Thousands of curious onlookers are flocking to central Indonesia to look at a "crop circle" in a rice field following rumors it was formed by a UFO.

Though clearly sculptured by humans-it looks like an intricately designed flower-the 70-yard-wide (64-meter-wide) circle has drawn so much attention that police have blocked off the area with yellow tape.

Villagers have started charging entrance fees.

Guntur Purwanto, chief of Jogotirto village in Sleman district, said the circle appeared in the middle of the green rice paddies over the weekend.

Among those turning out that Tuesday and offering opinions were officials from Indonesia's space agency, well-respected astronomers and nuclear agency officials. All agree it was not left by a UFO.

You've got to be kidding me, right? There are still people who believe in this stuff? Back when crop circles were "mysteriously" appearing on most continents and throwing almost everyone for a loop, a camera was set up in a field and revealed some guys with crop machines creating the phenomenon.

You can read more about these crop circle hoaxes on the internet; in particular, visit one site published by the BBC in October 2002 (visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/england/2310127.stm).

The fact that some folks still want to believe that crop circles created by artsy-E.T.s boggles the mind. According to the BBC report, there are rival groups participating in these "works of art" and they are sometimes even commissioned to create them. But as far as manufactured folklore goes, it sure beats leprechaun sightings!

People investigate the 70-yard-wide crop circle that appeared one weekend in a rice field in Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on Monday, January 24, 2011. Thousands of curious onlookers are still flocking to central Indonesia to look at the feature which looks like an intricately designed flower, following rumors it was formed by a visiting UFO crew.

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