Fort Collins Police Services and the Northern Colorado Bomb Squad closed Mountain Avenue Thursday morning, due to a gyroscope in the street, whatever the heck that is. 

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Fort Collins Police Services said that around 7 a.m. on Thursday, a suspicious item that 'looked like a pressure cooker' was called into authorities. Poudre Fire Authority and the local bomb unit also responded to the call, and out of an abundance of caution, treated it as a potential bomb threat. In fairness, it does kind of look like an explosive. Residents in the area were given the option to shelter in place or evacuate until the scene was cleared.

Authorities did determine the device was a harmless gyroscope — but, what the heck is that? It's not an explosive, but it is still strange to see sitting in the middle of a residential neighborhood road, because it is an airplane part.

A gyroscope is an 'attitude indicator.' No, not like a mood ring — a different kind of attitude. It tells a pilot the pitch of the nose of the plane, meaning how far is it tilted up or down, or to the left or right. So, how one landed on the intersection of Mountain Avenue and Lyons Street in Fort Collins is a mystery.

Police do not believe it fell from an aircraft, because it's in pretty good condition. If it's yours, or you have more information about how the gyroscope may have gotten there, you're asked to contact Officer Jess Reed at 970-221-6555. You can see the full Facebook post from Fort Collins Police Services, below.

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