At around 3,300 meters (2 miles) below the ocean's surface off the coast of Alaska, where the warm light of the Sun never penetrates, an NOAA Ocean Exploration remotely operated underwater vehicle came across a strange, golden orb.
The bizarre undersea object, encountered during a 23-day expedition in 2023, was found "tightly adhered" to a rock dotted with white sponges, measuring around 10 centimeters (4 inches) across with a hole in one side.
For the scientists making the discovery, it wasn't entirely clear what the mysterious orb might be. Initial suggestions from the researchers during a