It’s official: Earth has more than just one moon out there in its orbit.

Well, sort of. National Geographic reports that a pair of particulate clouds–“dustballs,” in essence–have been located in Earth’s orbit at a distance roughly equal to that of the moon itself. The unusual formations were suspected to have existed for decades already, although this was only recently confirmed by a team of Hungarian astronomers and physicists with Eötvös Loránd University.

Located around 250,000 miles from Earth, these outer space dustballs, known as “Kordylewski clouds,” are roughly the same distance from Earth as the moon, although they are much wider–as much as nine times–than the Earth.

Despite their size, they are apparently extremely difficult to find, too.

The clouds were first spotted as far back as 1961 by Polish astronomer Kazimierz Kordylewski, and are among a variety of other supposed natural objects or formations hypothesized to accompany the moon in orbit around the Earth. Since Kordylewski’s initial observation, the unusual clouds had remained unconfirmed by other observers; some even doubted whether they existed at all.

“It is intriguing to confirm that our planet has dusty pseudo-satellites in orbit alongside our lunar neighbor,” study co-author Judit Slíz-Balogh told National Geographic.

In past articles here at MU, I’ve chronicled the odd history of past searches for a hypothetical “second moon” in orbit around the Earth. Although there has never been convincing evidence that such a feature–generally referred to as a “moonlet”–has ever existed, there have been some notable cases where scientists thought they might be on the verge of such a discovery.

In fact, going all the way back to the 1840s, Frederic Petit, then director of the observatory of Toulouse, claimed to have spotted a second moon in orbit around Earth; a few decades later, Canadian weather reporter E. Stone Wiggins made similar claims, which were widely publicized in periodicals at that time (you can read more about these early searches for Earth’s second moon in my article here).

Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer renowned for his discovery of Pluto, was tasked with searching for a secondary moon-like object orbiting the Earth beginning in 1954, and concluded after a three-year search that no such objects could be found. Prior to Tombaugh’s search for Earth’s mystery moonlet, notable sightings of objects in orbit around Earth had also been made by Dr. Lincoln LaPaz, who claimed to have seen such a satellite prior to the launch of Sputnik 1 by Russia on October 4, 1957.

Alleged sightings by LaPaz and others of mysterious orbital objects were the likely inspiration behind later claims made by Major Donald Keyhoe, arguably one of the most popular UFO advocates of his era. Keyhoe later described in his book Aliens From Space what appeared to be a reference to LaPaz’s sighting:

“During 1953, the AF began experiments with new long range radar equipment. While making the initial tests, AF operators were astonished to pick up a gigantic object orbiting near the equator. Its speed was almost 18,000 miles an hour. Repeated checks showed that the tracking was correct. Some huge unknown object was circling Earth, six hundred miles out.”

Keyhoe and others who wrote about the U.S. Government’s apparent interest in finding moonlets in the 1950s helped spawn theories of an alleged “alien satellite” popularly known as the “Black Knight” satellite. Theories appearing online propose a number of wild theories about this alleged object, which include the claim that this “alien” satellite has orbited Earth since around the end of the last Ice Age (I give a complete breakdown of the history of the “Black Knight” in my article here, covering how a number of separate claims from over the decades became interwoven into a single UFO conspiracy theory over time).

In light of the latest discovery of these Kordylewski dustballs (I wouldn’t necessarily call them “moons”, seeing as how they are merely particulate clouds… and certainly not genuine “moonlets”), it is nonetheless interesting that additional orbital features have finally been confirmed alongside Earth’s moon.

With any luck, they won’t prove to be problematic: as National Geographic notes, these clouds form naturally around areas that result from the centripetal forces between objects like Earth and the sun “balancing out” their gravitational pulls, which are known as “Lagrange points.” NASA has used these areas in the past as fuel-efficient parking lots for satellites, whose performance might end up being hindered if tossed into the mix with concentrated clouds of space dust.

• The Hungarian team’s research was featured in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 

While doing a radio show a couple of nights ago, I was asked a question that pops up from time to time. It went something like this: “Have any UFOs ever crashed in the U.K.?” Well, I’m hardly a fan of tales of crashed saucers (see my 2017 book, The Roswell UFO Controversy). My view is that the majority of such stories really involve (a) classified, military vehicles; or (b) are the creations of disinformation/counterintelligence personnel. But, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been any intriguing cases in the U.K. There certainly have been some. And here’s one such example.

It was at around 4:00 p.m. on 26 October 1996, near the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, when something strange fell from the skies. “At first, I thought it was a firework,” commented one of the witnesses, a man named Norman MacDonald. He was a joinery contractor at the Port of Ness. MacDonald expanded: “Then I saw three flashes and heard two further bangs. I rushed into a local shop and took the staff and customers outside. They also saw the dense smoke spiral. That was about 4:10 p.m.” The Scotsman newspaper covered the story on November 4, 1996. Over the following few hours, both the Royal Air Force and the local police received numerous telephone calls from anxious Lewis residents, all of whom had either witnessed an aerial explosion or had seen peculiar flashes of light followed by debris plunging into the sea. The response of officialdom was immediate.

Isle of Lewis, Cliff Beach

In a search that cost the equivalent of nearly $400,000 and that covered an area of 300 square miles, an armada of ships and numerous aircraft were hastily dispatched to the scene. A Royal Air Force Nimrod aircraft packed with sophisticated detection equipment scoured the vicinity for no less than ten hours on two sorties; the Coast Guard helicopter from Stornoway flew two four-and-a-half-hour operations; a Royal Air Force helicopter from Lossiemouth conducted an intensive search; and a flotilla of ships and boats, including the Stornoway-based tug the Portosalvo, numerous lifeboats from Lochinver, and a variety of fishing boats also lent assistance to the military.

In addition, both the Coast Guard and the police mounted shore patrols in Ness, on the Butt of Lewis. Officially, nothing was found. However, officialdom was not discounting the more exotic theories that had been postulated. “We have not ruled out space debris,” said Simon Riley, District Staff Officer for Stornoway Coast Guard. Riley elaborated: “Part of the problem has been to get a fix on where this accident happened. All the people involved in the search have worked very hard, some around the clock, and extensive inquiries have been made, but nothing has been found to give a positive explanation. It is very puzzling.”

The Northern Police Constabulary was equally baffled. “Officers were busily involved in the investigation,” a spokesperson commented. “But it’s a real mystery. It’s very, very odd.” Matters took an even stranger turn only days later when the press revealed that inquiries concerning the nature of the crash had been made to British authorities by the Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, USA. Sandia’s interest ran deep––staff at the facility even contacted the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland for assistance––and chiefly centered upon ascertaining the time at which the incident had occurred.

Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis

Nick Pope, who investigated UFO reports at an official level for the British Ministry of Defense between 1991 and 1994, stated (in the now-defunct U.K. magazine Sightings): “The [Sandia] facility operates spy satellites, and their line of inquiry strongly suggested that they were trying to search back through spy satellite imagery to see whether the UFO had been captured on film.”

Commenting on the crash report and the subsequent military maneuvers, which involved no fewer than thirty-two warships, seven submarines and eighty aircraft, Nick Pope stated at the time: “Rumors began to circulate that the whole incident might center on the crash and recovery of a top-secret prototype aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicle such as the rumored Aurora or HALO.”

The event was never fully resolved. The final official word went to the Ministry of Defense, who informed journalist Jonathan Dillon: “As you are aware, following reports to the authorities of an alleged explosion in the air, an extensive search of the area was carried out by the RAF and the Coastguard. This search was later called off after it became clear that no aircraft had been reported overdue.” That is where the matter rests today.

One of the most intriguing astronomy stories of the past year has been the discovery of ‘Oumuamua, the first-known interstellar object to visit our solar system. The object was first discovered around a year ago and has since been the source of endless speculation and study. While there are still those both within and without the astronomical community who believe ‘Oumuamua could be an alien probe, the prevailing theory states that ‘Oumuamua is likely an asteroid, comet, or possibly even a sliver of a planet blown apart by its dying host star.

Our first glimpse at ‘Oumuamua, the small dot in the center of this image.

‘Oumuamua is back in the headlines this week as Harvard researchers have published a study claiming that the strange object exhibited anomalous behavior as it approached our Sun which could bolster the theory that the object could be artificial in nature after all. According to Shmuel Bialy and Abraham Loeb of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the object increased in velocity as it passed our Sun without changing its spin, something abnormal for a comet.

Comets often experience a process known as outgassing when they warm and release gases trapped inside their icy bodies. When this occurs, the sudden release of gasses causes comets’ spins to change in either speed or direction. ‘Oumuamua, on the other hand, did neither. The researchers claim this could be due to the fact that the interstellar object might actually be a light sail, a spacecraft which uses solar radiation as its primary mode of propulsion:

We explain the excess acceleration of `Oumuamua away from the sun as the result of the force that the sunlight exerts on its surface. For this force to explain measured excess acceleration, the object needs to be extremely thin, of order a fraction of a millimeter in thickness but tens of meters in size. This makes the object lightweight for its surface area and allows it to act as a light-sail. Its origin could be either natural (in the interstellar medium or proto-planetary disks) or artificial (as a probe sent for a reconnaissance mission into the inner region of the solar system).

Of course, other astronomers and scientists have raised objections to this new study, arguing that these two astronomers have “taken advantage of [their] institution’s brand to over-amplify results that are unverified or highly speculative.” Still, given that scientists here on Earth are looking into the same technology as a means of exploring distant areas of the universe, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

‘Oumuamua’s path through our Solar System.

Ultimately, while this new study is far from conclusive, it shows that ‘Oumuamua still presents one of the most fascinating astronomical mysteries of our time. Have we witnessed the first signs of extraterrestrial life? Could future generations look back on this discovery as first contact?

Let’s hope so.

“If we were to successfully close a handshake and start to communicate, we could flash a message, at a data rate of about a few hundred bits per second, which would get there in just a few years.”

And in a few years later? Will a hungry, precious-metal seeking, conquest-minded band of extraterrestrials show up with their weapons, drills and recipe books ready to take over our planet … after first thanking MIT for letting them know we’re here? That’s one scenario that could play out if a Massachusetts Institute of Technology project goes from drawing board to reality. Do we really want to send up a bat-signal for what might be real bat people? What else could possibly go wrong?

“The kinds of lasers and telescopes that are being built today can produce a detectable signal, so that an astronomer could take one look at our star and immediately see something unusual about its spectrum. I don’t know if intelligent creatures around the sun would be their first guess, but it would certainly attract further attention.”

That’s the proposal of James Clark, a graduate student in MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and author of the study, “Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-term Technology at Interstellar Distances,” published this week in The Astrophysical Journal. He even has some targets in mind for the signal – Proxima Centauri b, the exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of nearby Proxima Centauri; and TRAPPIST-1, an ultra-cool red dwarf star just 40 light years away which has seven temperate planets capable of hosting life forms that may have evolved astronomers who could be scanning the skies looking for flashing “Come and get us!” signs. In fact, the beam James has in mind could be picked up by ET astronomers making even minor brief scans of the Milky Way.

Artist’s impression of Proxima Centauri b

As his final project for the MIT class 16.343 (Spacecraft, and Aircraft Sensors and Instrumentation), James proposes pairing a conventional infrared laser with a large telescope whose mirror would be used to intensify the beam to up to ten times the infrared brightness of sun, thus identifying it as something out of the ordinary. In the MIT press release, he speculates that either a 2-megawatt laser pointed through a 30-meter telescope or a 1-megawatt laser reflected by a 45-meter telescope could be seen by TRAPPIST-1 or Proxima Centauri planets. Equipment now in existence that could meet those would include the U.S. Air Force’s Airborne Laser (designed to down ballistic missiles) and, while still under construction, the 24-meter Giant Magellan Telescope and the 39-meter European Extremely Large Telescope in Chile.

What could possibly go wrong? One thing you may not have considered is that such a beam would be extremely dangerous to those working and living around it.

“Such a beam would produce a flux density of about 800 watts of power per square meter, which is approaching that of the sun, which generates about 1,300 watts per square meter. While the beam wouldn’t be visible, it could still damage people’s vision if they were to look directly at it. The beam could also potentially scramble any cameras aboard spacecraft that happen to pass through it.”

Not a problem, says James. Just build it on the dark side of the Moon. That would put it in a place where it can’t hurt any humans or their spacecrafts and would make Pink Floyd very happy.

If we can send such a signal to ETs, can we see if they send one back? Not yet, says James. Current imaging technology would require that a telescope be aimed directly at the beam source when it is sent.

So, they can see us with their superior technology, which could be used for spaceships as well, but we can’t see them. What could possibly go wrong?

“Whether or not this is a good idea, that’s a discussion for future work.”

Does MIT have a class on that?

The term “Flying Saucer” was coined in June 1947. On the 24^thof the month, an American pilot named Kenneth Arnold encountered a squadron of strange-looking aircraft flying near Mt. Rainier, Washington State, USA. It’s a fact, however, that UFOs were seen long before Kenneth Arnold’s historic sighting occurred. In the latter part of the 19^th century, numerous people across the United States reported sightings of what were termed “mystery airships” and “phantom airships.” During the Second World War, pilots reported close encounters with small balls of light that appeared to be under intelligent control. They became known as “Foo Fighters” (they had nothing to do with Dave Grohl…). Then, in the summer of 1946, Scandinavia was targeted by numerous UFOs. They were referred to as “Ghost Rockets.” Reports surfaced from Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden and caused brief, but worrying, situations for those countries.

On July 11, the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, prepared a secret memo that, in part, reads as follows: “For some weeks there have been numerous reports of strange rocket-like missiles being seen in Swedish and Finnish skies. During [the] past few days reports of such objects being seen have greatly increased…Military Attaché is investigating through Swedish channels and has been promised results of Swedish observations. Swedes profess ignorance as to origin character or purpose of missiles but state definitely they are not launched by Swedes.”

Newspaper photo of Swedish “ghost rocket”, photographed July 9, 1946, by Erik Reuterswärd, Guldsmedshyttan, Sweden.

Although the most obvious – and likely – explanation was that the Ghost Rockets were Soviet in origin, such a theory was never proved. Equally intriguing, midway through July a number of alleged crashes of Ghost Rockets were reported, even though certain facts were withheld; something which leaves the stories open-ended, but still highly thought-provoking. On July 19, 1947, the Oslo-based Aftenposten newspaper ran an article titled “Did two rocket bombs go down in Mjosa?” The article included the following, notable words:

“From a man in Feiring we received this morning a sensational report that two rocket bombs crashed into Mjosa last night. They were shaped like ordinary planes, but quite small with only a 2½-meter wing-span and came between 24 and 0:30 this morning from the west at low height over the southerly part of Feiring, where they were observed by many persons, among them at the Hasselbaken Inn and at the Arnes. The forward one was not lighted. People noticed them because they heard a loud whistle and directly after they came flying into sight at terrific speed. They went so low that trees were left swaying after they passed. Nearly midway out in Mjosa, nearer the Feiring side, the water took a big splash and the spray stood many meters high in the air where the objects disappeared.”

Less than twenty-four hours later, Aftenposten ran a follow-up article, “Are experiments with Flier X underway over Norway?” It told a fascinating story: “Up till now it has not been possible to get any certain corroboration for all the reports which have arrived that rocket planes or rocket projectiles have been observed both in this country and in Sweden. Meanwhile reports recently have been so numerous and definite that they can no longer be rejected as products of people’s lively imaginations. It is far from impossible that one or more foreign powers is conducting secret experiments with new weapons of the V-like type.”

Despite intensive investigations on the part of several countries, the Ghost Rocket phenomenon was never solved to the satisfaction of everyone and it came to a sudden end before 1946 was over. Indeed, like so many UFO encounters that post-dated the 1946 incidents in Scandinavia, the Ghost Rockets incidents had a distinct “here one minute and gone the next minute” aspect to them.

Strange and traumatic dreams that occur after someone has encountered the UFO phenomenon up close and personal are nothing new. The September 1961 alien abduction affair of Betty and Barney Hill is a perfect example. Many, however, might not be aware of the sheer scale of such weird and stressful situations. So, with that latter point in mind, I thought I would share with you a few examples from my old files. They are a few of what amount to many.  Today, the phenomenon of so-called Shadow People is very well known. Their name is most apt: these shadow-like entities are dark, human-like in appearance, and dangerous. Theories for who, or what, they may be range from aliens to demons, and shapeshifters to time-travelers. Whatever their point of origin – or maybe even multiple origins – an early encounter with one of these wretched things was encountered in Boston, Massachusetts by a young woman named Sally Salisbury, in early 1961.

In the early hours of a winter’s morning, Salisbury was woken from a deep sleep by the terrifying sight of one of the Shadow People looming over her and oozing negativity and hatred, senses that Salisbury immediately picked up on. Paralysis set in – also immediately – and which lasted for around two minutes, after which the entity vanished. Interestingly, and very likely directly connected, on the following night Salisbury had a graphic dream – if that is all it was – of being taken on-board a UFO and subjected to traumatic and intrusive procedures of a medical and gynecological nature.

There is also the May 1962 report of Leonard Murray, of Beckenham, Kent, England. In the early hours of the morning in question he was awakened from a dead sleep by a “spaceman” wearing a “fishbowl”-style “space helmet” and a light blue outfit. The other-world character warned Murray that a Third World War was on the horizon and that he and his family should prepare to try and survive the looming Apocalypse. Cold War-era anxieties? Or a real encounter with an extraterrestrial concerned about our future as a species? More than half a century later, the chances are we will never find out the truth of this odd encounter.

British Royal Air Force Provost and Security Services files – now officially in the public domain – tell a strange story of the Morris family that was driving near the Staffordshire, England village of Barton-Under-Needwood, at some time after 11:00 p.m. on October 4, 1972. They claimed to have seen a small, metallic-looking UFO that was hovering in the road in front of them at a height of about three or four feet. They were forced to bring their car to a quick halt, and stared, amazed, as the object silently floated before them – at least, for around twenty seconds, after which the UFO shot into the sky. Notably, all of the family had strange dreams the night following the incident – George Morris having dreamed of being taken aboard a UFO and his wife, Sheila, having a nightmare of seeing a creepy, small, humanoid creature standing by the car. Deeply repressed memories of an alien abduction? Very possibly.

After attending a gig in Austin, Texas in April 1982, Sally, Jen, and Mary drove back to their home-city of Waco – also situated in the Lone Star State. On the way back, however, something strange happened around 2:00 a.m.: the three teenage friends had a period of what in UFO/alien abduction research circles is known as “missing time.” Austin to Waco is not a particularly long journey; however, all three girls were shocked to find there was a period of around three hours that could not be accounted for when they got home. They soon began having nightmarish dreams of being taken on-board a UFO by dwarfish creatures that had faces “like frogs.” All three stated they were subjected to intrusive medical procedures and all were told they would forget the experience – which, as it transpires, they clearly did not.

Now, we have to take a trip back to the very early hours of Christmas Day 1985. Only hours after briefly seeing a cigar-shaped UFO hovering near Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England, Sandra Green – who was driving home after a late night Christmas Eve party, in the English city of Bath – had a bizarre dream in which three Men in Black warned her to keep her nose out of UFOs. That the dream was so graphic led Sandra to believe that the MIB had the ability to literally get inside her dreams, manipulate those very same dreams, and issue a bone-chilling warning – one she has not forgotten.

Although skeptics might be inclined to suggest that a dream is just a dream and nothing else, just maybe that’s not always the case.