New York: The golden orb lying on the floor of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Alaska keeps scientists wondering what it is.
A team of researchers from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came upon the object resembling an egg on August 30.
The team was originally exploring an extinct volcano at about two miles deep as part of their Seascape Alaska 5 expedition.
The object is over 10 centimeters (4 inches) in diameter with a small tear near its base.
‘'This golden orb, likely an egg casing, struck an imaginative chord for many watching yesterday.’ The NOAA said, posting the photo on X.
The NOAA stated that scientists were stumped when they chanced upon the object after zooming the camera on it, adding that the team had ‘Initial thoughts ranging from a dead sponge attachment to coral, to an egg casing.’
The agency said that the object was named a ‘golden orb’ and even ‘ golden egg’ as it invoked ‘almost fairytale-like imagery’.
According to Sam Candio associated with NOAA, it is not yet clear if the golden orb is a known species or a new one or unknown life stage of an existing one.
Candio added that beyond finding the fact that it is biological in origin, the team were not able to identify it after bringing it onto the ship.
The scientific community will study the object putting it in a laboratory setting.
The team is currently on a five-month mission to study the sea near Alaska.