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.
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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!!!
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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...
04-05-2024
Mysterious ancient mask found on Mars rock
Mysterious ancient mask found on Mars rock
On 2024-04-27 the Chemcam onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity captured an intriguing image depicting a mysterious mask adorning a sizable rock on the Martian surface.
The mask appears to defy natural origins, bearing the hallmark of artificial craftsmanship and deliberate placement upon the rock.
Is the mask part of an ancient statue, or does it stand alone? What significance might its placement hold, could it represent a sacred relic from an ancient civilization that once inhabited the planet or might the mask serve as a homage to an ancient deity?
Mars is de planeet van het zonnestelsel die we het beste kennen, afgezien van de aarde. De afgelopen jaren is er een continue stroom informatie ontstaan dankzij rovers als Curiosity, de quadcopter Ingenuity en de Perseverance rover. In het bijzonder leverde Perseverance ongelooflijke foto's op van het oppervlak van Mars en van enkele details, zoals stenen die wel erg lichtgekleurd waren. Wat kunnen ze zijn en vooral: zal het ooit mogelijk zijn om ze in het echt te bestuderen?
Vreemde stenen op het oppervlak van Mars: Perseverance heeft ze geïdentificeerd
NASA/JPL
We weten allemaal dat Mars de rode planeet is, dankzij de ijzeroxiden die hem zijn karakteristieke kleur geven. Toch bevinden zich op het oppervlak duizenden lichtgekleurde stenen, verspreid over de krater Jezero, het gebied dat door Perseverance is bestudeerd. De kleur neigt bijna naar wit en de stenen lijken bijna op kiezelstenen, willekeurig verspreid over het oppervlak. Maar wat zijn ze precies?
Op dit moment is er niet veel bekend over de vreemde witte stenen op Mars, en er zijn verschillende wetenschappers die ze graag zouden willen analyseren om te begrijpen waar het om gaat. Vanuit dit oogpunt kan zelfs een beetje informatie helpen enkele geheimen van de rode planeet te onthullen. Op dit moment is uit de eerste analyses van Perseverance gebleken dat de stenen geen water of andere mineralen zoals ijzer, magnesium, calcium en natrium bevatten. Dit is een indicatie die ons al in staat stelt te veronderstellen dat deze stenen werden verwarmd door lavastromen of werden aangetast door de inslag van asteroïden. Maar voor een vollediger antwoord moeten we misschien wachten.
De missie van Perseverance naar de rode planeet
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Zoals we al zeiden, was het mogelijk om veel gegevens te verzamelen, vooral dankzij de inspanningen van de Perseverance rover en de Ingenuity quadcopter. Nu is de missie Ingenuity helaas beëindigd vanwege een probleem met de vleugels van de quadcopter, na meer dan 70 vluchten. Perseverance heeft daarentegen ruim 20 kilometer afgelegd sinds zijn aankomst op Mars en heeft al meer dan de helft van de beschikbare buisjes voltooid om gesteentemonsters van Mars te verzamelen. Bovendien is de rover onlangs begonnen zich te verplaatsen naar de rand van de Jezero-krater, waar hij tot nu toe zijn verkenningen heeft uitgevoerd, waarbij hij daar ook de lichtgekleurde stenen heeft gevonden die van groot belang zijn voor astronomen.
Eenmaal vrijgegeven zal Perseverance oudere gesteenten kunnen bestuderen dan die aanwezig in de Jezero-krater, die ook biosignaturen kunnen bevatten, oftewel sporen van complexe moleculen of ingrediënten voor leven. Als het echter nodig is om enige tijd te wachten om deze informatie te verkrijgen, zal het onderzoek van de witte stenen op korte termijn niet mogelijk zijn. Alleen op aarde zullen wetenschappers de door Perseverance verzamelde monsters kunnen bestuderen en misschien een antwoord kunnen vinden.
De toekomst van de verkenning van Mars, beginnend bij de terugkeer naar de aarde
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
Bij de terugkeer naar de aarde via het programma Mars Sample Return van NASA, zal Perseverance de verzamelde monsters terug naar onze planeet brengen. Als naar Mars gaan helemaal niet gemakkelijk is, is terugkeren naar de blauwe planeet zelfs nog moeilijker. Tot op heden, en ondanks de begrotingsproblemen waar NASA helaas altijd last van heeft gehad, bevindt de MSR zich nog in de voorbereidingsfase, maar zou binnenkort klaar kunnen zijn.
Als alles volgens plan verloopt, zal dit niet alleen de eerste “terugreis” zijn van de rode planeet naar de aarde. We zullen voor het eerst in de geschiedenis ook monsters van Mars-gesteente kunnen aanraken. En misschien begrijpen wat die witte stenen zijn, waarom ze op Mars waren en wat ze ons kunnen vertellen over een planeet die veel op de onze lijkt, maar ook heel verschillend.
Wetenschappers hebben plastic uitgevonden dat zichzelf op kan lossen. Ze hebben dit bereikt door het materiaal – letterlijk – nieuw leven in te blazen.
Het klinkt enigszins bizar, maar niks is minder waar: wetenschappers hebben ‘levend plastic’ uitgevonden. Uit het onderzoek blijkt ook al meteen dat het hier om een wondermiddel gaat: het nieuwe materiaal is sterker én flexibeler dan voorheen mogelijk was. Niet alleen dat; de grootste troefkaart van het levende plastic is nog wel het feit dat het zichzelf op kan lossen – zonder hulp van buitenaf. Wetenschapper Jon Pokorski is dan ook enthousiast. Hij legt uit: “Dit materiaal kan zichzelf afbreken zonder de aanwezigheid van andere microben. Het is goed mogelijk dat, in de toekomst, veel van dit soort plastic zal eindigen buiten een compostfabriek (waar het verwerkt kan worden, red.). Het vermogen om zichzelf af te breken maakt deze technologie dan ook een stuk veelzijdiger.” Het onderzoek is gepubliceerd in het blad Nature Communications.
Evolutie Het directe productieproces van het nieuwe materiaal blijkt verrassend simpel te zijn. Zo hebben de wetenschappers gebruik gemaakt van thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); een zachte plasticsoort die veelvuldig gebruikt wordt voor, onder andere, memory foam. Vervolgens hebben ze gebruik gemaakt van de bacteriesoort Bacillus subtilis, een soort die bekend staat om het vermogen om plastic af te breken. Pokorski voegt toe: “Dit is een inherente eigenschap van deze bacteriën. We kozen uit een aantal bacteriemonsters en onderzochten welke het beste gebruik kon maken van TPU. Naderhand kozen we het exemplaar dat het beste kon groeien.”
Voor de laatste stap van het productieproces werden de ‘ingrediënten’ opgewarmd tot een temperatuur van 135 graden Celsius, waarna deze werden gemixt in een machine die plastic kan produceren. Er was hierbij echter sprake van een probleem: de bacteriesoort was, van origine, niet ingericht om deze temperatuur ook te overleven. Er was dus meer onderzoek nodig om ervoor te zorgen dat het productieproces goed verliep. Mede-onderzoeker Adam Feist heeft meegewerkt aan het onderzoek. Hij licht toe: “In het lab hebben we continu cellen laten evolueren om de hogere temperaturen aan te kunnen die nodig zijn voor de productie van TPU.” Dit proces bestond hoofdzakelijk uit het – heel praktisch – opwarmen van bacteriën naar steeds hogere temperaturen, om naderhand de overlevende exemplaren verder te kweken en de testen te herhalen. Feist laat weten: “Uiteindelijk kwamen we uit bij een exemplaar dat de intense hitte aankon. Het was opmerkelijk hoe goed dit proces van bacteriële evolutie en selectie uiteindelijk bleek te werken.”
Verbeteringen Het nieuwe materiaal is interessant, omdat het zichzelf voor 90% op kan lossen in slechts vijf maanden tijd. Daarnaast lijken de bacteriën het plastic ook te versterken en te versoepelen. Pokorski vult aan; “Beide eigenschappen werden sterk verbeterd na de komst van de bacteriën. Dit is fantastisch, omdat de toevoeging van de bacteriesoort dus de mechanische eigenschappen van het materiaal ver voorbij de huidige grenzen kon duwen. Eerder bestond er altijd een balans tussen stevigheid en flexibiliteit.”
De wetenschappers hebben echter nog wel een hoop vervolgonderzoek te doen. Zo is vooralsnog onbekend wat er uiteindelijk overblijft van het plastic – nadat het zichzelf heeft afgebroken. De wetenschappers speculeren dat het restant niet schadelijk zou moeten zijn, omdat B. subtilis doorgaans goed voor de gezondheid is van mensen, dieren en planten. De wetenschappers laten weten dat ze, in de toekomst, het onderzoek willen herhalen met meer soorten plastic. Feist sluit af: “Er bestaan veel verschillende soorten commercieel plastic, TPU is er hier slechts één van. Voor ons vervolgplan willen we meer afbreekbare materialen maken die leunen op deze technologie.”
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:SF-snufjes }, Robotics and A.I. Artificiel Intelligence ( E, F en NL )
The Pascagoula Encounter: A Milestone in UFO Sightings History
The Pascagoula Encounter: A Milestone in UFO Sightings History
Fifty years ago, the quiet waters of the Pascagoula River in Mississippi became the epicenter of one of the most compelling UFO sightings andalien abduction stories in history. On October 11, 1973, Calvin Parker and Charles Hickson experienced an event so extraordinary, it would etch their names permanently into the annals of UFOlogy. As the 50th anniversary of the Pascagoula UFO mystery approached, new evidence emerged, bringing fresh attention to this landmark case.
The Encounter
On an unassuming evening, Parker and Hickson, co-workers and fishermen, were enjoying an after-work fishing trip when their tranquility was shattered by bizarre sounds and flashing blue lights. Initially mistaking the spectacle for police activity, they were astounded as an oval-shaped craft hovered into view. From this craft, they reported, emerged three creatures with robotic slit-mouths who took them aboard for physical examinations.
Dr. Harder Identifies Three Puncture Marks on Charles Hickson’s Arm Post-Examination
The Aftermath and Skepticism
Escaping with their lives and bearing only pinprick injuries, the two men’s story would become a pivotal case in UFO sightings research. Despite their compelling testimony, skepticism abounded, with claims that the entire ordeal was a figment of their imagination. However, the recent public release of photographs showcasing their injuries presents tangible evidence that challenges the skeptics’ dismissal.
Unprecedented Physical Proof
The photographs, detailed examination notes, and testimonies compiled by UFO researcher Philip Mantle offer what many consider to be unprecedented evidence of an extraterrestrial encounter. Documented puncture marks on Hickson’s arm and Parker’s foot are highlighted as physical corroborations of their harrowing experience. Dr. James Harder’s analyses further substantiate the physical manifestations of their claims.
Impact on UFO Research
The Pascagoula incident stands as a cornerstone of UFO sightings research. It demonstrates a tangible intersection between human experience and the unknown, marking a significant moment in the broader discussion of extraterrestrial phenomena. This case, particularly with its new evidence, reinvigorates the conversation around UFO sightings, encouraging a blend of skepticism and open-minded examination.
Location of the incident
As we reflect on the 50th anniversary of the Pascagoula UFO mystery, the newly unveiled evidence offers a compelling argument for the reality of Parker and Hickson’s experience. This incident serves not only as a crucial case study for UFO enthusiasts but also as a reminder of the enduring human fascination with the unknown. The Pascagoula story, enriched by the passage of time and the emergence of new evidence, remains a testament to the complex, often contentious dialogue between belief and skepticism in the realm of UFO sightings.
An artistic rendering of the night that Parker and Hickson claim to have been abducted by aliens.
The enduring mystery of the Pascagoula incident, coupled with the recent revelations, underscores the significance of this case in the ongoing exploration of UFO sightings and alien encounters. As we navigate the vast expanse of the unknown, stories like Parker and Hickson’s serve as beacons, guiding the curious and the skeptical alike through the murky waters of mystery and towards the shores of understanding.
Scientists have solved the mystery of how a gaping hole nearly twice the size ofNew Jersey that formed in Antarctica's sea ice eight years ago.
The rare opening of ice free water, called a polynya, was first discovered in 1974 and remained for the following two years until the void eventually closed.
Scientists were again baffled in 2016 and 2017 when the polynya reappeared because of its vast size and distance from the coast - setting them on a hunt to uncover what was forming the hole.
Researchers at the University of Southampton have found that the cause was actually a combination of the ocean's water currents, wind and increasing levels of salt in the water that melted the sea ice.
The Maud Rise polynya appeared in the winters of 2016 and 2017 that was nearly twice the size of New Jersey. Pictured: A satellite image of the polynya in 2017
The Weddell Polynya was first spotted in satellite observations during the mid-1970s.
After closing back up, and remaining that way for roughly 40 years, it has re-opened.
Athe Antarctic Peninsula.
At its ‘polynya’ is a large ice-free area that develops in an otherwise frozen sea, and this particular formation is situated in the Weddell Sea, east of peak, the Weddell Polynya measured a staggering 80,000 square kilometers (roughly 31,000 square miles).
Related video:
Scientists Finally Know Why This Hole the Size of New Zealand Periodically Appears in Antarctic Ice (Dailymotion)
Scientists named the opening the Maud Rise polynya in the 1970s after the underwater mountain located beneath it in the Weddell Sea.
Polynyas typically occur in sea ice located in the coastal areas of Antarctica every year, but it is unusual for them to form hundreds of miles away in the open ocean where the sea is thousands of feet deep.
'The Maud Rise polynya was discovered in the 1970s when remote sensing satellites that can see sea ice over the Southern Ocean were first launched,' said Aditya Narayanan, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Southampton and the study's lead author.
'It persisted through consecutive winters from 1974 to 1976 and oceanographers back then assumed it would be an annual occurrence. But since the 1970s, it has occurred only sporadically and for brief intervals,' Narayanan continued.
'2017 was the first time that we've had such a large and long-lived polynya in the Weddell Sea since the 1970s.'
The researchers set out to uncover how the polynya formed so far from the coast using remotely sensed sea ice maps, data from tagged marine animals and a computer-generated model of the ocean.
Results showed the current moving around the underwater Maud Rise Mountain in the Weddell Sea created turbulent eddies - a reverse current - that moved the salt to the sea's surface.
Experts said that 2017 (pictured) was the first time that we've had such a large and long-lived polynya in the Weddell Sea since the 1970s
The appearance of a polynya hundreds of miles off the coast of Antarctica is an unusual occurrence and researchers found it is caused by a combination of water currents, wind and salt. Pictured: The Maud Rise polynya in 2017 Pictured, sea ice in the water off Cuverville Island in the Antarctic
Sea ice plays an important role maintaining the Earth's energy balance while helping keep polar regions cool due to its ability to reflect more sunlight back to space.
Once the salt reached the surface, a process called Ekman transport occurred which moved the water at a 90-degree angle in the direction of the wind, making it easier for the salt to mix with heat at the surface and melt the ice.
'Ekman transport was the essential missing ingredient that was necessary to increase the balance of salt and sustain the mixing of salt and heat towards the surface water,' said Alberto Naveira Garabato, the study's co-author and professor from the University of Southampton.
The researchers speculated that polar cyclones passing through the region could have caused the Ekman transport to be stronger, bringing an excess of salt to the surface, but clarified their research could not verify the theory.
Researchers are now warning that the polynyas can have an adverse effect on oceans and contribute to the rising sea levels which rose by .3 inches from 2022 to 2023.
'The imprint of polyny as can remain in the water for multiple years after they've formed,' said study team member Sarah Gille, the study's co-author and professor at the University of California, San Diego.
'They can change how water moves around and how currents carry heat towards the continent. The dense waters that form here can spread across the global ocean.'
On the heels of the somewhat contentious release of Fallout 4’s Next-Gen update, Bethesda Game Studios announced that some long-awaited quality-of-life features are finally being added to their space-faring role-playing game.
Starfield’s fourth major update will add a wave of new features according to a video update from Bethesda, including new planet surface maps that will communicate a more detailed view of explorable celestial bodies like terrain, vegetation, and the locations of man-made structures. The update will improve how players get around the game’s major cities by adding UI markers for shops, fast travel points, and other points of interest.
Bethesda will also give players more control over how they want to experience Starfield. New difficulty modes and setting sliders will let them adjust everything from combat encounters, how XP is distributed, carrying capacity, and the damage players dole out and receive. More customization options are being added for players who opt into the game’s interesting twist on new game plus, allowing them a chance to roll a character with different traits and new appearance.
For the sickos who spent hours in New Atlantis’ ship ports getting their rigs just right, the developer is adding not just new ship pieces, but an entirely new element to the creation suite: customizable interiors. They’ll now be able to furnish their ships with chairs, carpets, posters, and visual decor to make space travel a little cozier.
Lastly, Starfield is getting a handful of presentation and performance options. Console players will now have a 60 frames per second mode for smoother, more responsive action. Conversations with NPCs can now be had without Bethesda’s signature zoom-in thanks to a toggle for the dialogue camera.
Bethesda also teased what additions are on the game’s event horizon: new quests, and the oft-request land vehicles. The latter in particular is something players have wanted since launch, as the on-foot-only approach to planet exploration slowed a crucial, frequent pillar of the game’s loop to a crawl.
Bethesda is adding land vehicles to Starfield, which could make late-game planet exploration less of a slog.
BESTHESDA GAME STUDIOS
Wednesday’s announcement was a welcome surprise for Starfield players. It was proof that the Maryland-based developer is listening to the community, and is working hard to improve their first original game in more than 30 years.
But as exciting as these additions are, one can’t help but wonder why the features weren’t added to the game closer to launch. Starfield received a mixed reception when it finally hit digital storefronts last September, and much of that was because of many missing quality-of-life features. The aforementioned absence of land vehicles, clunky UI and inventory system, and a lack of performance options all held back an otherwise wonderfully ambitious role-playing game.
It goes without saying that a substantial amount of work obviously went into Starfield’s promising new update. But when Bethesda releases a patch for an older game (one that did more harm than good on certain platforms) after promising big changes and fixes every six weeks for their newest one, you can’t help but wonder why Starfield wasn’t more of a priority these last seven months.
Thankfully players won’t have to wait much longer for these long-overdue additions. Bethesda says Update 4 will drop on May 15. Other features, like the planetary land vehicles, and the game’s first expansion, Shattered Space, are expected later this year.
Like the family camcorder, the largest digital camera in the world will capture the next 10 years of cosmic life in memorable detail.
In mid-May, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Digital Camera, now officially called the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, will travel from its current home in California to Cerro Pachón, a mountain in northern Chile.
The camera, the team behind it purports, will take the greatest movie of all time. Observations will begin around January 2025.
Trilogy enthusiasts be warned: to watch all the video clips back to back, each packed with a decade’s worth of observations of just one slice of the southern sky, would take a year. That’s without sleeping, too, Rubin Observatory construction director ´eljko Ivezić tells Inverse.
Aerial view of Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
JAVIER TORRES/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The camera will record our celestial family. That includes close cousin asteroids, infrequent visitors like comets, the Sun’s community of stars whizzing around the center of the Milky Way and outside the galaxy, to the far reaches of our celestial family tree. Ivezić is optimistic the LSST Camera will discover five million asteroids, and see about 20 billion stars in our galaxy, plus about 20 billion galaxies.
Imaging the cosmos and how it changes at varying distances will help reveal many dynamics at play. The camera’s work will complement other missions surveying the night sky such as Gaia and Euclid. The science produced can help answer questions about whether or not Albert Einstein had it entirely right with his theory of general relativity, reveal new transient phenomena like supernovas and variable stars, and quintuple the number of known asteroids zipping through the Solar System.
The idea of a massive digital camera isn’t revolutionary. But the technology is. The University of Arizona produced the camera’s most critical component, the three mirrors, for the low price of $30 million. Ivezić says before modern advancements in manufacturing, the mirrors would have cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The camera’s field of view required computers to be capable of storing 3,200 megapixels and processing them. This wasn’t possible until recently.
The LSST Camera, the world's largest digital camera, has its lens cap off in this September 2022 photo.
LSST Camera will hone in on a section of the southern night sky, about 45 times larger than the size of the Full Moon, for 30 seconds. It rapidly repoints to the next 9.6 square degrees slice of space, and repeats. This way, the camera shoots the entire night sky in three nights. To observe the southern sky in its totality in all six color filters of its carousel takes about three weeks. When the round is complete, the camera starts all over again. This will go on and on for ten years.
The repetition increases the exposure time of each segment. This makes the images more sensitive to dimmer objects. The numerous exposures reveal an average appearance. That’s how the team hopes to discover interlopers, like asteroids and comets.
Over more repetitions, the subtle motions of stars relative to the Sun will also become apparent. Star motions are much gnarlier than they seem. “Those motions are actually faster than the motion of Earth around the Sun,” Ivezić says. “The relative speed is actually higher between the stars, but when you look at images, it’s much smaller because they are thousands of times farther away.”
LSST Camera Deputy Project Manager Travis Lange (left) and science and engineering associate Mike Silva (right) inspect the L3 lens in preparation of its installation onto the focal plane of the camera.
Astronomers will use the LSST Camera to measure galaxy traits. Their colors reveal their distances. Distortion to their shapes would hint at gravitational lensing, as extraordinarily massive structures bend light. Their placements would fine-tune ideas about how galaxies distribute over time. The expansion of the universe may also get less mysterious.
The SUV-sized camera will soon begin a daunting journey. The Boeing 747 that will fly it across the Americas can land in La Serena, Chile. But it cannot take off from this small airport. So the big plane will have to land farther from the observatory site, in Santiago. A truck carrying the camera will sojourn out of the capital into the Andean highlands. Once it reaches the road that leads up to the 8,900-foot-high summit of Cerro Pachón, it won’t go more than a few miles an hour.
To say the cargo is precious is putting it mildly. It’s covered by insurance, but the team never wants to have to cash in. “They would get money back, but there is no place to go to buy a new camera,” Ivezić says.
The Boeing Starliner is less than a week away from its critical Crew Flight Test.
NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore will be the first humans to fly aboard the low-Earth orbit spacecraft. Their flight will take off as early as Monday, May 6 at 10:34 p.m. Eastern from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. NASA will be streaming the event live, which you can watch here.
Williams and Wilmore will run tests onboard the spacecraft. Starliner will then dock with the International Space Station (ISS). After a week inside the orbiting laboratory, they’ll reboard Starliner. The reusable spacecraft will land back to Earth in the southwestern United States.
WHY IS THIS LAUNCH SO IMPORTANT?
NASA astronaut Suni Williams arrives at the Kennedy Space Center ahead of the May 6 Starliner launch. She is the Crew Flight Test pilot.
ANADOLU/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES
Starliner flew crewless in late 2019 for Orbital Flight Test 1. But it failed to dock with the ISS. This important maneuver finally happened on the following test, Orbital Flight Test 2, in mid-2022. On Friday, NASA announced Williams and Wilmore had completed a start-to-finish mission dress rehearsal for the upcoming launch.
If Starliner aces Crew Flight Test, NASA will have a second company to take its astronauts into Earth’s atmosphere. NASA has already ordered six Starliner crew rotation missions to the space station. It can carry up to four astronauts, or a mix of passengers and cargo.
A MUCH NEEDED BACK UP PLAN
Currently only one spacecraft, the SpaceX Crew Dragon, launches astronauts from the United States. After the Space Shuttle Program ended in July 2011, spacefarers could only launch from Russia or China.
Suni Williams, NASA astronaut and Starliner mission pilot, and Butch Wilmore, NASA astronaut and Starliner mission commander, speak to the media as the Boeing Starliner spacecraft rolls out of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility on its way to Space Launch Complex 41 at Kennedy Space Center on April 16, 2024 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES NEWS/GETTY IMAGES
NASA awarded contracts to SpaceX and Boeing to develop spacecraft that could carry astronauts into low-Earth orbit as part of its Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX debuted Crew Dragon on May 30, 2020. Monday will be Boeing’s first crewed flight.
Boeing would provide a backup plan. The ISS must be continuously occupied and if something unexpected happens in orbit, station maintenance and upkeep must continue.
If a spacecraft cannot continue its work, having two low-Earth orbit providers rather than one would provide greater flexibility. In a press conference on March 22, Dana Weigel, deputy manager of the ISS Program at NASA, cited a recent example. A micrometeoroid strike in December 2022 left a Russian Soyuz capsule defunct in space. But since Crew Dragon was in operation, other crews could fly up and back. NASA also had to depend on another country to return NASA astronaut Frank Rubio to Earth. Stranded until a rescue Russian Soyuz replaced it, Rubio wound up breaking the record for longest single spaceflight in U.S. history, at 371 days.
It’s a situation NASA hopes never to repeat. Starliner may soon be ready to answer the call.
Researchers from the Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF) in The Netherlands say they have shown that manipulating a two-dimensional material known as a photonic crystal can stop light in its tracks.
Scientists have previously demonstrated the ability to trap light using powerful magnets. At the same time, other research showed the ability to halt individual electrons in two-dimensional materials like graphene by simulating the effects of magnetic fields. However, the AMOLF team is the first to use the unique properties of two-dimensional materials to stop light in its tracks without employing any magnetic fields.
The researchers behind the novel accomplishment believe their work may open up several practical applications, ranging from sensing and on-chip routing to lasing and quantum light-matter interfaces.
“This principle offers a new approach to slow down light fields and thereby enhance their strength,” explained AMOLF group leader Ewold Verhagen. “Realizing this on a chip is particularly important for many applications.”
EXPLORING TWISTRONICS AND MAGIC ANGLES TO STOP LIGHT IN ITS TRACKS
In their research, published in the journal Nature Photonics, the AMOLF team explains how the unique properties of two-dimensional materials allowed them such precise control over light waves. Sometimes referred to as “Twistronics,” researchers have found that simply deforming or “twisting” two-dimensional materials can create a number of unexpected and sometimes useful consequences.
For example, researchers have been able to induce certain types of superconductivity by twisting a two-layered stack of graphene, which consists of two sheets of individual carbon atoms, to exactly 1.08 degrees. This so-called “magic angle” has offered hope that these types of materials may one day lead to functional, room-temperature superconductors.
Of course, manipulating electrons, which have a charge, is completely different from manipulating individual light waves since they are essentially massless and do not possess an electromagnetic charge. As the researchers explain, “In electronic crystals, magnetic fields can be used to induce a multitude of unique phenomena; [however] the uncharged nature of photons necessitates alternative approaches to bring about similar control over photons at the nanoscale.”
PHOTONIC CRYSTALS AND LANDAU LINES
To successfully stop light in its tracks, the team tapped into a type of two-dimensional material known as a photonic crystal. Like graphene, this material is made up of individual atoms attached at their sides to create a two-dimensional sheet. However, the carbon used to make graphene is replaced with silicon, and the resulting two-dimensional sheet also contains a regular pattern of holes.
“A photonic crystal normally consists of a regular—two–dimensional—pattern of holes in a silicon layer,” explained first author René Barczyk, who successfully defended his PhD thesis on this topic last year. Barczyk also noted that light can move freely in this material, “just like electrons in graphene.”
“In general, graphene is a good electronic conductor, but this changes when the crystal array is deformed, for instance, by stretching it like elastics,” Verhagen explained. “Such mechanical deformation stops conduction; the material turns into an insulator, and consequently, the electrons are bound to Landau levels.”
In effect, stretching the graphene had the same effect as applying a magnetic field, only without a magnet. Verhagen says that given how this artificial creation of these “Landau levels” controls the motion of electrons, his team wondered “if a similar approach would also work for photons.”
Sure enough, after multiple experiments, the team found success. The twisting and stretching of the photonic crystals created the desired Landau levels, offering the ability to manipulate the flow of light through the material.
“By playing with the deformation pattern, we even managed to establish various types of effective magnetic fields in one material,” Verhagen explained. “As a result, photons can move through certain parts of the material but not in others. Hence, these insights also provide new ways to steer light on a chip.”
Perhaps more significantly, the process allowed the researchers to stop light in its tracks, offering a unique level of control over individual photons.
“Breaking this regularity in exactly the right manner will deform the array and consequently lock the photons,” said Barczyk. “This is how we create Landau levels for photons.”
PARTNERING WITH OTHER RESEARCHERS
During their research, the team discovered that researchers from Pennsylvania State University and Columbia University were working on the same idea. While some aspects were different, the press release explains that “both teams were able to stop light waves from moving and observe Landau levels by deforming a two-dimensional photonic crystal.”
“When we were doing our first measurements, I happened to speak to one of the authors of this other study,” said Verhagen. “When it turned out that they were also looking for experimental evidence of the effect, we decided not to compete in being first to publish but instead to submit the work simultaneously to the publisher.”
The researchers believe that their new method for stopping light is a significant breakthrough. If harnessed correctly, it could also prove critical in several potential applications.
“If we can confine light at the nanoscale and bring it to a halt like this, its strength will be enhanced tremendously,” said Verhagen. “And not only at one location but over the entire crystal surface. Such light concentration is very important in nanophotonic devices, for example, for the development of efficient lasers or quantum light sources.”
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.
Holloman Air Force Base is infamous for the most debated UFO landing footage that was in the possession of the United States Air Force as claimed by Robert Emmenegger and Allan Sandler. The director of “Moment of Contact” James Fox has recently discussed the Holloman AFB UFO/alien controversy on a podcast, adding valuable information to the legendary case.
Interestingly, there are other credible people in the UFO community who have given credence to the authenticity of this case. There is more to the Holloman AFB UFO story. Joe Murgia, an avid UFO researcher revealed that Dr. Eric Davis(a former Pentagon physicist) met with George Bush Sr. to talk about Holloman AFB Incident.
The UFO phenomenon has long been a subject of fascination and controversy, with countless reports of sightings and encounters over the years. However, the truth behind these mysterious incidents has remained elusive, with government agencies often accused of covering up information and discrediting witnesses.
According to Murgia, on March 26, 2004, he met Hal Putoff (an American physicist who has co-authored several books on gravitational and paranormal research) at the Fiesta Rancho Casino Hotel, Las Vegas after taking an early flight to the airport. Upon meeting, Hal wasted no time and shared with him the story of Dr. Eric Davis. It turns out that Dr. Davis was the one who conducted the interview with Wilson at the EG&G parking lot. Dr. Davis had reached out to the admiral about his project to revive a local chapter of AFIO (Association of Former Intelligence Officers) in Las Vegas, but the conversation eventually shifted to the topic of ufology.(Source)
Astrophysicist Eric Davis during an interview with New York Post.
Murgia stated that Former President George Bush Sr. had taken an interest in Dr. Davis’ discussion and spoke to him twice on the phone, expressing his belief that the German secrets had been filed away and not used as a cover for anything else. However, he did show interest in pursuing the topic and requested Dr. Davis’ recent physics papers.
During the second phone call, Bush revealed that he was aware of the Holloman film, which Hal, Dr. Davis, and Murgia were fixated on. “The former President was aware of it. Was it a training film, a special ops exercise? No, he replied, ‘it was “the real thing.”’ There was a secret project, and the security was obscene,” writes Joe Murgia.
Moreover, the Holloman AFB UFO landing incident was also discussed by Dr. Jacques Vallée in his book “Forbidden Science – Volume II.” He writes:
Kit [Green]just left, along with Hal, Russell and two of his kids. We had a long discussion after a demo of my landing catalogue. Kit has dropped out of Sams’ covert “Group of Twelve.”
Emenegger tells me that Colonel Bill Coleman, who represented the Air Force in the film, had been retired for three weeks when he got the job. For nine years he’d served as the Air Force’s spokesman and had been intimately linked to the UFO question. More games: One of his men, a Captain Horner, confiscated the Holloman movie just before Sandler could get his hands on it.
The Holloman sequence is based on a bluff by Emenegger. He couldn’t find anyone on the Base who recalled such an event. There was only a rumor that in 1971 a helicopter had filmed three objects, one of which landed.
Three occupants had supposedly come out. They had Assyrian noses, a rope twisted on their head for a hat, bluegreen skin, eyes like ping-pong balls with a hole in the middle. One of them had a wire in one ear and carried a vertical staff with a spiral antenna. The Aliens were taken to Building 830, then to building 930 on Mars Avenue. They remained there two or three years, allegedly “helping the United States decode space messages from another Alien civilization.”
A biologist named Alfred Lorenzo is supposed to have worked with them. None of this makes any sense. When Allan was here I asked him if he still had his clearance. He said yes, theoretically he did, but he didn’t think it was active, yet Kit has found Allan’s clearances active. “Do you know there are 800 reports of foreign UFOs in the CIRCOL files?” he asked. “Why didn’t Hynek ever look into that?”
He warned me that a new experimental device was being tested. It is known lovingly as a “flying bathtub.” It is a flying triangle with a rounded front, but it could look strikingly like a saucer when seen from the side, and will surely be mistaken for one.
On Julian Dorey Podcast, Mr. Fox recounted a phone call from Allan Sandler, who claimed to have seen three unidentified flying objects (UFOs) escorted by a military jet. Sandler said that two of the UFOs peeled away while one wobbled to the ground, and he witnessed the beings with unique features emerge from the grounded UFO before the footage abruptly cut off.
Paul Shartle, an official at Norton Air Force Base, allegedly confirmed that the object was not of Earth origin. Mr. Fox did not make any claims about the veracity of the story, only reporting what he had been told.
During a recent Reddit AMA, journalist Christopher Sharp expressed interest in finding more information about the number of alien species visiting Earth. He mentioned that he had heard from multiple sources that the visitation at Holloman Air Force Base was real, but was unsure if the beings were extraterrestrial, interdimensional, or ultra-terrestrial. Sharp shared a link to the interview with Grant Cameron for further information.
In 1974, Robert Emenegger released his documentary “UFOs: Past, Present, and Future,” which was nominated for a Golden Globe. While he had originally been granted permission to use real footage, the Department of Defense later withdrew that permission.
Emenegger was forced to add animated footage of the alleged Holloman UFO landing. He claimed that some frames from the original footage were used in the reconstruction during editing, which was authorized by the USAF. Viewers spotted a genuine bright disc coming down slowly in the distance against the backdrop of Holloman’s surrounding landscape.
The documentary was re-released in 1979, with additional footage and narration by Dr. Vallée, who discussed ancient astronaut theory.
A high-speed camera has captured the chilling moment four UFOs were spotted above the 'cursed' Skinwalker Ranch in northeastern Utah.
Never-before-seen footage has exposed a possible 'portal' on the haunted ranch, where the team has witnessed a mutilated cow who died under mysterious circumstances.
The video, released by The History Channel in a new episode of 'The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch,' features a team of scientists investigating the 512-acre ranch, long known for its paranormal and UFO-related activities.
Among the eerie sightings, the team observed what appeared to be a possible portal on the ranch.
During the investigation, Erik and Travis, two scientists on the team, were amazed as they observed four UFO's on the high-speed camera.
'Now, one of the things that stands out - Look, there's something,' Erik, a scientist on the team said. 'It looks like there's something under it. Moving with it.'
A high-speed camera has captured the chilling moment four UFOs are spotted above the 'cursed' 'Skinwalker Ranch' in northeastern Utah
The team observed four unidentified flying object - and what appeared to be a possible portal on the ranch
Travis, another scientist, chimed in: 'And then what's this thing at the bottom coming up?'
'You see what's happening here? Yeah, you got three things on the camera ... Four things! There's one over here,' Erik added.
The four unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), were described as rectangular with dark tops and light bottoms, moving swiftly and independently of each other - defying typical aircraft movements.
'There's something here. And as you let it move forward, you can see they're moving. And they're not necessarily moving together,' Travis said.
'Right - but they're moving at about., said Erik. 'So we've got four things. It never changes its appearance. It always seems to be this rectangular, dark-on-top, light-on-bottom.'
'I don't see anything like wings flapping around at all. And it's not moving like an aircraft but something but much faster.'
Travis noted the sudden appearance of one UFO directly above a triangular airspace, coinciding with previous observations of strange circular patterns detected by advanced technology on the ranch.
'It's speeding way up,' Erik added. 'And it seems to be diving. But that's not all it's gonna do.'
'That thing is basically in the triangle airspace.'
Never-before-seen footage exposes a possible portal on the haunted ranch, where the team has witnessed a mutilated cow who died under mysterious circumstance
The four unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), were described as rectangular with dark tops and light bottoms, moving swiftly and independently of each other - defying typical aircraft movements
The history of Skinwalker Ranch is steeped in mystery. It's been called a supernatural place - others say it's 'cursed'
Travis noted the sudden appearance of one UFO directly above a triangular airspace, coinciding with previous observations of strange circular patterns detected by advanced technology on the ranch
'So it came from, you know, the middle of nowhere,' Travis said. 'swoops in, and then turns back.'
'Below cloud level and apparently down. Like it's turning to make a final approach here, like it's coming in for a landing or something.'
'Seeing this UAP suddenly appear and then maneuver directly above the triangle was incredible,' Travis said.
'...that's right where Jim Royston's lidar drone detected a perfectly circular ring with a black void in the center that we've speculated could be related to a wormhole or portal.'
'Could this UAP appearing at that location be evidence that just might confirm our suspicions and maybe validate all the legends we've heard about portals on Skinwalker Ranch?'
This discovery adds to the mystique surrounding Skinwalker Ranch, where past events have included encounters with mutilated cattle and other unexplained phenomena.
This discovery adds to the mystique surrounding Skinwalker Ranch, where past events have included encounters with mutilated cattle and other unexplained phenomena
Rancher Terry Sherman, who bought the property in the 90's became so spooked that he sold the property and moved his family of four away. Sherman found several heads of his cattle mutilated after purchasing the land in 1996
The history of Skinwalker Ranch is steeped in mystery. It's been called a supernatural place - others say it's 'cursed.'
Rancher Terry Sherman, who bought the property in the 90's became so spooked that he sold the property and moved his family of four away.
Sherman found several heads of his cattle mutilated after purchasing the land in 1996.
Additionally, Sherman witnessed unexplainable encounters, one in which Sherman saw a wolf-like creature three times the size of a normal wolf.
Another researcher saw an bizarre creature with piercing yellow eyes surveilling him from a tree, among other mysterious instances.
The ranch later became the focus of Pentagon investigations into UFOs through programs like the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP).
In 2020, a bombshell report in Popular Mechanics describes the Pentagon's UFO program on 'Skinwalker Ranch.'
Using black-budget money under the auspices of the Defense Intelligence Agency, in 2008 AATIP contracted private space technology company Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) to provide the government with technical reports and research into UFOs, according to the magazine.
The ranch later became the focus of Pentagon investigations into UFOs through programs like the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP)
BAASS controlled 'Skinwalker Ranch' in Utah - which the company proposed as a 'possible laboratory for studying other intelligences and possible interdimensional phenomena.'
Two previously unreleased technical reports submitted through the contract were published in full or in part by Popular Mechanics, revealing research into the medical effects of contact with anomalous flying objects and the frequency of unexplained phenomenon near nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile silos.
In 2008, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) awarded a $10 million contract to BAASS under a contracting program known as the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP).
A lifelong enthusiast of space travel and the paranormal, Bigelow purchases the Skinwalker Ranch, after various strange and paranormal events were reported there.
Bigelow proposed to use the ranch to study paranormal phenomenon, and a visit to the ranch by a DIA scientist in 2007 may have inspired the creation of the AATIP, according to Popular Mechanics.
Former AAWSAP contractor and astrophysicist Eric Davis shared what colleagues had told him of the DIA scientist's experience in an interview with researcher Joe Murgia.
A lifelong enthusiast of space travel and the paranormal, Bigelow (pictured left next to NASA astronaut Mike Gernhardt) purchased the Skinwalker Ranch, after various strange and paranormal events were reported there
Bigelow proposed to use the ranch to study paranormal phenomenon, and a visit to the ranch by a DIA scientist in 2007 may have inspired the creation of the AATIP
'In the living room of the former NIDS double wide observation trailer/staff quarters. A 3D object appeared in mid-air in front of him and changed shape like a changing topological figure. It went from pretzel-shaped to Möbius strip shaped. It was 3D and multi-colored. Then it disappeared,' he said.
According to former Senator Harry Reid, whatever happened at Skinwalker was enough to convince the DIA to seriously investigate paranormal and UFO phenomena.
'Something should be done about this. Somebody should study it.' I was convinced he was right,' Reid told New York Magazine.
A 2009 BAASS report commissioned by the Pentagon mentions Skinwalker Ranch in Utah as a 'possible laboratory for studying other intelligences and possible interdimensional phenomena.'
In 2016, Bigelow sold Skinwalker Ranch for $4.5 million to 'Adamantium Holdings', a shell corporation whose true owners have never been traced.
After this sale, all roads leading to the ranch were blocked, the perimeter was secured with cameras and barbed wire, and signs went up warning strangers not to approach.
Anyone who approached the ranch after reported being immediately confronted by guards and ordered to leave.
Nog onbekende soorten verbergen zich op de meest uiteenlopende plekken op onze planeet, maar onderzoekers hebben een nieuw wezen ontdekt dat er nogal verontrustend uitziet. Hier gaat het om.
Nieuwe soort ontdekt in West-Australië
Ondanks voortdurend onderzoek kennen we nog steeds niet alle wezens die zich op onze planeet verbergen. Sommige hiervan hebben een schattig en grappig uiterlijk, andere kunnen min of meer eng zijn. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan degenen die in de Marianentrog leven, de diepste plek op het aardoppervlak. Er is nu een nieuwe, nog nooit eerder waargenomen soort ontdekt op een van de oudste plekken op onze planeet, dat zich in West-Australië bevindt.
Onderzoekers Mark KL Wong en Jane M. McRae van UWA, University of Western Australia, bevonden zich in het rotsachtige gebied Pilbara, een Australisch woestijnoppervlak, toen ze een gat in de grond maakten van ongeveer 24 meter lang. Hier, ondergronds in het dorre landschap in het land van de kangoeroes, ontdekten ze het kleine wezentje. Hier kunnen de oppervlaktetemperaturen tijdens het hete seizoen overdag 38° Celsius bereiken en overschrijden, terwijl het ondergrondse leven wemelt van leven. Zo verstopt het kleine, sinister uitziende wezen zich in de donkere ondergrond op zoek naar voedsel.
Leptanilla voldemort, de bleke ondergrondse mier
ZooKeys
De nieuwe soort in kwestie heet Leptanilla voldemort en is een ondergrondse mier met een bleke kleur, “slanke bouw, spits toelopende poten en lange, scherpe onderkaken”. Het is de tweede soort van dit geslacht die tot nu toe in Australië is ontdekt, aldus de onderzoekers in hun studie.
De kleine mier is slechts twee millimeter groot, ongeveer net zo groot als een zandkorrel. Na het boren van het gat in de grond kwamen twee exemplaren van Leptanilla voldemort in het net terecht. Toen ze eenmaal boven water waren, zagen de onderzoekers hun lange, gladde en opvallend gekleurde lichamen. "De bijnaam van de soort is een eerbetoon aan de antagonist uit de boekenreeks van Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort, een angstaanjagende tovenaar die, net als de nieuwe mier, slank en bleek is en gedijt in de duisternis”, aldus de auteurs. Het belangrijkste kenmerk van deze soort zijn de bijzonder langgerekte onderkaken en antennes in vergelijking met die van andere Leptanilla-soorten, die voor het eerst werden ontdekt in 1931.
De nieuwe mierensoort leeft en jaagt in het donker
ZooKeys
Volgens de onderzoekers “is het vrijwel zeker een angstaanjagende jager in het donker. Dit wordt ondersteund door wat we weten uit de weinige waarnemingen van jachtgedrag bij andere Leptanilla-soorten, waar de kleine werkers hun scherpe kaken en krachtige angels gebruiken om de duizendpoten die in de grond leven, veel groter dan zij, te immobiliseren." Deze mier heeft in feite geen gezichtsvermogen, maar gebruikt zijn krachtige kaken om in het donker te jagen en zich te voeden. In tegenstelling tot veel andere mieren leeft de Leptanilla in kolonies bestaande uit ongeveer honderd werkers en een koningin. Ze leven ondergronds, hebben geen pigmentatie en door hun zeer kleine formaat kunnen ze zich met extreme behendigheid ondergronds verplaatsen.
Alleen al het feit dat ze klein zijn en in duisternis leven, maakt hun biologie buitengewoon mysterieus. In Pilbara, dat 3,6 miljard jaar oud is, leven veel ongewervelde dieren onder de grond. Nu voegt de kleine Voldemort biodiversiteit toe aan deze oude plek op aarde: "De ontdekking van de raadselachtige mier is een bewijs van de magie van de natuur en de mysteries van het leven in de diepten van de duisternis."
UFO researcher who uses lasers and infrared to catch UFO on video! April 29, 2024, UAP Sighting News.
UFO researcher who uses lasers and infrared to catch UFO on video! April 29, 2024, UAP Sighting News.
Date of sighting: April 29, 2024 Location of sighting:Florida, USA
Now is a UFO researcher who uses lasers and infrared at night to catch orbs and UFOs that are invisible to the naked eye. He is John Bell and he is out to catch them. Here he caught a large round craft that very I think holds an energy entity within, much like the entity that flew and hovered over sacred site Dome of Rock in front of tens of thousands of witnesses a few years back. This UFO is of the same type, and has the same fluctuations across its surface too. Such proof is critical to revealing the truth about UFOs...they are alien in origin and they are often invisible to the naked eye.
Scott C. Waring - Utah
Eyewitness states:
Very Large UFO and five more came by last night. This UFO is below the Commercial Jet.
Insanely Detailed Webb Image of the Horsehead Nebula
The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has captured the sharpest infrared images to date of one of the most distinctive objects in our skies, the Horsehead Nebula. The observations show a part of the iconic nebula in a whole new light, capturing its complexity with unprecedented spatial resolution. Image Credits: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi, NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI), ESA/Webb, CSA, K. Misselt, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb) LICENCE CC BY 4.0 INT or ESA Standard Licence
Insanely Detailed Webb Image of the Horsehead Nebula
Few space images are as iconic as those of the Horsehead Nebula. Its shape makes it instantly recognizable. Over the decades, a number of telescopes have captured its image, turning it into a sort of test case for a telescope’s power.
The JWST has them all beat.
The Horsehead Nebula is about 1300 light-years away in Orion. It’s part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. Horsehead is visible near the three stars in Orion’s Belt in a zoomed-in image
The Horsehead Nebula is visible in this image of Orion’s Belt. It’s in the lower left, extending horizontally, to the lower left of the belt star Alnitak. Image Credit: By Davide De Martin (http://www.skyfactory.org); Credit: Digitized Sky Survey, ESA/ESO/NASA FITS Liberator – https://www.spacetelescope.org/projects/fits_liberator/fitsimages/davidedemartin_12/ (direct link), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1329999
The leading image shows JWST’s view of the Horsehead Nebula alongside two other views. The Euclid image was captured in November 2023. Euclid features a wide-angle, 600-megapixel camera, and its primary job is to measure the redshift of galaxies and the Universe’s expansion due to dark energy. It took Euclid about one hour to capture the image, showcasing the telescope’s ability to gather highly detailed images quickly.
The Hubble captured its image in 2013 and was released as the telescope’s 23rd-anniversary featured image. The venerable Hubble does a good job of revealing structures hidden by dust. There’s nothing left to say about the Hubble that hasn’t been said already. It’s the revered elder among telescopes, and if you feel no reverence towards it, its contribution to science, and the people responsible for it, you may have a bad case of ennui.
The third image is a new one from the JWST’s NIRCam instrument. It’s described as the sharpest image of the Horsehead ever taken. It shows a small part of the iconic nebula in detail we don’t usually see. The JWST is so powerful it even shows background galaxies.
A zoom-in of the JWST image. The detail is incredible. Image Credit: ESA/Webb, CSA, K. Misselt, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)
The Horsehead Nebula is the result of stellar erosion. The nebula itself was formed by a collapsing cloud of material, and a nearby hot star called Sigma Orionis illuminates the structure. The nebula is denser than its surrounding gas and has resisted the dissipative energy of the star, while the gas that used to surround it is long gone.
This definitely isn’t the last we’ll see of Horsehead. New, powerful telescopes coming online soon, like the Giant Magellan Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope will likely take a crack at the nebula. Prepare to be wowed.
There’s no rush. According to astronomers, the Horsehead Nebula will eventually be eroded away, too, but not for another five million years or so.
The “mane” of the Horsehead Nebula is shown here imaged by Webb’s MIRI instrument. The mid-infrared light captured by MIRI reveals substances like dusty silicates and soot-like molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS)
The Horsehead Nebula, imaged by the NIRCam instrument on NASA’s Webb Telescope, features a portion of the horse’s “mane” about 0.8 light-years wide. The blue clouds at the bottom of the image are dominated by cold, molecular hydrogen. Red wisps above the nebula represent mainly atomic hydrogen gas.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS)
The “mane” of the Horsehead Nebula is shown here imaged by Webb’s MIRI instrument. The mid-infrared light captured by MIRI reveals substances like dusty silicates and soot-like molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi, NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI), ESA/Webb, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona), M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)
The magnetic field and electric currents in and around Earth generate complex forces that have immeasurable impact on every day life. The field can be thought of as a huge bubble -- called the magnetosphere -- protecting us from cosmic radiation and charged particles that bombard Earth in solar winds. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Has Earth always had this deflector shield? Probably so, and the evidence is in old rocks. A team of researchers at University of Oxford and MIT found the earliest evidence for its existence in stones found along the coast of Greenland in a region called the Isua Supercrustal Belt.
Geologists have long known that iron particles in rocks “entrain” a print of the magnetic field that was in place when they formed. So, the research team uncovered rocks that formed some 3.7 billion years ago. It’s not an easy task, according to team lead Claire Nichols of the Department of Earth Sciences at Oxford. “Extracting reliable records from rocks this old is extremely challenging,” Nichols pointed out. “It was really exciting to see primary magnetic signals begin to emerge when we analyzed these samples in the lab. This is a really important step forward as we try and determine the role of the ancient magnetic field when life on Earth was first emerging.”
This 3.7-billion-year-old rock from Greenland. Entrained magnetic field fingerprints help scientists determine that our magnetosphere and magnetic field existed when this rock formed. Courtesy: Claire Nichols.
The team’s samples recorded a magnetic field strength of 15 microteslas at the time they formed. Today, Earth’s field strength is closer to 30 microteslas, so it’s obvious that our magnetic field and magnetosphere have been there for billions of years. It’s also clear that the field changes over time. The science team also found that early Earth’s magnetosphere was amazingly similar to the one it has today.
Tracking Earth’s Magnetosphere through Time
Our planet has a main dynamo at its heart. There are two cores—an inner one and an outer one. Motions in the core regions generate the magnetic field that defines our magnetosphere. Molten iron mixes and moves in the fluid outer core and the inner core solidifies. The two actions together create that dynamo. That’s what’s happening inside our planet today.
This cutaway of planet Earth shows the familiar exterior of air, water and land as well as the interior: from the mantle down to the outer and inner cores. Currents in hot, liquid iron-nickel in the outer core create our planet’s protective but fluctuating magnetic field and magnetosphere. Credit: Kelvinsong / Wikipedia
However, when Earth was first forming some 4.5 billion years ago, that solid inner core didn’t exist. Without the interaction we see today between the two parts of the core, it’s hard to know how any early magnetic field existed. That’s an open question among geologists and planetary scientists: how did it form and how was it sustained?
Another question relates to how much the planetary magnetic field has varied over time. Answering that one would help geologists understand just when the solid inner core formed. It would also show how much heat has escaped our planet from deep inside over time. Heat escape drives plate tectonics, which uses large “plates” of rock to shift things around on the surface over hundreds of millions of years.
What Do the Rocks Tell Us?
Rocks have a long and complex history. They form as a molten mixture that solidifies, or in the case of sandstones, are laid down in layers that then harden. In the case of molten rocks, they have magnetic field fingerprints entrained at the time of formation. In measuring those fingerprints, geologists account for any heating that could “reset” the magnetic signatures over time. The Greenland rocks are relatively pristine, meaning they haven’t been significantly heated since they formed. That means their magnetic fingerprints haven’t changed since formation.
Lava cooling after an eruption. This rock has an entrained magnetic field fingerprint from the time it formed. Credit: kalapanaculturaltours.com
Rocks also get weathered by wind, temperature changes and erosion, but the Isuan samples seem to be relatively pristine, according to Benjamin Weiss of MIT. “Northern Isua has the oldest known well-preserved rocks on Earth,” Weiss said. “Not only have they not been significantly heated since 3.7 billion years ago but they have also been scraped clean by the Greenland ice sheet.”
Rocks Through Time
The rocks the team studied date back to the Archean Eon—the second-oldest geologic eon in Earth’s history. That period began about 4 billion years ago, and during that time Earth was largely an ocean world with a limited amount of continental surface. Since then, Earth’s surface has changed a great deal, destroying or burying rocks from earlier times. So, finding rocks that date back that far in time is a big deal.
The Isuan rocks are relatively unchanged since they formed, and bear proof of a magnetic field existing less than a billion years after the planet formed. That same early magnetic field could have played a role in the development of our planet’s atmosphere, by assisting in removing xenon gas. Other old rocks may well tell scientists more about the birth of the magnetic field. There are rocks in Canada, Australia and South Africa that could give unique insight into the formation of the field and its role in making Earth habitable for life.
The Mysterious Case of UFO Sightings Over Malmstrom AFB in 1975
The Mysterious Case of UFO Sightings Over Malmstrom AFB in 1975
In the chilling November of 1975, the skies over Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), Montana, became the center stage for one of the most intriguing UFO sightings in military history. Nestled in the heart of the United States, Malmstrom AFB, a cornerstone of America’s nuclear missile defense system, experienced a series of events that would challenge the boundaries of our understanding of the skies above.
The saga began when security personnel and control tower operators reported seeing unidentifiable objects displaying extraordinary aerodynamics and luminosity, characteristics far beyond the capabilities of any known aircraft at the time. These objects, described as silent yet startlingly swift, hovered over the base, then accelerated away at phenomenal speeds, leaving witnesses in awe and disbelief.
What sets the Malmstrom AFB sightings apart is not just the visual encounters; it’s the consequential effects these UFOs seemingly had on the base’s operational readiness. During these sightings, several of the base’s Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) were reportedly rendered inoperative. The correlation between the presence of these unidentified objects and the temporary malfunction of nuclear armaments posed a stark question: Were these UFOs merely passing visitors, or was their appearance an intentional act of surveillance or interference?
This incident occurred six years after the closure of Project Blue Book, the United States Air Force’s official investigation into UFOs, which concluded in 1969 that UFOs were not a threat to national security and were of no scientific interest. Yet, the events over Malmstrom AFB suggested otherwise, hinting at a continued military interest and concern over unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).
Further deepening the mystery, documentation obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by The Black Vault in 1997, detailed attempts by F-106 fighter jets to intercept these UFOs, all of which were futile. The advanced capabilities of the F-106s, designed to neutralize Soviet threats during the Cold War, were seemingly outmatched by the agility and speed of the unidentified objects.
This incident leaves us with more questions than answers. In the years since, the U.S. government has taken a more open approach to the investigation of UAPs, acknowledging their existence and the potential national security implications. The Malmstrom AFB sightings remain a compelling piece of the larger UFO puzzle, challenging our perceptions and pushing the boundaries of the known.
As we continue to gaze up at the night sky, the events of November 1975 remind us that the universe is vast, mysterious, and, perhaps, watching.
Unrecognizable Person Observing Red and Blue Lights on Road at Night by Slava MKRVSKY on pexels.com
UFO researcher who uses lasers and infrared to catch UFO on video! April 29, 2024, UAP Sighting News.
UFO researcher who uses lasers and infrared to catch UFO on video! April 29, 2024, UAP Sighting News.
Date of sighting: April 29, 2024 Location of sighting: Florida, USA
Now is a UFO researcher who uses lasers and infrared at night to catch orbs and UFOs that are invisible to the naked eye. He is John Bell and he is out to catch them. Here he caught a large round craft that very I think holds an energy entity within, much like the entity that flew and hovered over sacred site Dome of Rock in front of tens of thousands of witnesses a few years back. This UFO is of the same type, and has the same fluctuations across its surface too. Such proof is critical to revealing the truth about UFOs...they are alien in origin and they are often invisible to the naked eye.
Scott C. Waring - Utah
Eyewitness states:
Very Large UFO and five more came by last night. This UFO is below the Commercial Jet.
Now this is fantastic! A university student was at the library studying and caught sight of this white object flying outside. He took the shot through the window because he had no other choice being on the 5th floor. So this is just excellent proof of the UFO he caught sight of. From my own research and my own experiences seeing a orb just 2 meters away, and color changes as it went 50 meters away...the fact that this UFO is white like clouds, tells me its 100% legit. I mean when I saw an orb close up, it was like a liquid metal rotating slowly, but when it shot 50 meters away and held its position...it was 100% white cloud color. Thats...how I know it real. This student is awesome catching evidence for us all!
Scott C. Waring - Utah
Eyewitness states:
What at first appeared to be a drone emerged into my sightline as I was sitting on the fifth floor of the Regenstein Library. As I put on my glasses, it didn't appear to be any kind of drone I knew. The UFO was metallic, almost a silver color, with a darker line in between the top and the bottom of the oval-shaped chassis. I was in the Air Force for six years, and would consider myself to be a professional plane-spotter. This was not an aircraft that I am familiar with. It moved similarly to a helicopter or drone, but had no propellers or engines that were visible. It moved fairly fast, at what I'd estimate to be 350 knots. I pulled out my phone to take a single photograph, which thankfully is a live photo (a short 2 second video), but the UFO was gone before I got a second one. As the UFO was moving, it was spinning in the air, which is visible in the photo. There appears to be a small beam in front of the UFO, but it may appear to be something pulling it along. As you can see in the picture, the sky was incredibly clear with few clouds.
Take a look at this amazing catch from Hawaii last week. An eyewitness caught sight of this UFO not once, but twice and managed to get a photo of it for us. This is a perfect example of a classic disk, and was heading to or coming from an underground base somewhere off the coast of Hawaii, but 5 miles below the ocean floor. Aliens are making themselves known to us, and it's our job to recognize it and acknowledge it.
Scott C. Waring - Utah
Eyewitness states:
Saw this twice in one week. Saw on Thursday on north shore cause in Live Photo today unknowingly. Saucer shaped.
Strange Mars anomalies point to ancient and current life on the planet
Strange Mars anomalies point to ancient and current life on the planet
Much has been discussed about the strange objects discovered on Mars. Often dismissed as merely oddly shaped rocks or mere pareidolia, there is substantial evidence suggesting that Mars was once inhabited by intelligent life as well as a variety of animal and insect species. This raises the intriguing question of whether life still exists on the planet today.
Upon examining the objects captured in the following images by the Perseverance rover, one may wonder whether these are simply rocks, tricks of perception, or indications that the planet was indeed once inhabited, or perhaps still hosts humanoid figures and various animal species.
Image above: A petrified human-like figure concealed beneath a rock. It seems as if it wanted to protect itself from a horrific event.
Image above: Close-up images of the figure still reveal visible features such as an open mouth and eyes.
Image above: A curious object: It appears as though a possible creature has been ejected from a craft and remains seated in an ejection-like position. What's even stranger is that this creature apparently holding three bottles in its hands for some reason.
Image above: This image depicts what appears to be two peculiar animals. Figure 1 resembles a large ant, while Figure 2 resembles a cat-like creature.
Image above: Enlarged images of the ant and cat reveal more details.
Image above: A humanoid figure standing in front of a rock, cleverly camouflaged with clothes and hoodie matching the color of the rock.
Image above: Yet the humanoid appears to have an apron wrapped around its body, as well as its legs and arms are clearly visible, showing off its humanoid form.
Image above: Additionally, the figure appears to be holding a creature that resembles an animal, see also the hindlegs of the animal.
Adding to the intrigue is that there is another humanoid figure sitting nearby.
Discover the anomalies and much more at the following panorama images uploaded by Neville Thompson on his Gigapan page:
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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.
Op deze blog vind je onder artikels, werk van mezelf. Mijn dank gaat ook naar André, Ingrid, Oliver, Paul, Vincent, Georges Filer en MUFON voor de bijdragen voor de verschillende categorieën...
Veel leesplezier en geef je mening over deze blog.
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