New satellite images show 122 'possible objects' related to vanished plane

Ministry of Transport Malaysia

New satellite images show 122 'possible objects' related to vanished plane
(Image credit: Ministry of Transport Malaysia)

New satellite images taken over the southern Indian Ocean show 122 "potential objects" that could be debris from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. A French aeronautical firm spotted the cluster around 1,600 miles southwest of Perth, Australia — close to where other floating objects have been spotted.

A dozen aircraft from several countries are scouring the area where the objects have been spotted, but bad weather and its extremely remote location have hindered the search effort. The objects announced today range in size from one meter to 23 meters in length and some appear to be brightly colored.

At a news conference Wednesday, a Malaysian government official cautioned that no one knows for certain if the objects are plane debris or just floating junk. "It must be emphasized that we cannot tell whether the potential objects are from MH370," said Hishammuddin Hussein. "Nevertheless, this is another new lead that will help direct the search operation."

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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.