Dit is ons nieuw hondje Kira, een kruising van een waterhond en een Podenko. Ze is sinds 7 februari 2024 bij ons en druk bezig ons hart te veroveren. Het is een lief, aanhankelijk hondje, dat zich op een week snel aan ons heeft aangepast. Ze is heel vinnig en nieuwsgierig, een heel ander hondje dan Noleke.
This is our new dog Kira, a cross between a water dog and a Podenko. She has been with us since February 7, 2024 and is busy winning our hearts. She is a sweet, affectionate dog who quickly adapted to us within a week. She is very quick and curious, a very different dog than Noleke.
DEAR VISITOR,
MY BLOG EXISTS NEARLY 13 YEARS AND 4 MONTH.
ON /30/09/2024 MORE THAN 2.230.520
VISITORS FROM 135 DIFFERENT NATIONS ALREADY FOUND THEIR WAY TO MY BLOG.
THAT IS AN AVERAGE OF 400GUESTS PER DAY.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG AND HOPE YOU ENJOY EACH TIME.
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
Zoeken in blog
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...
08-05-2024
De Marianentrog: wat weet jij over de diepste plek op aarde?
De Marianentrog: wat weet jij over de diepste plek op aarde?
De Marianentrog: wat weet jij over de diepste plek op aarde? Met zijn bergtoppen en spectaculaire valleien zijn de aarde en zijn landschappen werkelijk bijzonder. Als we het echter over oceanen hebben, denken we vaak dat ze slechts wat water en een bodem met zand zijn, maar ze zijn eigenlijk net zo levendig als de wereld boven water. Een van de meest indrukwekkende locaties onder water is de Marianatrog, een plek van mysterie en verwondering in de Stille Oceaan. Het staat bekend als de diepste oceaantrog ter wereld en hier bevindt zich ook de Challengerdiepte, het diepst bekende punt op aarde.
Van wonderbaarlijke diepten tot verbazingwekkende dieren, klik verder voor wat bijzondere feitjes over deze unieke plek onder water.
Een koninklijke naam De eilanden zijn vernoemd naar koningin Maria Anna van Oostenrijk, die getrouwd was met koning Filips IV van Spanje. Vervolgens werd de trog weer naar de eilanden vernoemd.
De bodem vinden Het deel van de trog dat als diepste wordt beschouwd heet de Challengerdiepte, hoewel de exacte locatie ervan moeilijk vast te stellen is.
Het is dieper dan de Mount Everest hoog is Ter vergelijking: de Mount Everest heeft een hoogte van 8.848 meter boven zeeniveau, wat betekent dat het diepste deel van de Marianentrog 2.147 meter dieper is dan de Mount Everest hoog is.
Het heeft een bijzondere vorm De trog heeft de vorm van een halve maan. Hij ligt in de buurt van twee tektonische platen: de Filipijnse Plaat en de Pacifische Plaat. De Pacifische plaat, die groter is, ligt onder de Marianentrog.
De temperatuur De temperatuur op de bodem varieert van 1 tot 3°C. In de rest van de trog zijn de temperatuurverschillen echter groter. Door de stoom die in sommige delen van de trog aanwezig is en door hydrothermische energie kan het er op sommige plekken 300°C worden.
De platen vormen nieuwe geografische eigenschappen De beweging van de twee platen speelde een belangrijke rol bij het ontstaan van de Marianen. Door onderzoek naar deze platen zijn enkele van de oudste materialen die in de aardkorst zitten ontdekt. Deze materialen zijn tot wel 170 miljoen jaar oud
Het werd ontdekt in 1875 De Marianentrog werd voor het eerst ontdekt tijdens de Challenger-expeditie in 1875, genoemd naar het onderzoeksschip HMS Challenger. Om de diepte van de trog te meten gebruikten de ontdekkingsreizigers een dieplood. Deze werd vastgesteld op 8.183 meter.
Een nauwkeurigere meting Er werd een nauwkeurigere meting gedaan tijdens een tweede onderzoek in 1951. Er werd een echolood gebruikt en bij de Challengerdiepte werd een diepte van 10.899 meter vastgesteld. Op de foto zie je een echolood uit die tijd.
Technologie helpt ons de diepte ervan te onderzoeken Naarmate de technologie verbeterde, werd het mogelijk om duidelijkere beelden vast te leggen en nauwkeurigere metingen te doen. Zowel echoloden als op afstand bediende camera's hebben veel meer informatie over de trog gebracht.
De eerste mensen die de Marianentrog verkenden In 1960 daalden Jacques Piccard en Don Walsh naar het diepste punt van de trog af in een bathyscaaf genaamd Trieste. Een bathyscaaf is een onderwatervoertuig dat zelf kan stijgen en dalen. Tevens kan het grotere diepten bereiken dan een onderzeeër.
De Amerikaanse marine heeft geholpen bij het verkennen van de Marianentrog Het onderzoek van Piccard en Walsh werd gesteund door de Amerikaanse marine. Ze slaagden erin het hele gebied in kaart te brengen.
In 2019 werden in de Marianentrog recorddiepten bereikt In 2019 bracht de Texaanse ontdekkingsreiziger en investeerder Victor Vescovo de DSV Limiting Factor tot een diepte van 10.928 meter, waarmee hij het wereldrecord met 16 meter verbrak. Datzelfde jaar daalde hij voor de tweede keer af en werd daardoor de eerste persoon die tweemaal naar de bodem van de Challengerdiepte afdaalde.
Het is mogelijk om de Marianentrog zonder duikers te verkennen In 2020 bracht een Russisch verkenningsschip genaamd Vityaz drie uur in de trog door en werd daarmee het eerste schip dat het gebied zelfstandig verkende.
'Titanic'-regisseur James Cameron is een van de weinige mensen die het heeft bezocht James Cameron daalde af met een onderzeeër, die hij persoonlijk hielp ontwerpen, tot ongeveer 10.908 meter, waarmee hij in 2012 een wereldrecord vestigde.
Het beschikt over een uniek zeeleven en moddervulkanen Ondanks het gebrek aan licht en de vijandige omgeving leven er talloze organismen in de Marianentrog. Er zijn meer dan 200 micro-organismen en andere levende wezens in de Marianentrog aanwezig.
Het bevindt zich in een hadale zone De term 'hadale zone', die naar Hades is vernoemd, de Griekse god van de onderwereld, verwijst naar de diepste delen van de oceaan (6.000 meter of dieper).
Het is een populaire plek voor wetenschappelijk onderzoek De trog fungeert als een internationale hotspot voor wetenschappelijk en multidisciplinair onderzoek dat gericht is op het ontrafelen van geheimen op het gebied van geologie, biologie en oceanografie.
Het heeft tot innovatie geleid Het verkennen van de Marianentrog stimuleert innovatie op het gebied van wetenschap, techniek en technologie. Op de foto zie je Richard Branson en ontdekkingsreiziger Chris Welsh met een autonome onderzeeër die klaar werd gemaakt om de trog te bezoeken.
Het wordt ernstig geschaad door luchtvervuiling Helaas kunnen er verontreinigende stoffen en weggegooid plastic afval in de diepten van de oceaan terechtkomen. In de Marianentrog is dit heel erg het geval.
Polychloorbyfenil vormt een probleem in de Marianentrog Onderzoekers hebben zorgwekkend veel polychloorbifenyl (een gifstof) aangetroffen in het lichaam van schaaldieren. Dit gif werd in 1970 verboden vanwege de risico's die het teweegbracht voor het milieu. Er werden enorme hoeveelheden van dit gif aangetroffen op meerdere dieptes in de bodem van de trog.
Het is een plek waar radioactief afval werd gedumpt Van 1946 tot 1993 dumpten verschillende landen radioactief afval in de oceaan om zich er van te ontdoen. De Marianentrog was een van de plekken waar dit vaak gedaan werd.
Mensen geven oprecht om de toekomst van de trog Milieuactivisten blijven aandringen op een groter bewustzijn en meer belangstelling voor de bescherming van het milieu tegen door de mens veroorzaakte problemen. De waterkwaliteit en de natuur van de Marianentrog staan onder voortdurend toezicht van de lokale overheid.
Het is aangewezen als Amerikaans monument Het Marianas Trench Marine National Monument werd in 2009 opgericht. Dit was voornamelijk bedoeld om de zeldzame organismen te beschermen die in de diepten leven.
Het geeft een kijkje in de geschiedenis Aan de hand van sedimentair gesteente en geologische formaties biedt het bestuderen van de Marianentrog een unieke kans om een kijkje te nemen in de verre geschiedenis van onze planeet.
De trog heeft ter inspiratie gediend voor fictieboeken Het mysterie en de aantrekkingskracht van de trog hebben als inspiratie gediend voor fictieboeken, waaronder 'Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror' (1997) van de New York Times-bestsellerauteur Steve Alten.
Het was ook te zien op het witte doek In 2018 werd een verfilming van Altens boek genaamd 'The Meg' uitgebracht. Jason Statham is in deze film te zijn, die wordt ingeschakeld om te voorkomen dat een gigantische prehistorische haai de Chinese kust aanvalt.
Government Breaks Silence: Investigating Strange Encounters with UFOs
Government Breaks Silence: Investigating Strange Encounters with UFOs
In 2015, a significant event marked a turning point in the discourse surrounding unidentified flying objects (UFOs) – the government broke its silence. Navy pilots reported perplexing encounters with UFOs off the coast of Virginia Beach, igniting a flurry of speculation and debate within both military and civilian circles. These encounters, characterized by the pilots as objects with no wings, no cockpit, and no visible means of propulsion, spurred a reassessment of the UFO phenomenon.
Lieutenant Ryan Graves, a Navy pilot with over a decade of service, recounted his experiences aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. He described radar contacts that defied conventional explanation, prompting his squadron to file safety reports. Graves’ testimony, along with numerous other pilots, shed light on a pattern of encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena that persisted over months and years, occurring almost daily in some cases.
The stigma surrounding UFO sightings, often dismissed as hallucinations or ignored to protect careers, began to erode as more pilots came forward with their testimonies. Despite the risk to their professional reputations, these pilots emphasized the importance of addressing the reality of what they were witnessing. The prevailing sentiment among them was clear – the truth could not be muzzled, especially when it posed potential safety risks in the skies.
The government’s acknowledgment of UFO encounters was underscored by the revelation of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), initiated in 2007 and funded by the Department of Defense. This program, previously shrouded in secrecy, signaled a shift towards a more transparent approach to investigating UFO sightings. The release of footage captured by military aircraft, accompanied by firsthand accounts from experienced pilots, provided undeniable evidence of the existence of unidentified aerial phenomena.
The New York Times’ groundbreaking article in 2017 further propelled the UFO discourse into the mainstream, revealing the ongoing efforts of the US government to study and understand these phenomena. Former Senator Harry Reid played a pivotal role in catalyzing government interest in UFOs, advocating for official disclosure and transparency. His efforts, along with those of other government officials, culminated in the establishment of the Galileo Project, a scientific initiative
The recent Congressional hearings on UFOs marked a historic moment, signaling a renewed commitment to transparency and accountability. Witnesses from the Pentagon and Naval intelligence testified before Congress, acknowledging the reality of UFO encounters and the potential national security implications. While the hearings fell short of providing definitive answers, they underscored the need for further investigation and collaboration between government agencies and the scientific community.
The Galileo Project, spearheaded by astrophysicist Professor Avi Loeb, represents a groundbreaking effort to study UFOs using scientific methodologies. By deploying advanced sensor systems and artificial intelligence, the project aims to gather empirical data on unidentified aerial phenomena and analyze them with rigor and objectivity. This interdisciplinary approach, supported by leading scientists and researchers, holds the promise of unlocking the mysteries surrounding UFO encounters.
In conclusion, the government’s acknowledgment of UFO encounters represents a significant step towards understanding the unknown. By shedding light on these phenomena and initiating scientific inquiry, we move closer to unraveling one of the greatest scientific mysteries of our time. The journey towards understanding UFOs is fraught with challenges, but with transparency, collaboration, and scientific rigor, we may finally uncover the truth behind these strange encounters.
A new study of metal ore deep inside the moon is offering fresh evidence that Earth's natural satellite was formed by an ancient planet crashing into Earth long ago.
This long-theorized interplanetary collision — which scientists believe occurred some 4.5 billion years ago — saw a Mars-sized planet named 'Theia' slice itself into hot lava fragments upon impact with the Earth.
While some of Theia's planetary remains appear to be buried as dense and massive 'blobs' deep underneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean's tectonic plates, scientists said evidence for where the rest of Theia went after this crash had remained elusive.
But now, new data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft has found large telltale deposits of titanium-iron ore deep beneath the moon's surface, suggesting Theia's other remains did, in fact, form Earth's moon.
A new study of the moon is offering fresh evidence that Earth's natural satellite was formed by an ancient planet crashing into Earth. This long-theorized collision, some 4.5 billion years ago, saw a Mars-sized planet named 'Theia' slice into hot lava fragments upon impact with Earth
Under the moon's crust, in the region between the crust and the core known as the mantle, NASA's GRAIL craft detected two dense regions (pictured above) that match the titanium and iron 'ilmenite' deposits that would exist if the 'planet Theia' impact theory proves to be correct
Planetary geophysicist, Adrien Broquet of the German Aerospace Center in Berlin, described NASA's GRAIL findings as nothing short of 'mesmerizing.'
His team's new paper, published this April in Nature Geoscience, focused on 'gravity anomalies' deep under the moon's surface: dense, heavy pockets of matter identified by the GRAIL spacecraft's sensors.
'Analyzing these variations in the moon's gravity field allowed us to peek under the moon's surface and see what lies beneath,' Broquet said.
New research led by Durham University involved more than 300 supercomputer simulations designed to show the consequence of a huge collision on the planet.
Under the moon's crust, in the region between the crust and the core known as the mantle, the GRAIL craft detected two dense regions that match the titanium and iron 'ilmenite' deposits that would exist if the Theia impact theory was correct.
After Theia's likely collision with Earth, and after fragments of this lost planet became buried deep below Earth's crust, molten lava pools of heavy titanium and iron on the moon's surface began to sink deeper towards its core, pushing lighter rock up.
'Our moon literally turned itself inside out,' said Broquet's co-author, Jeff Andrews-Hanna, a geophysicist at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.
Computer models by their colleague, Nan Zhang at Peking University in Beijing, offered the original framework for their theory that titanium-rich material would exist deep within the moon as a result of the moon's origins as chunks of planet Theia.
'When we saw those model predictions,' Andrews-Hanna said, 'it was like a lightbulb went on.'
'We see the exact same pattern when we look at subtle variations in the moon's gravity field,' he said, 'revealing a network of dense material lurking below the crust.'
Back on Earth, two similarly dense and unusual regions at the base of our planet's mantle — known as Large Low Velocity Provinces (LLVPs) — have also lent credence to the theory that an interplanetary 'Theia' collision created our moon.
One LLVP is located beneath the African tectonic plate and the other under the Pacific tectonic plate, as measured by seismic equipment similar to that used to detect earthquakes.
Their existence was established when geologists found that seismic waves slowed dramatically at a depth of 1,800 miles (2,900 km) in the two regions, which differed to other parts of the Earth.
Scientists have found new evidence our that the moon was created during a giant impact between Earth and a Mars-sized protoplanet called Theia 4.5 billion years ago. This also buried relics of Theia deep within Earth's mantle (depicted following the collision)
After running a series of simulations, Professor Hongping Deng discovered that following the moon-forming impact a significant amount of Theian mantle material – around two percent of Earth's mass – entered the lower mantle (shown in orange in the artist's impression above)
Scientists believe the material in these LLVPs is between 2 and 3.5 percent denser than the Earth's surrounding mantle.
Last year, Researchers led by the California Institute of Technology came up with the idea that these LLVPs could have evolved from a small amount of Theian material that entered the ancient Earth's lower mantle.
To back this up, they asked Professor Hongping Deng, of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, to explore this idea with the help of his pioneering methods in computational fluid dynamics.
After running a series of simulations, Professor Deng discovered that following the moon-forming impact a significant amount of 'Theian' material — around two percent of Earth's mass — would have entered the lower mantle of the ancient planet Earth.
'Through precise analysis of a wider range of rock samples, combined with more refined giant impact models and Earth evolution models, we can infer the material composition and orbital dynamics of the primordial Earth, "Gaia," and "Theia,"' said Deng's co-author Qian Yuan, a CalTech geophysicist who also worked on this project.
Deng and Yuan's team published their study in the journal Nature late last year.
Broquet said he hopes future NASA missions to the moon, like those scheduled for the Artemis program, will be able to take similar seismic measurements: first-of-their-kind seismic data from the moon to better corroborate the Theia collision theory.
'Future missions, such as with a seismic network, would allow a better investigation of the geometry of these structures,' the researcher said.
About 4.45 billion years ago, 150 million years after the solar system formed, Earth was hit by a Mars-size object called Theia.
The collision created the moon, but debate has raged exactly what happened during this event - and a mystery has persisted on why the moon and Earth are so similar in their composition.
The impact of Theia with Earth was so violent, the resulting debris cloud mixed thoroughly before settling down and forming the moon.
This cloud would have been composed of some Earth material, explaining the similarity between Earth and the moon, and other material.
The colliding body is sometimes called Theia, after the mythical Greek Titan who was the mother of Selene, the goddess of the Moon.
But one mystery has persisted, revealed by rocks the Apollo astronauts brought back from the moon - why are the moon and Earth so similar in their composition?
Several different theories have emerged over the years to explain the similar fingerprints of Earth and the moon.
Perhaps the impact created a huge cloud of debris that mixed thoroughly with the Earth and then later condensed to form the moon.
Or Theia could have, coincidentally, been isotopically similar to young Earth.
A third possibility is that the moon formed from Earthen materials, rather than from Theia, although this would have been a very unusual type of impact.
While shot in different locations, witnesses described the UFO as appearing out of nowhere without a sound and disappearing into thin air.
Enigma Lab's UAP advisor Alejandro Rojas said that all the images appeared to be the same, but suggested it could have been a rocket - 'but there were no rockets scheduled at that time.'
Americans in several southwest states reported seeing glowing, hazy UFOs in the night sky around 9pm local on May 2. Pictured is footage from Palm Springs, California
'We live by an airport. This was not an airplane, a planet, a star, a comet, or fireball, a drone, a satellite, or a rocket,' a witness in Oroville, California claimed (pictured)
Enigma Labs has built a massive catalog of incidents to weed out what is real or a hoax.
The batch received by DailyMail.com included seven videos and two non-video reports showing similar objects, but Engima said it collected more than 20 witnesses of the same observation.
'We live by an airport. This was not an airplane, a planet, a star, a comet, or fireball, a drone, a satellite, or a rocket,' a witness in Oroville, California claimed.
'We are familiar with them all as we are used to rocket launches and what they look like. This was something that appeared out of nowhere and disappeared into thin air.'
Enigma confirmed that, in several videos, the object was seen disappearing.
'It appeared to have a spotlight on both sides of the object,' another witness wrote on the website.
One of the videos captured in Palm Springs clearly shows a bowtie-shaped object, with lights appearing to be directed in opposite directions.
'Some of the reports indicate the object could be coming from either Vandenburg, China Lake, or the Nellis Test Range,' Rojas said.
Enigma Labs has built a massive catalog of incidents to weed out what is real or a hoax. The image was taken in Palms, California
A family in Peoria, Arizona (pictured) said they have remained baffled by what they caught on video: 'We've watched this video a hundred times and can't explain it'
Another sighting issues to Enigma came from Las Vegas, Nevada (pictured)
'If this was military testing, it would explain why it is not listed on public sites such as Spaceflight Now.
'We will continue to look into it, but for now we don't have a clear explanation.'
A family in Peoria, Arizona said they have remained baffled by what they caught on video: 'We've watched this video a hundred times and can't explain it.'
The Arizona witness shot the footage in a neighborhood, showing houses lining the streets.
One star is visible in the clip, located northeast of the UFO.
The witness said they and their son were out walking when they saw a 'bright light that looked like it was glowing in the clouds.'
'There were no clouds, no moon and no planes at this time,' the report continued.
'We noticed the light and my son started filming with his iPhone.
'The light with a large glow around it was far away and completely silent. It wasn't falling from the sky but rather coming west to east towards us. It was glowing and steady.'
The person continued to explain that at the end, the object faded out and disappeared - no sounds were heard during the sighing.
Another sighting issues to Enigma came from Las Vegas, Nevada.
'I was in my backyard in Las Vegas. I am in the northwest part of the city. I was at my neighbor's house down the street,' the description reads.
'She has a great view of the sky. And I saw this really bright light in the distance and it looked so fuzzy like it was behind clouds, but it was a super clear night.
Enigma received five other reports from California (pictured is from Mariposa), all showing the same type of object and another from Utah
'You can see the stars in the video. We could tell it was getting closer because it was getting bigger and then the cloudy/foggy part, which kind of had a similar effect that a rocket would have but no trail, started to change. It looked like a bow tie or snow angel wing shape.
'After about a minute it started to fade until it looked like a star and then no more. It was going about the same speed as the ISS. Maybe a tad faster.'
And a similar sighting was reported more than 500 miles away in Oroville, California.
The same hazy orb appeared in the video, which flew in a circular motion before disappearing.
'We live by an airport. This was not an airplane, a planet, a star, a comet, or fireball, a drone, a satellite, or a rocket,' the person shared.
'We are familiar with them all as we are used to rocket launches and what they look like. This was something that appeared out of nowhere and disappeared into thin air.'
Enigma received five other reports from California, all showing the same type of object and another from Utah.
Solar Max is Coming. The Sun Just Released Three X-Class Flares
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of the solar flares — as seen in the bright flashes in the upper right — on May 5 and May 6, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in teal. Credit: NASA/SDO
Solar Max is Coming. The Sun Just Released Three X-Class Flares
The Sun is increasing its intensity on schedule, continuing its approach to solar maximum. In just over a 24-hour period on May 5 and May 6, 2024, the Sun released three X-class solar flares measuring at X1.3, X1.2, and X4.5. Solar flares can impact radio communications and electric power grids here on Earth, and they also pose a risk to spacecraft and astronauts in space.
NASA released an animation that shows the solar flares blasting off the surface of the rotating Sun, below.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of the solar flares — as seen in the bright flashes in the upper right — on May 5 and May 6, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in teal. Credit: NASA/SDO
Predicting when solar maximum will occur is not easy and the timing of it can only be confirmed after it happens. But NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) currently estimates that solar maximum will likely occur between May 2024 and early 2026. The Sun goes through a cycle of high and low activity approximately every 11 years, driven by the Sun’s magnetic field and indicated by the frequency and intensity of sunspots and other activity on the surface. The SWPC has been working hard to have a better handle on predicting solar cycles and activity. Find out more about that here.
Solar flares are explosions on the Sun that release powerful bursts of energy and radiation coming from the magnetic energy associated with the sunspots. The more sunspots, the greater potential for flares.
Flares are classified based on a system similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, which divides solar flares according to their strength. X-class is the most intense category of flares, while the smallest ones are A-class, followed by B, C, M and then X. Each letter represents a 10-fold increase in energy output. So an X is ten times an M and 100 times a C. The number that follows the letter provides more information about its strength. The higher the number, the stronger the flare.
Flares are our solar system’s largest explosive events. They are seen as bright areas on the Sun and can last from minutes to hours. We typically see a solar flare by the photons (or light) it releases, occurring in various wavelengths.
Sometimes, but not always, solar flares can be accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), where giant clouds of particles from the Sun are hurled out into space. If we’re lucky, these charged particles will provide a stunning show of auroras here on Earth while not impacting power grids or satellites.
Thankfully, missions like the Solar Dynamics Observatory, Solar Orbiter, the Parker Solar Probe are providing amazing views and new details about the Sun, helping astronomers to learn more about the dynamic ball of gas that powers our entire Solar System.
New Evidence for Our Solar System’s Ghost: Planet Nine
Artist's impression of Planet Nine as an ice giant eclipsing the central Milky Way, with a star-like Sun in the distance. Neptune's orbit is shown as a small ellipse around the Sun. The sky view and appearance are based on the conjectures of its co-proposer, Mike Brown.
New Evidence for Our Solar System’s Ghost: Planet Nine
Does another undetected planet languish in our Solar System’s distant reaches? Does it follow a distant orbit around the Sun in the murky realm of comets and other icy objects? For some researchers, the answer is “almost certainly.”
The case for Planet Nine (P9) goes back at least as far as 2016. In that year, astronomers Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin published evidence pointing to its existence. Along with colleagues, they’ve published other work supporting P9 since then.
There’s lots of evidence for the existence of P9, but none of it has reached the threshold of definitive proof. The main evidence concerns the orbits of Extreme Trans-Neptunian Objects (ETNOs). They exhibit a peculiar clustering that indicates a massive object. P9 might be shepherding these objects along on their orbits.
This orbital diagram shows Planet Nine (lime green colour, labelled “P9”) and several extreme trans-Neptunian objects. Each background square is 100 AU across. Image Credit: By Tomruen – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68955415
The names Brown and Batygin, both Caltech astronomers, come up often in regard to P9. Now, they’ve published another paper along with colleagues Alessandro Morbidelli and David Nesvorny, presenting more evidence supporting P9.
“The solar system’s distant reaches exhibit a wealth of anomalous dynamical structure, hinting at the presence of a yet-undetected, massive trans-Neptunian body—Planet Nine (P9),” the authors write. “Previous analyses have shown how orbital evolution induced by this object can explain the origins of a broad assortment of exotic orbits.”
To dig deeper into the issue, Batygin, Brown, Morbidelli, and Nesvorny examined Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) with more conventional orbits. They carried out N-body simulations of these objects that included everything from the tug of giant planets and the Galactic Tide to passing stars.
29 objects in the Minor Planet Database have well-characterized orbits with a > 100 au, inclinations < 40°, and q (perihelia) < 30 au. Of those 29, 17 have well-quantified orbits. The researchers focused their simulations on these 17.
This figure from the research shows the 17 planets, their orbits, their perihelions, semi-major axes, and their inclinations. Image Credit: Batygin et al. 2024.
The researchers’ goal was to analyze these objects’ origins and determine if they could be used as a probe for P9. To accomplish this, they conducted two separate sets of simulations. One set with P9 in the Solar System and one set without.
The simulations began at t=300 million years, meaning 300 million years into the Solar System’s existence. At that time, “intrinsic dynamical evolution in the outer solar system is still in its infancy,” the authors explain, while enough time has passed for the Solar System’s birth cluster of stars to disperse and for the giant planets to have largely concluded their migrations. They ended up with about 2000 objects, or particles, in the simulation with perihelia greater than 30 au and semimajor axes between 100 and 5000 au. This ruled out all Neptune-crossing objects from the simulation’s starting conditions. “Importantly, this choice of initial conditions is inherently linked with the assumed orbit of P9,” they point out.
The figure below shows the evolution of some of the 2,000 objects in the simulations.
These panels show the evolution of selected particles within the calculations that attain nearly planar (i < 40°) Neptune-crossing orbits within the final 500 Myr of the integration. “Collectively, these examples indicate that P9-facilitated dynamics can naturally produce objects similar to those depicted in Figure 1” (the previous figure), the researchers explain. The top, middle, and bottom panels depict the time series of the semimajor axis, perihelion distance, and inclination, respectively. The rate of chaotic diffusion greatly increases when particles attain Neptune-crossing trajectories. Image Credit: Batygin et al. 2024.
These are interesting results, but the researchers point out that they in no way prove the existence of P9. These orbits could be generated by other things like the Galactic Tide. In their next step, they examined their perihelion distribution.
This figure from the research shows the perihelion distance for particles in a simulation with P9 (left) and without P9 (right.) The P9-free simulation shows a “rapid decline in perihelion distribution with decreasing q, as Neptune’s orbit forms a veritable dynamical barrier,” the researchers explain. Image Credit: Batygin et al. 2024.
“Accounting for observational biases, our results reveal that the orbital architecture of this group of objects aligns closely with the predictions of the P9-inclusive model,” the authors write. “In stark contrast, the P9-free scenario is statistically rejected at a ~5? confidence level.”
The authors point out that something other than P9 could be causing the orbital unruliness. The star was born in a cluster, and cluster dynamics could’ve set these objects on their unusual orbits before the cluster dispersed. A number of Earth-mass rogue planets could also be responsible, influencing the outer Solar System’s architecture for a few hundred million years before being removed somehow.
However, the authors chose their 17 TNOs for a reason. “Due to their low inclinations and perihelia, these objects experience rapid orbital chaos and have short dynamical lifetimes,” the authors write. That means that whatever is driving these objects into these orbits is ongoing and not a relic from the past.
An important result of this work is that it results in falsifiable predictions. And we may not have to wait long for the results to be tested. “Excitingly, the dynamics described here, along with all other lines of evidence for P9, will soon face a rigorous test with the operational commencement of the VRO (Vera Rubin Observatory),” the authors write.
A drone’s view of the Rubin Observatory under construction in 2023. The 8.4-meter is getting closer to completion and first light in 2025. The Observatory could provide answers to many outstanding issues, like the existence of Planet Nine. Image Credit: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA/A. Pizarro D
If P9 is real, what is it? It could be the core of a giant planet ejected during the Solar System’s early days. It could be a rogue planet that drifted through interstellar space until being caught up in our Solar System’s gravitational milieu. Or it could be a planet that formed on a distant orbit, and a passing star shepherded it into its eccentric orbit. If astronomers can confirm P9’s existence, the next question will be, ‘what is it?’
If you’re interested at all in how science operates, the case of P9 is very instructive. Eureka moments are few and far between in modern astronomy. Evidence mounts incrementally, accompanied by discussion and counterpoint. Objections are raised and inconsistencies pointed out, then methods are refined and thinking advances. What began as one over-arching question is broken down into smaller, more easily-answered ones.
But the big question dominates for now and likely will for a while longer: Is there a Planet Nine?
From a lunar railway to a space telescope with a liquid lens, the 2024 NIAC Phase Two awardees are developing some fascinating concepts. This collage of artist concepts highlights the novel approaches proposed by the Phase Two awardees for possible future missions. Credits: NASA, From left: Edward Balaban, Mary Knapp, Mahmooda Sultana, Brianna Clements, Ethan Schaler
It’s that time again. NIAC(NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts) has announced six concepts that will receive funding and proceed to the second phase of development. This is always an interesting look at the technologies and missions that could come to fruition in the future.
The six chosen ones will each receive $600,000 in funding to pursue the ideas for the next two years. NASA expects each team to use the two years to address both technical and budgetary hurdles for their concepts. When this second phase comes to an end, some of the concepts could advance to the third stage.
“These diverse, science fiction-like concepts represent a fantastic class of Phase II studies,” said John Nelson, NIAC program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Our NIAC fellows never cease to amaze and inspire, and this class definitely gives NASA a lot to think about in terms of what’s possible in the future.”
Telescopes are built around mirrors and lenses, whether they’re ground-based or space-based. The JWST’s large mirror is 6.5 meters in diameter but had to be folded up to fit inside the rocket that launched it and then unfolded in space. That’s a tricky engineering feat. Engineers are building larger and larger ground-based telescopes, too, and they’re equally tricky to design and build. Could FLUTE change this?
FLUTE envisions lenses made of fluid, and the FLUTE team’s concept describes a space telescope with a primary mirror 50 meters (164 ft.) in diameter. Creating glass lenses for a telescope this large isn’t realistic. “Using current technologies, scaling up space telescopes to apertures larger than approximately 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter does not appear economically viable,” the FLUTE website states.
But in the microgravity of space, fluids behave in an intriguing way. Surface tension holds liquids together at their surfaces. We can see this on Earth, where some insects use surface tension to glide along the surfaces of ponds and other bodies of water. Also, on Earth, surface tension holds small drops of water together. But in space, away from Earth’s dominating gravity, surface tension is much more effective. There, water maintains the most energy efficient shape there is: a sphere.
Another force governs water: adhesion. Adhesion causes liquids to cling to surfaces. In the microgravity of space, adhesion can bind liquid to a circular, ring-like frame. Then, due to surface tension, the liquid will naturally adopt a spherical shape. If the liquid can be made to bulge inward rather than outward, and if the liquid is reflective enough, it creates a telescope mirror.
The FLUTE team would like to make optical components in space. The liquid would stay in the liquid state and form an extremely smooth light-collecting surface. As a bonus, FLUTE would also self-repair after any micrometeorite strike.
The FLUTE study is led by Edward Balaban from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. The FLUTE team has already done some tests on the ISS and on zero-g flights.
FLUTE researchers experience microgravity aboard Zero Gravity Corporation’s G-FORCE ONE aircraft while operating an experiment payload during a series of parabolic flights. Image Credits: Zero Gravity Corporation/Steve Boxall
It takes too long to get to Mars. It’s a six-month journey each way, plus time spent on the surface. All that time in microgravity, exposure to radiation, and other challenges make the trip very difficult for astronauts. PPR aims to fix that.
PPR isn’t a launch vehicle for escaping Earth’s gravity well. It would be launched on a heavy lift vehicle like SLS and then sent on its way.
PPR was originally derived from the Pulsed Fission Fusion concept. But it’s more affordable, and also smaller and simpler. PPR might generate 100,000 N of thrust with a specific impulse (Isp) of 5,000 seconds. Those are good numbers. PPR could reduce the travel time to Mars to two months.
It has other benefits as well. It could propel larger spacecraft to Mars on trips longer than two months, carrying more cargo and also provide heavier shielding against cosmic rays. “The PPR enables a whole new era in space exploration,” the team writes.
PPR is basically a fusion system ignited by fission. It’s similar to a thermonuclear weapon. But rather than a run-away explosion, the combined energy is directed through a magnetic nozzle to produce thrust.
In phase two, the PPR team intends to optimize the engine design to produce more specific impulse, perform proof-of-concept experiments for major components, and design a shielded ship for human missions to Mars.
This study is led by Brianna Clements with Howe Industries in Scottsdale, Arizona.
One of modern astronomy’s last frontiers is the low-frequency radio sky. Earth’s ionosphere blocks our ground-based telescopes from seeing it. And space-based telescopes can’t see it either. It’s because the wavelengths are so long, in the meter to the kilometre scale. Only extremely massive telescopes could see these waves clearly.
GO-LoW is a potential solution. It’s a space-based array of thousands of identical Small-Sats arranged as an interferometer. It would sit at an Earth-Sun Lagrange point and observe exoplanet and stellar magnetic fields. Exoplanet magnetic fields emit radio waves between 100 kHz and 15 MHz. The GO-LoW team says their interferometer could perform the first survey of exoplanetary magnetic fields within 5 parsecs (16 light years.) Magnetic fields tell scientists a lot about an exoplanet, its evolution, and its processes.
GO-LoW is a Great Observatory concept to open the last unexplored window of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. The Earth’s ionosphere becomes opaque at approximately 10m wavelengths, so GO-LoW will join Great Observatories like HST and JWST in space to access this spectral window. Image Credits: NASA/GO-LoW
While there’s no doubt that large telescopes like the JWST are powerful and effective, they’re extremely complex and expensive. And if something goes wrong with a critical component, the mission could end.
GO-LoW takes a different approach. By using thousands of individual satellites, the system is more resilient. GO-LoW would have a hybrid constellation. Some of the satellites would be smaller and simpler satellites called “listener nodes” (LN,) while a smaller number of them would be “communication and computation” nodes (CCNs). They would collect data from the LNs, process it, and beam it back to Earth.
The GO-LoW says it would only take a few heavy launches to place an entire 100,000 satellite constellation in space.
The technology for the SmallSats already exists. The challenge the GO-LoW team will address with their phase two funding is developing a system that will harness everything together effectively. “The coordination of all these physical elements, data products, and communications systems is novel and challenging, especially at scale,” they write.
GO-LoW is led by Mary Knapp with MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The RTCPG is a power source for spacecraft visiting the outer planets. They promise smaller, more efficient power generation for smaller science and exploration missions that can’t carry a solar power system or nuclear power system. Both those systems are bulky, and solar power is limited the further away from the sun a spacecraft goes.
The thermoradiative cell (TRC) uses radioisotopes to create heat as an MMRTG does. But the TRC uses the heat to generate infrared light which generates electricity. In initial testing, the system generated 4.5 times more power from the same amount of PU-238.
Much of phase two’s work will involve materials. “Metal-semiconductor contacts capable of surviving the required elevated temperatures will be investigated,” the team explains. The team developed a special cryostat testing apparatus in phase one.
“Building on our results from Phase I, we believe there is much more potential to unlock here,” the team writes.
This power generation concept study is from Stephen Polly at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.
What if Artemis is enormously successful? How will astronauts move their equipment around the lunar surface efficiently?
If the team behind FLOAT has their way, they’ll build the Moon’s first railway. Sort of. This artist’s concept shows a possible future mission depicting the lunar surface with planet Earth on the horizon. Image Credit: Ethan Schaler
FLOAT would provide autonomous transportation for payloads on the Moon. “A durable, long-life robotic transport system will be critical to the daily operations of a sustainable lunar base in the 2030’s,” the FLOAT team writes.
The heart of FLOAT is a three-layer flexible track that’s unrolled into position without major construction. It consists of three layers: a graphite layer, a flex-circuit layer, and a solar panel layer.
The graphite layer allows robots to use diamagnetic levitation to float over the track. The flex-circuit layer supplies the thrust that moves them, and the thin-film solar panel layer generates electricity for a lunar base when it’s in sunlight.
The system can be used to move regolith around for in-situ resource utilization and to transport payloads around a lunar base, for example, from landing zones to habitats.
“Individual FLOAT robots will be able to transport payloads of varying shape/size (>30 kg/m^2) at useful speeds (>0.5m/s), and a large-scale FLOAT system will be capable of moving up to 100,000s kg of regolith/payload multiple kilometres per day,” the FLOAT team explains.
With their phase two funding, the FLOAT team intends to design, build, and test scaled-down versions of FLOAT robots and track. Then, they’ll test their system in a lunar analog testbed. They’ll also test environmental effects on the system and how they alter the system’s performance and longevity.
Ethan Schaler leads FLOAT at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
Some of the most intriguing planets and moons in the Solar System are well beyond Jupiter. But exploring them is challenging. Extremely long travel times, restrictive mission windows, and large expenses limit our exploration. But SCOPE aims to address these limitations.
Typically, a spacecraft carries a propulsion and power system along with its instruments and communication systems. NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter, for example, carries a chemical rocket engine for propulsion, 50 square meters of solar panels, and 10 science instruments. The solar panels alone weigh 340 kg (750 lbs.) Juno is powerful, produces a wide variety of quality science data, and is expensive.
ScienceCraft takes a different approach. It combines a single science instrument and spacecraft into one monolithic structure. It’s basically a solar sail with a built-in spectrometer. They’re aiming their design at the Neptune-Triton system.
This artist’s depiction shows ScienceCraft, which integrates the science instrument with the spacecraft by printing a quantum dot spectrometer directly on the solar sail to form a monolithic, lightweight structure. Image Credit: Mahmooda Sultana
“By printing an ultra-lightweight quantum dot-based spectrometer, developed by the PI Sultana, directly on the solar sail, we create a breakthrough spacecraft architecture allowing an unprecedented parallelism and throughput of data collection and rapid travel across the solar system,” the ScienceCraft team writes.
Instead of merely providing the propulsion, the sail doubles as the spacecraft’s science instrument. The small mass means that ScienceCraft could be carried into orbit as a secondary payload. The team says they’ll use phase two to identify and develop key technologies for the spacecraft and to further mature the mission concept. They say that because of the low cost and simplicity, they could be ready by 2045.
“By leveraging these benefits, we propose a mission concept to Triton, a unique planetary body in our solar system, within the short window that closes around 2045 to answer compelling science questions about Triton’s atmosphere, ionosphere, plumes and internal structure,” the ScienceCraft team explains.
ScienceCraft is led by NASA’s Mahmooda Sultana at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Our Alien Overlords: How Humanity Secretly Serves the Tall Whites
Our Alien Overlords: How Humanity Secretly Serves the Tall Whites
In the annals of extraterrestrial lore, few accounts captivate the imagination quite like the saga of Charles Hall and the enigmatic Tall Whites. Hall’s narrative, chronicled in his series of books titled “Millennial Hospitality,” offers a tantalizing glimpse into a clandestine relationship between humans and an otherworldly species known as the Tall Whites. From covert agreements to clandestine operations, the story unveils a complex tapestry of interactions that raise profound questions about the nature of our reality and our place within the cosmos.
The Tall Whites: Alien Enigmas Among Us
According to Hall, the Tall Whites first made contact with the United States government in the early 1950s, purportedly striking a deal that allowed them to establish facilities on Earth in exchange for advanced technology. Described as tall, fair-skinned beings with elongated features, the Tall Whites possess a sophisticated understanding of science and technology far beyond our own. Their presence on Earth, shrouded in secrecy, has fueled speculation and intrigue for decades.
Covert Collaborations: The Shadowy Alliance
Central to Hall’s account is the clandestine collaboration between the United States government and the Tall Whites. Allegedly, the US government agreed to allow the Tall Whites to conduct their operations on Earth with minimal interference in exchange for access to their advanced technology. This covert alliance, hidden from public view, raises profound questions about the extent of our government’s involvement with extraterrestrial entities and the implications for humanity at large.
Unveiling Secret Facilities: Evidence Underground
One of the most compelling aspects of Hall’s narrative is his description of secret facilities where the Tall Whites conduct their operations. Through meticulous research and analysis, investigators have uncovered evidence of underground bases and covert installations that align with Hall’s accounts. Satellite imagery and historical records suggest the existence of hidden facilities linked to the Tall Whites, providing tantalizing clues about the scope of their presence on Earth.
The Human Experiment: Studying Humanity
Beyond their technological prowess, the Tall Whites are said to possess a profound interest in humanity itself. According to Hall, he became the subject of their study during his tenure at Nellis Air Force Base, where he interacted closely with members of the extraterrestrial species. Through these interactions, the Tall Whites sought to understand human behavior and psychology, offering insights into their own enigmatic culture and society.
The Veil of Secrecy: Unraveling the Truth
While Hall’s accounts offer a compelling narrative of human-alien interaction, skepticism abounds regarding the veracity of his claims. Critics point to the lack of concrete evidence to substantiate his story, raising doubts about the existence of the Tall Whites and their alleged collaboration with the US government. Despite these challenges, the enduring mystery surrounding the Tall Whites continues to captivate the imagination of UFO enthusiasts and skeptics alike.
VIDEO:
The Why Files – Our Alien Overlords | How We Secretly Serve The Tall Whites
The saga of Charles Hall and the Tall Whites offers a fascinating glimpse into the shadowy world of extraterrestrial contact and covert collaboration. As humanity grapples with the mysteries of the cosmos, the story serves as a reminder of the profound questions that lie beyond the confines of our understanding. Whether fact or fiction, the tale of our alien overlords invites us to contemplate our place in the universe and the enigmatic beings that may share it with us.
After becoming a public sensation in June 1947 with the famous Kenneth Arnold sighting, flying saucers were the talk of America. There were numerous reports being made, many witnesses, and unconfirmed photos. However, there were no clearly unstaged photos of actual craft that made the grade with their uncontested quality.
In 1950, When the Nation Wanted Proof, It Flew Over a Farm in Oregon
On May 11, 1950, Paul and Evelyn Trent saw history gliding over their farm in the form of a single 100-foot flying saucer, and snapped two famous pictures of it from different angles, thirty seconds apart. The story blew wide open a month and a half later.
On June 26, 1950, Life magazine printed what everyone then agreed were two of the best flying saucer photos ever taken. They were not images of blurry lights in the sky or birds or weather balloons. They were real, structural, and metallic. The only valid question was whether they were authentic mysteries or just hoaxes.
Flying Saucer Moment of Zen
Do these photos look like the side mirror to a 1947 pick-up truck suspended by a thread, or a garbage can lid tossed into the air, two theories floated by skeptics?
The best place to start in an article about photo analysis of something potentially extraordinary is to take a moment to look at the full size scan of the photos. Take a good look at them on the best screen you have. The full story’s on the other side…
Trent Farm | Sheridan, Oregon | May 11, 1950 | Public Domain
In the intervening years, these two photos the Trents exposed in half-a-minute flurry have been studied by the Air Force, the CIA’s Condon Report, and multiple researchers. They’ve appeared in articles thousands of times. The Trents, by the way, never made any money for any of those uses.
People are still split on the real-versus-hoax divide, but the edge over time goes to acceptance that they were taken unstaged.
They Weren’t Looking for a Flying Saucer
Located just off the Salmon River Highway, Paul and Evelyn Trent worked their small farm in Sheridan, Oregon in the years just after the Second World War. It was a timber and farming community just a short drive from Oregon’s fertile Willamette Valley. It was a hard life, but they were hard-working people.
Sheridan is about ten miles away from the Yamhill County seat of McMinnville that’s always listed as the location where the photographs were taken. These days, McMinnville throws an annual UFO Festival with a parade to keep that fiction alive.
To put the timeframe into perspective: WWII ends in 1945, Kenneth Arnold sees flying saucers up in Washington State in June 1947, a few weeks later there’s the Roswell, New Mexico crash, and three years later, the Trents take their pictures. Things were hopping, ufologically speaking.
Paul and Evelyn Trent | Life, 1950
SIDEBAR: Before I was born, my parents moved to the Oregon coast the same year these photos were taken, and settled about 40 miles from this location. For Oregonians, this was a local story.
At the End of a Long Day
Even though it was overcast, there was still decent light that evening — May 11, 1950 — when Evelyn left the house around 7:30 p.m. to do her evening chores. They had chickens and rabbits that needed to be fed.
Evelyn was walking back to the house. Only three million TV sets existed in America back then, and they didn’t have one of them. They kept farmer’s hours — early to bed, early to rise.
She saw a two-toned disc-shaped craft silently gliding over their field. She knew instantly that this was not something she had seen before.
“It was bronze on the top and silver on the bottom. I would say right around the size of a big parachute. Maybe even a little bigger.”
Evelyn ran back into the house to get Paul to come out and look at it. He saw it, too, noting that it made no noise and issued no smoke or vapor around it.
Her husband grabbed his Universal Roamer camera from inside the house. The Roamer used 60mm roll film (i.e. Kodak 120 or 620 stock) and to advance the film to shoot another picture involved a few seconds turning a tiny chrome knob a few full revolutions. Paul was proud of this camera nonetheless, even if the film cost a fortune. He bolted out, hoping that the object was still there.
By the time Paul got back outside with his Universal Roamer, the object started moving away. Acting quickly, Paul snapped off these two famous shots in about thirty seconds. As the object flew away from the Trent farm, the photos framed it on the left by the Trent’s garage and on the right and bottom by a range of mountains. The second exposure turned out to be critical because Paul changed his position to get it, running several yards to keep it in sight, and this later allowed for a detailed photographic analysis.
What They Didn’t Do Next
Something that bolsters the Trent’s account and their implied honesty is what they didn’t do next. They didn’t go to the newspapers. They didn’t even develop the film right away. This was so unusual that when the story did break a month and a half later in Life, the magazine began its article this way.
Farmer Paul Trent of McMinnville, Oregon is a frugal man. Last winter he bought a roll of film for his camera and shot a snow scene. One month later he took a picture of a weeping willow in his front yard. Last May 11 he saw a flying saucer above his house and made two pictures of that. On Mother’s Day he used up the last three negatives on his roll at a family picnic. Then he got the film printed up.
It seems just crazy. If it happened today, those photos would be on Instagram seconds after taking them. Why wait?
Three reasons: film was expensive and Paul was tight with a dollar as he had to be. Plus, the Trents weren’t looking for publicity anyway. The third and most disquieting reason was that they were worried that they’d seen some sort of government experiment, possibly a secret one. If they told people about the pictures, they could get in trouble.
Eventually, the roll was developed, of course, and the Trents showed the photos to a few friends and allowed them to be posted at their church. Frank Wortman was so taken by them that he told the McMinnville Telephone-Register about them. The first time they were published was June 8, 1950 on the front page.
MinMcnville Telephone-Register | June 8, 1950
No one could dismiss these photos as lights in the sky or weather balloons. They were clearly a craft of some kind. The only way they weren’t what they said they were would be if the Trents had plotted the whole thing. Their behavior after taking them, and their reputations as honest, decent folk, made that seem like a long-shot.
The next two days saw newspapers in Portland, Oregon and Los Angeles, California run their own articles. That was followed by the story picking up global momentum through the International News Service (INS) and the Associated Press (AP).
If you want to appreciate how the public felt about this topic, wrap your head around this. For a mere dime, anyone could order a copy of the Telephone-Register. In all, the paper went to press three times, and over 10,000 reprints of the paper were shipped out during the three weeks following its initial publication.
It was a hot story which made what happened next inevitable.
Life magazine, being the nation’s largest circulation magazine, reprinted the photos in its June 26, 1950 issue. People couldn’t get enough of that issue either.
Life, June 26, 1950
As their brush with history played itself out, the unassuming Trents ended up in New York taping “We the People.” They didn’t play the circuit, though. They did the show and went back home to the farm.
As the story spread, a few articles dubbed McMinnville, “Saucerville.” While that brings a smile, the Trents were also getting a less-welcome form of attention.
In the backwash of this publicity, both the FBI and the Air Force sent investigators to the Trent house where they took their own photos, searched the premises and questioned the family. All of which is odd behavior if you’re positive that UFOs don’t exist.
TV personality and radio host Frank Edwards at the Mutual Broadcasting Network claimed to have taken enlargements of the photos to the Pentagon. He had to self-brag the accomplishment.
“I was told they were the best civilian photographs of an Unidentified Flying Object that the Air Force had ever seen.”
Although the Trents seemed to enjoy their moment in the national spotlight, they made no money from it, and quickly tired of the attention. Toward the end of their lives, they stated they wished they had never taken them.
No One is Positive about the Negatives
The story of what happened to the negatives has its own mystery to it. I’ve read many articles about these photos and they are not consistent about the specifics. In addition, two researchers who studied them have each told me their best information.
This is my take, and I’ll update this section, if/when other voices are heard from.
********
For starters, in 1950, people were less interested in photographic instant gratification. Even after the Trents gave their film to the local drugstore, they had to wait an entire week for the roll to be developed! After the Trents got the pictures for themselves, the man who had them next was Bill Powell, the reporter for the McMinnville newspaper. He blew them up “every which way” and couldn’t figure out how they could have been faked and, if that was a theory, how the honest, decent and relatively simple people he’d interviewed for hours could have conspired to do it.
The Trents said that when they went to New York to tape the “We the People” program that the show’s producers instructed them to bring the negatives along to New York. According to the Trents, the show “borrowed” them, and the Trents never saw the negatives again. When they asked about them, they were told they were “misplaced.”
Where they went after that is to the UPI press offices where they remained “lost” for 17 years.
A different version of this story comes from UFO historian Richard Dolan. Writing in his exhaustive UFOs and the National Security State, Dolan states the Trents received visits from both the FBI and the Air Force after the local news article. So, too, did reporter Powell, who presumably at the time had possession of the negatives. An Air Force agent demanded those negatives and never returned them. Powell repeatedly requested them back, but had no luck.
Confused? Me, too. Either the Trents gave them to a national TV show that gave them to UPI, or Powell gave them to government officials. Sounds mutually exclusive, particularly given what happened next.
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What can be said for certain, however, is that the negatives went missing in 1950.
Rouen, France (top), McMinnville, U.S. (bottom)
As an interesting sidebar, a French military pilot near Rouen, France took a photo of a UFO almost four years after the Trent photos on March 5, 1954. It’s a virtual match to the one that shows the “conning tower” type of configuration.
The story picks up again in the late ’60s. The US Air Force, in conjunction with the University of Colorado, commissioned an investigation into the UFO phenomenon (aka the “Condon Committee”). After being lost for 17 years, the negatives apparently turned up in a UPI file, and were handed over to the Condon Committee for analysis.
The Condon Conclusion
Armed with the actual negatives, astronomer William K. Hartmann was put in charge of the committee’s section on photographic evidence. He constructed the disqualifiers that a winning photo would have to get past: misidentifications, outright lies, bad image quality, and clear images that lacked sufficient data for good analysis. Only two cases made it past that barrier and the Trent’s case was one of them. After years of exhaustive scientific inquiry, in 1968, the Condon Report said of the photos:
— This is one of the few UFO cases in which all factors investigated, geometric, psychological, and physical appear to be consistent with the assertion that an extraordinary flying object, silvery, metallic, disc-shaped, tens of meters in diameter, and evidently artificial, flew within sight of two witnesses. —
Hartmann calculated by photometry that the craft was just over a kilometer away from the camera in the first shot. He also concluded that it was about 30 meters, or 100 feet, in diameter.
The Condon Report’s conclusion not only re-established the Trent case at the forefront of UFO lore, it sparked a rash of theories by skeptics who attempted to discredit the photos. As these things go, the debunkery spawned more investigation,
Following the conclusion of the Condon report, reports indicate the negatives were returned to UPI, and in 1970 they were sent back to the News-Register (formerly the Telephone Register) in McMinnville. When they arrived back at the paper, now twenty years since coming from the Trent’s camera, the negatives had apparently been tampered with considerably. Someone had cropped the negatives, trimming down the edges and reducing their overall size so that parts of the original image were missing.
Why would someone crop the negatives?
There are only two good reasons. The first would be for clarity. If you look at the images in Life, they have clearly been cropped to remove the nearby telephone lines. It makes for a more dramatic photo. It also creates a second reason — that they were cropped so people wouldn’t see the telephone lines and think that the photos were hubcaps or a gas tank lid suspended from a wire or a string.
Other Voices
The Condon Report, despite being an overall negative view of UFO reality, seemed to strongly support the reality of the photos, as analyzed by Hartmann. That’s where things stood for about six years.
That’s when skeptics like Robert Schaeffer and the late Phillip Klass decided to weigh in. They never could dismiss the clarity of the photos or what they imply, if authentic, so they focused on the hoax aspect. They even had a favorite suspect, the side-view mirror on a pick-up truck that Paul drove, suspended from one of those telephone wires. In 1974, they concluded that there were possible inconsistencies in the verbal evidence and how it was supported (or not) by the photographic evidence. Most specifically, they believe the photos were taken in the morning, not in the evening as claimed. My view? That is a big stretch, and it’s dealt with at length in the extremely comprehensive report of the next person to take a crack at the case.
In 1975–1976, optical physicist Dr. Bruce Maccabee borrowed the negatives from the Trents. Maccabee made his bones in optical data processing at the US Naval Surface Warfare Center, so he can be considered an expert opinion. He put the photos to every test he knew, looking to expose fraud, if he found it. He not only interviewed people, he looked into what a faked photo of such a UFO hanging from a string would look like, to check for similarities. Maccabee wrote a voluminous report and concluded, based on factors like shadows, sunlight, etc., that they were not hoaxed but the real deal.
“The Trent photo case is a classic because of its ‘age’ and also because the object is depicted so clearly that it is either a model (hoax) or it is an ‘extraordinary flying object.’ The case is also a perfect illustration of the fact that, when trying to prove an extraordinary sighting is factual, it is not sufficient to have clear photographs and several witnesses. Ever since the photos were published, explanations have been offered by people who never spoke to the Trents. These explanations have often been based on imperfect or incomplete investigations of the case. Unfortunately, scientists were not interested in the case at the time that the photos were published, so the Trents were not interviewed in depth, the negatives were not carefully analyzed, and valuable datas was lost forever.”
Maccabee concluded that the photographs showed a “real, physical” object in the sky above the Trent farm. Maccabee argued that the brightness of the object’s underside suggested it was at some distance from the camera, not a smaller object close to it. He believed the Trent’s story and he believed their photographic evidence. He has written an exhaustive report. If you want to do a deep dive into this subject, do read it here.
For his part, Maccabee now believes the photos are in the possession of the Trent family, something I’m looking into.
Postscript
To this day, the photos have taken on a life of their own, seen by many as the most significant images in UFO history, and grounding one of most reliable cases ever. There’s no doubt that as we develop technology to analyze the “deep fake” capabilities that computers have given us, there will be new opportunities to take a fresh look at these classics. Questions will again be raised but the through-line is that their authenticity remains the majority opinion over a sustained seventy year existence.
Over the years, the Trents continued to grant interviews about the photos. Small details shifted with time, as happens with any fading memory, but the account they told was overall consistent and it held on to its credibility over the years.
The Trents never tried to make money from the photos, or assert the right to license them. In 1998, Paul spoke about this. “I took the pictures, but I don’t want them. First thing I know is we’d have too much trouble.”
Evelyn agreed, “Like I said, I would never take another picture. Just too much publicity.”
Fact or Faked?
We are left where many UFO stories leave us — in frustration. Researchers investigate, believers promote, and skeptics doubt. This leaves so many good cases in the gray basket of credibility which renders them useless to people new to the topic. Some say yes, some say no, so the answer is maybe, maybe not.
I hate that being the historical resting place for these photos.
I’ve spent hours looking at them. I’ve read books that mention them, and the reports and documents investigating them. I’ve talked to informed people. I have a friend who took care of the Trents when they were in a nursing home at the end of their lives. She describes Paul and Evelyn as decent people who could not tell a lie.
At the end of the day, I believe that the Trents saw something extraordinary that spring night in 1950. They did the best they could with the equipment and experience they had to record it accurately. Then, when the images became public, they spoke as truthfully as they could about what they saw.
China is Going Back to the Moon Again With Chang'e-6
On Friday, May 3rd, the sixth mission in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Chang’e-6) launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in southern China. Shortly after, China announced that the spacecraft separated successfully from its Long March 5 Y8 rocket. The mission, consisting of an orbiter and lander element, is now on its way to the Moon and will arrive there in a few weeks. By June, the lander element will touch down on the far side of the Moon, where it will gather about 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of rock and soil samples for return to Earth.
The mission launched four years after its predecessor, Chang’e-5, became China’s first sample-return mission to reach the Moon. It was also the first lunar sample return mission since the Soviet Luna 24 mission landed in Mare Crisium (the Sea of Crisis) in 1976. Compared to its predecessor, the Chang’e-6 mission weighs an additional 100 kg (220 lbs), making it the heaviest probe launched by the Chinese space program. The surface elements also face lesser-known terrain on the far side of the Moon and require a relay satellite for communications.
Speaking of surface elements, the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) has since released images showing how the mission also carries a rover element. This payload was not part of mission data disclosed by China before the flight. But as SpaceNews’ Andrew Jones pointed out, the rover can be seen in the CAST images (see above) integrated onto the side of the lander.
“Little is known about the rover, but a mention of a Chang’e-6 rover is made in a post from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics (SIC) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),” he wrote. “It suggests the small vehicle carries an infrared imaging spectrometer.” This rover is no doubt intended to assist the lander with investigating resources on the far side of the Moon. This is consistent with China’s long-term plans for building the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) around the southern polar region in collaboration with Roscosmos and other international patterns.
Similar to NASA’s plans for the Lunar Gateway and Artemis Base Camp, this requires that building sites be selected near sources of water ice and building materials (silica and other minerals). Ge Ping, the deputy director of the Center of Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering (CLESE) with the China National Space Administration (CNSA), related the importance of the sample-return mission to CGTN (a state-owned media company) before the launch:
“The Aitken Basin is one of the three major terrains on the Moon and has significant scientific value. Finding and collecting samples from different regions and ages of the Moon is crucial for our understanding of it. These would further study of the moon’s origin and its evolutionary history.”
In addition, the Chang’e-6 orbiter carries four international payloads and satellites including a French radon detector contributed by the ESA. Known as the Detection of Outgassing Radon (DORN), this payload will study how lunar dust and other volatiles (especially water) are transferred between the lunar regolith and the lunar exosphere. Then there’s the Italian INstrument for landing-Roving laser Retroreflector Investigations (INRRI), similar to those used by the Schiaparelli EDM module and InSight lander, that precisely measures distances from the lander to orbit.
The Chang’e-6 spacecraft stack shows a lunar rover attached to the mission lander. Credit: CAST
There’s also the Swedish Negative Ions on Lunar Surface (NILS), an instrument that will detect and measure negative ions reflected by the lunar surface. Lastly, there’s the Pakistani ICUBE-Q CubeSat developed by the Institute of Space Technology (IST) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), which will take images of the lunar surface using two optical cameras and measure the Moon’s magnetic field. The data these instruments provide will reveal new information about the lunar environment that will inform plans for long-duration missions on the surface.
By 2026, the Chang’e-6 mission will be joined by Chang’e-7, including an orbiter, lander, rover, and a mini-hopping probe. The data provided by the program will assist China’s plans to land taikonauts around the lunar south pole by 2030, followed by the completion of the ILRS by 2035.
De LaGuardia-cilinder en de gelijkenis ervan met het Cecconi-incident in 1979 boven Italië
De LaGuardia-cilinder en de gelijkenis ervan met het Cecconi-incident in 1979 boven Italië
Door Bob Spearing, MUFON-directeur internationale onderzoeken
Op 25 maart 2024 verscheen er een verhaal in de New York Post over een vliegtuigpassagier genaamd Michelle Reyes die per ongeluk een zwart cilindervormig object met een mogelijke witte koepel boven New York City filmde terwijl ze haar vliegtuig in de tegenovergestelde richting passeerde. Uiteraard meldde ze het incident onmiddellijk aan de FAA. Ze was bang dat het een gevaar voor de veiligheid was. Ze ontving op dit moment geen antwoord van de FAA. Dit is niet verrassend!
Tom Wertman, directeur van de staat Ohio bij MUFON en lid van het fotoanalyseteam van het MUTUAL UFO Network, die zelden met stomheid geslagen is, kon het cilindervormige voertuig niet identificeren. Vogel is uitgesloten, wat vaak het geval is bij een snel wazige flybay op de voorgrond van een cameralens. Bovendien bevond het vliegtuig zich op een vrij grote hoogte voor vogels, waardoor de soort vogel die het zou kunnen zijn ernstig werd beperkt.
CNN en verschillende nieuwsorganisaties hadden hun vaste opmerkingen, zoals Ben Hansen, die suggereerden dat het abnormaal was. In dit geval zou MUFON het ermee eens zijn dat dit zeker geen vogel is, maar een technologisch object. Ballon is uitgesloten. De snelheid van het object kan niet worden bepaald, aangezien het vliegtuig enkele honderden kilometers per uur vloog en het object zich in slechts één of twee frames in de tegenovergestelde richting bevond.
MUFON pakte de waarneming echter anders aan. We hebben gezocht naar mogelijk correlerende gevallen en we hebben één zeer significant geval gevonden dat neigt naar een afwijkend object! Wij bij MUFON blinken uit in deze manier van correlaties met andere historische casussen.
Er is een tweede rapport van een soortgelijke zwarte cilinder met een melkwitte koepel die in 1979 in Italië plaatsvond. Het volledige rapport staat hieronder, maar ter vergelijking voor de lezer: we hebben ook een tekening uit de Cecconi-zaak uit 1979 en die is duidelijk te zien parallel met de La Guardia-foto van 25 maart 2024. Het bijgevoegde artikel hieronder toont een foto van het object uit 1979 gefotografeerd door piloot Cecconi! Ironisch genoeg zijn er door de piloot 80 foto's gemaakt, maar slechts één is openbaar. Waarom?
Als je naar de foto van Michele Reyes kijkt en deze vergelijkt met de opvatting van de kunstenaar over het Cecconi oObject uit 1979, valt niet te ontkennen dat we 45 jaar later naar hetzelfde object of een object met een vergelijkbare constructie kijken.
Op 18 juni 1979 keerde de toenmalige pilootmaarschalk Giancarlo Cecconi (geboren in 1933, in Florence) terug van een fotografisch onderzoek uitgevoerd op de Ligurische Apennijnen.
The UFO with the airfield below
Toont deze foto een echte UFO
Hij vloog over het gebied tussen Rovigo en de Colli di Abano Terme, toen hij via de radio vanuit de verkeerstoren van de militaire luchthaven van S. Angelo di Treviso, waar hij gestationeerd was, de uitnodiging ontving om verbinding te maken met de vliegbasis van Istrië ( TV), waarvan de radar een ongeïdentificeerd vliegend object had gesignaleerd, ongeveer op de verticale lijn van Quinto di Treviso en dus in de directe omgeving van de bovengenoemde luchthaven.
De heer Cecconi, die behoorde tot de 14 'Group of the 2' Fighter Bomber Reconnaissance Wing van de Italiaanse luchtmacht, bevond zich aan boord van een G 91/R, uitgerust met vier VINTEN-camera's, zo geplaatst: twee aan de zijkanten van de voorkant van de cockpit, één in de voorste positie en de vierde in de buikpositie. Hiermee had hij in feite de fotografische onderzoeken uitgevoerd waarvoor hij de leiding had gehad. Vervolgens sprak hij met het personeel van het grondcontroleorgaan af om het door de radar gedetecteerde object te gaan identificeren.
Op het moment van de waarneming kwam het bij hem op dat het een zonne-UFO zou kunnen zijn; Toen besefte hij dat het iets anders was. Het was een prachtige dag en hij besefte al snel dat die “zwarte vlek” heel andere kenmerken had.
Het leek hem in de vorm van een matzwarte ‘brandstoftank’ en op het enigszins afgeplatte bovenste gedeelte zag hij een stroomlijnkap met twee ‘snorren’; dit lag ten grondslag aan iets helders en wits dat, naar zijn mening, een soort melkwitte “koepel” was. De kenmerken van het oppervlak lieten de breking van licht niet toe. Het object bleek een lengte te hebben van ongeveer 6-8 meter en een breedte van ongeveer 3 meter.
Ten tijde van de ontmoeting met het ongewone ‘vliegtuig’ bevond dit zich verticaal op de militaire luchthaven van Treviso op een hoogte van ongeveer 1300 meter.
Nadat hij contact had gemaakt met de UFO, maakte hij een eerste serie foto’s met de camera aan de voorkant en nadat hij in zeer korte tijd de “strop” had gemaakt (manoeuvre die bestaat uit het omkeren van de koers), merkte hij op dat het object bevond zich nog steeds in dezelfde positie, zodat hij deze keer nog een serie foto's kon maken met de camera's aan de zijkant.
Hij begreep dat het iets was met een zekere stijfheid en leidde dit af uit het feit dat, toen het vliegtuig hem naderde met een snelheid van ongeveer 300 knopen (450-500 km / u), het object “… geen last had van enige turbulentie… ”. De piloot had bij andere gelegenheden de gelegenheid gehad om UFO Solar te zien. Ze voelden echter de turbulentie veroorzaakt door de nabijgelegen passage van het vliegtuig en hun beweging kon zelfs een kwartier duren; dit object daarentegen leek statisch te blijven en trilde niet, ook al was de heer Cecconi het op een afstand van ongeveer honderd meter gepasseerd.
Tijdens de waarneming, die ongeveer vijf minuten duurde, kon de heer Cecconi meer dan tachtig foto's maken waarop het object altijd in dezelfde frontale positie, of in een lichte hoek, te zien was; in feite was dit vanaf de zijkant nooit helemaal zichtbaar, het was alsof het ‘ding’ het vliegtuig wilde ‘richten’. Volgens de getuige leek hij zich defensief op te stellen. De zijkant werd nooit volledig belicht en het was hem nooit gelukt hem volledig vanaf de zijkant te fotograferen; hiervoor was hij onder de indruk.
Terwijl de piloot een bocht aan het voltooien was, zei het radarcentrum van Istrana tegen hem: “we zijn het kwijt! Het staat niet meer op het scherm!”. Het was plotseling verdwenen tussen de treffers op de radar door.
Ook vanuit de verkeerstoren van de luchthaven S. Angelo meldden ze dat het object binnen enkele ogenblikken op onverklaarbare wijze uit het zicht was verdwenen. Hij keek waar de UFO had moeten zijn, maar kon hem niet meer zien.
Nadat het vliegtuig was teruggekeerd naar de basis in Treviso, hebben de specialisten, zoals gebruikelijk, de filmcontainers verwijderd, in ontvangst genomen en naar het laboratorium van de afdeling Ontwikkeling en Drukken gebracht.
Zodra de foto's ontwikkeld waren, controleerde hij ze en vroeg een vriend (fotolabmedewerker) om een kopie.
Jaren gingen voorbij en nadat de heer Cecconi met pensioen ging, vroegen ufologen het Ministerie van Defensie om de documentatie over deze zaak vrij te geven, en hen werd verteld dat: “het object in kwestie, onmiddellijk geïdentificeerd, met scherp werd gefotografeerd en ondubbelzinnig werd geïdentificeerd door de persoonlijke fototolk in een cilindrische ballon, gemaakt met zwarte plastic zakken.”.
Het antwoord liet de ufologen verbijsterd achter, vooral gezien de ervaring en voorbereiding van de heer Cecconi, die prat ging op een curriculum als weinig anderen en een van de bekendste en meest gewaardeerde piloten was op het gebied van ernst en competentie.
A mysterious “mummy’s foot” supposedly belonging to an alien was recently discovered and seized by authorities during a raid on a UFO museum.
The raid of the UFO museum in Argentina coincides with journalist and UFOlogist Jaime Maussan’s ongoing claims that he discovered two three-fingered “non-human alien corpses” in the city of Cusco, Peru.
Maussan’s “1,000-year-old aliens” were allegedly found in Peruvian diatom (algae) mines and, according to Maussan, who has on multiple occasions over the past few months presented sets of “alien corpses” to Congress in Mexico and claiming that 30% of the corpses’ DNA is “not from any known species.”
In a similar investigation, Interpol agents and the Department of the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of the Federal Police to raid the Museo del Ovni (“UFO Museum” in English) in the locale of Victoria in Argentina.
Around 60 exhibits were seized in the raid, including the supposed foot of an alien mummy.
According to a local radio station, “After fieldwork, the feds detected a post on a YouTube channel, which documented that there was a piece similar to the one reported in the museum in question, which would be protected by the National Law on the Protection of the Archaeological and Paleontological Heritage.”
Silvia Perez Simondini, who runs the museum, has claimed that, while the alien mummy’s foot was in fact discovered in Lima, Peru, after several failed attempts to donate the artifact to various institutions, including the embassy and museums of natural science, he decided to exhibit it in his UFO museum where it has been on display for many years.
Prior to the raid on Simondini’s UFO museum, officials from the Peruvian Ministry of Culture interrupted a press conference hosted by ufologist Jaime Maussan where the subject was a supposed three-fingered alien mummy with a “new type of DNA.” Officials in that case, however, were unable to confiscate the alien mummy as it was not brought to the event.
If humanity is ever going to find life on another planet in the solar system, it's probably best to know where to look. Plenty of scientists have spent many, many hours pondering precisely that question, and plenty have come up with justifications for backing a particular place in the solar system as the most likely to hold the potential for harboring life as we know it. Thanks to a team led by Dimitra Atri of NYU Abu Dhabi, we now have a methodology by which to rank them.
The methodology, published in a recent preprint paper on arXiv, is focused on a new variable—the Microbial Habitability Index (MHI). MHI is intended to measure how habitable a specific environment is for the various types of extremophiles found in extreme places here on Earth.
As with many great engineering challenges, the authors broke down the process of developing an effective MHI into a series of steps. First, they defined a series of six environmental variables that can affect the habitability of a particular environment for life. They then defined six types of environments that are generally thought to exist on many potentially habitable worlds. They then picked seven of those habitable worlds and collected all the data they could on the environmental factors for each type of environment on each potentially habitable world.
With that data, they compared the values found in those environments to the values that extremophiles can live in. The results aren't particularly surprising to anyone interested in solar system astrobiology, but quantifiable data back them up. It seems Europa, Mars, and Enceladus are the most likely candidates to find bacterial life.
Credit: Universe Today
To get to this conclusion required a lot of data collection and quantification, though. First, the team had to define what environmental factors were the most important for the potential habitability of life. They settled on six: temperature, pressure, UV radiation, Ionizing radiation, pH, and salinity. Life can only survive in a narrow band of these values, and they serve as a reasonable basis for starting to think about what environmental features are necessary to support life.
Luckily, scientists have also collected data on life forms that thrive in the extremes of each of those six factors. From Serpentinomonas sp. B1 that can survive in pHs as high as 12.5 to Thermococcus piezophilus CDGS that can withstand pressures of up to 125 MPa, Earth's extremophiles give a good indication of what life might be able to contend with on other planets. Utilizing the highs and lows of the factors they selected, the scientists were able to determine the bounds an environment would have to conform to support life as we know it.
Those environments were the next things the scientists turned their attention to. They came up with a list of six potentially biologically interesting environments that were found to harbor life on Earth and then defined the ranges of the six environmental factors in each of those environments on Earth. Included in the list were: Icy Poles, Surface Continent, Subsurface Continent, Subsurface Ices, Ambient Ocean, Deep Ocean Floor, and Hydrothermal Vents. Each of those environments on Earth harbors life in some form, so the authors posit they could do so on some other world as well.
Credit: Universe Today
To find the most habitable places in the solar system, the researchers went down the list of worlds in the solar system. They eliminated most based on an outlier in one or more of the environmental factors they had defined as essential to biological life. At the end of their eliminations, though, they were left with seven potentially habitable worlds: Mars, Europa, Enceladus, Titan, Ganymede, Callisto, and (somewhat surprisingly) Pluto.
After getting all the selections out of the way, the authors got to the data collection phase. They collected data as much data as they could find about every time of environment that had been found on each of the worlds. Not every world is blessed with each of those environments, though. For example, Mars has no hydrothermal vents that we know of. However, that doesn't mean that other environments on the Red Planet wouldn't make a good candidate for astrobiology.
After collecting what data they could, they compared that data to the range defined by whether a microbe could withstand the ranges of environmental factors they would be subjected to at a given environment and, in so doing, came up with the MHI. The best way to summarize the outcome of their calculations is through a table showing the number of environmental factors that fall within the habitable range of extremophiles for each of the six environments selected as part of the study. The table is reproduced below.
Table from the paper showing the habitability of the six different environments on the six different worlds the authors picked as the most habitable. Credit: Arti et al.
The denominator in each of the entries signifies how many of the environmental factors the researchers could find data on. If the number is less than six, the researchers could not find data on one or more of the factors. The numerator in each fraction is the number of those environmental factors that lie within the bounds of environmental habitability for each. So, for example, the 1/4 value in the Subsurface Ice row of the Titan column means that there were data points available for four of the six environmental factors and that one of those environmental factors laid within the bounds set by the minimum and maximum of the livable conditions of extremophiles.
The chart clearly indicates that the most likely place that life could exist in the solar system is Enceladeus' hydrothermal vent system, which scores a five out of five on potential environmental factors—it is missing data on ionizing radioactivity. But the icy moon isn't alone at the top of the potentially habitable list. Mars and Europa both harbor environments that could be habitable to life, though the other candidates on the list seem less hospitable.
Credit: Universe Today
Ultimately there are a series of missions that will be focused on finding any microbial life that might exist at many of these locations, including Europa Clipper and the Mars Sample Return mission. This paper provides yet another reason why Enceladus should have its own mission in the works. But for now, having the framework that lets researchers and engineers focus their efforts on the most likely places to find one of the most sought-after discoveries in human history will help focus their efforts. Maybe something will come of it in the long run.
More information:
Dimitra Atri et al, Assessment of Microbial Habitability Across Solar System Targets. arXiv:2203.03171v2 [astro-ph.EP], doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2203.03171
One of the weirdest places in our Solar System may actually be a great place to search for alien life: the skies of Venus.
We don’t have evidence of life — or even indisputable evidence that life could survive — in any world but the one we currently live in. However, recent years have raised the tantalizing prospect that our Solar System, in which we thought we were alone, may be dotted with diverse, and deeply weird, homes for life: In dark water beneath the ice of Europa and Enceladus, in briny underground refugia on Mars, and even drifting in the acidic clouds of Venus.
“If it had liquid water in the past, and if we can really confirm that, then yes – Venus would likely be the planet I would place my bet on,” University of Wisconsin-Madison planetary scientist Sanjay Limaye tells Inverse.
Limaye and his colleagues, along with several other teams of researchers, presented their work in a recent collection of papers in the journal Astrobiology.
The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA)’s Akatsuki spacecraft captured this infrared view of Venus’s equatorial clouds.
JAXA
BETTING ON VENUS
In a series of recent papers, several teams of planetary scientists and astrobiologists argue that although the surface of Venus is undeniably an uninhabitable hellscape — you can’t do organic chemistry in a place that’s hot enough to melt lead — the sulfuric acid clouds might actually contain just enough water and other key chemicals for microbes to make a living.
What we know about Venus suggests that there’s something going on in our evil twin planet’s atmosphere that we don’t understand yet, whether it’s alien life or unusual chemical reactions that we’ve never seen anywhere else is still hotly debated.
A few years ago, a team of scientists detected a chemical called phosphine in Venus’s atmosphere. Here on Earth, the chemical reactions that create phosphine only ever happen inside living things, so some astrobiologists immediately got very excited about its presence on Venus. But in a recent paper, chemist Klaudia Mráziková of the Czech Academy of Sciences and her colleagues proposed a way that chemical reactions in the atmosphere could make phosphine without any help from life — and they’re not the first, although co-author Paul Rimmer of Cambridge University tells Inverse that he thinks their scenario is the “best hypothetical abiotic source for phosphine” so far.
Meanwhile, high in Venus’s atmosphere, something is absorbing huge amounts of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. Over the last century, planetary scientists have suggested several chemical compounds, in different combinations, that could be absorbing the UV light, but no explanation quite fits, at least so far. And in a weirdly compelling coincidence, the shape of whatever’s absorbing the light, and the way it changes with the Venusian seasons, bears a striking resemblance to algal blooms in Earth’s oceans. Like the phosphine, it could be alien microbes busily doing photosynthesis, or it could be fascinating undiscovered chemistry.
And then there are the Mode 3 particles. These weirdly shaped particles in the lower cloud layers of Venus are less than a ten-thousandth of an inch wide, but that’s surprisingly large for particles floating in clouds. The Pioneer Venus mission discovered them in early 1971, when one of its instruments measured the tiny shadows of particles passing by. They’re not tiny spheres, but amorphous blobs, and some scientists wonder whether they might be cells living in the droplets of liquid that make up the clouds.
As incredible a discovery as that would be, the Mode 3 particles could also be an optical illusion; the result of overlapping shadows of round droplets, or a problem with the Pioneer Venus instrument’s calibration. They could also be grains of dust blown aloft from the dead surface of Venus, or something else entirely.
All of these mysteries could be clues pointing to alien life in the Venusian clouds – or they could be a stack of coincidences, which future astrobiologists will one day use as a cautionary tale. We just don’t know yet.
“There are far more unanswered questions about Venus than any other planet,” says Limaye.
A TALE OF TWO PLANETS
Venus is both the most and the least Earth-like planet we know of. It’s about the same size as our home world, and it’s also a rocky world, shrouded by an atmosphere, in the habitable zone of our Sun. But Venus is also a hellworld that rotates backwards, where temperatures on the ground could melt lead and the clouds rain sulfuric acid. But some scientists argue high above the deadly heat and crushing pressure of the surface, the acidic clouds actually aren’t so bad, that is if you’re a microbe evolved to like that sort of thing.
“Venus is often overlooked as a target for astrobiology,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology astrobiologist Janusz Petkowski tells Inverse. “This is an unfair assessment.” Petkowski and his colleagues recently published a paper in the journal Astrobiology presenting a case for a habitable niche in Venus’s clouds.
Once upon a time (almost 4 billion years ago, that is), the young planets Venus and Earth probably looked a lot alike. The fledgling Venus may even have had seas of liquid water, much like the environments where life probably emerged from chemistry on Earth. Researchers like Petkowski and Limaye argue that if Venus and Earth were similar during their youth, there’s no reason life couldn’t have emerged on Venus just like it did on Earth (it’s also plausible that the same thing was happening on Mars at around the same time).
But, as siblings sometimes do, the two planets took very different paths in their adolescent years. For various reasons, Venus’s atmosphere acted like a greenhouse, holding in heat until the seas boiled away and the clouds turned noxious and acidic. But that process took at least a hundred million years, and Petkowski, Limaye, and others are betting that some Venusian life may have evolved quickly enough to survive as the seas evaporated and the clouds got more and more acidic. If they’re right, then colonies of microbes could still be drifting in the upper layers of Venus’s atmosphere, where temperatures are more hospitable, clinging to droplets of fluid or tiny grains of dust that make up the clouds.
This elevation map, made by the Magellan spacecraft’s radar, shows what lies beneath the clouds of Venus.
LEE CORKRAN/SYGMA/GETTY IMAGES
LIFE, UH, FINDS A WAY
“No life on Earth could actually survive in Venus’s clouds,” says Petkowski.” “But if we define habitability as an environment that allows any kind of organic chemistry to survive – maybe even life with different chemical composition and different biochemical solutions – then Venus’s clouds could be potentially habitable.”
The cloud layers of Venus’s upper atmosphere stay between freezing and boiling — exactly the right temperature range for life — but they’re made mostly of droplets of sulfuric acid, mingled with a few microscopically tiny droplets of water. No environment on Earth is remotely similar. But seeing how the scrappiest, stubbornest Earth life has adapted to milder versions of these challenges, astrobiologists can learn how life might adapt to the harsh conditions of Venus.
Here on Earth, for example, some microbes that live in acidic hot springs have found ways to neutralize the acid around them. Venus’s clouds are much more acidic than even the most caustic hot springs here on Earth, but given millions of years to adapt, it’s possible that microbes could keep pace with their changing environment. Petkowski and his colleagues suggest that multi-layered cell walls or acid-resistant membranes could also help microbes keep the acid out and the water in.
For now, that’s all speculation, but in recent lab experiments, Worcester Polytechnic Institute chemist Maxwell Seager and his colleagues found that some amino acids (chemical compounds that form the building blocks for proteins) are completely fine hanging out in a mixture of 98 percent sulfuric acid and 2 percent water. In previous experiments, the same team learned that nucleic acids (the molecules that store the genetic code) are also undaunted by super-acidic conditions.
That could be good news for life, but surviving the acid clouds is just one part of the challenge. Life — at least life as we know it — needs water to survive, and if there’s water in Venus’s clouds, it exists in the form of microscopic droplets, and even those are probably few and far between. In the driest places on Earth — carefully climate-controlled libraries — some resourceful microbes use nearby salt to pull just a few molecules of water out of the air. It’s not hard to imagine microbes on Venus doing something similar while clinging to a droplet of liquid in a cloud.
But could microbes spend their whole lives in the air? Some microbes here on Earth spend part of their life cycle in the clouds, but on Venus, sinking too deep into the haze below means a boiling death. Petkowski and colleagues say that resourceful microbes could lock themselves into armored balls called spores when their environments get too hot; inside the spore, a dormant microbe could wait until wind currents lift them back up to where things are cooler.
In other words, life finds a way. Or at least, it theoretically could. We need a lot more information to know for sure, or even to say how likely this scenario could be.
This artist’s illustration shows what the DAVINCI probe might look like as it falls through Venus’s atmosphere.
NASA
WILL WE EVER FIND A SMOKING GUN?
Upcoming missions to Venus may help answer some questions about what’s really going on in the sulfuric acid clouds: How much water is there? Are there organic molecules? Did Venus ever have liquid water on its surface? All of these are pieces of a much larger question: Could the clouds of Venus be habitable, even for a kind of life that we’ve never seen on Earth?
A commercial spaceflight company called Rocket Lab plans to launch its Venus Life Finder mission in December 2024. Venus Life Finder will look for organic molecules in the upper cloud layers. Finding these molecules won’t prove there’s life on Venus (despite the mission’s ambitious name), but it would show that the acidic clouds are home to the kind of chemistry that makes life work. This would be an encouraging sign.
NASA’s DAVINCI mission, which is planned for a 2029 launch, will study Venus’s atmosphere from orbit — and drop a probe into it. A couple of years later, in 2031, NASA’s VERITAS mission will study the planet’s surface and it’s interior. At around the same time, the European Space Agency’s EnVision mission will also use radar to study the interior of Venus from space.
All of these missions could help scientists understand whether Venus ever had liquid water on its surface, and how the planet’s atmosphere evolved over time (ratios of different chemical isotopes in a planet’s atmosphere can contain clues about its history). They may also help find explanations for the phosphine and even the mysterious UV absorber.
However, all of these missions are still years away even if everything goes according to plan. As JWST and Artemis have both shown us, it seldom does; they call it rocket science for a reason. And none of them will be capable of actually detecting life among the clouds of Venus , only clues about whether it could survive there. The only way to find real proof of life on Venus, according to researchers like Petkowski and Limaye, will be to scoop up a sample of the Venusian clouds and bring it home.
And that possibility is still decades away.
“It will take at least a couple of decades or longer, given the rate at which the previously selected missions are taking to actually be implemented,” says Limaye. “It will be a long time before we actually detect life elsewhere. It's not going to be a single experiment. It's going to take a lot of effort and different experiments and investigations and missions to determine.”
In the meantime, we can speculate, and scientists can find new ways to analyze the data they have. And we can all enjoy the possibility that our Solar System may be a lot wilder and a lot livelier than we thought.
Multiple space agencies are looking to send crewed missions to the Moon’s southern polar region in this decade and the next. Moreover, they intend to create the infrastructure that will allow for a sustained human presence, exploration, and economic development. This requires that the local geography, resources, and potential hazards be scouted in advance and navigation strategies that do not rely on a Global Positioning System (GPS) developed. On Sunday, April 21st, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) released the first complete high-definition geologic atlas of the Moon.
This 1:2.5 million scale geological set of maps provides basic geographical data for future lunar research and exploration. According to the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the volume includes data on 12,341 craters, 81 impact basins, 17 types of lithologies, 14 types of structures, and other geological information about the lunar surface. This data will be foundational to China’s efforts in selecting a site for their International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) and could also prove useful for NASA planners as they select a location for the Artemis Base Camp.
Credit: CAS via Xinhua handout
Ouyang Ziyuan and Liu Jianzhong, a research professor and senior researcher from the Institute of Geochemistry of the CAS (respectively), oversaw these efforts. Since 2012, they have led a team of over 100 scientists and cartographers from relevant research institutions. The team spent more than a decade compiling scientific exploration data obtained by the many orbiters, landers, and rovers that are part of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Chang’e), and other research about the origin and evolution of the Moon.
ccording to the CAS, the atlas includes an “upgraded lunar geological time scale” for “objectively” depicting the geological evolution of the Moon, including the lunar tectonics and volcanic activity that once took place. As a result, the volume could not only be significant in terms of lunar exploration and site selection. Still, it could also improve our understanding of the formation and evolution of Earth and the other terrestrial planets of the Solar System – Mercury, Venus, and Mars. As Jianzhong indicated in a CAS press release,
“The world has witnessed significant progress in the field of lunar exploration and scientific research over the past decades, which have greatly improved our understanding of the moon. However, the lunar geologic maps published during the Apollo era have not been changed for about half a century and are still being used for lunar geological research. With the improvements of lunar geologic studies, those old maps can no longer meet the needs of future scientific research and lunar exploration.”
Credit: CAS via Xinhua handout
Jianzhong also claims that the atlas could help inform future sample collection on the Moon. This includes the Chang’e-6 mission (consisting of an orbiter and lander), which launched this past Friday (May 3rd). The orbiter element will reach the Moon in a few days, and the lander element is expected to touch down the far side of the Moon by early June. By 2026, it will be joined by the Chang’e-7 mission, consisting of an orbiter, lander, rover, and a mini-hopping probe. While Chang’e-6 will obtain lunar soil and rock samples, Chang’e-7 will investigate resources and obtain samples of water ice and volatiles.
According to Gregory Michael, a senior scientist from the Free University of Berlin, the release of this atlas represents the culmination of decades of work, and not just by Chinese scientists:
“This map, in particular, is the first on a global scale to utilize all of the post-Apollo era data. It builds on the achievements of the international community over the last decades, as well as on China’s own highly successful Chang’e program. It will be a starting point for every new question of lunar geology and become a primary resource for researchers studying lunar processes of all kinds.”
Aside from updating data on lunar features and geology, the new maps reportedly double the resolution of the Apollo-era maps. These maps were compiled by the US Geological Survey in the 1960s and 70s using data from the Apollo missions. Among them was a global map at the scale of 1:5,000,000, though other regional maps and those that showed the terrain near the Apollo landing sites were of higher resolution. Geological and geographical information on the Moon has advanced considerably since then, requiring updated maps that reflect the objective of returning to the Moon with the intent to stay.
Credit: CAS via Xinhua handout
In addition to the Geologic Atlas of the Lunar Globe, the CAS also released a book called Map Quadrangles of the Geologic Atlas of the Moon. This document includes 30 sector diagrams that collectively form a visualization of the entire lunar surface. Both are available in Chinese and English, have been integrated into a digital platform called Digital Moon, and will eventually become available to the international research community.
Mysterious Object Spotted Over LaGuardia Airport Raises Eyebrows: Possible UFO Sighting
Mysterious Object Spotted Over LaGuardia Airport Raises Eyebrows: Possible UFO Sighting
In a bizarre turn of events, a mysterious cylindrical object was reportedly sighted hovering near New York’s LaGuardia Airport, prompting speculation and intrigue among witnesses and experts alike. The incident, captured on camera by Michelle Reyes from her airplane window, has sparked discussions about the possibility of extraterrestrial activity in our skies.
Michelle Reyes, accompanied by her daughter, was aboard a flight over New York City when she inadvertently stumbled upon the enigmatic sight. Initially intending to capture the scenic view of the city skyline, Reyes was taken aback when she noticed an unusual object darting across her line of sight. Describing it as a “flying cylinder,” Reyes was quick to rule out conventional explanations, as the object appeared to be moving autonomously at a remarkable speed.
Following the sighting, Reyes took proactive measures by reaching out to relevant authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to report the potential safety hazard. Despite her efforts, she received limited acknowledgment, highlighting the challenges faced by individuals attempting to report such incidents.
The perplexing nature of the sighting garnered attention from UFO investigator Ben Hansen, known for his work on Discovery’s “UEFA Witness.” After an extensive analysis of the footage, Hansen expressed his belief in the authenticity of the video, debunking claims of fabrication or hoax. His assessment adds weight to the possibility that the object spotted near LaGuardia Airport may indeed be of extraterrestrial origin.
One intriguing aspect of the sighting is the corroborating testimony from another passenger on the same flight, confirming the presence of a similar object. This additional witness account strengthens the credibility of Reyes’ report, indicating that multiple individuals observed the anomaly, further validating its significance.
Despite efforts to rationalize the sighting, experts have struggled to provide a definitive explanation. While some speculate that the object could be a drone, its exceptional speed and unconventional behavior cast doubt on such assertions. Moreover, the absence of a coherent response from aviation authorities only serves to deepen the mystery surrounding the incident.
In light of this compelling evidence, it is imperative that such sightings be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. The potential implications of encountering unidentified aerial phenomena cannot be understated, warranting a concerted effort to discern the truth behind these enigmatic encounters.
As we continue to grapple with the unexplained, incidents like the one witnessed over LaGuardia Airport serve as a reminder of the vastness of the unknown and the limitless possibilities that lie beyond our comprehension. Whether it be a fleeting glimpse of extraterrestrial visitors or a trick of the light, the quest for answers persists, fueling our curiosity and expanding our understanding of the universe.
The Rendlesham Forest UAP incident is one of the legendary UFO encounter cases in the history of UFOlogy. In 1980, Lt. Col. Charles Halt, a deputy commander of the US Air Force Base, received the news of strange sightings near twin NATO airbases of RAF Woodbridge and RAF Bentwaters in Suffolk, England. In the early morning of December 26, Airman First Class John Burroughs reported the sighting that included vague descriptions, ranging from unusual supernatural light, glittering triangular spaceships, and scorched footprints on the ground.
It is always argued whether the Suffolk UFO landing actually happened or it was just a hoax. On the official note, there is no physical evidence to prove this claim, only testimonies provided by credible witnesses. As the years passed, a piece of new information indulged which opened many untold stories of this case.
Gary Heseltine, a former police detective and UFO investigator recounts the complex story of the Rendlesham Forest UFO incidents, which is considered the second most famous UFO case after Roswell in 1947. Heseltine researched the case for over five years, analyzing various published materials and uncovering lesser-known information.
In his book, “NON-HUMAN: The Rendlesham Forest UFO Incidents: 42 Years of Denial“, he presented amazing new military testimony from a previously unknown witness. The book discusses the political aspects of the incident, suggesting that the narrative may have been controlled by a few individuals for years. Heseltine argues that the UK and US governments have downplayed the true significance of the case.
This series of events occurred between December 26 and December 28, 1980. A mysterious flying object flew at such an incredible speed that violated the laws of physics. Moreover, despite the very high speed, the alien spacecraft did not make any noise.
The incident involves a young airman’s claim of witnessing a translucent UFO about 30 ft in diameter landing in a farmer’s field. This claim has been debated for many years. Later, round-shaped prints were found on the ground clearly from a heavy object, which were at a distance of about 3 meters from each other. Burns were also seen near these grooves on the ground.
On December 28, when soldiers were sent for a more thorough study of the area, they noted the excess of radiation. And at this time, a UFO reappeared, it flew by with incredible speed, illuminating everything around with bright red lights. The light emanating from the ship was so strong that the sensors of the night sights burned out, and the lights continued to hover and shine over the forest and field for some time.
Heseltine discovered a new witness account that sheds new light on the landing of a triangular-shaped UFO in the forest, an event previously recounted publicly only by Staff Sgt Jim Penniston and Airman John Burroughs. Heseltine reveals that after extensive research, he has obtained corroboration from a military witness, Sergeant Adrian Bustinza, confirming the occurrence of a UFO landing.
In a four and half hour transatlantic telephone interview (which was audio recorded) he admitted that he had been involved in a second UFO related event, a landing of a translucent craft approximately 30 feet in diameter which was surrounded by a ring of US Air Force Security police officers, writes Heseltine. (Source)
Retired Colonel Charles Halt and Retired police detective Gary Heseltine in Rendlesham Forest in 2010
The landing was filmed on video and cine cameras, marking it as the second UFO landing event. Heseltine emphasizes that Bustinza’s involvement was significant because he was part of the security perimeter around the craft, as was Larry Warren, an honorably discharged military eyewitness, and was the first to go public about the Bentwaters UFO cover-up.
Sergeant Bustinza’s account corroborates Warren’s version of events, confirming that the entire incident was being filmed. Additionally, Bustinza states that Colonel Gordon Williams, the Base Commander of the twin US bases of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge, was present at the second landing. Despite Colonel Williams’ denial of involvement, both Bustinza and Warren assert that he was present during the event.
“When I arrived [at the scene], it was going in and out through the trees and at one stage it was hovering,” Sgt. Adrian Bustinza said. (Source)
Interestingly, Heseltine mentioned that both Bustinza and Warren state that entities or lifeforms were seen near the craft, engaging in what seemed like a silent confrontation with Colonel Williams. This detail adds a mysterious and intriguing element to the story.
Heseltine highlights the significance of Sergeant Adrian Bustinza’s corroboration, as it confirms the existence of the second UFO landing. He asserts that the US Air Force has attempted to cover up this event, but now, with the corroboration from a first-person witness, the truth is emerging.
Moreover, while examining old documentation of the case, Heseltine found a direct admission made by Lt. Col. Charles Halt, the deputy base commander at the time, to an American researcher named Ray Boeche in April 1985. Halt admitted that the second UFO landing did occur, and the craft was surrounded by USAF Security police officers, with Col. Williams present. This admission from Lt. Col. Halt adds further weight to the claims made by Bustinza and Warren.
Alien Abduction
Interestingly, video footage was published in 2018 by the British tabloid newspaper, The Sun, where Retired Lt. Colonel Charles Halt can be heard saying that John Burroughs “may have been abducted” and that the men were “unaccounted” for hours. The video was reportedly captured in 2010 when Halt and retired British police detective Gary Heseltine revisited Rendlesham Forest for a documentary that was never made. The footage was recorded by Heseltine’s wife when the two were talking about the UFO incident during a break.
Halt said: “He [Burroughs] may have been abducted, who knows… You know, there is LOST TIME, we know that? They were not on the radio… You’ve got men out in the forest that you can’t… unaccounted for hours.”
Official memo of Lt. Colonel Charles Halt about 1980 UFO incident
Even though the USAF had always denied any UFO landing in the Rendelsem forest, Burroughs shared the shocking news about his health. He said that he had been subjected to a high amount of radiation during the investigations of the mysterious craft on three consecutive nights in December 1980.
The US military classified Burrough’s medical records, so neither he nor his lawyer were able to get it. Even the USAF denied that he had been working with them during the time of the incident as claimed by Burrough. Somehow, they got a document from the British Ministry of Defence in which it was written that the site had a high level of radiation during the UFO incident.
Finally, after decades, the US Veterans Association and the Department of Defence agreed to pay for his treatment. Besides, in the radiation document, the US military acknowledged the unexplained aerial phenomenon that occurred at the site and caused a physical injury to Burrough.
China has launched the Chang’e-6 rover to the Moon.
Chang’e-6 is the latest of the Chang’e fleet, named after the Chinese goddess of the Moon. On Friday, the rover launched atop a Chinese Long March-5 rocket from Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province. Chang’e-6 has successfully deployed into space, and it’s now heading for the enigmatic far side of the Moon.
Its predecessor, Chang’e-5, collected about 2 kilograms of lunar material from the near side of the Moon in late 2020. This was the first time since the 1970s that humanity had brought samples from the Moon to Earth. In early 2019, Chang’e-4 was the first mission ever to land on the far side of the Moon. Chang’e-6 builds upon all that work.
WHY GO TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON?
This monochrome mosaic is centered in the middle of the South Pole-Aitken basin. It comes from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Chang’e-6 will be a blend of both those earlier missions: It will retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon. Chang’e-6 will land in the largest and oldest known impact basin on the Moon. Known as the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, it “stretches across nearly a quarter of the Moon,” according to the team that operates NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
It’s a fascinating place. The terrain is quite dramatic. The craters are also thought to have formed 3.9 billion years ago when life was just beginning to form on Earth. If the craters owe their existence to a chaotic episode of rocky bombardment, that same rocky rainfall likely struck Earth and the other terrestrial planets.
According to Chinese state media Xinhua, Chang’e-6 will deploy its robotic arm about 48 hours after landing. It will scoop up rocks and lunar dirt, called regolith. It will also excavate samples with a drill. The 53-day mission will culminate in samples, sealed away and ferried into an orbiter, flying to Earth. They’re expected to land in Inner Mongolia at the end of June.
Chang’e-6 is also carrying scientific instruments from other countries. “The Chang'e-6 mission is carrying four payloads developed through international cooperation. Scientific instruments from France, Italy, and the European Space Agency/Sweden are aboard the Chang'e-6 lander, and a small satellite from Pakistan is aboard the orbiter,” according to Xinhua.
In a year packed with lunar visits from other robots, like Odysseus of Houston-based Intuitive Machines, and Japan’s SLIM lander, Chang’e-6 is set to keep the momentum of 2024 Moon exploration building.
US Air Force base swarmed by mysterious drones 'houses nuclear assets'
US Air Force base swarmed by mysterious drones 'houses nuclear assets'
Details are only now emerging of a major incident centred on Langley Air Force Base, where assets from NASA were called in to help identify a 'swarm' of unidentified flying objects
The 'drone swarm' provoked a massive response from the US military(Image: Wikipedia/Sgt. Ben Bloker)
Podcaster Chris Lehto, who has commented extensively on the UFO phenomenon, says that one of NASA's WB-57F high-flying research planes was called in in an attempt to identify the mysterious craft.
The objects seen in December are currently believed to have been operated by a foreign power gathering intelligence on America's most sensitive defence installations. A spokesperson for Langley Air Force Base told theWar Zoneblog "none of the incursions appeared to exhibit hostile intent but anything flying in our restricted airspace can pose a threat to flight safety.”
Ryan Graves has repeatedly warned about the danger of UAPs in and around the US(Image: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)
Chris pointed out that the object’s apparent target – Langley Air Force Base – regularly uses an area of sea off the coast of Virgina where former Navy fighter pilot Ryan Graves claimed to have detected multiple "unknown objects" in US airspace.
He added: “Graves said one of the objects was visually reported as ‘a cube within a transparent sphere.’ I'm a retired F-16 pilot I flew for 18 years and I've never heard of anything of that description – particularly if it's flying in high winds.”
Chris said the area around Langley Air Force Base, including the US Navy shipyards at Norfolk, are home to some of America’s most advanced warships.
A NASA high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft was pulled in to help with the situation(Image: NASA)
He explains: “The incidents got so bad that additional assets were called in including the Whiskey Bravo 57F high-flying research plane that NASA owns.
"According to The War Zone this spate of bizarre drone incursions deeply underscores the still growing threats that uncrewed aerial systems [UAS] present on and off traditional battlefields.”
Plane spotters tracked two combat air patrols over the area in mid-December, as well as the advanced NASA plane displaying its ability to fly in absolutely perfect circles around Langley even in the face of high winds.
The area is also home to one of America's most vital naval bases(Image: Wikipedia)
It’s only now that the purpose of these air patrols has emerged. A USAF spokesperson said: "To protect operational security, we do not discuss impacts to operations.
"We don’t discuss our specific force protection measures but retain the right to protect the installation. Langley continues to monitor our air space and work with local law enforcement and other federal agencies to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities, and assets."
Chris noted that the exact reason for all this activity, in what is a militarily sensitive location, has not been revealed. He continued: “There's tons of important assets here; nuclear assets as well just an amazing amount of military hardware is it actually China on the east coast of the United States? because that would be quite interesting. Or is it people operating drones just in the general area? Is that what sparked all this activity?
“Or, is it UAPs? Could it actually be UAP incursions are picking up or now they're actually taking them seriously?”
Plane spotters were quick to identify the two combat air patrols near Langley(Image: Twitter/X/The New Area 51)
Either way, Chris claimed this is an embarrassing incident for the USAF. “Its airspace getting penetrated for weeks on end is clearly not the best look – especially after major lapses in domain awareness and air defence capabilities were recently spotlighted by the Chinese ‘spy balloon’ saga,” he continued.
Langley is home to some of the USAF’s super-advanced F-22 fighters and one of their particular responsibilities is guarding the airspace around Washington DC.
Chris pointed out that there is a wealth of high-value military hardware located in the area. He explained: "Naval Station Norfolk the largest naval base on the east coast.
"It's home to roughly half of America's carrier Fleet and it's located just to the southeast a host of other military installations are also dotted throughout the broader area including Naval Air Station Oceana – that's where Ryan Graves operated out of and that's the Navy's Master tactical jet base on the East Coast also has Navy special warfare's East Coast headquarters."
Langley AFB is the base for fighter aircraft protecting the White House
The War Zone noted that unexplained drone incursions have been logged at military bases across the US. They wrote: “Military aircraft are also routinely encountering drones in various test and training ranges and other restricted military operating areas. America's nuclear power plants have had very troubling encounters with drone swarms.
“Yet the frequency and nature of the incursions in Virginia sound eerily similar to the bizarre claims of unidentified drone swarms roving over the plains of Colorado in the Winter of 2019-2020.
"The government response to those incidents was something of a meek sideshow compared to what clearly occurred regarding the Langley incidents — a sign of just how much more seriously these incidents are being taken.”
'Intelligent aliens will make contact soon' – and boffins reveal how they might find us
'Intelligent aliens will make contact soon' – and boffins reveal how they might find us
We could be in contact with aliens within the next few years as our technology continues to improve – and they could be looking for us in the same ways we look for them
It might be only a few more years until we're in touch with people from other worlds(Image: Getty Images)
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project has been looking for alienssince the 1980s, and one of the top geeks working there is as confident as he’s ever been that they’ll soon strike gold.
Seth Shostak, who has been the senior astronomer at SETI for nearly a quarter of a century, seems to be pretty confident that we’ll come across intelligent aliens by 2036.
He apparently bases this prediction on our rapidly improving technology, with massive strides being taken in terms of our telescopes and computers,reports Mail Online.
We could be in touch with aliens soon, apparently(Image: Getty Images)
On Reddit recently, Seth said: “The trend of improving hardware - mostly computers -- has proceeded unabated. I'm still betting on a signal by 2036.”
And he reckons that once we’ve broken the seal, we could be blown away by how many other places could sustain life as we know it. In fact, he reckons there could be billions of Earth-like worlds out there.
An upcoming NASA trip to Jupiter's moon has created excitement for those who think it could be home to alien life(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
“That may be the strongest argument for life in space,” he said. “If there isn't any, there's something really exceptional about what's happened here on Earth.
“While that's not ruled out by the data, it does seem a little self-centred.
Seth has also revealed the team at SETI have a firm protocol to follow if (or when) they finally confirm the existence of alien life – and it’s all remarkably matter-of-fact.
“There is a document,” said Seth. “Briefly, it says, check the signal to make sure it is truly extraterrestrial. Then announce it to the world, and consult internationally before transmitting a reply.”
Aliens could be looking for us, too(Image: Getty Images)
We won’t know until it happens what contact from aliens looks like, but some geeks think they’ll be looking for us in the same ways we look for them. For instance, they could spot Earth’s shadow as we pass between them and the Sun.
There are 1,715 star systems which could have spotted Earth within the past 5,000 years, and more than 300 others that will be able to spot us in that way during the next 5,000 years.
Jackie Faherty, an Astrophysicist based at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, said any aliens living on those worlds would have a “front-row seat to finding Earth”.
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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.
