Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by jett from SAN ANGELO , AR. jett Wonders, “What is the Bermuda Triangle? ” Thanks for WONDERing with us, jett!

Now you see it… now you don’t! Have you ever seen something disappear before your eyes? That’s what some people think happens in one part of the Atlantic Ocean. Ships and airplanes moving through the area seem to vanish into thin air!

You won’t find the Bermuda Triangle on any map. But those words still make pilots and sailors uneasy. Many people blame it for the disappearance of hundreds of aircraft and boats.

Where is the Bermuda Triangle? It starts in Miami, Florida. Then, it connects to the islands of Bermuda and Puerto Rico.  The area is also called “The Devil’s Triangle.” Some also call it “The Hoodoo Sea.”

The size of the Bermuda Triangle depends on whom you talk to. It’s at least 500,000 square miles. Some people believe the Bermuda Triangle is as large as 1.5 million square miles.

The name “Bermuda Triangle“ was first used in a 1964 article in Argosy magazine. The legend of the area reaches back a lot further than that, though.

Legend says Christopher Columbus sailed through the Bermuda Triangle on one of his early voyages. He reportedly had problems with his compass there. He may have even seen mysterious lights.

The most famous Bermuda Triangle mystery happened in 1945. On December 5 of that year, five U.S. Navy Avenger bombers flew into the area on a training mission. Every one of them disappeared without a trace. A rescue plane sent to search for them also disappeared. In total, six airplanes and 27 men were gone.

And it gets even more unusual. An underwater explorer thought he found the wreckage of the planes in 1991. When the planes were identified, however, they weren’t the planes from Flight 19. They were other military aircraft. These planes had crashed at some other time in the same area!

So is the Bermuda Triangle haunted? Is it the secret home of aliens or unidentified flying objects (UFOs)? Does a mysterious sea creature lurk in its depths?

Scientists who have studied the area would say no. They have found that many “mysteries” of the Bermuda Triangle happened in other parts of the ocean, as well.

So what’s going on in the Bermuda Triangle? Most experts blame bad weather for the accidents. Storms are common in the area. As for why wreckage is so hard to find, they point to the Gulf Stream. Its swift currents run through the Bermuda Triangle. This could quickly move debris away from the scene of an accident. Of course, the Bermuda Triangle is also home to the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean.

So, should you be afraid to fly or sail through the Bermuda Triangle? Not at all! Research shows that the actual number of accidents in the area is similar to other parts of the ocean. Today, the Bermuda Triangle is traveled frequently by boats and airplanes. Almost all of them return safely!

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