Met behulp van de VISTA-telescoop van de Europese Zuidelijke Sterrenwacht heeft een team van astronomen meer dan 13 jaar lang de centrale delen van ons Melkwegstelsel waargenomen.

De eerste waarneming dateert al van 2010. Het hele project resulteerde in 500 terabytes aan gegevens. Daarmee is het het grootste waarnemingsproject dat ooit is uitgevoerd met een telescoop van ESO, de organisatie van 16 EU-landen die het heelal afspeurt vanuit een observatorium in Chili.

De hele kaart is zo groot dat ze niet in één beeld weergegeven kan worden. Hij omvat een resem hemellichamen, van nieuwe sterren in hun "stof-cocons" tot zogenaamde bolvormige sterrenhopen, een cluster van sterren rond een sterrenstelsel. 

Doordat het team verschillende keren dezelfde hoekjes van het heelal afspeurde, kon het niet alleen de objecten zelf in kaart brengen, maar ook hoe ze bewegen en mogelijke schommelingen in helderheid.

Verschillenden kaarten van onze Melkweg: van chemische samenstelling over interstellair stof tot de snelheid waarmee objecten bewegen

Langverwacht

"Dit is een project waar we al jaren naar uitkijken", zegt Leen Decin, hoogleraar Sterrenkunde aan de KU Leuven in De Wereld Vandaag. "De kaarten die we nu hebben binnengekregen, zijn ongelofelijk gedetailleerd, met miljoenen sterren."

"In 2012 hadden we al eens een voorlopige kaart gekregen van het Melkwegstelsel (het sterrenstelsel waar ons zonnestelsel, en dus ook de aarde, zich in bevindt, red.). Maar nu hebben ze gedurende 420 nachten waarnemingen gedaan. Al dat licht hebben ze gebundeld om één gedetailleerde kaart te maken. Dat geeft ons heel wat nieuwe informatie over ons eigen Melkwegstelsel."

Deze kaart, die door hetzelfde team is gemaakt, bevat 10 keer meer informatie dan die uit 2012.

"De Melkweg is enkele honderdduizenden lichtjaren groot. Het is gigantisch. Maar het is niet het enige. Wij wonen in één zo'n melkwegstelsel, maar er zijn nog honderdduizenden andere. Wij hebben nu ons eigen huisje wat beter in kaart gebracht, en niet door gewoon te kijken in het optische licht, dat dat we zien met onze eigen ogen. De VISTA-telescoop kijkt in infraroodlicht, zoals de infrarode stralen in een microgolfoven."

Dwars door ruimtestof heen

Zonder dat infrarood licht zou dat niet gelukt zijn. "Infrarode stralen zijn veel langer dan ons optisch licht. Het is veel gevoeliger voor koude objecten, waardoor we veel meer planeten kunnen ontdekken."

"Het kan ook gemakkelijk door stof heen kijken. Als je thuis niet poetst, krijg je stofwolkjes. Dat ligt er, maar we kunnen er niet doorheen kijken. Wel, als we met een infraroodcamera zouden kijken, dan zou het lijken alsof dat stof niet aanwezig is. Zo zitten er in het melkwegstelsel ook veel stofdeeltjes. En ook daar kijkt de VISTA-telescoop los door. Je kan dus veel dieper kijken in ons melkwegstelsel." 

Die kaart moeten we ons trouwens vooral niet voorstellen als een klassieke kaart. "Je ziet kleine en grote sterren en heel veel planeten. Maar je ziet ook bruine dwergen. Dat zijn mislukte sterren, sterren die net niet zwaar genoeg zijn geweest om binnenin hun eigen kernreactor op te starten."

"Je ziet ook sterren die heel dicht in de buurt zijn gekomen van het zwarte gat in het midden van ons eigen Melkwegstelsel. Als sterren daar heel dichtbij komen, kunnen ze worden opgeslorpt of weggeslingerd. Als ze worden weggeslingerd, hebben ze een heel grote snelheid. Die hebben we ook in groten getale ontdekt op de kaart."

Een zogenaamde bolvormige sterrenhoop, een cluster van sterren rond een sterrenstelsel, op de nieuwe kaart.

Foto: ESO

"Op die kaart gaan we nu nog jaren werken. Als je waarnemingen binnen krijgt, zijn die heel ruw. Die moeten gekalibreerd worden, de oneffenheden moeten eruit worden gehaald. Nu is alles echter mooi. Daarop zullen we nu beginnen werken. De volgende jaren zal je op tijd en stond nieuwigheden van ons horen."

Iedereen kan meehelpen

"We zullen bijvoorbeeld veel beter begrijpen wat er vlakbij het zwart gat in ons melkwegstelsel gebeurt. Daar zitten sterren tussen die pulseren: het licht wordt afwisselend helderder en minder helder. Als je weet hoe dat werkt, kan je een techniek toepassen om afstanden te meten. We zullen de afstanden in ons melkwegstelsel dus veel beter kunnen meten."

"Wat we ook willen weten, is hoeveel zware en minder zware sterren er zijn. Dat vertelt ons immers iets over de geschiedenis van ons eigen melkwegstelsel. Beetje bij beetje zullen we onze kennis kunnen verbreden of verdiepen."

Er is immers nog heel veel dat we nog niet weten over onze eigen melkweg. "Het is ook maar één bouwsteen van het universum. We hebben honderden miljarden andere melkwegstelsels. Wanneer we het onze beter begrijpen, zullen we ook beter begrijpen wat er bij de buren gebeurt. Eerst moet je je eigen huis kennen. Daarom is het zo cruciaal dat we nu een ongelofelijk accuraat beeld krijgen van ons eigen melkwegstelsel."

Iedereen kan daar trouwens aan meewerken in zogenaamde burgerprojecten. "Iedereen die interesse heeft in sterrenkunde kan aan de slag met onze waarnemingen. Die worden binnen de 6 maanden tot een jaar publiek gemaakt. Je kan meehelpen om die data te analyseren en nieuwe ontdekkingen te doen."

{ https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/ }

27-09-2024 om 00:42 geschreven door peter  

Two images of the Moon from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper. The top is a black and white view of the north polar region while the bottom is a spectral map of water and hydroxyls seen in the south polar region.

Credit: NASA/ISRO/M3 Team/PSI/R. Clark

When you look at the Moon, you don’t see any water on its surface. That doesn’t mean there isn’t any. In fact, there’s a lot of “wetness” on the Moon, but it’s in places and forms we can’t see. Understanding where all those resources are is the subject of a study based on NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) data taken from aboard the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft.

The analysis performed by a team led by Planetary Science Institute senior scientist Roger Clark shows that there are many sources of water and a group of chemicals called “hydroxyls” (OH). Water lies hidden in ice deposits in shaded areas, and inside enriched rocks.

Hydroxyls are interesting. They form as solar protons interact with electrons on the Moon’s surface. That creates hydrogen atoms which hook up with oxygen atoms found in silicates and other oxygen-bearing molecules in the lunar regolith. Together, the hydrogen and oxygen make hydroxyl molecules, which are a component of water. While it would take some work, mining those “raw materials” for water on the Moon could be a huge boost for future crewed missions, according to Clark.

“Future astronauts may be able to find water even near the equator by exploiting these water-rich areas. Previously, it was thought that only the polar region, and in particular, the deeply shadowed craters at the poles were where water could be found in abundance,” said Clark. “Knowing where water is located not only helps to understand lunar geologic history but also where astronauts may find water in the future.”

How They Identified Lunar Water Sources

Searching out sources of lunar water requires special instruments. This is where the Chandrayaan mission and NASA’s mineralogy mapper data came in handy. Clark and his team zeroed in on a set of data taken by the lander’s imaging spectrometer from 2008-2009. This infrared spectroscopy data contains the spectral fingerprints of both water and hydroxyl in sunlight reflected from the Moon’s surface. The M3 instrument dissected the light into 85 different visible and infrared “colors”. That’s how they were able to spot the distinctive hints of water and hydroxyls across much of the Moon.

The team also looked at the location and geologic contexts of water and hydroxyl distribution. They also had to take into account the “lifetime” of these resources on the Moon. Interestingly, water gets slowly destroyed over time. Hydroxyl, however, lasts much longer. So, for example, if a crater smacks into the lunar surface, the “wet” rocks it “digs up” will lose that content over time through the action of the solar wind. The result is a diffuse layer or “aura” of hydroxyls that remain behind. In other places, solar wind protons that collide with the surface contribute to a thin layer or “patina” of hydroxyls on the surface. The hydroxyls last much longer and exist on the Moon up to millions of years.

“Putting all the evidence together, we see a lunar surface with complex geology with significant water in the sub-surface and a surface layer of hydroxyl. Both cratering and volcanic activity bring water-rich materials to the surface, and both are observed in the lunar data,” Clark said.

Using Precious Lunar Resources

Lunar rocks may well help supply water to future visitors to the Moon. There are two kinds of rocks there. The dark mare rocks are mainly basaltic (like Hawaiian lava). The other type is the anorthosite rock. It exists in various places, including the lunar highlands. The anorthosites are relatively “wet” while the basalts remain very dry. The two rock types also contain hydroxyls bonded to different minerals.

The water-rich anorthosites should be a target for harvesting by lunar astronauts. To get a good supply, you have to heat the rocks and soils. The result of that process could be a long-lasting water supply. You could also get it by using methods to create chemical reactions that liberate hydroxyl and combine four hydroxyls to create oxygen and water.

Of course, a more immediate source lies at the poles. That’s where ice lies hidden inside shaded crater walls or under the surface, preserved for millions of years. That source is likely more easily harvested, but you still have to transport the water to other lunar regions. The downsides of getting water from rocks are the expense and the energy required to heat them for extraction. NASA and other agencies (such as the Chinese space agency) are looking at all the methods of producing supplies for upcoming missions. Studying the locations of ice deposits and hydroxyls is just one part of a larger “search for water” that will benefit future lunar bases.

For More Information

• Sources of Water and Hydroxyl are Widespread on the Moon
• The Global Distribution of Water and Hydroxyl on the Moon as Seen by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3)

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

26-09-2024 om 23:39 geschreven door peter  

The new historical temperature comes from an effort named PhanDA, which stands for Phanerozoic Data Assimilation. PhanDA combined data from climate models with data from geology to determine how the climate has changed over the last nearly 500 million years. The Phanerozoic is Earth’s current geological eon, and it started 538.8 million years ago. It’s known for the proliferation of life, and its beginning is marked by the appearance of the hard shells of animals in the fossil record.

PhanDA is a mix of data and prior simulations by the scientific community. “This approach leverages the strengths of both proxies and models as sources of information, providing an innovative way to explore the temporal and spatial patterns in Earth’s climate across the Phanerozoic,” the researchers write in their paper. It allowed the researchers to reconstruct the climate more thoroughly.

“This method was originally developed for weather forecasting,” said Judd. “Instead of using it to forecast future weather, here we’re using it to hindcast ancient climates.”

We’re blowing by atmospheric carbon benchmarks, and the Earth is warming. We’re now at over 420 ppm of CO₂. The best way to understand what’s coming our way is by looking at the past.

“If you’re studying the past couple of million years, you won’t find anything that looks like what we expect in 2100 or 2500,” said co-author Scott Wing, the curator of paleobotany at the National Museum of Natural History. Wing’s research focuses on the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, a period of dramatic global warming 55 million years ago. “You need to go back even further to periods when the Earth was really warm, because that’s the only way we’re going to get a better understanding of how the climate might change in the future.”

During the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), a massive amount of carbon was emitted into the atmosphere and the oceans. The Earth’s temperature reacted swiftly, warming by between five and eight degrees Celsius in only a few thousand years. While a few thousand years might seem long compared to a human lifetime, it’s nearly instantaneous for the climate of an entire planet. It likely triggered the massive extinction of between 35% to 50% of benthic life. Fossils show that during this time, sub-tropical planets grew in the polar regions.

Many scientists think the PETM is the best analogue for what we’re facing today. No matter what we do with our emissions in the next several decades, much of the carbon humanity has released into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution will persist in the atmosphere for thousands of years.

PhanDA illustrates the unbreakable link between carbon and global warming. According to co-author Jessica Tierney, a paleoclimatologist at the University of Arizona, the link between the climate and carbon is undeniable. “This research illustrates clearly that carbon dioxide is the dominant control on global temperatures across geological time,” said Tierney. “When CO₂ is low, the temperature is cold; when CO₂ is high, the temperature is warm.”

While proof of the link between climate and carbon isn’t new, this long timeframe drives it home. “The consistency of this relationship is surprising because, on this timescale, we expect solar luminosity to influence climate,” the authors write. “We hypothesize that changes in planetary albedo and other greenhouse gases (e.g., methane) helped compensate for the increasing solar luminosity through time.”

Overall, Earth’s global mean surface temperature (GMST) ranged from 11° to 36°C during the Phanerozoic, a larger range than previously thought. It also shows that greenhouse climates were hotter than thought. The largest temperature swings were in the high latitudes, but tropical temperatures ranged from 22 C to 42 C. This goes against the idea that the tropics have a fixed upper limit and shows that life must have evolved to survive in those higher temperatures.

The research also shows that our current climate is actually cooler than the climate through most of the Phanerozoic. Technically, Earth is in an ice age right now, though the ice is receding and has been for thousands of years. Earth’s current GMST is 15 Celsius, lower than during most of the Phanerozoic.

But while that may sound comforting, it’s not. It’s the rate of change in the GMST that’s dangerous. Our GHG emissions are warming the planet faster than at any time during the Phanerozoic.

“Humans, and the species we share the planet with, are adapted to a cold climate,” Tierney said. “Rapidly putting us all into a warmer climate is a dangerous thing to do.”

While PhanDA is generally in agreement with previous climate reconstructions, it deviates in some ways. For example, cold climate periods don’t always coincide with glaciation and ice ages. Earth’s surface is ever-changing, and that can make some conclusions difficult to reach. “Many of the traditional glacial indicators can have nonglacial origins, complicating the interpretation of the rock record, and limited outcrop of older rocks and poor age control can make it difficult to discern between isolated alpine glaciers and widespread ice sheets,” the authors explain.

But that doesn’t take much away from PhanDA. It strengthens our understanding of climate and carbon.

Shockingly, the work suggests that Earth’s climate is even more sensitive to CO₂ than some current models show.

“PhanDA GMST exhibits a strong relationship with atmospheric CO2 concentrations, demonstrating that CO₂ has been the dominant force controlling global climate variations across the Phanerozoic,” the authors write in their conclusion.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

26-09-2024 om 22:58 geschreven door peter  

Researchers have developed a set of hexagon-shaped robotic components that can be snapped together into larger and larger structures. Each one of the component hexagons is made of rigid plates that serve as its exoskeleton. Driven by electricity, the plates can change their shape, shifting from long and narrow to wide and flat at high speed. The combined structures are capable of jumping four times their own body height, then can shape-shift to roll extremely fast, or use multimodal actuation to crawl through confined spaces.

The robotic components were developed at the Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS). The modules are made of six lightweight rigid plates made from glass fiber that form a hexagon. Magnets embedded into the plates allows for quick connection to other components as well as providing a shared electrical ground between the modules.

The design team integrated artificial “muscles” into the inner joints of the hexagons, called hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) muscles. Applying a high voltage to the module causes the muscle to activate, rotating the joints of the hexagon and changing its shape from long and narrow to wide and flat.

“Combining soft and rigid components in this way enables high strokes and high speeds. By connecting several modules, we can create new robot geometries and repurpose them for changing needs,” said  Ellen Rumley, a visiting researcher from the University of Colorado Boulder, in a press release from MPI-IS. Rumley and Zachary Yoder, who are both Ph.D. students working in the Robotic Materials Department, are co-first authors of a new paper, “Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules for rapidly reconfigurable high-speed robots,” published in Science Robotics.

The modules are reconfigurable, with an easy process of attaching or detaching the modules. Chains of modules can be rapidly connected and can operate from one voltage source. The modules can each have their own behaviors, which allows for various operations.

The team created a video to show the various configurations and behaviors that can be created with HEXEL modules. The modules can be seen rolling, dancing, jumping, crawling, and many other motions.  

“In general, it makes a lot of sense to develop robots with reconfigurable capabilities,” said Yoder. “It’s a sustainable design option – instead of buying five different robots for five different purposes, we can build many different robots by using the same components. Robots made from reconfigurable modules could be rearranged on demand to provide more versatility than specialized systems, which could be beneficial in resource-limited environments.”

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

26-09-2024 om 22:27 geschreven door peter  

We have known that water ice exists on the Moon since 1998. These large deposits are found in the permanently shadowed craters around the polar region. The challenge is how to get it since shadowed craters are not the best place for solar powered vehicles to operate. A team of engineers have identified a design for an ice-mining vehicle powered by americium-241. With a half-life of 432 years, this element is an ideal power source for a vehicle to operate in the dark for several decades. 

Ice in the polar regions of the Moon is of vital importance for our future space explorations, not just lunar visits but as we stretch our legs in the Solar System. Its thought to be ancient material deposited by comets or formed by interactions with solar wind. It is expensive to take materials to the Moon so harvesting on site is far more efficient. Ice on the Moon can provide drinking water, oxygen for breaking and even hydrogen for rocket fuel. Surveys suggest something in the region of 600 billion kilograms of ice deposited at the lunar poles. 

The challenge facing future lunar harvesting missions is that operations in the permanently  shadowed regions (or PSRs as they have been called) cannot be powered by solar panels as is often the case. The environment is cold too, in the region of 40K, that’s -233?C and at those temperatures special power considerations are required. 

A team of researchers have been exploring the use of Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) to provide thermal and electrical power systems. These power systems have been used before during deep space missions for example Voyager and New Horizons. They work by generating electricity using the heat that is released from the natural decay of a radioactive isotope usually plutonium-238.

The team led by Marzio Mazzotti from the University of Leicester have explored an ice-mining rover using power generated by the radio activate decay fo Americium-241. It has a half-life of 432 years which means it takes 432 years for half of a sample of Americium to decay. During this time, half of the atoms in the substance will transform into a different element. Using this power source will provide a stable power supply for an ice-mining rover in the darkness of the lunar polar craters for decades.

Using a radioisotope power system is not new however the team came upon the idea that the excess heat that is not used can be used to thermally mine ice from samples of lunar material. The rover would be fitted with a sublimation plate that would turn any ice deposits into a gas which would be collected in a cold trap.

The team developed a model of its Thermal Management System and tested it for icy regolith (the fine dusty lunar surface) material with a water ice content of 0-10 vol %. Their simulations showed that it is possible to mine ice using thermal techniques in the PSR of the Moon using an RPS (I had to really concentrate writing that sentence!) powered lunar rover. 

Source : 

• Ice-Mining Lunar Rover using Americium-241 Radioisotope Power Systems

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

26-09-2024 om 22:12 geschreven door peter  

Image shows UFO downed by US fighter jet in Canadian airspace days after Chinese spy craft incident

Object shot down over Yukon Territory believed to be 'small metallic balloon with a tethered payload'

 By Louis Casiano Fox News

26-09-2024 om 21:42 geschreven door peter  

• This new map of the Milky Way contains 10 times more objects than ever before 
• It reveals details of our galaxy's core which had been previously hidden 

By Wiliam Hunter

From the violent births of newborn stars to the hidden mysteries of the galactic core, these new images show the Milky Way as you've never seen it before.

After 13 years of observations, scientists have now revealed the most detailed map of our galaxy ever made.

Using infrared light, astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) peered through the dust and gas which normally hides the centre of the galaxy.

Their vast survey shows 1.5 billion moons, stars, and planets and covers an area of sky equivalent to 8,600 full moons.

Lead researcher Dante Minniti, of the Universidad Andrés Bello in Chile, says: 'We made so many discoveries, we have changed the view of our Galaxy forever.'

Researchers have created the most detailed map of the Milky Way ever created, capturing stunning images of the 1.5 billion stars, planets, and moons captured by the survey

This latest map covers an area equivalent to 8,600 full moons. This diagram shows the area covered by the latest survey covered by the map. The red regions show areas covered by the previous largest observation project 

Over 420 nights of observation, the ESO's VISTA telescope scanned the same regions of the sky to build up an enormously detailed map of the faintest objects.

The researchers' efforts have resulted in the largest map of our galaxy ever made.

This new map, known as the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea extended (VVVX), is composed of over 200,000 individual images taken between 2010 and 2023.

With 1.5 billion objects recorded, the VVVX contains about 10 times more objects than the previous biggest map released in 2012.

The resulting dataset is so vast that it contains 500 terabytes of data - roughly equivalent to 124,000 high-definition movies.

Images released by the researchers reveal bright glowing nebulas and vast clusters of stars.

Using an infrared telescope, the researchers were able to observe features such formation of new stars. This image shows a stellar nursery called NGC 6357 where hot young stars are formed out of gas 

Since infrared light passes through gas and dust these images reveal more details of galactic processes. This image shows a pair of newly forming stars 22,000 and 9,000 lightyears away from us

In one image, the VVVX captures a pair of stunning nebulas, called NGC 3603 and NGC 3576, which are 22,000 and 9,000 lightyears from Earth respectively.

Inside these distant clouds of gas, researchers can see the intense forces which give birth to new stars.

At the other end of the cosmic spectrum, another image shows Messier 22, a cluster of extremely old stars located 10,000 lightyears from Earth.

These distant groups of stars are among some of the oldest objects in the galaxy.

Dr Minniti told MailOnline that the survey also revealed a number of unknown objects known by the researchers as WIT - standing for 'What is this?'

While these images are beautiful, the depth and detail of this new map also give researchers a window into the inner workings of the Milky Way.

The map also reveals some of the oldest objects in the Galaxy such as the globular cluster Messier 22 (pictured) which is 10,000 lightyears from Earth 

These images are not just pretty but also provide astronomers with the basis for future research into the most difficult-to-observe regions of the Milky Way. Pictured: The NGC 6188 Firebird Nebula 

Dr Minniti says: 'We have a much clearer picture of the inner and far regions of the Milky Way disk now, that help us to understand how our Galaxy was assembled and how it evolved with time.'

The dataset is so large that the researchers have not yet finished inspecting all of the new discoveries.

However, the team hope that their observations will lay the basis for the work of future astronomers.

Co-lead author Dr Philip Lucas, an astronomer at the University of Hertfordshire, told MailOnline: 'The map will become the international standard for studying the southern Milky Way in decades to come.'

The new map's biggest advantage is that it allows astronomers to look into regions of the galaxy normally hidden by most telescopes.

Infrared light lets the researchers look into the core of the galaxy which is normally obscured by gas and dust. Pictured: The Omega Nebula, 5,5000 lightyears from Earth 

This photo compares an image of the Carina Nebula from the new map (top) with an image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope 

Light in the visible spectrum is blocked by the clouds of gas and dust which populate the Milky Way but infrared light passes through these obstructions.

By tracking these objects in the core over such a long time, the researchers were able to chart how they moved and build up a 3D map of the galaxy's innermost regions.

Dr Lucas says that this allows researchers to observe objects such as a new type of elderly giant star nicknamed an 'old smoker' in ways that have not been possible before.

These ancient stars can sit quietly for decades before unexpectedly producing clouds of smoke.

Dr Lucas says: 'Their strange behaviour is a good old fashioned astrophysical mystery.'

However, the infrared imaging from VVVX map can provide new data about these elusive objects.

Infrared imaging also allowed the researchers to spot extremely cold objects like free-floating planets which don't orbit any star or burned-out stars called brown dwarfs.

The researchers are now preparing to upgrade the VISTA telescope with new instruments so they can gather more spectral data about the 1.5 billion objects surveyed.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

26-09-2024 om 21:06 geschreven door peter  

Key takeaways

Wetenschappers hebben onlangs een laboratoriumexperiment uitgevoerd waarbij het gebruik van kernwapens om een asteroïde af te buigen werd gesimuleerd. Ze bombardeerden een kleine “schijnasteroïde” ter grootte van een knikker met röntgenstralen die werden gegenereerd door ’s werelds krachtigste röntgenapparaat in Sandia National Laboratories.

De röntgenstralen verdampten het oppervlak van de nagebouwde asteroïde en stuwden hem de andere kant op, waardoor hij in feite een raketmotor werd. De namaakasteroïde bereikte snelheden van 250 kilometer per uur, vergelijkbaar met een hogesnelheidstrein. Dit experiment was het eerste dat voorspellingen bevestigde over hoe röntgenstraling een asteroïde zou beïnvloeden.

Begrijpen van de afbuiging van een asteroïde

Dit concept bouwt voort op het succes van NASA’s DART-missie in 2022, waarbij een ruimtevaartuig met succes een grote asteroïde uit koers bracht. Voor grotere asteroïden, zoals asteroïden die massale uitsterving kunnen veroorzaken, is het misschien niet voldoende om er gewoon een ruimtevaartuig tegenaan te laten knallen.

De theorie suggereert dat een kernexplosie het oppervlak van een asteroïde zou kunnen verdampen, waardoor het van de baan van de aarde wordt geduwd. Deze methode is gebaseerd op het feit dat een groot deel van de energie van een kernexplosie vrijkomt in de vorm van röntgenstraling, die zeer effectief is in het verdampen van materie in de ruimte.

Uitdagingen en implicaties

Hoewel dit concept veelbelovend is, zijn er nog steeds belangrijke uitdagingen te overwinnen. Wetenschappers moeten de verschillende samenstellingen van asteroïden begrijpen en strategieën ontwikkelen om een kernwapen effectief in te zetten zonder de aarde in gevaar te brengen. Het succes van zo’n missie is afhankelijk van het ruim van tevoren detecteren van potentiële bedreigingen, zodat er voldoende tijd is voor planning en uitvoering.

De onderzoekers schatten dat röntgenstraling van een kernwapen van één megaton een asteroïde tot vier kilometer breed zou kunnen afbuigen, ervan uitgaande dat er voldoende voorbereidingstijd is. Hoewel de schaal van een echte missie met een nucleair apparaat ontmoedigend is, biedt dit onderzoek waardevolle inzichten in de potentiële effectiviteit van het gebruik van kernenergie om de aarde te beschermen tegen verwoestende inslagen van asteroïden.

{ https://www.msn.com/nl-be/ }

26-09-2024 om 17:31 geschreven door peter  

26-09-2024 om 01:45 geschreven door peter  

EXCLUSIVE / Ex-military official reveals what the US Air Force REALLY shot down during UFO encounter over Alaska

• READ MORE: US Senate Armed Services Committee will hold new UFO hearings

By Matthew Phelan Senior Science Reporter For Dailymail.Com

A tantalizing image of a UFO shot down by the US Air Force last year has left public speculation rife over what the horseshoe-shaped white visage actually depicts.

Some have compared it to the silvery, chevron-shaped crafts first reported by pilot Kenneth Arnold in 1947 — the historic sighting that launched the modern era of 'flying saucer' cases.

Others have compared it ominously to the alien 'engineer' spacecraft in the Ridley Scott's 2012 sci-fi horror film 'Prometheus.'

But DailyMail.com has spoken to a former officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), who has discussed the case with three active-duty members of the operational staff directly involved in this February 11, 2023 UFO shootdown.

Canada has released the first-ever image of the UFO shot down during a chase above Alaska and the Yukon initiated during the Chinese spy balloon drama of February 2023 (above)

Some have compared the UFO ominously to the alien 'engineer' spacecraft in the Ridley Scott's 2012 sci-fi horror film 'Prometheus'

According to this source, retired RCAF warrant officer Rocky Swanson, the military officers involved said the object was difficult to track.

But once they got close, they could 'very clearly' see it was a balloon, similar to the Chinese spy craft shot down days before this encounter. 

'I've spoken to three different folks that were involved in that particular event,' Swanson told DailyMail.com, 'and their stories are all the same.'

'For the most part, you're staring at a white object in a white sky, right? And so they are looking for this thing — and it's small — and they're having a hard time tracking it, because there's not a lot to track.'

'They're flying in an extraordinarily remote area,' he continued, 'trying to look for basically a needle in a stack of needles, you know?'

From his conversations with military personnel involved in the case, he believes that the image depicts the underside of a aerial platform not dissimilar from the larger Chinese spy balloon with its intelligence-collecting package hanging beneath it.  

'The round shape that you're seeing, you know, if it was three dimensional, you would see that it's a balloon,' he said. 

The apparent dark regions that give the UFO its 'Pac-Man'-like shape, he said, were caused by this package and its 'shadow.' 

'There's nobody that got excited about that event within the military,' Swanson said. 'It's not thought of as a big deal [...] It's legitimately a balloon.'

Two F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets from US Air Force Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska had been dispatched to intercept the UFO last February.

Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said at the time: 'As the object crossed into Canadian airspace, Canadian CF-18 and CP-140 aircraft [joined] the formation to further assess the object.'

The odd pic shows a seemingly circular white object that had been shot down by a US Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter in a joint mission with the Canadian Armed Forces. Above, another USAF F-22 Raptor during an air show over Toronto, Canada on August 31, 2024

At approximately 3:41 pm Eastern time, in the bitterly cold subarctic climate over Mayo, Yukon, one of these F-22 Raptors successfully blasted the UFO out of the sky with an an AIM 9X 'sidewinder' missile.

Curiously, redacted documents released by the Canadian government along with the new UFO image show that it was designated as 'unclassified' within just days of this now 19-month-old UFO incident. 

And yet, Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) did not release it until now.

Swanson believes that Canadian DND officials withheld the grainy images because the UFO it depicted looks more otherworldly than the object really was. 

'I can understand why they wouldn't want to put that out, because I would be like, "Oh, God. What are we going to do with that?"' he said in a telephone interview.

Military aircraft fly towards UFO wreckage that was believed to have landed in remote Alaska in an incident just days before the February 11, 2023 UFO shoot-down over the nearby Yukon territory. All told, four objects were downed during that month's Chinese spy balloon drama

Above, a timeline of the UFO shoot-downs which took place over eight days of February 2023. One unusual feature of the newly released UFO photo, per military records, is that it had already been designated 'unclassified' within just days of these 19-month-old incidents

The episode was one of four UFO shootdowns that occurred in rapid succession that month, beginning with the confirmed downing of an authentic Chinese-government spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina's Myrtle Beach on Feb. 4.

The new image depicts one of the three objects that met the same fate between Feb. 10 and 12 of that year over Alaska, Lake Huron on the border of Michigan, and Canada's Yukon territory.

All three of these objects were reportedly much smaller than the Chinese spy balloon that splashed down near Myrtle Beach days earlier. 

That object, the only confirmed Chinese spy balloon of the four shot down, per Pentagon reports, carried a payload of spy sensors approximately the size of a bus via a balloon that was bigger than Disney's famous geodesic sphere at Epcot Center.

Swanson told DailyMail.com that his three military sources would not come forward publicly: 'These are currently serving members of the military. So, they're not going to be willing to come out. They can't.'

'What I'm willing to say is they're operational staff,' he added. 'They are flight crew is what I'll say.'

A possible reason, as one public affairs official with Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) warned colleagues, was the Canadian military's own internal fears that releasing this UFO image 'may create more questions/confusion'

Above, a US Air Force pilot looks down at the first, alleged Chinese spy balloon as it glided over Montana on February 3, 2023. Unlike the smaller UFOs shot down later that month, this device was massive - its balloon was reportedly bigger than Disney's geodesic sphere at Epcot Center

Some on social media (above) have compared this new 'Pac-Man' UFO photo to the silvery, chevron-shaped crafts first reported by pilot Kenneth Arnold in 1947 - the historic sighting that launched the modern era of 'flying saucers'

But their anonymity will likely do little to dampen the speculation and mistrust of both the Canadian and US government's official account of these UFO intercepts, which continues to pervade the general public. 

The new UFO photo, obtained by CTVNews.ca reporter Daniel Otis via an open records law request, also included efforts by members of Canada's own armed forces to better understand the craft that had been shot down.

Some of the Canadian military's written descriptions of the UFO appear to be at odds with statements suggesting that it was a simple balloon. 

One email from Canadian Brigadier-General Eric Laforest described the UFO as a 'cylindrical object.'

'Top quarter is metallic, remainder white. 20-foot wire hanging below with a package of some sort suspended,' Brig. Gen. Laforest wrote. 'Best description that we have.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

26-09-2024 om 00:35 geschreven door peter  

The first ever photo of the 'cylindrical UFO' has been released by Canada 19 months after a US Air Force F-22 stealth fighter shot it down, while conspiracy theories blaze

The object was described as 'cylindrical' by military figures 

(Image: Department of National Defence Canada)

Canadian officials have released the first pictures of the “cylindrical” UFO shot down over Alaska in February 2023.

The grainy photo shows what appears to be a circular white object, which was shot down by a US Air Force F-22 stealth fighter while working with the Canadian military last year.

Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) claimed the reason for the lengthy 19-month delay between footage and incident was that releasing the image “may create more questions/confusion”.

READ MORE: 

• 'Spectacular' UFO footage captured in Mexico is 'proof that alien races exist'

There's lots of quality news coming out of the US.

Taylor Paxton, director of e-communications for Canadian DND, said in an email the confusion would be inevitable “given the current public environment and statements related to the object being benign”.

Last year US military shot down the UFO 

(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Obtained by CTVNews.ca, the emails mention descriptions of the UFO from Canada’s armed forces.

“Top quarter is metallic, the remainder white. 20-foot wire hanging below with a package of some sort suspended,” Canadian Brigadier-General Eric Laforest wrote. “Best description that we have.”

Laforest went on to dub the object “cylindrical”.

The original sighting of the UFO came hot off the heels after the US military confirmed the shooting down of a “Chinese spy-balloon” reportedly as big as three buses over the same stretch of land.

US officials said at the time the balloon had almost certainly been flying over sensitive sites to collect information about them.

Iain Boyd, professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado, spoke to CTVNews.ca about the Canadian government’s reluctance to release the image as an issue of national security.

“It comes down to these episodes illustrating a potential vulnerability in the US/Canada defensive system,” Boyd said.

“Certainly the failure to provide more information has fed conspiracy theories but the military will likely accept that outcome over disclosing information that may help an adversary identify defensive weaknesses.”

READ NEXT:

• UFO 'insider' reveals how Taliban will save us from imminent alien invasion
  

{ https://www.dailystar.co.uk/ }

25-09-2024 om 23:57 geschreven door peter  

Two Scientists Say That The Human Soul is A Type of Quantum Field

Two scientists propose that the human soul is a type of quantum field that interacts only with certain fields in the physical universe, not directly with matter, and that electromagnetic fields affect the soul and help create memories and self-awareness in a fetus or child during reincarnation.

Fields that interact with the soul field include electromagnetic waves as evidenced by near-death experiences where events that could not have been seen through the eyes of the individual are verified.

Edward W. Kamen of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Roger D. Kamen of Ferris State University propose that, since electric fields and electromagnetic fields both have quanta consisting of photons, electric fields may also interact with the so-called “soul field.”

This interaction could potentially result in the transfer of information, such as working memory content, to the soul via the electric fields generated by neural ensembles in the human brain. Furthermore, the soul field may influence neurons at the molecular level through interactions with electric fields, as well as the recently proposed mechanism of cytoelectric coupling.

The possibility of the existence of realms beyond the physical universe is now accepted by many cosmologists who subscribe to the eternal inflation theory of multiple universes.

However, the existence of the multiverse does not provide an explanation for where souls might reside. The key point is that other domains outside our universe may exist. Although the laws of physics likely vary from universe to universe in the multiverse scenario, it is conceivable that quantum fields and quanta (discrete packets of energy) underlie the existence of every universe in the multiverse, as they do in our own. [Source]

The study says if human souls exist, they come from a different realm and return there after the body dies. In this realm, the usual laws of physics might not apply, but there could be similarities to our physical universe. It introduces the concept of “quasi-fields,” which are similar to quantum fields in our universe but exist in the domain of the soul.

These quasi-fields may give rise to massless particles, similar to how quantum fields produce massless particles like photons in the physical world.

Researchers suggest that if there’s no Higgs-like field in the soul realm, then everything there would be massless. It also notes that while many discussions about the soul view it as a fothe “soul field” is expected to have specific values or strengths related to the energy and particles that make it up. However, these values might be impossible to measure directly with any devices. The soul field’s values would depend on the physical space and time because the soul exists in a body while it’s alive. Additionally, the soul field might also involve different types of space and time when it exists in a separate, non-physical realm. This implies that there is a kind of space in the soul domain, allowing for movement and the passage of time, rather than everything happening instantly of spiritual energy, this idea alone doesn’t fully explain its nature.

Ultimately, it proposes that the human soul can be understood as a type of quantum field (quasi-field) that shares some properties with the quantum fields we know in our universe. This perspective is somewhat different from previous discussions in the literature on the topic.

The “soul field” is expected to have specific values or strengths related to the energy and particles that make it up. However, these values might be impossible to measure directly with any devices.

The soul field’s values would depend on the physical space and time because the soul exists in a body while it’s alive. Additionally, the soul field might also involve different types of space and time when it exists in a separate, non-physical realm. This implies that there is a kind of space in the soul domain, allowing for movement and the passage of time, rather than everything happening instantly.

The interaction between the soul and matter, focusing on ideas from quantum field theory (QFT). It mentions a question raised by physicist Sean Carroll about how the soul interacts with matter, specifically electrons. Carroll suggests that if the soul interacts with electrons, there should be a part in the Dirac equation that describes this interaction, but no evidence supports this. [Source

The conclusion drawn is that either QFT is incorrect or the soul does not exist. To resolve this, the text proposes that the soul does not directly interact with matter like electrons or other particles with mass (like quarks). Instead, the soul interacts with specific fields in the universe, particularly electromagnetic (EM) waves.

Evidence for this interaction comes from near-death experiences (NDEs), where individuals report seeing events that they couldn’t have seen physically, but these events are confirmed by others present. The text suggests that the soul can sense and process EM waves, likely through interactions with photons (light particles) that impact the soul field. This is compared to how humans perceive light through electrons in the eye, but how the soul processes this information to achieve vision remains uncertain.

Read also:

• This Woman Nearly Died & Found Humans Are a Temporary Symbiosis Between TWO Beings: One Mortal, One Immortal. Death Does Not Exist, Only Transition
• This Professor Claimed That Out of 225 Cases Studying Reincarnation, 75 Had Birthmarks Corresponding with Past Life Memories.
• This Salt Lake City Tech CEO Found Dead After Eerie Calls: ‘It’s All a Game… We’re in the Matrix’

A verified account of a near-death experience (NDE) was reported in the case of a female physician Bettina Peyton whose heart stopped during surgery. Despite her eyes being taped shut, she described seeing a white-haired senior doctor in scrubs entering the operating room and working on her. This event was later confirmed to have actually happened. [Source]

Her description of the experience, where she seems to view the situation from outside her body, suggests that the soul might behave like a “floating cortex” after it separates from the physical body. When someone goes through a near-death experience, they report being able to hear conversations around them, which raises questions about how this is possible if their heart has stopped.

One idea is that, even though the heart isn’t beating, the cells responsible for hearing can still work for a short time. These cells can send electrical signals through the auditory nerve to the brain, which the soul can interpret as sounds.

The study describes how electric fields created by brain activity can contain information, including memories. If the soul can pick up on these electric fields, then memories might continue to exist after death, moving with the soul. This suggests that memories don’t just disappear when someone dies.[Source]

Furthermore, the connection between the soul and these electric fields might work both ways. Not only can electric fields affect the soul, but the soul might also influence brain activity. This could play a role in how memories and self-awareness are transferred to a new body during reincarnation.

Scientists know that the brain’s electric fields can affect nearby neurons, which might mean the soul field could impact how neurons work as well. [Source]

However, if the soul does interact with electric fields in the body, it’s tricky to measure this interaction. This means proving the existence of the soul through its effects on these fields might be impossible.

{ https://www.howandwhys.com/ }

25-09-2024 om 23:23 geschreven door peter  

De Aarde had ook zijn planetaire ringen, net als Saturnus: dat stelt een onderzoek

door Janine

Kevin M. Gill/Wikimedia Commons - CC BY 2.0

We kennen allemaal Saturnus, een van de meest iconische planeten in het zonnestelsel vanwege zijn spectaculaire planetaire ringen. Natuurlijk hebben Uranus en Neptunus ook iets dergelijks, en hetzelfde kan gezegd worden van Jupiter, maar deze structuren hebben niet dezelfde charme. Onlangs is er echter een onderzoek gedaan dat suggereert dat ook de aarde zo'n 460 miljoen jaar geleden haar eigen ringenstelsel kan hebben gehad. Laten we eens kijken hoe dit mogelijk is!

Had de Aarde ook planetaire ringen?

Een team onderzoekers van de Monash University in Melbourne stelt deze hypothese voor in een studie die is gepubliceerd in het tijdschrift Earth and Planetary Science Letters. De wetenschappers analyseerden inslagkraters die werden gecreëerd door asteroïden tijdens het Ordovicium, tussen 485 en 443 miljoen jaar geleden. Het probleem is dit: er werden 21 kraters geïdentificeerd die zich binnen 30 graden van de evenaar bevonden, maar de verdeling is te afwijkend om in traditionele theorieën te passen. Kortom, waarom zijn alle kraters geconcentreerd in deze gordel als meer dan tweederde van de aardkorst daarbuiten ligt?

Volgens de onderzoekers is het antwoord duidelijk: zo'n 460 miljoen jaar geleden zou een grote asteroïde de aarde hebben benaderd tot hij de limiet van Roche passeerde, waarna hij werd beïnvloed door getijdenkrachten. Als gevolg daarvan zou de asteroïde zijn gaan fragmenteren en deze fragmenten zouden hebben geholpen bij het vormen van een ring van puin rond de aarde. Net als bij Saturnus en andere gasreuzen.

Planeetringen en ijstijden

Oliver Hull/Monash University

Wat is het verband tussen de vorming van planetaire ringen en de concentratie inslagkraters die Australische onderzoekers hebben ontdekt? Simpel: na de vorming zouden de brokstukken die de ring vormden in de loop van miljoenen jaren beetje bij beetje op de aarde zijn gevallen en zo de piek in kraters hebben veroorzaakt. Maar dat is nog niet alles, want de studie probeerde ook bewijs te vinden voor de klimatologische gevolgen die een ringsysteem zeker zou hebben gehad op de aarde.

Vanuit dit perspectief zouden de planetaire ringen een deel van het zonlicht hebben kunnen tegenhouden en hebben bijgedragen aan de wereldwijde afkoeling. En in feite vindt precies aan het einde van het Ordovicium de Hirnatien-ijstijd plaats, die wordt beschouwd als een van de koudste periodes van de afgelopen 500 miljoen jaar. Bovendien is het deze ijstijd die de massa-uitsterving in het Ordovicium veroorzaakte, de eerste van de vijf grote massa-uitstervingen in de geschiedenis van de aarde. Gebeurde dit allemaal door 'onze' planeetringen?

Perspectieven van het onderzoek

De ontdekking door Australische onderzoekers kan veel bredere gevolgen hebben dan verwacht. In de praktijk gaat het niet alleen om het idee dat de Aarde ook een eigen planetair ringenstelsel kan hebben gehad, maar om overwegingen van complexere aard:

•  ten eerste, wat er in het laatste deel van het Ordovicium gebeurde, zou ook gebeurd kunnen zijn in de 4 miljard jaar van de vorige geschiedenis van de Aarde;
• ten tweede kan de vorming en het daaropvolgende verval van een planetaire ring belangrijke gevolgen hebben gehad voor het klimaat op aarde;
• ten slotte spelen astronomische gebeurtenissen, waaronder de vorming van planeetringen, een veel belangrijkere rol in de geschiedenis van een planeet dan verwacht.

Kortom, als de hypothese van het onderzoek gegrond blijkt te zijn, staan we mogelijk aan het begin van een geheel nieuw onderzoeksgebied over de interactie tussen de aarde en de kosmos. Met gevolgen voor de hele evolutionaire geschiedenis van onze planeet.

{ https://www.curioctopus.nl/ }

25-09-2024 om 22:44 geschreven door peter  

Unveiling Puerto Rico’s Astonishing USOs: Mysteries Beneath the Waves

Puerto Rico, a Caribbean island rich in culture and natural beauty, has long been a focal point for unexplained aerial and underwater phenomena. The island’s unique geographical features, particularly the Puerto Rico Trench—the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean—have made it a hotspot for sightings of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) and Unidentified Submerged Objects (USOs). Recent discussions and documentaries have shed light on this intriguing aspect of Puerto Rico, revealing a tapestry of eyewitness accounts, military involvement, and potential extraterrestrial activity.

The Aguadilla 2013 Incident: A Landmark Case

One of the most compelling pieces of evidence comes from the 2013 Aguadilla incident. An object was captured on thermal imaging cameras by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) aircraft near Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla. The footage shows a spherical object exhibiting transmedium capabilities—moving seamlessly between air and water—without any apparent means of propulsion or disturbance to the surrounding environment.

Researchers Darcy Weir and Andy Marcial, in their documentary “Transmedium: Puerto Rico’s UFOs,” delve deep into this case. They secured an exclusive interview with the CBP agent who leaked the footage, providing unprecedented insights into the event. The Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU) analyzed the footage extensively, concluding that the object’s behavior defies conventional explanations and showcases technologies beyond current human capabilities.

The Mysterious Puerto Rico Trench

The Puerto Rico Trench, plunging to depths of over 27,000 feet, is speculated to be a potential hub for underwater extraterrestrial bases. Its immense depth and seclusion make it an ideal hiding place for advanced civilizations seeking to observe human activities undetected. Fishermen and locals have reported numerous instances of glowing objects entering and exiting the water near the trench, often without creating ripples or waves.

Eyewitness Accounts and Local Encounters

The island’s fishermen, who spend extensive time on the waters, have been among the most frequent witnesses of USO activity. Reports include:

• Glowing Underwater Lights: Fishermen have observed intense lights moving beneath their boats, sometimes following them or emerging from the depths to ascend into the sky.

• Transmedium Objects: Sightings of objects that transition from underwater to airborne at incredible speeds, exhibiting no signs of traditional propulsion systems.
• Humanoid Figures: Some have reported encounters with beings in or near the water that do not resemble any known marine life or human divers.

One particularly intriguing account comes from André Maldonado, a local fisherman who claims to have had multiple interactions with a non-human entity named Amaron. According to Maldonado, Amaron possesses advanced knowledge and capabilities, including extended longevity and technological prowess. These encounters have profoundly affected Maldonado, reinforcing his belief in the presence of extraterrestrial beings on the island.

Military Presence and Secrecy

Puerto Rico’s strategic location has long attracted military interest, particularly from the United States. Areas like Vieques Island have been used for military exercises and weapons testing. Witnesses have reported increased UAP and USO sightings in these areas, leading to speculation about government knowledge or involvement in these phenomena.

There are accounts of military personnel observing unexplained objects during training missions, as well as reports of restricted areas following alleged crash events. Some locals believe that certain parts of the island, including the El Yunque National Forest, may be sites of clandestine operations involving extraterrestrial technology or entities.

Cultural Impact and Ongoing Research

The frequency of these sightings has woven the phenomena into the fabric of Puerto Rican culture. Many residents accept the existence of UAPs and USOs as part of their reality, often sharing stories passed down through generations.

Researchers like Jorge Martín, a prominent Puerto Rican UFO investigator, have dedicated decades to collecting and analyzing reports from witnesses. His work, along with documentaries like Weir and Marcial’s, aims to bring global attention to the island’s unexplained activities.

VIDEO:

• Puerto Rico’s ASTONISHING USOs – Richard Dolan Show
• https://youtu.be/RxC16IxJY1c

Puerto Rico’s USO phenomena present a compelling case for the existence of advanced, non-human technology operating in our oceans and skies. The combination of credible eyewitness accounts, military-grade footage, and the island’s unique geography creates a rich field for investigation. As interest in UAPs and USOs grows worldwide, Puerto Rico stands out as a key location for understanding these mysterious occurrences. Continued research and open dialogue are essential in unraveling the secrets that lie beneath the waves and beyond our current understanding.

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

25-09-2024 om 22:23 geschreven door peter  

Earth will be blasted by a geomagnetic storm TOMORROW - here's what to brace for

• READ MORE: NASA discovers invisible electric field surrounding Earth

By Ellyn Lapointe For Dailymail.Com

A geomagnetic storm is expected to blast Earth tomorrow after the sun fired a plume of plasma and high-energy particles toward our planet.

The incoming coronal mass ejection (CME) was unleashed on Sunday at 5.40pm ET when an enormous sunspot spontaneously erupted.

The spout of solar plasma is currently rocketing toward our planet at over 650,000 miles per hour and expected to reach Earth by midday Eastern Time on Wednesday (5pm UK, 2am AEST).

Earth could experience a minor geomagnetic storm by midday Wednesday

But the CME will only glance off the planet's magnetosphere, or the region of space around a planet dominated by its magnetic field. 

Normally, this slight blow wouldn't trigger a geomagnetic storm. But because it will arrive so close to the fall equinox - which occurred on Sunday - NOAA has forecasted a minor G1 storm for tomorrow.

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center classifies geomagnetic storms on a scale that ranges from G1 to G5 - with G1 being 'minor' and G5 being 'extreme.'

A G5 storm can significantly disrupt infrastructure, causing power and communication blackouts across wide areas.

We won't have to worry about that with this upcoming G1 storm, however. This type of storm only has a slight risk of impacting infrastructure at high latitudes, including cellphone towers and satellites.

But it could trigger dazzling auroras along the horizon of US states on the northern border and upper Midwest states, according to NOAA. 

The G1 storm could trigger dazzling aurora in northern states on Tuesday and Wednesday night

Aurora are typically most active between 10pm and 2am, and you will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get a clear view

The fact that this storm is set to occur just days after the fall equinox is no coincidence.

During the weeks before and after Earth's two equinoxes, geomagnetic storms are more common.

That's because during equinoxes, the sun sits directly above Earth's equator and our planet's magnetosphere becomes aligned with the sun's magnetic field. 

During the rest of the year, they are misaligned, which means that CMEs are partially deflected by the magnetosphere and we do not experience their full impact.

But if a CME occurs while the Earth is experiencing equinox, it clashes more directly with the planet's magnetosphere and causes geomagnetic activity, even if the CME is weak or an indirect hit.

Conversely, geomagnetic storms are much less likely around the time of the solstices - when the Earth's vertical tilt toward or away from the sun is at maximum. 

Geomagnetic storms are about twice as likely around the time of equinoxes than they are around the time of solstices. 

Residents of northern states should keep an eye out for aurora Tuesday and Wednesday night. They are typically most active between 10pm and 2am, and you will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get a clear view. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

25-09-2024 om 21:46 geschreven door peter  

Archaeologist uncovers painting that may prove the existence of a mythical horned serpent

•  READ MORE: Scientist cracks case of 'Pharaoh's curse' that killed dozens

By Ellyn Lapointe For Dailymail.Com

An archaeologist has uncovered a 200-year-old rock painting that depicts an ancient, horned serpent roaming across the land. 

This discovery adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests this mythical creature was more than just a legend. 

Julien Benoit, a senior researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand, found the painting at La Belle France, a rock-art site in northern South Africa. 

It appears to show a long-bodied animal with downward-turned tusks that looks unlike any living animal in the region today. 

A rock painting and unidentified fossils discovered in South Africa may confirm the existence of a legendary 'horned serpent'

The paintings are about ten years older than the first formal scientific descriptions of this horned serpent, which were made in 1845

Analysis revealed that they were made between 1821 and 1835 by an indigenous group called the San. 

According to San legend, this creature was a 'rain animal' from the 'spirit realm,' which means it was probably involved in rain-making ceremonies, Benoit told IFLScience. 

Read More

• Lost tree from the Bible is resurrected from 1,000-year-old mystery seed 

But scientists, including Benoit, believe it's possible that this myth was based on real dicynodont fossils. 

Dicynodontia is an extinct clade of terrestrial herbivores that typically bore a pair of tusks. Hence their name, which means 'two dog tooth.' They roamed the Earth from the Middle Permian through the end of the Triassic periods. 

They likely died out during the end-Permian extinction that wiped out most other therapsids - the larger clade of terrestrial animals that Dicynodontia belongs to. 

An abundance of dicynodont fossils have been found in the Karoo Basin, a sedimentary basin that spans 60,000 square miles across the central and southern South Africa. 

La Belle France, where the painting was uncovered, is located north of the Karoo Basin. But the painting was found in the immediate vicinity of unknown tetrapod (or four-legged vertebrate) fossils.

The Horned Serpent Panel 

Benoit published his findings this month in the journal PLOS ONE.  

He thinks that a fossil discovery could have led the San to paint the horned serpent, guided by an ancient legend in which their ancestors described these creatures as 'great monstrous brutes, exceeding the elephant or hippopotamus in bulk,' he said. 

Together, the painting and nearby fossils 'suggest a case of indigenous paleontology,' Benoit wrote. Perhaps the San weren't painting a fictitious creature, but rather documenting a scientific finding. 

Benoit told IFLScience that 'many cultures explored the world of fossils before Western scientists did.' 

The rock painting was discovered at La Belle France, a rock-art site in northern South Africa

The fossils were found beneath the star in photo A, and fossils were found at the locations shown in photos B, C and D. 

'The Native Americans knew about fossils before colonization and interpreted them in various ways, some implying they knew they belonged to long-gone animals,' he said.

'The San, in southern Africa, also collected fossils, as exemplified by the Bolahla rock shelter, in which they carried a dinosaur phalanx – which may be, by the way, the first time a dinosaur bone was ever discovered,' he added. 

What's more, the painting of a dicynodont by the San would also suggest that they integrated at least some fossils into their belief system, according to the study.

'During rain-making ceremonies, the San enter a state of trance and enter the realm of the dead to catch rain-animals and bring the rain back to the world of the living,' he said.

'By picking a species such as a dicynodont, that they knew was extinct and thus dead, they likely hoped this rain-animal had some increased potency to bridge the two worlds,' he added. 

But this painting alone is not enough to officially confirm that this legendary horned serpent actually existed, or that the unidentified fossils found at La Belle France are its remains.

It will take additional research to determine whether this ancient monster was fact or fiction. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

25-09-2024 om 21:21 geschreven door peter  

First image released of 'cylindrical' UFO shot down by US fighter jet over Alaska in 2023

• READ MORE: Could a shot-down UFO be the infamous 'Tic Tac' caught on video?

By Matthew Phelan Senior Science Reporter For Dailymail.Com

This is the first image of  UFO shot down by American fighter jets during a chase near Alaska last year.

The photo shows a seemingly glowing horse shoe-shaped object with ill-defined edges over the Yukon territory in northwest Canada in February 2023.

It was shot down by a US Air Force F-22 stealth fighter on a joint mission with the Canadian Armed Forces following the now infamous Chinese spy balloon drama of February 2023.

Redacted documents show the image was designated as 'unclassified' within just days of the now 19-month-old incident, yet Canada's defense department did not release it to the public.

Canada has released the first-ever image of the UFO shot down during a chase above Alaska and the Yukon that followed the Chinese spy balloon drama of February 2023 (above)

The odd pic shows a seemingly circular white object that had been shot down by a US Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter in a joint mission with the Canadian Armed Forces. Above, another USAF F-22 Raptor during an air show over Toronto, Canada on August 31, 2024

A possible reason, as one public affairs official with Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) warned colleagues, was internal fears that releasing this unclassified UFO image 'may create more questions/confusion.'

This official, a director of communications named Taylor Paxton, advised military colleagues that this confusion would be inevitable 'given the current public environment and statements related to the object being benign.' 

Paxton suggested that any move by the Royal Canadian Air Force to publish the photo on social media would likely only raise more inquiries from the general public and the press 'regardless of the text that will accompany the post.' 

The craft was one of three shot down over Alaska, Yukon and Lake Huron between Feb 10 and 12 2023.

The three objects were reportedly much smaller than the Chinese spy balloon that was grounded off the coast of South Carolina days earlier.

The new emails, obtained along with the eerie new UFO photo by CTVNews.ca reporter Daniel Otis via an open records law request, also included efforts by members of Canada's armed forces to better understand the craft that had been shot down.

One email from Canadian Brigadier-General Eric Laforest described the UFO as a 'cylindrical object.'

'Top quarter is metallic, remainder white. 20-foot wire hanging below with a package of some sort suspended,' Brig. Gen. Laforest wrote. 'Best description that we have.'

The suspected spy balloon was one of four airborne objects gunned out of the sky by the US over eight days of February 2023. One unusual feature of the newly released UFO photo is that it had already been designated 'unclassified' within just days of these 19-month-old incidents

A possible reason, as one public affairs official with Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) warned colleagues, was the Canadian military's own internal fears that releasing this UFO image 'may create more questions/confusion'

Dark portions visible along the top center of the UFO in this newly released image may depict either that upper metallic region or the remains of the alleged 'package.' 

But this release only adds more mystery to the wave of espionage-tinted UFO activity that surrounded the confirmed downing of an authentic Chinese-government spy balloon earlier that month off the coast of North Carolina's Myrtle Beach.  

Iain Boyd, a professor of aerospace engineering and director of the Center for National Security Initiatives at the University of Colorado, described the Canadian government's reticence to release the image as an issue of national security — despite the image's 'unclassified' designation. 

'It comes down to these episodes illustrating a potential vulnerability in the U.S./Canada defensive system,' Boyd opined. 

'Certainly the failure to provide more information has fed conspiracy theories,' as he told CTVNews.ca, 'but the military will likely accept that outcome over disclosing information that may help an adversary identify defensive weaknesses.' 

According to the report for CTV News, the network's journalists plan to petition the Canadian military for a higher resolution version of this UFO image.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

25-09-2024 om 20:52 geschreven door peter  

• The last time comet C/2023 A3 passed Earth humans were about to leave Africa
• READ MORE: Asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 'came from beyond Jupiter'

By Jonathan Chadwick For Mailonline 

It was last witnessed by some of the first humans to venture out of Africa 80,000 years ago. 

Now, comet C/2023 A3 – also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS – is finally making its return journey to Earth. 

The comet, which will look like a faint star-like blob with a hazy tail, should be viewable just before dawn on four consecutive mornings, from Friday to Monday.

Comet C/2023 A3 was only discovered early last year, but based on its orbital trajectory scientists estimate that it last passed Earth 80,000 years ago. 

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, who is currently aboard the International Space Station, posted a stunning clip of the comet from his unique vantage point.  

You can see the comet later this week by looking for the moon, which is in its waning crescent phase. The position of the comet varies in relation to the moon depending on the date

The comet not seen by humans for 80,000 years is described as looking like 'a fuzzy star with a misty tail'. It's pictured here (top right) in this stunning snap, posted as NASA's 'Astronomy Picture of the Day' on Monday

The eight-second time-lapse video clip shows the celestial object from the space station's cupola windows. 

'This comet is going to make for some really cool images as it gets closer to the sun,' Dominick said in his X post. 

Stuart Atkinson, a space enthusiast and amateur astronomer based in Cumbria, said the comet will look like 'a fuzzy star with a misty tail'. 

'It will be beneath the moon, very low in the east,' he said in an X post. 

Although it should be seen with the naked eye on both hemispheres, there's no harm having a pair of binoculars handy to increase visibility.  

According to The Sky Live, comet C/2023 A3 is 157.1 million miles away from Earth, as of 12:00 BST Tuesday. 

It is getting closer to us all the time, travelling at about 70km per second (150,000 miles per hour). 

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, who is currently aboard the International Space Station, posted a stunning clip of the comet from his unique vantage point

C/2023 A3 was first documented only last year by telescopes in South Africa, Chile and Hawaii as it came closer and closer to Earth 

It will reach 'perihelion' – its closest point to the sun in its 80,000 year orbit – on Friday, September 27.

Perihelion is when a comet is at its brightest and therefore most visible for Earthlings.

The comet should also be visible on Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings, although its position in relation to the moon will change slightly. 

The best time to see it on these days is around 40 minutes before dawn, when it's yet to be obscured by the sun's glare.  

In the UK, 40 minutes before dawn is around 06:15 BST, meaning some morning commuters will get a chance to see it before leaving for work. 

Minjae Kim, a space expert at the University of Warwick's astronomy department, told MailOnline: 'The comet will be visible as a pre-dawn object. You can look very low in the east before sunrise.

'C/2023 A3 has an orbital period of approximately 80,000 years, classifying it as a long-period comet. 

'This means its behaviour and appearance can be unpredictable, with potential changes in brightness and tail development as it approaches the sun.

'If predictions hold, it could be visible to the naked eye, appearing as a fuzzy star with a tail stretching across the sky. 

'Otherwise, binoculars or a small telescope may reveal more detail in the comet's structure and tail.' 

For those who miss it this weekend, Dr Kim said the comet should be visible again between October 10 to October 20. 

Images of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) obtained on 2023-02-24 at remote telescopes by amateur astronomer

Comets are large objects made of dust and ice that orbit the sun. NASA describes them as 'leftovers' from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago (artist's depiction) 

Comets, nicknamed 'dirty snowballs' by astronomers, are balls of ice, dust and rocks that typically come from the ring of icy material called the Oort cloud at our solar system's outer edge. 

Surrounding a comet is a thin, gassy atmosphere filled with more ice and dust called a coma.

As they approach the sun, comets melt, releasing a stream of gas and dust blown from their surface by solar radiation and plasma and forming a cloudy, outward-facing tail.

Comets move toward the inner solar system when various gravitational forces dislodge them from the Oort cloud, becoming more visible as they venture closer to the sun's heat.

And fewer than a dozen comets are discovered each year by observatories worldwide.

Starwalk, an astronomical app for stargazing, describes comet C/2023 A3 as 'most anticipated comet of the year'. 

At the end of November, another comet, called 333P/LINEAR, should be visible with large binoculars or a small telescope. 

But it only has an orbital period of eight years – barely anything compared with comet C/2023 A3, which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

24-09-2024 om 22:37 geschreven door peter  

NASA discovers mysterious 'zebra rock' on Mars that's unlike anything the space agency has seen

• READ MORE:  New map reveals hidden 'structures' below the Martian surface

By Ellyn Lapointe For Dailymail.Com

NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover has spotted a strange 'zebra rock' on the red planet. 

The black-and-white striped rock is unlike any rock seen on Mars before, standing out against the planet's reddish-brown surface - NASA says it could be a sign of exciting discoveries to come.

While the rover was driving across some 'unremarkable pebbly terrain,' a team of NASA scientists noticed a rock in the distance with 'hints of unusual texture,' the space agency said.

'Freya Castle' is an unusual, 'zebra-striped' rock that was recently discovered on the surface of Mars. Scientists still aren't sure exactly what it is or where it came from. 

The rover snapped photos of the rock, now dubbed 'Freya Castle,' and beamed them back to Earth a couple days later. 

'Since Freya Castle is a loose stone that is clearly different from the underlying bedrock, it has likely arrived here from someplace else,' NASA said. 

Read More

• Scientists discover a 'smiley face' on Mars - and it could contain signs of life 

Freya Castle measures roughly eight inches across, and early interpretations of its unique texture suggest that igneous and/or metamorphic processes could have created its stripes, NASA wrote in a statement.

Igneous processes are geological activities that are related to the melting, movement and cooling of magma and lava. 

Magma is molten rock that lies below the planetary surface, while lava is molten rock that is above the earth's surface. 

For a billion years, Mars was a highly volcanically active planet, which could have created the conditions necessary for the zebra rock to form.

NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover snapped photos of this strange rock while driving across some 'unremarkable pebbly terrain' (Illustration) 

Metamorphic processes are changes in the composition of rocks due to high heat and pressure. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

24-09-2024 om 21:54 geschreven door peter  

More than 300 mysterious Nazca glyphs are discovered in Peru - including a Wall-E-style person, alien-like figures, and killer whales with KNIVES

• 303 new geoglyphs are discovered in the soil of Peru's Nazca Desert
• READ MORE: Images reveal remains of 'ghost city' in the Pacific Ocean

By Jonathan Chadwick For Mailonline

For nearly 100 years, scientists have been perplexed by the famous Nazca geoglyphs – ancient patterns in the soil of the Nazca Desert in southern Peru. 

Now, with the help of AI, researchers have discovered another 303 drawings – and they're possibly the most bizarre yet. 

Among them are alien-like figures, killer whales holding knives, cats, camels and a figure that looks like Pixar's Wall-E robot. 

Photos show some of the new discoveries, with lines manually added on to the images to emphasise the original lines, which have faded due to erosion. 

The mysterious Nazca glyphs may date back to 400 BC, but scientists are still unsure what their exact purpose was, if any. 

More than 300 mysterious Nazca glyphs are discovered in Peru including a Wall-E-style person (top left) and alien-like figures

The actual purpose of the mysterious Nazca Lines has long puzzled archaeologists.

Pictured: killer whales (orcas) holding knives 

The 303 newly discovered geoglyphs have been detailed by a group of researchers at Yamagata University in Japan and IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center in New York in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

'It took nearly a century to discover a total of 430 figurative Nazca geoglyphs, which offer significant insights into the ancient cultures at the Nazca Pampa,' says the team in their paper. 

'Here, we report the deployment of an AI system to the entire Nazca region, a UNESCO World Heritage site, leading to the discovery of 303 new figurative geoglyphs within only six months of field survey.' 

The researchers scanned aerial images of the Peruvian site with IBM's AI because it can identify markings in the landscape that the human eye would otherwise miss.

Of the 303 newly discovered geoglyphs, 178 were individually suggested by the AI, which had been trained to search for them in drone photos. 

They predominantly depict wild animals such as orcas and domesticated camels, and human-related motifs, including alien-like humanoids.

There's also what appears to be pairs of primates playing together, including one pair with large tails, holding balls, and a feline with a surprised expression. 

Many are simply uncategorisable, but appear to show various distorted forms of the human figure, including a head with spiky hair and another head on a pair of legs. 

They predominantly depict wild animals and human-related motifs, including humanoids and domesticated camels

Many are simply uncategorisable, but appear to show various distorted forms of the human figure, including a head with spiky hair and another head on a pair of legs

The Nazca lines are a group of geoglyphs - large motifs made in the ground - located in the Nazca Desert of southern Peru

However, the purpose of the mysterious Nazca Lines has long puzzled archaeologists. 

Some believe they were intended to act as a kind of observatory, to point to the places where the sun and other celestial bodies rose or set in the solstices. 

Other theories suggest that they were created to be seen by the gods in the sky, but they may also have just been artistic expressions much like the ones we see today. 

Often, a geoglyph is too big to be appreciated at ground level, so only when one is high enough in the air can they discern the shapes of some of the designs.

For this reason, the intricacies of many of the designs were not fully realised until airplanes were invented and the artwork was seen from the sky.

Photos released show some of the new discoveries, with lines manually added on the images to emphasise the original lines, which have faded due to erosion

Pictured: a Homer Simpson-style human Nazca geoglyph previously found by the researchers 

A spider geoglyph at Nazca. The figure is said to be 150 feet long and made out of one continuous line 

The Nazca lines were apparently first spotted in 1939 when a pilot flew over the Nazca plains of the Peruvian coastal highlands, although it's likely they were seen by locals on hilltops much earlier. 

Contrary to the popular belief that the figures can only be seen from the air, many are actually visible from the surrounding foothills too. 

According to the experts, IBM's AI could lead to even more geoglyphs being discovered – possibly thousands. 

'AI may be at the brink of ushering in a revolution in archaeological discoveries like the revolution aerial imaging has had on the field,' they say in their paper.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

24-09-2024 om 21:30 geschreven door peter