Let’s look into our kit’s namesake

On the mild night in 1966 Australia, the residents of the town slept in peace, never knowing that upon awaking they would discover a nearly circular flattened area of grass near a swamp.

The Royal Australian Air Force and the University of Queensland determined that it was likely caused by an unusual natural phenomenon, such as a water spout; however, this, the “saucer nest,” as it came to be called, is often touted as the first recorded crop circle.

Theories abounded as to the purpose of crop circles, were they UFO landing sites? A method of communication? A well-coordinated prank? Our very own Brandon Clifford suggests that as the need for surveying tools and skills decreased upon the proliferation of GPS and aerial photography, farmers instead turned their long-honed talents to their own fields in new ways.

The real boom of Crop Circles in the media began in 1991, when Doug Bower and Dave Chorley claimed responsibility for the majority of major crop circles prior to 1987, and 200 more between then and 1991.

Nowadays, most think that the circles are hoaxes, advertising, or art. They have become increasingly complex as their link to natural or supernatural phenomena has decreased. But maybe, just maybe,  something we can’t explain was their inception, made popular by circumstances out of their control.

We may never know if another saucer nest appears, hidden in the midst of art projects and advertising ploys.

Geometry:

This crop circle is composed of a series of offset circles. the two sets of offset circles are connected by a set of lines, while a spiral veers off to the right, offset to give thickness.