Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

A Bizarre Moon-Shaped Disk Of Spinning Ice In Maine Has People Flocking To Catch A Glimpse 😮

A Bizarre Moon-Shaped Disk Of Spinning Ice In Maine Has People Flocking To Catch A Glimpse 😮
@ABC/Twitter, @bouncbackgator/Twitter

Westbrook residents in Maine discovered an interesting phenomenon that left them wondering if they were being visited by extraterrestrial visitors.

Slowly spinning counter clock-wise in the Presumpscot River was a massive disk of ice that scientists assured was simply a natural occurrence, albeit, a very rare one.


The disc that closely resembles the moon is supposedly formed with the help of a cross current creating a whirlpool in frigid temperatures.

But is it as simple as that?


However, the exact cause of the icy disc eludes University of Southern Maine physics professor, Paul Nakroshis.

The professor told Maine Public Radio that "It's probably formed — and this is speculation — by the aggregation of small little bits of ice or in an initial big chunk of ice that, because of initial rotation, little pieces of ice glob onto it."

He referred to research found in a monthly scientific journal, called Physical Review E, "in which the researchers created a small ice disk in the laboratory and found that it rotated. But in the preface to their paper they say that the creation of these disks is actually not well understood."



He described the conditions contributing to the unusual sight that is captivating Westbrook residents.

"The paper that I referenced talks about the cause of the rotation being the ice melting underneath the disk, and as it melts the water sinks downward and causes a vortex that causes the disk to rotate."



But Nakroshis found that the spinning glacial matter in Maine did not necessarily correspond with the conditions mentioned from the research paper.

"However, based on my reading of the paper, the water in the Westbrook river is not actually warm enough to cause the effect that the paper talks about."
"So most likely the cause of the rotation is just the river water going by the disk and once it starts rotating in that direction it's probably going to continue."





It's time for a re-christening.


Meanwhile, people braced themselves for the Flat Earthers to start their theorizing.






People preferred speculating over listening to scientific lectures.









Whatever it is, this is the bottom line.




Westbrook is seven miles away from Portland and is experiencing a surge of interest with all the media coverage for their arctic wonder, according to NPR.

The city hopes to lure more visitors before warmer temperatures melt it all away.


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

People Divulge The Best Money-Saving Hacks They've Picked Up

Money makes the world go around.

And in this day and age, finding ways to hold onto every cent of it feels imperative.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pamela Hayden; Milhouse from 'The Simpsons'
Amy Graves/Getty Images for Kash Hovey; Fox

'The Simpsons' Star Opens Up About Why She's Leaving The Iconic TV Show After 35 Seasons

After 35 seasons of performing as Milhouse and other side characters on The Simpsons, Pamela Hayden announced her retirement.

She will leave her role behind after the latest "Treehouse of Horror" episode, "Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Adele giving speech
@PopBase/X, @chiara297/TikTok

Adele Gets Emotional During Final Vegas Residency Concert Before Cracking Hilarious Joke

British music sensation Adele wrapped up her Las Vegas residency on November 23 after two years of emotional performances and memorable highlights including a tearful interaction with Celine Dion.

To commemorate the curtain coming down on Weekends with Adele at the Colosseum in Caesar's Palace, which started in January 2022, the "Set Fire to the Rain" singer gave a poignant speech that ended in laughter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Glen Powell Announces Epic Prize For Lookalike Contest Winner Judged By His Own Mom
@ChristineRose01/X; @PopCrave/X

Glen Powell Announces Epic Prize For Lookalike Contest Winner Judged By His Own Mom

Glen Powell put a fun spin on a lookalike contest in Austin, Texas.

Though Powell couldn’t attend since he’s filming The Running Man in the U.K., his mother and aunt judged the event.

Keep ReadingShow less
Aubrey Plaza and Adam Scott from 'Parks and Recreation"
NBC

Adam Scott Reveals Hilarious Note Aubrey Plaza Gave Him When He Joined 'Parks & Rec'

Adam Scott recalled the hilariously unsettling way fellow Parks and Recreation actor Aubrey Plaza greeted him when he officially joined the NBC comedy series cast in 2010.

His anecdote was featured in a new book by Jim O'Heir, who played Jerry on the show, called Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation.

Keep ReadingShow less