By Tim Binnall
A curious image captured by Google Earth shows what appears to be a strange star-shaped formation in a remote part of Algeria. The weird find, showcased by indefatigable UFO researcher Scott Waring over the weekend, is located in the Algerian town of Oum El Assel. Given the somewhat ominous label 'H 666' by Google, the anomaly (which can be seen in depth here) is rather difficult to decipher as it could either be an object sitting on the ground or a land formation. Be that as it may, Waring offered a rather fantastic theory for what it could be.
The UFO researcher argued that the anomaly is, in fact, a sign that was placed in the Algerian desert by interstellar visitors long ago. Specifically, he mused that ancient ETs left behind "symbols to be found and one day interpreted to reveal to humanity that many intelligent alien species have been here and will come back." While Waring may have recently raised awareness of the star-shaped curiosity, it would appear that the Google Earth image has been circulating online for quite some time and has come to be known as the Nisanian Pentagram.
While various sinister rumors surrounding what the anomaly could be have circulated online, the most plausible scientific explanation would seem to be that it is a natural, albeit highly weathered, formation known as a volcanic plug. A similar case of proverbial mistaken alien identity occurred earlier this year when what was thought to be a crashed flying saucer sitting in a remote part of South Africa was later revealed to be a man-made structure.