A 50-year-old photograph is gaining attention online after claims that it shows an unidentified flying object.
In 1971, a small plane flew over Costa Rica, taking photos of the terrain as part of a study by the country's National Geographic Institute.
Every 20-seconds, a 100-pound camera took dozens of pictures from 10,000 feet in the air. In one of the frames, a shiny metallic disc is seen flying between the aircraft and the ground.
Aerial photographer Sergio Loaiza didn't notice the strange object until the photos were developed. The UFO is believed to be between 120 and 220 feet wide based on the altitude.
According to reports, Sergio's bosses at the National Geographic Institute asked him and his colleagues not to discuss what they captured. Eventually, they did, and the image has since been studied and analyzed by experts. All have concluded that the object in the picture looks real and was not caused by trick photography or a double exposure.
"This photograph of a UFO may be the most extraordinary one ever released by government officials," said New York Times reporter Leslie Kean.
The photo has never been successfully debunked to this day.