Mystery of Siberia's giant exploding craters may finally be solved

But the historic-lake model fails to account for the fact that these "giant escape craters" (GECs) are found in a variety of geological settings across the peninsulas, not all of which were once covered by lakes, according to the new preprint, which has not been peer reviewed.

Related: 

• US Space Force satellite data shines light on mystery of Arctic warming

Previous studies have also linked the craters to accumulations of natural gas within the permafrost, but these can't explain why the holes are only found in northern Russia. "Thus, the formation of GECs points to conditions specific for the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas," researchers wrote in the preprint.

Image taken in 2014 showing one of the craters on Russia's Yamal peninsula. 

(Image credit: VASILY BOGOYAVLENSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Permafrost on the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas varies widely in its thickness, ranging from a few hundred feet to 1,600 feet (500 m). The soil likely froze solid more than 40,000 years ago, imprisoning ancient marine sediments rich in methane that gradually transformed into vast natural gas reserves. These reserves produce heat that melts the permafrost from below, leaving pockets of gas at its base.

Permafrost in Russia and elsewhere is also thawing at the surface due to climate change. In places where it is already thin on the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas, melting from both ends and the pressure from the gas may eventually cause the remaining permafrost to collapse, triggering an explosion.

This "champagne effect" would explain the presence of smaller craters around the eight giant craters, as huge chunks of ice propelled out by the explosions may have severely dented the ground, according to the preprint.

There may also be more of these craters than we realize, the researchers added, as water and sediment likely filled some of the holes over time.

The release of natural gas and methane during these explosions could activate a climate feedback loop if global temperatures continue to creep up and accelerate permafrost melting. 

"The formation of GECs has been connected to global climate change, with increasing summer and fall temperatures resulting in permafrost warming and degradation," the researchers wrote.

An estimated 1,900 billion tons (1,700 billion metric tons) of greenhouse gas, including carbon dioxide and methane, are stored in the Arctic permafrost, according to the preprint. Growing emissions from thawing permafrost "are of great concern," the authors added. 

VIDEOS

{ https://www.space.com/ }

25-12-2024 om 23:58 geschreven door peter  

Decoded US Think Tank Email about UFO Over China Airport, And They Were Not Certain What It Was! UAP Sighting News.

Date of sighting: July 7, 2010

Wishing you all a merry Christmas. 

Hey all, I went onto Wikileaks and got hold of a UFO email about the UFO seen over a China airport...you remember that right? Well, needless to say it was in code, and I...am good a cracking those. The email was in Base64...too easy guys...Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that converts binary data into an ASCII string format. It should not be used as encryption. Anyways, I will put the email below and you can look into it yourself, the message was an intercommunication email sent from one member to other members of the super top secret US think tank Stratford. I say, if it's worth sending in code, then it's important! 

Scott C. Waring

Wikileaks source: https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/40/401591_re-tactical-os-china-csm-ufo-shuts-airport-really-.html

---------------------------------------------------------

Here is the full decoded message:

I've been to Area 51.

-----Original Message-----
From: "Nate Hughes" nathan.hughes@stratfor.com
Sender: tactical-bounces@stratfor.com
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 03:03:25
To: Tactical tactical@stratfor.com
Reply-To: nathan.hughes@stratfor.com, Tactical tactical@stratfor.com
Subject: Re: [TACTICAL] [OS] CHINA/CSM- UFO shuts airport. Really.

Sean, stop trying to compete with Fred for random ass shit.

This has been on the web since last week, speculation that it may have been a Chinese ballistic missile test. Haven't seen convincing evidence/analysis of it, doesn't strike me as a successful one if it was...

************************

----Original Message-----
From: Sean Noonan sean.noonan@stratfor.com
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:59:39
To: Tactical tactical@stratfor.com
Reply-To: Tactical tactical@stratfor.com
Subject: Re: [TACTICAL] [OS] CHINA/CSM- UFO shuts airport. Really.

Fred, a good CSM topic?

Picture from Hangzhou:

UFO

Sean Noonan wrote:

UFO shuts airport. Really.
Shanghai Daily Article
By Wang Xiang | 2010-7-9 | NEWSPAPER EDITION

EAST China's Hangzhou City shut down its Xiaoshan airport for one hour late Wednesday night after radar detected the hovering of ... something.

Airport officials called it an unidentified flying object.

The UFO showed up on the airport's radar at around 9 PM. The airport authority immediately notified passengers to stop boarding and grounded all flights about to take off, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.

The object forced many incoming flights to land in neighboring airports in cities of Ningbo and Wuxi. It also caused about four hours delay for flights taking off.

The UFO looked like a twinkling spot and disappeared very soon. Xinhua quoted a passenger on board an incoming plane who claimed he witnessed the object.

The Xiaoshan airport has resumed normal operations, its spokesman said. He refused to provide more details, saying an investigation was still going on.

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

25-12-2024 om 23:22 geschreven door peter  

 By Mollie Markowitz Fox News

25-12-2024 om 23:01 geschreven door peter  

While intriguing, this claim has been met with skepticism. Could it be true that aliens are stepping forward to force disclosure? Or, might this be part of a staged event orchestrated by shadowy forces, such as the "Deep State," to stage an UFO invasion. 

Recently, a witness in California filmed a massive craft with flickering lights hovering silently over a city. This object, described as far larger than the drones or UFOs previously reported, has sparked further speculation. Witnesses noted that these objects appear to be increasing in size, and many argue they are clearly not conventional drones. 

The sighting raises questions: could this lend credibility to Dr. Brown’s claims of imminent extraterrestrial revelation? Or are these larger crafts part of a deceptive agenda, as explained by Dark Journalist? See our previous article: Mystery drones: A 'dry run' to a false UFO event to trigger COG emergency powers.

One way or another, we will know in the coming months!

 

{ https://ufosightingshotspot.blogspot.com/ }

25-12-2024 om 22:43 geschreven door peter  

How did the Moon form?

Earth’s Moon was born out of destruction.

Several theories about our Moon’s formation vie for dominance, but almost all share that point in common: near the time of the solar system’s formation, about 4.5 billion years ago, something ― perhaps a single object the size of Mars, perhaps a series of objects ― crashed into the young Earth and flung enough molten and vaporized debris into space to create the Moon.

Earth’s Moon is thought to have formed in a tremendous collision. A massive object ― named Theia after the mythological Greek Titan who was the mother of Selene, goddess of the Moon ― smashed into Earth, flinging material into space that became the Moon.

NASA

The early solar system would have been a chaotic, terrifying place. Debris left over from the formation of the Sun coalesced into a disk around the star, creating clumps that ranged in size from dust flecks to minor planets. Gravity drew these objects together, causing them to crash into each other ― violent smashups that could end in obliteration or new, larger objects. Those mashed-together objects make up the planets, moons, asteroids and other solar system objects we know today.

A Unique Beginning | How the Universe Works

Written in Stone

Visiting the Moon with the Apollo missions in the late 1960s and early 1970s revolutionized our understanding of the Moon’s origins. Previous concepts ― that the Moon was an object captured by Earth’s gravity as it sailed by, or that the Moon formed alongside Earth from the same debris ― fell out of favor after the Apollo missions brought back data and 842 pounds (382 kilograms) of lunar samples to Earth in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Apollo evidence all pointed to the Moon forming from a large impact. The age of the rock samples indicated that the Moon formed around 60 million years after the solar system began to form. The type and composition of the samples showed that the Moon had been molten during its formation and was covered with a deep ocean of magma for tens of millions to hundreds of millions of years ― an environment that would occur in the aftermath of an intensely energetic impact. Lunar rocks were found to contain only small amounts of elements that vaporize when heated, further indicating the Moon could have formed in a high-energy impact that let those elements escape.

Five Things We Learned from Apollo Moon Rocks

1. The chemical composition of Moon and Earth rocks are very similar.
2. The Moon was once covered in an ocean of magma.
3. Meteorites have shattered and melted rocks on the Moon’s surface through impacts.
4. Lava flowed up through cracks in the Moon’s crust and filled its impact basins.
5. Lunar “soil” is made of pulverized rock created by meteorite impacts.

Scientist and astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt stands next to a huge, split lunar boulder during the Apollo 17 mission at the Taurus-Littrow landing site in this photograph from Dec. 13, 1972. Rock samples collected during the Apollo missions provided evidence that the Moon resulted from an object crashing into Earth in the early history of the solar system.

NASA/Eugene Cernan

Perhaps most importantly, the rock samples indicated that the Moon was once a part of Earth. Basaltic rocks from the Moon’s mantle have striking similarities to basaltic rocks from Earth’s mantle. The oxygen isotopes and other elements sealed into the specimens matched those of Earth rocks too precisely for the similarities to be a coincidence.

Meteorites make up another body of evidence. Samples collected by Apollo astronauts come from just a few sites on the Moon, but lunar meteorites ― rocks sent into space by impacts on the Moon that eventually find their way to Earth ― provide samples from all over the Moon that tell a similar tale of the Moon’s history. Meteorites originating from asteroids have also been used to help confirm the timeline of the Moon’s formation. Some show signs of having been bombarded by debris from the giant, Moon-forming impact.

Finally, more recent studies add the evidence for a high-energy impact that resulted in the creation of a molten Moon. Analysis of light reflecting off the Moon gives details of the mineral makeup of the Moon’s surface, and it shows the widespread presence of anorthosite, an igneous rock that crystallizes out of and floats to the top of magma. The presence of anorthosite across the Moon’s surface reinforces that the Moon must once have been covered by a widespread magma ocean that was quite deep, from hundreds to thousands of kilometers.

This light-colored mineral, Apollo mission lunar sample 60639, is thought to have floated to the top of the magma ocean and formed the Moon's first crust around 4.4 billion years ago.

Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility for Astromaterials 3D Explorer

Lunar “Archaeology”

Though Earth and Moon both came from that ancient collision ― and Earth is certainly within easier reach ― studying the Moon gives us our best chance of understanding what happened all those billions of years ago. Earth’s active geological processes, from plate tectonics to erosion, erase the evidence of formation. Aside from events like impacts, much of the Moon’s surface changes on a vastly slower timescale. Like detectives at a crime scene, scientists use clues preserved on the lunar surface to piece together the Moon’s history. Any improvements to the giant impact theory or a new theory would need to explain what we observe of the Moon today.

One of the oddities is the Moon’s low iron content as compared with Earth’s. Earth’s iron-rich core accounts for around 30 percent of its mass, but the core of the Moon is only about 1.6-1.8 percent of its total mass. One possible explanation is that the energy of the impact with Earth that formed the Moon vaporized lighter materials, casting them into space, and left behind heavier elements ― such as iron, which vaporizes only at extremely high temperatures ― to sink into Earth’s core.

This diagram shows a cross-section of the Moon’s interior during its early history, including the silicate mantle and a small metallic core. The lunar mantle is low in the elements 14 zinc, tin, cadmium, indium, and thulium, possibly because they never recondensed from gas form after the collision that created the Moon.

Illustration courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

Any viable theory of lunar formation also has to explain where the Moon is now in relation to Earth and the speed and inclination of its orbit. Surface reflectors placed on the Moon during Apollo show that the Moon moves away from Earth at the rate of about an inch and a half per year. This indicates that the Moon initially formed much closer to our planet, and, therefore, that the early Earth’s spin rate was much higher than it is today. Computer models created by scientists to test and analyze Moon formation theories must show how a massive collision can produce the existing orbits and rotation of Moon and Earth over billions of years when paired with the typical gravitational interactions between the two bodies. (Even today, the distance between the Earth and Moon, and the length of a day on Earth, continues to grow due to the effects of Earth’s tides.)

Finally, strange discrepancies exist between the Moon’s near and far sides. Differences include: the thickness of the crust ― 43 miles (70 kilometers) on the Moon's near-side versus 93 miles (150 kilometers) on the far side; the contrasting geological makeup, including a concentration of radioactive elements on the near side; and the rich history of volcanism on the near side compared with a relative lack of volcanic activity on the far side. How closely these differences are related to the Moon’s formation ― how it cooled, how its volcanic activity took place, and the manner in which it has been bombarded by objects from space ― is a question scientists continue to wrestle with today.

The Moon's near side and far side.

NASA LRO / Jatan Mehta

Model Behavior

With humanity’s return to the Moon through the Artemis program, scientists expect a flood of new information that will help us hone in on a single formation scenario. In the meantime, scientists continue to study existing samples and other information they have now ― such as information from lunar orbiters and the growing body of knowledge on planetary formation ― to construct computer models that help us understand how the collision might have happened, and how it could have resulted in the Moon and Earth as we see them today. The models account for factors like the strength of the colliding objects, the friction between the components, the density of the components, and how materials behave under different temperatures and pressures. Today’s advanced computer models can provide a number of very specific outcomes based on variables like these.

For instance, when scientists want to figure out why the Moon is low in certain elements that vaporize easily, they use models to see how the Moon’s composition would look if the elements were lost, or depleted, during different periods of the Moon’s formation. Perhaps the environment in which the Moon formed or early eruptions on the Moon’s surface created a temporary atmosphere that led to the elimination of some of those elements, or they may have been released through interactions with the heat of the Sun or a bright and still-molten Earth.

Even these complex models can’t simulate every atom in a massive collision between giant objects that kicks debris into space. But astronomers can represent larger groups of debris by using particles whose properties depend on where they are located during the collision, like hot material situated near the proto-Moon’s core. Astronomers are able to alter the properties in their models to produce different results, showing how even small changes can produce different scenarios. As evidence continues to come in, the eventual goal is a comprehensive model that accounts for everything we know about the Moon.

Searching for the Past in the Future

The final Apollo Moon mission was in 1972. Scientists have had decades to investigate lunar samples and data from the Apollo missions, combine it with information returned by subsequent lunar missions, come to conclusions, and form new questions. They know what to target during the upcoming Artemis missions to help solve some of the outstanding mysteries.

All of the Apollo missions landed near the Moon’s equator, and the samples brought back are mostly from volcanic regions. Lunar scientists are hoping to obtain new samples from different locations, like the far side of the Moon and areas closer to the poles, so they can examine the Moon’s composition in regions that would have evolved in different ways and uncover more evidence of how the Moon formed. They’re hoping to drill down into the lunar surface and acquire core samples that expose additional layers of the Moon’s geologic history, a record written in rock and mostly hidden from us for now.

These new discoveries will help narrow down the many unknown factors in the Moon formation models. If the new evidence shows ― to choose just one example ― that a vast quantity of sulfur was lost during a period of volcanic activity, then that sulfur loss doesn’t need to be accounted for during early stages of Moon formation. Like a game of Clue, deciphering the mysteries of the Moon’s formation will be a process of elimination, ruling out particular events happening during certain time periods and narrowing down the possibilities until few remain.

But scientists are also alert to the possibility of new discoveries, findings that paint a different picture. The greatest clues to the Moon’s past may still be scattered around and beneath the lunar surface, waiting to be unearthed.

• Writer: Tracy Vogel
• Science Advisors: Prabal Saxena (NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center), Sarah Valencia (NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center) and Bill Bottke (Southwest Research Institute Boulder)

{ https://www.nasa.gov/ }

25-12-2024 om 01:20 geschreven door peter  

Studie onthult dat de maan veel ouder is dan gedacht (en legt ook uit waarom we het verkeerd hadden)

Vivian Lammerse

{ https://scientias.nl/ }

25-12-2024 om 00:59 geschreven door peter  

ET Contact Revealed: Dr. Courtney Brown Predicts Larger UFO Sightings This Month

Larger Drones Will Prove ET Contact: Dr. Courtney Brown’s Bold Prediction

Dr. Courtney Brown, a university professor and founder of the Farsight Institute, has made an extraordinary claim that could redefine humanity’s understanding of its place in the universe. According to Dr. Brown, the coming months will witness increasing sightings of larger unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), or what he calls “drones,” which will serve as undeniable proof of extraterrestrial contact. These developments, he asserts, are not mere coincidence but a coordinated effort by extraterrestrial beings to signal their presence and initiate global disclosure.

The Farsight Institute and Remote Viewing

Dr. Brown is the director of Farsight.org, a pioneering institute focused on remote viewing—a practice that involves using trained perception to gather information about distant or unseen targets. Through years of research, the Farsight Institute has explored consciousness, extraterrestrial phenomena, and historical mysteries. Dr. Brown states that their remote viewing projects have been guided by extraterrestrial entities, whom he refers to as “good ETs.”

VIDEO:

• “LARGER DRONES Next Month WILL PROVE ET CONTACT”-Dr Courtney Brown

Since January 2022, these ETs have insisted on transparency, asking Farsight to document their interactions and share them publicly. Their goal? To dismantle the “prison planet” narrative that Dr. Brown claims has kept humanity under the control of what he calls “bad ETs.”

The First Wave: A Surge of Drones

Dr. Brown outlines a timeline of events that began with the first wave of “drones” appearing in November 2024. These small craft, unlike human-made drones, lack transponders, heat signatures, or other identifying markers. Often seen hovering over restricted airspaces and military installations, their presence has been attributed to extraterrestrial activity.

During a board meeting on November 13, 2024, Dr. Brown’s ET collaborators predicted the surge of drone sightings. Just days later, reports of unexplained aerial activity began flooding in, with these UAPs swarming over military bases in the United States and the United Kingdom.

“These sightings were the first step in a larger disclosure plan,” Dr. Brown explains. “The ETs want people to connect the dots between their predictions and the unfolding events.”

The Next Wave: Larger Ships and Escalating Presence

According to Dr. Brown, the next phase will involve the appearance of larger extraterrestrial ships, signaling an escalation in their strategy. These craft, significantly larger than the previously seen drone-sized objects, will make it clear that they are not human-made. He anticipates this development in the weeks following the December 2024 board meeting.

Dr. Brown emphasizes that these sightings are designed to acclimate humanity to the presence of extraterrestrials gradually. The goal is to avoid panic and create a framework where the global population can process the reality of extraterrestrial contact. By the summer of 2025, he predicts, the truth will be undeniable.

A War for Free Will

Central to Dr. Brown’s claims is the idea of a cosmic conflict between “good ETs” and “bad ETs.” He asserts that Earth has been a “prison planet,” controlled by authoritarian extraterrestrials who use psychological manipulation to trap human souls in an endless cycle of reincarnation. These “bad ETs,” he says, have maintained agreements with various governments, trading technology for access to human resources, including alleged human trafficking operations.

In contrast, the “good ETs” are free-will advocates working to liberate humanity. They seek to awaken the global population, enabling people to break free from the influence of authoritarian extraterrestrial forces. The gradual waves of sightings, coupled with information disseminated through Farsight, are part of this awakening process.

Skepticism and Scientific Approach

Dr. Brown acknowledges that his claims are extraordinary and likely to face skepticism. However, he invites people to observe and draw conclusions based on the evidence. He points to the alignment of Farsight’s predictions with actual events as proof of credibility

“Our job is to relay what the ETs tell us,” he says. “It’s their job to ensure that the world takes notice.”

The Broader Implications

If Dr. Brown’s predictions prove accurate, they would represent a paradigm shift in human understanding of extraterrestrial life, consciousness, and the structure of the universe. Beyond the immediate implications of disclosure, his claims challenge the scientific community to reconsider long-held assumptions about telepathy, remote viewing, and the interconnectedness of all beings.

What Comes Next?

As we move into 2025, Dr. Brown urges people to remain open-minded and vigilant. He believes the next waves of larger ships will continue to intensify pressure on governments and institutions to acknowledge the reality of extraterrestrial contact. Whether these predictions materialize remains to be seen, but the conversation they spark could redefine humanity’s future.

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

24-12-2024 om 17:08 geschreven door peter  

NOIRLab Releases High-Resolution Images of 88 Constellations and Colossal Photo of Night Sky

NSF’s NOIRLab, in collaboration with ESA/Hubble, has released a collection of free, high resolution images of all 88 constellations and the largest open-source, freely available all-sky photo of the night sky.

This all-sky photo of the night sky was compiled using images taken by astrophotographer Eckhard Slawik from the best and darkest locations around the globe.

Image credit: NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / E. Slawik / M. Zamani.

“This complete collection of free, high resolution, downloadable images of all 88 western IAU-recognized constellations serves as an educational archive that can be used on the individual and scholastic levels,” NOIRLab astronomers wrote in a statement.

“The project also includes the release of the largest open-source, freely available all-sky photo of the night sky.”

The photographer behind these stunning, high-quality images is the German astrophotographer Eckhard Slawik.

“The images were taken on film and each panel comprises two separate exposures, one with and one without a diffuser filter to allow the stars’ colors to shine through,” the astronomers said.

“All products include a comprehensive description of the constellation and its historic origins, as well as the corresponding standardized stick figure, outline drawing, finder chart and description of the constellation’s most prominent deep-sky objects.”

“Existing astronomical images of such deep-sky objects, captured with various NSF’s NOIRLab telescopes, are also included.”

“Downloadable flash cards and other audiovisual and educational materials make it easy to bring the constellations into the classrooms.”

The NOIRLab astronomers also released the largest open-source, freely available all-sky photo of the night sky.

“With 40,000 pixels, this is arguably one of the best such images ever made,” they wrote.

“The colossal sky-scape was compiled using images taken by Slawik from the best and darkest locations around the globe: in Waldenburg, Germany; Tenerife, La Palma, Spain; Namibia; and Chile.”

“The 88 Constellations images are open for exploration by all ages, and are especially suitable for use in planetariums and museums.”

“Visit the project webpage to become familiar with all 88 constellations and see how many you can spot in your night sky.”

{ https://www.sci.news/ )

24-12-2024 om 00:00 geschreven door peter  

EXCLUSIVE - The drone map of Great Britain: Our interactive guide shows how sightings are pouring in as US airbases are buzzed in UK and New Jersey is hit by UFO panic

• Have YOU seen any drones and have pictures? Email jose.ramos@mailonline.co.uk 

By JOSE RAMOS

Drone fever is on the rise after mysterious UAVs were spotted over US airbases in the UK and others sparked a mass panic in the skies over New Jersey.

MailOnline has now unearthed more sightings of drones in our skies as the debate rages over the origins of the phenomenon.

We have found at least six previously unknown recent sightings of UFOs in this country ranging from rural Northumberland to urban Luton – including more over UK military airbases.

In the US The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a temporary drone ban in New Jersey, citing 'special security reasons.'

And one military expert has warned that the sightings could be the work of Russian 'sleeper agents' looking to test the aerial defences of western nations.

The drones panic began in the UK when mysterious lights were spotted over RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, which has been earmarked as a storage facility for US nuclear warheads three times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.

MailOnline has catalogued some of the sightings reported by our readers in the skies above Britain and Europe in recent weeks.

One spotted a bright flying object near RAF Boulmer in Northumberland, a key station helping providing surveillance of UK airspace and tactical control of combat and support aircraft. 

'Slow moving lights' were seen in Blackpool in October by Rebecca Cardwell

A 'bright light' was also spotted on December 17 while taking a picture of the sunrise

'I took two photos of a lovely sunrise,' she told us.

'I looked back at them later and spotted a bright light in the sky. If you zoom in it's sort of diamond-shaped.'

She added: 'There was a few seconds between photos and in that time it has moved across the sky. I am 18 miles south of RAF Boulmer. 

'When I zoomed in the photo to see if it looked like a plane or a helicopter - it definitely doesn't.'

Meanwhile Rebecca Cardwell, from Blackpool, said she saw what she described as 'slow moving lights' around 7pm on October 19.

The city is just 15 minutes from Weeton Barracks, which has recently become the home of the first Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

She said: 'I went to open my bedroom window at approximately 7pm to see slow moving bright orange flames or objects flying over in procession. 

'I've never seen anything like this before and took some pictures. 

The picture was taken in Ellington, Northumberland - 18 miles south of RAF Boulmer - on December 17

Ms Cardwell spotted this over Blackpool in October and she said she had 'never seen anything like this'

'I've just seen an article in the Mail about drones and thought my images looked similar. 

'There were at least seven flames/objects that I witnessed, maybe more.'

Matt Chaplin-Haylett in Northampton also reported sightings.

He said: 'I looked out my windscreen and saw a solo light… bit weird.. no other stars in sight.

'I grab my phone, zoom in on video and I think I’m going mad. '

He sent it to his family but when he looked up again, it had disappeared.

He added: 'It looked like a white light, but zoom showed it having green and red lights - static in the sky.'

He said: 'It looked like a white light, but zoom showed it having green and red lights- static in the sky.' Pictures were taken on December 14

Michael Chapman from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire reported seeing 'hundreds of moving lights' when he stepped outside for a cigarette around 3am last week.

The town is home to RAF Wyton, a strategic command station which provides intelligence to British armed forces operating around the world.

He said: 'I look up to the sky and see hundreds of lights moving in coordination. 

'Quite a slow speed, perfectly spaced apart from each other. Almost like hundreds of planes flying overhead. They weren't planes and I didn't think it was drones either to be honest. 

'I wasn't quite sure what I was seeing so my best guess would have been drones. 

'I attempted to take pictures but the lights wouldn't even show up in image just showed a blank black sky.'

Jo Jenner spotted these in Wormingford, Essex as well as Colchester on November 22.

'I saw numerous drones in the sky over a couple of evenings in the area of the Essex/Suffolk border', she said.

Adding: 'I counted at least 10 in the sky on both occasions.'

Farm worker Ricky Fletcher, 43, was leaving work on November 29 when he saw the aircraft: 'We couldn't believe what we were seeing', he said

It also seems these drones are also being spotted near busy London airports, as one Mail reader from Luton told us.

He described seeing 'red orbs flying across the night sky' on May 31 this year. 

He said: 'They were travelling into 17mph headwinds in heavy and light rain and in and out of the low cloud base while maintaining a laser tight trajectory to each other travelling south towards Luton airport 

'At the time I did a quick check for air traffic including wind directions to rule out commercial aircraft or lanterns and I’m pretty sure the harsh weather conditions and restrictions can rule those out.'

This series of accounts match with what has been reported at and near RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk.

Farmworker Ricky Fletcher, 43, was leaving work on November 29 when initially he only saw what he described as drone flying over Hockwold cum Wilton.

The village sits between two Air Force bases, RAF Feltwell and RAF Lakenheath. 

He told us: 'I first saw them on the farm I work at, I was leaving work at 4pm on Friday evening and saw one flying way from Feltwell low to the ground, I almost thought it was a helicopter, it was so big.

Adding: 'All of a sudden we looked up and saw about 10 of them circling around. We were fascinated by them, they were just circling around, not really flying in the same direction.'

A swarm of drones is spotted over in New Jersey, America, which has alarmed US officials 

White House national security spokesman John Kirby, pictured, said the majority of the sightings in the US are from drone hobbyists

US Intelligence agencies have sought to reassure Americans amid the widespread panic over these UFOs saying there is nothing nefarious about these drones.

The CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defence met with members of the House Intelligence Committee about the unidentified aircraft that have been reported in multiple states.

It was argued the aircraft are not part of a classified government operation, and said there seems to be no one reason behind the phenomenon. 

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the majority of the sightings in the US are from drone hobbyists. 

He said: 'We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and even stars that were mistakenly reported as drones.'

'We have not identified anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace In New Jersey, or other states in the Northeast. The work continues.'

'But I want to stress again, our assessment at this stage is that the activity represents commercial, hobbyist law enforcement drones, all operating legally and lawful and or civilian aviation aircraft,' he underlined.

Defence expert Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, the former head of the UK's Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment, previously told MailOnline he feared it could be a Kremlin plot to test the defences of British and American bases.

'It’s no secret that there are sleepers and stuff around,' he warned. 'It’s espionage 2.0. It’s the next stage. So, this is absolutely the case.'

Federal Aviation Administration has now banned the use of drones in 22 infrastructure sites in New York and New Jersey.

These measures will allow the government to use 'deadly force' against unmanned aircraft if they post an 'imminent security threat'.

The order says no unmanned aircraft can operate below 400ft, the maximum altitude for recreational drone operations under FAA rules. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

23-12-2024 om 23:35 geschreven door peter  

Drone ban in New Jersey sees restrictions in 22 towns due to 'special security reasons'

• READ MORE: Joe Rogan stunned after hearing tech used in New Jersey drones

By MATTHEW PHELAN SENIOR SCIENCE REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a temporary drone ban in New Jersey, citing 'special security reasons.'

At least 22 towns in central and northern New Jersey fall under the alert, which is in place until at least January 17.

The temporary flight restriction (TFR) areas include parts of Camden, Gloucester City, Winslow Township, Evesham, Hancock's Bridge in Lower Alloways Township in Salem County, Westampton, Burlington, and Hamilton in Mercer County.

Flying drones is also banned in Bridgewater, Cedar Grove, North Brunswick, Metuchen, South Brunswick, Edison, Branchburg, Sewaren, Jersey City, Harrison, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Clifton, and Kearny.

The FAA warned that 'deadly force' could be used against drones that present an 'imminent security threat.'

Pilots who violate the restriction may be 'intercepted, detained, and interviewed by law enforcement.'

The ban comes one month after the first drone sightings in New Jersey, which began in mid-November near President-elect Donald Trump's Bedminster golf course and the U.S. Army's Picatinny Arsenal.

While residents and local officials have speculated that the drones are foreign adversaries, the White House has stated multiple times that it has 'not identified anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risk.'

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that people are misidentifying hobbyists, planes, and even stars as drones.

He noted that the FBI had received tips on 5,000 drone sightings in recent weeks, of which 100 were deemed worthy of further investigation.

New Jersey residents in at least 22 municipalities are now banned from flying drones, recreationally or commercially, by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Each small red circle in the image above, posted by the FAA, represents a flight ban region over the state

'There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States, and there are thousands of commercial hobbyists and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day,' Kirby told reporters. 

Then Kirby pointed to the array of explanations over what US officials believe to be in the skies, having looked at the various tips – even saying misidentified stars were part of the problem.

'We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and even stars that were mistakenly reported as drones.'

'We have not identified anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace In New Jersey, or other states in the Northeast. The work continues.'

'But I want to stress again, our assessment at this stage is that the activity represents commercial, hobbyist law enforcement drones, all operating legally and lawful and or civilian aviation aircraft,' he underlined.

Michael McCaul, R-Texas, made a bombshell claim Tuesday, saying some of the unidentified aircraft are 'spy drones' from China.

The speculation came after it was revealed that the communist state had been snapping up strategically placed farmland next to military installations across the US.

'We want answers but the response I'm getting is we don't know whose drones these are,' McCaul said before executive-branch officials offered a classified briefing to members of the House intelligence committee.

'I was with the NASA administrator, Bill Nelson, he said that these drones have been reported over military sites, military bases. I would not think those are friendly. I would think those are adversarial,' he added.

Although misidentifications of conventional planes have been rife amid the growing public panic, reports by from US military officials and local police have told matching accounts of these car-sized 'mystery drones' (examples above) over New Jersey and other US states 

Read More

EXCLUSIVE

•  Nebraska police chief has warning for New Jersey... after dozens of SUV-sized drones terrorized his town's livestock 

'I believe they're spy drones and the PRC and communist China is very good at this stuff. We know they bought land around military bases. This would be very consistent with their policy over the past couple years,' he said.

Belleville Mayor Michael Melham, whose township was not listed in the TFR, has become a vocal critic calling the federal response 'disappointing, to say the least.'

'Over 500 mayors were invited to an unprecedented 'mayors-only' briefing on such an important topic,' Mayor Melham told local network WABC last week.

'Many northern NJ mayors traveled nearly three hours round trip, on short notice, to be there,' he explained, 'only to learn what could have easily been said over a Zoom call. Many walked out.'

Journalist and author Michael Shellenberger, who testified to Congress last month on his reports of a hidden UFO data collection program, obtained a recording of the meeting, in which one NJ mayor complained of SUV-sized drones.

'The mayors are livid,' Shellenberger told Fox News. 'One of them got up there and said, 'I had two automobile-sized drones hovering over my house.''

FAA warns that any drone pilots found to be operating in restricted zones run the risk of being intercepted, detained, and questioned by law enforcement.

Administrative actions, including civil penalties, certificate suspension or revocation of their drone license, or even criminal charges, may also be pursued.

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23-12-2024 om 22:35 geschreven door peter  

Stonehenge mystery is SOLVED after 5,000 years - as scientists finally crack why the mysterious monument was built

• READ MORE: One of Stonehenge's most famous rocks 'came from Scotland'

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

Why the mighty Stonehenge was built around 5,000 years ago has long been one of the great mysteries.  

But according to a new study, we may finally have an answer. 

Scientists say Wiltshire's famous stone circle was built as a symbol of unification between three distinct corners of Britain.  

We know that Stonehenge's rocky slabs were transported as far afield from southwest Wales and northeast Scotland. 

So the scientists, from University College London and Aberystwyth University, theorise that Scottish and Welsh people brought their own local stones down to Wiltshire as a well-meaning contribution to assembling the structure.

In that sense, it represented a powerful – and very early – symbol of British unity. 

Stonehenge's builders had attempted to establish 'political unification and shared identity across much or even all of Britain', the authors say in their paper, published in Archaeology International.  

They add: 'Bringing together these extraordinary and alien rocks... symbolised and embodied far and distant communities within a complex material.

A symbol of British unity? Wiltshire's famous stone circle is one of the world's most iconic historic sites and a British cultural icon - but its intended purpose has long divided academics 

The new research comes a day before the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year where thousands of people flock to Stonehenge (pictured in 2021) 

'[Stonehenge was a] monumental expression of unity between people, land, ancestors and the heavens.' 

In the paper, the researchers say Stonehenge’s long-distance links add weight to the theory that the Neolithic monument may have had some unifying purpose in ancient Britain, to go with its symbolic value. 

'The fact that all of its stones originated from distant regions, making it unique among over 900 stone circles in Britain, suggests that the stone circle may have had a political as well as a religious purpose,' said lead author Professor Mike Parker Pearson at UCL's Institute of Archaeology. 

'[It was] a monument of unification for the peoples of Britain, celebrating their eternal links with their ancestors and the cosmos.' 

Even though England, Scotland and Wales did not exist as concepts when Stonehenge was built 5,000-odd years ago, we know the structure is indeed representative of all three countries.

Stonehenge is famous for its great sandstone slabs, known as sarsens, which were sourced locally – likely hauled from West Woods in Wiltshire, around 15 miles north. 

But in addition to the tall Sarsen stones that make up Stonehenge's distinctive appearance, the world-famous site is also home to around 80 'bluestones' – smaller stones that have a bluish tinge when freshly broken or when wet. 

Among Stonehenge experts, it is generally agreed the bluestones came from Craig Rhos-y-Felin in the Preseli Hills of south-west Wales (although how exactly they got to Wiltshire is hotly debated). 

Researchers say Stonehenge's Altar Stone (pictured) came from Scotland. Lying flat at the heart, the six-tonne, five-metre-long rectangular Altar Stone is a grey-green sandstone

Meanwhile, around 80 smaller 'bluestones' (pictured) - stones that have a bluish tinge when freshly broken or when wet - came from Wales

How were the stones moved to Wiltshire?

The matter of why Stonehenge was built is perhaps the most tantalizing question for academics - but there's the additional question of how.

Scientists know that the sarsens were sourced locally in Wiltshire, while the 'bluestones' were from Wales and the 'Altar Stone' from Scotland. 

But this raises questions about its journey given the limits of human technology during Neolithic times. 

It's possible that they were pulled by tribes of men along the ground using a series of logs - a labor-intensive task that would have taken months if not years. 

There's also the possibly stone was transported by boat or even carried by the movement of glacier ice.  

However, the Altar Stone, the largest bluestone at the centre of Stonehenge, actually came from northern Scotland – up to 1,000km (621 miles) away, scientists revealed earlier this year. 

Lying flat at the heart of Stonehenge, the six-tonne, five-metre-long rectangular Altar Stone is a grey-green sandstone, far bigger and different in its composition from the other bluestones.

At the time, the research team (which included two authors of this new paper) analysed the age and chemistry of minerals from fragments of the Altar Stone.

They found a remarkable similarity with the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland. 

The team concluded 'with 95 per cent accuracy' that the stone came from this area – which encompasses parts of Inverness, Thurso, Orkney and parts of Shetland – although they've since ruled out Orkney as the location. 

In this new follow-up paper, the team say the Altar Stone was brought by the Neolithic people of northern Scotland as a contribution or gift to the southerners. 

'[This was] perhaps to cement an alliance or to take part in the extraordinary long-distance collaboration that building Stonehenge represented and embodied,' the authors say. 

Likewise, the bluestones could have been transported by people from the Preseli Hills of south-west Wales as their own contribution – illustrating 'a political unification or a sacred peace'. 

Earlier in 2024, researchers concluded that the Altar Stone came from the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland 

What is the Altar Stone?

This follow-up paper now identifies Stonehenge construction 'as a monument of island-wide unification, embodied in part through the distant and diverse origins of its stones'. 

'Unusually strong similarities in house floor layouts between Late Neolithic houses in Orkney and the Durrington Walls settlement near Stonehenge also provide evidence of close connections between Salisbury Plain and northern Scotland,' the team say. 

Stonehenge was used as a cremation cemetery for mostly adult men and women for around five centuries in its early history. 

Nearly half the people buried at Stonehenge had lived somewhere other than Salisbury Plain, the experts say – showing people historically flocked there from afar.  

'The similarities in architecture and material culture between the Stonehenge area and northern Scotland now make more sense,' added Professor Pearson. 

'It’s helped to solve the puzzle of why these distant places had more in common than we might have once thought.' 

The new research comes a day before the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year where thousands of people flock to Stonehenge. 

During the winter solstice, the setting sun dips below the horizon over the middle of the Altar Stone and between the two largest upright stones (one of which is now fallen). 

Stonehenge is famous for its alignment with the sun, but the ancient monument may have also been carefully designed to align with the movements of the moon

In the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs when Earth's north is most greatly inclined towards the sun, and the winter solstice occurs when it's titled away from the sun

For thousands of years, it's thought people gathered at Stonehenge at both midsummer and midwinter solstices to conduct rituals and ceremonies relating to the changing seasons, the sun and the sky. 

During the winter, Neolithic people also feasted close to Stonehenge at the nearby settlement village of Durrington Walls. 

Largely because it's a whopping 5,000 years old, the origins of Stonehenge, including why and how it was built, are still a source of frenzied debate.

Professor Timothy Darvill, an archaeologist at Bournemouth University who passed away earlier this year, said Stonehenge served as an ancient solar calendar, helping people track the days of the year.

The British researcher said the sarsens each represented a single day in a month, making the entire site a huge time-keeping device.

Other theories include that it was a cult centre for healing, a temple or a place where ancestors were worshipped.

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23-12-2024 om 22:06 geschreven door peter  

CIA docs claim life did exist on Mars... and it was a population of 'very large people' who built pyramids

• READ MORE:  Scientists make discovery on Mars that could reveal alien life

By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

While NASA is searching for life on Mars, a CIA document claims it was found 40 years ago.

The report, 'Mars Exploration May 22, 1984,' details how the agency used astral projection—the idea that a person's spirit can travel through the astral plane—to transport a 'subject' to Mars approximately one million years BC.

The study was part of Project Stargate, a secret US Army unit established in 1977 that focused on anomalous phenomena, including remote viewing, telepathy, and psychokinesis.

Participants were exposed to sounds like binaural beats and hemi-sync audio to induce altered states of consciousness and promote psychic abilities.

The experiment's 'subject' was transported to the planet during the specified year, reporting an 'oblique view of a pyramid' and a 'very large road' with a monument similar to those known among ancient Egyptians on Earth, the report claims.

The vision then shifted to a population of 'very large people' searching for 'a new place to live because their environment was corrupted.'

Project Stargate was the US government's new weapon against the Soviet Union, aimed at creating mind-reading spies who could infiltrate the minds of its enemies.

The classified project was conducted at Fort Meade in Maryland, recruiting men and women who claimed to have extrasensory perception (ESP) to help uncover military and domestic intelligence secrets.

The experiment's 'subject' was transported to the planet during the specified year, reporting an 'oblique view of a pyramid' and a 'very large road' with a monument similar to those known among ancient Egyptians on Earth

It shut down in 1995, but during its more than 10-year existence, psychics known as 'remote viewers' participated in a wide array of operations, from locating hostages kidnapped by Islamic terrorist groups to tracing the paths of fugitive criminals within the US.

Leading up to its closure was 'Mars Exploration May 22, 1984,' a document declassified in 2017 that has recently resurfaced online.

The document is sparse in details, beginning with: 'Method of site acquisition: Sealed envelope coupled with geographic coordinates.'

The envelope was provided to the subject before the interview but was not opened until afterward.

'In the envelope was a 3x5 card with the following information: The Planet Mars. Time of interest approximately one million BC,' the document reads.

The administrator of the experiment verbally relayed the envelope contents and allowed the subject to provide their observations. The starting time was 10:09 a.m. ET.

The subject was asked to focus their attention on '40.89 degrees north, 9.55 degrees west.'

'It sort of looks... I kind of got an oblique view of a ah... pyramid or pyramid form,' the subject said.

While NASA is searching for life on Mars , a CIA document claims it was found 40 years ago

They continued to describe the structure as okra-colored, a hue ranging from yellow to deep orange and brown.

The subject then observed shadows of 'very tall, thin' people wearing strange clothing.

The administrator prompted the subject to remain in that time period but move to another location in space.

The landscape featured a very long road with what appeared to be the Washington Monument at the end.

'It's like an... obelisk,' the subject said before being asked to move to different locations until they saw people again.

The subject moved to a place where a violent storm was ripping through Mars, and people were using the giant pyramids for shelter.

'Different chambers... but they're almost stripped of any kind of... furnishing or anything. It's like ah... strictly functional, a place for sleeping—or that's not a good word—hibernation, some form,' the subject said. 

I can't... I get real raw inputs, storms, savage storms, and sleeping through storms.'

The experiment suggested that a population of people died on Mars after intense storms ripped through the planet

The administrator asked the subject to describe who was sleeping through the storms.

'Very... tall again, very large... people, but they're thin. They look that way because of their height, and they dress like in, oh hell, it's like a real light silk, but it's not flowing type of clothing. It's like cut to fit,' they explained.

The subject told the administrator that these were ancient people who were dying.

'It's past their time or age,' the subject said. 'They're very philosophic about it. They're looking for ah... a way to survive, and they just can't.'

The subject appeared concerned for the ancient people, saying they were looking for a way out or waiting for something to return.

'It's like I'm getting all kinds of overwhelming input of the... corruption of their environment,' the subject said. 

'It's failing very rapidly, and this group went somewhere, like a long way, to find another place to live.'

The subject claimed to have spoken with one of these people, who told them that a group had left in what 'looks like the inside of a larger boat.'

The administrator told the subject to go along on the journey and report what they saw.

'Impression of a really crazy place with volcanoes and gas pockets and strange plants—a very volatile place. It's very much like going from the frying pan into the fire,' the subject said.

'The difference is there seems to be a lot of vegetation where the other place did not have it. And a different kind of storm.'

The administrator then told the subject it was time to come back.

'Move now back to the room, back to the sound of my voice, back farther now to the sound of my voice on the 22nd of May, 1984,' they told the subject.

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23-12-2024 om 21:31 geschreven door peter  

• READ MORE: Earth is 'overdue' a devastating solar SUPERFLARE, scientists warn 

By WILIAM HUNTER

A NASA probe is set to make history this Christmas Eve as it becomes the closest human-made object to the sun.

Tomorrow at 11:53 GMT, the Parker Solar Probe will pass within just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) of the sun's surface.

That is more than eight times closer than the distance between our home star and the nearest planet, Mercury.

As it reaches its closest point, the probe will also become the fastest human-made object ever made as it reaches a staggering 430,000 mph (692,000 kph).

In a moment that has been compared to the moon landing of 1969, Parker will 'touch' the sun's surface to gather vital data.

During that brief flyby, the probe will pass through the sun's super-hot outer atmosphere called the corona - the origin of solar storms which have the potential to cause chaos on Earth.

Although the Parker probe will endure temperatures exceeding 1,400 °C (2,550 °F) its near-indestructible heat shield should allow it to survive the extreme conditions. 

Nick Pinkine, Parker Solar Probe mission operations manager at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), says: 'No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star, so Parker will truly be returning data from uncharted territory.'

NASA's Parker Solar Probe (pictured) will make history on Christmas Eve as it becomes the closest human-made object to the sun 

The Parker Solar Probe was launched from Cape Canaveral in August 2018 before embarking on the 93 million-mile (149 million km) journey to the sun.

The goal was to gather more data about the sun's corona by flying as close as possible through the stellar atmosphere.

Because the gravitation pull is so strong at this distance, the probe needs to be moving incredibly fast to avoid slipping into the heart of the sun.

To do this, the probe has been repeatedly 'slingshot' around the sun and Venus, getting progressively faster with each pass.

In 2021, Parker made its first successful pass of the solar corona, dipping into a region where temperatures can reach over one million degrees Centigrade for up to five hours.

Since then, Parker has completed 21 solar slingshots, but tomorrow the probe will smash its own record for both speed and distance.

After completing its seventh loop around Venus in November, Parker is now using that 'gravity assist' to fly seven times closer to the star than any other spacecraft.

Passing at a distance of just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km), Parker will gather particles from the corona inside a special instrument called the Solar Probe Cup.

The Parker probe will pass within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) of the sun's surface, moving at speeds of 30,000 mph (692,000 kph)

At the same time, Parker will surpass its previous speed record of 395,000 mph (635,000 kmph), according to NASA.

At its top speed, the probe will be moving 300 times faster than a Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet or 200 times faster than a rifle bullet.

Arik Posner, Parker Solar Probe program scientist for NASA, says: 'This is one example of NASA’s bold missions, doing something that no one else has ever done before to answer longstanding questions about our universe.'

In order to avoid melting during that time, the Parker Solar Probe has been designed to withstand unbelievably high temperatures.

The body of the probe itself is protected by a 2.4-metre (8ft) wide heat shield made of a type of carbon foam.

Although this shield is just 11cm (4.5 inches) thick, its material composition makes it almost indestructible.

Johns Hopkins APL explained in a mission briefing: 'One yard behind that, where the body of the spacecraft resides, it is almost room temperature.

'And all its systems will need to work perfectly for Parker to gather data from this dynamic environment near a star where no spacecraft has dared travel.'

As it passes, the probe will collect particles from the Sun in the 'Solar Probe Cup' (pictured) which is made of Titanium-Zirconium-Molybdenum, a metal alloy with a melting point of 2,349 °C (4,260 °F)

How frequent are superflares?

Meanwhile, the Solar Probe Cup is made of Titanium-Zirconium-Molybdenum, a metal alloy with a melting point of 2,349 °C (4,260 °F).

However, the probe's mission is about more than moving fast and withstanding high temperatures.

The data it brings back could make a huge difference in humanity's defences against devastating solar flares.

Thanks to the intense temperatures and powerful magnetic fields, scientists haven't been able to look inside the sun's corona.

However, this region is the origin of the plasma and magnetic fields which trigger solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

As the sun enters its solar maximum this year, scientists have warned that Earth is long overdue for an impact from a superflare which could cause widespread blackouts and damage to satellite networks.

By gathering data from this region, NASA says the Parker Solar Probe will help scientists make better predictions about space weather.

That could buy Earth valuable time to protect our most vulnerable systems in the event of a dangerous solar flare.

This data will help scientists understand what goes on within the sun's super-hot atmosphere. This could help us predict dangerous solar flares which have the potential to cause massive disruption on Earth (stock image)

Read More

• NASA sun probe becomes the fastest man-made object in history after traveling nearly 400,000mph over the solar surface 

Mr Posner says: 'We can’t wait to receive that first status update from the spacecraft and start receiving the science data in the coming weeks.'

Parker will transmit a beacon on Friday, December 27 to confirm it has survived the flyby with more data soon to follow.

The probe is then expected to make four more close flybys in 2025, but none so close as tomorrow.

And while the craft will eventually be torn apart by the sun's gravity, the heat shield could continue to orbit for thousands of years to come.

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23-12-2024 om 21:16 geschreven door peter  

Huge 'Christmas Eve asteroid' the size of a 10-story building will skim past Earth at 14,743mph tonight, NASA warns

• READ MORE: Incredible moment asteroid crashes into Earth's atmosphere

By WILIAM HUNTER

With Christmas Eve just around the corner, many children might be hoping to spot Santa flying overhead.

But NASA has now warned that reindeer won't be the only things soaring above Earth in the coming days.

Tonight, a massive 'Chrismas Eve asteroid' the size of a ten-story building will skim past Earth at 14,743mph

According to NASA's Asteroid Watch dashboard, the space rock 2024 NX1 will reach its closest point to Earth at 02:56 am GMT in the early hours of Christmas Eve.

At an estimated size of 29 to 70 metres (95-230 ft) in diameter, scientists believe 2024 NX1 could hold the destructive potential of 12 million tonnes of TNT.

However, although this will be a 'near miss' by astronomical standards, experts say there is no chance of Christmas being ruined by a collision with this vast space rock.

The space agency estimates that the asteroid should pass by the planet harmlessly at a distance of about 4.48 million miles (7.21 million km).

Jess Lee, astronomer at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, told MailOnline: 'It will be very far away, around 18 times further away from the Earth than the Moon is, and so with this predicted path won’t come close enough to hit the Earth.'

NASA has warned that the huge 'Christmas Eve asteroid' will skim past Earth tonight at 14,743mph

(stock image) 

The Christmas Eve asteroid was only spotted on December 12 as NASA and the European Space Agency's (ESA) planetary defence systems noticed its approach.

After calculating its orbit, the agencies listed it as a 'close approach' - meaning that it is expected to pass within 4.65 million miles (7.5 million km) of Earth.

However, based on the size of the asteroid and its distance to Earth, the ESA only rates this as a 'very frequent' approach.

Nor has the ESA included 2024 XN1 on the 'Risk List' of objects with a non-zero probability of colliding with the planet.

This means that, despite passing within touching distance on the solar system scale, there is absolutely no chance of the Christmas Eve asteroid hitting Earth.

And while that is good news for Earth, at this distance the asteroid won't be visible even to an amateur astronomer using their own telescope. 

Yet, even for a relatively small asteroid the consequences of a potential impact would be devastating.

NASA's research suggests that an asteroid of 70m in diameter is capable of flattening an area of 700 square miles (2,000 square km) if it collided with the planet. 

The asteroid 2024 XN1 (pictured) is as big as a ten-story building and could be up to 70 metres (230 ft) according to the European Space Agency's estimates. The space agencies predict that the asteroid will reach its closest point in at 02:56 am GMT in the early hours of Christmas Eve

Ms Lee says: 'If you’d like to compare it to a previous asteroid impact, the Tunguska Event in Russia in 1908 involved an asteroid which was a roughly similar size to this one. 

'It exploded above the ground and knocked down 80 million trees. The energy comparison estimates have ranged from 3-30 megatons of TNT'

Thankfully, the Tunguska Event occurred over an unihabited region of Siberia but dangerous asteroid impacts have occurred in recent history. 

In 2013 a meteor just 20m in diameter exploded 28 miles (45km) above the Russian region of Chelyabinsk.

The resulting blast released the energy equivalent of around 440,000 tonnes of TNT, damaging thousands of buildings and injuring an estimated 1,600 people.

So, although the Christmas Eve asteroid has no risk of colliding with Earth, it is a stark reminder of just how close the planet comes to disaster on a fairly regular basis.  

After making its festive appearance next week, 2024 XN1 won't come near Earth again until January 2032.

During this pass the rock will come even closer, reaching a minimum distance of 3.1 million miles (4.7 million km).

At its closest point, the Christmas Eve asteroid will pass within 4.48 million miles (7.21 million km) of Earth. This is a near miss in astronomical terms but there is no risk of a collision 

However, the Christmas Eve asteroid will make its closest pass in December of 2106 when it will skim past Earth at a distance of just 2.11 million miles (3.4 million km).

2024 XN1 won't be the only space rock paying Earth a visit over the Christmas period.

Today, a small space rock named 2013 YB actually has a slim chance of slamming into Earth at 12:27 GMT. 

However, at less than 3m (10ft) in diameter, this rock is very likely to burn up in the atmosphere, producing nothing more dangerous than a particularly bright fireball.

At this size, NASA estimates that the asteroid would break up in the atmosphere more than 26 miles (43 km) above the ground, making it unlikely that any small fragments will make it to the ground.

Even the odds of that occurring are quite low, as ESA only predicts a one-in-52,356 chance of an impact.

On Christmas Day itself, an even larger asteroid named 2021 BA2 will make a remarkably close pass of Earth.

Based on its brightness, ESA estimates that this space rock could be between 30 to 70 (100-230 ft) metres in diameter - making it a potential 'city killer'.

Earth is constantly being passed by large space rocks, some of which (pictured) have a chance of colliding with the planet. If an asteroid the size of 2024 XN1 hit Earth it would explode with the energy of 12 million tonnes of TNT

At 21:19 pm GMT on Christmas Day, 2021 BA2 will hit its closest point to Earth, passing by at just 1.71 million miles (2.76 million km).

But at more than seven times the distance to the moon, space agencies predict no risk of a collision between the asteroid and the planet.

The next truly large asteroid to pass by Earth won't be until January 5, 2025, when a 400m (1,310 ft) asteroid will make a close pass of the planet.

This Eiffel Tower-sized space rock will blast past Earth at 49,660 miles per hour (79,920 kmph), reaching its closest point just 2.29 million miles (3.68 million km) from Earth.

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23-12-2024 om 20:34 geschreven door peter  

The position of the magnetic north pole is officially changing. Why?

Why does Earth have a magnetic field?

Earth's main magnetic field is generated in the planet's outer core, a layer of molten iron 2,2001,800-3,100 miles (2,890-5,000 kilometers) below the planet's surface. The electrically conductive liquid iron is in constant motion, and when it moves through an existing weak magnetic field, that motion produces an electric current. The electric current in turn generates its own magnetic field, leading to a self-sustaining process known as the geodynamo.

Related: 

• Earth's rotating inner core is starting to slow down — and it could alter the length of our days

The geodynamo has continually regenerated Earth's magnetic field for billions of years. Without something to sustain the field, Earth would have lost its magnetic field after about 40,000 years, said Bruce Buffett, a geophysicist at the University of California, Berkeley.

"If you had a hot cannonball and you put it on the table, it would gradually cool. [The heat] would diffuse away and essentially go back to ambient," Buffett told Live Science. "The same is true with the magnetic field. If you're not sustaining it by these fluid motions, it will gradually decay away and disappear."

Where is the magnetic north pole?

The magnetic north pole is different from the geographic North Pole, which is always stationary. The geographic North Pole is the point where Earth's axis of rotation meets the planet's surface and where all lines of longitude converge. The magnetic north pole, meanwhile, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where Earth's magnetic field lines point directly into the planet.

The complex motion of the outer core causes the magnetic north pole to shift tens of miles per year. Because Earth's magnetic field is slightly asymmetrical and more complex than that of a regular bar magnet, the magnetic south pole — the point in the Southern Hemisphere where the magnetic field points straight into the planet — doesn't move in quite the same way. But changes in the strength of the magnetic field near the North Pole have caused it to shift from the Canadian Arctic toward Siberia in recent years.

What is the World Magnetic Model?

The World Magnetic Model is a mathematical model of Earth's magnetic field and a prediction for how the field will evolve over the next several years. The model combines data from satellites such as the European Space Agency's Swarm mission and from high-precision magnetometers at ground-based observatories to predict the magnetic field at each point on Earth.

Navigation apps use the World Magnetic Model along with GPS to orient users. "Your smartphone or GPS system has a magnetometer, effectively a digital compass built into it," said William Brown, a BGS geophysicist who helped create and update the World Magnetic Model. "It measures the direction of the magnetic field where you are, and it enters your position into the World Magnetic Model software to tell it what the magnetic field should look like. And then, by comparing what I measured and what I should have got, you can work out which direction you're facing."

Why is the World Magnetic Model being updated now?

A new version of the World Magnetic Model is released every five years to account for changes in the magnetic field from the motion of the outer core. This latest update is part of that five-year schedule.

"The real challenge is, and the reason why we release a model every five years, it doesn't change in a regular way. It's not completely predictable. It's a really complicated, chaotic system," Brown told Live Science. "Typically, about five years is when the accuracy of the model starts to get to the point where it's not as good as we would like it. So we make a better prediction with five years more information to work from, and just update the prediction going forward."

Small deviations from the predicted field can accumulate over time and occasionally compound to the point where the model must be updated more frequently. For example, the NCEI and BGS released an off-cycle update in 2019 to account for the outer core flowing faster than usual in the Northern Hemisphere — a phenomenon that caused the magnetic north pole to shift much more quickly than usual.

But for most people, the 2025 update won't result in any noticeable changes to navigation, and users won't have to change anything for phone map apps to work properly.

"You should be able to navigate as well as you could yesterday," Brown said. "We keep the updates coming so that it's only a bit of time, small enough that most people don't notice, because for most users, the accuracy is more than they need anyway."

{ https://www.livescience.com/ }

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{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

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In addition, it can also cause equipment to overheat as it coats thermal radiators and accumulates on windows, camera lenses, and visors, making it harder to see, navigate, and acquire accurate images. Kristen John, the Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative technical integration lead at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, said in a NASA press release: “The fine grain nature of dust contains particles that are smaller than the human eye can see, which can make a contaminated surface appear to look clean.”

Addressing the Problem

These technologies were developed by NASA’s Game Changing Development program within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). The “Lunar Gravity Simulation via Suborbital Rocket” flight test will study regolith mechanics and lunar dust transport in a simulated lunar gravity environment. The payload includes projects for mitigating and cleaning dust using multiple strategies. They include:

ClothBot:
This compact robot is designed to simulate and measure how dust behaves in a pressurized environment, which astronauts could bring back after conducting Extravehicular Activities (EVAs). The robot relies on pre-programmed motions that simulate astronauts’ movements when removing their spacesuits (aka “doffing”), releasing a small dose of lunar regolith simulant. A laser-illuminated imaging system will then capture the dust flow in real-time while sensors record the size and number of particles.

Electrostatic Dust Lofting (EDL):
The EDL will examine how lunar dust is “lofted” (kicked up) when it becomes electrostatically charged to improve models on dust lofting. During the lunar gravity phase of the flight, a dust sample will be released that the EDL will illuminate using a UV light source, causing the particles to become charged. The dust will then pass through a sheet laser as it rises from the surface while the EDL observes and records the results. The EDL’s camera will continue to record the dust until the mission ends, even after the lunar gravity phase ends and the UV light is shut off.

Hermes Lunar-G:
The Hermes Lunar-G project, developed by NASA, Texas A&M, and Texas Space Technology Applications and Research (T-STAR), is based on a facility (Hermes) that previously operated on the International Space Station (ISS). Like its predecessor, the Lunar-G project will rely on repurposed Hermes hardware to study lunar regolith simulants. This will be done using four canisters containing compressed lunar dust simulants. When the flight enters its lunar gravity phase, these simulants will decompress and float around in the canisters while high-speed cameras and sensors capture data. The results will be compared to microgravity data from the ISS and similar flight experiments.

Dust Mitigation Strategies

The data obtained by these projects will provide information on regolith generation rates, transport, and mechanics that will help scientists refine computational models. This will allow mission planners and designers to develop better strategies for dust mitigation for future missions to the Moon and Mars. Already, this challenge informs several aspects of NASA’s technological developments, ranging from In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and construction to transportation and surface power. Said John:

“Learning some of the fundamental properties of how lunar dust behaves and how lunar dust impacts systems has implications far beyond dust mitigation and environments. Advancing our understanding of the behavior of lunar dust and advancing our dust mitigation technologies benefits most capabilities planned for use on the lunar surface.”

The test flight and vehicle enhancements that will enable the simulation of lunar gravity are being funded through NASA’s Flight Opportunities program.

Further Reading: 

• NASA

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

22-12-2024 om 21:25 geschreven door peter  

KENNEDY: I've had multiple alien encounters... starting when I was a six-year-old. This is the truth about America's 'drone invasion'

By KENNEDY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 

I first saw a UFO when I was six years old. From the trunk of my parents' station wagon, I peeped a multi-colored disc floating through the night sky.

In fairness, I was bouncing around without a seatbelt (as one did in those days), so the sighting was most likely the symptom of a minor concussion sustained after an impact with a pothole.

My next close encounter came when I was in high school. The first time I smoked weed I had a vivid dream of bubble-fingered visitors standing over me, chanting: 'geeble! geeble!'

It put me off reefer for life but, perhaps oddly, made me a paranormal believer. 

So, when mysterious drones appeared in the skies over northern New Jersey earlier this month, I went full X-Files.

I assumed our saurian overlords had finally tired of our Earthly squabbling and sent an interdimensional flotilla to emulsify us all. Humanity was finally being invaded by fishbowl-headed, laser-toting 'ACK ACK!' extraterrestrials.

And if you think that sounds crazy, just listen to some of the other conspiracies wafting around.

Skinnygirl former Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel said the drones were really secret US vacuum-copters trying to sniff out missing nukes, radiation or errant dirty bombs. 

And Roseanne Barr, fresh off solving the RFK Jr's dead bear in Central Park ruse, has been banging on about Project Blue Beam (a wacko theory that authoritarians will leverage fake alien sightings to sow mass confusion and take over the world).

Then you have the elected lunatics. 

Sassy Congressional rodeo-clown Marjorie Taylor Greene reposted a good old-fashioned chemtrail theory. While New Jersey Congressmen Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew falsely insisted that an 'Iranian mothership' off the US coast was launching 'elusive maneuvering' vehicles into our airspace.

Yes, it's all insane. But at least these cranks are doing something.

The bureaucrats in charge of America's national security have been about as useful as Kamala Harris when it comes to explaining the sightings. 

Entrenched Deep Staters from the White House to the Pentagon, FBI and DHS have met growing public hysteria with a collective shrug.

So, allow me - a true believer - to set the record straight.

The drone swarms are no doubt the work of nerd hobbyists and bored teenagers. Half the sightings are misidentified planes or stars. And if someone in the Biden administration took a minute away from updating their resume to announce that from a podium, they could have saved us all some time and aggravation.

The Garden State is not under attack by aliens or Iranians, chemtrailers or autocrats. But America is under attack from Establishment incompetence. 

God willing, we will soon discover evidence of intelligent life… in Washington DC.

Assad's favorite network

Rule #1 at CNN: Always involve yourself in a story. Forget about vetting or pre-investigation of any kind, if something looks salacious and you can insert yourself into it, then it's CNN solid-gold.

The rule applies even if we're talking about a trembling 'prisoner' discovered in a Syrian torture chamber by warzone blonde Clarissa Ward. No matter that this man actually turned out to be one of Assad's torturers, responsible for the death of countless innocents. Details!

I hear Hamas is now wondering if gullible Ward can tour some Israeli prisons. The terror group has a few 'dads' they'd like her to help free.

Egg on her face

In an interview plugging her cougariffic new movie 'Babygirl', Nicole Kidman humbly admitted that her problem is she emotes too much.

Nic described how she and her musician hubby Keith Urban like to visit cancer patients, so he can strum a few bars while she stands there and feels deeply.

'I go into hospitals. Keith and I will work where we go,' she said. 'He'll bring his guitar and we'll just, you know, in the oncology units. And I have to not absorb someone else's emotions.'

She also shared that Keith tells her: 'You're like a raw egg that I have to be the shell for.'

I'll bet she can whip up a mean meringue as creamy as this self-indulgent slop!

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

22-12-2024 om 01:06 geschreven door peter  

Carbon Dioxide Ice Turns Martian Polar Region White

Planetary scientists using the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft have captured stunning images of an enigmatic landscape in the Australe Scopuli region of the Red Planet’s southern hemisphere.

Frosty scene in the Australe Scopuli region at the south pole of Mars.

Image credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin.

“Here, swirls of carbon dioxide ice and dust layers wrap around the scene, turning the Red Planet white,” the ESA researchers said in a statement.

“The contrasting light and dark layers are particularly striking in the exposed faces of hills and valleys.”

An artist's interpretation of an ice-covered river sourced from meltwater beneath Mars’ south polar cap.

Credit: Peter Buhler/PSI

“They trace out the distinctive seasonal polar layered deposits characteristic of this region, formed as layers of ice freeze with varying amounts of dust trapped within.”

“Perhaps you’d prefer a sleigh ride, but either way dress warm, because it’s cold outside: minus 125 degrees Celsius (minus 193 degrees Fahrenheit),” they added.

“Any Martian skier or sleigh rider would also need to slalom around hundreds of potential dust jets.”

“That’s because ski season is almost over and it’s beginning to look a lot like spring — or even summer, for this image was taken on June 16, 2022, close to summer solstice at the south pole.”

Zooming into the image above reveals numerous dark patches where the ice has already sublimated away, a sure sign that the Sun’s warming rays have been falling on this region for some time.

“When sunlight shines through the translucent top layers of the carbon dioxide ice it warms up the underlying surface,” the scientists explained.

“The ice at the bottom of the layer begins to sublimate, creating pockets of trapped gas.”

“The pressure builds up until the overlying ice suddenly cracks, resulting in a burst of gas jetting through the surface.”

“These gas fountains carry dark dust from below, which falls back to the surface in a fan-shaped pattern moulded by the direction of the prevailing wind.”

“The fans can range in length from tens to hundreds of meters.”

“An even closer look shows that the fans often appear to follow the boundaries between the polar layered deposits.”

“Presumably these boundaries represent zones of weakness, where the escaping dust-laden jets can break through the ice layers more easily.”

“We may well have missed our chance to make ‘Frosty the Snowman’, but it’s still a wonderful time of year on Mars.”

{ https://www.sci.news/ }

22-12-2024 om 00:52 geschreven door peter  

Earth's magnetic North Pole is shifting toward Russia. What does that mean?

Fernando Cervantes Jr.   USA TODAY

World Magnetic Model

The Earth's magnetic North Pole is currently moving toward Russia in a way that British scientists have not seen before.

Scientists have been tracking the magnetic North Pole for centuries, telling the British newspaper The Times that it had moved closer to the northern coast of Canada. In the 1990s, it drifted into the Atlantic before moving in a faster manner toward Siberia in Russia.

Compass needles in the Northern Hemisphere point toward the magnetic North Pole, although the exact location of it changes from time to time as the contours of Earth’s magnetic field also change. The magnetic North Pole is sometimes confused with the geographic North Pole, but this spot stays at the same place as it is where all lines of longitude converge.

In the 300 years between 1600 and 1900, scientists estimate that the magnetic North Pole moved about six miles per year. At the beginning of this century, it picked up to about 34 miles per year, before slowing in the last five years to about 22 miles per year.

Magnetic north has shifted a lot over the centuries.

(BGS)

Why does the North Pole's movement matter?

The moves are tracked as the data allows the compasses in our smartphones and other navigation devices to navigate.

Scientists told The Times these movements are tracked by the British Geological Survey and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In conjunction, they make the World Magnetic Model, that predicts where the pole should be at any time.

The model plays a role in the GPS systems we use on a day-to-day basis.

“Planes, boats, submarines, you name it, it’s in there,” William Brown, the global geomagnetic field modeler at the British Geological Survey, said in an interview with The Times.

It's time to recalibrate the navigation systems on ships, airplanes, and (given the time of year) Santa's sleigh: the position of the magnetic North Pole is officially being changed, continuing its shift away from Canada and towards Siberia.

Experts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the British Geological Survey (BGS) have joined forces – as they do every five years – to produce a new, more accurate World Magnetic Model (WMM).

While the geographical North Pole stays fixed in place (at the very summit of the Earth's rotational axis), the WMM pinpoints the magnetic North Pole – where Earth's magnetic field points straight down, a perfectly vertical magnetic field.

And as the iron and nickel inside our planet shift, so does Earth's magnetic field, meaning the North (and South) Poles are also constantly on the move. If you're using a compass or a GPS system, knowing exactly where these points are is crucial.

"The current behaviour of magnetic north is something that we have never observed before," says global geomagnetic field modeller William Brown, from BGS.

"Magnetic north has been moving slowly around Canada since the 1500s but, in the past 20 years, it accelerated towards Siberia, increasing in speed every year until about five years ago, when it suddenly decelerated from 50 to 35 kilometers [31 to 22 miles] per year, which is the biggest deceleration in speed we've ever seen."

Research suggests that two giant magnetic lobes – one under Canada and one under Siberia – are what's driving the shifting of magnetic north. Sometimes the shifts are dramatic enough that an emergency update is required, outside of the usual 5-year cycle.

Now we have a more accurate map of magnetic north, one that should be good for another half a decade. For the first time, a higher resolution map is also available, which offers more than 10 times more detail: it has a spatial resolution of about 300 km at the equator compared to the standard 3,300 km.

The 2025 World Magnetic Model. (NOAA/NCEI)

What causes the movements?

Earth’s outer core is made up of mostly molten iron, a liquid metal. Unpredictable changes in the way it flows cause the magnetic field around the Earth to shift, which then causes the magnetic core to also move.

“It’s like a giant cup of tea,” Brown said to The Times. “It’s a hot liquid with the viscosity of water.”

• Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

The magnetic North Pole was first discovered by Sir James Clark Ross in northern Canada back in 1831.

Since then, researchers have gradually been able to track it with more precision, using ground measurements taken all across the globe as well as readings from satellites in space.

{ https://eu.usatoday.com/news/ }

22-12-2024 om 00:00 geschreven door peter