'Best UFO picture ever taken' sees object appear over a lake in the middle of nowhere

A photo labelled the 'best UFO picture ever taken' has been released over 50 years after it was originally taken.

Now, when it comes to seeing images of suspected UFO sightings, most of us are used to seeing the same blurry image of what is most likely an errant glow lantern snapped on a mobile camera from someone's backyard.

In fact, the claimed sightings of UFOs have become so meme'd in the past few decades that military officials in the US have since rebranded their research from UFO to UAP (Unexplained Aerial Phenomena) in order to be taken seriously.

However, every now and again a photo or video will surface online which makes even the biggest of UFO skeptics scratch their heads and go 'huh'.

One of these said photos is an image captured by arial photographer and mapmaker Sergio Loaiza, during a research assignment in Costa Rica in 1971.

Loaiza had been taking photos at around 10,000 feet in the air as part of research for hydroelectric project, however, one photo in particular caught everyone's attention upon its release in April 2021.

In the black-and-white image taken over Lake Cote, Costa Rica, a peculiar saucer shaped object can be seen hovering in the left side of the image.

Take a look at the photo below:

The image was captured in 1971. (Instituto Geográfico Nacional de Costa Rica)

The image is only visible for one frame, which were captured in 20-second intervals, and neither the pilot or Loaiza recall seeing the object during their flight.

Despite claims from UFO skeptics that the image could be a trick of the light or a reflection from the lake, nobody has been able to prove one way or another what the image is showing.

Which means it remains one of the most strongest pieces of evidence in UFO history. Loaiza's image would earn itself the name 'the best photograph of a UFO ever taken' from investigative journalist and paranormal author, Leslie Kean, during the New Yorker's report, 'How the Pentagon started taking UFOs seriously' in 2021.

Speaking further about the image, Oscar Sierra, a UFO researcher based in Costa Rica, appeared to agree with Kean's description of the image, saying (via The Sun): "It’s one of the most compelling scientific confirmations that UFOs are real.

The photo looks awfully similar to how UFOs are depicted in popular culture. (Getty Stock Images)

"There was this disc object and you clearly see the sun reflecting off this round object that’s got a little dot on the top and what’s important about it is that it was a government photo," Kean added.

"There’s a clear chain of custody. It’s always been in possession of the Costa Rican government so you know it’s authentic and it’s completely unexplained."

It's unlikely that we'll ever know for sure what the object in the Loaiza photograph is but it remains one of the more interesting pieces of evidence in humanity's long-running quest to learn the truth about aliens.