Area 51

The myth of Area 51 seemed to grow larger every second I spent exploring it. As I tried to unravel the mysteries surrounding the legendary military base in Nevada, I simply uncovered more and more that both befuddled and captivated my imagination.

The use of the virtual domain that is Google Earth provides us with the unique opportunity to peruse the site; in reality, Area 51 is off limits to a majority of the world, and those who wish to learn of its secrets are forced to admire it from afar, hoping for the chance when maybe, just one, they might see something that justifies their fascination with such an obscure facility.

Contrary to its physical appearance, the virtual image of the complex seems, welcoming, in fact inviting at first glance. The top down view tells many a story, despite its plain coloration, and dreary shading. From afar, the site looks like merely a small airport, nothing out of the ordinary. However, as I moved closer, and closer, and closer, things changed. There were still aircraft on the ground, helicopters, cars, and hangers, however, several minutia stood out to me.
For one, the runways all appear to be the same size (approximately 10,000 ft), which happens to be one of the typical lengths used for United States military operations, except
one. This landing strip is approximately to twice as long as the largest of the other runways. A runway that size would only be necessary for aircraft landing at velocities, proportionally, at least twice that of other aircraft. The only such instance this occurs is with aircraft that operate at speeds well above the speed of sound, such as the Space Shuttle and the SR-71 Blackbird. In addition, on closer examination of the shading of the taxi areas, hangars and the tarmac of the airport, it becomes noticeable that the shading of the environment is off in several places. In fact, it appears as though some elements of the site have been spliced together with images of the same area taken at drastically different periods of time. Considering that Area 51 is rumored (…confirmed…) to be a Government prototyping facility, one can only speculate as to the reasons behind this.

As incredible as it is to finally see the famed location, the simplistic views afforded by Google Earth, or the virtual in general, still cannot compare to actually being there in person. Having one’s physical presence at the site not only allows the beholder to experience the sensation of hearing the sounds of the engines throttling up and the engineers working on them in the hangars, or the pulsating adrenaline coursing through their veins, knowing that they may have the one in a lifetime chance to see something that most of the continent is not even conscious of. Moreover, one can be certain that everything that they perceive is genuine, perhaps stupefying, but nevertheless unaltered.