Area 51 is always a hot topic online due to the ongoing secrecy surrounding and unknown mysteries of the military base. However, there are some real chilling facts that people should know about the rumored alien technology testing location. While rumors and conspiracies about Area 51 have been common for decades, a recent Facebook joke has brought the facility back into the spotlight.
Back in July 2019, an event titled “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” was created, and boasted, “We will all meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry. If we Naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Lets see them aliens.” The page was very clearly a joke, but it eventually reached over 1 million followers and sparked a renewed debate about what exactly Area 51 and what may be held there. Below, we have included some real facts about Area 51, as adapted from a list by Live Science. Scroll down to read more about the military base and what it’s been used for.
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What is Area 51?
Area 51 is a military base located in the Nevada desert. It sits just around 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas. While its name is saddled with an ominous stigma, it technically just refers to designations on Nevada Test Site maps from the ’50s. Officially, it has been used for testing new military technology, weapons, and equipment. Unofficially, it has been rumored to be a site where aliens and alien technology were studied.
Historyof Alien Conspiracy
The alleged alien activity at Area 51 is rumored to have began back in the late 1940s when a Roswell, New Mexico newspaper headline claimed that a “flying saucer” has been captured by the military. The government claimed that it was simply a weather balloon that had crashed, but conspiracy theorist said they beloved it was a UFO with a gray alien inside. According to a report by the Air Force, it was a weather balloon that crashed, but not just any weather balloon, as this one was designed to be able to detect nuclear testing blasts from far away.
UFO Whistle Blowing
While rumors and conspiracy swirled for decades, it was not until the late ’80s that the extraterrestrial association really became prevalent. In 1989, scientist Bob Lazar went public with claims that he had worked at Area 51, specifically he stated that he worked directly with alien technology. In 2018, a documentary titled Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers was released and explores Lazar’s claims, as well as the likelihood that he is telling the truth.
Armed Guards
While those interested and fascinated with Area 51 can get close to the base, there are reports of armed guards threatening anyone who crosses a certain point. Warning signs are posted around the perimeter along access roads, but anyone trying to overstep their bounds will be met by “camo dudes,” as they’ve come to be known, who will stop them and have even been filmed threatening arrest.
Moon Landing
While aliens and UFOs are the most common association for Area 51, they are not the only conspiracies that the site is rumored to be part of. Some conspiracy theorists believe that the moon landing was faked, claim that it was done so at Area 51. The case of this appears to have been in the 1974 book We Never Went to the Moon: America’s Thirty Billion Dollar Swindle, which was written by conspiracy theorist Bill Kaysing.
U-2 Spy Plane
While there are no official records of Area 51 being used to test and study alien technology, there are official records for the site being used to test American military aircraft. One of those was the the U-2 spy plane, which was an aircraft used for reconnaissance that could reach incredibly high altitudes. The plane was first tested back in August 1955.
Area 51 Today
These days, Area 51 is still used as a testing site for U.S. military aircraft, such as the Lockheed A-12 and the D-12 Tagboard. A Google Earth search revealed that the site still has runways and buildings that appear to be used regularly. There also has reportedly been some construction on new areas over the years.
New Location?
About 12 miles northeast of Area 51, there is a separate landing-strip site identified as Area 6. Some think it’s possible that all of the technology previously being tested at Area 51 has been moved here, as this site is newer and even more secretive than Area 51. There are no official comments on what is being tested at Area 6, but it’s said that both the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security both use the site. Live Science reports that security experts have stated they believe the site may be used to test reconnaissance drones and their sensors.
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This picture taken 26 December 2011 shows the Pentagon building in Washington, DC. The Pentagon, which is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense (DOD), is the world's largest office building by floor area, with about 6,500,000 sq ft (600,000 m2), of which 3,700,000 sq ft (340,000 m2) are used as offices. Approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel work in the Pentagon. AFP PHOTO (Photo by STAFF / AFP) (Photo by STAFF/AFP via Getty Images)
