Can you have sex in space? How astronauts stuck on board the ISS could join the '220-mile-high club' (although NASA insists that no humans have done it before!)

• Sex in space is not physically impossible, although it would be difficult
• READ MORE:  NASA astronauts could be stuck on the ISS until 2025

By Wiliam Hunter

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams hit the headlines this month, after NASA revealed that they would be stuck on the International Space Station together for six months, despite originally expecting to be there for eight days. 

Butch and Suni's predicament has left a few dirty minded space fans with one burning question - could they have sex to pass the time?

On social media, commenters rushed to speculate how the pair could spend their six months, with one cheekily tweeting: 'I hope they brought birth control with them.'

While Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are both married to partners back on Earth, experts predict that space tourists will be getting in on in orbit within 10 years. 

But from the logistical issues of intimacy in microgravity to the unfortunate effects of orbit on erectile dysfunction, joining the 220-mile-high club might not be as fun as it seems. 

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams hit the headlines this month , after NASA revealed that they would be stuck on the International Space Station together for six months, despite originally expecting to be there for eight days. Butch and Suni's predicament has left a few dirty minded space fans with one burning question - could they have sex to pass the time? 

On social media, commenters rushed to speculate on how the pair could spend their six months, with one cheekily tweeting: 'I hope they brought birth control with them' 

Another commenter added that the astronauts would be 'coming home with a baby on board'

Has anyone ever had sex in space?

According to NASA's official line, no human has ever had sex in space and there is very little reason to doubt this is true. 

While astronauts are only human, they are also highly-trained professionals operating in an extremely high-stress environment. 

While the ISS theoretically spacious enough for an amorous couple, there are very few private areas and the station is constantly monitored. 

However, NASA did once unknowingly send a newly married couple on the same mission to space.

In 1992, the Space Shuttle Endeavor was launched with Mark Lee and Jan Davis on the crew who had secret married the year before. 

Both NASA and the newlyweds deny that the couple made use of this unique opportunity, but we can never know for certain.

As a direct consequence of this, NASA made a formal ruling that married couples could not fly together and since 2010 has explicitly said it does not allow sex between astronauts. 

Experts say there is nothing theoretically stopping astronauts from having sex in space but there are dangers for reproduction. Pictured, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt in the 2016 film Passengers

NASA says that no one has ever had sex in space, but the best possible contenders would be Jan Davis and Mark Lee (pictured) who are the only married couple to visit space

Read More

• A day in the life of a NASA astronaut trapped on the ISS: From 6am wake-up calls to 15-HOUR shifts 

Is sex in space possible?

Whether or not anyone has actually had sex in space, there doesn't seem to be anything to prevent people from trying. 

Dr Adam Watkins, Associate Professor in reproductive and developmental physiology, at the University of Nottingham told MailOnline: 'Sex in space is physically possible, but would not be as easy as it is here on Earth.'

Dr Watkins notes that simple constraints such as a lack of privacy would make sex on the ISS difficult but the biggest problem is likely to be the lack of gravity.

While this might call for some more acrobatic solutions, there is nothing that human ingenuity can't overcome.

For an interesting example, you can look at how astronauts train to do CPR while in orbit.

To stop the first-aider drifting away while trying to apply compressions to their patient, the ISS uses a 'CPR bench' which straps the rescuer to the equipment.

Sex in space would be logistically challenging, but astronauts have found their way around similar problems such as how to deliver CPR. Pictured, ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti demonstrates how to deliver CPR in microgravity 

With months to kill aboard the space station, there is certainly nothing stopping astronauts figuring out how to give this device a second purpose.

German astronaut Ulrich Walter once said in an interview  that humans could also look to the animal kingdom for inspiration.

Dolphins will sometimes enlist the help of a third to push the couple together and prevent them from drifting apart while mating.

Walter suggested that open-minded astronauts might also enlist the help of a willing friend to push them together. 

Alternatively, Paul Root Wolpe, a former NASA Bioethicist, has described how the humble Velcro strap could be the answer. 

Read More

• The 100-mile-high club! Space tourists will have to sign legal waivers BANNING them from having sex in space, expert claims 

Mr Wolpe told DW: 'Everything on the walls of the space station is covered in Velcro, so you could take advantage of that by velcroing one partner to the wall.

'You have to get creative in this space.'

But even if a couple could overcome the logistical issues, physiological barriers might still get in the way.

Exposure to conditions in space causes intense disruptions to astronauts' hormonal cycles including reduced levels of oestrogen.

That hormonal imbalance leads to a lower libido, which might stop astronauts wanting to have sex in the first place. 

Dr Watkins says: 'There can be some biological issues such as getting, and maintaining an erection in space is more difficult than here on earth due to the blood pressure changes that occur while in space.' 

Additionally, in microgravity, blood doesn't pump around the body in the normal way but instead tends to rush towards the head.

Inside the 'bedroom' of the ISS (pictured) there isn't a lot of room for moving about but the velcro on the walls has been suggested as a way of overcoming the logistical challenges of sex in space 

Astronauts need to use straps and velcro to avoid drifting away while sleeping, it is possible that similar methods could be used to prevent two people drifting apart. Pictured astronaut Gregory C. Johnson rests in the Shuttle Atlantis 

A paper published last year found that simulated spaceflight in rats leads to 'long-term impairment of neurovascular erectile function'. 

While NASA has stayed surprisingly quiet on these suggestions, a few former astronauts have stepped in to dispel any concerns.  

In an Ask Me Anything Reddit thread, former NASA astronaut Ron Garan was asked whether erections were possible in space.

In response, Mr Garan simply replied: 'I know of nothing that happens to the human body on Earth that can't happen in space.'

Some astronauts such as Mike Mullane, a former NASA astronaut, are far less subtle.

In his book, Riding Rockets, Mr Mullane wrote: 'I had an erection so intense it was

He added: 'I could have drilled through kryptonite.'

Overall, while having sex in space is likely unpleasant, time-consuming, and awkward, it is probably possible. 

Sex in space may be made difficult by the fact that microgravity lowers oestrogen levels which reduces the libido while also leading to erectile dysfunction  (file photo)

Read More

• One small step for mice, one giant leap for mankind: Scientists grow mouse embryos on the International Space Station for the first time, paving the way for humans to reproduce in space 

Should astronauts have sex in space? 

However, just because sex in space is possible, that doesn't necessarily mean it is advisable.

The biggest problem for any astronauts thinking about getting intimate is the risk of pregnancy.

Most female astronauts take birth control to delay their periods while in space but this is by no means compulsory.

Likewise, since NASA has a blanket ban on sex in space there are no other means of contraception aboard the station.

A number of studies have shown that getting pregnant in space is extremely difficult and potentially even impossible.

However, Dr Watkins notes that since no one has ever gotten pregnant in space we just can't know what the consequences will be.  

Dr Watkins says: 'DNA damage from the high levels of cosmic radiation is a real concern. Astronauts who spend six months in space are exposed to roughly the same amount of radiation as 1,000 chest X-rays.

'A pregnant woman, and her developing fetus, would also be exposed to that cosmic radiation while in space. This could be harmful to the embryos and the fetus.'

A recent study conducted on the ISS found that mice embryos developed for four days on the ISS showed no signs of damage.

But an earlier study published in 2020 conversely found that mouse embryos developed in space 'contain severe DNA damage'.

Likewise, since only a few people have gone to space we don't have enough data to really know what the effects would be on an unborn child. 

Dr Watkins concludes: 'Until recently, reproduction in space has not been a major priority for the different space agencies. 

'Now that there are plans to colonise the moon and even Mars, how we would populate other worlds has become more of a focus and will need to be addressed if we are to establish, maintain and grow human colonies off Earth.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

15-08-2024 om 21:46 geschreven door peter  

See the Northern Lights from SPACE: NASA astronaut on board the ISS films a stunning video of the astronomical light display

• Mr Dominick has been on board the ISS since March 3, 2024
• He has tweeted a stunning bird's-eye-view of the Northern Lights 

By Shivali Best For Mailonline 

Witnessing the Northern Lights is something that features on many people's bucket-lists.

Now, one lucky astronaut has trumped seeing them from Earth, and instead has posted an incredible video of the aurora from space.

Matthew Dominick, a NASA astronaut currently on board the International Space Station (ISS), tweeted his bird's-eye view of the Northern Lights.     

Witnessing the Northern Lights is something that features on many people's bucket-lists. Now, one lucky astronaut has trumped seeing them from Earth, and instead has posted an incredible video of the aurora from space

Read More

A day in the life of a NASA astronaut trapped on the ISS: From 6am wake-up calls to 15-HOUR shifts 

Mr Dominick launched to the ISS on March 3, 2024 as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. 

He’s serving as a flight engineer aboard the orbiting laboratory and was expected to spend around six months on the ISS, although his return to Earth could be pushed back amid the issues with the Boeing Starliner. 

While he spends most of his time on the ISS conducting scientific experiments, Mr Dominick also regularly snaps photos and films footage from his unique vantage point.  

'Timelapse of the moon setting into streams of red and green aurora followed by a sunrise lighting up Soyuz with a light blue,' he wrote in the caption with his latest video.

'The aurora have been amazing the past few days.'

His video has already been viewed almost 800,000 times, and several fans have replied, expressing their amazement. 

'Man that is just amazing... what a sight,' one user wrote. 

Another added: 'you are becoming the ultimate space photographer, great work again!'

While he spends most of his time on the ISS conducting scientific experiments, Mr Dominick also regularly snaps photos and films footage from his unique vantage point

His video has already been viewed almost 800,000 times, and several fans have replied, expressing their amazement

And one joked: 'What a strange world. Fun to visit, I'm sure.'

Auroras are caused by disturbances in Earth's 'magnetosphere' (its system of magnetic fields) due to powerful activity on the sun. 

High-energy particles travel from the sun towards us at hundreds of miles per second before bombarding our magnetosphere.

At this point, some of the energy and small particles can travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into our planet's atmosphere.

There, the particles interact with gases in our atmosphere, resulting in beautiful displays of light in the sky, known as auroras. 

Oxygen gives off green and red light, while nitrogen glows blue and purple. 

WHAT ARE AURORAS AND WHAT TRIGGERS THE STUNNING NATURAL DISPLAYS?

The Northern and Southern Lights are natural light spectacles triggered in our atmosphere that are also known as the 'Auroras'.

There are two types of Aurora - Aurora Borealis, which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south.'

The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere. 

There are two types of Aurora - Aurora Borealis (file photo), which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south.' The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere

Usually the particles, sometimes referred to as a solar storm, are deflected by Earth’s magnetic field.

But during stronger storms they enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles, including hydrogen and helium.

These collisions emit light. Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are common.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

15-08-2024 om 21:21 geschreven door peter  

Story by Ellyn Lapointe For Dailymail.Com

• READ MORE: NASA wants to build train on the moon for when humans live there

Elon Musk has big ambitions to colonize Mars by 2050, and a new scientific discovery could make those dreams a reality.

A team of scientists have proposed an 'innovative' way to warm the Red Planet by more than 18 degrees Fahrenheit in just a matter of months, which they believe would be enough to sustain human life. 

They proposed injecting large quantities of Martian dust into the atmosphere to improve its ability to trap heat, just like water vapor and carbon dioxide do on Earth.

Shooting about 10 liters of dust, consisting of iron and aluminum, per second for at least a decade could warm the planet from -85F to 86F.

A groundbreaking new discovery suggests that Elon Musk's dream of terraforming Mars might not be as far-fetched as people think.

Elon Musk dreams of building a Martian city that could sustain a million people by 2050.

Musk himself has said that he plans to use the natural resources on Mars to 'terraform' its existing atmosphere and make the planet warmer, wetter and overall more like Earth.

The idea of being stuck in space might sound like the plot of the latest science fiction blockbuster. But it has become a reality for Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore - two unlucky astronauts who are potentially stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) until 2025, despite only expecting to be there for eight days. Although the views might be out of this world, the ISS is far from the ideal destination for an impromptu eight-month trip. With little spare room and zero gravity, even simple tasks like eating or going to the toilet can be extremely difficult. And whether it's in their phone box-sized bedrooms or on the vacuum-powered toilet, the astronauts aboard the orbiting station can often be cramped, smelly, and uncomfortable.

Going to bed on Earth might be one of the simplest things imaginable. But without the assistance of gravity, lying down or even resting your head on a pillow essentially becomes impossible. Aboard the ISS, the astronauts' main sleeping quarters are located in the Harmony Module near one end of the space station. In each of the four walls, there are four 'sleep stations', each about the same size as a phone booth. Rather than trying to lie on a mattress, the astronauts cocoon themselves in sleeping bags tethered to the inside of the station. Although the sleep stations do close to give the astronauts some privacy and darkness, drifting off can be quite tricky.

The ISS can be quite loud as the station's life support systems whirr through the night and the station is regularly bathed in the intense light from the sun as it orbits. For this reason, eye masks and earplugs are standard issue for astronauts looking to get some much-needed rest. One of the biggest risks of sleeping in space is not a bad night's rest but the build-up of CO2. Without gravity, CO2 from the astronaut's breath can form a 'bubble' around their head, potentially suffocating them in their sleep. Thankfully, the NASA sleeping pods are well-ventilated so that the astronauts can breathe fresh air all night. NASA assigns its astronauts eight hours of sleep time after a 16-hour working day, but most astronauts generally get about six hours of shut-eye after spending some of their time resting and relaxing.

©NASA

Astronauts on the ISS start their day by brushing their teeth and having a wash. But as with everything in space, this is far more complicated than it would be on Earth. Without gravity, water's surface tension causes it to act like a sticky mass, forming large floating orbs that attach themselves to nearby surfaces. This rules out the possibility of having a shower, so astronauts bathe twice a day using washcloths, with one used for washing and the other for rinsing. Hair is kept clean using rinseless shampoo and astronauts even give each other haircuts by using a vacuum to suck away the freshly cut hair. When it comes to brushing your teeth, this is actually quite easy since water sticks to the toothbrush in microgravity. Since floating wastewater would be a danger to the electronics, astronauts either spit their toothpaste into a piece of paper or just swallow it.

Perhaps the biggest question on everyone's mind is how astronauts are able to go to the toilet while in space. The toilet on the ISS, or 'orbital outhouse' as it is jokingly called by astronauts, is located in the Tranquility module. Unlike a terrestrial toilet, the ISS toilet has two separate receptacles for solid and liquid waste. For urine, the astronauts use a hose with a funnel on the front to catch the liquid before it escapes into the rest of the station. And for solid waste, there is a small hole with a lid which uses fan-powered suction to help everything end up where it needs to go. However, astronauts have reported that this set-up takes some practice to use and the process can reportedly become somewhat messy.

In an earlier tour of the ISS, Suni Williams pointed out the various gloves, wet wipes, and disinfectant supplies kept in the toilet to make sure everything remains hygienic. Once the astronauts have done their business, faeces is sucked into rubbish bags where it is dehydrated and compressed. These bags are sometimes returned to Earth for study but are usually burned up in the atmosphere. Urine, meanwhile, is sent through the station's Water Recovery System and transformed back into usable water.

©NASA

Most of an astronaut's day aboard the ISS is spent working, and shifts usually last 16 hours with a few breaks for meals. Work may involve carrying out routine maintenance of the space station and making repairs to the various systems. In some cases, that could involve 'extra-vehicular activity', otherwise known as spacewalks, in which the astronauts step outside the station. A large part of their work is scientific, with astronauts carrying out various experiments to learn more about the effects of space radiation and microgravity.

In the highly demanding environment of space, astronauts need to eat a lot of nutritious food to stay healthy. That means getting three square meals a day plus snacks to make up a diet of at least 2,500 calories. Since resupplies are infrequent and fresh produce is heavier to transport, the majority of astronauts' food is dehydrated for long-term storage. Astronauts use a water gun to rehydrate the packaged food, before heating it in a microwave. Astronauts are also provided with powdered drinks that can be rehydrated and drunk through a straw. However, between 2015 and 2017 astronauts also had access to the ISSpresso which was the first ever espresso coffee machine designed for space.

©VIA REUTERS

Astronauts eat their meals in the Unity module which is fitted with all the necessary food preparation equipment as well as antibacterial materials on the walls. Due to their busy schedules, the crew won't often eat together during the week with the exception of Sunday when the team will come together for a group meal. To maintain some sense of normalcy, the astronauts eat at a table, strapping their legs to chairs and using magnetic trays to hold their food in place. The biggest difference in an astronaut's diet is that booze is absolutely off the cards. NASA has forbidden drinking alcohol on any mission on the grounds that astronauts need to be alert and healthy at all times. To this day, Buzz Aldrin remains the only person to have consumed alcohol in space after he drank a small amount of wine during a secret communion service in the moon lander.

In addition to eating well, astronauts need a lot of exercise to remain fit and healthy. NASA astronauts are required to do two hours of exercise every day while on the ISS and are carefully monitored for fitness and health. Without the need to fight against gravity, astronauts' muscles can quickly shrink, leading to potential health complications. This is part of the reason that many astronauts are unable to walk for a time after re-entering Earth's gravity. The ISS has three main pieces of exercise equipment for the astronauts to use which are located in the Tranquility module.

Astronauts can either choose to use an exercise bike called CEVIS, a treadmill called T2, or a weight-lifting system called ARED. In the absence of gravity, the machines use a combination of pistons, flywheels, and elastic bands to simulate the force of an astronaut's weight. During their time on the ISS, Williams and Wilmore, have even been taking part in weightless Olympics-inspired workouts in order to stay occupied and stay positive amid uncertainty.

This study suggests he may be onto something. 

'It’s not that often you get some really quite new, innovative idea for terraforming,' Colin McInnes, a space engineer at the University of Glasgow not involved with the work, told Science Magazine. 

'The gap between where Mars is and where Mars could be for habitability is narrower than we might think,' he added. 

Related video: 

• What Has Curiosity Learned About Mars In 10 Years Since Landing? (Dailymotion)

The researchers' approach is actually based on the same atmospheric mechanism that's driving climate change here on Earth: the greenhouse effect.

Currently, Mars' atmosphere is so thin that heat from the sun easily escapes the planet's surface. 

The microscopic size and spherical shape of Martian dust mean that it isn't great at absorbing radiation or reflecting heat back down to the surface.

But the research team believes they could use the iron and aluminum in the dust to engineer nine-micrometer-long rods. 

That's roughly twice the size of a Martian dust particle, but smaller than a speck of glitter. 

Currently, the surface of Mars is a freezing, barren desert. But scientists have come up with a simple way to warm up the Red Planet. 

Terraforming Mars' atmosphere would bring us one step closer to establishing a human colony on the red planet.

When the researchers tested how their particles would absorb heat radiation and reflect it down to the planet's surface, they found 'unexpectedly huge effects,' Samaneh Ansari, a Ph.D. student at Northwestern University and the study's lead author, told Science Magazine. 

This approach would require about two million tons of particles per year, but manufacturing them would be relatively easy because the ingredients are right there on Mars.

That sets this new approach apart from previous schemes to globally warm the Red Planet. 

By comparison, this method would be roughly 5,000 times more efficient, the researchers claimed. 

This strategy would still take decades, but it seems logistically easier than any other ideas proposed so far. 

Warming up Mars would be a critical first step towards making this planet a suitable home for humans, or any other life form for that matter.

It would free up the little water that's frozen in polar ice caps beneath the planet's surface, and make Mars a more suitable place for agriculture and out own bodies. 

Mars' atmosphere is too thin to trap heat at the surface. Scientists want to inject it with engineered dust to make it more insulating.

This is all great news for Musk. But warming up Mars is just one step down a long road he'll need to travel before he can colonize the Red Planet. 

Even with this new atmosphere, humans still wouldn't be able to breathe the air on Mars because it doesn't contain enough oxygen. 

Plus, the air pressure on Mars is 150 times lover than on Earth, which would cause human blood to boil. 

Musk will have to solve these problems and more before he builds a bustling Martian metropolis. But this new research brings him a little bit closer to realizing his dream. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

15-08-2024 om 21:05 geschreven door peter  

Look: NASA Captured This Mesmerizing Video of An Aurora From the ISS

You haven't seen an aurora until you've seen one from space.

by Kiona Smith

 

Lights, Camera, Space Station

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick took thousands of photos of the spectacular auroras over the weekend and put them together in this short time-lapse video.

"We received a cargo shipment this week with lots of cool stuff, to include some new camera lenses," wrote Dominick on Sunday. "Spent a good part of the weekend with a 15mm, T1.8 lens. Made a whole bunch of timelapses."

In another post, Dominick added, "The aurora have been amazing the past few days"

Part of the station (and a docked Soyuz crew capsule) hovers in the foreground, the glittering stars of deep space in the distance, and the green and red lights of the auroras dance across Earth's upper atmosphere. At about the 45-second mark, the light of sunrise (which happens about every 90 minutes as the ISS zips around the planet) bathe the docked Soyuz capsule in a pale blue glow.

Another image, not part of the short video, shows part of the ISS in the foreground, with the aurora glowing in Earth's atmosphere — and beyond that, the dense swath of stars that make up the Milky Way's disk.

"Still looking though 1000s of frames, lots of which have aurora, but the Milky Way in this one stood out," wrote Dominick.

The new lenses were part of a supply shipment loaded aboard a Cygnus cargo vessel, which docked at the ISS last Tuesday. Cygnus also brought fresh fruit and vegetables, a new supply of coffee, nearly 2,800 pounds of research equipment, more than 3,500 pounds of new hardware for the station, and more than 2 tons of other supplies for the crew.

Those supplies included some clothes and personal food items for stranded Starliner crew members Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who are now scheduled to return home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft sometime in early 2025.

Astronaut Matthew Dominick captured this stunning time-lapse of the Northern Lights from the International Space Station.

NASA/Matt Dominick

{ https://www.inverse.com/ }

15-08-2024 om 20:26 geschreven door peter  

$100,000 quadrillion asteroid Psyche may be rusting, James Webb telescope reveals

But all that glitters isn't gold — or even metal. Over the past decade, new data about Psyche's density and reflectance spectra — the intensity of different wavelengths of sunlight reflected off the asteroid's surface ― suggest it is most likely a mixed silicate and metal world.

Related: 

• NASA's most wanted: The 5 most dangerous asteroids to Earth

In 2017, researchers discovered tantalizing traces of another component: water. Spectra from the infrared region, at long wavelengths that we perceive as heat but can't see, showed the signature of hydroxyl units — the OH molecule, which forms part of water.

These results suggested Psyche's surface may contain small amounts of water, as either ice or hydrated minerals. But the results were inconclusive, since the spectrum, collected using NASA's ground-based Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii, may have been corrupted by water in Earth's atmosphere. Besides, the researchers hadn't found a more definitive signature of water from a slightly higher infrared wavelength. That signature has helped other astronomers "detect widespread molecular water on the Moon but had not yet been used for asteroids," study author Stephanie Jarmak, a planetary scientist at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told Live Science in an email.

To determine if Psyche really has water, Jarmak and scientists from several U.S. and German institutes turned to two of JWST's infrared-sensing instruments: the Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), which can detect shorter and longer infrared wavelengths, respectively. By directing these instruments toward the asteroid in March 2023, the scientists collected snapshots of the spectrum reflected by Psyche's north pole, which was then facing the telescope. Their results have been accepted by the Planetary Science Journal and are available as a preprint via arXiv.

The NIRSpec data showed the hydroxyl signature, confirming its presence on the asteroid. What's more, Jarmack noted, the high-quality data allowed comparisons with hydroxyl signatures from other meteorites, revealing that Psyche's hydroxyl signature resembled that from certain rust-bearing, carbon-rich meteorites. This finding led the researchers to conclude that hydroxyls are bonded to metals on Psyche, forming rust.

But the MIRI data lacked the conclusive signature of water. Still, the researchers can't rule out the presence of water, as it could be present on other parts of Psyche that JWST couldn't see. It's also possible that water is present but at concentrations below MIRI's detection limit, making it less than half the concentration of water on the moon, which is itself only a raindrop's equivalent in 2.25 pounds (1 kg) of soil.

Apart from forming rust, Psyche's hydroxyl groups provide hints about how the asteroid formed. If the hydroxyl formed within the asteroid, this could indicate Psyche was born in the cold, outer bounds of the solar system and tottered inward over millions of years. However, the existing evidence suggests water-bearing asteroid impactors that slammed into Psyche and shaped it also brought the hydroxyl.

Future plans include studying exactly where the hydrated metals are found on Psyche's surface, Jarmak said, adding that these include "observations of Psyche's south pole that contains a large crater that may have resulted from an encounter with a hydrated impactor."

Metal-rich asteroids are lucrative sources of rare minerals and the subject of future space mining ventures. However, despite its estimated value, Psyche isn't among them — at three times Earth's distance from the sun, it's too far for extraction efforts to be cost-effective.

{ https://www.livescience.com/ }

15-08-2024 om 18:43 geschreven door peter  

Story by George Bunn

 

Scientists hoping to find proof of life on mars have found evidence of a reservoir of water that could at one point have sustained life.

The body of water resides deep under the surface of Mars within fractured igneous rocks, holding enough to fill an ocean that would cover the entire surface of Earth's planetary neighbour.

The discovery follows seismic data obtained by NASA's robotic InSight lander during a mission that helped decipher the interior of Mars.

The water, located about 7.2 to 12.4 miles (11.5 to 20 km) below the Martian surface, potentially offers conditions favourable to sustain microbial life, either in the past or now, the researchers said.

University of California planetary scientist and co-author of the study Vashan Wright said: "At these depths, the crust is warm enough for water to exist as a liquid. At more shallow depths, the water would be frozen as ice."

The InSight lander touched down in 2018 to study the deep interior of Mars, gathering data on the planet's various layers, from its liquid metal core to its mantle and its crust. The InSight mission ended in 2022.

Fellow co-author Michael Manga said: "On Earth, we find microbial life deep underground where rocks are saturated with water and there is an energy source. InSight was able to measure the speed of seismic waves and how they change with depth.

"The speed of seismic waves depends on what the rock is made of, where it has cracks and what fills the cracks. We combined the measured seismic wave speed, gravity measurements and rock physics models. The rock physics models are the same as the ones we use to measure properties of aquifers on Earth or map oil and gas resources underground."

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The data indicated the presence of this reservoir of liquid water within fractured igneous rocks - formed in the cooling and solidification of magma or lava - in the Martian crust, the planet's outermost layer.

Wright said: "Mid-crust whose rocks are cracked and filled with liquid water best explains both seismic and gravity data

"The water exists within fractures. If the InSight location is representative and you extract all the water from the fractures in the mid-crust, we estimate that the water would fill a 1-2 km deep (0.6-1.2 miles) ocean on Mars globally."

The Martian surface is cold and desolate today but once was warm and wet. That changed more than 3 billion years ago. The study suggests that much of the water that had been on the Martian surface did not escape into space, but rather filtered down into the crust.

Manga added: "Early Mars had liquid water on its surface in rivers, lakes and possibly oceans. The crust on Mars could also have been full of water from very early in its history, too,

"On Earth, groundwater underground infiltrated from the surface, and we expect this to be similar to the history of water on Mars. This must have occurred during a time when the upper crust was warmer than it is today."

Water would be a vital resource if humankind ever is to place astronauts on the Martian surface or establish some sort of long-term settlement.

Mars harbours water in the form of ice at its polar regions and in its subsurface. But the depth of the apparent underground liquid water would make it difficult to access.

{ https://www.msn.com/en-us/channel/topic/Science/ }

15-08-2024 om 18:33 geschreven door peter  

AI Focused Three UFO photos Netal, South Africa July 17, 1956, UAP Sighting News. Video.

Date of sighting: July 17, 1956
Location of sighting: Netal, South Africa

 

Guys this is awesome, all three of these photo from 1956 sharpen up with ai into a perfectly focused set of photos. It's just mind boggling how ai fixes the photos, not by adding what isn't there but by reading the pixelization and accurately recreating the real scene. This is 100% proof that eyewitness Elizabeth Klarer did in fact encounter a UFO on July 17, 1956 and it's amazing! 

Scott C. Waring

 

Report states:

{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

15-08-2024 om 17:47 geschreven door peter  

AI Focused UFO Over Green Bay, Wisconsin Jan 2007, UAP Sighting News.

Date of sighting: January 2007

Location of sighting: Green Ba, Wisconsin, USA

Source: Reddit

 

Guys this was released back in 2007 on Reddit and as they said there...it has never been debunked, so I wanted to go over it and look at it with ai which really cleared it up. The grainy photo suddenly became crystal clear and wow, you gota see the video for more.

Scott C. Waring 

{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

15-08-2024 om 17:41 geschreven door peter  

De oorsprong van de beschaving kan zijn ontstaan na de inslag van een komeet: oude gravures onthullen dit

door Janine

Time and Mind/AI generated-Freepik

Waaruit is de beschaving ontstaan? Een studie heeft misschien het antwoord gevonden in Turkije: het lijkt erop dat alles begon na de inslag van een oude komeet.

Gravures op de archeologische vindplaats Göbekli Tepe

Archeologen onderzochten gravures op een Turkse vindplaats die naar schatting 7000 jaar ouder zijn dan de Grote Piramide van Gizeh. In een poging om ze te interpreteren kwamen ze tot de conclusie dat ze de inslag van een oude komeet op aarde zouden kunnen voorstellen. Concreet gaat het om de archeologische vindplaats Göbekli Tepe, waarvan experts denken dat het de oudste zonnekalender op onze planeet zou kunnen zijn. Dit 12.000 jaar oude monument is de meest gedateerde architectonische constructie gewijd aan aanbidding die ooit is ontdekt.

Op de tempelachtige omheiningen van de site zijn complexe symbolen gegraveerd. Het onderzoeksteam verklaarde dat deze naar alle waarschijnlijkheid een weergave zouden kunnen zijn van een kosmische gebeurtenis die een keerpunt vormde voor de menselijke beschaving. Als dat zo is, zou dat betekenen dat de oude mensen astronomische informatie gebruikten om een zonnekalender te maken die vergelijkbaar is met de kalender die duizenden jaren later door de Grieken werd uitgevonden.

De impact van de komeet en de lunisolaire kalender

Time and Mind

Martin Sweatman, scheikundig ingenieur aan de Universiteit van Edinburgh, Schotland, en eerste auteur van het onderzoek, zei: "Het lijkt erop dat de inwoners van Göbekli Tepe scherpe waarnemers van de hemel waren,  wat te verwachten was gezien het feit dat hun wereld was verwoest door de inslag van een komeet."

Na een dergelijke gebeurtenis lijkt het erop dat de Ouden gegraveerde V-vormige symbolen gebruikten om de individuele dagen op hun kalender aan te geven: door het tellen van de gravures identificeerden de onderzoekers 365 dagen op een van de pilaren, verdeeld in twaalf maanmaanden en 11 extra dagen. Sommige vogelachtige figuren hebben een V op hun nek en zouden volgens de auteurs godheden kunnen voorstellen. Als de interpretaties kloppen, zou dit monument de oudste lunisolaire kalender worden die ooit is ontdekt.

Een komeet begon de beschaving 13.000 jaar geleden

Time and Mind

Maar wat weten we over de hemelse gebeurtenis die dit alles heeft veroorzaakt? Onderzoekers geloven dat het prehistorische monument is opgericht ter ere van de dag waarop fragmenten van een komeet 13.000 jaar geleden op de aarde neerstortten. In feite lijkt een van de pijlers van de site de meteorieten van de Tauriden af ​​te beelden, waarvan de stroom de regen van fragmenten zou hebben veroorzaakt die 27 dagen duurde.

Zo'n inslag rond 10.850 voor Christus zou een kleine ijstijd kunnen hebben ingeluid over een periode van meer dan 1.200 jaar, wat zou hebben geleid tot het uitsterven van verschillende diersoorten. Paradoxaal genoeg maakte de komeet “ruimte” voor het ontstaan van een beschaving in de Vruchtbare Halve Maan in het Midden-Oosten, die de overgang markeerde van jagen en verzamelen naar landbouw. Bovendien behield het monument millennia lang een prominente rol in de cultus van de beschaving, wat mogelijk zelfs leidde tot het ontstaan van een nieuwe religie. Zoals Sweatman uitlegde, kan de inslag van de komeet “de beschaving hebben aangewakkerd, een nieuwe religie hebben doen ontstaan ​​en de ontwikkeling van de landbouw hebben gestimuleerd om het koude klimaat het hoofd te kunnen bieden. Het is aannemelijk dat de pogingen van de Ouden om vast te leggen wat ze zagen, de eerste stappen waren in de richting van de ontwikkeling van het schrift duizenden jaren later."

15-08-2024 om 17:33 geschreven door peter  

Hoe is het leven op aarde ontstaan? Volgens een nieuwe studie begon het allemaal met een bliksemschicht

door Janine

AI Generated/Freepik

Volgens een onderzoek is het leven op onze planeet mogelijk ontstaan door een precies atmosferisch fenomeen: bliksem. Dit is hoe.

Oorsprong van het leven op aarde, het grootste mysterie voor de wetenschap

Hoe is het leven op aarde ontstaan ​​en wat heeft het veroorzaakt? Het is een van de grootste vragen van de wetenschap, maar een nieuwe studie heeft misschien het antwoord gevonden. Volgens wetenschappers van Harvard heeft de bliksem die onze oerplaneet tussen de wolken trof mogelijk de elementen gegenereerd die noodzakelijk zijn voor het leven.

De wetenschap heeft zich altijd afgevraagd wat de oorsprong van het leven op aarde is en dit nieuwe onderzoek lijkt steeds dichter bij het antwoord te komen. Een eeuwenoude bliksemschicht kan de oorzaak zijn geweest, waaruit ieder levend wezen is ontstaan. Om het mysterie op te lossen, moeten we beginnen bij de basis: hoe zijn stikstof en koolstof ontstaan ​​en wanneer verschenen ze in onze wereld? Er zijn in dit opzicht drie mogelijke hypothesen: ze werden getransporteerd door kometen en hemellichamen die op de aarde vielen, door onderwaterbronnen of door de bliksem die ons oppervlak trof.

Miller-Urey-experiment over de oorsprong van leven veroorzaakt door bliksem over de oorsprong van bliksem leven

Freepik

Volgens het team van deskundige scheikundigen van de universiteit van Harvard ligt het antwoord precies in de bliksem: nadat ze de wolken en de aarde hadden geraakt, hebben ze mogelijk “hoge concentraties reactieve moleculen op lokaal niveau geproduceerd, waardoor er verschillende grondstoffen zijn ontstaan ​​voor de opkomst en overleving van primitief leven wereldwijd.”

Dit is niet de eerste studie die deze theorie probeert aan te tonen: zelfs Harold Urey, de Amerikaanse Nobelprijswinnaar voor de scheikunde, volgde samen met zijn student Stanley Miller in 1953 hetzelfde experimentele pad. Destijds creëerden ze een elektrische boog om deze theorie na te bootsen. de bliksem, waarbij gebruik wordt gemaakt van een combinatie van ammoniak, methaan, waterstof en water, elementen waarvan men denkt dat ze de atmosfeer van onze jonge planeet vormen. Het resultaat was de productie van aminozuren, essentieel voor het voortbrengen van leven. Tegenwoordig geloven wetenschappers dat de oorspronkelijke atmosfeer uit stikstof en kooldioxide zou kunnen bestaan: op basis hiervan voerde het team van Harvard een nieuw experiment uit, waarbij dat van Urey en Miller werd bijgewerkt.

Heeft de bliksem leven teweeggebracht? Het nieuwe experiment

Door in het laboratorium een simulatie van blikseminslagen tussen de wolken en de aarde na te bootsen, binnenin een primordiale biosfeer, observeerden de wetenschappers de chemische reacties van deze atmosferische gebeurtenissen: het resultaat toonde een significante reductie van kooldioxide tot koolmonoxide en mierenzuur, terwijl stikstof werd omgezet in ammonium, nitriet en nitraat.

Uiteindelijk lijkt de bliksem de belangrijkste elementen voor de vorming van leven te hebben geproduceerd. Hoewel ze het leven niet direct creëerden, kunnen ze wel de voorwaarden hebben gecreëerd voor de ontwikkeling ervan. Als de atmosfeer van de jonge aarde inderdaad bestond uit niet-reactieve stikstofmoleculen, dan was de bliksem datgene wat ontbrak om de aanzet te geven tot de vorming van zaken die essentieel zijn voor het leven, zoals eiwitten en DNA. De zekerheid over wat er miljarden jaren geleden gebeurde, zal er echter misschien nooit komen.

{ https://www.curioctopus.nl/ }

15-08-2024 om 01:48 geschreven door peter  

The Ultimate Space Program Cover-Up: Unveiling Cold War UFO Secrets

The history of the Cold War is filled with intrigue, secrets, and a relentless quest for technological superiority. Amid this backdrop, new revelations suggest that the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union was not merely a competition to reach the stars, but also a smokescreen for one of the most extraordinary cover-ups in history: the existence of extraterrestrial beings and their advanced technology.

The Space Race: A Hidden Agenda?

During the Cold War, the rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union extended far beyond Earth’s atmosphere. The race to space, marked by milestones such as the launch of Sputnik and the Apollo moon landing, was more than just a demonstration of technological and ideological superiority. Declassified documents from the era hint at a darker, more secretive purpose: the exchange of intelligence on unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and their occupants.

The UFO phenomena became a significant concern for both superpowers. Reports of sightings and encounters were not just relegated to the fringes of society but were taken seriously by military and intelligence agencies. One of the most chilling accounts comes from a 1989 incident in Siberia, where a UFO allegedly retaliated after being shot down, resulting in the petrification of 23 Soviet soldiers. These soldiers were reportedly turned into a limestone-like substance, an event that remains unexplained and terrifying in its implications.

Operation Paperclip and the Cold War Tensions

The foundation for this clandestine competition can be traced back to the aftermath of World War II. With the collapse of Nazi Germany, both the United States and the Soviet Union scrambled to capture German scientists, engineers, and technological innovations. This effort was formalized in the U.S. through Operation Paperclip, which brought former Nazi experts to America, where they played pivotal roles in the development of the space program and military technology, including what would become NASA.

The Soviet Union, not to be outdone, initiated its own secret operation, absorbing thousands of German specialists to bolster its own technological capabilities. This transfer of knowledge and expertise fueled the Cold War arms race, including the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles and other advanced weaponry. But beyond the conventional arms race, there was an underlying competition to harness extraterrestrial technology, with both sides hoping to gain an insurmountable edge.

UFOs Over Washington and the Eisenhower Incident

The 1950s and 60s were a period of intense UFO activity. In 1952, a series of UFO sightings over Washington, D.C., caused widespread alarm. Radar operators detected unidentified objects that defied conventional explanations, and witnesses, including military personnel, reported strange lights and crafts maneuvering in ways that no known aircraft could replicate. The U.S. Air Force launched an investigation, ultimately attributing the sightings to weather phenomena, though many remain unconvinced by this explanation.

One of the most persistent rumors from this period involves President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Allegedly, Eisenhower had multiple secret meetings with extraterrestrials, facilitated by telepathic communication, at various military bases across the United States. While official documentation supporting these claims is non-existent, the story has been kept alive by testimonies from individuals who claim to have been involved or who heard about the meetings firsthand.

The Kingman Incident and the Alien Treaty

Further fueling the narrative of alien collaboration is the Kingman, Arizona incident of 1953. Reports from the time suggest that multiple UFOs crashed in the desert, with at least one intact craft recovered by the military. Eyewitness accounts describe the presence of alien bodies, some alive, at the crash site. Speculation abounds that this event was part of a larger exchange between the U.S. government and extraterrestrial beings, possibly involving the transfer of technology in return for certain concessions.

It is in this context that the so-called “Eisenhower Alien Treaty” is often discussed. According to some theories, Eisenhower, facing the growing threat of the Soviet Union and the need for technological superiority, entered into a secret agreement with these extraterrestrial visitors. This treaty allegedly granted the U.S. access to advanced alien technology, which would be critical in the ongoing Cold War.

President Kennedy and the Cover-Up

John F. Kennedy’s presidency, marked by its ambitious goals for space exploration, also intersects with this narrative. After a crucial meeting with Eisenhower in 1961, it is rumored that Kennedy was briefed on the alien treaty and the extent of the U.S. government’s interactions with extraterrestrials. Some believe that Kennedy shared details of these revelations with close confidante Marilyn Monroe, contributing to the many conspiracy theories surrounding their untimely deaths.

Kennedy’s vision for space exploration was not just about beating the Soviets to the moon; it was also about demonstrating American leadership in what was perceived as the next frontier of human achievement. However, if these theories hold any truth, Kennedy’s push for the Apollo program may have been motivated by more than just national pride—it could have been part of a broader strategy to integrate and deploy alien technology.

VIDEO:

• DECLASSIFIED – THE SPACE PROGRAM ULTIMATE COVER-UP | Aliens Uncovered | Full SCI-FI Documentary HD

• https://youtu.be/-L3KXmlPnjQ

While much of this remains in the realm of speculation and conspiracy, the declassified documents and testimonies suggest that there may be more to the story of the space race than what is taught in history books. The possibility that the Cold War space race was a cover for deeper, more secretive interactions with extraterrestrial beings adds a fascinating layer to our understanding of this period.

As researchers and enthusiasts continue to investigate these claims, the truth behind the ultimate cover-up—if it exists—remains one of the most tantalizing mysteries of our time. Whether or not we will ever uncover definitive proof of these allegations, the story of the space race and its possible connections to alien technology will continue to captivate and intrigue generations to come.

{ https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/ }

15-08-2024 om 01:41 geschreven door peter  

Astronauten gestrand in de ruimte: hoe zullen ze overleven?

Twee NASA-astronauten, Sunita “Suni” Williams en Commandant Barry “Butch” Wilmore, zijn onverwacht gestrand in de ruimte na een mislukte testvlucht van het Boeing Starliner ruimtevaartuig. In plaats van hun geplande terugkeer naar de aarde na acht dagen, worden ze geconfronteerd met een onzekere toekomst aan boord van het internationale ruimtestation (ISS).

NASA via Getty Images

De twee astronauten, beiden gepensioneerde marinekapiteins en ervaren ruimtevaarders, bevinden zich in een uitdagende situatie. Terwijl ingenieurs op aarde koortsachtig werken om de oorzaak van het probleem met het voortstuwingssysteem van het Starliner-ruimtevaartuig te achterhalen, blijven Williams en Wilmore optimistisch. Tijdens een persconferentie vanuit de ruimte in juli uitte Williams haar vertrouwen in de technische teams: “Ik heb een heel goed gevoel in mijn hart dat het ruimtevaartuig ons zonder problemen thuis zal brengen.”

Desondanks is het onzeker hoe lang het duo nog in de ruimte zal moeten blijven. Commandant Wilmore benadrukte het belang van de tests die nu worden uitgevoerd: “We vertrouwen erop dat de testen die we doen de testen zijn die we moeten doen om de juiste antwoorden te krijgen en om ons de gegevens te geven die we nodig hebben om terug te keren.”

Leven zonder zwaartekracht

Voor Williams en Wilmore is het leven in de ruimte ondertussen een bijzondere ervaring. In het ISS, waar zwaartekracht geen rol speelt, ervaren ze geen verschil tussen liggen, staan of zelfs ondersteboven zijn. Slapen kan overal in het ruimtestation, of het nu op de vloer, muur of plafond is, omdat er geen gevoel van richting is. Het ISS biedt slaapstations ter grootte van telefooncellen, waar de bemanning in een slaapzak kan rusten.

Naast hun dagelijkse werkzaamheden aan reparaties en experimenten, zoeken de astronauten ook naar manieren om hun tijd in de ruimte nuttig te besteden. Zo genieten ze van het adembenemende uitzicht op de aarde vanuit het observatoriumdek van het station. Daarnaast kunnen ze gebruik maken van de fitnessapparatuur aan boord, zoals het Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), dat hen in staat stelt traditionele oefeningen uit te voeren, zoals squats en bankdrukken, door gebruik te maken van vacuümtechnologie.

De Starliner kampt al even met technische mankementen. De capsule van Boeing had jaren geleden al op punt moeten staan.

Foto: Getty

De realiteit dringt door

Ondanks deze afleidingen blijft de harde realiteit van hun situatie aanwezig. “Die mantra die je hebt gehoord, ‘Falen is geen optie’, dat is waarom we hier nu blijven,” zei Wilmore eerder. De komende dagen zullen cruciaal zijn om te bepalen of Williams en Wilmore veilig naar de aarde kunnen terugkeren, of dat hun verblijf in de ruimte nog aanzienlijk langer zal duren.

Williams is een gewezen helikopterpiloot en Wilmore een gevechtspiloot.

Foto: Kyodo News

Recordbrekend verblijf?

Mocht het verblijf van Williams en Wilmore in de ruimte langer duren, dan zullen ze echter geen records breken. Het record voor de langste afzonderlijke ruimtevlucht staat op naam van de Russische kosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, die in 1995 maar liefst 437 dagen in de ruimte verbleef. Recente records zijn echter ook indrukwekkend: NASA-astronaut Frank Rubio keerde vorig jaar terug na een verblijf van 371 dagen in de ruimte.

• The post Astronauten gestrand in de ruimte: hoe zullen ze overleven? appeared first on Newsmonkey.

{ https://www.msn.com/nl-be/feed?ocid=msedgntp&pc=acts }

15-08-2024 om 00:20 geschreven door peter  

Explore an Apollo-era mission gone wrong in sci-fi mystery game 'Lifeless Moon' (video)

By Jeff Spry

Serenity Forge's latest sci-fi mystery game is an uncanny lunar excursion into oblivion.

A scene from Serenity Forge's "Lifeless Moon." 

(Image credit: Serenity Forge)

•  https://youtu.be/LsdcEBChh1s

With an eerie "The Twilight Zone" vibe and surreal cosmic elements, Stage 2 Studios and Serenity Forge's sci-fi video game called "Lifeless Moon" has arrived and we've got the odd launch trailer to share that highlights its immersive old-school storyline.

It's appears to be a trippy 3D action adventure release designed with platform stages that combine logic and puzzle-solving skills, where a pair of Apollo-era astronauts encounter a strangely familiar desert town during a dream-like expedition to the Moon. 

"Lifeless Moon" and its blurred realities was just launched July 9, 2024 for Xbox One/X/S, PlayStation 4 and 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam.

Here's the official synopsis:

"You've uncovered a cryptic mystery on the moon. Confront a strange phenomenon, tap into its extraordinary powers, and overcome psychological challenges to reveal the truth."

"Lifeless Moon" acts as sort of a spiritual successor to Serenity Forge's "Lifeless Planet" from 2014,  and its "Lost"-style narrative design was influenced by classic science fiction literature and films where lunar explorers face inexplicable anomalies in time and space. It's also a throwback to TV series like "The Outer Limits," which often depicted astronauts or test pilots facing disorienting situations, psychological experiments, and dangerous discoveries while on routine missions.

Serenity Forge's "Lifeless Moon" is available now on your favorite gaming platform.

{ https://www.space.com/ 

14-08-2024 om 01:44 geschreven door peter  

Mars was once wet, but now its surface is desiccated. Its meagre atmosphere contains only a tiny trace amount of water vapour. But new research says the planet contains ample liquid water. Unfortunately, it’s kilometres under the surface, well out of reach.

A 2018 photo of Mars during a dust storm, snapped by the Hubble Space Telescope. More than 3 billion years ago, the dusty red planet had oceans and rivers. That water disappeared, leaving only ice on the surface, most of it in the polar caps. A new analysis of Mars' interior suggests that much of the liquid water still exists in the pores of rocks 10-20 kilometers below the surface.

NASA, ESA, STScI

The question of what happened to Mars’ water is an enduring one. There’s ample evidence showing that water flowed across the planet’s surface, carving out river channels, creating sediment deltas, and filling lakes. It may even have had ocenas. The planet was likely warm and wet until around 3.8 billion years ago, during the transition from the Noachian Period to the Hesperian Period. Over time it lost both its thick atmosphere and its water.

The most widely accepted explanation for the water’s disappearance is that the planet’s magnetic shield weakened and that the solar wind blew most of the water away into space.

New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) presents a new wrinkle in the Mars water mystery. Its title is “Liquid water in the Martian mid-crust,” and the first author is Vashan Wright, an assistant professor at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

“Understanding the Martian water cycle is critical for understanding the evolution of the climate, surface and interior,” Wright said in a press release. “A useful starting point is to identify where water is and how much is there.”

Wright and his colleagues worked with data from NASA’s InSight lander, which was sent to Mars to study the planet’s deep interior. InSight aimed to understand not only Mars but also the processes that shape all rocky planets. The mission ended in December 2022 when the lander became unresponsive, but scientists are still working with its data.

During its mission, InSight gathered seismic data with SEIS, the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure. SEIS was sensitive to Marsquakes and meteorite impacts, and the seismic data is helping scientists understand Mars’ interior, including its core, mantle, and crust.

“Large volumes of liquid water transiently existed on the surface of Mars more than 3 billion years ago,” the authors write in their published research. “Much of this water is hypothesized to have been sequestered in the subsurface or lost to space.”

Seismic waves sensed by SEIS can help determine if some of Mars’ water is in the planet’s subsurface. When seismic waves travel through a planet, they reveal information about the inner structure and composition. There are different types of waves, and some can’t travel through liquids. That’s how scientists learned that Earth has a liquid core.

Wave velocities and directions also reveal a lot. Velocity and direction change when the waves reach boundaries like the one between a planet’s crust and its mantle. Waves also provide information about the density and elasticity of materials they pass through. Changes in wave speed also reveal information about temperature differences.

But conclusions don’t jump out of data and announce themselves. Researchers have to work their way through the data and try to interpret it. The Mars science community is doing just that, and this research is the latest part of the effort.

An artist’s concept of the InSight lander on Mars after the lander’s robotic arm deployed a seismometer (domed object to the left of the lander) and a heat probe directly onto the ground. The lander stopped recording data in 2022, but scientists are still mining the data for information about Mars’ interior.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Previous researchers have tried to constrain the conditions under the InSight Lander in Elysium Planitia. Scientists use the term upper crust to describe the depth down to about 8km and the term lower crust to describe the depth between 8 km and about 20 km. Some research from orbiters showed that the upper crust is like a cryosphere that contains abundant frozen water. Orbital images of recent meteorite impacts appear to show exposed ice.

But this new research goes against that. The authors write that seismic waves “in the upper 8 km beneath InSight is lower than expected for an ice-saturated cryosphere.”

Previous research also showed that the lower crust contains either highly porous mafic rock or less porous felsic rock. However, it was difficult to determine how much water was contained in the pores.

That’s where this research comes in.

“We assess whether V_s, V_p, and bulk density ?_b data are consistent with liquid water-saturated pores in the mid-crust (11.5 ± 3.1 to 20 ± 5km) within 50 km of the InSight lander,” the authors write. V_s means the velocity of secondary seismic waves, V_p means the velocity of primary seismic waves, and p_b means bulk density. The bulk density means the mass of a volume unit of rock including any liquid trapped in its pores.

According to the authors, the mid-crust is one of our identifiable layers under the InSight lander. It may even be global, but there is not enough data to conclude that yet.

However, the researchers did reach another conclusion: “A mid-crust composed of igneous rock with thin fractures filled with liquid water can best explain the geophysical data.”

If the InSight Lander location is representative of the rest of Mars, the approximately 11.5 km to 20 km deep mid-crust could hold an enormous amount of water. There could be enough to cover the entire planet in a layer of water 1 to 2 km deep. Of course, this is just a thought exercise since Mars’ wouldn’t be able to hold onto the surface water.

If the planet does hold such a vast amount of water, it won’t be of much use to human visitors trying to establish a presence there. Even on Earth, drilling only 1 km into the surface is difficult. It’s challenging to conceive of a way to drill 11 km deep on Mars.

But where there’s water, there could be life.

“Establishing that there is a big reservoir of liquid water provides some window into what the climate was like or could be like,” said co-author Michael Manga, a UC Berkeley professor of earth and planetary science. “And water is necessary for life as we know it. I don’t see why [the underground reservoir] is not a habitable environment.”

It may very well be habitable, but that doesn’t mean it’s inhabited. It is at least a possibility, though.

We’ve found life at a depth of 5 km within Earth’s crust. Could the same thing be possible on Mars?

Just like the water, an answer to that question is well out of reach. For now.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

14-08-2024 om 01:19 geschreven door peter  

Incredible moment two Boeing 747 pilots are intercepted by several UFOs on flight - which did not show up on radar

By Olivia Christie

This is the incredible moment two airline pilots spot several white 'UFO' orbs during a flight that did not show up on the radar.  

The video, which was posted on YouTube by Captain Ruud Van Pangemanan, shows two pilots flying a Boeing 747 from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria.

Suddenly, the pair spotted objects that they described as being 'extremely bright' and 'moving freely' in the sky. 

According to Captain Ruud, the supposed UFO orbs showed up around 30 minutes into the flight after a 'normal take off and cruising'.

The video, which is titled 'UFO Intercept Captain Ruud Flight with Boeing 747' ends with the pilot convinced he has seen a UFO. 

He says: 'This is my experience of seeing something strange or UFO.

This is the incredible moment two airline pilots spot several white UFO orbs on flight that did not show up on the radar

'What we see is still a mystery.

'Before that, we thought it was a light plane but it wasn't on our radar.

'We thought maybe it was a star but the stars didn't move.

Read More

• Interactive map reveals locations of UK's 900 UFO sightings in last two years - as ex-MoD alien hunter says ministers MUST take threat seriously 

'The UFO light shone for a long time and moved.'

The pilots can be heard in the clip discussing different theories as to what they saw in the sky. 

They said they initially thought they were 'aircraft' but these would show up on the radar. 

The pair then considered drones but dismissed this theory as well as drones need to use the radar and don't have such bright lights. 

Their final consideration was satellites but Captain Rudd was not convinced by this idea either due to the way they moved 'in various ways'. 

However social media users reacting to the video were more sceptical of what the pilots saw. 

One person posted in response to a version of the clip on Reddit: : 'As an airline pilot we see these lights just about every late night/early morning flight we do.' 

The pilots described the objects they saw as being 'extremely bright' and 'moving freely' in the sky

They added: 'They always appear over the same part of the sky depending on the time and direction we are flying.'

Captain Ruud has 32 years of flying experience according to his Instagram account that has more than 130,000 followers. 

He works for Max Air which is a Nigerian airline operating domestic and international flights. 

The sighting comes after a Pentagon chief admitted last year that UFOs have been spotted 'all over the world'. 

Physicist Dr Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), said: 'We see these ['metallic orbs'] all over the world, and we see these making very interesting apparent maneuvers.'

Dr Kirkpatrick presented AARO's latest findings to NASA's independent team of scientists and other experts who have been tasked with studying the UFO phenomenon in May last year. 

She added that roughly two to five percent of around 800 cases their organisation constituted real and baffling anomalies.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

13-08-2024 om 23:26 geschreven door peter  

Boeing 747 Pilots Claim They Were Intercepted By UFOs That Didn’t Show Up On Radar

Lummi/Aerial Sunset View from Airplan

Kay Smythe - News and Commentary Writer

A now-viral video shared by a Boeing 747 pilot flying from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria in early August allegedly showed three strange lights near the aircraft.

The footage was shared by Captain Ruud Van Pangemanan, who said the glowing orbs showed up around 30 minutes into his flight (the 20-minute mark in the video posted to YouTube). You can clearly see Pangemanan’s co-pilot, and he is transfixed on the aerial phenomenon, which looks sort of like a lighthouse beacon in the sky as it flashes in and out in the sky.

Whatever the objects are, Pangemanan said they didn’t show up on radar. Similarly, his team thought the lights might be drones, though these would also presumably show up on radar.

Pangemanan dismissed the idea that the lights were satellites or stars. But I feel like the latter may be close to the truth, as this is more like a spook light than a straight UFO. Unlike UFOs, spook lights are just giant balls of light that are said to hover off the ground. Science explains them as “ball lightning.” Do I think Pangemanan videoed ball lightning in the atmosphere? No. But I’m not sure he’s captured a UFO either. 

• (RELATED: Big Names Line Up For Super Secretive UFO Movie … But We Are Extremely Confused)

My gut feeling, unlike more recent UFO sightings, is that this particular video is probably of something related to the recent meteor showers. Yes, these lights are a bit weird in the way they behave. But they just look like large fragments of exploding rock in our atmosphere.

I may be wrong; perhaps this is some type of military aircraft or possibly some type of cosmic event. But I feel like this is probably not legitimate. At least, I hope it isn’t.

If we want to go full tin-foil-hat and believe these are UFOs following Pangemanan fly to Nigeria then their behavior is somewhat disconcerting. Unlike most UFOs, which whiz through the skies in all sorts of directions, these ones seemed to hover, moving gradually. Almost like they’re watching.

And I really don’t like the idea of an interplanetary alien species taking the time to watch us humans as we go about our normal lives. 

• (RELATED: Two Major UFO Mysteries May Have Been ‘Solved’ After Decades)

Thankfully, I think this is literally just a series of really big shooting stars.

{ https://dailycaller.com/ }

13-08-2024 om 23:15 geschreven door peter  

Pilots intercepted by mystery ‘UFOs’ that went under the radar during flight

The pilots were flying from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria when they uncovered the 'UFOs'

Callum Jones

However, this flight was far from ordinary as the two pilots spotted objects that were described as being 'extremely bright' and 'moving freely' in the night sky.

Captain Ruud explains in the video titled 'UFO Intercept Captain Ruud Flight with Boeing 747' that the supposed 'UFO orbs' appeared around 30 minutes into the flight.

There was nothing out of the ordinary going on before then, with Captain Rudd stating a 'normal take off and cruising' took place prior to the alleged sighting.

The video concludes with the pilot convinced he had seen a UFO.

"This is my experience of seeing something strange or UFO," he explained in the video.

The pilot continued: "What we see is still a mystery. Before that, we thought it was a light plane but it wasn't on our radar.

"We thought maybe it was a star but the stars didn't move. The UFO light shone for a long time and moved."

The initial assumption here is it's just another aircraft, though this would show up on the pilots' radar.

On this occasion, they say nothing was to be seen.

Drones was another idea floated by those in the aircraft, but this would show up on the radar as well.

While we may not know for sure what the flashing lights were, a Pentagon chief did admit last year UFOs have been spotted 'all over the world'.

Physicist Dr Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, said: "We see these ['metallic orbs'] all over the world, and we see these making very interesting apparent manoeuvres."

The video has been viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube, with many now believing in UFOs.

"My wife and I sit in our garden here in the uk. Every single night, if we have a clear sky, you will see lights travel across the sky that will suddenly grow bright, exactly what you see in this video. I am actually so happy that a pilot has confirmed what we see," one person commented.

While a second added: " These things are real, and reporting them may help to at least plot where they are most prevalent. This in turn alerts others to be cautious."

• Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Captain Ruud Van Pangemanan

{ https://www.unilad.com/ }

13-08-2024 om 23:03 geschreven door peter  

ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter Spots Chloride-Bearing Deposits on Mars

Chloride deposits are markers for early Mars’ aqueous past, with important implications for the understanding of the Martian climate and habitability. Using high-resolution color-infrared images captured by the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) onboard ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), planetary researchers have performed a planet-wide search for chloride-bearing deposits in Terra Sirenum and other regions of Mars.

This CaSSIS/TGO image shows chloride-bearing deposits (purplish, scaley wave) in Terra Sirenum, Mars.

Image credit: ESA / TGO / CaSSIS.

“Mars is currently a desert world that used to be covered by rivers, lakes, and possibly oceans some 3.5 billion years ago,” said University of Bern researcher Valentin Bickel and his colleagues.

“A cold era began when Mars lost its magnetic field and could no longer hold its own atmosphere, leading to water evaporating, freezing, or becoming trapped within the surface.”

“As the water disappeared over time, it left mineral fingerprints on the surface.”

In the study, the researchers used a neural network to map potentially chloride-bearing deposits in CaSSIS images over a significant fraction of Mars.

They identified a total of 965 chloride deposit candidates with diameters ranging from 300 to 3,000 m.

“Most likely, those salt deposits formed from shallow ponds of water or brine that evaporated in the Sun,” the scientists said.

“People use a similar method to produce salt for human consumption in saltwater pools on Earth.”

“Very salty waters could have become a haven for life, a beacon for habitable places on Mars,” they added.

“High concentrations of salt allow water to remain liquid at temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.”

“The chloride deposits in the picture above and its direct relation to liquid water make areas such as Terra Sirenum good targets for future robotic missions searching for signs of life.”

“Chloride-bearing terrain does not stand out in regular black-and-white images but shows up as a distinct purple hue in color-infrared images, making CaSSIS a unique tool to study the distribution of salts across Mars.”

“Our paper includes never-seen-before data that helps us better understand the distribution of water in Mars’ distant past,” they said.

“TGO continues to image Mars from orbit to understand its ancient past and potential habitability.”

“The spacecraft is not only returning spectacular images, but also providing the best inventory of atmospheric gases and mapping the planet’s surface for water-rich locations.”

“Understanding the history of water on Mars and whether it once allowed life to flourish is at the heart of ESA’s ExoMars missions.”

• The team’s paper was published this month in the journal Scientific Data.
• V.T. Bickel et al. 2024. A Global Dataset of Potential Chloride Deposits on Mars as Identified by TGO CaSSIS. Sci Data 11, 845; doi: 10.1038/s41597-024-03685-3

{ https://www.sci.news/ }

13-08-2024 om 22:51 geschreven door peter  

Large Language Models Pose No Existential Threat to Humanity, Scientists Say

ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs), comprising billions of parameters and pre-trained on extensive web-scale corpora, have been claimed to acquire certain capabilities without having been specifically trained on them. These capabilities, referred to as emergent abilities, have been a driving force in discussions regarding the potentials and risks of language models. In their new paper, University of Bath researcher Harish Tayyar Madabushi and colleagues present a new theory that explains emergent abilities, taking into account their potential confounding factors, and rigorously substantiate this theory through over 1,000 experiments. Their findings suggest that purported emergent abilities are not truly emergent, but result from a combination of in-context learning, model memory, and linguistic knowledge.

Lu et al. suggest large language models like ChatGPT cannot learn independently or acquire new skills.

“The prevailing narrative that this type of AI is a threat to humanity prevents the widespread adoption and development of these technologies, and also diverts attention from the genuine issues that require our focus,” Dr. Tayyar Madabushi said.

Dr. Tayyar Madabushi and colleagues ran experiments to test the ability of LLMs to complete tasks that models have never come across before — the so-called emergent abilities.

As an illustration, LLMs can answer questions about social situations without ever having been explicitly trained or programmed to do so.

While previous research suggested this was a product of models ‘knowing’ about social situations, the researchers showed that it was in fact the result of models using a well-known ability of LLMs to complete tasks based on a few examples presented to them, known as ‘in-context learning’ (ICL).

Through thousands of experiments, the team demonstrated that a combination of LLMs ability to follow instructions, memory and linguistic proficiency can account for both the capabilities and limitations exhibited by LLMs.

“The fear has been that as models get bigger and bigger, they will be able to solve new problems that we cannot currently predict, which poses the threat that these larger models might acquire hazardous abilities including reasoning and planning,” Dr. Tayyar Madabushi said.

“This has triggered a lot of discussion — for instance, at the AI Safety Summit last year at Bletchley Park, for which we were asked for comment — but our study shows that the fear that a model will go away and do something completely unexpected, innovative and potentially dangerous is not valid.”

“Concerns over the existential threat posed by LLMs are not restricted to non-experts and have been expressed by some of the top AI researchers across the world.”

However, Dr. Tayyar Madabushi and co-authors maintain this fear is unfounded as their tests clearly demonstrated the absence of emergent complex reasoning abilities in LLMs.

“While it’s important to address the existing potential for the misuse of AI, such as the creation of fake news and the heightened risk of fraud, it would be premature to enact regulations based on perceived existential threats,” Dr. Tayyar Madabushi said.

“Importantly, what this means for end users is that relying on LLMs to interpret and perform complex tasks which require complex reasoning without explicit instruction is likely to be a mistake.”

“Instead, users are likely to benefit from explicitly specifying what they require models to do and providing examples where possible for all but the simplest of tasks.”

“Our results do not mean that AI is not a threat at all,” said Technical University of Darmstadt’s Professor Iryna Gurevych.

“Rather, we show that the purported emergence of complex thinking skills associated with specific threats is not supported by evidence and that we can control the learning process of LLMs very well after all.”

“Future research should therefore focus on other risks posed by the models, such as their potential to be used to generate fake news.”

• Sheng Lu et al. 2024. Are Emergent Abilities in Large Language Models just In-Context Learning? arXiv: 2309.01809

{ https://www.sci.news/ }

13-08-2024 om 22:34 geschreven door peter  

An artist’s concept of the InSight lander on Mars after the lander’s robotic arm deployed a seismometer (domed object to the left of the lander) and a heat probe directly onto the ground. The lander stopped recording data in 2022, but scientists are still mining the data for information about Mars’ interior. 

Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

Mid-Crust of Mars May Contain ‘Oceans of Liquid Water’

New data about the Martian crust gathered by NASA’s InSight lander allowed geophysicists at the University of California San Diego and the University of California Berkeley to estimate that the amount of groundwater could cover the entire planet to a depth of between 1 and 2 km. It’s located in tiny cracks and pores in rock in the planet’s mid-crust, between 11.5 and 20 km below the surface.

A cutout of the Martian interior beneath NASA’s Insight lander. The top 5 kilometers of the crust appear to be dry, but a new study provides evidence for a zone of fractured rock 11.5-20 km below the surface that is full of liquid water — more than the volume proposed to have filled hypothesized ancient Martian oceans. 

Credit: James Tuttle Keane and Aaron Rodriquez / Scripps Institution of Oceanography

“Liquid water existed at least episodically on Mars in rivers, lakes, oceans, and aquifers during the Noachian and Hesperian, more than 3 billion years ago,” said Dr. Vashan Wright from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego and colleagues.

“Mars lost its ability to host persistent bodies of liquid water on its surface after the planet lost most of its atmosphere during this time period.”

“The ancient surface water may have been incorporated in minerals, buried as ice, sequestered as liquid in deep aquifers, or lost to space.”

For the study, Dr. Wright and his colleagues used data that InSight collected during a four-year mission ending in 2022.

The lander collected information from the ground directly beneath it on variables such as the speed of marsquake waves from which scientists can infer what substances reside beneath the surface.

NASA InSight's first full selfie on Mars. It displays the lander's solar panels and deck. On top of the deck are its science instruments, weather sensor booms and UHF antenna. The selfie was taken on Dec. 6, 2018 (sol 10). The selfie is made up of 11 images which were taken by its Instrument Deployment Camera, located on the elbow of its robotic arm. Those images are then stitched together into a mosaic.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The data were fed into a model informed by a mathematical theory of rock physics.

From it, the researchers determined that the presence of liquid water in the crust most plausibly explained the data.

“Establishing that there is a big reservoir of liquid water provides some window into what the climate was like or could be like,” said University of California Berkeley’s Professor Michael Manga.

“And water is necessary for life as we know it. I don’t see why the underground reservoir is not a habitable environment. It’s certainly true on Earth — deep, deep mines host life, the bottom of the ocean hosts life.”

“We haven’t found any evidence for life on Mars, but at least we have identified a place that should, in principle, be able to sustain life.”

{ https://www.sci.news/ }

13-08-2024 om 22:28 geschreven door peter