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An 18th century book has been discovered which appears to suggest that aliens visited Earth 300 years ago .

The Latin text, a treatise on Mathematics by Johann Caspar Funck, features an illustration on its cover clearly depicting a UFO .

The flying saucer is shown emerging from clouds in the sky surrounded by lightning bolts over choppy waters.

The text, 'Liber De Coloribus Coeli, Accedit Oratio Inauguralis De Deo Mathematicorum Principe', is believed to have been printed in 1716.

(Image: Chris Murphy)

In a blog on culture website niume, writer Reid Moore said: "The book, a treatise on Mathematics, shows a woodcut illustration on the cover page with a saucer shaped aircraft flying out of a storm cloud, trailed by lightning bolts.

“The work, written in Latin and authored by Johann Caspar Funck, a renowned mathematician of his day, was published in 1716.

“A copy of the tome is digitally stored on Google Books, which allows a review of select pages, one of which is this cover page, adorned with the illustration.

“The footer of the page shows the year 1716 written in Roman Numerals.

(Image: Getty)

“Why the illustration depicts what is generally considered to be a ‘classic’ UFO shape bears more scholarly investigation.

"But it does support the theory that UFOs have been witnessed and chronicled throughout history.

"What is unusual in this case is the similarity to the ‘modern’ consensus of what unidentified flying objects look like.

"Most specifically, it is the aerodynamically rounded shape of the craft, with the dramatic effect of the UFO appearing from behind storm clouds and somehow propelled by an electrical phenomenon, most likely a magnetic propulsion system of some kind."

He goes on to say: "While strange flying machines have been depicted in art for centuries, this specific incarnation of what is generally agreed to be considered a 'classic' UFO shape is unusual, considering the 300 year old date.

"Is it proof that flying saucer UFOs have been visiting Earth since the early 1700s? At the very least, it's evidence that some people in the past seem to have thought so."