Alien Probe, Sentient Machine, Nuclear Weapon, or Junk? What is the Betz Mystery Sphere?

In the Spring of 1974, a large brush fire swept across the property owned by Antoine and Gerri Betz.

While assessing the damage, they noticed something very out of place.

Lying in the smoldering grass, was a highly polished, metal sphere. This became known as the Betz sphere or the Betz orb.

Terry Betz, Antoine and Jerri's 21-year-old son, went to pick up  the sphere. Although it was only 8-inches in diameter, it was extremely heavy.

Then the Betz family did something with the sphere that would change their lives forever. Something that the family would come to regret.

They brought it home.