objects (USOs) in the ocean, we should not keep our heads stuck in the sand but boldly face this new reality and learn from it."
The AARO says UAPs are "not yet attributable to known actors and that demonstrate behaviors that are not readily understood by sensors or observers."
"A UAP may consist of one or more unidentified anomalous objects and may persist over an extended period of time," the agency's website explained.
While Mossbridge thinks the Buga Sphere is an art piece and not a UAP, she says the object has allowed for more conversation surrounding the phenomena.
"If it is a UAP I would be stunned but it's possible," she said, cautioning that the object could "discredit actual UAP investigations."
Mossbridge says that there has been progress in wider publicity of UAP's but she would like to see more cooperation between foreign governments to share data and lead to further knowledge and understanding among the human race.
"I think that governments need to think more about the psychosocial positive aspects of these kind of mysteries, because self-transcendence is often ignored as a motivating factor in people's behavior," she explained, "when people start focusing on something that's bigger than us, it really powerfully changes behavior the better."
She thinks that people and governments continue to open up to discover knowledge about the unknown as a form of trying to explain that which we don't understand to quell our own fears.
"As humans we want to feel safe so we want to say this is how things work," Mossburg said. "It's a real trick of just noticing how human psychology works and allowing ourselves to know everything. The safest thing we can do is try to
discover what's true."
What People Are Saying
Julia Mossbridge, MA, PhD, told Newsweek by phone Sunday: "It seems to me we could use the mystery and the humility that UAP produce in people who see and experience them, we could use that as a way to bring countries together that are currently not together. "
What Happens Next
The next steps for identifying the origin of the Buga sphere are unclear.
Mossbridge says there are several agencies that could study the object if given access that would be able to further examine it.
She says as people continue to experience and self-document these phenomena, we should be able to grow in our understanding of them.
"People can see whats in the sky, they can see whats in the water. I think the era of trying to hide things that are not hideable is over," Mossbridge told Newsweek.
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