By Tim Binnall
An intriguing Google Maps image of an ominous-looking tower at Area 51 has recently sparked considerable speculation online, though the puzzling structure has actually been a fixture at the mysterious site for nearly 20 years. The satellite photo of the sizeable triangular monolith, which can be seen most recently here, at the secretive military base spread like wildfire on social media when it began circulating late last week. Many imaginative observers speculated that the tower had an alien explanation, while others argued that it was likely something prosaic. Ironically, perhaps least amazed by the image were Area 51 enthusiasts who have long known about and pondered the purpose of the peculiar structure.
According to a Reddit group devoted to exhaustive discussion of all things Area 51, the tower is believed to have been built sometime between late 2005 and early 2006. The structure has been seen in multiple Google Maps images in the years that followed. One enterprising researcher even captured ground-level pictures of the peculiar tower in 2010 and 2013. Remarkably, those images revealed that the structure rotates. As for its purpose, while not confirmed by official government sources, the prevailing hypothesis among students of the secretive site is that it is used for radar testing of stealth aircraft being developed at the clandestine base.