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. Each author stays resposable for the continue of his articles. As blogmaster I have the right to refuse an addition or an article, when it attacks other collegues or UFO-groupes.
Druk op onderstaande knop om te reageren in mijn forum
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Deze blog is opgedragen aan mijn overleden echtgenote Lucienne.
In 2012 verloor ze haar moedige strijd tegen kanker!
In 2011 startte ik deze blog, omdat ik niet mocht stoppen met mijn UFO-onderzoek.
BEDANKT!!!
Een interessant adres?
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...
08-11-2020
New Research Indicates Our Solar System Did Have An Extra Planet
New Research Indicates Our Solar System Did Have An Extra Planet
Researchers from the United States have conducted simulations in regards to our Solar System having an extra planet at one time as well as the orbital patterns of our current planets.
They believe that there was once an icy planet that was kicked out of our solar system and that it had an effect on how some of the planets orbit our sun. When our sun was very young, the planets formed from a swirling disk of gas and dust. It was suggested that the large planets orbited the sun in a different way from their current patterns but gravitational reactions forced them into their current orbits.
The researchers attempted to figure out how the planets’ orbits changed throughout history so they ran 6,000 different simulations and they found that Jupiter and Saturn started off with “eccentric” oval-shaped orbits around the sun. It is believed that when Jupiter was very young, it orbited the sun three times compared to two orbits completed by Saturn, but based on their orbital patterns today it didn’t make a lot of sense. According to the new research, they think that Jupiter probably completed two orbits around the sun for each one made by Saturn.
Additionally, they found that Uranus and Neptune were affected by the gravitational pull of the Kuiper belt as well as by a lost planet – an icy world that was once located between Saturn and Uranus.
Matt Clement, who is a planetary scientist from the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington as well as an author of the paper, explained this process further, “We now know that there are thousands of planetary systems in our Milky Way galaxy alone.” “But it turns out that the arrangement of planets in our own Solar System is highly unusual, so we are using models to reverse engineer and replicate its formative processes.” “This is a bit like trying to figure out what happened in a car crash after the fact — how fast were the cars going, in what directions, and so on.”
He went on to say, “This indicates that while our Solar System is a bit of an oddball, it wasn’t always the case,” adding, “What’s more, now that we’ve established the effectiveness of this model, we can use it to help us look at the formation of the terrestrial planets, including our own,” as well as to “inform our ability to look for similar systems elsewhere that could have the potential to host life.”
Their research was published in the journal Icarus and can be read in full here.
I found this on the official NASA Instagram yesterday. A huge glowing object is seen very close to the space station and seems also to be over the hurricane. The object also has a smudge area a little bit above it, which I believe to be the same object, but its still moving. The UFO may have slowed down, but not actually stop at all. So that would explain why the astronaut missed it or why NASA didn't seem to notice it. UFO, reflection, meteor or secret spy spacecraft. You decide, but for me...it looks like a UFO.
Evidence of Alien Spacecraft Firing Huge Beam at The Sun
Evidence of Alien Spacecraft Firing Huge Beam at The Sun
NASA's satellite EIT 304 captured a massive alien spacecraft firing a beam at the sun. The images show that two craft appear in space next to the sun on which one craft firing a huge beam at the sun.
The remarkable event took place on November 1, 2020 and evidence that these kind of alien spacecraft not only flying extremely close to the sun, but they fire huge beams at the sun too.
Even though the reason is not known, it is said that intelligent aliens might survive by collecting, storing and harnessing the power of the sun.
Huge UFO sitting over Stonehenge on Halloween night 2020!
Huge UFO sitting over Stonehenge on Halloween night 2020!
This bright formation of lights was filmed hovering in Wiltshire near a Stonehenge. This happened on Halloween night, October 31st 2020.
Witness report:
Driving back from Devon yesterday we spotted a massive bright light in the sky on the left of the A303. It was orange and very bright artificial lighting. My partner said it may have been multiple lights but I could have sworn it was one solid beam with a bit of a hue around it to the left and right. We considered drones or spotlights but this didn’t match what it looked like. The light was stationary, below the clouds and unmoving. We filmed for approximately 3 minutes and then it was gone. Just disappeared.
A WEIRD, ANCIENT SHRIMP HAS CHANGED SCIENTISTS' UNDERSTANDING OF EVOLUTION
A WEIRD, ANCIENT SHRIMP HAS CHANGED SCIENTISTS' UNDERSTANDING OF EVOLUTION
Just a little evolutionary hiccup along the way.
DURING THE CAMBRIAN PERIOD, the world’s oceans were teeming with strange, swimming, segmented creatures.
Over the course of millions of years, these elongated, millipede-like animals would eventually evolve to become modern arthropods: crustaceans like crabs, arachnids like scorpions, and insects like bees and ants.
But some 500 million years ago, these aquatic Cambrian beasts were rather more experimental when it came to their physical traits and body plans than their more familiar descendants. There was the 3-inch-long Opabinia,with 5 eyes balanced on stalks and an elephant trunk-like mouth, and the predatory Radiodonta species, replete with two spine-laden, curving and segmented appendages designed to capture prey.
But there was another creature swimming around Earth's oceans, showcasing both of these strange features, and so much more. Enter the Kylinxia zhangi.
This newly discovered, shrimp-like species is described in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
In the paper, the researchers reveal that rather than just one special feature, this small fossil arthropod possesses a melting pot of physical traits, including five eyes on stalks and curved, spiny hooks extending upward from the front of its body like talons. It appears to have been armored, too. The fossil has a fused head shield, an armored, segmented body, and other claw-like appendages down its shell.
The discovery helps scientists understand how Cambrian arthropods may have been related to each other, and how their legacy lives on in crabs and insects today.
Diying Huang is a co-author on the paper and professor at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He tells Inverse that while modern arthropods may seem like a diverse bunch, they have nothing on their ancient ancestors.
“Modern arthropods are abundant and diverse. They are everywhere and familiar [to] people," he says. “The Cambrian arthropods are also complex, not only the diversity, [but] also the morphology, anatomy, and functional morphology.”
A holotype of the strange new fossil, Kylinxia zhangi.D.-Y. Huang & H. Zeng
In a nod to its strange physiology, the researchers dubbed the new shrimp Kylinxia zhangi, named after Kylin, a Chinese mythological chimera. And while its mismatched body is curious, it is also a rare sign of a pivotal moment in ancient animal evolution. Kylinxia may be a “transition” species, able to shed light on the evolutionary relationships between the other animals that lived at the same time.
“[These] groups would [have] lived in the Cambrian sea at the same time or similar time,” Huang says. “They could have [the] same ancestor in an earlier time.”
Researchers use a process called phylogenetic analysis to try and reconstruct, on the basis of its strange physiology, Kylinxia's evolutionary pathway among arthropods. The analytic technique pays attention to details like how many segments a creature has, the shape of its head, or how spiky its appendages are. It assumes that similarities between animals are more likely to be based on evolutionary relationships than chance.
The fact that Kylinxia possess spiny, hunting appendages shaped like those of Radiodonta, combined with the fact these are upturned, like another arthropod, Megacheira, and a Megacheira-like body, leads the researchers to believe that Radiodonta and Megacheira inherited their appendages from a common ancestor, rather than evolving independently in each creature.
In other words, it’s the same creepy appendage, just flipped.
While strange, this patchwork creature sheds new light on how antennas or pincers evolved in modern arthropods.D.-Y. Huang & H. Zeng
Adding Kylinxia to the ancient tree also sheds light on the evolution of modern arthropods. Previous work had suggested that Megacheira, with their spiny appendages, were closely related to Chelicerata, the group that includes modern scorpions and spiders, as well as a group of ancient animals with antennas, which may have evolved into insects, like bees and ants.
The spiny appendages on Megacheira, the mouth pinchers on scorpions and spiders, and antennas on bees are all similarly located on these animals' bodies, leading researchers to believe they may have all evolved from a creature or creatures with similar structure.
But researchers didn’t know what came first. Did the spiny appendages evolve into antennas, which evolved into pinchers? Or were mouthparts first? The discovery of Kylinxia ages the spiny appendages, suggesting they gave rise to both pinchers and antennae along separate lineages, rather than mouthparts arising from antennae, or vice versa.
The undersea world of little Kylinxia, swirling with segmented, many appendage beasts, is very unlike that of the modern oceans. But the diverse morphological and ecological experimentation by early arthropods like it “probably laid the foundation for their later evolutionary successes," the researchers say.
Abstract:
Resolving the early evolution of euarthropods is one of the most challenging problems in metazoan evolution1,2 . Exceptionally preserved fossils from the Cambrian period have contributed important palaeontological data to deciphering this evolutionary process3,4 . Phylogenetic studies have resolved Radiodonta (also known as anomalocaridids) as the closest group to all euarthropods that have frontalmost appendages on the second head segment (Deuteropoda)5–9 . However, the interrelationships among major Cambrian euarthropod groups remain disputed1,2,4,7 , which impedes our understanding of the evolutionary gap between Radiodonta and Deuteropoda. Here we describe Kylinxia zhangi gen. et. sp. nov., a euarthropod from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota of China. Kylinxia possesses not only deuteropod characteristics such as a fused head shield, a fully arthrodized trunk and jointed endopodites, but also fve eyes (as in Opabinia) as well as radiodont-like raptorial frontalmost appendages. Our phylogenetic reconstruction recovers Kylinxia as a transitional taxon that bridges Radiodonta and Deuteropoda. The most basal deuteropods are retrieved as a paraphyletic lineage that features plesiomorphic raptorial frontalmost appendages and includes Kylinxia, megacheirans, panchelicerates, ‘great-appendage’ bivalved euarthropods and isoxyids. This phylogenetic topology supports the idea that the radiodont and megacheiran frontalmost appendages are homologous, that the chelicerae of Chelicerata originated from megacheiran great appendages and that the sensorial antennae in Mandibulata derived from ancestral raptorial forms. Kylinxia thus provides important insights into the phylogenetic relationships among early euarthropods, the evolutionary transformations and disparity of frontalmost appendages, and the origin of crucial evolutionary innovations in this clade.
Correction:
A previous version of this article misstated the length of Opabinia. We regret the error.
Scientists already had Psyche classified as a metallic asteroid, but new observations with the Hubble telescope reveal its rusty surface and provide scientists with a unique view into what Earth-like planets are like during their formation.
Artist’s concept of 16 Psyche, a massive asteroid located 230 million miles (370 million km) away from Earth. New ultraviolet observations of the asteroid and its surface revealed that it may be made entirely of nickel and iron, making it the perfect candidate to tell the tale of how Earth-like planets are formed. It is thought to be the core of a failed planet formation.
A team of scientists led by Tracy Becker of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, said on October 26, 2020, that the deepest-ever ultraviolet observations of the asteroid 16 Psyche have revealed a secret: the asteroid may be made entirely of iron and nickel, and its surface may be covered in rust. Psyche was already classified as an M-type asteroid, that is, an asteroid known to contain a significant percentage of metal. It’s one of the most massive objects currently known to be orbiting in the solar system’s asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Generally speaking, metal asteroids are rare, and the study revealed that Psyche may be the most “metal-like” of all known asteroids. Thus Psyche has a story to tell about solid planets like Earth and what happened when they were forming 4 1/2 billion years ago.
At 140 miles (225 km) in diameter, Psyche spans roughly the distance between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and provides plenty of surface for scientists to observe and study. New ultraviolet (UV) observations of the massive asteroid have revealed that Psyche’s surface may be mostly made of iron, but scientists believe further study is required to confirm their findings, as lab models provided conflicting outcomes.
Tracy Becker, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, is the lead author on the new study.
Becker, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, is the lead author on the paper. She told EarthSky:
The way that Psyche reflects UV light is very similar to the way iron and metallic meteorites reflect UV light; the UV spectrum of Psyche is similar to that of iron. But we note that in our computer models, we found we could reproduce the spectrum of Psyche with as little as 10% of iron mixed into other materials. So, we can’t conclude definitively just how much iron is on the surface, but it does look like some metals are there.
Scientists also found another way to detect iron on the surface: by looking for rust. After all, where there is iron, there may be rust, or something similar. To find it, Becker’s team focused their efforts on hunting for spectral evidence of iron oxide, which is typically observed on Earth and other bodies as rust. The scientists needed a way to ferret out iron oxide signatures. While unable to scoop up a sample from 230 million miles (370 million km) away, ultraviolet (UV) observations provided the solution. UV light is made up of short wavelengths that are invisible to the human eye but carry high energy, and are capable of damaging living tissue and causing sunburns and skin cancer. But in astronomy, these short wavelengths of light are beneficial and can help scientists understand chemical composition, density, and temperature. For these researchers, UV light was the key to help unveil iron oxide on the surface of Psyche.
Becker said:
Recent laboratory work shows that you can see the iron oxide signatures in the UV better than at other wavelengths, so we wanted to look for those. The UV is also very sensitive to the uppermost layer of the planetary body, so we would be able to see how much of the asteroid’s surface has been [changed over time].
Becker’s team engaged in patient observation of Psyche, taking UV measurements on both sides of the asteroid to get a complete picture of its surface. The team’s patience paid off when they saw evidence of iron oxide. Becker said in a statement:
We were able to identify, for the first time on any asteroid, what we think are iron oxide ultraviolet absorption bands. This is an indication that oxidation is happening on the asteroid, which could be a result of the solar wind hitting the surface.
The Curiosity rover took this self-portrait while crossing Vera Rubin Ridge on Mars, showing off the reddish dirt that covers the surface of the planet. That red hue is due to the heavy presence of iron oxide, or rust particles, that are blown around the surface by Martian winds. The presence of rust on celestial bodies like Mars and Psyche gives scientists clues to the amount of iron that exists on their surfaces.
Although this is the first time that scientists have observed evidence of iron oxide on an asteroid, it isn’t the first time that rust has been observed in our solar system. Mars – often referred to as the red planet due to its hue – is covered in rust particles, which are blown around on the planet as winds shape its surface. And while the appearance of rust on Psyche doesn’t necessarily mean that the asteroid is corroding, scientists did detect evidence of surface changes.
During observations, Becker’s team noticed that Psyche’s uppermost layers appeared more reflective at deeper UV wavelengths. While Becker said this phenomenon requires further study, she noted that the observed brightening may be the result of further space weathering. She said:
All planetary bodies are exposed to space weathering by the sun, and other processing through small impacts by micrometeorites, that will change their surfaces. Characterizing space weathering is helpful for understanding how long the surface has been exposed to space.
Becker’s team carried out UV emission observations on Psyche using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Before the study, no other previous UV observations of Psyche had been made, in part due to the difficulty of conducting studies using UV light. Becker said:
We cannot observe any objects in the ultraviolet from ground-based telescopes, since our atmosphere blocks UV light. The only way to observe solar system objects in the UV is with space-based telescopes, which are limited. Psyche hadn’t been observed at these wavelengths – mid- and far-UV – of light before. There had been near-UV observations from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), but these HST observations go farther in the UV than ever before.
Before the new study, scientists already believed Psyche to be the leftover core of a protoplanet that never finished forming. The new observations, and the discovery of iron oxide signatures, have revealed the asteroid to be truly unique, and even more Earth-like than previously believed. Becker said:
We’ve seen meteorites that are mostly metal, but Psyche could be unique in that it might be an asteroid that is completely made of iron and nickel. Earth has a metal core, a mantle and a crust. It’s possible that as a Psyche protoplanet was forming, it was struck by another object in our solar system and lost its mantle and crust.
NASA’s Psyche mission will launch toward the asteroid of the same name in 2022. Scientists hypothesize that this asteroid is actually the leftovers of a failed planet formation. New ultraviolet studies with Hubble have shown that Psyche is even more unique than that, as it may consist entirely of nickel and iron, and that the iron may be rusting.
The leftovers from this stellar hit-and-run have long sparked interest in Psyche. In 2017, NASA announced a mission to the asteroid, which will be the first such mission to an object not made of rock or ice. Set to launch in 2022, NASA’s orbiter will reach Psyche in 2026, and either confirm or deny scientists’ observations and theories. No matter the outcome, Becker is looking forward to seeing what secrets the mission will reveal. She said:
What makes Psyche and the other asteroids so interesting is that they’re considered to be the building blocks of the solar system. To understand what really makes up a planet and to potentially see the inside of a planet is fascinating. Once we get to Pysche, we’re finally going to understand if that’s the case, even if it doesn’t turn out as we expect. Any time there’s a surprise, it’s always exciting.
Bottom line: New observations of asteroid Psyche with the Hubble Space Telecope have revealed that the asteroid may be made entirely of nickel and iron. Its surface appears to be rusting. The new work provides scientists with a unique view into what Earth-like planets are like during formation.
Researchers have found evidence for an ancient microbial ecosystem in a hydrothermal system beneath Mexico’s Chicxulub Crater, thought to be the site of the impact that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
Artist’s reconstruction of Chicxulub crater soon after impact, 66 million years ago.
Image via Detlev Van Ravenswaay/ Science Source/ Science.
What was ancient life on Earth like? Scientists revealed on October 30, 2020, that they’ve discovered some important new clues. Interestingly, the evidence lies in Chicxulub (roughly pronounced ‘CHEEK-shu-loob’), a large, circular, buried impact crater thought by many to have formed in the asteroid collision event that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Earlier this year, scientists had discovered that Chicxulub once contained a vast hydrothermal system – a hot-water system – of hot mineral-rich water. Now the same team says it has found evidence for a subterranean ecosystem of microbial life, hosted by the crater and its hot water.
After the colossal impact that created the Chicxulub crater, Earth’s surface was pretty much uninhabitable. But the new work shows that impacts like Chicxulub produced niches underground where microbial life could flourish. Cool, yes?
The new peer-reviewed study comes from scientists at the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) in Washington, D.C., and the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas. It was published online by the journal Astrobiology on October 30, 2020.
Chicxulub, about 119 miles (180 km) in diameter and located beneath the northern edge of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, is one of the best preserved impact craters on Earth. Most craters have, of course, been eroded away by Earth’s water and atmosphere – unlike on airless bodies such as the moon which get to keep their craters – but Chicxulub still remains recognizable to its original form. It is also the best preserved impact crater similar to those from a period of heavy meteorite bombardment 3.8 billion years ago.
Cross-section of the ancient hydrothermal system in Chicxulub Crater. Researchers have found evidence for a thriving microbial ecosystem in the hydrothermal system about 3.8 billion years ago.
Image via Victor O. Leshyk/ Lunar and Planetary Institute/ USRA.
Chicxulub core sample containing the hydrothermal minerals dachiardite and analcime. These minerals helped support a thriving microbial ecosystem.
Image via David A. Kring/ Lunar and Planetary Institute/ USRA.
Many large impacts occurred during this time, which is called the Hadean eon and is the oldest time period in the history of Earth (from 4.6 billion years ago – the beginning of Earth’s existence – to 4 billion years ago). Some of these impacts were even large enough to temporarily vaporize the oceans! The result was a hot, steamy, rock-vapor-filled atmosphere, making Earth’s surface uninhabitable at the time. But what about below the surface? Could life have existed there, in a more protected environment in subsurface hydrothermal systems? According to this new research, it could, and it did.
The scientist who led the new study, David Kring at LPI, put forward a concept called the Impact-Origin of Life Hypothesis. The concept was basically that hot, mineral-rich water could flow through rock fractured by the impact, creating a subsurface hydrothermal system that could support some kinds of microscopic life. The new findings show that such a system persisted for hundreds of thousands – or millions – of years beneath Chicxulub Crater, and may provide valuable clues as to how life first developed on Earth.
So how did the researchers discover this evidence?
David Kring at the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), who led the new study.
They obtained rock core samples from the peak ring of the crater, via an expedition supported by the International Ocean Discovery Program and International Continental Scientific Drilling Program. Fifteen thousand kilograms (33,000 pounds) of rock were recovered in total from a 0.8 mile (1.3 km)-deep borehole. When examined, tiny spheres of the mineral pyrite, only 10 millionths of a meter in diameter, were found. Analysis of sulfur isotopes (variations of sulfur with different numbers of neutrons in their atoms) within the mineral showed that the spheres were created by a microbial ecosystem. The microbes had adapted to the hot fluids in the hydrothermal system and flourished.
The microbes fed on chemical reactions that occurred within the system. When sulfate was converted to sulfide, it was preserved as pyrite, which the microbes used for energy. These organisms were similar to thermophilic bacteria (bacteria able to live at high temperatures) and archaea (single-celled microorganisms with a structure similar to bacteria who survive in environments low in oxygen) found today in hydrothermal systems such as those in Yellowstone National Park.
EarthSky reached out to Kring by email for additional comments on the significance of these findings.
Surface outline of Chicxulub Crater as we see it today, beneath the northern edge of the Yucatán Peninsula, México.
ES: How did you first come up with the impact origin of life hypothesis?
DK: The impact origin of life hypothesis emerged from a conjunction of two independent studies. First, our group was trying to locate the impact site that extinguished dinosaurs. When I was studying our discovery samples, I realized that the impact rocks were overprinted by hydrothermal mineralization, indicating the impact generated a hydrothermal system. Second, at the same time, I was studying a period of intense early solar system bombardment that is sometimes called the lunar cataclysm, inner solar system cataclysm, or late heavy bombardment. Some of those impact events were so large that they vaporized Earth’s seas, making it impossible for life to exist on Earth surface. Putting one and two together, I realized those same impact events generated subsurface hydrothermal systems that would be perfect habitats for the early evolution of life. In parallel, biologists determined that the tree of life is rooted in organisms that lived in hydrothermal systems. Thus, it seemed plausible life arose from an impact crater.
ES: Are the sulfur-eating microbes the only ones known so far, or could other types of microbial life have also existed in the hydrothermal system? What about other types of (non-microbial) life?
DK: Sulfate-reducing microbes are the only organisms detected thus far, but other types of organisms may have existed in the hydrothermal system. We are beginning that search now.
ES: Are there any other semi-preserved impact craters that may have had similar hydrothermal systems?
ES: What further studies are planned for Chicxulub Crater?
DK: We are looking for additional organisms that may have thrived in the subterranean hydrothermal system. We want to define the entire ecosystem and examine how it evolved over several million years.
These findings are fascinating because they support the possibility that meteorite or asteroid impacts during the earliest age of Earth – the Hadean eon – could have helped life get started. And if it happened on Earth, could it have occurred elsewhere, such as on Mars, or the icy moons with subsurface oceans in the outer solar system, or even dwarf planets like Ceres (which, like most bodies in the solar system, is covered in craters, but also is now known to have had a layer of liquid water beneath its surface in its past, and maybe still does)? The possibilities are intriguing to contemplate!
Bottom line:Researchers have discovered evidence for an ancient microbial ecosystem in a hydrothermal system beneath the huge dinosaur-killing Chicxulub impact crater.
On October 29, NASA re-established contact with its Voyager 2 spacecraft, after the probe was left flying solo for 7 months while repairs were made to the radio antenna in Australia used to control it.
Artist’s concept showing the positions of the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes, now both outside the heliosphere, or sphere of our sun’s influence.
On October 29, 2020, NASA re-established contact with its Voyager 2 spacecraft, launched from Earth in 1977. The craft is now traveling more than 11.6 billion miles (18.8 billion km) from Earth. It is beyond the heliopause, or boundary region, where the sun’s influence ends and the interstellar medium begins. The 43-year-old space probe was left flying solo for 7 months while repairs were made to the radio antenna that commands it. The only radio antenna that can command the space probe – the Deep Space Station 43 (DSS43) antenna in Canberra, Australia – has been offline since March.
Mission operators sent a series of test commands to Voyager 2 using the DSS43 antenna, which established a signal confirming the “call” was received. The spacecraft executed the commands without issue, according to a NASA statement.
Voyager 2 has been traveling through space since its launch in 1977, and is now more than 11.6 billion miles ( 18.8 billion km) from Earth. Voyager 2 entered interstellar space two years ago, in November 2018, when the spacecraft exited the heliosphere – the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by the sun that surrounds the planets and the Kuiper Belt (the collection of small, icy bodies beyond Neptune’s orbit).
Crews conduct critical upgrades and repairs to the 230-foot-wide (70-meter-wide) radio antenna Deep Space Station 43 in Canberra, Australia. In this photo, one of the antenna’s white feed cones (which house parts of the antenna receivers) is being moved by a crane.
Since DSS43 went offline in mid-March for repairs, mission operators have been able to receive health updates and science data from Voyager 2, but they haven’t been able to send commands to the probe. The recent call to Voyager 2 was a test of new hardware installed on DSS43, which is part of NASA’s Deep Space Network, a collection of radio antenna facilities spaced equally around the globe in Canberra; Goldstone, California; and Madrid, Spain.
Among the upgrades to DSS43 are two new radio transmitters. One of them, which is used to talk with Voyager 2, hasn’t been replaced in over 47 years. Engineers have also upgraded heating and cooling equipment, power supply equipment, and other electronics needed to run the new transmitters. NASA said that the successful call to Voyager 2 is just one indication that the dish will be fully back online as planned in February 2021.
Artist’s concept of Voyager spacecraft. The Voyagers are identical.
Although both of the Voyager probes – Voyager 1, launched September 5, 1977, and Voyager 2, launched 16 days before its twin – have left the heliosphere, neither spacecraft has yet left the solar system, and won’t be leaving anytime soon. The boundary of the solar system is considered to be beyond the outer edge of the Oort Cloud, a collection of small objects that are still under the influence of the sun’s gravity. The width of the Oort Cloud is not known precisely, but it is estimated to begin at about 1,000 astronomical units (AU) from the sun and to extend to about 100,000 AU (1 AU is the distance from the sun to Earth). It will take about 300 years for Voyager 2 to reach the inner edge of the Oort Cloud and possibly 30,000 years to fly beyond it.
Both Voyager 2 and Voyager 1 have traveled well beyond their original destinations. The spacecraft were built to last five years and conduct close-up studies of Jupiter and Saturn. However, as the mission continued, additional flybys of the two outermost giant planets, Uranus and Neptune, proved possible. As the spacecraft flew across the solar system, remote-control reprogramming was used to give the Voyagers greater capabilities than they possessed when they left Earth. Their two-planet mission became a four-planet mission. Their five-year lifespans have stretched to 43 years, making Voyager 2 NASA’s longest-running mission.
Bottom line:On October 29, 2020, NASA re-established contact with its Voyager 2 spacecraft. The probe had been flying solo since March 2020 while repairs were made to the radio antenna in Australia used to control it.
“Black hole family portrait” is a fancy way of saying “new catalog.” But it’s a very important and exciting catalog, released October 28, 2020, by gravitational wave astronomers, containing 39 new signals from black hole or neutron star collisions.
After several months of analysis, scientists working with the LIGO and Virgo collaborations – two large-scale physics experiments and observatories designed to detect cosmic gravitational waves – have released their second catalog of detections. The catalog is known as GWTC-2. It contains 39 new signals from black hole or neutron star collisions – mighty cosmic events during which gravitational waves are released – detected between April 1 and October 1 of 2019. The signals more than triple the number of confirmed detections of gravitational waves, which constitute a brand-new tool for astronomers: a new way of probing the universe. Scientists at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois – who participated in this research – called the newly released work “the most detailed family portrait of black holes to date.” They said it offers new clues as to how black holes form and once again confirmed Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity via multiple tests.
The new [updated catalog] includes some of the most interesting systems we have seen so far, and enables qualitatively new studies of astrophysical populations and fundamental physics.
The observations could be a key piece in solving the many mysteries of exactly how binary stars interact. A better understanding of how binary stars evolve has consequences across astronomy, from exoplanets to galaxy formation.
Scientific details are reported in a trio of related papers which became available in preprint on October 28 at arXiv.org. The studies also are being submitted to peer-reviewed journals. You’ll find links to the preprints, and descriptions of the papers, below.
Astrophysicist Christopher Berry, via Northwestern.
LIGO consists of a pair of identical, 4-kilometer (2.5 mile)-long interferometers in the United States, and Virgo, a 3-km (1.8 mile)-long detector in Italy. The instruments can detect gravitational-wave signals from many sources, including colliding black holes and colliding neutron stars.
… the researchers reconstructed the distribution of masses and spins of the black hole population and estimated the merger rate for binary neutron stars. The results will help scientists understand the detailed astrophysical processes which shape how these systems form. This improved understanding of the mass distribution of black holes and knowing that black hole spins can be misaligned suggests there could be multiple ways for binary black holes to form.
The ‘catalog paper’ details the detections of black holes and neutron stars from [the first half of the third observing run], bringing the total number of detection candidates for that period to 39. This number vastly exceeds detections from the first two observing runs … Previously announced detections from [this observing run] include a mystery object in the mass gap(GW190814) and the first-of-its-kind intermediate mass black hole (GW190521).
… the authors placed constraints on Einstein’s theory of general relativity. The theory passed with flying colors, and they updated their best measurements on potential modifications.
Gravitational-wave astronomy is revolutionary, revealing to us the hidden lives of black holes and neutron stars. In just five years we have gone from not knowing that binary black holes exist to having a catalog of over 40. The third observing run has yielded more discoveries than ever before. Combining them with earlier discoveries paints a beautiful picture of the universe’s rich variety of binaries.
The 2nd catalog of gravitational wave events, GWTC-2, was published October 28, 2020. Since September 2015, LIGO and Virgo have detected 50 gravitational waves, including the 39 new ones details in the 2nd catalog. This graphic illustrates the current total number and masses of LIGO/Virgo black hole and neutron star merger events (in blue) compared with previously known black holes (in purple). Mergers are indicated by arrows connecting 2 progenitor objects with a final merged object of higher mass.
Image via LIGO-Virgo/ Northwestern/ Frank Elavsky & Aaron Geller.
Bottom line: Scientists working with the LIGO and Virgo collaborations – two large-scale physics experiments and observatories designed to detect cosmic gravitational waves – have released their second catalog of detections. The new catalog contains 39 new signals from black hole or neutron star collisions.
Ronald Reagan, who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989, attempted to warn the public about the existence of aliens, according to a new claim. During the decades-long Cold War between Russia and the US, President Reagan attempted to calm the tension between the two powerhouses by stating there is not much difference between them.
In doing so, the president asked the United Nations to imagine how quickly humanity would come together if it was confronted by an extraterrestrial civilisation.
In one speech to the UN, President Reagan said: "What if all of us in the world were threatened by an outer power, from outer space, from another planet.
"We would all of a sudden find out that we didn't have any differences at all."
In another, he said: "Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond.
Alien shock: President Reagan attempted to warn the world about alien species - shock claim
(Image: GETTY)
Was Reagan trying to warn of extraterrestrials?
(Image: GETTY)
"I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world."
While most people saw this as an attempt to defuse simmering tensions between the US and the then Soviet Union, one person believes President Reagan was trying to subtly warn the public of aliens.
Prominent conspiracy theorist Scott C Waring wrote on his blog ET Database: "He really tried hard to inform the public, even when he knew it was against national security to do so.
"On Sept 16, 1983, US President Ronald Reagan gave a memorable speech in front of the United Nations. In it, he subtly suggests that aliens exist and that all of humanity could be lost if they decide to attack.
"Of course President Reagan had inside information from the CIA and NASA and was told that aliens do exist.
"But he couldn't just come out and say so without breaking national security rules.
"So instead, he subtly hinted to the rest of the world leaders about what he had learned from the CIA and NASA. He also knows that a small percentage of the other presidents at the United Nations meeting also knew about the existence of aliens.
"Now pondering about world peace is nice, but I feel that President Reagan felt a weight on his shoulders, a burden of carrying this knowledge of the existence of aliens.
"Remember its was the 1980s and back they the technology was very inferior to today tech marvels. It must have been very frightening for him to know that aliens existed, but to have so few people he could sit down and talk about this subject openly."
The planet, which is called K2-141b, is located approximately 200 light-years away from us and was first detected by the Kepler Space Telescope in 2018. Now researchers from McGill and York Universities have predicted the weather conditions and they are extremely hellish to say the least.
K2-141b is considered a “super Earth” and is about five times larger than our planet. It orbits its host star in an exceptionally short amount of time of just 0.3 Earth days. It is located just 665,000 miles from its host star. For comparison, the closest planet to our sun is Mercury and it takes 88 days to complete a full orbit at an average distance of around 36 million miles with a surface temperature that can reach as high as 840 degrees Fahrenheit.
K2-141b has magma oceans that are 60 miles deep.
According to the study, the rocky K2-141b planet has 60-mile deep lava seas, over 3,000 miles per hour wind speeds, and surface temperatures reaching more than 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It is tidally locked which means that only one side of the planet faces its star at all times. Actually, it is so hot on the dayside that it can vaporize rock. However, temperatures on the night side are completely opposite at -328 degrees Fahrenheit which is cold enough to freeze nitrogen. The extreme change in temperatures is the reason why the wind speeds are at a whopping 3,000 mph. (An artist’s impression of the planet can be seen here.)
Giang Nguyen, who is the lead author of the study, stated that the entire planet is made up of rocks, from its surface, to the ocean, and even the rain. The sodium, silicon monoxide, and silicon dioxide evaporates, rises up into the atmosphere, becomes condensed, and comes back down into the magma ocean as “rain” even though there are rocks falling from the sky. They were able to predict the weather by conducting several computer simulations.
(Not K2-141b)
Professor Nicolas Cowan from McGill University and who is a co-author of the study, said, “All rocky planets, including Earth, started off as molten worlds but then rapidly cooled and solidified. Lava planets give us a rare glimpse at this stage of planetary evolution.”
Now they have to wait and see whether or not their predictions are correct and they’re hoping that the data collected from the Spitzer Space Telescope and the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope will give them more information regarding the planet’s extreme weather conditions.
This hellish planet has magma oceans, rock rain and 3,000-mile winds
Their study was published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and can be read in full here.
Military Captured Extraterrestrial, Ret. Air Force Tom Carey, 70 Years of Disclosure
Military Captured Extraterrestrial, Ret. Air Force Tom Carey, 70 Years of Disclosure
Tom Carey has a BS degree in Business Administration from Temple University, a Masters Degree in Anthropology from California State University, Sacramento, and he also received a fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Toronto. Tom became interested in UFOs while in high school and rekindled that interest in 1986 when he became the MUFON State Section Director for Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Since 1991, Tom’s research has focused solely on the so-called “Roswell Incident” that occurred near the town of Roswell, New Mexico in July, 1947. Tom also became a Special Investigator for CUFOS [the J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies] in 1992 and served on its Board of Directors from 1997 through 2001. Tom has appeared as a guest on a number of radio and television shows concerning the Roswell Incident as well as appearing in several filmed documentaries.
Alien Skull And Hat Seen Over Ancient Volcano In Mexico, Oct 8, 2020, TV News Video, UFO Sighting News.
Alien Skull And Hat Seen Over Ancient Volcano In Mexico, Oct 8, 2020, TV News Video, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: Oct 8, 2020 Location of sighting: Volcano Popocateptl, Mexico
The eyewitness was watching a local Mexico news cast about the volcano exploding and he noticed something strange...a giant skull wearing a hat appeared over the volcano. I see it too, and I think you might also. This skull may be a sign to anyone who is thinking of climbing the mountain. The mouth of the volcano is a well known entrance to an underground alien base about 6 miles below the surface. Even the ancient Aztecs have stories about the gods entering and leaving through the mouth of the volcano.
Huge UFO Appears Over Florida, Suddenly Stops...Then Disappears. Nov 5, 2020, Photos, UFO Sighting News.
Huge UFO Appears Over Florida, Suddenly Stops...Then Disappears. Nov 5, 2020, Photos, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: Nov 5, 2020 Location of sighting: Levy County, Florida, USA Source: MUFON
Now this is an interesting case. The eyewitness saw this object moving in the sky. It slowed down to a stop and then disappeared. That screams out alien technology. Often UFOs cloak after they travel through our atmosphere from space. They make it appear as a meteor so they go unnoticed on radar and then seconds later they will raise the cloaking shields.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
The photo was taken at 6:26pm on 11/5/20 looking East, in Levy County, FL. I was walking my dog and saw a slow moving, red/orange glowing object making it’s way across the sky. I thought it must be a meteor, until I realized the object had stopped moving, and was hovering...that’s when I pulled my phone out to take a picture. I was unsure if it would come out clearly since the recent time change makes it quite dark by 6:30, but my phone’s night lens captured it.
Here is something you don't see everyday. A woman figure viewed from behind in space! Thats right, its labeled as a stellar nursery by NASA. The woman figure really stands out well. You can easily see the head, shoulders, dress, long pony tail of hair. Aliens in a type 3 civilization have the ability to manipulate entire solar systems, nebulas and even suns. This is obviously the work of just such a civilization. Why make such a thing? To commemorate an important person in their society, to also show other alien species what they can do.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
To learn more about types of civilizations out there, please listen to the video below of astrophysicist Michio Kaku. Awesome guy. SCW
This video was captured in Warminster, Wiltshire in UK and shows mysterious blue orbs just hovering above the town. The strange appearance of blue orbs lasted for about 40 seconds.
The second clip shows a bright unknown object hovering over the ocean in Abu Dhabi AE
Witness:
I saw a white ball moving slowly across the horizon. It was moving in a straight line. I could hear no noise. It moved past a hotel, over a small island, and I believe eventually out over the water past the island. It moved in a straight line.
We see many helicopters out there and this was nothing like a helicopter. It eventually disappeared from sight. I am guessing it turned to moved across the island, out towards the water where we could no longer see it.
US Soldiers Recorded on Video While Discussing Aliens, UFOs and Majestic 12
US Soldiers Recorded on Video While Discussing Aliens, UFOs and Majestic 12
An exciting video showing what seems to be a group of army soldiers discussing their experiences openly with UFOs and aliens has made the rounds online. It starts with a soldier, who appears to be the most knowledgeable of the group, talking about his interaction with the aliens and how he encountered UFOs throughout his career.
He even describes the aliens that captured him in his drawings.
In this clip, he also showcased a picture that he snapped himself of the UFO that he had observed the aliens in.
The clip looks unaltered or unedited as the lip movements perfectly sync up with the visuals. Also, what is the reason he draws the face of an alien on the whiteboard?
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More interestingly, the soldiers can be heard mentioning the famous Majestic 12 program.
The video also shows more about this remarkable statement issued by an army soldier. Watch it and send to your friends. The footage may make skeptics on the existence of aliens and UFOs change their minds after seeing the short clip.
UFO Landing at Socorro the Zamora Incident - PARTI
UFO Landing at Socorro the Zamora Incident - PART I
The Zamora UFO incident is one of the most interesting on record
The Lonnie Zamora incident was an alleged UFOclose encounter. It occurred on Friday, April 24, 1964, at about 5:50 p.m., on the outskirts of Socorro, New Mexico. Several primary witnesses emerged to report their version of the event, which included the craft's approach, conspicuous flame, and alleged physical evidence left behind immediately afterward. Lonnie Zamora, a Socorro police officer who was on duty at the time, claimed to have come closest to the object and provided the most prolonged and comprehensive account. Some physical trace evidence left behind—burned vegetation and soil, ground landing impressions, and metal scrapings on a broken rock in one of the impressions—was subsequently observed and analyzed by investigators for the military, law enforcement, and civilian UFO groups.
The event and its body of evidence is sometimes deemed one of the best documented and most perplexing UFO reports. It was immediately investigated by the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and FBI, and received considerable coverage in the mass media. It was one of the cases that helped persuade astronomer J. Allen Hynek, one of the primary investigators for the Air Force, that some UFO reports represented an intriguing mystery. After extensive investigation, the Air Force's Project Blue Book was unable to come up with a conventional explanation and listed the case as an "unknown".
Sighting
Alone in his patrol car, Sergeant Lonnie Zamora was chasing a speeding car due south of Socorro, New Mexico, on April 24, 1964, at about 5:45 p.m.,[4] when he "heard a roar and saw a flame in the sky to southwest some distance away—possibly a 1/2 mile or a mile." Thinking a local dynamite shack might have exploded, Zamora broke off the chase and went to investigate.
Though Zamora says he did not pay much attention to the flame, that the sun was "to west and did not help vision", and he was wearing green sunglasses over prescription glasses. In interviews with Air Force investigators for Project Blue Book he goes to some lengths to describe the long, narrow, funnel-shaped "bluish orange" flame. He thought there might be some dust at the bottom, and attributed it to the windy day. The weather was "Clear, sunny sky otherwise—just a few clouds scattered over area."
He describes the noise as a roar, not a blast, that changed from high frequency to low frequency that lasted possibly 10 seconds and stopped. He explains that his car windows were down. Zamora notes no other possible witnesses except possibly the car in front, which he estimates might have heard the noise but not seen the flame because it would be behind the brow of the hill from their viewpoint.
Zamora struggled to get his car up the steep hill. Successful on the third attempt, he noted no further noise. For the next 10–15 seconds he proceeded west. It was then that he noticed a shiny object, "to south about 150 to 200 yards", that at first he took to be an "overturned white car ... up on radiator or on trunk", with two people standing close to it, one of whom seemed to notice him with some surprise and gave a start. The shiny object was "like aluminum—it was whitish against the mesa background, but not chrome", and shaped like a letter "O". Having stopped for a couple of seconds, Zamora approached in his car meaning to help.
Zamora only caught a brief sight of the two people in white coveralls beside the "car". He recalls nothing special about them. "I don't recall noting any particular shape or possibly any hats, or headgear. These persons appeared normal in shape—but possibly they were small adults or large kids."
Zamora drove towards the scene, radioing his dispatcher to say he would be out of his car "checking the car in the arroyo." He stopped his car, got out, and attended to the radio microphone, which he had dropped, then he started to approach the object. According to Zamora,
Hardly turned around from car, when heard roar (was not exactly a blast), very loud roar—at that close was real loud. Not like a jet—knows what jets sound like. Started low frequency quickly, then roar rose in frequency (higher tone) and in loudness—from loud to very loud. At same time as roar saw flame. Flame was under the object. Object was starting to go straight up—slowly up. Object slowly rose straight up. Flame was light blue and at bottom was sort of orange color. From this angle, saw the side of object (not end, as first noted). Difficult to describe flame. Thought, from roar, it might blow up. Flame might have come from underside of object, at middle, possibly a four feet area—very rough guess. Cannot describe flame further except blue and orange. No smoke, except dust in immediate area.[5]
Keeping the object in view he ran behind his car, bumping his leg on the rear fender and dropping his glasses, and continued running northwards away from the object, which was still near the ground. He now gives a more detailed description of the object. "Oval in shape ... smooth—no windows or doors ... Noted red lettering of some type. Insignia was about 2½' high and about 2' wide I guess. Was in middle of object ... Object still like aluminum-white." He also noted that the object was still on the ground when the roar started.
Zamora describes how the object took off:
After fell by car and glasses fell off, kept running to north, with car between me and object. Glanced back couple of times. Noted object to rise to about level of car, about 20 to 25 feet guess—took I guess about six seconds when object started to rise and I glanced back. I ran I guess about halfway to where I ducked down—about fifty feet from the car is where I ducked down, just over edge of hill. I guess I had run about 25 feet when I glanced back and saw the object level with the car and it appeared about directly over the place where it rose from. I was still running and I jumped just over the hill—I stopped because I did not hear the roar. I was scared of the roar, and I had planned to continue running down the hill. I turned around toward the object and at same time put my head toward ground, covering my face with my arms. Being that there was no roar, I looked up, and I saw the object going away from me. It did not come any closer to me. It appeared to go in straight line and at same height—possibly 10 to 15 feet from ground, and it cleared the dynamite shack by about three feet. Shack about eight feet high. Object was travelling very fast. It seemed to rise up, and take off immediately across country.
Zamora went back to his car and contacted the Sheriff's office by radio:
I picked up my glasses (I left the sun glasses on ground), got into the car, and radioed to Nep Lopez, radio operator, to "look out of the window, to see if you could see an object." He asked what is it? I answered "It looks like a balloon." I don't know if he saw it. If Nep looked out of his window, which faces north, he couldn't have seen it. I did not tell him at the moment which window to look out of.
He watched the object fly away, swiftly but silently and without flame:
As I was calling Nep, I could still see the object. The object seemed to lift up slowly, and to "get small" in the distance very fast. It seemed to just clear the Box Canyon or Six Mile Canyon Mountain. It disappeared as it went over the mountain. It had no flame whatsoever as it was traveling over the ground, and no smoke or noise.
Zamora inspected the area and was soon joined by a colleague, Sergeant Chavez, who did not see the object:
Gave directions to Nep Lopez at radio and to Sergeant M.S. Chavez to get there. Went down to where the object had been and I noted the brush was burning in several places. At that time I heard Sgt. Chavez (N.M. State Police at Socorro) calling me on radio for my location, and I returned to my car, told him he was looking at me. Then Sgt. Chavez came up, asked me what the trouble was, because I was sweating and he told me I was white, very pale. I asked the Sgt. to see what I saw, and that was the burning brush. Then Sgt. Chavez and I went to the spot, and Sgt. Chavez pointed out the tracks.
Zamora says that he had noticed that the object had what looked like legs:
When I first saw the object (when I thought it might be a car) I saw what appeared to be four legs of some type from the object to the ground. At the time, I didn't pay much attention to what it was—I thought it was an accident—I saw the two persons. I didn't pay any attention to the four "legs?" The four "legs" were at the bottom of the object, slanted outwards to the ground. The object might have been about three and a half feet from the ground at that time. I just glanced at it.
Zamora tries to account for the disappearance of the two people:
Can't tell how long [I] saw object second time (the "close" time), possibly 20 seconds—just a guess—from time got out of car, glanced at object, ran from object, jumped over edge of hill, then got back to car and radio as object disappeared. As my mic fell as I got out of car, at scene area, I heard about two or three loud "thumps," like someone possibly hammering or shutting a door or doors hard. These "thumps" were possibly a second or less apart. This was just before the roar. The persons were not seen when I drove to the scene area. Just before Sgt. Chavez got to scene, I got my pen and drew a picture of the insignia on the object.
Witnesses, investigation and publicity
Illustration of the craft and figures clothed in white, based on Zamora's interview with Walter Shrode, a day or so after his sighting.[6]
Within hours, word of Zamora's encounter had reached the news: many people had heard the radio traffic, including a few reporters. Within days, reporters from the Associated Press and United Press International were in Socorro. Members of civilian UFO study group APRO were on the scene within two days, as were officers representing the U.S. Air Force's Project Blue Book. NICAP investigators appeared the following Tuesday. The first NICAP investigator was Ray Stanford, who would later write a detailed book account of his investigation.
Other witnesses
Several independent witnesses reported either an "egg"-shaped craft or a bluish flame at roughly the same time and in the same area—some of them within minutes of Zamora's encounter, before word of it had spread.
Stanford wrote about a number of corroborating witnesses in his book, including two tourists named Paul Kies and Larry Kratzer, who were approaching Socorro in their car from the southwest, less than a mile from the landing site. They apparently witnessed either the landing or takeoff and reported seeing the flame and brownish dust being kicked up. Their story was reported in the Dubuque, IowaTelegraph-Herald a few days later after their return.
A family of five tourists from Colorado headed north also saw the oval object as it approached Socorro at a very low altitude, going east to west just south of town. It passed directly over their car only a few feet above it. After the encounter, the tourists stopped for gas in Socorro. Their identity was never discovered, but the story was learned from the service station operator, Opal Grinder, who reported the incident at the time[7] and later signed an affidavit in 1967. According to Grinder, the husband told him "Your aircraft sure fly low around here!" and that the object almost took the roof off their car. The man thought it was in trouble since it came down west of the highway instead of the nearby airport to the south. He saw the police car headed up the hill towards it, and he thought to render assistance.[8]:16
According to Stanford, another witness called an Albuquerque television station around 5:30 p.m. to report an oval object at low altitude traveling slowly south towards Socorro.[8]:82 This report was also brought up by KSRC Socorro radio newsman Walter Shrode when he interviewed Zamora on the radio the next day. Zamora said he hadn't heard of the report. Shrode thought this was likely the same object that Zamora encountered only 20 minutes later and helped corroborate his report.[6][9] Several other stories appeared in New Mexico newspapers in succeeding days of other sightings of oval-shaped objects, including another landing case with burned soil near La Madera in northern N.M.[10] Also similar to the Socorro incident, the FBI report on the La Madera case further noted the witness reporting a blue-white flame associated with the object, four rectangular, V-shaped landing marks, and several circular marks about 4 inches in diameter.[11]
Stanford also noted that there were a large number of aural witnesses to the object's loud roar during takeoff and landing. One member of the Socorro sheriff's office told him that "hundreds of persons" on the south side of town had heard it. Stanford said he personally spoke to two women who heard the roar just before 6 p.m. They said that there were two distinct roars, maybe a minute or so apart.[8]:85–87
In addition to these witnesses, Stanford said three other people called the police dispatcher immediately after the incident, before it was publicized, reporting a bright flame. In October 2009, Stanford said that Chavez, the first policeman to provide backup for Zamora, had privately told fellow police officers that he too had seen the object rapidly departing to the west over the mountains as he approached the site.[12] In interviews, Zamora said that Chavez arrived within about two minutes after he radioed him for backup: "...the object was still about a couple of moments up there when he arrived"[6] and "If he (Chavez) had just paid attention he would seen it (flying off towards the mountains)."[13] However, in public statements, Chavez maintained that he arrived too late to see the object. When Chavez first arrived at Zamora's position where the object had departed, he also noted that burnt bushes were still smoldering and Zamora appeared to be in a state of shock.
Multiple policemen arrived soon after to help investigate, including Ted Jordan and James Luckie. All noted fresh burning at the site. Luckie and Chavez were quoted in the Socorro newspaper saying that clumps of grass and burned greasewood bushes were "still hot" when they arrived.[14] Chavez was also quoted saying that dry grass was still "smouldering"[15] as were the greasewood plants.[16] Jordan later filled out a sworn statement saying, "When I arrived, greasewood branches were still smoking."[8]:160 Zamora was likewise quoted about the green bush "burned bare by exhaust heat" and that it was "still smoking several minutes after the craft's departure."[17] The FBI report written by the agent on the scene within two hours similarly reported that all first responders noted "four irregularly shaped smouldering areas."[18]
Chavez was again quoted in an Air Force report written two days later about smoking brush. “[Chavez] then went to the area were the craft or thing was supposedly sighted and found four fresh indentations in the ground and several charred or burned bushes. Smoke appeared to come from the bush and he assumed it was burning, however no coals were visible and the charred portions of the bush were cold to the touch.”
Chavez was further reported securing the area and scouring the ground looking for the presence of other human activity. He could find no other tire tracks besides Zamora's and was "adamant" that there was no other "track activity" (footprints or other marks) in the area. In addition, Chavez was also quoted in the report saying that the indentations appeared to be new: "He stated that the marks were definitely 'fresh', and the dirt showed evidence of 'dew' or moisture."[19]
Similarly, several policeman later told Stanford that whatever had produced the rectangular, wedge-shaped landing traces appeared to have penetrated into the moist subsoil, as the bottoms of the traces were moist for several hours, suggesting that the traces were freshly made. Hynek also commented on the freshness of the soil impressions in a letter to astronomer Donald Menzel: "I have the word of nine witnesses who saw the marks within hours of the incident, who tell me the center of the marks were moist as though the topsoil had been freshly pushed aside."[20]
The FBI investigator also observed that the rectangular marks "seemed to have been made by an object going into the earth at an angle from a center line" pushing "some earth to the far side." Also observed were "three circular marks in the earth which were small, approximately four inches in diameter and penetrated in the sandy earth approximately one-eighth of an inch."[21] Speculation in Stanford's book was that these were ladder indentations for the crew to exit and enter the craft.
Air Force investigation
The evening of the encounter, Army Captain Richard T. Holder (then the senior officer at White Sands, as the higher-ranking officers had gone home for the weekend) and FBI agent Arthur Byrnes, Jr. together interviewed Zamora. However, for reasons that remain unclear, the FBI asked that their presence at the scene be kept quiet.[22]:213 Zamora speculated that the object was some kind of newly developed craft being tested at White Sands Missile Range or at nearby Holloman Air Force Base. Holder shot down this idea, and was later quoted in a Socorro newspaper as saying that there was in military custody "no object that would compare to the object described ... There was no known firing mission in progress at the time of the occurrence that would produce the conditions reported."
After interviewing Zamora, Holder and several military police officers went to the scene. Using flashlights, they cordoned off the site, took measurements and took samples of the sand and the scorched bushes. The claim of "fused sand" being recovered from the landing site was for some time unsubstantiated; even Hynek said he had not heard such rumors during his investigations.[22]:218
The next morning, a Sunday, Holder took a telephone call from a Colonel at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As a young Captain, Holder was surprised and nervous to be speaking to such an important, high-ranking officer. At the Colonel's command, Holder gave a report of his investigation over a secure scrambled line. Even years later, Holder would wonder[23] about such important U.S. military officials, "why in the world were they so interested?"
Astronomer J. Allen Hynek (Blue Book's consultant) arrived in Socorro on Tuesday, April 28. He met with Zamora and Chavez, and interviewed them about the encounter. Hynek and Air Force Major Hector Quintanilla initially thought the sighting might be explained as a test of a Lunar Excursion Module, though after some investigation, Hynek determined that this could be definitely ruled out as an explanation for what Zamora saw.[22]:213 In a memorandum Hynek wrote[23] that "Zamora & Chavez were very anti-AF [Air Force]". The Air Force was suggesting that the affair was a hoax, but Zamora was "pretty sore at being regarded as a romancer" and it took over half an hour for Hynek to "thaw him out" and hear the account from the only eyewitness.
Hynek also wrote[23] that "The AF is in a spot over Socorro"; they were also suggesting that the encounter could be attributed to Zamora having seen an unidentified military craft, though no craft could be matched to Zamora's report. Hynek agreed with many others that this explanation "won't go down" as plausible.
Hynek further wrote[23] "I think this case may be the 'Rosetta Stone' ... There's never been a strong case with so unimpeachable a witness." Also noting his growing frustration with Blue Book, Hynek wrote, "The AF doesn't know what science is."
The fused sand
In 1968, physicist and UFO researcher James E. McDonald located Mary G. Mayes, who asserted that when she was a University of New Mexico doctoral student in radiation biology, she had been asked "to analyze plant material from the Socorro site. Afterwards, she was to turn in all records and samples, and heard no more about it."[22]:218
When interviewed by McDonald, Mayes reported that she and two others had worked on studying physical evidence from the Socorro site, but she could not remember the names of the others. According to Mayes, she had examined the site the day after the event, and had gathered plant samples for analysis. Mayes later determined that the plants which had allegedly been burnt by the UFO's flames were, unusually, "completely dried out".[22]:219 Mayes also found no evidence of radiation, but found "two organic substances" she was unable to identify.[22]:219
Mayes also reported to McDonald an area of apparently "fused sand", where the sand had taken on a glassy appearance, near where the object had allegedly landed and then departed. The area of glassy sand was roughly triangular, measuring about 25 to 30 inches (760 mm) at its widest, though it gradually tapered down to about 1 inch wide; it seemed about a quarter of an inch thick. Mayes thought the glassy areas looked as if a "hot jet hit it."[22]:219
Mayes said she would investigate to determine the other people who investigated the site, but McDonald's files give no indication she ever contacted him about the subject.[22]:219
Artist’s Impression of the Zamora incident
Object speed and acceleration
According to Stanford's reconstruction of the event from on-site interviews with Zamora, the time was probably no more than 20 seconds from when the object went to silent operation, rapidly accelerated towards the perlite mill at the base of the nearby mountains, and then rose rapidly, a distance of about 2 miles (3.2 km).[8]:34 Assuming constant acceleration, these numbers can be used to estimate the object's acceleration, average speed, and final speed. Assuming constant acceleration, the acceleration would be given by 2d/t^2, where d is the distance of 2 miles (3.2 km) or about 3,200 meters, and t is the time of 20 seconds. The final speed would be 2d/t and the average speed d/2. This works out to a final speed of 720 miles/hour, an average speed of 360 miles/hour, and an acceleration of 16 meters/sec^2, or about 1.7 times Earth gravity of 9.8 meters/sec^2.
These high values rule out many conventional explanations, such as a helicopter or balloon. A high-performance jet aircraft or rocket propulsion could conceivably produce the acceleration and near-supersonic speed, but neither forms of propulsion are silent. The Air Force report on the incident also said that they analyzed the soil and found no evidence of chemical propellants, as might be expected from a jet or most rocket engines. Further, no contemporary craft was capable of vertical take-off and such high speeds. The oval object described by Zamora also lacked any wings or other external structures that might have provided lift.
Is there a connection to the Fertilizer case?
Winds
Contemporary New Mexico newspapers reported a low-pressure storm system moving through the state with wind gusts kicking up dust. Zamora likewise reported winds were "blowing hard" out of the south-southwest or maybe southwest, judging by the dust created as he drove up the dirt road to the scene. Hynek variously reported winds either out of the south or southwest. A recent review of historical wind data confirmed the large low-pressure system at the time with winds at all surrounding weather stations out of the south to southwest.[24] Since the object departed to the west-southwest, the winds would further rule out any passive flying object such as a balloon, which would have to fly into the wind.
Sketches of the strange object
Aftermath
In 1966 the president of the Socorro County's Chamber of Commerce, Paul Ridings, proposed developing the site to make it more accessible to tourists. Consequently stone walkways and steps were built into the arroyo from the mesa top, besides a rock walkway circling a supposed landing site, with some wooden benches. The location of these was however some quarter mile from the landing site, which was then suspected to be contaminated by radioactivity.[25] In 2012 Socorro city officials Ravi Bhasker and Pat Salome commissioned local artist Erika Burleigh to paint a mural on a spillway facing Park Street to commemorate Zamora's UFO sighting.[26] Zamora became so tired of the subject that he eventually avoided both ufologists and the Air Force, taking a job managing a gasoline station. He died on November 2, 2009, in Socorro from a heart attack; he was 76 years old.
An example of the strange symbol on the side of the craft
Hoax claims and rebuttals
Some debunkers suggested that the affair was a hoax. Harvard astronomer Donald Menzel first suggested that Zamora had been the victim of a complex prank engineered by high school students who "planned the whole business to 'get' Zamora." (Hynek suggested this to some Socorro citizens, who discounted the idea.) Years later, Menzel argued that Zamora had misidentified a dust devil.
Journalist and prominent UFO skeptic Philip J. Klass first suggested that the Zamora sighting was due to misidentified ball lightning. When this debunking was itself debunked (notably by atmospheric physicist and UFO advocate Dr. James E. McDonald), Klass switched gears and suggested the Zamora sighting was part of a scheme Zamora had invented with Socorro's then-mayor, Holm Bursum, Jr., to attract tourism, claiming Bursum owned the land where Zamora's encounter occurred. Bursum didn't own the property as Klass claimed.[27] Klass nevertheless claimed that Bursum hoped Zamora's "fabricated" UFO story would lure tourists to Socorro, and Bursum could then develop the UFO landing site into a tourist attraction. Both Bursum and Zamora consistently denied these accusations as ridiculous.
UFO skeptic Steuart Campbell dismissed Klass's hoax allegations. He has suggested that the Zamora sighting was "almost certainly" a mirage of Canopus.[28]
Blue Book conclusion
The Air Force issued their formal report on June 8, 1964. Jerome Clark said the report was "riddled with errors", including the claim that there were no other witnesses (several reported their sightings within minutes of Zamora's encounter), and the claim that there were no disturbances to the soil (at odds with Jordan's photos of the scene taken less than an hour after the encounter). Noting that they made no conclusion as to the object's origin (other than to rule out the extraterrestrial hypothesis), the "Air Force was continuing its investigation, and the case is still open."
However, in a secret report prepared for the CIA, Project Blue Book's director, Major Hector Quintanilla, said, "There is no doubt that Lonnie Zamora saw an object which left quite an impression on him. There is also no question about Zamora's reliability. He is a serious police officer, a pillar of his church, and a man well versed in recognizing airborne vehicles in his area. He is puzzled by what he saw and frankly, so are we. This is the best-documented case on record, and still we have been unable, in spite of thorough investigation, to find the vehicle or other stimulus that scared Zamora to the point of panic."[29]
Brad Steiger, Project Blue Book, 1976, Ballantine Books, ISBN0345260910 (contains Air Force's account with maps, Zamora's account, reports of J. Allen Hynek)
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Over mijzelf
Ik ben Pieter, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam Peter2011.
Ik ben een man en woon in Linter (België) en mijn beroep is Ik ben op rust..
Ik ben geboren op 18/10/1950 en ben nu dus 74 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: Ufologie en andere esoterische onderwerpen.
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