The site is less than 100 miles (160km) from Jiuquan, where China’s space programme headquarters and launch pads can be found, suggesting may have a military purpose.

Sharp-eyed conspiracy theorists claim to have spotted a secret ‘military base’ in the middle of the the Gobi desert. The strange circular formation, which has been likened to the Stonehenge, was spotted between Kathmandu in Nepal and Mongolia using Google Maps

‘Stop with the hype, it’s a test rang for reconnaissance aircraft, their cameras and targeting equipment,’ wrote another YouTube user who comments under the name ‘joshreynolds72’. (sic)

Unidentified: One bizarre structure (pictured) was spotted by a Google Maps satellite on the borders of Gansu province and Xinjiang. The internet was buzzing with theories about what their purpose was, with suggestions ranging from giant QR readers to practise targets for military satellites

Speculation: Some internet users have been overlaying the strange structures over maps of US cities while a closer view shows burnt out vehicles (right) which have raised questions about whether the desert has been used for military purposes

Close-up: Experts say that the most likely explanation is that the clearest of the symbols are used as ‘calibration’ for spy satellites – a common practice for superpowers such as China