Geen fotobeschrijving beschikbaar.

Dit is ons nieuw hondje Kira, een kruising van een waterhond en een Podenko. Ze is sinds 7 februari 2024 bij ons en druk bezig ons hart te veroveren. Het is een lief, aanhankelijk hondje, dat zich op een week snel aan ons heeft aangepast. Ze is heel vinnig en nieuwsgierig, een heel ander hondje dan Noleke.

This is our new dog Kira, a cross between a water dog and a Podenko. She has been with us since February 7, 2024 and is busy winning our hearts. She is a sweet, affectionate dog who quickly adapted to us within a week. She is very quick and curious, a very different dog than Noleke.

Carl Sagan Space GIF by Feliks Tomasz Konczakowski

X Files Ufo GIF by SeeRoswell.com

1990: Petit-Rechain, Belgium triangle UFO photograph - Think AboutIts

Ufo Pentagon GIF

ufo abduction GIF by Ski Mask The Slump God

Flying Sci-Fi GIF by Feliks Tomasz Konczakowski

Season 3 Ufo GIF by Paramount+

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    The purpose of  this blog is the creation of an open, international, independent and  free forum, where every UFO-researcher can publish the results of his/her research. The languagues, used for this blog, are Dutch, English and French.You can find the articles of a collegue by selecting his category.
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    In 2011 startte ik deze blog, omdat ik niet mocht stoppen met mijn UFO-onderzoek.

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    UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN - DE ALLERLAATSTE NIEUWTJES
    UFO's of UAP'S in België en de rest van de wereld
    In België had je vooral BUFON of het Belgisch UFO-Netwerk, dat zich met UFO's bezighoudt. BEZOEK DUS ZEKER VOOR ALLE OBJECTIEVE INFORMATIE , enkel nog beschikbaar via Facebook en deze blog. Verder heb je ook het Belgisch-Ufo-meldpunt en Caelestia, die prachtig, doch ZEER kritisch werk leveren, ja soms zelfs héél sceptisch... Voor Nederland kan je de mooie site www.ufowijzer.nl bezoeken van Paul Harmans. Een mooie site met veel informatie en artikels. MUFON of het Mutual UFO Network Inc is een Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in alle USA-staten en diverse landen. MUFON's mission is the analytical and scientific investigation of the UFO- Phenomenon for the benefit of humanity... Je kan ook hun site bekijken onder www.mufon.com. Ze geven een maandelijks tijdschrift uit, namelijk The MUFON UFO-Journal. Since 02/01/2020 is Pieter ex-president (=voorzitter) of BUFON, but also ex-National Director MUFON / Flanders and the Netherlands. We work together with the French MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP. ER IS EEN NIEUWE GROEPERING DIE ZICH BUFON NOEMT, MAAR DIE HEBBEN NIETS MET ONZE GROEP TE MAKEN. DEZE COLLEGA'S GEBRUIKEN DE NAAM BUFON VOOR HUN SITE... Ik wens hen veel succes met de verdere uitbouw van hun groep. Zij kunnen de naam BUFON wel geregistreerd hebben, maar het rijke verleden van BUFON kunnen ze niet wegnemen...
    27-03-2019
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Sounds heard from deep space could be evidence of advanced alien technology

    Sounds heard from deep space could be evidence of advanced alien technology

    Some experts believe the fast radio bursts could be evidence of alien technology

    Supernova remnants, one of the suggested sources for 13 FRBs discovered by a Canadian-led team. File photograph: Nasa via The New York Times

    Supernova remnants, one of the suggested sources for 13 FRBs discovered by a Canadian-led team.

    File photograph: Nasa via The New York Times

    Mysterious repeating energy bursts from deep space that some experts have suggested could be evidence of advanced aliens have been detected for the second time.

    The repeating bursts are an example of what are known as fast radio bursts (FRBs), millisecond-long flashes of radio waves whose origin is unknown.

    Most scientists believe they are generated by powerful astrophysical phenomena such as black holes or super-dense neutron stars. But a few scientists have suggested more outlandish theories.

    Prof Avid Loeb, from the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in the US, argues that they could be evidence of incredibly advanced alien technology.

    FRBs were first detected accidentally in 2007, when a burst signal was spotted in radio astronomy data collected in 2001.

    The new discovery, reported in the journal Nature, was made by a Canadian-led team of astronomers on the hunt for FRBs.


    Over a period of three weeks last summer, the team detected 13 FRBs using a new type of radio telescope, the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (Chime).

    One of the FRBs was repeating. Of the more than 60 FRBs detected to date, such repeating bursts have only been picked up once before, by the Areciboradio telescope in Puerto Rico in 2015.

    Where the FRBs come from is not known, although they are thought to emanate from sources billions of light years away outside our galaxy, the Milky Way.

    Chime astrophysicist Dr Ingrid Stairs, from the University of British Columbia, Canada, said: “Until now, there was only one known repeating FRB.

    “Knowing that there is another suggests that there could be more out there. And with more repeaters and more sources available for study, we may be able to understand these cosmic puzzles – where they’re from and what causes them.”

    ‘Scattering’

    Most of the 13 FRBs showed signs of “scattering”, suggesting their sources could be powerful astrophysical objects in locations with special characteristics, the scientists said.

    Team member Dr Cherry Ng, from the University of Toronto, Canada, said: “That could mean in some sort of dense clump like a supernova remnant. Or near the central black hole in a galaxy. But it has to be in some special place to give us all the scattering that we see.”

    In 2017 Prof Loeb and Harvard colleague Manasvi Lingham proposed that FRBs could be leakage from planet-sized alien transmitters.

    Rather than being designed for communication, they would more likely be used to propel giant spaceships powered by light sails.

    Prof Loeb, who discusses the idea in a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, said: “An artificial origin is worth contemplating and checking.” – PA

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news }

    27-03-2019 om 00:43 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:ASTRONOMIE / RUIMTEVAART
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Birth of 'Great Dark Spot' Storm on Neptune Seen for 1st Time (Photo)

    Birth of 'Great Dark Spot' Storm on Neptune Seen for 1st Time (Photo)

    This composite picture shows images of storms on Neptune from the Hubble Space Telescope (left) and the Voyager 2 spacecraft (right). The Hubble image of Neptune, taken in September and November of 2018, shows a new dark storm (top center). In the Voyager image, a storm known as the Great Dark Spot is seen at the center. It is about 8,000 miles by 4,100 miles (13,000 by 6,600 kilometers) in size. The white clouds seen hovering in the vicinity of the storms are higher in altitude than the dark material.

    This composite picture shows images of storms on Neptune from the Hubble Space Telescope (left) and the Voyager 2 spacecraft (right). The Hubble image of Neptune, taken in September and November of 2018, shows a new dark storm (top center). In the Voyager image, a storm known as the Great Dark Spot is seen at the center. It is about 8,000 miles by 4,100 miles (13,000 by 6,600 kilometers) in size. The white clouds seen hovering in the vicinity of the storms are higher in altitude than the dark material.
    (Image: © NASA/ESA/GSFC/JPL)

    For the first time ever, astronomers have witnessed the birth of one of Neptune's enormous "Great Dark Spot" storms.

    Astronomers were studying Hubble Space Telescope images of a relatively small Neptune maelstrom that formed in 2015 when they noticed bright white clouds forming in a different locale on the ice giant. By 2018, a dark storm as wide as Earth had boiled up in that region, the researchers announced in a study published today (March 25) in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

    "We were so busy tracking this smaller storm from 2015 that we weren't necessarily expecting to see another big one so soon," study lead author Amy Simon, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement.

    The find brings the total tally of observed Great Dark Spots on Neptune to six. The first two such disturbances were detected by NASA's Voyager 2 probe during its Neptune flyby in August 1989, which provided the first up-close look at the mysterious blue planet. Hubble discovered the other four spots.

    Indeed, Hubble imagery has been key in characterizing these dramatic, otherworldly storms. For example, photos captured by the space telescope in 1994 revealed that the two tempests seen by Voyager 2 had dissipated, revealing that Great Dark Spots don't last very long, at least by giant-planet standards.

    "It was certainly a surprise," Simon said. "We were used to looking at Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, which presumably had been there for more than 100 years."

    This spectacular image by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows Jupiter's trademark Great Red Spot — a swirling storm larger than Earth.

    (Image: © NASA, ESA, and A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center))

    The Great Red Spot, which has been observed continuously since at least 1830, is confined to a narrow latitude range by Jupiter's jet streams. But Neptune's Great Dark Spots wander around the planet much more freely before they're finally ripped apart by high-altitude winds, the researchers said.

    Witnessing the birth of a Great Dark Spot sheds additional light on these mysterious features. For example, the association between the newborn storm and those bright white clouds, which are composed of frozen methane, suggests that the spots take shape deeper in Neptune's atmosphere than previously thought. The methane clouds likely float above Great Dark Spots the way "lenticular" clouds hover over tall mountains here on Earth, study team members said.

    Simon conducted the new study with Michael Wong and Andrew Hsu, both of whom are at the University of California, Berkeley. In a second study — also published today, in the Astronomical Journal — the researchers used Hubble observations to estimate the frequency of Great Dark Spot formation on Neptune. 

    Hubble captures birth of giant storm on Neptune

    The cyclic motion of the Great Red Spot imaged by the Cassini spacecraft. Unlike on Neptune, Thin jet streams on Jupiter keep the Great Red Spot from breaking apart and from changing latitude; it rotates around Jupiter but doesn’t move north or south.

    Credit: NASA.

    Such storms likely crop up every four to six years, the scientists found. And each Great Dark Spot probably lives for just two years or so, though some may reach the ripe old age of six. 

    There's still a lot to learn about Great Dark Spots, however, such as their wind speeds. Further Hubble observations and analyses could help unlock these and other mysteries, study team members said.

    Hubble captures birth of giant storm on Neptune

    A view of the first Great Dark Spot scientists observed on Neptune.

    Credit: NASA.

    "We have never directly measured winds within Neptune’s dark vortices, but we estimate the wind speeds are in the ballpark of 328 feet (100 meters) per second [223 mph, or 359 km/h], quite similar to wind speeds within Jupiter’s Great Red Spot," Wong said in the same statement.

    Mike Wall's book about the search for alien life, "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), is out now.

    Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall.

    Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook

    https://www.space.com/ }

    27-03-2019 om 00:30 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:ASTRONOMIE / RUIMTEVAART
    26-03-2019
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.NASA wants to use a helicopter to explore Mars

    NASA wants to use a helicopter to explore Mars

    BY JORDAN STRICKLER 

    Not content to purely rove on Mars, NASA is also taking to the air. The Mars 2020 Rover (which is scheduled to land on the Red Planet in early 2021) will include a helicopter — the first heavier-than-air vehicle to fly in the thin Martian atmosphere.

    Animation of Mars helicopter and Mars 2020 rover. Image credits: NASA / JPL / CalTech

    The helicopter will be deployed from the rover. The rover then will be driven away from the helicopter to a safe distance from which it will relay commands. After its batteries are charged and a myriad of tests are performed, the helicopter will begin the first autonomous flight on an extraterrestrial body in history. The helicopter offers a new way of exploring Mars, one which offers a novel way of exploring places such as Mars.

    The Mars Helicopter’s initial flight will represent that planet’s version of the Wright Brothers’ achievement at Kitty Hawk and the opening of a new era,” said Susan Gorton, NASA’s manager for the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) project. “For those of us whose research revolves around all things related to flight, that would be a remarkable, historic moment.

    The body of the helicopter will be about as big as a softball. It will weigh just under four pounds (1.8 kilograms) and have two sets of rotor blades — each measuring four-feet long — spinning at 2,400 RPMs. That’s about 10 times faster than any helicopter you might find on Earth. A solar array on the top of the vehicle will recharge the batteries, which will be used to both rotate the blades and keep it warm during Mars’ cold nights (Insight recorded a balmy high of 4 degrees Fahrenheit [-15 Celsius] on March 24).

    The helicopter will only fly some 15 feet above the Martian surface, but don’t dismiss that distance. The intended landing point for the 2020 Rover is the equivalent to 100,000 feet (30,000 meters) above the surface of our home planet, which is almost 19 miles up. No helicopter has reached even half that height here.

    NASA plans to attempt up to five flights, from 330 feet to 3,300 feet (100 to 1,000 meters) away from the lander, each lasting 90 seconds. While it won’t have any scientific instruments on it, the helicopter will have a small high-resolution color imager.

    We envision helicopters opening doors to new types of exploration on Mars,” said Håvard Grip, flight-control and aerodynamics lead for the Mars Helicopter. “In the future, we could imagine doing things like (engaging in) regional exploration using multiple helicopters or going to inaccessible areas or biologically sensitive areas using small helicopters.

    This isn’t NASA’s only rotor-flight machine in the works. A mission aptly-named Dragonflywill hope to introduce a quadcopter lander to Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, in 2020.

    https://www.zmescience.com/ }

    26-03-2019 om 23:56 geschreven door peter  

    0 1 2 3 4 5 - Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen)
    Categorie:ASTRONOMIE / RUIMTEVAART
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.The Very Strong Connection Between UFOs and Nuclear Weapons Storage Facilities

    The Very Strong Connection Between UFOs and Nuclear Weapons Storage Facilities

    The Very Strong Connection Between UFOs and Nuclear Weapons Storage Facilities


    The photo you see above is a real picture taken in August of 1952, it’s a photograph of multiple UFOs taken by the Coast Guard photographer at the time above a US military installation, a common place for UFO sightings. The photo was classified by the US government, and then later approved for release. It was witnessed by multiple ‘professional’ people. (source) (source

    There is no shortage of pictures and videos when it comes to UFOs, here'sanother ‘official’ example you can read about from the Canadian military. Here is another one the Pentagon recently released. 

    It seems to me that the Bentwaters incident is a classic case where an apparent intrusion into our airspace and indeed a landing in our country was witnessed by serious minded people in the military, responsible people doing a responsible job…Bentwaters is in a sense, a benchmark of how not to deal with these matters in the future…I know a good bit about the bentwaters incident…There are only two explanations for what happened that night…The first is that what the people concerned…they claimed that something from outside the Earth’s atmosphere landed at their Air Force base, they went and stood by it, they inspected it, they photographed it, the following day they took tests on the ground where it had been and found radioactive traces. They reported this…and sent it to our ministry of defense.

    The quote above comes from Lord Admiral Hill-Norton, Former Chief of Defence Staff, 5 Star Admiral of the Royal Navy, and Chairman of the NATO military committee regarding what’s known as the Bentwaters incident. It’s an incident that took place in Rendlesham Forest, and remains a very important event and one of the most controversial UFO cases ever – because it’s supported by military testimony as well as military documentation. The area houses nuclear weapons, a fact that was denied for years by authorities, but then admitted to be true. 

    Norton is one of several hundred (and more than 1000 worldwide) military witnesses coming forward to testify to the reality of extraterrestrial visitation. He later went on to say that:

    There are objects in our atmosphere which are technically miles in advance of anything we can deploy, that we have no means of stopping them coming here … [and] that there is a serious possibility that we are being visited and have been visited for many years by people from outer space, from other civilizations. That it behooves us, in case some of these people in the future or now should turn hostile, to find out who they are, where they come from, and what they want. This should be the subject of rigorous scientific investigation and not the subject of ‘rubishing’ by tabloid newspapers.

    The incident at Bentwaters, according to the UK ministry of defence, was described as having “no defence significance.” This didn’t make much sense – how can you tell people that after a Colonel of a nuclear weapons facility and his many men either experienced what they experienced, or all suffered a giant hallucination together, is of no defence significance? Doesn’t make sense, does it? 

    There are examples from all over the world. The same thing has been happening in Russia, with even Wikileaks articles titled, “Unidentified Flying Objects Over Algeria,” providing details regarding the Secretary General of The Ministry of Defense, Colonel Abdelhamid Latrech, and his interest in strange machines which had been maneuvering over Algerian airspace in recent weeks.” 

    The document outlines how these strange objects had been seen near military installations by responsible people. The “responsible people” list is blocked out and states “Limited Official Use,” because the people in question are military personnel. Hundreds of these people have come forward publicly, however, and here is one example. 

    Professor Robert Jacobs (first officer ever awarded with the Air Force guided missile insignia), who was the officer in charge of optical instrumentation at Vandernburg Air Force Base, was responsible for supervising the instrumentation photography of every missile that went down the test range. In those days, the nuclear missiles were called “inter country ballistic missiles” (ICBM’s) because most of them blew up on launch. Their job was also to provide data on why they blew up, so they could provide the engineers good enough engineering sequential photography so that they could see what was wrong with the missile as it took off in flight. 

    What we photographed up there affected me for the rest of my life, and made a huge impact on my understanding of the universe, and of, governmental manipulation of our minds. (source

    In the video below you can also see a recreation of the event. 


    Another incident occurred at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, and is one of the most remarkable events in this history of UFO encounters with the military. This occurred in March of 1967 at a base that was responsible for a large amount of nuclear weapons. Witnesses here saw a red, glowing UFO hovering just outside the front gate. After that happened, all of the nuclear missiles shut down, and went completely dead. 

    Below is a clip of Captain Robert Salas, one of the men involved in the incident, giving his testimony at the Citizens Hearing on Disclosure that took place a few years ago, where a number of academics, politicians, and ex-military gathered in front of several congresspeople to discuss the matter and what happened there. 


    So, Why Is This Happening? 

    There are many theories out there. When military witnesses gathered at the national press club in 2010, the feeling among them was that these UFOs and whoever they are operated by, are sending a message that we are “playing with fire.” But testimony from another high ranking officer who spent his life working in and around nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons facilities offers up a different explanation based on the information he’s been privy to. 

    His name is Colonel Ross Dedrickson, and he said that he and his team constantly received “reports of visits by UFOs over the storage facilities and even some of the manufacturing facilities, and that went on continuously.” He went on to say that they “found that the reports were few and far between, but the security people were reluctant to report many of them because the protocol and the bureaucracy involved in reporting them, they just avoided reporting.”

    We observed the UFOs were very much interested in the facilities (nuclear weapons manufacturing facilities) that were visiting…A couple of nuclear weapons that were sent out into space were destroyed by the extraterrestrials.

    After stating the above, he goes on to use the Vandenburg incident (mentioned earlier in the article) as an example, where they photographed the missile and the UFO as the missile climbed into space. 

    He goes on to state:

    And that is their (extraterrestrials) major concern, to preserve the integrity of the Earth because it affects their own system…There was one incident when we exploded a nuclear weapon over the pacific…and the disturbance that it caused because it shut out communications entirely over the pacific base for a number of hours in which no radio transmission was available at any time…This was one of the things that the extraterrestrials later I learned were highly concerned about because it affected our ionosphere and, in fact, space-craft were unable to operate because of the pollution in the magnetic field, which they depended upon. At the very end of the 70s and early 80s, we attempted to put a nuclear weapon on the moon and explode it for scientific measurements and other things (assess scientific data, reaction and so forth..), which was not acceptable to the extraterrestrials…They destroyed the weapon before it got to the moon….The idea of any explosion in space by any Earth government was not acceptable to the extraterrestrials, and that has been demonstrated by extraterrestrials over and over.

    Watch the full interview where these quotes were taken, HERE

    So, from all of this information we have a few theories. Extraterrestrials are warning us to stop playing with fire and building nuclear weapons, that it’s not in our best interest and we should stop. Secondly, a nuclear explosion is huge, and the energy travels far beyond the physical blast radius and not only affects our solar system, but others as well. Also, as mentioned above, nuclear explosions pollute the magnetic field, something that they rely on to operate their craft. 

    One things for certain, the deactivation of these weapons, along with our willingness to not use our intelligence to create deadly weapons is a must if the human race wants to move forward. Human consciousness is changing, and it is us who must be that change. It is the person working to develop these weapons, seeing through the lies of the justification of making these weapons, and more. 

    Humanity must wake up, and realize that this is a big no no, and, year after year we get closer and closer to more people having that realization. 

    Definitely some interesting things to think about. What are your thoughts? 

    Related CE article: What Happens When A UFO is tracked on Military Radar? 

    If you’d like to read/browse through our UFO/extraterrestrial article archive, please visit the exopolitics sections of our website HERE


    Book Recommendations: www.richarddolanpress.com

    To learn more specifically about UFOs and nuclear weapons, we recommend checking out the work of long time researcher on the matter,Robert Hastings.

    You can see some more declassified documents pertaining to this matter, here

    Thanks to: Collective Evolution 

    http://ufos-disclosure.blogspot.com/ }

    26-03-2019 om 23:44 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:UFOs , UAPs , USOS
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Two ‘Alien’ Beings Can Be Seen Inside A UFO – From Footage Verified By The Turkish Government

    Two ‘Alien’ Beings Can Be Seen Inside A UFO – From Footage Verified By The Turkish Government

    I know, reading the title would instantly have a ‘non believer’ click the X button on the top righthand corner of the screen, and that’s fine, but the truth remains. And that truth is the fact that “there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone.” Those are the words of Luis Elizondo, who is one member of the To The Stars Academy, a man with a long career within the U.S. Department of Defense, who recently retired from the Pentagon, and was a director of the “Ariel Threats Identification Program.”

    Does it mean the footage below is real? No, but the source is interesting and myself as well as many other UFO researchers in the field, would tell you that it might be one of the few authentic ones out there where occupants of these ‘UFOs’ are seen. The US government has now released UFO footage, more on that below.

    Through To The Stars, the U.S. government has been, and will continue to release footage they’ve collected over many years of UFOs that perform maneuvers which defy, as Elizondo states, our understanding of aerodynamics. They’ve released some pretty amazing ones so far that come with actual electrooptical data and radar tracking reports. Keep in mind, as stressed by Elizondo and various documents that’ve been released prior to this disclosure, that military encounters with UFOs have occurred many times. There are many examples and reports to choose from and I recently wrote an article about an incident which occurred with the Chilean Air Force.

    What’s interesting about the recent mainstream coverage is that they released actual video footage and to be honest, it’s quite discouraging that UFO footage has to be released by the U.S. government in order for it to be considered ‘real.’ Sure, there are still many out here who are going to call it fake, which means one thing, there are a group of defense officials making fake videos, putting them out in the public, and saying they’re real or, it’s actual authentic footage.

    To contemplate the first one is just as intriguing to contemplate the second, but in my mind, there is no doubt that these are indeed real, and we don’t need these videos to come out to prove that.

    The story as to what they are, however, will most likely be controlled by some ‘powerful people’ who oversee governments. Who knows what spin they will put on it via mainstream media, but right now we are currently seeing ‘official disclosure.’


    Related CE Article:


    This is the first time we’ve seen media ‘owned by the establishment’ present the UFO topic in a credible way, which is peculiar for multiple reasons. They told the truth, yet there still seems to be some misinformation with regards to the materials that have been collected in association with these UFOs, as pointed out by the New York Times. You can read more about that here where I go into a deeper discussion and provide details about what the New York Times did not elaborate on.

    This is why the footage below is also intriguing. Elizondo admitted that this type of thing has happened thousands of times and the ‘unofficial’ reports and sightings from citizens of the world have never been considered credible, when some of them very well could be. But we didn’t need Elizondo, again, we’ve had evidence, and even physical evidence of these crafts for a long time.

    Whether or not they are alien is a completely different question and discussion.

    The footage below comes from Dr. Roger Leir, a Doctor of Podiatric medicine, and arguably the best known individual with regards to extracting alleged alien implants. He has performed more than fifteen surgeries that removed sixteen separate distinct objects. These objects have been investigated by several prestigious laboratories, including Los Alamos National Laboratories, New Mexico Tech, and many others. Unfortunately, he passed away in March 2014, but his legacy lives on.You can watch a video of him at the Citizens hearing on disclosure in 2013, here.

    In the film below, you will see what appears to be two beings inside of a UFO. Filmed by multiple film crews in Turkey, it made headlines there. It’s known as the Kum­burgaz, Turkey UFO incident, and involves several witnesses who live in the local village. The video was ana­lyzed by the Sci­en­tific and Tech­nol­ogy Research Board of Turkey (which is sponsored by the gov­ern­ment). They concluded and vouched for its authenticity.

    In conclusion, even though a detailed analysis of the footage is conducted, it might still remain unidentified. Hence, other reference objects need to be recorded in the same frame with the disputable object and further shootings need to be done by ourselves with special equipment in the same location and conditions.

    Accordingly, the term “UFO” (Unidentified Flying Object) which has been used for these sort of dubious objects can also be used for these objects. But, this definition does not mean that these objects are from extraterrestrial (flying saucer etc.) origin.

    The incidents were dramatic. Apparently, for several days disc, metallic spheres, round, and oval shaped unknown craft visited the Sea of Mar­mara just off the coast of Kum­burgaz, Turkey.

    It also so happens that Dr. Lier was there as well and had a powerful camera on hand. Below is a snippet from one of many interviews he’s given describing the experience,

    We’re standing on an elevated deck, which has nothing between us and the water. It was a rather warm night and there was a very very bright full moon. The camera we were using had a 300 mm lens and an electronic doubler. In other words we were able to push or close in on the object 600 times magnification. We started by looking at the moon… the moon was very bright and under these circumstances it’s just the absolute worst time to look for UFOs because the light from the moon pollutes the surrounding sky it’s like, you know, trying to film something at night in the sky in the middle of the city…But anyway…We saw a little bright dot to the left and below the moon and then after getting our focus on the moon we moved the camera over to this little bright light and then started to zoom in on it… and when we got probably 3 quarters of the way from magnification and we’re looking through the view finder and we’re also recording this on the monitor, we see that this light is not a plane. It’s not from a star, it’s not a helicopter, it has a shape to it, which was cylindrical in the front, and then it would  turn time to time and you could see that it was probably crescent shaped…And as we pushed on what we considered the front of the object, now that’s when we were so startled by…we just couldn’t believe what we were seeing…This was a craft that had, whatever you choose to call it…Viewing ports, windows, whatever, three, one big one in the front and one towards each side and the craft externally was being lit by the moon…So you could see that it was a shiny… sort of metallic material.  What you could see through these ports was light that was emanating from the internal portion of the craft and standing there in these portals were some of these beings….They knew we were there filming them it, was like “oh hello, go ahead film away.”  (Interview with Dr. lier

    Whether it be a former Chairman of the Royal Navy telling us that “there is a serious possibility that we are being visited, and have been visited by people from outer space,” a former Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Barry Goldwater telling us that “I do know that whatever the Air Force has on the subject is going to remain highly classified,” or an Apollo 14 astronaut saying that “there have been crashed craft, and bodies recovered,” we have no shortage of high-ranking insiders attesting to the reality of this phenomenon.

    General Carlos Cavero told the world in 1979, “everything” has been “in a process of investigation both in the United States and in Spain, as well as the rest of the world.” On a global scale, “the nations of the world are currently working together in the investigation of the UFO phenomenon” and there is “an international exchange of data.” (source)

    Global Paradigm Shifts & The Human Psyche 

    The thing about global paradigm shifts and human beliefs is that there seems to be a general accepted version of reality. Many people are happy, raising families, enjoying life, and not really worrying about the planet. And that’s ok, as long as it doesn’t turn into a hatred for activists because that seems to be common. The point is, it can be terrifying, belief destroying, and destructive for some to even consider the possibility that this type of thing is real. Our first response, that I believe has been programmed into us, is fear.

    It’s natural to fear the unknown, but where is the line drawn between not being concerned and completely denying a reality?

    At what point does something become a reality? What is ‘reality’ is often what’s presented to us by a small group of people, and that’s far from a conspiracy theory.

    Why don’t we question what’s happening in our world? Perhaps the planet is more important than we are, Earth has been extremely patient with us and is calling for us to change our ways!

    What does this have to do with ET’s? I don’t know, but it’s not all scary stories out there. Just take a look at this one with regards to UFOs and their relationship with nuclear weapons, where the objects deactivated nuclear missiles. This has happened multiple times worldwide, and it’s quite mainstream knowledge. You can read more about it here.

    Based on my research, it seems ‘they’ have been here for a very long time, if there was any real ‘invasion threat’ type of scenario in the works, it would have already happened.

    However, a fake alien invasion scenario could be in the works too, who knows?  You can read more about that in detail here. 

    The UFO/extraterrestrial phenomenon forces us to expand our minds, think outside the box, perhaps show a little more intelligence and come up with more educated guesses with regards to why ‘they’ might be visiting us, and have been. Alien invasion is one of countless possible explanations. Use your imagination 🙂 I don’t feel there is any type of sinister intentions with the majority of races that could be out there, but with some, there most probably is as well. Who knows.

    The topic leaves no area of humanity untouched, and in the greater scheme of reality, it’s probably one very small tiny truth, that doesn’t even represent the tip of the ice berg 🙂

    https://www.collective-evolution.com/ }

    26-03-2019 om 23:21 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:ALIEN LIFE, UFO- CRASHES, ABDUCTIONS, MEN IN BLACK, ed ( FR. , NL; E )
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.When UFOs Buzzed the White House and the Air Force Blamed the Weather

    When UFOs Buzzed the White House and the Air Force Blamed the Weather

    When a slew of saucer-like sightings was reported over Washington, D.C. in 1952, the Air Force blocked its own investigator from checking them out.
    The White House, 1952.

    The White House, 1952.

    1952 was the year America caught flying-saucer fever.

    So when a rash of strange sightings was reported in the skies over Washington D.C. that summer, the press and the public demanded answers. Were these unexplained radar blips, crafts that in some cases outran jets, part of a nuclear-armed Soviet invasion—a very real threat at the height of the Red Scare? Or were they evidence of something far more mysterious?

    The Washington, D.C. sightings of July 1952, also known as “the Big Flap,” hold a special place in the history of unidentified flying objects. Major American newspapers were reporting multiple credible sightings by civilian and military radar operators and pilots—so many that a special intelligence unit of the U.S. Air Force was sent in to investigate. What they found—or didn’t find—along with the Air Force’s official explanation, fueled some of the earliest conspiracy theories about a government plot to hide evidence of alien life.

    UFO mania takes hold

    It all started in 1947, when a search-and-rescue pilot named Kenneth Arnold reported nine "saucer-like things...flying like geese in a diagonal chainlike line" at speeds exceeding 1,000 m.p.h. near Mount Rainier in Washington State. Within weeks, “flying saucer” sightings had been reported in 40 other states.

    In the name of national security, Air Force General Nathan Twining launched Project SIGN (originally named Project SAUCER) in 1948, the first official military-intelligence program to collect information on UFO sightings. Its investigators dismissed the vast majority as hoaxes or misidentifications of known aircraft or natural phenomena.

    But a few cases remained “unexplained.”

    By 1952, the UFO-investigation unit was called Project Blue Book, led by Captain Edward Ruppelt at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Ruppelt and his team would probably have continued to investigate a couple dozen sightings a month if not for the April 1952 issue of LIFEmagazine. Just above its knockout cover shot of Marilyn Monroe ran an equally eye-catching headline: “There is a Case for Interplanetary Saucers.”

    The article, written with Ruppelt’s full cooperation, explained the Air Force’s national-security interest in UFOs. And it made a convincing case—through the colorful retelling of 10 unexplained UFO “incidents”—that these unidentified objects were extraterrestrial in origin. As one rocket scientist working on “secret” projects for the U.S. told LIFE: "I am completely convinced that they have an out-of-world basis."

    According to The Washington Post, the number of UFO sightings reported to the Air Force jumped more than sixfold, from 23 in March 1952 to 148 in June. By July, the precise conditions were in place for a wildfire of UFO mania: widespread Cold War anxiety, mainstream press coverage of unexplained UFO incidents and a healthy dose of “midsummer madness.” All that was needed was a spark.

    The Washington National Airport, 1953.

    Mysterious radar blips buzzing over the White House

    Shortly before midnight on Saturday, July 19, 1952, air-traffic controller Edward Nugent at Washington National Airport spotted seven slow-moving objects on his radar screen far from any known civilian or military flight paths. He called over his supervisor and joked about a “fleet of flying saucers.” At the same time, two more air-traffic controllers at National spotted a strange bright light hovering in the distance that suddenly zipped away at incredible speed.

    At nearby Andrews Air Force Base, radar operators were getting the same unidentified blips—slow and clustered at first, then racing away at speeds exceeding 7,000 mph. Looking out his tower window, one Andrews controller saw what he described as an “orange ball of fire trailing a tail.” A commercial pilot, cruising over the Virginia and Washington, D.C. area, reported six streaking bright lights, “like falling stars without tails.”

    When radar operators at National watched the objects buzz past the White House and Capitol building, the UFO jokes stopped. Two F-94 interceptor jets were scrambled, but each time they approached the locations appearing on the radar screens, the mysterious blips would disappear. By dawn of July 20, the objects were gone.

    ‘I tried to make contact with the bogies’

    Nobody bothered to tell Ruppelt, the Air Force’s lead Project Blue Book investigator, about the sightings. He found out a few days later when he flew into Washington, D.C. and read news reports. Ruppelt tried to get out to National and Andrews to interview radar operators and air-traffic controllers, but was denied a government-issued car or even cab fare. Frustrated, he flew back to Ohio with nothing.

    The very next Saturday, the UFOs were back over the nation’s capital. Again, Ruppelt found out through a phone call from a reporter, and immediately called on two Air Force colleagues to check out the situation at National. The same radar blips were back, and radar operators wondered out loud if the dozen or so objects on their screens couldn’t be caused by a temperature inversion, a common phenomenon in D.C.’s hot, muggy summer months.

    A temperature inversion occurs when a layer of warm air forms in the low atmosphere, trapping cooler air beneath. Radar signals can bounce off this layer at shallow angles and mistakenly show near-ground objects as appearing in the sky. Ruppelt’s Air Force colleagues, however, were convinced that the objects on the radar screen weren’t mirages, but solid aircraft.

    To be safe, two more F-94 jets were scrambled to chase down the unidentified targets appearing on radar screens at both National and Andrews. A game of high-speed Whack-a-Mole ensued, where the jets would race to a location targeted by radar, only for the blips to vanish. Finally, one of the jet pilots caught sight of a bright light in the distance and gave chase.

    “I tried to make contact with the bogies below 1,000 feet,” the pilot later told reporters. “I saw several bright lights. I was at maximum speed, but even then I had no closing speed. I ceased chasing them because I saw no chance of overtaking them.”

    Captain Edward Ruppelt, standing, and General John Samford, seated to the right of him, discussing the reports of unidentified flying objects with other Air Force officers at a 1952 news conference.

    Averting mass panic with a disputed theory

    The next day, newspaper headlines across America screamed “Saucers Swarm Over Capital” and “Jets Chase D.C. Sky Ghosts.” The publicity and public panic over the sightings were so great that President Harry Truman himself asked aides to get answers. When they called Ruppelt, he said it could have been caused by a temperature inversion, but more investigation was needed to fully explain both the radar images and credible eyewitness accounts.

    But before such an in-depth investigation could take place, the Air Force called a press conference, the longest such news event since World War II. The Air Force brass had decided, without consulting Ruppelt or the Project Blue Book team, that the best response to the sightings was to feed the press and the public an easy-to-swallow explanation.

    Dodging specific questions about what pilots and radar operators had seen in the skies over the Capitol, Major General John Samford came back again and again to the temperature-inversion theory. Never mind that Ruppelt had since come to the opposite conclusion.

    “The investigators had ruled out the inversion,” says Alejandro Rojas, editor of the UFO news site OpenMinds. “They had examined that situation. The radar operators said, ‘Inversions happen. We know what inversions look like. This is not an inversion. This is not the same thing at all.’”

    To Ruppelt’s disappointment, the Air Force’s press conference worked exactly as planned. The papers reported the temperature-inversion story and the public largely seemed to accept it. In his 1956 book, The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, Ruppelt reports that after the press conference, UFO sightings dropped from 50 a day to 10.

    Skeptics, however, weren’t satisfied with the pat government response. Many accused Air Force and Project Blue Book investigators of devious behavior and secret knowledge. It wasn’t until Project Blue Book documents were made public in 1985 that UFO sleuths could see that the closest thing to a government cover-up of UFO sightings in the nation’s capital was actually a conspiracy of ignorance.

    “The Washington UFO flap perfectly illustrates the real government 'cover-up',” says Nick Pope, a UFO journalist who used to run UFO-investigations unit for the British Ministry of Defense. “It’s not a situation where the authorities conspired to keep some terrible truth about UFOs from the people, but rather, the government doing its best to keep people from realizing that they didn't have all the answers.”

    VIDEO TRAILER: Project Blue Book Watch an exclusive clip of the new series Project Blue Book, premiering Tuesday, January 8 at 10/9c on HISTORY.

    26-03-2019 om 22:41 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:UFOs , UAPs , USOS
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Lost for Over 10,000 Years, but This Man Found It!

    Lost for Over 10,000 Years, but This Man Found It!

     
    They said it didn’t exist. Lost For Over 10,000 Years, But This Man Found It! Was it worth it?
     
    Today modern archaeology often works with digital technology. Geophysics has allowed thousands of ancient sites to be located – a huge gain for science.
     
    Namaste Matrix Wisdom. One of the best video-docu’s I’ve seen on this subject especially w/Edgar Cayce aka The Sleeping Prophet. How you tied him & all the others into a phenomenal stream was brilliant. Thank you so much for your time, efforts & loving sistah’s n brutha’s all over the world…wanting them to know the True Truths….be Set Free & above all…Be Empowered…! 5 Star Rating on a 5 Star Rating System….Bravo…!!! HigherWaysWoman

    https://beforeitsnews.com/v3/ }

    26-03-2019 om 22:12 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:ARCHEOLOGIE ( E, Nl, Fr )
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Is this proof of LIFE on Mars? NASA's Curiosity rover snaps photos of Martian mushrooms that prove the red planet is home to organic lifeforms, scientists claim in controversial study

    Is this proof of LIFE on Mars? NASA's Curiosity rover snaps photos of Martian mushrooms that prove the red planet is home to organic lifeforms, scientists claim in controversial study

    • Images from NASA's Mars Curiosity show pictures of mushrooms and funghi
    • Some scientists claim these NASA images show the red surface is not barren   
    • The claims from the researchers have yet to be confirmed or refuted by NASA

    Images from the surface of Mars reveal the presence of mushrooms, a group of scientists claim in a controversial new study. 

    It states some images captured by NASA's Curiosity show fungi is growing on the surface of the supposedly barren planet. 

    The claims have yet to be confirmed or refuted by NASA.

    Scroll down for video  

    A study claims some objects captured by NASA's Curiosity show fungi is growing on the surface of the supposedly barren planet (pictured)

    A study claims some objects captured by NASA's Curiosity show fungi is growing on the surface of the supposedly barren planet (pictured)

    The research lists 15 images as evidence of algae, lichens and 'Martian mushrooms'.

    Photographic evidence of such flourishing lifeforms, should the discovery be confirmed, would likely revolutionise our understanding of Mars and life outside of Earth. 

    Dr Regina Dass, of the department of microbiology at the school of life sciences, India, the study's co-author said: 'There are no geological or other abiogenic forces on Earth which can produce sedimentary structures, by the hundreds, which have mushroom shapes, stems, stalks, and shed what looks like spores on the surrounding surface,' the Express reports. 

    'In fact, fifteen specimens were photographed by NASA growing out of the ground in just three days.' 

    It remains unknown why life may have sprouted on Mars but it is possible conditions are more suitable for cultivating life underground than on the surface.  

    The claims have been published in Journal of Astrobiology and Space Science Reviews.

    A controversial piece of research such as this is subjected to extensive vetting by peers within the scientific community. 

    The research states 15 images include evidence of algae, lichens and 'Martian mushrooms' (pictured). The claims have been published in Journal of Astrobiology and Space Science Reviews

    The research states 15 images include evidence of algae, lichens and 'Martian mushrooms' (pictured). The claims have been published in Journal of Astrobiology and Space Science Reviews

    Photographic evidence of such flourishing lifeforms, should the discovery be confirmed, would revolutionise our understanding of Mars. Images from the rover include purported evidence of 'life' on martian rocks

    Photographic evidence of such flourishing lifeforms, should the discovery be confirmed, would revolutionise our understanding of Mars. Images from the rover include purported evidence of 'life' on martian rocks 

    Editors of the journal say six independent scientists and eight senior editors were recruited to scrutinise the study. 

    Eleven recommended publication on the grounds certain revisions were implemented and three rejected the results. 

    Other academics proposed an alternative explanation and say it is more feasible the specimens are hematite, a form of iron oxide. 

    The journal stated: 'Evidence is not proof and there is no proof of life on Mars.

    'Abiogenic explanations for this evidence can't be ruled out.'

    WHAT EVIDENCE DO SCIENTISTS HAVE FOR LIFE ON MARS?

    The search for life on other planets has captivated mankind for decades.

    But the reality could be a little less like the Hollywood blockbusters, scientists have revealed.

    They say if there was life on the red planet, it probably will present itself as fossilized bacteria - and have proposed a new way to look for it.

    Here are the most promising signs of life so far -

    Water 

    When looking for life on Mars, experts agree that water is key.

    Although the planet is now rocky and barren with water locked up in polar ice caps there could have been water in the past.

    In 2000, scientists first spotted evidence for the existence of water on Mars.

    The Nasa Mars Global Surveyor found gullies that could have been created by flowing water.

    The debate is ongoing as to whether these recurring slope lineae (RSL) could have been formed from water flow.

    Meteorites 

    Earth has been hit by 34 meteorites from Mars, three of which are believed to have the potential to carry evidence of past life on the planet, writes Space.com.

    In 1996, experts found a meteorite in Antarctica known as ALH 84001 that contained fossilised bacteria-like formations.

    However, in 2012, experts concluded that this organic material had been formed by volcanic activity without the involvement of life.

    Signs of Life 

    The first close-ups of the planet were taken by the 1964 Mariner 4 mission.

    These initial images showed that Mars has landforms that could have been formed when the climate was much wetter and therefore home to life.

    In 1975, the first Viking orbiter was launched and although inconclusive it paved the way for other landers.

    Many rovers, orbiters and landers have now revealed evidence of water beneath the crust and even occasional precipitation.

    Earlier this year, Nasa's Curiosity rover found potential building blocks of life in an ancient Martian lakebed.

    The organic molecules preserved in 3.5 billion-year-old bedrock in Gale Crater — believed to have once contained a shallow lake the size of Florida's Lake Okeechobee — suggest conditions back then may have been conducive to life.

    Future missions to Mars plan on bringing samples back to Earth to test them more thoroughly.

    Methane 

    In 2018, Curiosity also confirmed sharp seasonal increases of methane in the Martian atmosphere.

    Experts said the methane observations provide 'one of the most compelling' cases for present-day life.

    Curiosity's methane measurements occurred over four-and-a-half Earth years, covering parts of three Martian years.

    Seasonal peaks were detected in late summer in the northern hemisphere and late winter in the southern hemisphere. 

    The magnitude of these seasonal peaks – by a factor of three – was far more than scientists expected.

    26-03-2019 om 21:43 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:ASTRONOMIE / RUIMTEVAART
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Evidence of Life on Mars? - PART I

    Evidence of Life on Mars? - PART I

    R. Gabriel Joseph1, Regina S. Dass2, V. Rizzo3,
    N. Cantasano4, G. Bianciardi5

    1Astrobiology Associates, Emeritus, Brain Research Neuroscience Laboratory,
    Northern California, USA, 
    2Molecular Fungal Genetics and Mycotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, India
    3Emeritus, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, I.S.A.FO.M. U.O.S.,Cosenza, Italy
    4Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, I.S.A.FO.M. U.O.S., Cosenza, Italy
    5Department of Medical Biotechnology, Siena University, Italy

    Abstract

    Evidence is reviewed which supports the hypothesis that prokaryotes and eukaryotes may have colonized Mars. One source of Martian life, is Earth. A variety of species remain viable after long term exposure to the radiation intense environment of space, and may survive ejection from Earth following meteor strikes, ejection from the stratosphere and mesosphere via solar winds, and sterilization of Mars-bound spacecraft; whereas simulations studies have shown that prokaryotes, fungi and lichens survive in simulated Martian environments--findings which support the hypothesis life may have been repeatedly transferred from Earth to Mars. Four independent investigators have reported what appears to be fungi and lichens on the Martian surface, whereas a fifth investigator reported what may be cyanobacteria. In another study, a statistically significant majority of 70 experts, after examining Martian specimens photographed by NASA, identified and agreed fungi, basidiomycota ("puffballs"), and lichens may have colonized Mars. Fifteen specimens resembling and identified as "puffballs" were photographed emerging from the ground over a three day period. It is possible these latter specimens are hematite and what appears to be "growth" is due to a strong wind which uncovered these specimens--an explanation which cannot account for before and after photos of what appears to be masses of fungi growing atop and within the Mars rovers. Terrestrial hematite is in part fashioned and cemented together by prokaryotes and fungi, and thus Martian hematite may also be evidence of biology. Three independent research teams have identified sediments on Mars resembling stromatolites and outcroppings having micro meso and macro characteristics typical of terrestrial microbialites constructed by cyanobacteria. Quantitative morphological analysis determined these latter specimens are statistically and physically similar to terrestrial stromatolites. Reports of water, biological residue discovered in Martian meteor ALH84001, the seasonal waning and waxing of atmospheric and ground level Martian methane which on Earth is 90% due to biology and plant growth and decay, and results from the 1976 Mars Viking Labeled Release Experiments indicating biological activity, also support the hypothesis that Mars was, and is, a living planet. Nevertheless, much of the evidence remains circumstantial and unverified, and the possibility of life on Mars remains an open question.

    1. Overview: The Evidence

    Presented here is a body of evidence and observations which do not prove but supports the hypothesis Mars was, and is, a living planet hosting prokaryotes, lichens, and fungi. This evidence includes: 1) Results from simulation studies demonstrating a variety of species can survive in a Mars-like environment (Cockell et al. 2005; Osman et al. 2008; Mahaney & Dohm, 2010; Pacelli et al. 2016; Sanchez et al. 2012; Schuerger et al., 2017; Selbman et al. 2015), particularly if shielded by soil and stone and provided water for which there is now evidence (Malin & Edgett 1999, 2000; Perron et al. 2007; Renno et al. 2009; Villanueva et al. 2015); 2) NASA's Mars Viking Labeled Release experiments (Klein et al. 1976; Levin & Straat 1976, 1979a,b, 2016) which detected evidence which met the criteria established by pre-mission field-tests for biological activity; 3) Observation of specimens which resemble fungi, "puffballs," algae and lichens (Dass 2017; Joseph 2014; Kupa 2017; Rabb 2015; Small 2015); 4) Seasonal waxing, waning, and continual replenishment of Martian methane (Formisano et al. 2004; Mumma et al. 2009; Webster et al. 2018) and which has no obvious purely geological source and 90% of which on Earth is due to biological activity including seasonal plant growth; 5) Observations of digitate silica structures that closely resemble complex sedimentary formations produced by a combination of abiotic and biotic processes (Ruffi & Farmer 2016) as well what appears to be microbial mats (stromatolites) which may have been built by water-dwelling cyanobacteria, possibly between 3.2 to 3.7 billion years ago (Bianciardi et al. 2014, 2015; Noffke 2015; Rizzo & Cantasano 2009, 2011, 2016); 6) Specimens identified as "hematite" which were likely produced in thermal ("hot") springs (NASA 2009; Squyres et al. 2004) and which, on Earth, have been cemented together, via water-dwelling prokaryotes and fungi (Ayupova et al 2016; Bosea et al. 2009; Claeys 2006; Fredrickson et al., 2008; Gralnick & Hau 2007; Owocki et al. 2916); 7) Detection of carbonates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Martian meteorite ALH84001 which has been dated to 4 billion years ago and which were also generated in the presence of water (Clement et al. 1998; McKay et al. 2009; Thomas-Keprta et al. 2009).

    2. The Transfer of Life from Earth To Mars

    One obvious source of life on Mars would be Earth. It is probable that solar winds striking, ejecting and propelling microbe-laden dust and debris in the stratosphere and mesosphere, deep into space (cf Arrhenius, 1908), and microbes dwelling in rock ricocheted into space from Earth by meteor strikes, have repeatedly contaminated Mars and other planets (Davies, 2007; Fajardo-Cavazosa et al. 2007; Hara et al. 2010; Melosh 2003; Mileikowsky et al. 2000; Schulze‐Makuch, et al. 2005) and vice-versa.

    Space craft which landed or crashed on Mars may have also transferred life from Earth to Mars. For example, immediately after sterilization, between 300 to 540 distinct colonies (on average) consisting of millions of organisms, including fungi, vegetative microorganisms, Bacillus, and grampositive cocci (Staphylococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp.) and numerous microorganisms belonging to the genus Streptococcus and the Corynebacterium Brevibacterium group, were found per square meter on the outer surfaces of the Mars Vikings Landers and other space craft (La Duc et al. 2014; Venkateswaran et al. 2012; Puleo et al. 1977). As to species which were not or could not be cultured, and those masses of bacteria and fungi still growing within the interior of this equipment, the number of survivors is unknown.

    Bacillus not only survive dry heat sterilization but tolerate long duration exposure to the radiation intense environment of space (Horneck 1993; Nicholson et al. 2000; Vaishampayan et al. 2012) and in simulated Mars-like environments (Moeller et al. (2012). Various species of Micrococcus also escaped death by sterilization (Puleo et al. 1977) and survive in low Earth orbit, whereas various strains of staphylococcus and Corynebacterium, tolerate simulated space-like conditions (McLean & McLean 2010) and (Corynebacterium) simulated Martian environments (Nicholson et al. (2012) and, as noted, could not be eradicated from space craft. Streptococcus is yet another species which resisted NASA's sterilization attempts, and (although disputed) remained viable after direct exposure to space, including up to 30 months on the moon (Mitchell & Ellis, 1971). Hence, everything sent to Mars may have carried fungi and microorganisms as part of their cargo.

    3. Solar Winds vs Microbes in the Stratosphere and Mesosphere

    Over 1,800 different types of bacteria as well as fungi and algae thrive and flourish within the troposphere, the first layer of Earth's atmosphere (Brodie et al. 2007). Air is an ideal transport mechanism and serves as a major pathway for the dispersal of bacteria, virus particles, algae, protozoa, lichens, and fungi including those which dwell in soil and water. Viable microorganisms and spores have been recovered at heights of 40 km (Soffen 1965), 61 km (Wainwright et al., 2010) and up to 77 km within the mesosphere (Imshenetsky, 1978). These include Mycobacterium, Micrococcus, and fungi Aspergillus niger, Circinella muscae, and Penicillium notatumm 77 km above Earth (Imshenetsky, 1978).

    In one study designed to disprove the possibility NASA might contaminate Mars, samples of Bacillus pumilus were launched via a high-altitude NASA balloon to an altitude of 31 km above sea level (Khodad et al. 2017). Nevertheless, a large number of Bacillus pumilus remained viable; and it only takes one bacterium to produce billions of bacterial offspring. 

    Moreover, due to tropical storms, monsoons, and even seasonal upwellings of columns of air (Randel et al., 1998), microbes, spores, fungi, (along with water, methane, and other gases) may be transported to the stratosphere and mesosphere where they may remain viable (Imshenetsky, 1978; Soffen 1965; Wainwright et al., 2010). As first formally proposed by Nobel Laureate Dr. Svante Arrhenius (1908) solar winds and photons could disperse space-borne organisms throughout the cosmos.

    Hence, it can be readily assumed that microbes not only flourish in the troposphere, but when lofted into the stratosphere and mesosphere many remain viable and may then be blown into space by powerful solar winds (Arrhenius 1908; Joseph & Schild, 2010) where, as shown experimentally, they can easily survive (Horneck, et al. 1994, 2002, Nicholson et al. 2000; Novikova et al. 2016; Onofri et al. 2012; Raggio et al. 2011; Sancho et al. 2007; Setlow 2006).

    For example, between September 22-25, 1998, and as detected and measured by NASA's Ultraviolet Imager aboard the Polar spacecraft, a series of coronal mass ejections (CME) and a powerful solar wind created a shock wave which struck the magnetosphere and the polar regions with sufficient force to cause oxygen, helium, hydrogen, and other gases (Moore & Horwitz, 1998), as well as water molecules and surface dust (Schroder & Smith, 2008), to gush from Earth's upper atmosphere into space. Normally the pressure is around two or three nanopascals. However, when the CME struck on September 24, 1998, the pressure jumped to ten nanopascals. Such events may have occurred repeatedly throughout Earth's history.

    Thus, it could be predicted that some airborne microbes, fungi, lichens, and algae, as well as water and dust, have been repeatedly lofted into the upper atmosphere; that a significant number remained viable, and were then swept into space and propelled by solar winds throughout the solar system (Arrhenius 1908); some of which may have landed on Mars only to go forth and multiply.

    4. Meteorites, Microbes and Ejecta from Earth to Mars

    Although innumerable meteorites disintegrate upon striking Earth's upper atmosphere, those at least ten kilometers across will punch a hole in the atmosphere and continue their descent (Van Den Bergh, 1989). When meteors this size or larger strike the surface, tons of dust, rocks, and other debris may be propelled over 100 km above the planet (Covey et al. 1994; Hara et al. 2010) and ejected into space, some possibly passing through that atmospheric hole before air can rush back in to completely fill the gap (Van Den Bergh, 1989).

    Asteroids and meteors striking Earth may have repeatedly sheared away masses of earth and rock, and blasted this material (and presumably any adhering microbes, fungi, algae, and lichens) into space (Davies, 2007; Fajardo-Cavazosa et al. 2007; Hara et al. 2010; Melosh 2003; Schulze‐Makuch, et al. 2005), where they can easily survive (Horneck, et al. 2002, Mclean & McLean, 2010; Nicholson et al. 2000; Novikova 2009; Onofri et al. 2012; Raggio et al. 2011; Sancho et al. 2007; Setlow 2006). Some of this microbe-laden debris may have later crashed on Mars (Davies, 2007; Fajardo-Cavazosa et al. 2007; Hara et al. 2010; Schulze‐Makuch, et al. 2005) where, as demonstrated by simulation studies, a variety of organisms can also survive (Cockell et al. 2005; Osman et al. 2008; Mahaney & Dohm, 2010; Pacelli et al. 2016; Sanchez et al. 2012; Selbman et al. 2015).

    Experiments have shown that microbes can resist the shock of a violent impact casting them into space (Mastrapaa et al. 2001; Burchell et al. 2001, 2004). Further, a substantial number could easily survive the descent to the surface of a planet (Burchell et al. 2001; Horneck et al. 2002; McLean & McLean 2010), even following high atmospheric explosions, i.e. the Columbia space shuttle explosion (Szewczyk et al., 2005), and despite reentry speeds of up 9700 km h-1 (McLean et al., 2006).

    When meteors strike Earth's atmosphere, they are subjected to extremely high temperatures for only a few seconds. If of sufficient size, the interior of the meteor will stay relatively cool, with the surface material acting as a heat shield. Heat does not affect the material uniformly. The interior may never be heated above 100°C whereas spores can survive post shock temperatures of over 250°C (Burchell et al. 2004; Horneck et al. 2002). Mars has a very thin atmosphere.

    Thus, many species of microbe have evolved the ability to survive a violent hypervelocity impact and extreme acceleration and ejection into space, including extreme shock pressures of 100 GPa; the frigid temperatures and vacuum of an interstellar environment; the UV rays, cosmic rays, gamma rays, and ionizing radiation they would encounter; and the descent through the atmosphere and the crash landing onto the surface of a planet.

    Certainly, surviving organisms dwelling within ejecta from Earth might land on Mars (Davies, 2007; Fajardo-Cavazosa et al. 2007; Hara et al. 2010; Melosh 2003; Mileikowsky et al. 2000; Schulze‐Makuch, et al. 2005). And those which can adapt, would likely go forth and multiply.

    5. Simulation Studies of Life on Mars

    Numerous investigators have found that a variety of species, including bacteria, algae, fungi and lichens, can survive a simulated Mars-like environment, and that survival rates dramatically increase if provided water or shielded by rock, sand, or soil (Cockell et al. 2005; Osman et al. 2008; Mahaney & Dohm, 2010; Pacelli et al. 2016; Sanchez et al. 2012; Selbman et al. 2015; Villanueva et al. 2015). These simulated environments have included those which imitate Martian radiation, temperature extremes and variations, the low surface pressures, atmospheric gas pressures, the distance between Mars and the sun, the Martian summer/winter solstices and spring/fall equinoxes, environmental parameters analogues to the 24 hours 39 minutes circadian cycle of the Red Planet, effects of shielding and aqueous vs desert vs arctic vs subsurface conditions, and in a CO2-enriched anoxic atmosphere.

    For example, Moeller et al. (2012) found that spores of Bacillus subtilis survived simulated Martian atmospheric and UV irradiation conditions, whereas de Vera and colleagues (2014) reported that cyanobacteria collected from cold and hot deserts survived "Mars-like conditions such as atmospheric composition, pressure, variable humidity (saturated and dry conditions) and strong UV irradiation." Nicholson et al. (2012) reported that six subspecies of the genus Carnobacterium collected from a permafrost borehole in northeastern Siberia--considered to be analogs of the subsurface environment of Mars--and nine additional species of Carnobacterium were all capable of flourishing and growing under Mars-like conditions. In yet another study, four methanogen species (Methanosarcina barkeri, Methanococcus maripaludis, Methanothermobacter wolfeii, Methanobacterium formicicum) survived exposure to low pressure conditions similar to Martian surface pressure (Tarasashvili et al., 2013).

    Cyanobacteria also tolerate Mars-like conditions (de Vera et al. 2014). Olsson-Francis and colleagues (2009) exposed akinetes (dormant cells formed by filamentous cyanobacteria) to extraterrestrial conditions, including periods of desiccation, temperature extremes (-80 to 80°C), and UV radiation (325-400 nm), and which displayed high levels of viability in these environments similar to Mars.

    Eukaryotes (fungi, lichens) are also survivors (Armstrong 2017; de Vera 2012; Sanchez et al. 2012; Zakharova et al. 2014). Zakharova et al. (2014) report that microcolonial fungi, Knufia perforans and Cryomyces antarcticus, as well as Exophiala jeanselmei (a species of black yeasts), not only survived but adapted and showed no evidence of stress after long term exposure to thermo-physical Mars-like conditions. Likewise, Onofri et al. (2018), after growing dried colonies of the Antarctic cryptoendolithic black fungus Cryomyces antarcticus and exposing them for 16 months to simulated Mars-like conditions on the International Space Station, found that "C. antarcticus was able to tolerate the combined stress of different extraterrestrial substrates, space, and simulated Mars-like conditions in terms of survival, DNA, and ultrastructural stability."

    Lichens are a symbiotic organism which have been classified as both a prokaryote and eukaryote and are comprised of cyanobacteria and fungi or a eukaryotic algae and fungus (Armstrong 2017; Brodo et al. 2001; Tehler & Wedin, 2008)--species which remain viable when exposed to Mars-like stimulated environments (Olsson-Francis et al 2009; Zakharova et al. 2014). Likewise, lichens easily survive environmental extremes, lack of water, desiccation, temperatures as low as -196°C (Armstrong 2017; Becket et al. 2009), as well as high levels of UV radiation and direct exposure to the radiation intense environment of space (Raggio et al. 2011; Sancho, et al. 2007). Hence, perhaps not surprisingly, studies have demonstrated that lichens remain viable and maintain photosynthetic activity when exposed to simulated Martian temperatures, atmosphere, humidity, and UV radiation (de Vera 2012; De la Torre Noetzel, 2017; Sanchez et al. 2012).

    For example, De la Torre Noetzel et al. (2017) exposed lichens to real space outside the ISS and to a Mars simulated environment for 18 months. The samples remained viable and these investigators reported normal metabolic activity of those exposed to the Mars-like environment.

    Simulation studies performed by numerous teams of independent investigators have thus demonstrated that a variety of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, including cyanobacteria, methanogens, fungi and lichens, could survive and even flourish on Mars, especially if dwelling beneath the soil or rock shelters and provided water--for which there is now evidence (Malin & Edgett 1999, 2000; Perron et al. 2007; Renno et al. 2009; Villanueva et al. 2015). Although controversial, the results from NASA's Mars Viking Labeled Release experiments also suggests that prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes not only survive on Mars but are engaging in biological activity (Klein et al. 1976; Levin & Straat 1976, 2016).

    6. Radiation and Martian Life

    Martian ground level radiation has been estimated to equal "0.67 millisieverts per day" (Hassler et al. 2013). This is significantly and profoundly below the radiation tolerance levels of a variety of prokaryotes (Moseley & Mattingly 1971; Ito et al. 1983) and simple eukaryotes, including fungi which can withstand radiation doses up to 1.7×104 Gy (Saleh et al. 1988).

    Moreover, fungi, lichens and numerous species of microbe are attracted to and thrive in highly radioactive environments (Becket et al. 2008; Dadachova et al. 2007; Tugay et al. 2006; Wember & Zhdanova 2001), even in space. Novikova et al. (2016; Novikova 2009) and Vesper et al. (2008) reported that fungi are invigorated and grow rapidly within the International Space Station as a consequence of the heightened radiation levels. These space-fungi are also impossible to eradicate. Moreover, fungi flourish on the outskirts and along the walls of the damaged and highly radioactive Chernobyl nuclear power plant (Dighton et al. 2008; Zhdanova et al. 2004). Fungi, lichens, and prokaryotes also survive long-term direct exposure to space, gamma, and solar UV radiation and remain viable (Horneck et al. 2002; McLean & McLean 2010; Nicholson et al. 2000; Novikova et al 2016; Onofri et al. 2012; Sato et al. 2011; Tugay et al. 2006; Sancho et al. 2007; Raggio et al. 2011).

    Moreover, fungi (Wember & Zhdanova 2001; Zhdanova et al. 2004) and radiation-tolerant bacteria (Moseley and Mattingly 1971; Ito et al. 1983) will seek out and grow towards sources of radiation which serve as an energy source for metabolism (Dighton et al. 2008; Tugay et al. 2006). Even if their DNA is damaged by radiation levels above their tolerance levels, they can easily repair these genes due to a redundancy of genes with repair functions (White et al. 1999).

    These and other species may also develop adaptive features--a property described as "radiostimulation," "radiation hormesis," and "adiotropism" (Levin 2003; Tugay et al. 2006; Zhdanova et al 2004)--and which also occurs in animals and plants living with increasing levels of background radiation (Adey 1993; Alshits et al 1981; Calabrese & Baldwin 1999, 2000; Zhuravskaya et al 1995). These radiation-induced adaptations include tissue and cellular regeneration and growth (Basset 1993; Becker 1984; Becker & Sparado 1972; Occhipinti et al. 2014; Levin 2003; Maffei 2014; Moment, 1949).

    Tugay and colleagues (2006; Zhdanova et al. 1991, 2004) exposed micro-fungi and fungi to pure or mixed radiation (137 Cs, 123 Te, 109 Cd, 121 Sn), gamma irradiation (121 Sn) 200-400 Gy, and mixed gamma and beta radiation (137 Cs) (100-150 Gy (equivalent to an electron dose of 300-500 Gy), and found that 60% of fungal strains exhibited positive radiotropism, significant growth, and enhanced spoor production.

    The varying levels of radiation on Mars would not be a hinderance to fungi, lichens, and numerous other species.

    7. Evidence of Lichens and Fungi on Mars?

    Four independent investigators, after examining photos taken by NASA's Mars Rovers Opportunity and Curiosity, have observed hundreds of specimens resembling fungi, mushrooms, and lichens on the surface (Dass 2017; Joseph 2014; Rabb 2018; Small 2015). In 2016, Joseph devised a computerized system coded and programmed to quantify, validate, and statistically analyze expert judgments and developed a research-study website which was quantitatively coded and programmed to enable experts to link their computers to that website and examine and rate 25 separate photos of Martian specimens, type in the names of the specimens, and determine the probability these are living organisms. This methodology has been demonstrated to yield scientifically valid and reliable results (Dommeyer et al. 2004; Hewson & Stewart, 2016; Richardson 2005; Watt et al. 2002). The study website was also programmed to link all 25 ratings and responses of each individual expert, to that expert's computer IP address.

    Next, Joseph and his research assistants searched the faculty rosters of every university in the English-speaking world and located over 1000 scientists who had been identified by their universities as experts in fungi, algae and lichens, and over 1000 experts identified as experts in geomorphology and mineralogy, all of whom were invited to participate. Therefore, the "life on Mars" study was based on the judgments of two homogeneous "closed populations" of exerts in subfields of biology and geology (Joseph 2016). Samples from "closed populations" have a high degree of reliability and validity and accurately represent the views of other scientists belonging to those homogenous populations (Dommeyer et al. 2004; Hewson & Stewart, 2016; Richardson 2005; Watt et al. 2002).

    Seventy scientists--40 biologists and 30 geologists--completed the invitation-only, computerized-study which enabled each expert to view; examine; type in the name of each specimen; and to judge, utilizing a computerized four-point probability scale, the likelihood each of these specimens photographed by NASA on Mars, are living organisms:

    1 (0% Probability) - 2 (33% Probability) - 3 (66% Probability) - 4 (100% Probability).

    Each of the participants were informed these specimens were photographed on Mars. Examination of the raw data indicated geologists and biologists agreed on five of their top seven choices and this data was analyzed. Chi-square analyses indicated a significant difference between scientists choosing "1" vs "2" but no difference between those choosing "2" vs "3" and "4," meaning that a significant majority of experts believe there is a high probability these are living organisms.

    A Fisher's exact statistical test was performed and demonstrated that a majority geologists and biologists agreed there is a high probability (vs no probability) of life on Mars, as based on the comparisons of the top five specimens chosen by biologists (p = <0.0008) and geologists (p = <0.0004); and the same is true of the top seven specimens, biologists (p = <0.0001) and geologists (p = <0.0001). Dozens of experts also identified these specimens as "puff balls," "Basidiomycota," "mushrooms," and "lichens." Therefore, a statistically significant majority of experts agree there is a high probability fungi and lichens may have colonized the Red Planet (Joseph 2016). Similarity in morphology, however, is not proof.

    8. Evidence of Lichens on Mars?

    Lichens are composite life forms comprised and consisting of a symbiotic relationship involving algae/cyanobacteria (photobiont) and fungi (mycobiont), the latter of which is largely responsible for the lichens' thallus, mushroom shape, and fruiting bodies (Armstrong 2017; Brodo et al. 2001). The specimens observed on Mars and identified by experts as lichens (Dass 2017; Joseph 2016) closely resemble Dibaeis baeomyces, a fruticose lichen belonging to the Icmadophilaceae family--characterized by stalks which may grow to 6 mm topped by a bulbous apothecia, 1-4 mm in diameter and a crustose granular thallus attached to a substrate (Brodo, et al. 2001; Seminara et al. 2018). Dibaeis baeomyces have been found growing on rocks, in desert sand, dry clay, and in the arctic (Brodo et al. 2001; Jonsson et al. 2008; Platt & Spatafora 2000; Ryan et al. 2002; U.S. Department of the Interior 2010).

    The Martian specimens depicted in Figures 1 and 2 resemble Dibaeis baeomyces in morphology, shape, growth patterns, and size. All were photographed by Opportunity's Panoramic Camera, which, according to NASA's website, has a 1024 x 1024 pixel array and the following specs: The camera's "right eye" specializes in infrared wavelengths and the "left eye" in visible colors, thereby enabling NASA to colorize images. Both "eyes" are mounted at a height of about five feet (1.5 meters), with 11.8 inches (30 centimeters) between them. Image resolution is ~0.04 inch (1 millimeter) per pixel at a distance of 9.8 feet (3 meters), whereas focal length is capable of close ups at ~1.5 inches (39 millimeters), with optimal focus from five feet (1.5 meters). Unfortunately, NASA does not provide any specifications as to the exact distance from the camera, or the precise size of the images. Hence, the estimated size of specimens is based on bore hole size and pixel dimension.

    According to parameters provided by NASA, drill holes are 45 mm in diameter, five mm deep. Based on drill hole comparative parameters, specimens resembling lichens are approximately two mm to seven mm in size/length. Therefore, the Opportunity images of what appear to be lichens (Figures 1, 2) are similar to terrestrial lichens (Dibaeis baeomyces) in growth patterns, morphology, and size. By contrast, these specimens (Figures 1, 2) have little resemblance to terrestrial hematite (Figure 4), NASA's (2007) favored hypothesis. Hematite does not have a thallus or a fruiting-body mushroom shape, or a stalk/stem attached to rocks, or jut-out from rocks at varying angles. These are characteristics of lichens (Figure 3), not hematite (Figure 4). These observations support the Martian-lichens-hypothesis.

    Figure 1. Sol 88, photographed by Opportunity's "left" Panoramic Camera "eye." A significant majority of experts in fungi, lichens, geomorphology, and minerology agreed these may be lichens (Joseph 2016). These lichen-like specimens are estimated to be approximately 2 mm to 6 mm in size/length (based on bore hole specs) and are similar to terrestrial lichens (see text for details). Although there is no known geological process which commonly produces mushroom shaped rocks with stems, it is unknown if these are in fact living organisms. Similarities in morphology are not proof.

    Figure 2. Sol 37, photographed by Opportunity's "left" Panoramic "eye." A majority of experts agreed these may be lichens (Joseph 2016). The average size of these lichen-like specimens are estimated to be 2 mm to 7 mm, and are similar to terrestrial lichens (see Figure 3). However, if these are living organisms, or unusual sediments fashioned by the alien environment of Mars is unknown.

    Figure 3. Terrestrial Lichens / Dibaeis baeomyces. Ranging from 2 mm to 6 mm in size. Photos reproduced by permission: Courtesy of Dragisa Savic (left) and Stephen and Sylvia Sharnoff (right).

    Figure 4. Hematite concretions the size of "pebbles" "marbles" and "golf balls" (the largest five cm) from Utah's national parks. Reproduced with permission, courtesy of Fantasia Mining and Ashley Rouech.

    9. Evidence of Fungi on Mars?

    Lichens are comprised of algae and fungi, and four different investigators (Dass 2017; Joseph 2014; Rabb 2015, 2018; Small 2015) and a significant majority of experts in fungi, lichens, geomorphology, and mineralogy (Joseph 2016) have identified what appears to be fungi on the Martian surface and beneath Martian rock shelters (Figures 5, 6, 13). Fifteen specimens were photographed by the Rover Opportunity increasing in size and emerging from the ground over a three day period (Figure 8).

    Puffballs (phylum Basidiomycota) are round-shaped fruiting bodies that contain trillions of spores which are released as dry powdery "puffs" and which can resemble flakes of dry paint. They sit directly on and are usually attached by short stalks to the ground (Petersen 2013; Roberts & Evans 2011). Thus, the specimens in Figure 5 and 6 resemble puffballs (Figure 7). What appears to be spores may be littering the surrounding Martian surface (Figure 6). By contrast, NASA's favored hypothesis is these specimens are hematite produced in hot-springs (NASA 2009; Squyres et al. 2004).

    Figure 5. Sol 257 photographed by NASA's Mars Rover Opportunity. Martian specimens resembling Puffballs (Basidiomycota), some with stalks and shedding what appears to be spores and the outer cap, lower cup, and universal veil that covers embryonic fungi. To speculate further, the thick coats of white material being shed from the sides of some specimens may consist of crustose, and the white powder-spore-like material may consist of leprose. It is impossible, however, to determine with a high level of confidence if these are in fact living organisms. Similarities in morphology do not constitute proof.

    Figure 6. Sol 182 photographed by NASA Rover Opportunity. A majority of experts identified these specimens as "fungi" and "puffballs" (Joseph 2016). Note what appears to be spores littering the surface. NASA favors a hematite hypothesis.  These specimens, however, also resemble hematite.

    Figure 7. Comparing terrestrial fungi (left) with Martian specimens (right, Sol 221 photographed by the Rover Opportunity at Meridian Planum, Mars). Credits: terrestrial puffballs, photo reproduced from myko.cz, Czech Mycological Society.

    Specimens depicted in Figures 5 and 6 were photographed by the "microscopic imager" attached to the rover Opportunity. According to specs provided on NASA's website, the microscopic imager has a focal length ranging from 0.8 inch (21 millimeters) an optimal focus distance of 2.67 inches (68 millimeters) and can resolve features as small at 0.004 inches (0.1 mm). The original image's size of Figures 6 and 7 was 1024 x 1024 pixels (0.001 inch or 0.031 millimeter per pixel). Based on these stats, the estimated size of the specimens in Figures 5 and 6 range from 1 mm to 50 mm (1 cm to 5 cm). Mature terrestrial puffballs, on average, are approximately 4.267 cm in size (Petersen 2013; Roberts & Evans 2011). In size and morphology several of these specimens resemble puffballs (Joseph 2016).

    The specimens depicted in Figures 5, 6, 8, also clearly resemble spherical hematite (Figure 4) in size, shape, morphology. However, hematite does consist of and does not shed sheaths of what appears to be a thick veil of material coating its outer-surface. Then there is the white fluffy-powdery spore-like material which appears to litter the ground. If not biological, perhaps these thick flakes and powdery substances are clumps of minerals, patina or salt and products of a sedimentological process in reaction to water or the Martian atmosphere that adhered to the contours of Martian hematite and surface features.

    Evidence favoring the fungal/puffball hypothesis is what appears to be the growth and emergence of 15 specimens, over a three day period (Figure 8). Specifically, five appear to increase in size whereas ten emerge from the ground. If they are immature and still growing, this would explain the absence of spores. If they are not growing, and are in fact hematite, then the only other reasonable explanation is that a powerful wind uncovered these specimens by blowing away dust, dirt, and sand.

    Figure 8. Sol 1145-left v Sol 1148-right). Comparing Sol 1145-left vs Sol 1148-right. Growth of fifteen Martian specimens over three days. Specimens labeled 1-5 and marked with red circles have increased in size. Those specified by arrows--Sol 1148-right--demarcate the emergence of ten new specimens which were not visible in Sol 1145-left photographed three days earlier by NASA/JPL. Differences in photo quality are secondary to changes in camera-closeup-focus by NASA. The majority of experts in fungi, lichens, geomorphology, and mineralogy agreed these are likely living specimens, i.e. fungi, puffballs. An alternate explanation is a strong wind uncovered hematite which had been buried beneath sand and dirt.

    10. Wind or Fungal Growth?

    The Opportunity was not equipped to measure wind. However, Opportunity has been subject to extremely dusty conditions. For example, in December of 2013 the average dust factor was estimated by NASA to be .467 (very dusty); 0.964 (mildly dusty) in May of 2014; and 0.725 (moderately dusty) in June of 2016 (NASA 2018). In fact, rather than strong Martian winds blowing away dust, sand, and dirt, they have instead blanketed the Opportunity and its solar panels with so much debris that Opportunity has been subject to repeated episodes of reduced power (e.g. from 700 watt hours to 400), thereby severely limiting its activities. Furthermore, because of dust, Opportunity twice stopped functioning for long periods, including in July of 2007 when solar-panel output dropped to 128 watt hours (NASA 2007) and in June of 2018 when Opportunity finally ceased to function (NASA 2018) and has yet to recover as of February 14, 2019.

    Given these dusty conditions, what is the likelihood that a strong wind would have uncovered the specimens in Figure 8, and not covered them up (and the Opportunity's solar panels) with dust, sand, and dirt? The answer is unknown and a cleansing wind remains a distinct and reasonable possibility.

    Figure 9. Mars Sol 2718 vs Sol 2813-- The exact cause or identity of this specimen (right) is unknown but may represent possible growth of what appears to be a mass of bacteria and fungi on the Mars Rover, Opportunity, after 95 (Martian) days. Photo, NASA/JPL.

    The wind explanation cannot explain why before and after photos, taken by NASA, depict what appears to be large masses of bacteria and fungi growing on the rovers Opportunity and Curiosity (Figures 9, 10, 11, 12). Moreover, what experts identified as fungi growing beneath a Martian rock shelter (Figure 14) is very similar to what appears to be fungi (and biocorrosion) within the shelter of the Curiosity's upper deck (Figures 12, 14). Wind is not a likely explanation for what appears to be biological growth on the rovers. Instead the evidence supports the hypothesis that fungi (and lichens) may have colonized and are growing on Mars.

    Figure 10. Mars Sol 51 vs Sol 1089--Growth of what appears to be a mass of bacteria and fungi on the Mars Rover Curiosity after 1038 Martian days. An alternate explanation is dust and dirt accumulated selectively in this area of the rover. Photo NASA/JPL.

    Figure 11. Sol 51. Mastcam photo of the interior, flooring and shelter of an exposed enclosed compartment in the rover Curiosity's chem cam deck after 51 Martian days. Photo by NASA/JPL.

    Figure 12. Sol 1089. Possible Fungal contamination or bio-corrosion of the interior, walls, flooring, and shelter of an enclosed compartment in the rover Curiosity's chem cam deck after 1089 Martian days? (Compare with Figure 11). Another possibility: chemical contamination or sand and salt which adhered only to the interior surface? Photo Mastcam, by NASA/JPL.

    Figure 13. Sol 1162, Rover Curiosity. Experts identified the white specimens as fungi (Joseph 2016).

    Figure 14. Comparison of an exposed compartment in Curiosity's Chem Cam Deck (Sol 1089 / Left, Figure 12) with Sol 1162 (Right, Figure 13). If this represents coincidence or contamination is unknown.

    11. The Biology of Hematite?

    Four independent investigators and a majority of experts in fungi, lichens, geomorphology, and mineralogy favor a biological explanation for Martian specimens resembling fungi/puffballs as depicted in Figures 5, 6, and 8. NASA (2009) and Squyres and colleagues (2004) argue in favor of hematite and have provided evidence in support of this hypothesis. Hematite, however, is not evidence against biology, but might be further proof of biology. There is evidence that prokaryotes and fungi may play a role in the formation and cementing together of this mineral (Ayupova et al. 2016; Claeys 2006; Owocki et al. 2016).

    NASA has identified what may be "hematite" on the Martian surface as based on photographs utilizing color filters taken from space by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft's infrared spectrometer (NASA 2009). Chemical (but non-biological) studies at ground level--via the Rovers "Opportunity" and "Spirit"--also detected the presence of hematite (Squyres et al. 2004).

    Hematite is a mineralized iron oxide which, over thousands of years, slowly forms in hot springs (Anthony et al. 2005; Morel 2013), as well as in volcanoes when temperatures rise above 950 C (1740 F). NASA (2009) and Squyres et al. (2004) have argued that Martian hematite was most likely created in boiling hot springs and hydrothermal vents billions of years ago.

    Likewise, numerous species of bacteria and archaea flourish in hot springs and hydrothermal vents including anaerobic hyperthermophiles, sulfate reducing bacteria (Desulfovibrio desulfuricans), and microbes such as thermophilic archaebacteria Thermus aquaticus (Gerday & Glansdorff 2007; Durvasula & Rao 2018; Robb et al. 2007). And, as noted, there is evidence hematite may be formed in association with biological activity (Ayupova et al 2016; Bosea et al. 2009; Claeys 2006; Fredrickson et al., 2008; Gralnick & Hau 2007; Owocki et al. 2016).

    On Earth, hematite filaments and tubes are similar to structures produced by iron-oxidizing bacteria which suggests the former are fashioned by the latter (Ayupova et al 2016; Claeys 2006; Rajendrana et al. 2017). Moreover, there is evidence that a variety of bacteria help form (by cementing together) or feed upon hematite by extracting energy from iron which precipitates hematite formation (Bosea et al. 2009; Fredrickson et al. 2008; Gralnick & Hau 2007). Oolitic hematite, for example, is fashioned when sediment particles (ooids) on the seafloor accumulate thin layers of lime. Bacteria replace the lime thus assisting in the fashioning of hematite (Claeys 2006; Lowy et al. 2006). Likewise, anaerobes such as Shewanella--a gram-negative, proteobacteria--grows and feeds on hematite and respires on a variety of organic electron acceptors found in hematite (Bosea et al. 2009; Fredrickson et al. 2008, Gralnick & Hau 2007; Lowy et al. 2006).

    Fungi may also play a major role in hematite formation (Ayupova et al. 2016, Claeys 2006; Owocki et al. 2016), the mineral substrates of which have been found "attached to fungal filaments, embedded in the fungal mycelium" (Claeys 2006). As determined by Clayes (2006) fungal interactions with hematite also produce "significant biomechanical and biochemical bioweathering features: strong pitting of the mineral surfaces, exfoliation, tunnelling, dissolution, honeycomb-alveolar structures, perforations, fragmentation, and cementation." There is a strong attachment of fungal hyphae to these minerals, such that "fungi engulf whole blocks of minerals in the hyphal network, irrespective of mineral surface topography" (Claeys 2006). Spherical hematite contains numerous filaments with structures similar to fungal hyphae (Ayupova et al. 2016; Claeys 2006). 

    Hematite fashioned in hot springs or large bodies of water, therefore, may be cemented together and then shaped and fashioned via the assistance of fungal and bacterial activity (Ayupova et al. 2016; Claeys 2006, Owocki et al. 2016; Lowy et al. 2006; Morel 2013). Therefore, like the hematite of Earth, the Martian hematite identified by NASA (2009) and Squyres et al. (2004) could be, at least in part, a byproduct of biological activity and is further evidence that Mars may have been (and may still be) a living planet which was long ago colonized by fungi and prokaryotes including those typically dwelling in water.

    12. Martian Meteorite ALH 84001

    Claims of "nanobacteria" in Martian meteorite ALH 84001 have been vigorously disputed and are not an issue here. As summed up by Martel and colleagues (2012), "...structures resembling terrestrial life forms known as nanobacteria--can be deemed ambiguous at best."

    Likewise, there is controversy over evidence of biological residue, carbonates, and fossilized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)--a byproduct of cellular decay--discovered in ALH 84001, and other Martian meteorites (see Treiman, 2003 vs Thomas-Keprta et al. 2009). Steele et al. (2012), after examining 11 Martian meteorites, report that 10 contain a ubiquitous distribution of carbon found in association with oxide grains and magmatic minerals and which indicate an abiotic origin, perhaps secondary to Martian magmas. Treiman and Essen (2011) also favor an abiogenic explanation.

    Thomas-Keprta et al. (2009) agrees that much of what appears to be biological residue is probably abiogenic in origin. However, her team also argued that at least 25% is biological (McKay et al. 2009; Thomas-Keprta et al. 2009). Martel et al (2012), who argues against nanobacteria, also admits that "the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, magnetite crystals, carbonate globules... are compatible with living processes."

    In fact, the highest concentration of Martian PAHs was embedded in or found alongside those areas of the meteor rich in carbonates (Clemett et al. 1998). Moreover, the magnetotactic residue is not random, but has the characteristic chain-like organization associated with biological activity (Clemett et al. 1998; McKay et al. 1996, 2009). Hence, as based on evidence marshalled by Thomas-Keprta and colleagues (McKay et al. 1996, 2009; Thomas-Keprta et al. 2002), at least 25% of the Martian PAHs found within this ejected sediment may have been produced by carbonate and iron-eating bacteria, magnetotactic bacteria, algae, or fungi around 4 billion years ago (Thomas-Keprta et al. 2009).

    Moreover, the carbonates and biological residue appear to have been produced in an aqueous environment (Halevy et al. 2011; McKay et al. 1996, 2009; Thomas-Keprta et al. 2009). For example, Shaheen et al. (2015), upon measuring carbonate phases and distinct oxygen isotope compositions with ALH 84001, found several episodes of aqueous activity. Halevy et al (2011) have come to similar conclusions which they attribute to "a gradually evaporating, subsurface water body--likely a shallow aquifer (meters to tens of meters below the surface)."

    13. Biology and Martian Stromatolites?

    A detailed analysis of Martian meteorite ALH 84001 revealed high concentrations of carbon compounds, including elongated spheroids and rounded carbonate globs and which had been recycled through water (McKay et al. 1996, 2009; Thomas-Keprta et al. 2002, 2009). Carbonates are typically found in fossil beds of dead sea life. The Martian ALH 84001 carbonate globules also contain cores rich in calcium coupled with dissolved carbonates and magnetite and iron-sulfides which were most likely produced biologically (McKay et al. 1996, 2009; Thomas-Keprta et al. 2002, 2009); i.e. carbonate- and iron-metabolizing bacteria, including cyanobacteria. The outer rims were also oxidized in a pattern typically associated with biological activity; that is reducing and rusting, secondary, perhaps, to photosynthesis, which is also a characteristic of cyanobacteria.

    In 2009, Rizzo and Cantasano reported observations of segmented sedimentary structures bordered by lamina and which they interpreted to be evidence of stromatolites, i.e. microbialites (Rizzo & Cantasano 2009, 2011, 2016), most likely created by photosynthesizing, carbonate metabolizing cyanobacteria living in water (Noffke 2015).

    In 2014, Bianciardi, Rizzo and Cantasano, conducted an extensive observational analysis of sedimentary microstructures coupled with a quantitative, objective, image analysis and compared what appears to be Martian stromatolites photographed by the Mars rover Opportunity, with terrestrial stromatolites and microbialites, so as to evaluate the geometric textural complexity vs "randomness." Bianciardi and colleagues (2014) reported that "the morphometric analysis reveals that both textures, from microbialites (Earth) and from selected MI images (Mars), present a multifractal aspect" and that "Martian and terrestrial textures were extremely similar to each other." Moreover, they found a "textural pattern that is also present in living microbialites as well in recent and fossil stromatolites... characteristic of microbial communities of cyanobacteria." Other investigators have reached similar conclusions (Ruffi & Farmer, 2016; Noffke 2015).

    Ruffi and Farmer (2016), upon examining sediments photographed by the rover Spirit, detected silica structures which closely resemble "microbially mediated micro-stromatolites" as well what could be biofilms with filaments and sheaths. In addition, morphological analyses of sedimentary specimens--photographed by the rover Spirit, at Gusev crater--revealed microstructures organized as intertwined microspherule filaments and which are also observed in Earthly microbialites (Bianciardi et al. 2014).

    Noffke (2015) reported that rocks in the < 3.7 Ga Gillespie Lake region of Mars display sedimentary characteristics which mirror ecological changes over time typical of terrestrial microbiological mats and produced by biological interactions with the environment in regressive bodies of water. Based on an analysis of photographs made by Curiosity's Mastcam camera of Martian outcrops, Noffke (2015) observed macroscopic morphologies and spatial relationships associated with a temporal change in the stratigraphic succession typically produced secondary to colonization by microbial mats; i.e. "centimeter- to meter-scale structures similar in macroscopic morphology"… that include "'erosional remnants and pockets,' 'mat chips,' 'roll-ups,' 'desiccation cracks,' and 'gas domes' which do not have a random distribution but were arranged in spatial associations and temporal successions similar to the "growth of a microbially dominated ecosystem that thrived in pools that later dried completely."

    In a further examination of bio-mineralization processes it was found that Martian sediments are characterized by highly organized microspherules similar to terrestrial stromatolites which consist of voids, gas domes, and layer deformations due to microbial activity and gas excretions (Rizzo & Cantasano 2016). Moreover, a quantitative image statistical analysis comparing 45 microbialites samplings with 50 photographed by the rover also determined the specimens from Mars are statistically and morphologically similar to terrestrial samples with a probability of this occurring by chance being less than 1/28, p<0.004 bianciardi="" et="" al="" 2014="" these="" findings="" therefore="" supports="" the="" hypothesis="" that="" algae="" cyanobacteria="" may="" have="" colonized="" mars="" over="" 3="" billion="" years="" ago="" in="" presence="" of="" water="" span="">

    Figure 15. Sol 820. Green algae, stromatolites, microbial mats, or unusual abiotic sediments? Photographed by the Rover Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory Mars Hand Lens Imager which takes color images of features as small as 12.5 micrometers and at distances between 20 mm and infinity and having a depth of field of 1.6 mm to 2 mm. Note: specimen "A" at bottom center (also depicted in Figure 16). Photograph: NASA/JPL.

    Figure 16. Sol 820. Specimen A (from Figure 15). Evidence of bacterial mat or an unusual abiotic sedimentary formation? Photographed by the Rover Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory Mars Hand Lens Imager.

    Figure 17. Microanalyses of a Martian stromatolite (top) photographed by the Rover Curiosity (Sol 506) compared with a terrestrial stromatolite from Lagoa Salgada, Brazil (bottom). Highly organized microspherules and thrombolytic microfacies are common to both. Earthly Cyanobacteria typically form voids, intertwined filaments, and layer deformation within stromatolites. It is possible these formations were produced geologically in the absence of any biological influences.

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    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Evidence of Life on Mars? - PART II

    Evidence of Life on Mars? - PART II

    R. Gabriel Joseph1, Regina S. Dass2, V. Rizzo3,
    N. Cantasano4, G. Bianciardi5

    14. Evidence of Martian Algae/Cyanobacteria

    Several investigators, based on an examination of photos of Martian specimens, have suggested that what appears to be algae may be present on Mars (Joseph 2014; Krupa 2018 Levin, Straat, & Benton, 1978). Levin et al (1978) upon closely examining photos from the 1976 Viking mission, observed what appeared to be green patches on Mars rocks which, over time, changed in size. Levin, Straat and Benton (1978) argued that changes in the green patches could represent biological activity and evidence of life (e.g. algae), or alternatively, green-colored dirt and dust.

    In 2017, T. A. Krupa presented evidence at the Lunar and Planetary Society of what may be green photosynthetic organisms, e.g. algae. Krupa performed a detailed analysis of low albedo, "anomalous" images from Columbia Hills in Gusev Crater, and those photographed by the Spirit Rover's Pan Cam in an area of Mars dubbed "Larry's Outcrop/Larry's Lookout." These photos were initially analyzed by employing "red," "blue," and "green" filters, which were "radiometrically corrected with the radiance correction parameters found in the image file header." These images were analyzed next with a computer Geographic Information System, SAGA.

    Krupa (2017) reported the analysis revealed what appears to be water pathways which may intermittently fill with water and that "the hillside at Larry's outcrop is covered by a very thin layer of green material" and "green spherules" which clearly resembles algae in the soil. Krupa (2017) concluded "that these spherules are a life form supported by that water.... and their green color suggests that the spherules contain a photosynthetic compound similar to green chlorophyll...The distribution of these spherules in a single layer...is also consistent with the hypothesis that the spherules are photosynthetic life forms," e.g., algae/cyanobacteria.

    Krupa's (2017) computerized analyses which revealed possible water pathways that may intermittently fill with water, is, of course an unproven hypothesis, but which is nevertheless consistent with findings of Martian water by Renno et al., (2009) and other investigators. Specifically, in 2004 the European Space Agencies' Mars orbiter found evidence of water ice and detected vapors of water molecules via an infrared camera aboard the Mars Express spacecraft which was circling the Red Planet's south pole whereas additional "water" "anomalies" were reported in 2015 (Villanueva et al. 2015).

    15. Biology of Seasonal Fluctuations in Martian Methane

    If prokaryotes and fungi contributed to the formation of Martian sedimentary structures billions of years in the past, the accumulation of these decaying organisms should also be a source of sedimentary and atmospheric methane. As based on simulation studies (Tarasashvili et al., 2013), methanogens can flourish in a Mars-like environment. If methanogens have colonized Mars, they too would be a source of methane. In fact, high levels of methane have been detected at ground level and in the atmosphere of Mars and which varies in concentration depending on the season and which is continually replenished (Formisano et al. 2004; Mumma et al. 2004, 2009; Webster et al. 2013, 2015, 2018).

    Specifically, it has been determined that Martian atmospheric methane levels are punctuated by major spikes in concentration which later decline, only to later increase again (Formisano et al. 2004; Mumma et al. 2004, 2009; Webster et al. 2018). Three separate methane plumes consisting of 19,000 metric tons of methane gas were detected in the Martian atmosphere by Europe's Mars Express spacecraft in 2003 (Formisano et al. 2004). Employing infrared spectrometers on three Earth-based telescopes several possible methane emission sources were found in the vicinity of Syrtis Major, Arabia Terra, and Nili Fossae in the southern and northern hemispheres (Formisano et al. 2004; Mumma et al. 2004).

    In July of 2013, "an upper limit of 2.7 parts per billion of methane" was detected in the vicinity of the Gale Crater fluctuating between a value of 0.18 ppbv to 1.3 ppbv as measured on September of 2013 (Webster et al. 2013). A "tenfold spike" in methane levels followed with increases in late 2013 and early 2014, averaging "7 parts of methane per billion in the atmosphere" (Webster et al. 2015).

    In 2018, Webster and colleagues reported that "in situ measurements at Gale crater made over a five-year period by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer on the Curiosity rover "revealed a strong, repeatable seasonal variation...which is greater than that predicted from either ultraviolet degradation of impact-delivered organics on the surface or from the annual surface pressure cycle." According to Webster et al (2018), the findings "are consistent with small localized sources of methane released from Martian surface or subsurface reservoirs."

    On Earth, 90% of methane is produced biologically by living and decaying organisms (U.S. Department of Agriculture 2017; U.S. Department of Energy, 2017) and released as a waste product by prokaryotes (Bruhn et al. 2012; Kepler et al. 2006) and certain species of fungi (Lenhart et al. 2012; Liu et al 2015; Mukhin & Voronin, 2007). Terrestrial atmospheric methane levels also vary with the seasons and are directly attributed to biological activity.

    For example, Rasmussen and Khalil (1981) found "stable seasonal cycles with peak concentrations in October and minimum concentrations in July." In 1983 these investigators reported that in the southern hemisphere the lowest concentrations are found during the late Australian summer and fall; likewise, there is less atmospheric methane in the northern hemisphere during summer. These seasonal variations have as their source biological activity in wetlands (Chen et al. 2008; Whalen 2005) and on farms and in rice paddies, just prior to harvest (Chen et al. 2008; Cicerone et al. 1983).

    Chen et al. (2008) report a direct correlation between atmospheric methane and the growing seasons (14.45 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 [0.17 to 86.78 mg CH4 m-2 h-1) vs non-growing seasons (0.556 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 (0.002 to 6.722 mg CH4 m-2 h-1). Major contributing factors include surface temperatures, standing water depths, and the degree of plant growth, whereas in anerobic environments the absence of oxygen and the amount of degradable material are controlling influences.

    Based on a thorough review of the evidence, Whalen (2005) determined that "emission from wetlands is also a significant component of the atmospheric CH4 budget...about 25% of total emissions from all anthropogenic and natural sources." Much of "this methane is produced by subsurface, anaerobic methanogenic bacteria and surficial oxidation by methanotrophic bacteria."

    As documented in this report, methanogens, cyanobacteria, fungi, and lichens can easily survive in a Mars-like environment. Further there is evidence that these same species of prokaryote and eukaryotes have colonized Mars and that there is water beneath and above the surface.

    Although considered controversial, NASA's 1976 Viking Labeled Release (VLR) studies, at two landing sites 4,000 miles apart on Mars, detected evidence of surface biological activity that could be attributed to fungi, lichens, algae, and a variety of prokaryotes (Levin & Straat, 1976, 1977, 1979a,b, 2016). In 2009 Levin and Straat also argued that perhaps 25% of the gasses released during the experiments could have been methane attributed to methanogens. 

    It is also well established that fungi and stromatolite-building cyanobacteria (algae) produce and are sources of methane (Hansson 1983; Klassen et al. 2017; Lenhart et al. 2012). Fungi and other eukaryotes generate methane via interactions with methanogenic archaea (see Olsson et al. 2017).

    Algae and Saprotrophic fungi also produce methane independently of archaea (Hansson 1983; Klassen et al. 2017; Lenhart, et al. 2012) whereas fungal (and archaea) methane production is inhibited by the presence of oxygen and increases with increased levels of carbon dioxide (Lenhart, et al. 2012)--a finding which is true for most methane-producing species. Therefore, Mars is an ideal habitat for methanogens as there are minimal levels of free oxygen and the atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide (Mahaffy et al. 2013), whereas the electron acceptor in methanogenesis is carbon dioxide.

    Martian radiation may also promote the biological production of methane. It has been established that saprotrophic micro-fungi biologically decompose carbon-based radioactive debris from the damaged Chernobyl nuclear reactor (Zhdanova et al., 1991). Saprotrophic fungi are even adapted for accumulation and uptake of radiocesium fallout (Dighton et al. 1991) and, as noted, are a source of methane (Lenhart, et al. 2012). As indicated by Figures 8, 9, 10, 12, there is evidence of Martian fungal growth. Hence, it would be expected that the growth and biological activity of any Martian organisms might wax and wane, thereby resulting in a waxing and waning of Martian methane and contributing to seasonal variations.

    Using Earth as an example, the most probable contributors to seasonal variations in Martian methane emissions are variations in water availability, temperature, degradable and methanogen biomass and the growth and decay of various organisms. As there no evidence of any significant abiotic methane production on Mars (Khayat et al. 2017; Roos-Serote et al. 2016; Webster et al. 2018), and given that 90% of terrestrial methane is biological in origin, it is reasonable to assume biological activity is the primary source of fluctuating levels of and seasonal variations in Martian methane.

    16. Geology of Martian Methane?

    Certainly, and as most investigators insist, it is possible that Martian methane is produced geologically and through abiogenic processes. Perhaps Martian methane is vented periodically and naturally released via gas permeable fissures; faults and fractures in rocks; sandstone and sediment; and the leakage of deep gas reservoirs through geothermal activity, and especially through vents leading deep beneath the surface from inactive mud-volcanoes as these are the source of abiogenic methane on Earth (U.S. Department of Energy, 2017; Etiope & Klusman 2002; Vanneste et al. 2001).

    Khayat and colleagues (2017), however, searching for geological sources found none. Khayat et al. (2017) examined two volcanic districts via a high resolution spectrometer at NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility and using the high resolution heterodyne receiver at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope facility, and "no active release of such gasses was detected."

    Organic molecules are also a source of terrestrial methane (U.S. Department of Energy, 2017) and several investigators have reported what may be trace amounts of organic molecules on the surface of Mars (Ming et al. 2009; Sutter et al. 2016) which has been attributed to material deposited by meteors and dust drifting down from space (Frantseva et al. 2018; Moores & Schuerberg 2012; Schuerger et al. 2012). Therefore, it's been argued, Martian methane is produced by comets and meteors and via the UV photolysis of the minimal amounts of organic carbon drifting down upon the surface (Fries et al. 2015; Keppler et al. 2012).

    However, as determined by Webster et al. (2018) these scenarios cannot account for the variations, levels and amount of methane so far detected which are far "greater than that predicted from either ultraviolet degradation of impact-delivered organics on the surface or from the annual surface pressure cycle." Furthermore and as summed by Roos-Serote, Atreva, Webster and colleagues (2016), "We find no compelling evidence for any correlation between atmospheric methane and predicted meteor events."

    Moreover, UV photolysis of Martian organic carbon is carbon-limited and constrained by the accretion rate of IDP organics (Moores & Schuerberg 2012). There is insufficient carbon on the surface (Bieman et al. 1976; Ming et al. 2009) to account for the varying and large concentrations of methane which are periodically pumped into the Martian atmosphere (Moores & Schuerberg 2012). And, organics buried one to two mm below ground would not be subject to UV photolysis, and any methane could only be liberated biologically (U.S. Department of Energy, 2017; U.S. Department of Agriculture 2017).

    Certainly there is a likely abiogenic contribution to Martian methane. However, as on Earth, that contribution appears to be minimal. By contrast, there is evidence of biological activity, including the growth of what appears to be fungi, algae and lichens, on the Martian surface; and on Earth 90% of methane is biological in origin. Thus, the most logical, scientific explanation for the replenishment of and seasonal fluctuations in Martian methane is biological activity--the first evidence of which may have been discovered by the Viking Labeled Release experiments (Klein et al. 1976; Levin 2010; Levin & Straat 1976, 2009, 2016).

    17. The Viking Labeled Release Experiment Detects Biological Activity on Mars?

    As summarized by Levin (2010; Levin & Straat 2016), the Viking Labeled Release (LR) experiments were designed to detect biological activity on Mars. Thousands of field tests were performed and it was proved the LR experiment was capable of accurately detecting a very wide range of microorganisms including aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative bacteria, as well as lichens, fungi, and algae.

    Once on Mars a nutrient containing radioactive carbon was added to a Martian soil sample and the presence of radioactivity in the gasses released served as evidence of active metabolism. A control experiment heat-treated a second sample to kill microorganisms. Positive results including evidence of biological metabolism were obtained from the raw sample which was not subject to extreme heat-sterilization. By contrast, when soil samples were heated to 50°C, biological activity decreased by 65%. When Martian soil was pre-heated to 160°C there was no evidence of biology. When two samples of Martian soil were stored at approximately 10°C for long time periods there was a 90% and 100% reduction in activity. When not subject to sterilization, robust evidence of biological metabolism and increases in activity were obtained (Klein et al. 1976). As described by Levin and Straat (2016), the LR instruments operated flawlessly on Mars. Both Viking landing sites, some 4,000 miles apart, produced strong responses and met the pre-mission criteria for the detection of life.

    To distinguish between non-biological and biological agents, additional experiments were executed via commands from Earth. Each such ad hoc series of tests again demonstrated on-going Martian metabolism. Four different LR experiments were conducted, each of which yielded positive results, and five controls, all of which supported the positive results as biological.

    Levin concluded that the "amplitudes and kinetics of the Mars LR results were similar to those of terrestrial results, especially close to those of soils in, or from, frigid areas," and that the LR experiment had found evidence of biological activity on Mars (Levin 2010; Levin & Straat 1976, 1979a,b, 2016).

    The results, however, were rejected by NASA administrators who argued that since the addition of more nutrients into the soil temporarily decreased the level of biological activity "the LR therefore had not detected life on Mars, but had detected a chemical or physical agent that had produced false positive results" (Levin 2010). NASA's arguments (detailed on the NASA/Mars website), though interesting, are not based on factual evidence, but post-hoc theorizing and the interested reader is encouraged to review NASA's claims to arrive at their own conclusions. In fact, according to Levin (2010) "NASA-bonded Antarctic soil 664 had reacted to its second injection as had the Martian soils" and "the decline in gas level was caused by re-adsorption of the evolved gas into the dampened soil." That only trace amounts of carbon and organic molecules have been detected on Mars (Bieman et al. 1976, 1977; Ming et al. 2009; Sutter et al. 2016) also does not support NASA's physical-chemical-false-positive hypothesis.

    Subsequently, Bianciardi, Miller, Straat, and Levin (2012) performed a mathematical complexity deep analysis of the Viking LR data, employing seven complexity variables. It was determined that the Viking LR positive responses demonstrated a different pattern from control responses which resembled near-random noise. By contrast, the active experiments exhibited highly organized responses typical of biology.

    18. Caveats and Conclusions

    We have presented a body of observations and evidence which supports the hypothesis Mars may have been, and may still be, a living planet.  Although disagreements and differing interpretations and hypotheses abound, there is no factual, scientific evidence proving or even strongly supporting a purely abiotic explanation for the data and observations presented here which we believe favors biology. Thus, the null hypothesis is rejected.

    Admittedly, abiogenic factors can't be ruled out. Conversely, at present, there is no microscopic evidence depicting cells or intra-cellular structure and thus no definitive proof of Martian life.  Moreover, although organisms can survive in space or in simulated Mars-like environments, there is no proof they can flourish on Mars. It is also very difficult to distinguish, with a high level of confidence, between what may be living organisms vs sedimentary structures. Similarities in morphology are not proof. In many respects the observations presented here could be described as circumstantial and do not rise to the level of "extraordinary evidence" thus precluding "extraordinary claims." Although, collectively, the evidence, in total, weighs in favor of biology, we can only conclude that the question of life on Mars remains unanswered.

    Peer Review and Recommendations 

    
Fourteen qualified experts (eight Senior Editors and six independent
scientists) refereed and peer reviewed "Evidence of Life on Mars?" Eleven
experts in total recommended publication and of the eight Editors three
rejected the article. The experts have a publication history in the
following areas of science: Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biogeology,
Mars Viking Experiments, Fungi, Lichens, Methanogens, Extremophiles,
Mars-Simulated Environments, Martian Atmosphere, Martian Meteors,
Radiation Biology.
    
TOTAL: 11 Yes / 3 No
    
Supervised and Verified by the Managing Editor
    
D. Anderson
    February 28, 2019
Journal of Astrobiology and Space Science Reviews
    
http//JournalofAstrobiology.com

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    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Evidence of Life on Mars? - PART III

    Evidence of Life on Mars? - PART III

    R. Gabriel Joseph1, Regina S. Dass2, V. Rizzo3,
    N. Cantasano4, G. Bianciardi5

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    • Rabb, H. (2018). Life on Mars, Astrobiology Society, SoCIA, University of Nevada, Reno, USA. April 14, 2018. Raggio J, Pintado A, Ascaso C, De La Torre R, De Los Ríos A, Wierzchos J, Horneck G, Sancho LG (2011). Whole lichen thalli survive exposure to space conditions: results of Lithopanspermia experiment with Aspicilia fruticulosa. Astrobiology. 2011 May;11(4):281-92. doi: 10.1089/ast.2010.0588. Rajendrana, K, Shampa, S. Sujac, S. Lakshmana S.T. VinothKumarc. V. (2017) Evaluation of cytotoxicity of hematite nanoparticles in bacteria and human cell lines, Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces Volume 157, 101-109. Randel, W. J. et al., (1998). Seasonal Cycles and QBO Variations in Stratospheric CH4 and H2O Observed in UARS HALOE Data. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 55. 163-185. Rasmussen, R. A., Khalil, M.A.K. (1981). Atmospheric methane (CH4): Trends and seasonal cycles, JGR Oceans, 86, 9826-9832. Renno, N. O., and 22 colleagues (2009) Physical and Thermodynamical Evidence for Liquid Water on Mars, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, March 23-27. Richardson, J.T.E. (2005). Instruments for obtaining student feedback: a review of the literature. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 30, no. 4: 387-415. Rizzo, V., & Cantasano, N. (2009) Possible organosedimentary structures on Mars. International Journal of Astrobiology 8 (4): 267-280. Rizzo, V., & Cantasano, N. (2011), Cyanobacteria on Terrestrial Meteorites and Stromatolites on Mars, Journal of Cosmology, 13, 15. Rizzo, V. & Cantasano, N. (2016). Structural parallels between terrestrial microbialites and Martian sediments. International Journal of Astrobiology, doi:10.1017/S1473550416000355 Robb, F., Antranikian, G., Grogan, D., Driessen, A. (2007). Thermophiles: Biology and Technology at High Temperatures, CRC Press. Roos‐Serote, M., Atreya, S. K., Webster, C. R. Mahaffy, P. R. (2016). Cometary origin of atmospheric methane variations on Mars unlikely. JGR Planets, 121, 2108-2119.
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    http://journalofastrobiology.com/LifeonMarsPressRelease.html }

    26-03-2019 om 21:21 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:ASTRONOMIE / RUIMTEVAART
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Leven op Mars? Volgens deze wetenschappers bewijzen NASA-foto’s dat er paddenstoelen groeien op de rode planeet
    Leven op Mars? Volgens deze wetenschappers bewijzen NASA-foto's dat er paddenstoelen groeien op de rode planeet

    Leven op Mars? Volgens deze wetenschappers bewijzen NASA-foto’s dat er paddenstoelen groeien op de rode planeet

    Op foto’s van het oppervlak van Mars zijn paddenstoelen te zien, zo beweren wetenschappers.

    Zij stellen in een nieuwe studie dat er schimmels groeien op de rode planeet. De Amerikaanse ruimtevaartorganisatie NASA heeft nog niet gereageerd op het onderzoek.

    De onderzoekers laten 15 foto’s zien die volgens hen bewijzen dat er algen, mossen en paddenstoelen groeien op Mars.

    15 soorten

    “Er zijn geen geologische of andere abiogene krachten op aarde die honderden van dit soort structuren kunnen voortbrengen,” zei coauteur Regina Dass.

    “Ze hebben de vorm van paddenstoelen, stelen, stengels en sporen,” vervolgde dr. Dass. “Er zijn 15 soorten gefotografeerd door de NASA die in drie dagen tijd uit de grond groeiden.”

    Het is onbekend hoe het kan dat er mogelijk opeens leven is ontstaan op Mars, schrijft de Daily Mail.

    Beoordelen

    Het onderzoek is gepubliceerd in het Journal of Astrobiology and Space Science Reviews.

    De redactie van het tijdschrift laat weten dat er zes onafhankelijke wetenschappers en acht redacteuren waren ingehuurd om de studie te beoordelen.

    Critici hebben gezegd dat het waarschijnlijk gaat om hermatiet, een vorm van ijzeroxide.

    Bekijk hier de foto’s.

    [Daily Mail]
    © Copyright (c) NineForNews.nl

    26-03-2019 om 20:17 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:NineForNews. nl ( new ipv NIBURU.nl) (NL)
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Multiple UFOs and a Crop Circle Appear in Venezuela During Electrical Blackout

    Multiple UFOs and a Crop Circle Appear in Venezuela During Electrical Blackout

    Power outages are nothing new in Venezuela – they seem to be happening weekly and often occur cross multiple states. UFO sightings over Venezuela are infrequent but happening more often, but it still seems improbable that a recent one recorded on video by a motorist in the state of Trujillo is related to the blackout he was driving through, yet that’s one of the explanations given by a reporter who investigated it. Is there really a connection? Are Venezuelans and leaders around the world pointing their fingers at the wrong cause for that country’s problems – at least its electrical power ones? And why are there so many recent UFO sightings there … including one with a crop circle?

    “At first I did not pay much attention because I thought it was a reflection of the sun, but suddenly I realize that the sun was to the left, and much lower. (Immediately) the light began to move in a zigzag pattern. I called my cousin who was sleeping and I told him: record, and he started recording while I took the pictures.

    That video (watch it here) was given Friman Rodríguez to reporter Hector Escalante, a loca UFO investigator. Rodríguez saw and recorded the video with his cousin on February 16, 2019, as they were driving back to Cabimas on the Pan American Highway (Troncal 1) at about 5 pm after finding out their destination was blacked out. He apparently stopped the vehicle on the highway and recorded the UFO zigzagging across the sky, descended and then stopped. Although it’s not apparent from the video, Rodríguez claimed they were close to where the UFO hovered and possibly landed, but he didn’t want to get out and pursue it since it appears they just stopped in the middle of the highway and needed to move.

    “I felt happy to record it and continue. I was not confident to return and stay to see something I do not know what could end.”

    Does Friman or his DNA attract UFOs? He admits this is his first sighting but reveals his father has seen a similar object twice. Also, both he and his cousin say they were unusually exhausted and sleepy after the encounter, and the cousin had a headache that needed medical attention. While it was hot, Friman says they were in a new truck that kept them cool. Coincidences?

    At this point, Escalante brings in another recent UFO sighting in La Lorena Venezuela on March 7 which also occurred during a blackout. A video (watch it here and here in a video that also incudes the possible UFO) taken in La Lorena shows people inspecting what appears to be a crop circle that the uploader says matches the shape of the UFO that reportedly hovered over it.

    “Large circular signs on the vegetation left two presumed UFOs on the night of March 7, 2019. I was in the scene and it is amazing as you can see the circular shape of two alleged ships that locals say they saw the night before the video . They report that two large circular lights perched on the vegetation of the lagoon for a few minutes, then climbed the stars at an unspeakable speed. As a curious fact I must tell you that under that straw there is water … people walked on the straw that was molded by the UFOs on the water.”

    Another journalist, Nelsored González, confirmed on Twitter that there was a blackout in Lake Lorraine (this appears to be a Google translation of La Lorena), and then added a couple of political dots in an attempt to connect everything to Russia!

    “For those who are not aware, the day of the national blackout at 4:55 pm, on March 7, reported an alleged sighting and extraterrestrial landing on Lake Lorraine City Bolivar presumably was the cause of the blackout that Maduro does not know how to explain and for which he blames the USA. The Russians who arrived yesterday are a unit of communications, scientists and the Russian Federal Space Agency, confirms a colleague in Ciudad Bolivar who is already part of the Russian team there, created a perimeter in Lake Lorraine, where the alleged landing occurred UFO.”

    But wait … there’s more! González refers to yet another recent UFO sighting (and possibly more) in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. One is a triangular set of lights that some commenters attribute to flares or military planes.

    Which brings us back to the current state of affairs — paranormal, normal and abnormal — in Venezuela. The sighting in Trujillo is unusual enough that it can’t easily be written off as a refection or lens flare. The crop circle doesn’t look like the typical British countryside variety of geometric shapes and no one seems to have a logical or natural explanation. Government problems can definitely be blamed for the blackouts and military operations for at least some of the UFOs. But not all … at least not yet.

    Could it be that extraterrestrials are more concerned about Venezuelans than the rest of the world? Wouldn’t that be nice?  Keep an eye on the skies and the ground for more clues.

    https://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

    26-03-2019 om 18:41 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:UFOs , UAPs , USOS
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Something Strange and Terrifying is Happening Deep Beneath Africa

    Something Strange and Terrifying is Happening Deep Beneath Africa

    In late 2018, geologists and seismologists were baffled by a mysterious seismic event unlike anything seen before. Some type of massive event literally shook the entire Earth, and scientists still aren’t quite sure what it could have been. A team of French researchers published a study of the seismic anomaly this week which offers a few clues about its origins, but the study ultimately poses more questions than it answers. What’s happening deep within the Earth?

    The epicenter for the 2018 seismic anomaly was just off of the coast of Mayotte, a small archipelago in the Indian Ocean presided over by France. The event consisted of long pulses of extremely low frequency waves far below the threshold of human perception but quite powerful enough to register on seismological instruments.  The pulses did not appear to be caused by earthquakes – at least any type of earthquake we know of – yet also did not appear to be man made.

    Petite-Terre, Mayotte.

    Petite-Terre, Mayotte.

    To add to the mystery of the 2018 seismic anomaly, geologists have found that Mayotte is sinking by as much as 9 mm or .35 inches a month as well as drifting eastward at twice that rate. That observation seems to support the new hypothesis that the 2018 event was caused by an underwater volcanic event the likes of which we’ve never seen.  In the new study of the event, researchers write that this event could be “the offshore eruption with the largest volume ever documented.”

    The event is thought to have been caused over a cubic kilometer of magma 28 km (17 miles) below the ocean surface somehow flowed outward into surrounding sedimentary layers as opposed to flowing upward, hence why nothing was observed on the surface. If that’s true, though, it leaves a lot of unanswered questions about the event. In the months since the seismic anomaly, large fish kills have been observed; if all of the magma remained underground, what’s killing the fish? What is causing the high frequency pulses which were recorded alongside the low frequency rumbles? And could this activity be related to the island’s eastward and downward migration?

    Map of recent cracks forming in eastern Africa.

    Map of recent cracks forming in eastern Africa.

    The 2018 seismic anomaly is only one example of recent disquieting developments in eastern Africa which suggest something big may be happening below the Earth’s surface. Last year, a massive crack was found to have formed in eastern Africa running through Kenya and Somalia, a crack which is pulling away from the rest of the continent at 2.5 cm or 1 inch per year. A few months earlier, scientists published a study of the so-called “South Atlantic Anomaly,” a strange and unexplained disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field which suggests “there’s something unusual about the core-mantle boundary under Africa that could be having an important impact on the global magnetic field.”

    The South Atlantic Anomaly

    The South Atlantic Anomaly

    Could all of these events and phenomena be related? What exactly is happening deep within the Earth under Africa? Do we really want to know, or is it better to be surprised in the middle of your breakfast burrito by the massive wall of magma rushing to engulf you and everyone you know? At least it wasn’t a good breakfast burrito. That new girl on the taco truck always puts the cheese in a big clump right in the middle instead of spreading it out evenly throughout the whole burrito.

    Life is just a series of disappointing burritos. Bring it on, magma. End it already.

    Earthquake rift

    If there’s one thing humans aren’t prepared for, it’s new curveballs thrown at us by the angry Earth.

    https://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

    26-03-2019 om 18:20 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:Diversen (Eng, NL en Fr)
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Cube-shaped anomaly filmed in the sky over Ohio

    Cube-shaped anomaly filmed in the sky over Ohio

    Another square cloud or cube-like anomaly has been filmed in the sky over Ohio.


    The witness was driving home in Ohio we he saw the strange anomaly in the clouds.

    He said that it was very weird and wonders what the object could be.
      

    26-03-2019 om 17:55 geschreven door peter  

    0 1 2 3 4 5 - Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen)
    Categorie:LATEST ( UFO ) VIDEO NEWS ( ENG)
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Video – Who Lived on Earth 100,000 Years Ago

    Video – Who Lived on Earth 100,000 Years Ago


    Who Lived on Earth 100,000 Years Ago

    Attribution:Youtube - ETupdates 

    https://www.etupdates.com/ }

    26-03-2019 om 01:28 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:ARCHEOLOGIE ( E, Nl, Fr )
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Symbolism of the Mythical Phoenix Bird: Renewal, Rebirth and Destruction

    Symbolism of the Mythical Phoenix Bird: Renewal, Rebirth and Destruction

    Phoenix bird

    In ancient mythology, the symbolism of the majestic Phoenix bird, which is most often connected with the Sun, dies and is reborn across cultures and throughout time.

    Ancient legend paints a picture of a magical bird, radiant and shimmering, which lives for several hundred years before it dies by bursting into flames. It is then reborn from the ashes, to start a new, long life. So powerful is the symbolism that it is a motif and image that is still used commonly today in popular culture and folklore.

    The legendary phoenix is a large, grand bird, much like an eagle or peacock. It is brilliantly coloured in reds, purples, and yellows, as it is associated with the rising sun and fire. Sometimes a nimbus will surround it, illuminating it in the sky. Its eyes are blue and shine like sapphires. It builds its own funeral pyre or nest, and ignites it with a single clap of its wings. After death it rises gloriously from the ashes and flies away.

    Phoenix rising from the ashes

    Image: Phoenix rising from the ashes in Book of Mythological Creatures by Friedrich Johann Justin Bertuch (1747-1822)

    Phoenix Bird Symbolizes Renewal and Resurrection

    The phoenix symbolizes renewal and resurrection, and represents many themes, such as “the sun, time, the empire, metempsychosis, consecration, resurrection, life in the heavenly Paradise, Christ, Mary, virginity, the exceptional man”.

    Section: 

    www.Ancient-Origins.net – Reconstructing the story of humanity’s past

    https://beforeitsnews.com/v3/ }

    26-03-2019 om 01:18 geschreven door peter  

    0 1 2 3 4 5 - Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen)
    Categorie:MYSTERIES ( Fr, Nl, E)
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.NASA, ESA will study how artificial gravity can keep astronauts healthy

    NASA, ESA will study how artificial gravity can keep astronauts healthy

    It could be crucial to the future of long-term trips to space.
    ESA

    Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have to exercise and alter their diet to endure extended stays in microgravity, but NASA and the ESA hope to find a better way. They're about to start a study that will explore how artificial gravity might keep astronauts in good shape. Volunteers at the German Aerospace Center will spend 60 days in bed starting on March 25th at an incline that will send blood away from their heads. Once a day, a "selection" of the subjects will take a spin in the Center's short-arm centrifuge in a bid to send blood back toward their legs.

    The scientists can tweak the intensity of the centrifugal force as well as decide whether to spin around a person's head or chest, but it's not clear just what will work. That's partly what the experiment is for -- they'll have a better sense of what gravitational effects would be necessary to prevent muscles from weakening.

    Whatever the conclusions, you probably won't see 2001-style rotating habitats any time soon. You're likely to see something resulting from studies like this, however. If humanity is going to embark on trips to Marsor send more than a handful of people into orbit for extended periods, it will likely want some kind of simulated gravity to maintain the fitness of future spacefarers.

    Via: Space.com
    Source: ESA

    26-03-2019 om 01:05 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:ASTRONOMIE / RUIMTEVAART
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.What’s going on with Jupiter’s Red Spot?

    What’s going on with Jupiter’s Red Spot?

    This giant storm has remained a nearly constant feature of Jupiter’s turbulent atmosphere for at least 300 years. How can a storm persist for so long?

    Big orange oval against mottled white background.

    Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.

    Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt/Seán Doran.

    By Donna PierceMississippi State University

    The Great Red Spot, a storm larger than the Earth and powerful enough to tear apart smaller storms that get drawn into it, is one of the most recognizable features in Jupiter’s atmosphere and the entire solar system. The counterclockwise-moving storm, an anticyclone, boasts wind speeds as high as 300 miles (483 km) per hour. This prominent featureobserved since 1830, and possibly as far back as the 1660s, has long been a source of great fascination and scientific study.

    Much about the Great Red Spot is still unknown, including exactly when and how it formed, what gives it its striking red color and why it has persisted for so much longer than other storms that have been observed in the atmosphere of Jupiter. However, astronomers think that its position in latitude, consistently observed to be 22 degrees south of Jupiter’s equator, is connected to the prominent cloud bands in Jupiter’s atmosphere.

    As a planetary astronomer who studies the atmospheres of comets, I’m normally not investigating massive storms. But I still want to know about the features seen in the atmosphere of other bodies in the solar system, including Jupiter. Studying atmospheres of all kinds deepens our understanding of how they form and work.

    Unlike Jupiter, the Earth has land masses that cause major storms to lose energy due to friction with a solid surface. Without this feature, Jupiter’s storms are more long-lasting. However, the Great Red Spot is long-lived, even by Jupiter standards. Researchers don’t quite understand why, but we do know that Jupiter’s storms that are located in cloud bands with the same direction of rotation tend to be longer lasting.

    Planets lined up at same scale, Jupiter biggest.

    The planets of the solar system to size scale. Jupiter is 5 times further from the sun than the Earth.

    These colorful alternating bands, called belts (dark bands) and zones (light bands), run parallel to Jupiter’s equator. Researchers aren’t sure what causes the coloration of the bands and zones, but differences in their chemical composition, temperature and transparency of the atmosphere to light have all been suggested as contributing factors. These bands are also counter-rotating, meaning that they move in opposite directions with respect to their neighbors. The boundaries between the bands and zones are marked by strong winds called zonal jets.

    The Great Red Spot is confined by an eastward jet to its north and a westward jet to its south, confining the storm to a constant latitude. However, the Great Red Spot has undergone considerable changes in longitudeover time, and recent evidence suggests that its rate of westward longitudinal motion is increasing.

    Like the Great Red Spot, the bands have undergone little change in latitude over the time during which they have been observed. Researchers don’t entirely understand the banded structure, but we do have evidence suggesting that the light colored zones are regions of rising material, and the dark belts are regions of material sinking into the atmosphere.

    On Earth, there is a well-defined boundary between the atmosphere and the surface of the planet, which is largely covered by liquid water. However, there are no known large oceans of water under Jupiter’s clouds. Based on what researchers do know, the atmosphere smoothly transitions to a liquid hydrogen interior within the planet. There may be a solid core to Jupiter, but it is most likely buried very deep under a thick layer of liquid metallic hydrogen, a form of hydrogen that acts as an electrical conductor.

    What else do we know about the Great Red Spot that is changing dramatically? Its size, shape and color. An analysis of historical and recently obtained data on the Great Red Spot has shown that it is shrinking and becoming both rounder and taller, and its color has also varied over time. What is driving these changes, and what do they mean for the future of the Great Red Spot? Researchers aren’t sure.

    However, NASA’s Juno spacecraft, currently orbiting Jupiter, is gathering more data on the cloud bands and the Great Red Spot. These new data will likely provide insights into many of the features in Jupiter’s atmosphere.

    Donna Pierce, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Mississippi State University

    • This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
    • Bottom line: Why is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot so long-lived?

    https://earthsky.org/ }

    26-03-2019 om 00:42 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:ASTRONOMIE / RUIMTEVAART
    Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.Insights about secret scientific research in the US

    Insights about secret scientific research in the US

    Screenshot of Bob Lazar’s website.

    It shows the existence of a two-tier scientific culture, of which the upper tier would be a domain for clandestine R&D, unknown to democratically elected authorities.

    Many investigators and whistleblowers in the United States have, over the last 40 years, called attention upon unacknowledged scientific and technical programmes being carried out in various publicly and privately funded laboratories and research centres, affiliated to military and intelligence agencies, in “exotic” areas that are officially not regarded as deserving of serious attention in civilian institutions such as universities. The existence of such programmes, now being proven, would demonstrate the existence of a two-tier scientific culture in the US at least, if not in the rest of the world, of which the upper tier would be a domain for clandestine R&D, unsupervised by, and unknown to, democratically elected authorities. If only for this reason, finding out the truth about the situation is of great value to society.

    What do we know about the long suspected “special access” programmes hiding within the American military-industrial-intelligence complex and what is backed by material evidence?

    Among the first whistleblowers, who emerged in the 1980s (1989 in his case), Bob Lazar is noteworthy because of the extensive information he provided in videotaped talks about research he had carried out in Area S-4 close to the since notorious Area 51 in the Nevada desert’s atomic testing range, around the dry Groom lake riverbed.

    Lazar claimed to have being recruited by the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), through defence contractor EG&G, to work as part of a team on a highly classified project which involved examining and reverse engineering a 52 feet wide saucer-shaped craft that he quickly realised was not built by humans. He further explained that it was made of some unknown ceramic-like material, could sit three small sized (3 feet tall) crew members and was powered by a hitherto undiscovered super-heavy element, eventually identified as number 115 on the periodic table, which generated its own gravitational field and enabled the craft to reach fantastic speeds. Lazar further explained that the retrieved space vehicle was being test flown in Area 51/S-4 although neither its materials nor its propulsion systems could be figured out or reproduced. However, he warned that the US military had somehow gotten hold of a substantial quantity of Element 115, stored at Los Alamos and intended for weaponisation. His report was supported by well connected investigators, including John Lear, son of the Learjet inventor and a veteran CIA operative who testified that he was also exposed to covert research into “alien” technologies.

    Lazar’s testimony (retraced and updated in a recent documentary by Jeremy Corbell entitled Bob Lazar, Area 51 and Flying Saucers) was one of many that were more or less publicised in the following decades despite stubborn denials from official quarters. In 1997, former Pentagon intelligence officer (foreign technology desk) and White House staffer Colonel Philip Corso’s bestselling book, The Day After Roswell, purported to lift the veil on much of the clandestine research pursued since 1947 by various branches of the federal government and compartmentally outsourced to defence contractors such as Lockheed, Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Martin Marietta, Northrop, Grumman, Raytheon, General Dynamics and others. However, the results of those advanced investigations remained largely undisclosed, although Corso alleged that major technical breakthroughs such as microtransistors, superconductors, fibre optics, Kevlar and night vision goggles had been developed through reverse engineering of alien materials. Since then aeronautics engineer Edgar Fouché, who reports having worked for the Aurora Project at Area 51 which built the secret Tr3-B triangular mercury plasma fuelled spacecraft, Dr Robert Wood from McDonnell Douglas, Corey Goode, Wlliam Tompkins also formerly at McDonnell Douglas and the more controversial Dan Burisch, are among the alleged “insiders” who have blown the whistle on various “black” programmes. Some like Goode claim to have served on an SSF (Secret Space Fleet), a branch of the US Navy which began operating in the 1960s or 1970s under the Solar Warden code name. Their accounts have been extensively reported and analysed by veteran researchers such as Linda Moulton Howe as part of her Earthfiles series, Paola Harris, Dr Steven Greer (in his widely publicized Disclosure Project) and Dr Michael Salla, co-founder of the Exopolitics Institute.

    Additionally, in June 2017, a 47-page top secret briefing document was leaked and analysed by various experts. It appears to be a briefing dictated by a member of the clandestine MJ-12 agency (set up to deal with UFO related issues in 1954) for Dr Philip Morrison, an eminent MIT physicist. It contains detailed descriptions of alien craft and their recovery, transcripts of communications with alien beings and spells out the measures taken by concerned agencies to keep the entire subject secret, even to the highest elected authorities.

    Back in 2007, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, in which Area 51 is located, and who then chaired the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, set up a new study group with the support of fellow Senators, Inouye and Stevens, under the name of AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program) at the suggestion of his friend, billionaire Robert Bigelow, chairman of Bigelow Aerospace, a contractor to NASA which conducted research on UFOs and collected substantial evidence of the extraterrestrial presence.

    Senator Reid wished to gather information on the secret work being carried out outside the purview of Congressional authorities and got an appropriation of $22 million for a five-year budget. The investigations were entrusted to Bigelow’s aerospace research division and coordinated by Earthtech of Austin, Texas, an R&D centre in frontier areas of science headed by Dr Harold Puthoff, formerly at Stanford Research Institute. AATIP under the stewardship of high-ranking intelligence officer Luis Elizondo, commissioned a still unissued 490-page report and collected 38 classified papers from a number of universities and research centres reflecting some of the goals pursued at the behest of the DIA (as Defense Intelligence Research Documents or DIRD) and other military intelligence bodies.

    AATIP remained unknown to the public until both the New York Times and the Washington Post on 16 December 2017 published articles about it with the mandatory sceptical rumblings. They both, however, provided online links to a film taken in 2004 by Super Hornet jet pilots from the USS Nimitz, off the coast of Southern California, of a fleet of extremely fast flying objects, exhibiting performances far beyond the abilities of the most advanced aircraft, whose shapes suggested “tictacs” which became their moniker.

    Physicist Jack Sarfatti, formerly at San Diego State University, has gone on record to say he is doing research on the propulsion system of the “tictac” by studying “alien” recovered metamaterials in the custody of Dr Puthoff’s Earthtech. The existence of those materials of non-earthly origin has been officially confirmed.

    In January of this year a Freedom Of Information Act request from Steven Aftergood, director of the Federation of American Scientists against Government Secrecy, led to the release by the DIA of the list of titles of above mentioned 38 government-funded research reports gathered by AATIP as part of the process to “read in” on a need-to-know basis, officials in the military and civilian administrations. They include two papers leaked earlier by Corey Goode, respectively entitled Traversable Wormholes, Stargates and Negative Energy (number 8 in the list) and Warp Drive, Dark Energy and the Manipulation of Extra-Dimensions (number 19). Others are dedicated to invisibility cloaking technologies, propulsion systems from space vacuum, anti-gravity, space communication based on Quantum Entanglement and Non-Locality, programmable matter, negative mass propulsion and other such topics not publicly recognised as being within the realm of realistic possibilities.

    Cynics who alleged that all this is speculative mumbo-jumbo amounting to a waste of public money did not consider that the disclosure from AATIP seems to be what the CIA calls a “limited hangout”: i.e. a superficial glimpse of a much larger secret cloaked in “plausible deniability”.

    Since the alleged closure of AATIP in 2012, a private initiative called TTSA (To the Stars Academy) has been set up with the participation of some of the staffers of AATIP, including its former director Luis Elizondo. TTSA is working with retired military and civilian officials to further disclose the extensive and long-standing secret military R&D pursued between government agencies and private contractors involved in what is commonly called the Deep State. Its executive director Tom DeLonge has produced a new documentary series for the History Channel relying on military insider testimonies and entitled Unidentified.

    How much more time and effort will it take for certain agencies in the US government to confess to the many ominous or mind-boggling secrets they have kept from the public, often in violation of constitutional principles and legal norms and procedures?

    26-03-2019 om 00:19 geschreven door peter  

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    Categorie:MYSTERIES ( Fr, Nl, E)


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