A massive, mysterious Hole has just opened up on the surface of Antarctica leaving experts confused as they are unable to explain what caused its formation.

The hole—as large as lake superior or the state of Maine, with an approximate area of 30,000 square mile—has created confusion among experts, who are unable to explain as to why exactly its there. Some blame it on climate change, but the truth is scientists have no idea.

According to atmospheric physicist Kent Moore, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus in an interview with Motherboard: the gigantic, mysterious hole “is quite remarkable, it looks like you just punched a hole in the ice.”

This is not the first time massive holes have appeared on Antarctica.

The mysterious apeparence—referrede to as a polynya—is off for a number of reasons but mostly because of its behavior.

It was spotted for the first time in the 1970’s but disappeared for several decades before showing up again, causing confusion among scientists.

“At that time, the scientific community had just launched the first satellites that provided images of the sea-ice cover from space,” Dr. Torge Martin of the GEOMAR Research Division explains of its initial discovery many decades ago. “On-site measurements in the Southern Ocean still require enormous efforts, so they are quite limited.”

The massive hole was recently found by a group of researchers from the University of Toronto and the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) project, as they were monitoring the area with satellite technology after a similar hole appeared on Antarctica last years.

The 2017 hole is the largest one ever detected, having a diameter of around 30,000 square miles.

“In the depths of winter, for more than a month, we’ve had this area of open water,” says Kent Moore, professor of physics at the University of Toronto. “It’s just remarkable that this polynya went away for 40 years and then came back.”

There are many who are blaming the appearance of the massive holes on climate change, which is one of the main culprits for many abrupt changes seen on the Antarctica continent in the last couple of years. However, scientists are yet to find a connection between climate change and the appearance of massive holes.

Researchers from the SOCOM project are conducting a study of the massive hole which will hopefully provide more answers than questions.

(H/T Motherboard)

The Gemini Program was the second manned space program of the United States, developed in the early 1960s during the space race with the Soviet Union.

The project began in 1965 after the US space agency finalized its first space flight program: the groundbreaking Mercury project, which had successfully put the first US astronauts into orbit.

The Gemini program, unlike its predecessor and its subsequent continuation with the Apollo Program, did not produce as much euphoria in the public opinion although the developments reached in the project would be of vital importance for the development of the future Apollo missions and the goal landing mankind on the surface of the moon.

The main purpose of the Gemini program was to demonstrate the possibilities of space flight and coupling that would be used later during the Apollo missions when the lunar module separated from the command module in orbit around the Moon and later meet with the spaceship again after that the astronauts had left the lunar surface.

Another goal of the Gemini missions was to extend the astronauts’ stay in space for up to two weeks.

This was even more than what was required for the Apollo missions.

As you can see, the Gemini project was of great importance as it helped mankind reach the moon, land on its surface and return safely back home.

The Gemini 10 Alien encounter

One of the most curious images snapped during the Gemini project was taken in 1966, during the Gemini X mission.

Gemini 10 was a manned space mission of the Gemini program made in 1966. It was the eighth manned flight of the Gemini program and the sixteenth of the American space program.

The mission lasted for 2 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, 39 seconds.

During Gemini X, astronauts on board snapped a series of images that would later be tucked away in NASA’s archives.

One of the images shows a mysterious light to the right of the spacecraft, and planet Earth, unlike anything other in its vicinity.

The image can be seen by visiting the following link:  http://tothemoon.ser.asu.edu/data_g/G10/Maurer/full/S66-45774_G10-M_f.png

UFO hunters are convinced that what popped up in the image snapped by Gemini mission astronauts was in fact an Alien spaceship, clearly distinguishable by three ‘large’ lights.

Upon zooming in, we clearly see what appear to be three bright lights which UFO hunters say are the propulsion system of the alleged alien spacecraft.

Curiously, Major Gordon Cooper, astronaut and member of the Gemini Project, testifying under oath to the United Nations said: “I believe that these extra-terrestrial vehicles and their crews are visiting this planet from other planets… Most astronauts were reluctant to discuss UFOs.”

He also said: “I’ve been asked about UFOs and I’ve said publicly I thought they were somebody else, some other civilization.”

In 1965, Cooper commanded the Gemini 5. This mission was intended to verify that astronauts could survive in space for 8 days, the time needed to reach the Moon.

So there you have it, another extremely interesting image from space showing what many claim to be an otherworldly spacecraft, piloted by advanced beings, not from Earth.