NASA joins quest for Loch Ness Monster in groundbreaking search

NASA, the American space agency, has been asked to assist in the next search for the legendary Loch Ness Monster. As reported by Sky News, the search will begin on May 29. This year marks 90 years since the first organised expedition to explain the mystery of the elusive creature.

The Loch Ness Centre, located in the Scottish town of Drumnadrochit, has approached NASA, requesting their knowledge and experience for the planned searches. For three days, volunteers will monitor the lake's surface, paying special attention to any unusual movements in the water.

"We are hoping that Nessie hunters worldwide will help us reach the people at NASA. We are hoping to reach them through the power of social media. We are just hoping for their expert guidance to help with our ongoing quest to get answers," said Aimee Todd from the Loch Ness Centre.

The first organised expedition to unravel the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster took place in 1934. It was an initiative by Edward Mountain. Since then, in the official registry, where all reports of observations or heard sounds that could indicate the presence of the monster are recorded, there have been 1,156 entries.

The most extensive search in 50 years was conducted in August last year. This included using drones equipped with infrared cameras and a hydrophone to detect unusual underwater sounds. About 200 volunteers participated in the search on-site, and 300 people monitored the live transmission on their computers. During these searches, one of the groups heard four unexplained sounds, but they could not record them, so the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster remains unsolved.

The modern myth of the Loch Ness Monster was born in 1933, when a hotel manager, Aldie Mackay, claimed she saw a creature resembling a whale in the lake. The "Inverness Courier" newspaper published information on this observation, and its editor, Evan Barron, suggested that the creature be named "monster."

Since then, the mystery of Nessie has been an inspiration for many books, TV shows, and films. It has also contributed to the growth of tourism. In reality, the legend of the Loch Ness Monster dates back to the Middle Ages, when Irish monk St. Columba was said to have encountered a beast in the River Ness, which flows out of Loch Ness.

In 1972, the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau, which was established in the 1960s, conducted research on the monster. However, in 1977, the bureau was dissolved because it failed to find any significant evidence of the monster's existence. Subsequent attempts to find Nessie included the operation Deepscan in 1987, during which 24 boats equipped with echo sounders covered the lake's entire length. In three cases, something was detected that couldn't be immediately explained.

In 2019, scientists proposed that the creatures thought to be the Loch Ness Monster could be giant eels. Researchers from New Zealand tried to catalogue all the species living in the lake by taking water samples for DNA analysis. After examining the results, the scientists ruled out the presence of large animals that could have been the source of the monster reports. No evidence of a prehistoric aquatic reptile called a plesiosaur or a large fish such as a sturgeon was found.

Loch Ness is the largest freshwater lake in Scotland by volume. It holds more water - about 7.4 trillion litres - than all the lakes in England and Wales combined.