Indonesian "crop circle" draws curious onlookers

Jan 25, 2011, 8:24 GMT

Jakarta - Indonesians Tuesday were flocking to a paddy field to see what some believe is a crop circle created by an unidentified flying object (UFO).

The internet has been abuzz with talk of the the 70-meter-wide circle, which was first seen on Sunday on a paddy field in the Sleman district of central Java island, though experts believed it was designed by people.

Police have sealed the circle with yellow tape 'to prevent damage to the rice field,' said local police chief I Made Muliawan.

The Indonesian Space and Aeronautics Agency said the circle appeared to have been formed by humans, but it was investigating.

A group of local enthusiasts named Beta UFO disagreed.

'We sent a team to the site yesterday,' group founder Nur Agustinus was quoted as saying by the Detik.com news website. 'Our conclusion is that it was not made by humans.'

A villager said he heard noise like that of a helicopter on Saturday night.

'The sound lasted for 30 minutes but I didn't think much of it because I thought it was only the sound of a passing helicopter,' 41-year-old Basori was quoted by the Kompas.com news website.

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