UFO-shaped clouds form over Queensland's Darling Downs as BOM predicts more rain

By Gemma Ferguson

By Janelle Miles

It looks like a UFO, or an alien ship, but these oddly-shaped clouds snapped by locals west of Brisbane on Thursday morning are an indicator of Queensland's wild weather.

Kylie Craig Menkins photographed the storm cell from Gowrie Junction, near Toowoomba on the Darling Downs, about 5am.

She jokingly captioned it with "aliens come down", but told the ABC the spectacular display made her day.

"It was absolutely beautiful," she said.

Ken Manteit also snapped photos of the other-worldly cloud formation from Yalangur Lilyvale Road looking towards Oakey.

"It was so weird," his wife Roxanne said. 

Kevin Humphrey's photos of the storm cell at Glencoe, south-east of Oakey, were posted to social media with the caption "Spaceship at Glencoe".

"I thought it looked a bit UFOish," he said.

Daniel Hayes from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said a "series of storms" over the Darling Downs on Thursday morning was what caused these "photogenic clouds".

"They can sometimes look quite weird in shape, and definitely look a bit like a UFO or a spaceship," he said.

What do they mean?

Mr Hayes said the phenomena — known as arcus or shelf clouds — was a sign to check your weather app for any active warnings.

While the clouds weren't necessarily a cause for concern, "the strength of the gust front is often what brings damaging winds".

"You'll often get that cool breeze come through ahead of a big thunderstorm during these summer periods," Mr Hayes said.

"That's cold air coming down, out of the storm itself, moving ahead of [it]."

He said other types of clouds, like lenticular clouds, could also present in a unique shape — but this particular formation was generally associated with a thunderstorm.

"Through Queensland, you can get nice big storms [and] well-developed shelf clouds on these," Mr Hayes said.

Mr Hayes said while shelf clouds weren't uncommon, they were much more noticeable in isolated storm cells and areas with vast flat landscapes.

He explained arcus clouds formed along "the leading edge" of a storm, or the cell's "gust front".

He said shelf clouds were triggered when the cool air mixed with the warm, moist atmosphere near the ground and pushed upward.

"The bigger the storm, the more potential mixing there is, and the more potential strength to those downdrafts," Mr Hayes said.

He said the formation did not always need humid conditions, but dew point could indicate "what that available moisture is for storms to tap into".

What's the weather outlook?

Mr Hayes said similar weather was expected to continue over the weekend, with an inland trough moving through Queensland.

"We're expecting to see increasing showers and storms through the southern inland and south-east Queensland areas over the next few days," Mr Hayes said.

"There is the potential that we could see some more severe storms in that mix."

Damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rainfall were possible, with showers expected on Sunday but easing into next week. 

"If [rain] falls very quickly, or we have slow-moving storms, we could have a flash flooding risk [and] some riverine responses," Mr Hayes said.

Meanwhile heatwave conditions were building in Queensland's west, with temperatures expected to push into the 40s over the weekend.

As clouds clear from the coast, the heat will move across into central and eastern Queensland.

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{ https://www.abc.net.au/news }

11-01-2025 om 17:35 geschreven door peter  

It turns out that the Standard Model is able to account for less than 5% of all the matter and energy in the cosmos. Another 25% or so is Dark Matter, an unknown kind of matter that is for all intents and purposes invisible. The rest is known as Dark Energy, a mysterious entity that is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.

One of the first things astronomers noticed when they first discovered dark matter and dark energy was their apparent similarity. Why in the world are the two dark components of our universe roughly the same strength? I know, 25% and 70% don’t sound very similar, but when it comes to astronomy – and especially cosmology – they’re basically the exact same number.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence that they have about the same strength, and we’re overthinking it.

Or maybe it’s something else. Clever physicists have proposed connections within the “dark sector” of the universe, where dark matter and dark energy talk to each other. This would allow them to follow each other’s evolution, ensuring that they have roughly equal contributions to the energy budget of the universe for long periods of time.

To make them talk to each other, you need a force. But this force can’t be any of the known ones, otherwise dark matter and/or dark energy must also interact with normal matter, and we would have seen more directly evidence of them already.

So it has to be a new force, a fifth force of nature, completely different from electromagnetism, gravity, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear.  While ideas like this remain only in the realm of hypothesis, some of the ideas already have names.

One name is quintessence, the fifth essence of the universe. Another is dark photons, a particle that travels the cosmos like a photon but is, as its name suggests, dark.

To test these ideas we have to turn to the cosmos for answers. If a fifth force exists, it must be very subtle. Stronger manifestations of the fifth force have already been ruled out by observations of galaxy clusters, the expansion of the universe, and even the behaviors of neutron stars. So we have our work cut out for us – it will take a truly massive amount of data to tease out some signal that differs from expectations.

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{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

11-01-2025 om 15:20 geschreven door peter  

Scheduled for launch in 2027, the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope is slowly being readied for operation. This week, NASA announced that they have started to joined the mission’s telescope, instrument carrier and instruments onto the spacecraft. Having completed the construction, they will now move to the testing phase where the instrument will be subjected to more tests. These will include exposure to electromagnetic radiation expected during launch along with vibration and thermal changes too. If it passes these tests, the new space telescope will be on the home straight. 

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is often referred to as the Roman Space Telescope. It’s been developed by NASA and was named after former chief astronomer Nance Grace Telescope. It has a mirror 2.4m in diameter so is similar in size to the Hubble Space Telescope but has a wider field of view. On board are instruments that enable it to explore exoplanets and the large scale structure of the universe. It will also investigate the nature of dark energy and try to understand more about the accelerated expansion of the universe through the study of gravitational lenses. 

It’s fitting that the telescope has been named after Roman who was a leading American astronomer and astrophysicist. She was instrumental in the development of the Hubble Space Telescope so has often been called the ‘Mother of Hubble.’ She was born on 16 May 1925 and became one of the first female executives of NASA, including a role as Chief of Astronomy. 

In a recent press release, NASA confirmed that a team of technicians have successfully integrated the telescope with instrument carrier, known as the Instrument Payload Assembly. Two instruments have been installed, the Coronagraph Instrument which will be used to block starlight to reveal and study exoplanets, the Optical Telescope Assembly  and the Wide Field Instrument. The Wide Field Instrument is made up of 18 detectors that will give the telescope images with a field 100 times larger than Hubble’s but with the same resolution. I really can’t wait to see the images it produces. The whole assemble is now safely connected to the spacecraft that will take the observatory into its orbit. 

Mark Clampin, acting Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate said “With this incredible milestone, Roman remains on track for launch and we’re a big step closer to unveiling the comos as never before.”

Launch is a little way off but before then, the instrumentation will under its next testing phase. There has been a significant amount of testing so far but this next test phase is designed to to ensure the individual components operate when integrated. By subjecting it to simulated launch conditions, the tests will check that the vibrations will not cause problems, that the communications equipment won’t create electromagnetic interference and to check, across a range of conditions, that the optics and instrumentation can cope with the predicted thermal variations. 

On completion of these tests, which are expected to last a few months, the aperture cover will be added to the outer barrel assembly with the solar panels soon after. Once this has been completed, the structure will be added to the spacecraft during autumn. To date though, all is going well with the testing and all is on track for launch no later than May 2027.

Source : 

• NASA Joins Telescope,
• Instruments to Roman Spacecraft

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{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

11-01-2025 om 15:06 geschreven door peter  

Real Alien Footage? James Fox Uncovers Astonishing Evidence from the Varginha UFO Incident

James Fox, a renowned filmmaker and UFO investigator, has spent decades delving into the mysteries surrounding UFOs and extraterrestrial encounters. His work, which includes documentaries like Moment of Contact and The Phenomenon, has consistently pushed the boundaries of what we know—or think we know—about UFOs and non-human intelligence. In one of his most compelling investigations, Fox revealed tantalizing details about the existence of footage capturing what may be a real alien being.

The Varginha Case: A Turning Point in UFO Research

One of the key events discussed by James Fox is the Varginha UFO incident in Brazil, which took place in 1996. According to multiple credible witnesses, a UFO crash occurred near the small town of Varginha. This incident reportedly involved the capture of extraterrestrial beings—one alive and one deceased—by Brazilian authorities, with subsequent involvement by U.S. officials.

Fox’s investigative journey into this case spanned over a decade. He spoke with military personnel, doctors, and local witnesses who had firsthand knowledge of the event. Their testimonies consistently pointed to a disturbing yet fascinating reality: a UFO crash had occurred, and alien beings were encountered and recovered. Among the evidence allegedly collected during this event was a piece of footage that could potentially show a real alien.

The Enigmatic Alien Footage

During his investigation, Fox learned of a video allegedly showing one of the recovered alien beings. This footage was reportedly recorded at the Humanitas Hospital in Varginha, where medical personnel had a close encounter with the entity. Witnesses, including doctors and nurses, provided compelling accounts of what they saw, describing the creature as having a frail, humanoid appearance, with large eyes and unusual features.

Fox and his team tracked down the source of this footage—a hard drive believed to contain the video. After a long and arduous journey, they obtained the hard drive. However, their excitement was short-lived. Despite extensive efforts to decrypt the drive, the video could not be located. This led Fox to conclude that the footage might still exist but remains inaccessible or deliberately hidden.

Eyewitness Testimonies Add Credibility

Throughout his career, Fox has emphasized the importance of eyewitness testimonies. In the case of the Varginha incident, these accounts have been remarkably consistent. Witnesses who were close to the events described:

• The capture of the alien beings: Military and fire department personnel reportedly worked together to capture the entities.
• Unusual behavior by authorities: Witnesses recounted seeing American officials at the scene, fueling speculation about international involvement.
• Physical effects on witnesses: Those who handled the alien beings experienced strange health issues, further corroborating their stories.

These accounts, combined with the elusive nature of the alien footage, suggest that the Varginha case holds secrets yet to be fully uncovered.

The Bigger Picture: What This Means for UFO Research

Fox’s revelations raise profound questions about government secrecy, the nature of extraterrestrial life, and humanity’s place in the universe. The existence of alien footage, if proven, would mark one of the most significant discoveries in human history. However, its concealment underscores the challenges faced by investigators like Fox.

• https://youtu.be/xv5wDsCahPc

Despite skepticism and ridicule, Fox remains steadfast in his pursuit of the truth. His dedication to uncovering the Varginha story—and other UFO cases—has inspired a new generation of researchers and enthusiasts to continue the search for answers.

Conclusion: A Call for Transparency

The possibility of footage showing a real alien being is both thrilling and unsettling. James Fox’s work serves as a reminder that the UFO phenomenon is more than just lights in the sky; it encompasses tangible, real-world encounters with potential non-human intelligence. As governments and institutions begin to disclose more about UFOs, the hope remains that one day, the world may finally see the footage Fox and others have long pursued.

Until then, the Varginha case and its mysterious alien footage remain a pivotal chapter in the story of UFOs, urging us to keep asking questions and seeking the truth.

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

11-01-2025 om 14:46 geschreven door peter  

Along with this unique heating ability that doesn’t require an outside heating source to change from a solid state to a liquid one, Majidi says the magnetic particles also give the robots the ability to move in response to the magnetic field. This is particularly significant since the primary function of any robot is the ability to move around and perform various functions.

“Giving robots the ability to switch between liquid and solid states endows them with more functionality,” says Chengfeng Pan, an engineer at The Chinese University of Hong Kong who led the study.

Liquid Metal Robot Passes a wide range of tests

To understand the limits of their new shape-shifting liquid metal robot, the researchers put it through a number of tests. This included using magnetic fields to make the robot jump over moats, climb walls, and even split itself into two smaller robots to move other objects around before coalescing back together.

To show how it could help screw together parts in hard-to-reach places, the team melted some of the metal into the threaded screw socket and then allowed it to harden in place. They even used the conductive ability of their liquid metal robot to show how it could perform soldering tasks in extremely tight confines by melting into them and then re-hardening to perform its tasks.

Extreme Liquid Phase Allows For Sci-Fi Jailbreak

In the case of the video provided by researchers, the ability to change from a solid state to a liquid metal state allows the robot-shaped metal to escape a tiny prison. This is due to what the researchers describe as an “extremely liquid phase.” Other shape-shifting materials typically have a liquid phase that is much more viscous than the newly created material.

“What we’re showing are just one-off demonstrations, proofs of concept,” said Majidi.

Of course, the robot from the video wasn’t able to travel back in time or track down a tween-aged John Connor. But given its ability to shape-shift from a solid metal state to a liquid one and then back to a solid, it’s pretty much guaranteed that if the robot could talk, it would say, “I’ll be back!”

• Christopher Plain is a novelist, comedian, and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on Twitter, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.

{ https://thedebrief.org/category/science/ }

11-01-2025 om 01:27 geschreven door peter  

Ten Mythical Creatures in Ancient Folklore from Around the World

Mythical creatures, legendary beasts, and supernatural, mystical, and god-like beings have fascinated us since ancient times. They have filled folklore, stories, songs, and works of art. Sometimes living animals or fossils have inspired these mythical creatures. From the powerful dragon to the soaring phoenix, these mythical creatures continue to thrill, terrify, entertain, and inspire us.

Some mythical creatures, such as the Loch Ness Monster or Sasquatch, continue to be spotted and sought out. While the origins of such fabulous creatures are varied, and often disputed, they have played significant roles in human society, serving to stimulate the imagination and desire that is ingrained in human nature to experience more than this physical world. Whether they truly exist in physical form is indeed secondary to their existence in the minds of so many people throughout the world and history.

A Kraken, a giant mythical creature from Scandinavian folklore, attacking a ship.

(Dieter Holstein / Adobe Stock)

1. The Legendary Kraken

According to Scandinavian mythology, the Kraken is a giant mythical sea creature, said to be 1 mile (1.61 km) long, that attacks ships and is so huge that its body could be mistaken for an island. It is first mentioned in the Örvar-Oddr, a 13th century Icelandic saga involving two sea monsters, the Hafgufa (sea mist) and the Lyngbakr (heather-back).

The Hafgufa is supposed to be a reference to the Kraken. The existence of the Kraken was even acknowledged in scientific texts, including the first edition of Systema Naturae [1735], a taxonomic classification of living organisms by the Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist Carolus Linnaeus. Within this scientific work, Linnaeus classified the Kraken as a cephalopod, designating the scientific name Microcosmus marinus.

• Of Monsters and Men: What Is the Grim Being Known as Grendel from the Epic Beowulf?
• Mapping the Menacing Sea Monsters in Medieval and Renaissance Cartography

Although any mention of Kraken was omitted in later editions of the Systema Naturae, Linnaeus described the mythical creature in his later work, Fauna Suecica [1746], as a “unique monster” that “is said to inhabit the seas of Norway.” Accounts of the Kraken are believed by many historians to have originated from sightings of the giant squid, which can reach a staggering 59 feet (18 meters) in length.

Vikings carrying the head of Grendel, the beast that attacked the feasting hall in Beowulf.

(Public domain)

2. Grendel, the Beast of Hrothgar

Beowulf is an Old English heroic epic poem set in Scandinavia and cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature of all time. Dated between the 8th and early 11th century, the epic poem tells the story of Beowulf, a hero who comes to the aid of Hroðgar, the king of the Danes, by defeating a beast known as Grendel who had been terrorizing the great mead hall built by Hroðgar and threatening the entire kingdom.

Archaeological research has verified that the great hall commissioned by Hroðgar did indeed exist, and was located in the country’s earliest royal capital, Lejre, 23 miles (37.01 km) west of modern Copenhagen. Whether Grendel (meaning quite literally “the destroyer”) originally existed in some less legendary form – perhaps symbolizing a malevolent spirit responsible for disease and death, or a particularly fierce-looking human enemy – is as yet unknown.

A Kappa water demon as shown in the “Bakemono no e” (meaning “Illustrations of Supernatural Creatures”), a Japanese handscroll depicting mythical creatures from circa 1700.

(Brigham Young University / CC BY-SA 4.0)

3. Kappa, the Japanese Mythical Creature Devouring Disobedient Children

In ancient Japanese folklore, the Kappa is a water demon that inhabits rivers and lakes and devours disobedient little children. The Kappa, a word meaning “river child,” is usually depicted with the body of a tortoise, a beak, and the limbs of a frog, and has a hole filled with water on top of his head. While they are primarily water creatures, they are believed to occasionally venture onto land.

According to legend, the head cavity must be kept wet when the Kappa ventures out of the water, or he will lose his powers. The Kappa is one of the most well-known folk legends in Japan and many believe the mythical creature to be real.

In fact, there are signs near some lakes in Japan warning people of their presence. However, others maintain it is much more likely that the legend of the Kappa is connected with sightings of the Japanese Giant Salamander, or hanzaki, which is known to be aggressive and to grab its prey with its powerful jaws.

The legendary Nian, one of the mythical creatures of Chinese folklore.

(Author supplied)

4. The Legend of Nian

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called Nian, which had the body of a bull and the head of a lion. It was said to be a ferocious animal that lived in the mountains and hunted for a living. Towards the end of winter when there was nothing to eat, Nian would come on the first day of New Year to the villages to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers - especially children.

To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. The villagers would live in terror over the winter, but over time they learned that the ferocious Nian was afraid of three things: the color red, fire, and noise. So, when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. They also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian.

From then on, Nian never came to the villages again. According to legend, the mythical creature was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk, and Nian became Hongjun Laozu's mount. After Nian was captured, there were huge celebrations and the ritual involved in banishing him was repeated the following year. These symbolic rituals were passed down from generation to generation and the custom of celebrating the New Year with firecrackers, noise, and the color red has persisted to this day.

A Naga statue at the Wat Phra Kaew temple in Thailand.

(tuayai / Adobe Stock)

5. Naga, the Water Deity

The Naga is a legendary aquatic, serpentine creature that resides in oceans, rivers, lakes, or waterfalls. Nagas are said to have black scales and can grow to hundreds of feet in length. Nagas are traditionally worshipped as personifications of water deities and considered bringers of rain and clouds.

Nagas are guardians of temples and holy places. Most Kaliyatran believe that the superior God directs the actions of the Nagas, and these sea serpents are honored with many titles such as the Maharaja Sarpa and the “Naga who is God.” It is commonly believed that Nagas live in underground cities, are capable of speech, and can use their heavenly powers to control weather and assume humanoid form at will.

The female Piasa bird, is one of the mythical creatures of Native American mythology.

(FoolishLittleMortal)

6. The Native American Tradition of the Piasa

The legend of the Piasa bird dates back to long before European explorers came to North America. It has been traced to a band of Illiniwek Indians who lived along the Mississippi in the vicinity north of present-day Alton. This tribe, led by a chief named Owatoga, hunted and fished the valley and the river and lived a contented life until the so-called “great beast” came.

The mythical creature Piasa bird was described by French missionary priest Jacques Marquette in 1673 as follows: “it is as large as a calf, with horns like a roebuck, red eyes, a beard like a tiger and a frightful countenance. The face was something like that of a man, the body covered in scales, and the tail so long that it passed entirely around the body, over the head and between the legs, ending like a fish.”

As with the Illini tribes, there can be found traditions of similar large birds and dragons throughout the world. The Dakota tribe believed that thunder was a monstrous bird flying through the air and claimed that these birds were large enough to carry off human beings.

In the ancient Buddhist caves of India there can be found a number of carved and painted dragons that easily fit with the descriptions of Piasa. Some have questioned whether these mythical creatures could have been an ancient species of bird that actually existed. That so many cultures and groups of people separated by thousands of miles and years have similar tales of immense flying creatures is curious to say the least.

A modern depiction of the Menehune dwarves of Hawaiian mythology.

(butterfrog)

7. The Menehune of Hawaiian Mythology

In Hawaiian mythology, the Menehune are said to be an ancient race of small-stature people who lived in Hawaii before settlers arrived from Polynesia. Many scholars attribute ancient structures found on the Hawaiian Islands to the Menehune. However, others have argued that the legends of the Menehune are a post-European contact mythology and that no such race existed.

The mythology of the Menehune is as old as the beginnings of Polynesian history. When the first Polynesians arrived in Hawaii, they found dams, fish-ponds, roads, and even temples - all said to have been built by the Menehune who were superb craftspeople. Some of these structures still exist and the highly-skilled craftsmanship is evident.

According to legend, each of these mythical creatures was a master of a certain craft and had one special function they accomplished with great precision and expertise. They would set out at dusk to build something in one night, and if this was not achieved, it would be abandoned. To date, no human skeletal remains of a physically small race of people have ever been found on Kaua’I or on any other Hawaiian Islands.

While this does not disprove that a race of small people existed, it does draw the truth behind the legend into question. Nevertheless, there is compelling evidence, both archaeological and in the numerous legends passed down over generations, that suggests that there was indeed an ancient race of highly-skilled people who inhabited the Hawaiian islands long before the Polynesians arrived.

Cipactli is one of the mythical creatures from Aztec legends.

(Public domain)

8. Cipactli, the Aztec Creator with an Insatiable Appetite

The Aztecs of Mexico held the belief that the Earth was created from the destruction of a large sea demon, created by and known to the gods as Cipactli. Cipactli was described in many fashions: a crocodile with toad and fish characteristics, a sea demon, or a monster. Regardless of the description, the Aztecs considered this asexual sea being as the source of the cosmos.

Cipactli’s appetite was insatiable and each joint of the mythical creature bore a mouth. As the gods began the process of creation, they soon realized that their other creations would fall into the void and be devoured by the demon, so they decided to destroy Cipactli. Tezcatlipoca lured the monster in and lost a foot to its insatiable appetite before the gods were able to defeat it.

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Cipactli put up a fight, but in the end the gods prevailed. They pulled Cipactli’s body in four directions and freed the universe from it. Then Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl created the heavens and the Earth and everything therein from Cipactli’s body. The creature’s head became the thirteen heavens, its tail the underworld, and its midsection the Earth.

Griffins are ancient mythical creatures with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.

(Declan Hillman / Adobe Stock)

9. The Majestic Griffin

The griffin is a legendary mythical creature with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion. As the eagle was considered the king of the birds, and the lion the ‘king of the beasts’, the griffin was perceived as a powerful and majestic creature.

During the Persian Empire, the griffin was seen as a protector from evil, witchcraft, and slander. While griffins are most common in the art and mythology of ancient Greece, there is evidence of representations of griffins in ancient Persia and ancient Egypt dating back to as early as the 4th millennium BC. On the island of Crete in Greece, archaeologists have uncovered depictions of griffins in frescoes in the Throne Room of the Bronze Age Palace of Knossos dating back to the 15th century BC.

The four mythical creatures of China; the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Black Tortoise of the North, and the Vermillion Bird of the South.

(Author provided)

10. The Four Mythical Creatures of China

In ancient Chinese astronomy, the sky ecliptic was divided into four sections. Each of these sections contained seven mansions, and together they formed the 28 Mansions. The 28 Mansions may be considered to be equivalent to the zodiacal constellations in Western astronomy, although they reflect the movement of the Moon through a sidereal month rather than the Sun in a tropical year.

This enabled the ancient Chinese to mark the traveling positions of the Sun and the Moon, as well as to determine the time and seasons. Each section of the sky is assigned to a mythical creature, collectively known as the Four Symbols. These mythical creatures are the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Black Tortoise of the North, and the Vermillion Bird of the South. Apart from their astronomical significance, each of the Four Symbols is surrounded by various mythological associations.          

• Top image: Mythical creatures from around the world include the legendary Griffin shown here.
• Source: ShiaoHuai / Adobe Stock

By Joanna Gillan

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends }

10-01-2025 om 22:25 geschreven door peter  

A Stonehenge-Like Monument Has Been Mysteriously Moving for Thousands of Years

Tim Newcomb

• Rujm el-Hiri, dubbed the “Stonehenge of the East” with a 492-foot diameter, has baffled experts since it was discovered in 1968.

• A new study shows that the tectonic plates near the Sea of Galilee monument have moved every year for over 4,000 years, virtually eliminating the possibility the site was constructed as an astronomical observatory.

• Theories over the impetus for the construction have found little in the way of real clues to back them up.

---

Rujm el-Hiri, an ancient labyrinth-style structure believed to be nearly 5,000 years old, has quite a few nicknames. It’s been called the Stonehenge of the East, the Levantine Stonehenge, and, coolest of all, the Wheel of Ghosts. For all those nicknames, however, there are just as many theories as to why the structure was ever built in the first place.

A new study published in the journal Remote Sensing looks to eliminate one popular idea. Rujm el-Hiri couldn’t have been an astronomical observatory, at least as we view it today. Why? Because the earth beneath it is moving.

Every year, the tectonic plates in the area around Golan Heights shift between 0.3 and 0.6 inches. That means Ruim el-Hiri, located about 10 miles east of the Sea of Galilee, has shifted 131 feet over the past 4,000 years, completely changing the alignment of the stone structure.

“The Rujm el-Hri site has rotated counterclockwise and shifted from its original location by tens of meters,” the authors write. “This means that the current orientation of the radial walls and entrances was not the same as 4000-2000 B.C., and the speculation that they were aligned with celestial bodies of the past are not supported.”

“Therefore,” they add, “Ruim el-Hiri was unlikely an observatory.”

First discovered in 1968, the site has yielded little in the way of clues to its purpose, even as archaeologists have searched the area for key hints. The site features a central stack of stones—dubbed a cairn—ringed by concentric circles of basalt stones and radial walls. With a diameter of 492 feet, the total circumference of the monument site stretches to about 1,640 feet.

Such a large site so intricately designed must have had a distinct—and likely important—purpose, experts believe. In addition to the (probably) untrue astronomical observatory, theories have ranged from a military fort to an an elaborate burial ground for a lauded figure from thousands of years ago.

The recent study notes that the “spatial distribution” in the sizes of the flower-like clusters of fencing, the potential burial ground may connect to other archaeological features suggesting “that they might serve diverse functions.”

“Most archaeological structures in the region were reused long after their original construction,” the study authors write. “This involved adding new features, building walls over older ones, and reshaping the landscape with new objects. Rujm el-Hiri is a prime example of such a complex sequence.”

When a 1998 study tied Rujm el-Hiri’s layout, including everything from entrances to measurements, to the Bronze Age sky, experts latched onto the site as a likely observatory. The new study shatters all that. “The tectonic blocks of northern Isreal have continually moved along an elliptical trajectory in a counterclockwise direction,” the authors write.

Until now, there perhaps hasn’t been a single person to have interacted with the monument in any way that was aware of how much it’s moved since first constructed.

So, the “Wheel of Ghosts” may be the most apropos descriptor we have, with the continual shifting of the site “challenging theories of the alignment of its walls with astronomical bodies and raising questions regarding its possible identification as an observatory.”

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Gilgal Rephaim | Wheel of the Giants | #ancienthistory

Stonehenge-like Structures Have Been Found All Over the World 🪨 Secrets | Smithsonian Channel

An aerial view of Rujm el-Hiri. 

(Khabarova et al., Remote Sensing, 2024)

A geophysical analysis of the area around Rujm el-Hiri.

(Khabarova et al., Remote Sensing, 2024)

"The geological structure of the Rujm el-Hiri's area has been shaped by the tectonic evolution of the region, leading to the rotation of blocks and, therefore, the migration of its location and the direction of the main entrance and the radial walls over time," write the researchers in their published paper.

(a) Geographic location of Rujm el-Hiri; (b) Aerial view; (c) Distance-height profile of the surrounding area relative to the northernmost point of the Sea of Galilee (vertical axis – altitude below/above sea level, in miles; horizontal axis – the distance in kilometers). The vertical line indicates the location of Rujm el-Hiri.

(Khabarova et al., Remote Sensing, 2024/Freikman & Porat, J. Inst. Archaeol. Tel Aviv Univ., 2017)

{ https://www.popularmechanics.com/ }

10-01-2025 om 21:57 geschreven door peter  

• READ MORE: UFO-like flying vehicle that could be the next Uber 

By LUKE ANDREWS AT CES IN LAS VEGAS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

It looks like something straight out of Star Wars.

But this new electric flying vehicle is the latest in a line of aerodynamic EVs set to take over the skies over the next decade.

The stylish $300,000 Manta M4 offers space for one passenger and takes off from land and sea, but can only land in water.

The Manta M4 travels up to 65 miles per hour and weighs as much as a small jet ski.

The vehicle is steered using a joystick, allowing riders to soar up to 500 feet above the ground — about the height of two Statue of Liberty, or half the height of the Empire State Building.

Riders are protected by a glass hood, which will protect against wind speed and keep users safe from the craft's three propellers. 

The craft gets 30 minutes of power with an electric battery or three hours using one of its hydrogen fuel cells.

Revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, founder David Simchon told DailyMail.com how his vehicle would surely be the next pleasure craft of the skies.

Only a model of the vehicle was shown, but the company, called SimTechLabs, says the full product will be unveiled at a boat show in Florida next month when it hits the market for the first time.

Pictured above is a model of the Manta M4, which will debut at a boat show in Florida next month

The device uses three propellers to take off from land or water, and can fly at 65mph for up to 30 minutes using its electric battery

Simchon said that users will not need a license due to the craft’s lightweight design that is at under 300lbs, meaning it is considered ultra-light, a point where the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not require users to have a license.

However, owners without a pilot's license will have to follow the FAA's regulations and airspace restrictions.

Manta M4 has a thermal onboard system to detect and warn of birds and other dangers in the air and a system emitting ultrasonic sounds to scare away sharks that may be lurking in the water beneath.

The base features a 360-degree camera, allowing riders to capture breathtaking views of the world below while they fly — or check the water below for any signs of rocks or sharks.

It also features eight ultrasonic sensors, 16 sonar disruptions sensors and four thermal cameras to capture scenes of its surroundings and avoid oncoming obstacles. 

In a worst-case scenario of the craft losing power, it has three parachutes that will deploy to ensure a safe landing.

It is the second craft to be launched by SimTech labs after it launched a flying aircraft called the Icarus Project in 2024.

Flying aircraft and taxis — some autonomously operated — are expected to be routinely whizzing around US skies within the next few years, according to the FAA.

And it’s the same in the UK, where the Government says it expects them to be ‘routinely’ in operation by 2028.

Manta M4 has a thermal onboard system to detect and warn of birds and other dangers in the air and a system emitting ultrasonic sounds to scare away sharks that may be lurking in the water beneath

Developer SimTechLabs prices the craft at $300,000 for one. Ten are set to go on sale

The former head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Sergio Cecutta and who resigned in 2023, said at the time that one of his major achievements was fast-tracking progress to get electric airtaxis into the skies.

Another UFO-like craft was also revealed at CES — called the ‘Invo Moon’ — that could carry up to three passengers through US skies. 

And Toyota debuted its Joby aircraft which is expected to go on sale later this Year.

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

10-01-2025 om 21:22 geschreven door peter  

By SONYA GUGLIARA FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

The American astronauts who have been stranded in space for seven months have hinted at the toll their unexpected mission is taking. 

Butch Wilmore, 62, and Sunita Williams, 59, were heard telling NASA bigwigs 'eventually, we want to go home' during a video call on Wednesday.

The pair first landed at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5 and they have been stuck there ever since.

Their visit was only supposed to be eight days long. But due to safety concerns, NASA decided to send the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they arrived on back to Earth without anyone inside.  

In August 2024, it was decided that the left-behind astronauts would return home on a SpaceX aircraft in 2025. 

On Wednesday, Wilmore and Williams joined fellow astronauts Nick Hague, 49, and Don Pettit, 69, at the ISS to share more details about their lives in space.

The astronauts participated in a video call with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. 

Williams shared how she and Wilmore have been feeling about their shocking circumstances and adapting to their extended space stay. 

'Yeah, eventually we want to go home, because we left our families a little while ago, but we have a lot to do while we’re up here,' she revealed.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, Don Pettit and Suni Williams (from left to right) spoke about their experiences in space on Wednesday 

Butch Wilmore, 62, and Suni Williams, 59, have been stuck at the ISS since June when their spacecraft had to leave without them 

'We’ve got to get all that stuff done before we go home.'

They are expected to return home in early April alongside the rest of Crew-9, which is the ninth crew rotation of the ongoing Expedition 72. 

Williams has become the commander of Expedition 72. Wilmore, Pettit and Hague are flight engineers, according to NASA. 

Wilmore and Williams did not seem worried about their conditions and debunked rumored safety concerns about a lack of clothes or resources.

When the pair first came to space in June, they were short on clothes because the Starliner needed more room for cargo, so some personal items had to be sacrificed. 

Wilmore said: 'It was well known that when we came up here we swapped out a couple of components that we needed on the space station for some of our clothes. 

'So we wore [the same] clothes for a while, but that doesn’t bother us, because, you know, clothes fit loosely up here. 

The Boeing Starliner that Wilmore and Williams arrived to the ISS was sent back without the crew due to safety concerns 

Williams has become the commander of Expedition 72. Wilmore is a flight engineer for the mission

'It’s not like on Earth where you sweat and it gets bad. I mean, they fit loosely, so you can wear things, honestly, for weeks at a time, and it doesn’t bother you at all.'

The astronauts have since been resupplied with clothes brought by Crew-9 in September.

Wilmore and Williams joined Crew-9 when Hague, the crew's commander, and mission specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov arrived. They cannot leave until Crew-10 arrives in late March.  

While reiterating that the astronauts are not in harm's way, Melroy cheekily said: 'So what you’re telling us is you’re not channeling ‘Cast Away,’ and you don’t have a volleyball with a handprint on it that you call Wilson.'

Williams replied: 'No, we’ve got a whole team up here, so we’re not worried about that. And there’s a lot to do as well with the team on the ground.

Williams said they are not 'cast away' in space, but the pair would like to get back to their families as soon as they can 

'It’s just a great team, and, no, it doesn’t feel like we’re cast away.

'We had tons of science experiments with SpaceX 31 [a cargo resupply mission]. We’ve got space walks coming up. It was really busy when we were waiting for Nick to get up here. 

'And it’s just been a joy to be working up here, particularly with our counterparts on the other end of the space station.' 

Williams and Hague are set to go on a spacewalk later this month. A week after that, Wilson and Wilmore may go out for one as well. 

According to NASA, the goal of Expedition 72 is to 'explore a variety of space phenomena to benefit humans on and off the Earth including pharmaceutical manufacturing, advanced life support systems, genetic sequencing in microgravity, and more.' 

DailyMail.com has reached out to NASA for comment.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

10-01-2025 om 21:07 geschreven door peter  

Sunken worlds under the Pacific? Scientists are BAFFLED by massive structures found deep beneath the ocean that 'shouldn't exist'

• READ MORE: Mystery of more than 100 earthquakes that struck Surrey is solved

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

From Atlantis to El Dorado and Avalon, legend tells us that Earth is dotted with lost lands that once met a dramatic downfall.  

While these are commonly considered inventive myths, a new study reveals evidence for 'a lost world' beneath the Pacific Ocean.

Structure of the Earth: Crust, Mantle and Core

Scientists at ETH Zurich and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have found massive structures deep beneath the Pacific waters that 'shouldn't exist'. 

This mystery material – which is making seismic waves in the region behave strangely – could be evidence of a lost land from hundreds of millions of years ago. 

According to current scientific theories, the anomalous material in the lower mantle, about 600 miles (1,000km) beneath the water, 'should not be found' there. 

Described as a 'major mystery', the findings challenge 'our current understanding of how the Earth works', according to researchers. 

'Determining Earth's structure is paramount to unravel its interior dynamics,' say the team in their paper, published in Scientific Reports. 

'These findings suggest more diverse origins for these anomalies in Earth's lower mantle.' 

Using a new model, researchers uncover zones in the Earth's lower mantle where seismic waves travel slower (red) or faster (blue) - and cannot come from subducted plates. The large blue zone in the western Pacific (right above the center of the image) was previously unknown

From Atlantis to El Dorado and Avalon, legend tells us that Earth is dotted with lost lands that once met a dramatic downfall. Pictured, a depiction of Atlantis

Earth is made up of three layers – the crust, the mantle and the core, which was later separated into 'inner' and 'outer'.

The problem is, no-one can see inside the Earth, nor can anyone drill deep enough to take rock samples from the mantle. 

Instead, scientists study the speeds of seismic waves – the vibrations caused by earthquakes and explosions – as they travel through the planet's interior. 

Seismographic stations record these waves and on the basis of these recordings experts can draw conclusions about the structure and composition of the Earth.  

'This is very similar to how doctors use ultrasound to image organs, muscles or veins inside the body without opening it up,' ETH Zurich said. 

It's also well known that Earth's lithosphere – its rocky, outermost shell, comprising the upper portion of the mantle and the crust – is formed of around 15 tectonic plates. 

Seismic activity can be detected along the tectonic plate's borders, where the plates rub up against each other. 

But in the ancient past, large plates have since disappeared into Earth's mantle by means of 'subduction'.

Earth is made up of three layers – the crust, the mantle and the core, which was later separated into 'inner' and 'outer'. A recent study suggested the existence of an 'innermost core' too 

The anomalous findings, described as a 'major mystery', challenge 'our current understanding of how the Earth works'. In this image, A and B show the locations of seismic stations along the Pacific. C to F show the seismic wave anomalies in traditional map view and as cross-section

This is the geologic process in which one edge of one plate is forced below the edge of another – and over time an entire plate can be lost. 

In the past, seismologists have determined the position of submerged tectonic plates throughout the Earth's mantle, but they've always been under subduction zones. 

In the new study, the ETH Zurich and Caltech researchers used a computational technique called 'full-waveform inversion' which constructs a 3D image of the Earth using seismic wave data.  

They identified areas below the Pacific that seem like remains of submerged plates, but far away from plate boundaries with no geological evidence of past subduction.

The Pacific is one large plate so it should not have any subduction material under it anyway. 

This suggests the anomalies are not lost subducted plates. However, what the material is instead – or what it means for Earth's internal dynamics – is something of an enigma. 

'It's like a doctor who has been examining blood circulation with ultrasound for decades and finds arteries exactly where he expects them,' said co-author Professor Andreas Fichtner, seismologist at ETH Zurich. 

Seismic activity can be detected along the tectonic plate's borders, where the plates rub up against each other. But in the ancient past, large plates have since disappeared into Earth's mantle by means of 'subduction' 

The Pacific is one large plate so it should not have any subduction material under it. Plate boundaries are pictured here in red 

'Then if you give him a new, better examination tool, he suddenly sees an artery in the buttock that doesn't really belong there. That's exactly how we feel about the new findings.' 

However, the researchers do present a few theories behind the the anomalies, which would need more information from waves – not just their speed – to form any robust conclusions. 

They could be ancient, silica-rich material that has been there since the formation of the mantle about four billion years ago. 

Alternatively they could be zones where iron-rich rocks accumulate as a consequence of mantle movements over billions of years. 

'There is a diverse range of potential explanations for the detection of positive wave speed anomalies in Earth's (lower) mantle other than the presence of subducted slabs,' they conclude in their paper. 

'Our research underscores the critical role of full waveform inversion as an indispensable tool in mantle exploration.' 

The Earth is moving under our feet: Tectonic plates move through the mantle and produce Earthquakes as they scrape against each other

Tectonic plates are composed of Earth's crust and the uppermost portion of the mantle. 

Below is the asthenosphere: the warm, viscous conveyor belt of rock on which tectonic plates ride.

The Earth has fifteen tectonic plates (pictured) that together have moulded the shape of the landscape we see around us today 

Earthquakes typically occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates, where one plate dips below another, thrusts another upward, or where plate edges scrape alongside each other. 

Earthquakes rarely occur in the middle of plates, but they can happen when ancient faults or rifts far below the surface reactivate. 

These areas are relatively weak compared to the surrounding plate, and can easily slip and cause an earthquake.

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

10-01-2025 om 20:50 geschreven door peter  

Moment private jet crew spot stunning spherical UFO in night skies over Florida

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

A flight attendant caught on camera a mysterious spherical object flying above the plane she was working on, thousands of feet above the Bahamas.

Cassandra Martin, a flight attendant for private air service Surjet, was flying with two pilots in an empty jet on December 23 when Miami air traffic control alerted them to a 'foreign object' as they were flying back to Fort Lauderdale. 

The eerie footage showed a rounded blur of white light that faded into a green color, with a circular halo surrounding the object.  

'All of a sudden, I heard traffic control say, "We have a foreign object, can you please identify",' Martin said. 

'I looked to the left, and pilot saw three objects, I only saw one, and I grabbed my phone, I just pressed it to the window to see if I could get a video of what the object was.' 

'I don't know what it was, and it turned slightly green, almost kind of like it had an electric field around it of some sort, and it stayed with us for about 45 minutes and then we didn't see it again, and we were about 43-, 45,000 feet and it was way above us,' she added. 

Martin added that the object moved around in zigzag patterns. The height the object and the aircraft were flying at, however, is too high for a drone to operate, NBC 6 reported. 

'I think we were astonished, and it was something that you really can't explain but I don't have the qualifications to know what that is,' Martin said, recalling the conversation she had with the pilots on board. 

Cassandra Martin, a flight attendant for private air service Surjet, was flying with two pilots in an empty jet on December 23 when air traffic control alerted them to a 'foreign object'

'It had capabilities just to zigzag and change color, so that was a little daunting, to the say the least, but you know, it's also something fascinating that I was able to see and capture with my phone,' Martin said

Defense expert Bryan Bender, who works with a nonprofit advocacy group Americans for Safe Aerospace, said: 'I think the video is compelling, so you know, this video and this testimony rhymes a lot with a number of cases we heard from military pilots going back even 10 or 15 years and that is these orbs. 

'In some cases, they called them Tic Tacs, they were more oblong in shape but flying at very high altitudes but also being able to maneuver in ways that don't seem to make a lot of sense to us, at least we know physics. 

'And so, the question is, are these foreign adversaries that have made some breakthrough, or is it something else, and of course, that something else could be many things.' 

Bender added that the Pentagon had an office to investigate such sightings, and said it is imperative for national security and aviation safety that they find out what these unidentified anomalies are, NBC 6 reported. 

'Was it a little bit eerie? Yes, because again, we were pretty high up and whatever we saw was even higher than us,' Martin said. 'It had capabilities just to zigzag and change color, so that was a little daunting, to the say the least, but you know, it's also something fascinating that I was able to see and capture with my phone.' 

The sighting comes after a mysterious 'orange UFO orb' was seen flying over military base Fort Campbell along the Tennessee-Kentucky border on New Year's Day. 

An anonymous user on Reddit captured footage of a mystifying 'bright orange light' hovering relatively low as it traveled over the military base. 

The user, who witnessed the perplexing 'celestial' event alongside their father, who is a seasoned Army veteran, said that they 'couldn't explain' what they were seeing in the skies above.

An anonymous user on Reddit captured footage of a mystifying 'bright orange light' flying relatively low as it traveled over Fort Campbell - a military base along the Tennessee-Kentucky border, on New Year's Day

Around 12:10am on January 1, the user, who was visiting family in a city just outside Nashville, then tried to capture the object 'as quickly as possible,' snapping a near 35-second clip of the glowing orb

'My dad, a former soldier with nearly 30 years of Army experience and extensive knowledge of the aircrafts that fly over his house, said he couldn’t explain what he saw - this was unlike anything he’d encountered before,' the post reads.

Around 12:10am on January 1, the Redditor, who was visiting family in a city just outside Nashville, tried to capture the object 'as quickly as possible,' snapping a near 35-second clip of the glowing orb.

'Just after midnight, my dad was outside watching fireworks when he noticed a bright orange light flying relatively low and maintaining a steady, consistent speed as it traveled from the northwest - where both Fort Campbell and the local airport are located,' the user claimed.

The curious onlookers were mystified at the unidentified flying object as it did not appear to have any additional lights as they suspect most drones do.

'My friend, dad, and I watched the object together and were surprised it had no additional lights, as one might expect on a drone,' the post adds.

'Initially, I thought it might be a hobbyist drone capturing footage of the fireworks for the New Year, but the apparent distance it was flying has made me second-guess that assumption.' 

As more sightings are being reported across the country, many to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), they continue to fuel public interest and speculation about the nature of these unidentified aerial phenomena. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

10-01-2025 om 18:36 geschreven door peter  

A UFO expert has lifted the lid on some of his wildest encounters as we reveal the top five hotspots in the UK.

Nick Pope, who previously ran the British Government’s UFO Project, spoke about his experiences with extraterrestrial life in an exclusive chat with The Sun.

Nick Pope is former head of the MoD's UFO research programme

Credit: Chris Loomis / National Geographic

Nick lifted the lid on some extraterrestrial mysteries

For over two decades, Nick worked as a civilian employee at the MoD, with his most prominent role beginning in the early 1990s, where he ran the department's UFO program.

Nick was at the helm of the project, an initiative that monitored and investigated reports of unidentified flying objects to assess their potential impact on national security and aviation safety.

Although the program was never formally named, it was often referred to as the “UFO desk” or “UFO program” by a number of media outlets.

When looking at the distribution of these sightings across the UK, Nick and his team discovered that the hotspots were not necessarily the rural or remote locations that many assumed.

Nick told The Sun: “It’s interesting because when we mapped out the UFO sightings, they didn’t necessarily occur in remote, rural areas.

“The hotspots were often London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow – all the major cities and urban areas.

"The reason for this is simple - the more people there are in an area, the more likely someone is to spot something unusual in the sky.”

These cities, with their dense populations, provided more potential witnesses.

It meant that if something strange appeared in the sky, the chances of someone witnessing it were far higher.

Nick also notes that other areas, like Warminster have been known for their frequent UFO sightings.

“People used to go up Cradle Hill and Flea Hill in Warminster, and even some 1960s pop songs referenced the place,” he added.

Bonnybridge, in Scotland, saw a huge surge in UFO sightings in the 1990s, to the extent that local councillor Billy Buchanan lobbied the government for an inquiry.

“I ended up drafting the replies to Buchanan’s letters, which were sent to the Ministry of Defence,” Nick recalls.

“He wasn’t very happy with me because the government line was always to play down the significance of UFO sightings.”

Despite the official stance, Nick acknowledges that Bonnybridge was, indeed, a hotspot.

However, Nick also cautions against confirmation bias, adding: “When people go to these hotspots for sky watches, they may already be believers, which can affect how they perceive what they see.

"They may be more likely to misperceive something or to see what they expect to see.”

Another factor is the issue of light pollution in cities, which can obscure the view of the sky.

Despite this, urban areas remained UFO hotspots due to the sheer number of potential witnesses.

Even more intriguing, Nick pointed out, was the fact that UFO sightings seemed to cluster around military bases, particularly air force bases.

While some argue that these sightings are due to secret military aircraft or advanced aerospace technology, the fact remains that military bases are more heavily surveilled, and the likelihood of sightings there is higher.

From Rendlesham Forest to Cosford, Nick has worked on some of the most high-profile cases in UFO history, all while trying to navigate the Ministry’s official stance on the phenomenon.

And according to Nick, the number of UFO sightings reported in the UK was far higher than most people realise with reports representing only the tip of the iceberg.

"We’d get about 200 to 300 reports a year, and at its peak, that number went up to 700 or 800,” he recalls.

“But even that number is misleading because many sightings went unreported due to fear of ridicule or simply not knowing who to contact.”

In reality, Nick believes the actual number of UFO sightings in the UK each year could be in the tens of thousands.

The MoD had a national reporting system for UFO sightings, with people reaching out to local police stations, military bases, and airports.

However, sightings reported to the media or civilian UFO research groups were not always included in the official data.

Calvine UFO Incident updated version with Nick Pope

The Calvine Incident

Among the most compelling pieces of evidence Nick Pope encountered during his time at the MoD was the Calvine Incident.

Nick said: "I think, the best photographic evidence we had came from a case called the Calvine Incident in August of 1990.

"This was just before my posting on the UFO desk, so my predecessor would have handled the investigation, but I certainly got involved in it."

The case involved two hikers in Scotland who captured six crystal-clear photographs of a large, diamond-shaped craft.

Nick, who inherited the investigation, recalls: “These photographs were examined by the UK’s top imagery analysts—Defence Intelligence Staff, Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre.

“We concluded that this was the real deal. This wasn’t a hoax.”

The photos showed an object about 70 to 90 feet in diameter, with no visible means of propulsion, a detail that intrigued Nick and his colleagues.

The absence of conventional aerodynamic features, like wings or rotor blades, made the object even more mysterious.

The incident also featured a military jet circling the UFO, possibly trying to intercept it or gather data.

“This was a genuine mystery on our hands,” he adds, noting that the object in the photographs moved in ways that defied conventional aircraft design.

Nick also highlights the potential connection between the timing of the sighting and the geopolitical events unfolding in August 1990.

Reflecting on the mystery, he said: "The photographs were taken just two days after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, a moment that sparked preparations for military action.

“We wondered if this could have been a military prototype or reconnaissance aircraft.

“We asked both our own people and the Americans about this, but the Americans denied it."

Despite the U.S. government’s denials, Nick and his team remained unconvinced. “Sometimes we thought, ‘This is not just next generation; this is something a generation ahead.’ And if that’s the case, where is it now?”

Nick asks. "Where is the Rendlesham UFO? Where is the Cosford UFO now? Ten years later, these should have been unveiled. We should be seeing them at the Farnborough Air Show, but we’re not."

The question of whether UFO sightings could be attributed to advanced human technology is one that constantly resurfaced in Nick’s work.

“At any given time, there will be tech that’s 5, 10, even 15 years ahead of what the public knows,” Nick explains.

He points to historical examples, such as the U-2 spy plane and the SR-71 Blackbird, which were years ahead of their time when they were first introduced.

Cosford Mystery

A key event from Nick’s time at the MoD was the Cosford UFO sighting in March 1993.

He said: "It took place over a series of 6 hours or thereabouts on March 30, the and March 31, 1993. So that was right in the middle of my posting.

"So of course, I led the investigation into this and my case file, which is over a hundred pages of documents."

Over many hours, several witnesses, including police officers and military personnel, saw a large, triangular-shaped craft in the sky.

One of the most detailed reports came from a meteorological officer at RAF Shawbury, who described the object as being the size of a craft somewhere between a C-130 Hercules and a Boeing 747.

It emitted a low-frequency hum, and a beam of light appeared to be scanning the ground below.

“We had dozens of witnesses to the Cosford sighting, including police and military personnel,” Nick says.

“Some people even described the object as being like ‘two Concorde aircraft glued together.’ The most intriguing part of the case was the beam of light that seemed to track back and forth, almost like it was searching for something.”

Nick’s investigation into the sighting led to some theories, including the possibility that the sighting could have been related to the re-entry of a Russian rocket. However, this theory didn’t fully explain all the reports, and Nick wasn’t convinced it was the definitive answer.

Ultimately, Nick and his team were left with more questions than answers, he said: “We couldn’t definitively explain what happened, but there were certain things that gave us pause for thought.

"The speeds and manoeuvres reported by the witnesses were orders of magnitude above anything that we had or anything that we knew our adversaries had.

“I thought, maybe, this really is the real deal. Maybe this is extraterrestrial.

“It wasn’t a firm intelligence assessment, but it was one of the theories we put forward.”

UK trailing in UFO 'race'

When it comes to how the UK and the US are handling UFO research, Nick is critical of the UK’s lack of progress.

While the US government has made significant strides in acknowledging and investigating UFOs in recent years, the UK has been far slower to act - something Nick believes this is a dangerous oversight.

“In the 1960s, there was talk of a missile gap and a space race. Today, we have what I call a UFO gap,” he argues.

“The US is leading the way, and other countries are falling behind. Something is in our airspace, and we need to figure out what it is. If something can outpace your cutting-edge aerospace technology, it’s a threat, but it could also be an opportunity.”

Pope criticises the UK’s decision to axe its UFO programme in 2009. “I think that was a mistake,” he says.

“It leaves a gap that adversaries could exploit. We’ve seen this in recent incidents, like the Chinese spy balloon saga. If we’re not keeping an eye on UFO sightings, we could miss important intelligence.”

In contrast, the Pentagon has embraced UFO research through its All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which investigates UFOs, particularly military sightings.

While the UK is peripherally involved through intelligence-sharing agreements like the Five Eyes Forum, Nick believes the UK needs to take a more proactive approach.

He claims it is time for the UK to reinstate its UFO desk and begin taking public reports again.

“Something is in our airspace. Whether it’s Russia, China, extraterrestrials, or something else, it’s making us look foolish,” Nick warns.

“We need a proper UFO research program in the UK. We have the resources — radar systems, satellites, and space tracking. What we need is the political will to use them.

“You’re not looking at huge new costs — it’s just a case of using what you have to investigate UFOs properly.”

Changing attitudes

Reflecting on his own journey, Nick admits that before he began working on the UFO desk, he hadn’t given much thought to UFOs at all.

He was sceptical, and certainly not someone who actively believed in extraterrestrial life.

But his time working in the government’s UFO desk opened his eyes to the possibility that there was something more to these sightings than misidentifications or hoaxes.

“I wasn’t a true believer,” he says, “but now I’m much more open-minded. I don’t rule anything out.”

He notes that there seems to be a consistent pattern that suggests a “core phenomenon” that might be underpinned by advanced intelligence and technology.

The potential knowledge that could be gained from a civilisation far more advanced than ours is something Nick considers too important to ignore.

For the ex-MoD man, even the possibility of such a discovery makes it worth investigating the phenomenon further.

“Sceptics have to be right every day, but believers only need to be right once,” he points out.

"If just one UFO sighting turns out to be genuine, the impact on humanity would be transformative. Whether it’s extraterrestrials, time travellers, or something else entirely, the implications would be profound.

“There’s no part of society that wouldn’t be deeply affected. If extraterrestrial life were confirmed, it would change everything—from politics and religion to science, technology, and philosophy."

He continued: "People will look back on that day as the moment everything changed. Millions of years from now, they’ll say that’s the day it happened.”

{ https://www.the-sun.com/ }

10-01-2025 om 18:24 geschreven door peter  

Whether you’re captivated by the stories of strange shapes in the sky, or curious about what drives these reports, one thing is clear - Scotland's UFO phenomena are 

UFO spotters looking out over the Forth Valley in central Scotland where unexplained sightings are said to be frequent in Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire 

(Image: Colin McPherson/Sygma via Getty Images)

Scotland has been treated to a wave of earthly activity recently, from seeing the Northern Lights overhead to feeling earthquakes beneath our feet. Now, there are murmurings of movements from extra-terrestrial life.

Scots have always been partial to a UFO sighting. Just days before Christmas, an orange ball of light in the skies over Alva, Clackmannanshire, was recorded on a database of potential UFO sightings.

The spate of happenings may move people to wonder how Scotland fares against the rest of the UK in terms of spotting glowing teardrops, speedy silver circles, massive stretches of light, or simply bizarre objects in the skies.

According to Slotwise, Glasgow ranks fourth in the UK cities with the most number of UFO sightings. The Dear Green Place notes 51 sightings, only pipped to the post by London, Manchester, and Birmingham, which recorded 280, 88, and 73 reports of phenomena respectively. Maybe aliens are big fans of Glasgow Green or Kelvingrove Park.

One of the most intriguing aspects of UFO sightings is the description of the objects. According to reports, one UFO truther in the West Dunbartonshire town of Dumbarton said they saw a "massive stretch of light going at least 500mph".

The year with the most UFO sightings in the UK was 2009 with 286. In comparison, 2024 was a relatively quiet year, with 89 supposed sightings over the 12 months. Saying that, certain months see a noticeable spike in sightings.

Summer evenings often producing the most reports. With Earth bustling and lively during these months, it might just be the perfect time for intergalactic tourists to pay a visit. Either that or the skies are brighter and it’s easier to see mysteries at twilight.

UFOs seem to come in all shapes and sizes, too, according to the data. The most common thing people see when they believe they spot one is a beam of light. Circles and triangles are the second and third most popular shapes.

{ https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ }

10-01-2025 om 17:24 geschreven door peter  

ARCHIVE IMAGE - X owner Elon Musk has been blamed for a record number of UFO sightings over Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

(Photo by Paul Morigi/WireImage)

X-files: Musk blamed for ‘record number of UFO sightings’

Köhler expressed doubt as to whether any of those reporting to his organisation actually saw alien spacecraft, with the expert instead putting the sightings spike down to tech billionaire Musk’s Starlink satellite service.

The US company had a record year for launches in 2024. Köhler said Starlink satellites were particularly striking just after launch, as they often followed one another in a regular pattern across the sky.

Other sightings, he added, could often be put down to people mistaking planets such as Venus and Jupiter for mysterious craft, as well as Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.

Reported UFO sightings also ended up being balloons of various kinds, as well as drones, private aircraft, helicopters and sometimes meteors, Köhler added.

CENAP has already received 30 reports of UFOs over territory it covers so far this year.

Italy’s potential use of Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service for strategic communications has raised concerns among opposition figures over a possible risk to national security. https://t.co/Ur2P8rR3OH

— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 10, 2025

{ https://brusselssignal.eu/ }

10-01-2025 om 17:13 geschreven door peter  

UFO Fleet Over San Antonio, Texas On Jan 1, 2025, UAP Sighting News.

Date of sighting: 

Location of sighting: 
Credit: NUFORC UFO website.

 

Guys this just in. Some glowing UFOs were seen over Texas last week and the video is just mind blowing. The craft move silently across the sky and are about car size. Each followed the other like military pilots following one another, but possibly alien military. The evidence is mounting high. 

Scott C. Waring 

Eyewitness states:

Fireball-like objects appeared from 0° North and seemed to fly in the southwestern direction in the 200° range. The first one I saw lasted only 17 seconds before vanishing out of nowhere. This one was first seen at 10:40 PM. Ten minutes later, my mom and my neighbor saw three of these fireballs flying in the same direction. Each disappeared at different times, but without a discernible pattern. The first fireball in the fleet disappeared after 1 minute and 26 seconds, the second after 1 minute and 50 seconds, and the third after 2 minutes and 36 seconds. These time frames are based on when I started recording. Another fireball appeared at the same location at 10:54 PM and vanished after 33 seconds. Later, at 11:08 PM, another fireball appeared in the same location and disappeared after a minute. All the fireballs seemed to have appeared at the same location and flown in the same direction at different times. At first, I thought they might be drones, but I’ve never seen drones without flashing red and green lights. These fireballs didn’t flash any lights and maintained their color and brightness until they disappeared out of nowhere. What was particularly strange about the fireballs was their complete silence. Despite their quick speed, they emitted no noise whatsoever. My neighbor filmed the event as well, and this was the first time any of us had seen something like this. 

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

10-01-2025 om 16:52 geschreven door peter  

The REAL reason for US drone invasion revealed as Pentagon's 'lack of transparency' fuels speculation

By FRANKIE ELLIOTT FOR MAILONLINE

Fears are continuing to grow in America over the mysterious nationwide drone sightings, as security officials are criticised for their 'lack of transparency' on the issue.

Multiple sightings of unmanned drones flying across the sky have been reported in a number of US cities and bases in the last month - including New Jersey, New York and Washington DC.

Their presence has raised both alarm and confusion with few answers forthcoming.

This has led many people to offer numerous suggestions and conspiracy theories online, with some believing they are Government nuclear weapon detector drones or the result of foreign powers spying on the country.

The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, White House and Pentagon released a joint statement on Saturday stating there was no evidence of large-scale or malicious drone activity.

They also dismissed many of the sightings as manned aircraft such as aeroplanes.

But this response was described as 'disturbing' by James Dodd, mayor of the town of Dover, New Jersey.

Meanwhile, Larry Hogan, the former governor of Maryland, took to social media to vent his frustrations with the White House's 'dismissive attitude' to the situation.

Mr Hogan said he had witnessed 'what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky' above his home for about 45 minutes on Thursday night. 

Multiple sightings of unmanned drones flying across the sky have been reported in a number of US cities and bases in the last month - including New Jersey, New York and Washington DC.  (pictured ) 

A mysterious 'glowing orb' seen hovering in skies above New Jersey - where most of the drones have been documented

Larry Hogan, the former governor of Maryland, took to social media to vent his frustrations with the White House's 'complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude' to the situation

He said: 'Like many who have observed these drones, I do not know if this increasing activity over our skies is a threat to public safety or national security. But the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government.' 

Airing his grievances to the Financial Times, Mr Dodd said: 'We could shoot a missile down 5,000 miles away, but we can't determine where these drones are originating from?'

Dodd said he was left 'frustrated' by the 'scant information on a serious issue', having attended a briefing on the matter hosted by New Jersey state police this week.

The meeting was set up after the authorities in the state were flooded with reports of drones dotting the night sky, sometimes in groups and without any apparent purpose.

A wave of footage has emerged of the drones since they were first spotted last month, with some of the clearest video yet coming this week in New Jersey.

Video captured in Somerset County shows three 'mystery drones in the air' as two move extremely close as if they are interacting with each other.

The FBI has received more than 3,000 tips since the first sighting on November 18, with reports of varying levels of credibility cropping up in at least 12 counties throughout New Jersey, as well as eastern Pennsylvania and Orange County, New York.

And the crisis deepened last night, after DC locals claimed to have spotted drones floating in the sky around the US Capitol, as other videos purported to show objects on flight paths heading towards LaGuardia Airport. 

Charlie Kirk, 31, a conservative political activist and close confidant of president-elect Trump, took to X on Friday to claim America is 'f****d' as he suggested the recent mass drone sightings are part of Project Blue Beam.

'WE ARE F****D. THE DRONES ARE PROJECT BLUE BEAM,' Kirk posted on X.

'LOOK FOR VIDS OF THEM TRANSFORMING FROM BALLS OF LIGHT TO PLANES WHEN FILMED TO SEE FOR YOURSELF. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT INVESTIGATING. THEY ARE DOING THIS. WHATEVER YOU SEE IN THE COMING DAYS IS NOT GOOD.' 

Project Blue Beam is a conspiracy theory dating to the 1990s that claims global elites, including government and military organizations, are planning to use advanced technology to stage celestial events in order to manipulate the world's population.

The theory has recently found traction again online as commentators such as Kirk claim that the US government could stage an alien invasion as a pretext for imposing authoritarian rule.

The outlandish theory is among many that have been amplified over the last week in the vacuum of information left in the wake of the Biden administration's failure to tell the public where the drones are coming from or who is behind them.

And Donald Trump called for urgent action yesterday, taking to the Truth Social platform to say: 'Mystery drone sightings all over the country. Can this really be happening without our government's knowledge? I don't think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!'

The sightings started mid-November with footage capturing 'car-sized' drones with flashing lights 

Charlie Kirk, 31, a close advisor to Donald Trump issued a grave warning to the American public as he claims the countrywide drone sightings may be linked to a spine-chilling conspiracy theory

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

09-01-2025 om 23:59 geschreven door peter  

Pentagon Has Clear Image Of Triangle UFO Rising Out Of Ocean, Elizondo Confirmed

The Pentagon reportedly holds a highly classified photograph of a “Black Triangle” UFO emerging from the ocean, taken by a US Navy pilot flying an F/A-18F Super Hornet. The photo’s existence has not been officially confirmed by the Pentagon, but many people believe that it does exist, as they have been told by government insiders. It is thought to be one of the most compelling UFO sightings ever captured on camera and is considered to be highly classified because it was captured using military equipment onboard the fighter plane.

In 2020, during an interview on Coast to Coast AM radio with investigative journalist George Knapp, former AATIP head Luis Elizondo stated that the current UAP Task Force obtained images of multiple unknown aerial objects, including a clear image of a mysterious triangle emerging from the ocean, recorded by military pilots.

The object was described as a large triangle with “blunted” edges and spherical white “lights” on each corner, and the encounter is said to have occurred off the East Coast of the US. The pilots who encountered the object are believed to have been operating from either the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower or the USS John C. Stennis, both of which are Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarriers, which further deepens the apparent links between UFOs and man’s nuclear capabilities.

Several officials confirmed the photo’s existence, but they did not provide any further details. The report primarily focused on “Unidentified Submersible Phenomena” or unidentified “transmedium” vehicles that can operate both underwater and in the air. The UAP Task Force appears to be concerned that these objects may originate from within the world’s oceans.

Tom Rogan, a national security writer for the Washington Examiner, verified the existence of the photo with his sources. He believes that the photo is “the tip of the iceberg” and that more UAP imagery and data would be leaked in the coming years. Rogan also called on the Pentagon to officially release more material. (Source)

In 2020, The Debrief reported that the Pentagon was investigating the “transmedium” element of the phenomena, which is the apparent ability of some UAPs to transit seamlessly between the air and the ocean.

The idea of “USOs,” or “unidentified submersible objects,” is not exclusive to the current UAP Task Force. In fact, there have been reports of unexplained, very high-speed sonar targets recorded by some of the most sophisticated listening equipment on the planet. A senior member of the intelligence community, whose responsibilities for decades involved underwater surveillance and reconnaissance programs, acknowledged that there are valid claims of extremely fast-moving underwater objects being detected by U.S. military systems.

The UAP Task Force is particularly interested in “transmedium vehicles,” which may seem unusual, but there have been many accounts, some going back centuries, in which people observed unidentifiable craft operating in and out of the water. In public appearances, Marc D’Antonio, an astronomer and chief video/image analyst for the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), shared an unusual experience involving the detection of an underwater “Fast Mover,” which occurred while he was sailing as a civilian aboard one of the U.S. Navy’s prized attack submarines.

Read also:

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• James Fox Big Reveal: Deadly Bacteria From Varginha Creature Killed Brazilian Military Officer
• Harvard Professor Is Right: Some UFOs Are Aliens, Govt. Officials From D.C. Told Him
• Jacques Vallee On Footage Of UFO Landing At Holloman AFB: Occupant Carried Vertical Staff With Spiral Antenna

Tyler Rogoway, a defense journalist, spoke with several veteran submariners who almost unanimously acknowledged that unexplained, very high-speed sonar targets are indeed recorded by some of the most sophisticated listening equipment on the planet. Although there is skepticism about D’Antonio being granted a civilian ride-along, the Navy vets being interviewed confirmed the validity of such claims. The intelligence official declined to provide further details, citing the high levels of security classification associated with underwater reconnaissance.

Andy McGrillen from UAP Media UK, a team set up to campaign for a more open and serious discussion on UFOs in Britain, told The Sun Online that the triangular object was initially tracked underwater, then emerged, climbing to an altitude of 35-40,000 feet when an aircraft’s onboard systems took a high-fidelity image. He thought that something like this would surely be highly classified given the nature of the equipment taking the picture. However, if it did make its way into the public domain, it could be a key piece of evidence, demonstrating that we are truly in the presence of some other intelligence.

Mystery Wire reported that UFO enthusiast Joe Murgia wrote on his Twitter that Knapp asked Elizondo about an alleged triangle UFO coming out of the water, to which Elizondo responded by saying he was confident the photo exists, and it might even be a still frame from a video. Elizondo and Knapp talked about the need for patience when talking about disclosure and the series of high-level briefings that Elizondo took part in. Elizondo praised Florida Senator Marco Rubio for his willingness to talk about UFOs publicly.

Knapp also asked if the UFO mystery can be solved by just looking at military encounters with UFOs or if we need to expand our horizons and look at other topics like poltergeists and Bigfoot that seem to be connected to close encounter cases. Elizondo said the government programs have limitations, such as an inability to speak with commercial pilots about sightings.

When asked if he would consider ever returning to the government to work on the new Unidentified Aerial Phenomena task force (UAPTF), Elizondo said he would have to clear it with his family first. If he did go back, he would try to run it differently than when he ran the AATIP at the Pentagon. Elizondo said he would push for more openness with the public and work to break down the barriers that stigma about UFOs can cause.

“The problem with it is that the government recognizes it. There are some very authentic UAP images. When people say, “Oh, they’re all grainy and blurry,” no, they’re not. There are some that are really clear and are very authentic because we can look at the date and time stamp and the metadata on the video. We can then correlate that to any other type of assets that may be in the area, and we know where it turns out that we’re picking something up that came across, let’s say, the Pacific Ocean. All of a sudden, someone in San Diego says, “I had this really funny light doing these weird things in the backyard,” and all of a sudden, you realize, “Oh, man, they got it on camera.”

Yeah, there are some very, very compelling ones. There’s one, in particular, I probably can’t talk about it, but there’s one of a triangle, and it’s at night, and it’s not just three points of light. I mean, you can see the skin of the aircraft. You can see a lot, and to the point where some of our folks were like, “Well, should we take it off?” No, don’t take it off the internet. Leave it up. That’s not your video to take down. That’s a private citizen’s. Yes, they got a great video of a UAP. Congratulations. You should probably give them an award. Don’t take the video down”

Elizondo said during an interview with Calling All Beings.

Leaked emails from John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, may provide new insight into transmedium UFOs. The emails include a conversation between Podesta and a person named Bob Fish, who claims that the federal government has been collecting data on UFOs since the 1970s, using the Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites. (Click here to read the full article)

Fish shared an incident that happened to him in California, where a USAF official who worked on the program told Fish that there were times when they were diverted from these missions to track UFOs off the east coast of Florida. Fish stated that the UAP entered the atmosphere and descended into the Atlantic Ocean, specifically in an area east of Miami, Florida and north of Bermuda.

The US government has knowledge of some UAPs entering Earth’s orbit from deep space and can actively track them via RF signals emanating from these crafts. The officials realized that if this god-like technology were to be obtained and mastered by their adversaries before the United States, it would make democracy vulnerable.

Additionally, for many years, Bob McGwier worked in clandestine intelligence. He disclosed two incidents about underwater UFOs or USOs, that he saw while performing covert operations. This claim was made several months after a video had been made public by the United States military, in which it appeared to show an unidentified flying object moving from the sky into the water in the year 2019. (Click here to read the full article)

{ https://howandwhys.com/ }

09-01-2025 om 21:21 geschreven door peter  

'UFO' appears in the sky just weeks after eagle-eyed Aussies spotted unusual 'spaceship' cloud

• READ MORE: What's behind waves of drones appearing in US skies

By BRETT LACKEY FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Australians have looked at the skies around southeast Queensland with awe after a giant UFO appeared in the sky. 

It was, in fact, a storm cell - though images show its uncanny shape that eerily resembles a flying saucer.

'We received several pics of this really cool UFO looking storm this morning. This is a lenticular storm cloud and its not that common to see,' Higgins Storm Chasing wrote to their Facebook page on Thursday morning. 

The weather page explained the cloud formation was a hailstorm that was moving across the Darling Downs towards Oakey and north of Toowoomba around sunrise with the light from the early morning sun  'helping ignite the eastern side of the storm, turning it pink and orange'.

Commenters on the post said the phenomenon was a particularly impressive display from nature and said that 'our sky never fails to be amazing'.

'You can see the ''Beam me up Scotty'' rays,' one said.

'Omg! Thankyou for sharing this storm cell is it so stunning,' said a second.

'Who needs drones and aliens when you can have this in the sky,' added a third.

A hailstorm in southeast Queensland at sunrise on Thursday formed this spectacular cloud formation that some mistook for a 'UFO'

It is actually a lenticular cloud which can often for smooth circular shapes

The spectacular display follows a similar 'spaceship' cloud appearing in Sydney. 

The bizarre natural phenomenon formed over the ocean in Cronulla, in Sydney's southern suburbs, with many sharing snaps and videos of the cloud to social media.

But Weatherzone meteorologist Felix Levesque assured Daily Mail Australia the strange cloud was nothing to be worried about. 

Some guessed the 'spaceship' was a lenticular cloud, which the forecaster said is formed when moist winds are forced over a barrier, such as a mountain. 

'This rising motion over the barrier causes the air to cool and condense into a stationary cloud,' Mr Levesque explained. 

'This stationary cloud will have a smooth oval appearance, hence why it's often mistaken as a UFO.'

Mr Levesque said the Cronulla cloud was in fact a roll cloud, a different species to the lenticular cloud which is caused by a similar process. 

'Roll clouds form when a cooler, denser airmass pushes under another airmass, causing this rising and 'rolling' motion on the leading edge of the airmass – hence the name,' he continued.

Some said they could see the 'beam me up Scotty' rays, referring to Star Trek

Residents of Cronulla in Sydney's south were shocked by the unusual appearance of a cloud formation that resembled a spaceship in December

'Southerly busters, like on Tuesday, can bring roll clouds, and these can occur about three to five times a year in Sydney.'

'A common location for roll clouds is over the Gulf of Carpentaria – so common it's been given the name 'Morning Glory Cloud'', Mr Levesque said.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

09-01-2025 om 20:56 geschreven door peter  

CIA Built This Nuclear-Powered ‘Eagle’ Drone: Declassified in 2020, Developed in the ’60s at Area 51

Project Aquiline was one of the most unusual and complex spying projects during the Cold War. The idea was to create 12 bird-shaped drones powered by nuclear energy that could fly for up to a month. These drones were meant to be robotic spy planes and deliver secret items, but the project was never finished.

The CIA wanted Aquiline to be the first uncrewed system for gathering intelligence. Its goal was to gather information in areas where access was restricted secretly. The drone, designed by McDonnell Douglas (a defense company known for fighter jets), was very different from the company’s usual aircraft.

Aquiline was a small drone meant to be kept as close to bird-like size as possible—five feet long, 7.5 feet wide, and a takeoff weight of 83 pounds—under the constraints of the time’s technology. A silent 3.5-horsepower, four-cycle engine would give the drone a speed of 47 to 80 knots and an endurance of 50 hours and 1,200 miles. Aquiline’s maximum altitude was estimated at 20,000 feet. CIA file:  https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/collection/aquiline

Nuclear power was supposed to make Aquiline fly even farther. The CIA suggested adding a system that would use the heat from decaying radioactive materials like plutonium to create electricity. This system, made for deep space missions, would allow the drone to stay in the air for up to 30 days or travel 36,000 miles.

Aquiline was built to carry cameras and spy equipment. It could take photos from a lower height than the U-2 spy plane and collect electronic signals from radios, radar, and other devices for later study.

The CIA described Aquiline as a “small, bird-like surreptitious vehicle with sufficiently small acoustic, visible, and radar cross-section to permit it to operate in the natural physical signal environment of living birds.” Radars and human sentries at sensitive sites would mistake Aquiline for a bird and pay little attention to it.

Aquiline would be launched, controlled, and brought back by mobile teams on the ground. These teams could operate Aquiline from areas near the Soviet Union or China, like Taiwan, Turkey, Norway, or other places, to make sure the drone could fly over enemy land for a longer time.

The small drone would send its data to a modified DC-6 (later switched to a U-2R spy plane) flying nearby. This way, the drone wouldn’t need to carry its data storage, since storage at the time was bulky and heavy, using punch cards, tape, or large hard drives, which would use up too much weight and power.

The bird drone was supposed to be developed at Area 51, with various documents listing the personnel requirements and what it would take to regularly fly engineers to and from the mysterious base. The program was top secret, with access doled out on a strictly “need-to-know” basis. The program was so secret that it recommended personnel be recruited two years before the first flight to ensure enough personnel could pass the necessary security checks.

In 1969, the CIA agreed with the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Corporation (MDAC) to start working on technologies for the Aquiline program. In 1970, people were sent to Area 51 to begin flight testing. This testing was planned to end in early 1971 when the contract was finished. It was expected that by then, a functioning Aquiline drone would be ready, and the program would become fully active.

Exact specifications and design details are scarce, but what is known is that Aquiline drones were made to resemble birds and featured a single-tail propeller. Initially, the prototypes were powered by chainsaw motors. In one memo in the CIA’s reading room, the Aquiline drone is referred to as a “high characteristic operating model plane with a lot of expensive gadgetry.”

Sensor systems were embedded in the aircraft’s nose and included optical cameras infrared sensors, and even electronic intelligence packages. The drones were intended to have also been able to drop “black box” sensor systems into hostile territory, as well, so some form of payload-carrying capability must have been included in at least some of the Aquiline designs. Specifically, one of the CIA’s documents states that one of the test drones was designed to carry payloads weighing up to five pounds.

The Aquiline drones were hard to spot during testing, so engineers painted one bright orange to make it easier for a chase plane to see during a test flight. Even with the paint, the chase plane crew still had trouble spotting the drone in the air.

The exact range of the Aquiline drones remains unknown and is redacted in all of the CIA’s declassified documents.

However, one account states that Aquiline was able to fly for 130 miles while obtaining “very high-resolution photography,” while another document states one of the proposed mobile control units would have a range of 1,200 miles. A dedicated satellite was planned to offer a long-distance communications link for Aquiline drones but was never launched.

Aquiline drones had an impressive design, but they had a big problem: they didn’t have landing gear. Instead, they had to land by crashing into nets. This often damaged the drones’ wings and propellers, leading to delays because of constant repairs. Three Aquiline prototypes were destroyed during these landings.

In a personal account hosted on RoadrunnersInternationale.com, a site that preserves “the history of the aviation pioneers and programs that developed the U-2, A-12 ,and YF-12 during the Cold War,” John H. Meierdierck, retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, offers a brief recollection of the Aquiline program as he remembered it, writing:

The vehicle was a six-foot-long plane that had a small pusher prop and looked like an Eagle or Buzzard when it was in the air. It was designed to fly at very low levels along communications lines and intercept their messages. It also had a small television in the nose as an aid to navigation and to photograph targets of opportunity. There were several successful flights some crashes [reason unknown] and some lousy landings.

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It’s unclear why Aquiline was canceled. It was meant to be a very complicated program, dealing with issues like stealth, data transfer, and propulsion in a tiny design. Using a nuclear power source would have made it even more complicated, and the technology of the 1960s might not have been enough to handle it.

Aquiline also depended on a trick, and if the Soviets or Chinese discovered it, their anti-aircraft weapons or MiG jets could have easily shot it down. In the end, Aquiline was just an idea held by a few people in the intelligence community.

If the rumors are to be believed, there’s a chance an example or two of Aquiline still exists among the other strange birds caged up in the darkness at Area 51.

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://howandwhys.com/ }

09-01-2025 om 20:43 geschreven door peter  

During a live Fox News broadcast covering the intense Palisades wildfire in California, an unusual event captured viewers' attention. A camera aimed at the blazing inferno recorded a mysterious spherical object emerging suddenly from the middle of the flames. This object moved at a remarkable speed before vanishing over the treetops, leaving many wondering about its origin and purpose. 

The object does not appear to be debris carried aloft by the fire’s updraft. Its trajectory and speed seem too controlled and deliberate to be a random effect of the wildfire. Additionally, the object shows no signs of explosion or disintegration, characteristics that might be expected if it were merely a piece of material affected by the intense heat. 

Observers have ruled out common explanations such as birds, planes, or helicopters. The object’s rapid movement and apparent change in direction suggest advanced maneuverability, sparking comparisons to UFOs/UAPs. 

With the growing number of reported sightings involving drones, orbs, and UFOs, the appearance of this potential UFO or drone in such an environment is especially intriguing. Could this object represent evidence of advanced technology monitoring Earth's natural disasters? Or is it an entirely natural but poorly understood phenomenon?

VIDEO

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

09-01-2025 om 18:45 geschreven door peter