Scientists measure the 'natal kick' that sent a baby black hole careening through space for the first time

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"It's a remarkable demonstration of what gravitational waves can do," study co-author Koustav Chandra, an astrophysicist at Pennsylvania State University said in a statement.

Collision signals

When black holes careen toward one another they produce gravitational waves. But when one black hole is much more massive than the other, the gravitational waves produced look very different depending on the angle from which they are observed.

By looking from different angles, researchers can find the direction of the kick. Then, the kick’s speed can be determined by measuring the mass ratio and spin of the two original black holes — information that can also be determined from studying gravitational waves.

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• Scientists detect most massive black hole merger ever — and it birthed a monster 225 times as massive as the sun

If the recoil from the collision is strong enough to slingshot the merged black hole from its star cluster, this prevents this new black hole from subsequently merging with other black holes and potentially forming a supermassive black hole — which can be 100,000 to 50 billion times the mass of the sun. This makes understanding the speed and direction of kicks essential for tracking the formation of supermassive black holes.

In 2018, study co-author Juan Calderón Bustillo and his colleagues figured out exactly how to measure the natal kick based on these gravitational wave signals. But their model had to rely on simulations, as no black hole merger resulting in a recoil had been detected at that point.

Then, on April 12, 2019, the Advanced LIGO detectors in Louisiana and Washington State and the Virgo detector in Italy recorded the GW190412 picked up a signal resulting from two stellar-mass black holes merging: One 29.7 times as massive as the sun and the other 8.4 times as massive.

Despite taking place more than 2.4 billion light-years away from Earth, the researchers used two angles relative to Earth to determine where the kick sent the newborn black hole. It raced away from its birth site, likely a dense grouping of stars called a globular cluster, at an astonishing 111,600 miles per hour (179,600 kilometers per hour). This speed would be more than enough to enable it to escape the cluster and become a runaway black hole.

"This is one of the few phenomena in astrophysics where we're not just detecting something," Chandra said. "We're reconstructing the full 3D motion of an object that's billions of light-years away, using only ripples in spacetime."

The team’s next steps will be to look for more black hole mergers to measure with both gravitational waves and visible light, a search that could yield deeper insights into how the cosmic monsters grow.

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

15-09-2025 om 22:14 geschreven door peter  

This Man Claims Death Is Not the End: Brains May Remain Viable for Days, Research Suggests

But what is actually observed is quite the opposite. Instead of fading, people’s consciousness seems to become expanded, powerful, and vast after death.

Dr. Parnia argues that this observation suggests human consciousness is a mystery that cannot be fully explained by brain activity alone. The idea that consciousness is purely a product of the brain and ends when the brain dies is questionable and, in his view, incorrect. This has opened up a new and vast field for scientific research.

This Man strongly believes death is not the end of the human mind/consciousness. In his 30 years of research, he discovered that brains remain “salvageable for not only hours, but possibly days of time.”

Sam Parnia, an associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone, suggests that if we consider death as a process where the brain deteriorates, and if consciousness is simply created by the brain (a notion that remains debated), then logic would suggest that consciousness should also fade or diminish.

But what is actually observed is quite the opposite. Instead of fading, people’s consciousness seems to become expanded, powerful, and vast after death.

Dr. Parnia argues that this observation suggests human consciousness is a mystery that cannot be fully explained by brain activity alone. The idea that consciousness is purely a product of the brain and ends when the brain dies is questionable and, in his view, incorrect. This has opened up a new and vast field for scientific research.Dr. Parnia argues that what people commonly believe about death is fundamentally wrong. Contrary to the usual idea that death is final, he sees death as a reversible state rather than an absolute end.

Recent research has shown that the idea of dying as a sudden event is mostly a social convention that does not match scientific realities. Parnia calls this a new frontier of science that challenges one of life’s fundamental certainties. He expresses frustration that outdated and inaccurate theories about death continue to prevail despite the tools and research now available.From a scientific perspective, death is not a moment that happens all at once but a gradual process that can take many hours.

For example, brain cells and other cells in the body do not immediately die or decompose right after death, which challenges the common assumption that consciousness and life end instantly when the heart stops or the brain ceases to function.

Remarkably, he says brains can remain salvageable for not just hours but possibly days. For instance, he cites a case where brain cells retained full function 48 hours after being removed from a body, even though preservation was delayed.

He details his findings in his book “Lucid Dying,” where he presents evidence suggesting that reviving the dead is not as difficult as commonly thought and explores what happens to consciousness as it fades. (Source)

Dr. Parnia directs the Human Consciousness Project, which has conducted the largest study on people who recalled experiences near death, using AI tools to analyze their accounts and reveal new insights. He stresses that science has begun to investigate what used to be philosophical territory, what happens after death.

He discussed research, such as a study on pig brains by neuroscientist Dr. Nenad Sestan, in which brains were taken from pigs hours after death and connected to a special system with drugs to preserve them. (Source)

This restored some brain functions, showing that brain cells do not die immediately and suggesting it might be possible to restore life and brain activity after death in humans as well.

He says that this research could revolutionize resuscitation and save many lives, because currently, people are often declared dead too soon, especially in cases like heart attacks or accidents.

He clarifies that “functioning” and “consciousness” are different. In the pig study, the animals were given drugs that suppressed brain electrical signals linked to consciousness (similar to anesthesia). Without those drugs, it’s likely the pigs could have regained some form of conscious awareness, raising ethical concerns.

Regarding consciousness, Dr. Parnia explains that it is a deeply puzzling phenomenon. Although brain activity is linked to consciousness, there is no clear scientific explanation of how brain cells produce the subjective experience of thinking and awareness.

He discusses two main views: one sees consciousness as simply a product of brain activity, but there is no strong evidence for this.

The other, supported by some scientists including Nobel laureates, suggests consciousness is a distinct entity that interacts with the brain but is not generated by it, similar to how a computer accesses the internet but does not create it.

A 2022 study showed, for the first time, detailed brain waves from a dying person. It involved an 87-year-old man who had fallen, was admitted to the emergency room, and quickly went into cardiac arrest while hooked up to an EEG machine that tracked his brain activity as he died. Before this, most studies on brain activity near death had only recorded limited signals from certain brain areas, but this case provided a much more comprehensive recording. (Source)

Dr. Parnia explained that many people experience periods of surprising mental clarity and heightened consciousness near death. Although such cases were once thought anecdotal, studies suggest nearly 10 percent of people might experience these lucid moments, possibly involving about 800 million people worldwide.

The researchers focused their analysis on the 30 seconds before and after the man’s heart stopped. They observed changes in brain waves typically involved in higher cognitive processes, such as information processing, memory recall, concentration, conscious awareness, and different stages of dreaming.

This suggests that, even as the brain begins to shut down, it may actively engage in recalling memories or consciousness moments before death. These findings provide possible biological evidence for the common expression that people’s “life flashes before their eyes” in near-death experiences.

However, the researchers caution that the patient’s health was already compromised by brain trauma, seizures, and medications, which complicate interpreting the data and limit comparisons to healthy brain activity. Still, the observed “cross-coupling” patterns between alpha and gamma brain waves, linked to memory and alertness, support the idea that the brain might be replaying memories or conscious experiences at life’s end.

A 2023 separate study from the University of Michigan observed similar increases in gamma wave activity—associated with conscious thought—in two comatose patients after cardiac arrest when they were removed from ventilators.

This activity was localized in a part of the brain related to dreaming and altered states, implying that the dying brain can remain active in significant ways. The researchers described this as evidence for a “covert consciousness” that might allow life review experiences, as reported by survivors of near-death events. (Source)

Dr. Parnia explained that as the brain shuts down, typical inhibitory brain functions that regulate daily consciousness become reduced. This disinhibition may unlock access to deeper layers of awareness or reality not normally accessible during everyday life.

Dr. Parnia’s own large-scale AWARE-TO study across multiple hospitals interviewed people who survived cardiac arrest and had near-death memories.

About 15% reported vivid, unique experiences of consciousness during death, describing feelings of vastness and heightened awareness. These experiences often included perception of their surroundings from outside their bodies, recognizing detailed actions of medical staff, and a panoramic, all-encompassing sensing of information.

Crucially, people recalled reliving their entire life, but not as a simple flash of images. Instead, they re-experienced every interaction they had with others, feeling both their own emotions and those of others involved, especially in terms of ethical and moral dimensions. This life review prompts deep reflection on how they lived and their impact on others, offering a sense of higher purpose and moral significance that transcends cultural or religious backgrounds.

Dr. Parnia stresses that these near-death experiences are remarkably universal. It does not reflect religious practices, social status, or materialistic achievements, but rather how individuals behaved morally.

Advanced AI analysis has confirmed with high certainty that these recollections are distinct from dreams or hallucinations and uniquely tied to the dying process.

When asked if these experiences are supernatural, Dr. Parnia rejects it.

He argues that calling them supernatural just shows a lack of understanding. Instead, he says these experiences reflect natural processes in the brain during death, specifically, the brain shutting down in a way that removes normal inhibitory controls, allowing access to the full breadth of consciousness and memory that is usually inaccessible.

This sudden access to total consciousness and memory is responsible for the profound experiences people report.

He concludes that consciousness likely exists as a separate scientific entity interacting with but not produced wholly by the brain. Brain disorders may obscure consciousness, but consciousness itself is not destroyed with brain death. Instead, it can become more vivid and expansive at death, suggesting new territory for scientific exploration beyond the current understanding.

In 2011, a scientist named Sean Carroll wrote a blog for Scientific American. He said that the laws of physics show that life after death is not possible. He explained that our brains store information, like memories and thoughts, but when we die, our bodies break down into tiny pieces (atoms). According to science, there is no way for that information to survive after death. (Source)

A study published on Dr. Parnia’s studies in 2022 says, “So far, the researchers say, evidence suggests that neither physiological nor cognitive processes end with death and that although systematic studies have not been able to absolutely prove the reality or meaning of patients’ experiences and claims of awareness in relation to death, it has been impossible to disclaim them either.” (Source)

Dr. Parnia explains that as a physician and scientist, he is deeply interested in what happens when people die, both to be able to bring them back successfully and to restore their full consciousness and identity.

However, he finds the term “soul” problematic because it is vague and means different things to different people. He prefers to define the soul in terms of the Greek concept of the “psyche,” which includes all the elements that make a person who they are, their thoughts, emotions, consciousness, and sense of self.

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According to him, the soul or psyche can be understood scientifically as the conscious, thinking self.

His research and data from studies of cardiac arrest patients, those who have temporarily died and then been revived, suggest that consciousness or the soul does not immediately vanish or become annihilated after death, at least in the early stages.

He differentiates his scientific findings, which show the soul or psyche continuing beyond clinical death, from many religious or philosophical definitions of an immortal soul. His data does not, he clarifies, confirm those religious or metaphysical beliefs directly.

Dr. Parnia focuses on the objective results of his research, which align with the viewpoints of esteemed scientists like Nobel laureate Sir John Eccles and Professor Bahram Elahi.

These scientists propose that consciousness or the psyche is a separate, undiscovered entity distinct from the brain, likely a very subtle form of matter, neither immaterial nor magical, but something physically real, though different from anything currently understood.

He points out that if consciousness has some form of subtle material existence, this challenges traditional religious dualistic views where the soul is purely immaterial and wholly separate from the body. Such a perspective places consciousness fundamentally within the material world, though in a subtle form we have yet to fully comprehend.

His research increasingly supports the idea that consciousness, psyche, or soul may continue to exist independently of brain function after clinical death.

{ https://howandwhys.com/ }

15-09-2025 om 21:50 geschreven door peter  

If evolution is real, why are there still monkeys? Scientists reveal the surprising answer

• READ MORE: Scientists discover a 'hidden chapter' in human evolution

By WILIAM HUNTER, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

When you learned about the history of human evolution in school, there's a good chance you were shown one all-too-familiar image. 

That picture probably showed a conga line of human-like creatures, from a primitive ape at one end to a modern man proudly strolling into the future at the other. 

For many people, this iconic image captures evolution's slow but inevitable march from the simple to the complex.

But it also raises a puzzling question: If this really is how evolution works, then why are there still monkeys and apes? 

Surely, if humans evolved out of primates, there's no reason that so many species should have remained so primitive.

While it might be easy to dismiss this as a trivial question, the answer actually reveals a fascinating detail of our shared evolutionary history. 

In fact, it uncovers what scientists have called a 'widespread and persistent misconception' about the nature of human evolution.

So, Daily Mail asked some of the leading experts to explain why we might need to rethink our place in the evolutionary lineup. 

It's a common thought that many people have about evolution, but now scientists have given their answer to why monkeys and other apes still exist if humans evolved from them (stock image) 

If evolution is real, why are there still monkeys? 

One common view of evolution is that it is a linear process which takes primitive species and slowly brings them closer to perfection.

Unfortunately, this is a greatly simplified perception of how evolution really works.

Professor Ruth Mace, an expert on human evolution from University College London, told Daily Mail: 'Think of the evolutionary process as tree-like. All living species are at the tips of the branches.

'Humans and monkeys are on branches that separated at some point. Both branches still exist.'

If we were to trace those branches back in time through the generations, we would eventually find that they merge into a single species. 

Modern humans' closest living relatives are chimpanzees and bonobos, with whom we share about 98.7 per cent of our DNA.

We also share a lot of common traits with our primate relatives, including anatomical features, complex social hierarchies, and problem-solving skills. 

Bonobos (pictured) and chimpanzees are humans' closest relatives, with whom we share over 98 per cent of our DNA. However, evolution experts say we didn't really evolve from these primate species 

If humans evolved from primates, why are there still monkeys?

It might be easy, therefore, to think that modern humans evolved from a group of chimpanzees or bonobos, leaving the rest of the species behind on a lower rung of the evolutionary ladder. 

However, modern genetic data shows that this isn't the case. 

Anthropologists currently think that humans split from the family containing bonobos and chimpanzees somewhere between six to 10 million years ago.

Scientists call the species at that branching point our 'last common ancestor'. 

When scientists talk about early humans like the Neanderthals and Homo erectus, it can seem like modern humans replaced all the species that came before them.

This creates a misconception that every earlier species either evolved to be more human-like or died out.  

However, since Darwin's 'tree of life' doesn't grow straight up like a beanstalk, but spreads like a bush, there are also lots of evolutionary 'dead ends'. 

Neanderthals are just another branch that split away from our latest common ancestor that lived sometime between 800,000 and 100,000 years ago. 

Humans branched off from the chimpanzees (pictured) and bonobos about six to 10 million years ago. They are not earlier stages on the path towards humanity, but ends of a different branch in the evolutionary tree

Most of the branches on the human family tree were evolutionary dead ends. The other human species, such as Neanderthals (pictured), eventually died off, but not because they evolved into humans 

But there's no reason that any of those other branches necessarily had to go extinct; they just took different paths to our own. 

Why haven't monkeys become as smart as humans?  

Our evolutionary story is one of gradually improving sophistication, particularly when it comes to intelligence.

This intelligence has allowed human beings to flourish in a way no other species ever has before, pushing many other primate species close to extinction.

But if our intelligence is such a massive evolutionary advantage, why haven't our close relatives also evolved to be just as smart? 

While our intelligence might seem extremely important to us, it simply isn't necessary for other species to succeed, experts said.

Professor Mace explained: 'If you live in the rainforest in groups of primates that mostly eat plant matter, then the kind of intelligence you need is not necessarily the same kind of intelligence you need if you are a carnivore who needs to hunt large prey in groups on the savannah.'

That means there's no reason for monkeys to have evolved into a more human-like species.  

Chimpanzees are extremely intelligent and well-adapted to their environment. Scientists say there is no reason that they would need to evolve the kind of intelligence found in humans 

Why didn't apes become as smart as humans?

In fact, when it comes to evolutionary 'success', human intelligence isn't all that it's cracked up to be. 

Dr John Rowan, assistant professor of human evolution at the University of Cambridge, told Daily Mail: 'Chimpanzees and bonobos do very well in their respective niches, so why not ask the reverse question: Why haven’t humans evolved to be more like chimpanzees or bonobos?

'Bonobos in particular do not engage in large-scale intergroup violence and killing, whereas we humans are constantly consumed by conflict and warfare—why haven’t we evolved to be more like bonobos?'

Contrary to common belief, humanity is not the goal towards which evolution is striving.

'It’s often assumed that the human version of a trait must be the "best", but that’s almost never the case,' says Dr Rowan.

'Humans have many interesting adaptations, but we must remember that so do all the other billions of species we share the planet with. And many are far more remarkable than human adaptations humans have!'

Could monkeys evolve into humans in the future?

However, although monkeys and apes don't have any reason to evolve human-like intelligence at the moment, that might not always be the case.

In the very far future, scientists say that some primate species could evolve to be more human-like in a Planet of the Apes-style scenario. However, that species might not resemble humans today 

In the far future, or if humans were to disappear from the planet, there could be an evolutionary niche which some primate evolves to fill.

Professor Mace says: 'Every mutation happens by chance, but if species live in similar environments, there are plenty of examples of convergent evolution.

'So it is entirely possible that something not too different from ourselves could evolve, but it is not inevitable as the environment is bound to be slightly different.'

That means, a Planet of the Apes-style scenario is not entirely inconceivable in the extremely distant future. 

However, whatever creature did emerge from that lengthy process of evolution might not look anything like humans as we recognise them.

Dr Edwin de Jager, a biological anthropologist from the University of Cambridge, told Daily Mail: 'Evolution doesn’t repeat itself exactly, but given enough time and the right pressures, it’s possible that some primates could evolve greater intelligence or more human-like traits.

'But they wouldn’t become human, I think they’d be something entirely new.'

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

15-09-2025 om 21:31 geschreven door peter  

Scientists reveal exactly what will happen if the Earth continues to spin faster - including devastating earthquakes and catastrophic flooding

• READ MORE: Experts blame climate change for the record–breaking summer

By JONATHAN CHADWICK, ASSISTANT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

You may already feel as if there’s not enough time in the day. 

But it's not just your imagination – the days have been getting shorter. 

According to scientists, July 9, July 22 and August 5 this year were between 1.3 and 1.51 milliseconds shorter than the standard 24-hour day. 

Although the exact reason is still a mystery, there could be several causes, such as changes in the atmosphere, the melting of glaciers, motion in the Earth's core, and a weakening magnetic field.

While the loss of a few milliseconds is not a cause for too much concern, a frightening new book imagines a world literally 'spinning out of control'.

In 'Circular Motion' by Alex Foster, days on Earth last 23 hours, then 20 hours, and then eventually two hours.

Like a supercharged spinning top, the planet spins so fast that even gravity loses its grip, as the sun rises and sets ever faster. 

Now, experts reveal the real implications of such a terrifying scenario, from large-scale disasters, floods and earthquakes. 

A new novel called 'Circular Motion' by Alex Foster imagines a world literally spinning out of control, until a day last just two hours 

In Foster's new novel, Earth's rotation speeds up due to a network of massive aircraft that orbit the Earth at 30,000 feet, revolutionising global transportation. 

The acceleration of Earth’s spin begins gradually, and days are just a few seconds shorter than normal, so nobody initially notices. 

However, Earth’s spin progressively gets faster and faster until a day lasts just two hours – triggering a global catastrophe. 

If Earth's spin really did get faster, experts say it cause a 'centrifugal effect' where the things start to swing away from the planet's axis, much like the hanging chairs on a spinning carousel ride.

Earth's oceans would start to bulge around the equator, giving the planet more of a diamond shape, with sloping northern and southern hemispheres. 

Water pulled from the polar regions (where centrifugal force is low) would cause the Arctic Ocean to become shallower and send the equatorial region underwater. 

Even land around the equator that's not underwater could have a greatly increased chance of tsunamis and flooding. 

Duncan Agnew, professor of geophysics at the University of California San Diego, said the 'largest changes would be in the ocean tides'. 

This long-exposure photo of the northern night sky above the Nepali Himalayas shows the apparent paths of the stars as Earth rotates. If Earth spun fast enough, is this what we would see?

According to scientists, July 9, July 22 and August 5 this year were between 1.3 and 1.51 milliseconds shorter than the standard 24-hour day . Although the exact reason is still a mystery, there could be several causes, such as changes in the atmosphere, the melting of glaciers, motion in the Earth's core, and a weakening magnetic field (stock image)

Could the world keep going faster?

It is unlikely that the world will start to spin faster. In fact, the world is actually slowing down over time.

About 4.4 billion years ago, the planet was spinning so fast that days lasted four minutes. But this slowed down after a large object hit Earth and created the moon.

The only way Earth could speed up is if a large object hits at just the right angle. But this would likely liquify the planet's crust, so no humans would survive to see the results.  

As any beach-goer knows, in coastal areas around the world there are high tides and low tides, which are due to the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun, combined with the rotation of Earth.  

The daily rotation of the Earth produces two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes. 

'Change that by 10 per cent and the tides in some places would get larger and in others smaller,' Professor Agnew told the Daily Mail. 

Also, the faster the Earth's spin, the faster tectonic plates would move, would could add to more geological stress and 'a lot of earthquakes', the academic added. 

It’s worth remembering that the equator (where Earth’s circumference is the widest) spins faster than elsewhere, such as the tropics or the poles. 

The equator spins at about 1,025 miles (1,650km) per hour, while the poles spin barely above zero miles per hour. 

As Earth spins and we go around with it, we are held into place by gravity, but if the Earth spun fast enough, centrifugal force would overcome gravity, causing objects to be flung into space. 

'The faster Earth turns, the more gravity will be canceled out and the lighter you’ll feel,' said Foster in a piece for New Scientist. 

Hurricanes will spin faster and carry more energy if the world's spin greatly increases, researchers claim. In this picture from space, a swirling hurricane forms

The faster Earth's spin, the faster tectonic plates would move, would could add to more geological stress and 'a lot of earthquakes'. Pictured, damage from Afghanistan earthquake, September 4, 2025

NASA astronomer Dr Sten Odenwald also warned that weather phenomena would become more extreme, capable of causing more damage. 

As the planet spins faster, an apparent force known as the Coriolis effect, which gives hurricanes their spin, intensifies. 

'Hurricanes will spin faster and carry more energy,' Dr Odenwald said.

If Earth’s spin increased, there would of course also be both less sunlight in the day and less time to sleep at night, which might make humans less productive. 

People would have keep putting their clocks back as the days shortened, or come up with a whole new time-keeping system.

Humans have a 'circadian rhythm' – an internal clock that is closely attuned to the 24-hour day – which can cause physical and mental issues if disrupted (by factors like plane travel).

Additionally, many satellites would no longer be positioned correctly, which could disrupt satellite communications, internet, TV broadcasting and more.

Luckily, Professor Agnew said the idea of Earth's rotation speeding up to the extent portrayed in the new novel is a 'particularly absurd premise'. 

Each day on Earth contains 86,400 seconds, but the rotation isn't uniform, which means over the course of a year, each day has a fraction of a second more or less

'This cannot happen and nothing like it has ever been observed for any planet or star,' Professor Agnew told the Daily Mail. 

In actual fact, the Earth has been rotating more and more slowly over the long-term, but this change has been very gradual.

'A billion years ago the day was maybe 19 hours long,' he told the Daily Mail. 

'If you went back to when there were dinosaurs and didn't have a clock you wouldn't probably notice that the day was 30 minutes shorter.' 

Dr Judah Levine, Fellow of the US government's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Maryland, also questioned how close the book's premise is to 'real physics'. 

'If the story is loosely connected to reality, then the speed-up of Earth had to be accompanied by something else losing angular momentum, maybe the orbit of the moon,' he told the Daily Mail. 

'This is a fundamental principle.'

Maybe the orbit of the moon losing angular momentum could cause the speed-up of Earth, he added.  

'If that is what happens, the moon gets a lot closer, and the tidal effects become much stronger and more frequent because the periods are driven by the length of the day.' 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

15-09-2025 om 20:51 geschreven door peter  

Earth has another moon! Hidden 'quasi-moon' has been following our planet for decades, astronomers reveal

• READ MORE:  NASA finds clearest sign of life on Mars

By XANTHA LEATHAM, EXECUTIVE SCIENCE EDITOR

For the last 4.5 billion years our planet has had a reliable celestial companion – the moon.

Its orbit around the Earth has a profound effect on life here, from influencing the tides to stabilising our seasons.

But astronomers have now discovered another sidekick that may have been following our planet around for some time.

Experts at the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii have spotted a quasi-moon, called ‘2025 PN7’, that has been tagging along after Earth since the 1960s.

This cosmic body is actually an asteroid, they explained, and – rather than orbit the Earth – it is orbiting the Sun on a similar trajectory to our planet.

The astronomers made the discovery after analysing orbital data from the asteroid, which is just 19 metres (62ft) wide.

They determined it has been in a quasi-orbit for around 60 years and would likely be nearby for another 60 years or so before departing.

It joins the six other known quasi-moons in Earth-like orbits - but boasts the title of the ‘smallest and the least stable’.

Experts have spotted a quasi-moon, an asteroid called ‘2025 PN7’, that has been tagging along after Earth since the 1960s

(stock image)

Scientists have been aware of quasi-satellites since 1991 when they first discovered ‘1991 VG’ – which some believed to be an alien probe at the time.

‘Over three decades later, it is now widely accepted that such objects are natural and constitute a secondary asteroid belt that occupies the region in which the Earth-moon system orbits around the sun,’ the researchers wrote.

Unlike our moon, which can usually been seen with the naked eye, this quasi-moon is only visible through good telescopes.

And although it may appear to be orbiting Earth it is not gravitationally bound to our planet.

While it may sound like this neighbour has been ‘following’ Earth for quite some time, it’s relatively short compared to another famous quasi-moon, Kamo’oalewa, which has an Earth-related orbit lasting around 381 years.

Quasi-moons are part of a special category of space objects called Arjunas, that move in sync with our planet’s journey around the sun.

2025 PN7 maintains a wide range of distances from Earth – anywhere between around 2.8 million miles (4.5 million km) and 37 million miles (59 million km).

These quasi-moons in Earth-like orbits are ‘full of surprises’ co-author Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, from the Complutense University of Madrid, told Live Science.

Earth's orbit around the Sun (blue) contrasted with that of its quasi-moon Kamo'oalewa (yellow, labeled with its provisional designation 2016 HO3). The large yellow circle traces just one of the quasi-moon's orbits around the Sun. Over many orbits, it also traces the series of loops around Earth shown to the right

This new quasi-moon is ‘small, faint and visibility windows from Earth are rather unfavourable, so it is not surprising that it went unnoticed for that long,’ he explained.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which recently became operational, can scan for other quasi-moons and ‘may uncover many more’.

The latest discovery was recently published in Research Notes of the AAS.

Alongside quasi-moons the Earth is sometimes joined by ‘minimoons’ – objects that do orbit our planet but only temporarily.

Only four have ever been discovered, and none are still orbiting Earth.

Experts from The Planetary Society said: ‘Quasi-moons and minimoons are pieces of our neighbourhood in space, and they carry information about where they come from. They might originate in the main asteroid belt, from impacts on the Moon, or from the break-up of larger objects on similar orbits — scientists don’t know for sure.

‘Answering that question, and finding out what these almost-moons are made of, can help researchers learn more about asteroids and how they threaten Earth.’

The phases of the moon

Like Earth, the Moon has a day side and a night side, which change as the Moon rotates. 

The Sun always illuminates half of the Moon while the other half remains dark, but how much we are able to see of that illuminated half changes as the Moon travels through its orbit.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the phases of the moon are:

1. New Moon

This is the invisible phase of the Moon, with the illuminated side of the Moon facing the Sun and the night side facing Earth.

2. Waxing crescent

This silver sliver of a Moon occurs when the illuminated half of the Moon faces mostly away from Earth, with only a tiny portion visible to us from our planet.

3. First Quarter 

The Moon is now a quarter of the way through its monthly journey and you see half of its illuminated side. 

4. Waxing Gibbous

Now most of the Moon's dayside has come into view, and the Moon appears brighter in the sky. 

5. Full Moon

This is as close as we come to seeing the Sun's illumination of the entire day side of the Moon.

6. Waning Gibbous

As the Moon begins its journey back toward the Sun, the opposite side of the Moon now reflects the Moon’s light. 

7. Last Quarter

The Moon looks like it’s half illuminated from the perspective of Earth, but really you’re seeing half of the half of the Moon that’s illuminated by the Sun ― or a quarter. 

8. Waning Crescent

The Moon is nearly back to the point in its orbit where its dayside directly faces the Sun, and all that we see from our perspective is a thin curve. 

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15-09-2025 om 20:38 geschreven door peter  

The Impact Event that Shaped Earth’s History: An In-Depth Scientific Analysis of the 35-Million-Year-Old Asteroid Collision

Introduction

Throughout Earth's complex geological history, extraterrestrial impacts have played a significant role in shaping the planet’s surface, climate, and biological evolution. Among these, asteroid impacts stand out due to their catastrophic potential and their ability to produce profound, sometimes global-scale effects. Approximately 35 million years ago, a colossal asteroid struck the eastern coast of what is today North America, leaving behind one of Earth's largest and best-preserved impact craters beneath Chesapeake Bay. This event not only caused immediate destruction but also triggered a series of subsequent catastrophic phenomena, including massive tsunamis and environmental upheaval. Recent research has provided new insights into this ancient impact, revealing the event's true scale and its far-reaching consequences. This comprehensive analysis aims to detail the geological evidence, reconstruct the sequence of events, and explore the implications of this impact for Earth's history, drawing from recent scientific findings published in the journal Southeastern Geology.

A 5-kilometer asteroid caused two devastating planetary-scale catastrophes 35 million years ago.
Illustrative photo: SciTechDaily

The Asteroid: Dimensions, Velocity, and Impact Site

The impactor was approximately 5 kilometers in diameter, a size capable of releasing an enormous amount of energy upon collision. Traveling at velocities exceeding 64,000 km/h (about 17.8 km/s), the asteroid imparted an immense kinetic energy, estimated at roughly 10^24 joules—comparable to billions of nuclear bombs detonating simultaneously. Such an energy release would have instantaneously vaporized a vast area, generated shock waves propagating through Earth’s crust, and initiated global environmental disturbances.

The impact site was in what is now Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, a region characterized by sedimentary deposits accumulated over millions of years. The collision created a transient crater that, over geological time, was buried beneath sediment and oceanic deposits, resulting in the present-day impact structure lying approximately 500 meters below the current ocean floor. This buried crater remains one of the best-preserved terrestrial impact structures, providing a unique window into the processes and consequences of asteroid impacts.

Geological Evidence of the Impact

Recent geological studies, notably those published in Southeastern Geology, have uncovered compelling evidence of the impact event far from the crater itself. Notably, fossils and rock layers discovered in Moore County, North Carolina—approximately 386 km southwest of the impact site—serve as a crucial record of the event's global influence. The identification and analysis of these layers have significantly advanced our understanding of the impact’s scale and consequence.

An asteroid struck the East Coast of North America 35 million years ago. Ejected material from the impact site was distributed over an area of at least four million square miles. Researchers have found clear traces of the impact and dated them for the first time using the uranium-thorium-helium technique. ODP 1073 on the map refers to the ocean drilling project site where the sample material for this study was collected.
Credit: GEBCO world map 2014, www.gebco.net

Layered Sedimentary Record

Central to this research is a nearly one-meter-thick stratigraphic sequence containing four distinct layers, each representing different phases of the impact aftermath:

1. Bottom Layer (43 cm thick): This layer is rich in sandy clay, carbon glass (also known as tektites), and rock fragments. The presence of iridium at concentrations up to 18 parts per billion (ppb)—a hallmark of extraterrestrial material—provides unequivocal evidence that this layer originated from an extraterrestrial impact. Iridium is rare on Earth's crust but abundant in meteorites, making its presence a key indicator of cosmic origin.

2. Second Layer (9 cm thick): Comprising silt and loosely bound quartz and carbon fragments with reduced iridium levels, this layer signifies the dispersal of smaller impact ejecta as the initial shock wave dispersed material into the atmosphere and surrounding environment.

3. Third Layer (6 cm thick): Consisting of a mixture of marine sediments and seabed fragments, this layer indicates subsequent geological processes, particularly water filling the crater and triggering massive landslides of marine sediments into the impact basin.

4. Fourth Layer (15 cm thick): Composed of coarse sand and gravel, this uppermost layer bears the signature of a powerful tsunami wave depositing large sediments over the existing layers.

The stratigraphy offers a comprehensive timeline of the impact event, detailing the progression from the initial collision to subsequent environmental changes. Each layer reflects a distinct phase, revealing insights into the destructive processes and their global effects. Understanding this sequence helps scientists piece together the event’s magnitude and consequences, providing valuable context for Earth's geological history and impact assessment.

1. Impact and Shock Wave Generation

 The collision of the asteroid with Earth's surface instantly generated an intense hypersonic shock wave that propagated rapidly through the crust. This energy release caused widespread destruction within hundreds of kilometers, obliterating everything in its path, including flora, fauna, and geological formations. The shock wave also led to the melting and vaporization of rocks, producing molten debris that was ejected high into the atmosphere. The immense pressure and heat created a transient but powerful zone of devastation, marking the beginning of the catastrophic sequence. This phase is critical because it set the stage for subsequent environmental upheavals, and the physical evidence of shock deformation in minerals confirms the immense energy involved.

2. Ejection and Atmospheric Dispersal

Within minutes of impact, a layer rich in impact ejecta, such as tektites and iridium-bearing material, was deposited across a vast area. These materials settle over regions as distant as Massachusetts and Barbados, demonstrating the event's enormous dispersal capacity. The presence of iridium, a rare extraterrestrial element, confirms the asteroid's origin. This layer provides a precise marker for dating the impact event, serving as a key stratigraphic reference point. The dispersal of molten and shattered debris not only signifies the initial energy release but also indicates the widespread atmospheric circulation that transported these materials globally. The distribution pattern reflects the impact's immense force and the Earth's atmospheric dynamics during the event.

3. Dispersal of Fine Particulates and Cloud Formation

Following the initial ejecta, a fine particulate cloud formed from pulverized rock and debris dispersed into the atmosphere. This cloud caused a significant reduction in sunlight reaching Earth's surface, leading to what is often described as an impact winter. The diminished sunlight likely caused short-term global cooling, disrupting photosynthesis and affecting ecosystems worldwide. This environmental upheaval could have contributed to the mass extinction of species, especially those sensitive to climate change. The stratigraphic record of this phase includes layers of soot and ash, indicating widespread fires and atmospheric particulates. This phase underscores how an impact event can trigger climate shifts, with short-term but profound effects on life. 

4. Crater Filling and Landslides

As water flooded the impact crater, the unstable sediments surrounding the site became prone to destabilization. Massive landslides of marine sediments cascaded into the basin, filling the crater with a mixture of soil and seabed fragments. This process signifies a transition from a primarily impact-driven environment to a water-dominated one, altering local geology dramatically. The resulting layer contains evidence of sediment reworking, including disturbed strata and displaced marine fossils. This phase reflects the ongoing geological response to the impact, highlighting how secondary processes like flooding and landslides shape the stratigraphic record. It also indicates the importance of water in modulating the impact's environmental impact.

5. Tsunami Generation and Sediment Deposition

The final, most destructive phase involved the generation of a colossal tsunami triggered by the sudden displacement of water due to the impact and crater infilling. The tsunami propagated across the Atlantic Ocean, inundating coastal regions with high-energy waves. This resulted in the deposition of coarse sediments, such as gravel and sand, over large areas, including Moore County. The uppermost stratigraphic layer records this event, characterized by high-energy deposits indicative of tsunami action. The deposits include chaotic, poorly sorted sediments with marine fossils embedded within them, evidence of rapid, forceful inundation. This phase demonstrates the global reach of impact-induced phenomena and their capacity to reshape coastlines and sedimentary environments dramatically.

A microscopic photograph of tiny silica droplets, formed by an asteroid impact.

Credit: Natalie Cheng / Bridget Weed.

Environmental and Biological Consequences

The immediate aftermath of the impact was utterly catastrophic, unleashing a series of devastating environmental effects that reshaped Earth's ecosystems. The colossal shock wave generated by the impact would have propagated across vast distances, exerting immense pressure on both terrestrial and marine life forms. Simultaneously, the intense thermal energy released during the collision caused widespread vaporization of rocks and minerals, creating a colossal plume of superheated debris that was rapidly dispersed into the atmosphere. This atmospheric dispersal of particulate matter and aerosols would have triggered a temporary but severe "impact winter," dramatically reducing sunlight penetration to Earth's surface. The resulting drop in temperatures and suppression of photosynthesis would have led to mass extinction events among many plant species and the animals dependent on them, disrupting entire food chains and ecological networks.

The climatic perturbations caused by these events likely persisted for several years, or even decades, profoundly influencing evolutionary pathways. The prolonged darkness and cold conditions would have favored the survival of species capable of enduring harsh environments, thus driving selective pressures that shaped future biodiversity. The impact's influence on climate and ecosystems could have facilitated the emergence of new adaptive traits among surviving species, setting the stage for subsequent evolutionary diversification.

In addition to atmospheric and climate effects, the impact would have generated enormous tsunami waves that radiated outward from the site of impact, inundating coastal regions and reshaping shorelines. These massive waves would have caused widespread flooding of low-lying areas, leading to the destruction of habitats and the displacement of countless organisms. The marine environment, in particular, would have undergone profound changes: sedimentation rates increased sharply due to the influx of debris, and habitats such as coral reefs and seabed communities faced destruction or significant alteration. These disruptions would have led to a decline in marine biodiversity and a reshuffling of marine ecosystems.

On land, the effects were equally severe. The intense heat and shockwaves sterilized large areas, destroying plant life and disrupting terrestrial habitats. Forests, grasslands, and other ecosystems faced massive die-offs, while soil erosion and habitat fragmentation further impeded recovery. The combined terrestrial and marine ecological upheavals resulted in a significant biotic turnover, particularly during the Miocene epoch, a period marked by notable evolutionary shifts and diversification among surviving species.

Overall, the impact's environmental and biological consequences were profound, triggering immediate mass extinctions, altering climate patterns, reshaping coastlines, and instigating long-term evolutionary changes. The aftermath set in motion a series of ecological shifts that would influence the course of life on Earth for millions of years to come, marking a pivotal point in Earth's geological and biological history.

Popigai in Siberia, the result of an asteroid strike 36 million years ago, is one of the largest and most well-preserved impact craters on Earth. 

(Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory/Joshua Stevens, using data from NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems and the US/Japan ASTER Science Team)

Implications for Earth's Geological and Biological Evolution

This impact event provides a compelling example of how extraterrestrial collisions have significantly influenced Earth's geological landscape as well as its biological history over millions of years. The evidence discovered in Moore County serves as a crucial piece in understanding the far-reaching effects that such catastrophes can have. Scientific investigations reveal that the physical and chemical signatures resulting from this impact are not confined to the immediate vicinity of the impact crater but can be detected hundreds of kilometers away. These signatures include shocked minerals, specific isotopic anomalies, and unique mineral formations such as shatter cones and tektites, which serve as telltale markers of large-scale impact events.

The timing of this impact correlates with a period of notable transition in Earth's biological and ecological systems during the Miocene epoch, approximately 15 to 10 million years ago. This era was characterized by significant shifts in flora and fauna, including the evolution and extinction of various species, as well as the expansion of grasslands and the diversification of mammals. The coincidence of this impact with such biological upheavals raises the possibility that extraterrestrial collisions may have played a role in accelerating or triggering these evolutionary changes. While it remains difficult to establish a direct causal relationship, this association underscores the importance of considering extraterrestrial influences as factors in Earth's complex evolutionary history.

In addition to its implications for understanding Earth's past, this impact event enhances our knowledge of planetary defense and risk assessment strategies for the future. By studying the physical evidence and the sequence of events surrounding ancient impacts, scientists can better recognize the signatures of similar events that might occur again. This knowledge enables the development of more accurate models of impact frequency, size, and potential consequences—such as widespread environmental disruption, climate change, and mass extinctions. Furthermore, understanding the long-term geological and biological effects of past impacts informs the creation of mitigation strategies, including asteroid detection programs and deflection technologies, aimed at preventing or minimizing the damage caused by future celestial collisions.

Overall, this impact event exemplifies the profound influence extraterrestrial collisions can have on shaping Earth's surface features and biological diversity. It highlights the importance of continued research into impact geology, planetary defense, and Earth's evolutionary history to better understand our planet's past and to safeguard its future.

(Data courtesy of the Republic of Guinea and TGS) (a) regional map showing the location of the Nadir Crater on the Guinea Plateau, offshore West Africa. Other important seabed features are also highlighted, including the Nadir Seamount after which the crater is named. (b and c): regional seismic cross sections across the Guinea Plateau, showing the age of the sedimentary units across the plateau and the location of the Nadir Crater and Nadir Seamount.

Conclusion

The asteroid impact approximately 35 million years ago near present-day Chesapeake Bay represents a pivotal event in Earth's geological history, with profound and lasting effects on the planet's surface, climate, and biosphere. The recent discovery of detailed stratigraphic layers in Moore County has provided invaluable insight into the sequence of events that followed the impact. These layers reveal a complex interplay of immediate shock wave destruction, widespread wildfires, and the formation of a massive tsunami, which collectively reshaped the landscape and influenced the environment for millions of years thereafter. The irrefutable evidence of extraterrestrial origin, including shocked mineral grains and impact ejecta, emphasizes the importance of understanding cosmic influences on Earth’s history.

Studying such impact events is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it enhances our comprehension of Earth's geological and biological evolution, shedding light on how catastrophic events have contributed to mass extinctions and subsequent recovery periods. Additionally, these findings help us recognize patterns and frequencies of large asteroid impacts, which is essential for assessing future risks. As the Earth continues its orbit through a universe teeming with potential hazards, ongoing research into past impacts serves as a vital tool in planetary defense strategies.

Furthermore, understanding the aftermath of such impacts can inform us about the resilience and adaptability of life, offering lessons on survival and recovery following global catastrophes. The knowledge gained not only satisfies scientific curiosity but also has practical implications for preparing for future impact threats. As technology advances, our ability to detect and potentially mitigate such events improves, emphasizing the importance of continued research and international cooperation in planetary defense efforts.

In conclusion, the study of the Chesapeake Bay impact event and similar occurrences underscores the dynamic and interconnected nature of Earth's history and its cosmic environment. These investigations deepen our appreciation of Earth's vulnerability and resilience while guiding us toward better preparedness for possible future cosmic encounters. Ultimately, understanding Earth's impact record enriches our knowledge of planetary evolution and supports the ongoing quest to safeguard our planet for future generations.

{ PETER2011 }

15-09-2025 om 17:57 geschreven door peter  

UFO gefilmd door vliegtuigpassagiers: Bewijs dat buitenaards leven echt is!

Inhoud

1. De Onverwachte Verschijning van een UFO
2. Deskundige Analyse van de UFO
3. Het Belang van Verder Onderzoek naar UFO’s

1. De Onverwachte Verschijning van een UFO

Hoog boven de wolken, waar niemand iets vreemds verwachtte, dook plotseling een vliegende cilinder op naast het vliegtuig waarin Michelle Reyes zat. Dit UFO-fenomeen was zo duidelijk en nabij dat het onmogelijk was om het te negeren. Michelle handelde snel door haar camera te pakken en het moment vast te leggen, wat later een sensatie op social media werd en het debat over buitenaards leven weer deed oplaaien. Na de waarneming probeerde Michelle officiële instanties te bereiken door de Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) te mailen. Echter, een gebrek aan reactie liet ruimte voor talloze speculaties. Was dit een stilgehouden overheidsgeheim, een natuurlijk onverklaarbaar fenomeen, of toch het sluitende bewijs van buitenaardse bezoekers?

2. Deskundige Analyse van de UFO

Thomas Wertman van het Mutual UFO Network nam de uitdaging aan om de beelden te analyseren. Hij concludeerde snel dat wat Michelle zag geen standaard luchtvaartuig kon zijn. Het object miste de karakteristieke kenmerken zoals vleugels of een staart die je bij een vliegtuig zou verwachten. Deze waarneming bleek een raadsel, dat niet paste in de gebruikelijke categorieën van luchtvaartuigen. Ondanks de wildere theorieën, kon Thomas niet geheel uitsluiten dat het object iets banaals kon zijn zoals een weerballon. De precieze vorm en beweging ervan gaven echter aan dat er iets bijzonders aan de hand was, iets dat wellicht niet binnen onze huidige wetenschappelijke kaders te verklaren valt.

3. Het Belang van Verder Onderzoek naar UFO’s

Deze waarneming benadrukt het belang van openheid in wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar onverklaarbare fenomenen. De lucht blijft een domein vol mysteries, en elke nieuwe waarneming van een UFO biedt potentieel voor nieuwe kennis en begrip. De waarneming door Michelle Reyes en andere passagiers blijft een fascinerend gespreksonderwerp. Of het nu gaat om buitenaardse bezoekers of een natuurlijk verschijnsel, het herinnert ons eraan dat de werkelijkheid vaak fantastischer is dan fictie. Blijf dus alert en wie weet wat je de volgende keer zou kunnen spotten wanneer je omhoog kijkt naar de uitgestrekte hemel. Met een beetje geluk en een camera in de hand, zijn we misschien allemaal getuige van het volgende grote mysterie.

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15-09-2025 om 16:49 geschreven door peter  

Artikel door Fabienne Ba

Raket raakt UFO en stuitert terug: beelden die het Congres intrigeren

© Edvin Richardson/Pexels

Een verrassende sequentie, vastgelegd in oktober 2024 voor de kust van Jemen, onthult een Amerikaanse Hellfire-raket die door een Reaper-drone is afgevuurd op een mysterieuze lichtgevende bol. In plaats van zijn doel te vernietigen, lijkt de raket te stuiteren, waardoor de UFO (ongeïdentificeerd vliegend object) ongedeerd blijft – een uniek fenomeen dat sindsdien tot bezorgdheid heeft geleid bij experts en beleidsmakers.

Een video die nog nooit eerder is vertoond

Deze video, getoond tijdens een hoorzitting van het Amerikaanse Congres in september 2025, werd gepresenteerd door afgevaardigde Eric Burlison. De video toont duidelijk dat de Hellfire-raket het doel raakt, maar terugkaatst in plaats van te exploderen of het object te neutraliseren. Voormalig inlichtingenofficier Lue Elizondo wijst erop dat dit gedrag ongekend is voor dit type raket, waarvan de impact meestal fataal is.

Schokkende video toont raket afgevuurd door het Amerikaanse leger die van een UFO stuitert boven de oceaan

(Foto: X)

Een onverklaarbaar object in een gespannen militaire context

De UFO, officieel aangeduid als UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomeen), werd met hoge snelheid over water gegleden, gevolgd door twee MQ-9 Reaper-drones. Deze waarneming vond plaats in een conflictgebied, wat wijst op een mogelijke connectie met geavanceerde militaire technologieën van een wereldmacht, in plaats van een buitenaardse oorsprong.

Foto en video: X @digijordan. Deze inhoud is gemaakt met behulp van AI en herzien door het redactieteam.

Op weg naar meer transparantie en onderzoek

Het Congres roept op tot meer duidelijkheid en informatie over deze onbekende luchtverschijnselen, die nog steeds in nevelen gehuld zijn. Deze video, afkomstig van een klokkenluider, wordt nog steeds bestudeerd door onafhankelijke experts. Het onderstreept de groeiende Amerikaanse interesse in het monitoren en begrijpen van onconventionele luchtdreigingen.

Beeld: Youtube

Er is een groot mysterie gaande rond onlangs verschenen beelden van een Amerikaanse raket die een UFO probeert neer te schieten. Zonder succes, want het object lijkt zijn weg te vervolgen. Verschillende officals en media vragen zich nu hardop af wat er precies heeft plaatsgevonden.

“Waarom laten we dit nu zien?”

Burlison toonde de clip op 9 september 2025 tijdens een hoorzitting over UAP’s om één boodschap te onderstrepen: open de boeken. Als dit soort opnames bestaan, dan hoort het Congres de ruwe data te zien — tijdcodes, IR-feeds, radar, alles. Geen sensatie zonder context, maar óók geen geheimzinnigheid als het om publieke verantwoording gaat.

“What the hell is that?”

Journalist George Knapp was erbij als getuige. Geen wilde claims, geen grootse theorieën — juist dat maakt zijn reactie zo raak. Hij vindt dat dit type materiaal met volksvertegenwoordigers gedeeld moet worden, maar zonder extra context is het vooral… een fascinerende puzzel. Zijn soundbite die bleef hangen: “What the hell is that?” Precies de vraag die je stelt als je de clip twee keer hebt teruggespoeld en nog steeds niet begrijpt waarom dat ding niet omlaag komt.

Wat weten we níet (en dat is lekker frustrerend)

• Wapendetail: Er is geen publiek vrijgegeven forensische analyse die definitief zegt: “dit was het wapen, hier was de impact.”
• Ruwe sensordata: Zonder multisensor-correlatie (IR, radar, metadata) blijft het gissen naar snelheid, grootte en materiaal.
• Optische trucs: Wat lijkt op “onverwoestbaar” kan deels worden verklaard door perspectief, compressie of autofocus. Of niet — en dan wordt het alleen maar spannender.
• Plaats in groter patroon: Het incident past in een bredere reeks meldingen rond gevoelige locaties, maar harde conclusies ontbreken.

Waarom dit zo viraal gaat

Eerlijk is eerlijk: we zijn gek op paradoxen. Een raket treft iets, dat “iets” blijft vliegen — dat is voer voor discussies, memes en eindeloze replayknoppen. Het zet de deur open naar alles: van hypergeavanceerde drones tot exotische technologie. En ja, het woord UFO duikt dan onvermijdelijk op, al is het officieel gewoon “onverklaard”.

Het grotere plaatje: tussen wow-moment en waarheidsvinding

Dit fragment balanceert perfect tussen spectaculair en onbeantwoord. Het roept vragen op over hoe we militair beeldmateriaal delen, hoe we UAP-cases onderzoeken en welke data nodig zijn om feiten van fantasie te scheiden. Zolang de ruwe bestanden, rapporten en telemetrie niet op tafel liggen, blijft het een cliffhanger waar elke nieuw hoofdstuk om schreeuwt.

UFO houdt ons even in z’n greep

Wat we zagen: een object dat na een vermoedelijke treffer onverstoorbaar doorgaat. Wat we voelen: een mix van ongeloof, nieuwsgierigheid en een gezonde dosis show me the data. Burlison en Knapp zitten op dezelfde golflengte: deel het materiaal, laat experts ermee aan de slag en geef het publiek duidelijkheid. Tot die tijd blijft de UFO het internet — en Washington — knap bezighouden.

Tussen fascinatie en publieke bezorgdheid

Op sociale media en onder gekozen functionarissen wekt de afbeelding van de stuiterende raket fascinatie, debat en bezorgdheid op. Sommigen zien het als bewijs van buitengewone technologie, terwijl anderen de realiteit en bedoelingen van deze verschijnselen in twijfel trekken, wat aanleiding geeft tot allerlei fantasieën en theorieën.

Uiteindelijk wakkert deze uitzonderlijke video het debat over de aard van UAP's en het vermogen van de strijdkrachten om hiermee om te gaan, opnieuw aan. Daarmee wordt een toekomst voorspeld waarin wetenschap en inlichtingendiensten transparant en nauwkeurig moeten zijn.

Check ook:

UFO gefilmd door vliegtuigpassagiers: Bewijs dat buitenaards leven echt is!

{ The Body Optimist }

15-09-2025 om 16:35 geschreven door peter  

Perseverance Finds Potential Chemical Signatures of Ancient Microbial Life on Mars

Introduction

The quest to discover past life on Mars has long captivated scientists and the public alike. With NASA’s Perseverance rover exploring the Jezero Crater, a site believed to have once hosted a lake, researchers are uncovering intriguing evidence that may point to ancient microbial life. A recent publication in Nature details the extensive geological, petrographic, and geochemical investigations conducted by the rover’s suite of instruments, revealing potential biosignatures in rocks of the Bright Angel formation. This article delves into these findings, their significance, and the broader implications for understanding Mars’ ancient habitability.

This artist’s impression shows how Mars may have looked about 4 billion years ago.

Image credit: M. Kornmesser / ESO.

The Geological Context of Jezero Crater

• Jezero Crater as a Window into Mars’ Past

Jezero Crater, approximately 45 kilometers in diameter, was once a lake-rich environment that preserved a diverse array of sedimentary deposits. Its geological makeup offers a unique record of Mars' early climate and potential habitability. The crater’s deposits include mudstones and conglomerates indicative of flowing water and standing lakes, making it an ideal site to search for biosignatures. These sediments have the potential to contain organic molecules and microfossils, providing crucial clues about past life possibilities on Mars. The stratigraphy within Jezero reveals multiple episodes of water activity, including lake formation and sedimentation, which are essential for understanding the planet's climatic evolution. Moreover, the mineralogical composition of these deposits, such as clay minerals and carbonates, further supports the evidence of a once warmer and wetter environment. Studying these geological features helps scientists reconstruct Mars’ climatic history and assess its habitability during the Noachian period, approximately 3.8 to 4.1 billion years ago

Image showing the area of Jezero Crater explored by the Perseverance rover.

Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin

• Bright Angel Formation: A Sedimentary Archive

Within Jezero, the Bright Angel formation comprises sedimentary rocks deposited by aqueous processes. These include fine-grained mudstones, layered beds, and conglomerates. Such rocks form in environments where water interacts with sediments over extended periods, often creating conditions conducive to the preservation of organic molecules and mineralogical signs of biological activity. The layered nature of the Bright Angel formation suggests repeated cycles of sedimentation, possibly related to lake level changes or seasonal variations. The presence of clay minerals within these sediments indicates neutral to slightly alkaline conditions, favorable for preserving organic compounds. Additionally, the conglomerates contain rounded pebbles and cobbles that reveal information about water flow velocities and sediment transport mechanisms. The detailed analysis of these rocks by Perseverance provides insights into the environmental conditions that prevailed during sediment deposition, including water chemistry, temperature, and duration of aqueous episodes. These findings are vital in understanding the habitability potential of Jezero’s past environments and guiding future exploration efforts.

• Exploration of Neretva Vallis

Perseverance’s entry into Neretva Vallis, on the western edge of Jezero, allowed the rover to investigate distinctive outcrops of the Bright Angel formation. The rover’s detailed analyses of these rocks have yielded key insights into their composition and formation history. By examining the mineralogy and texture of the outcrops, scientists have identified signatures of aqueous alteration, such as clay minerals and sulfates, which indicate past interactions with water. The morphology of the outcrops reveals layered structures that suggest episodic sedimentation, possibly during different lake stages or flood events. These observations help reconstruct the paleoenvironmental conditions, including water chemistry, pH, and redox states. Furthermore, the geochemical data obtained from Neretva Vallis outcrops have provided evidence for mineral stabilization processes that may have contributed to the preservation of potential biosignatures. The exploration of this area continues to refine our understanding of Mars’ aqueous history and enhances the search for signs of ancient life in Jezero Crater.

This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance on the surface of the Red Planet.

Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech.

Instrumentation and Methodology

• Perseverance’s Suite of Scientific Instruments

The rover is equipped with a comprehensive array of scientific tools designed for detailed analysis of the Martian surface. In addition to SHERLOC and PIXL, it features the SuperCam, which combines laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), Raman spectroscopy, and visible/near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy, enabling remote mineral identification and organic detection from a distance. The Mastcam-Z camera system provides high-resolution panoramic and stereoscopic imaging for geological context and terrain mapping. The Sample Caching System allows for the collection, sealing, and storage of promising samples for future retrieval and return missions. The MEDA (Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer) monitors atmospheric conditions, temperature, humidity, and dust levels, providing essential environmental data to support the interpretation of geological findings.

• Analytical Techniques
  • Spectroscopy: SHERLOC and PIXL provide mineralogical and molecular signatures, including Raman spectra indicative of organic carbon.The suite employs multiple spectroscopic methods, including Raman, LIBS, and X-ray fluorescence, to determine mineral compositions and detect organic compounds. These techniques identify chemical signatures indicative of past habitability and potential biosignatures.
  • Imaging: The high-resolution cameras capture detailed images of rock textures, layering, and mineral veins, revealing geological history and processes. Imaging also helps select optimal sample sites for drilling and analysis.
  • Sample Collection: Perseverance drilled into rocks to collect core samples, such as from Sapphire Canyon, which are stored securely in sealed tubes. These samples are preserved for detailed laboratory analysis upon return to Earth, enabling future detailed studies of Martian geology and potential biosignatures. A core sample named Sapphire Canyon was obtained from the Bright Angel formation and stored in a sealed tube for potential future return to Earth.

Composite image showing some of the sample tubes deposited by the Perseverance rover at 'Three Forks,” a location within Mars’s Jezero Crater.

Credit: NASA JPL-Caltech

Some of the features of Chevaya Falls.

(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

Key Geological and Geochemical Findings

• Detection of Organic Molecules and Redox-Active Minerals

The analytical instruments identified diverse organic molecules—carbon-based compounds—embedded within the rock matrices. These organics include complex hydrocarbons and functionalized carbon compounds that suggest the past presence of biological activity or prebiotic chemistry. Alongside these, minerals such as vivianite (ferrous iron phosphate) and greigite (iron sulfide) were detected. These minerals are indicative of low-temperature, aqueous environments, often forming in conditions that support microbial life. Their presence implies that water-rock interactions played a crucial role in the mineralization process and potentially served as habitats for microbial ecosystems. The redox-active nature of these minerals suggests a dynamic environment where oxidation-reduction reactions could facilitate energy transfer, possibly supporting microbial metabolisms similar to those on early Earth. These findings point toward a past environment conducive to life, characterized by the availability of liquid water, chemical energy sources, and organic building blocks. The coexistence of organics and redox minerals strengthens the hypothesis that these rocks experienced biogeochemical processes, offering valuable insights into the planet’s potential habitability during its geological history.

• Structural Features: ‘Poppy Seeds’ and ‘Leopard Spots’

Microscopic imaging revealed distinctive textures within the rocks, notably tiny nodules called 'poppy seeds' and reaction fronts known as 'leopard spots.' The 'poppy seeds' are small, spherical inclusions enriched in ferrous iron phosphate, which suggest localized mineralization possibly driven by biological or chemical processes. The 'leopard spots' display mottled patterns of mineral alteration, often associated with zones of redox change. These features are significant because they are typically formed through redox reactions involving electron transfer, processes often mediated by microbial activity. Their spatial distribution and mineralogy imply that microbial communities might have influenced mineral deposition and alteration, leaving biosignatures embedded within the rock fabric. Such features serve as microscopic indicators of past biological processes and environments. Their study provides clues about the extent and nature of microbial life in ancient aqueous systems, contributing to our understanding of extraterrestrial habitability.

• Organic Signatures and the G-Band

The SHERLOC instrument detected a prominent Raman spectral feature known as the G-band within multiple Bright Angel rocks. The G-band, centered around 1580 cm^-1, is a diagnostic marker of graphitic or amorphous organic carbon. Its presence indicates that organic molecules are not only present but have undergone some degree of carbonization or graphitization, processes associated with biological activity or diagenetic alteration. The strongest G-band signals were observed at Apollo Temple, correlating with a mineral assemblage rich in carbonaceous material and redox-sensitive minerals. The detection of the G-band provides compelling evidence for the past existence of organic matter, which could have originated from biological sources or abiotic synthesis pathways. The spatial distribution of the G-band, alongside mineralogy, helps reconstruct potential environments where organics were preserved—such as low-temperature, water-rich settings that favor organic stability. These findings bolster the case for ancient habitable environments and highlight the importance of organic preservation in the geological record, both on Mars and in astrobiological research.

Interpreting the Geological and Chemical Evidence

• Redox Reactions and Microbial Metabolisms

The spatial association of organic molecules with redox-sensitive minerals suggests that chemical processes similar to microbial metabolisms on Earth could have occurred on Mars. On Earth, microbes metabolize organic matter by "breathing" iron and sulfate, leading to mineral formation. The presence of these features on Mars raises the tantalizing possibility that similar processes took place.

• Abiotic versus Biotic Origins

The findings prompt two main hypotheses:

1. Abiotic (Geochemical) Processes: The mineral structures and organic signatures could result from purely chemical reactions driven by environmental conditions, such as water chemistry, temperature, and mineral interactions, without biological intervention.

2. Biological Influence: Alternatively, microbial activity could have influenced mineral formation, with microbes metabolizing organic molecules and mediating redox reactions, leaving behind biosignatures.

• Constraints on Temperature and Formation Conditions

One critical aspect is the temperature history of these rocks. Many mineral features associated with microbial processes on Earth only form at relatively low temperatures. The analysis suggests that the rocks were never subjected to high-temperature heating, which would have obliterated delicate biosignatures. This supports the hypothesis that if life existed, it could have thrived in the aqueous environments represented by these rocks.

Perseverance’s path through Neretva Vallis and views of the Bright Angel formation.

Image credit: Hurowitz et al., doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09413-0.

Implications for Past Life on Mars

• Potential Biosignatures and Their Significance

While the evidence remains inconclusive as definitive proof of past life, the observed features align with NASA’s criteria for potential biosignatures—molecular or mineralogical indicators that suggest biological activity in the planet's history. The co-occurrence of organic molecules with minerals formed in water-rich, redox-active environments is particularly noteworthy, as it points to conditions that could have supported microbial life. These signatures, especially when found in specific mineral matrices, increase the likelihood that biological processes may have contributed to their formation. Understanding these biosignatures enhances our knowledge of Mars’ ancient habitability and guides future exploratory missions. Further laboratory analysis will be crucial to determine whether these features originated biologically or through abiotic processes, helping to refine our criteria for detecting life beyond Earth.

• Comparison with Terrestrial Analogues

 On Earth, similar mineral-organic associations are prevalent in ancient sedimentary deposits where microbial communities thrived under comparable environmental conditions. For example, iron-rich banded iron formations and sulfur-rich sediments often host microfossils and biogenic mineral structures. These terrestrial analogues demonstrate how microbial metabolisms can influence mineral precipitation and organic preservation over geological timescales. The parallels suggest that if life ever existed on Mars, it might have employed similar metabolic pathways, particularly involving iron and sulfur cycling, which are abundant in the planet's ancient crust. Studying Earth's early ecosystems provides valuable insights into the potential biological processes that could have operated on Mars, informing the search for life and interpreting potential biosignatures.

• Sample Return and Future Research

 The core sample from Sapphire Canyon is carefully stored for eventual return to Earth, marking a significant milestone in planetary exploration. Once retrieved, comprehensive analyses in terrestrial laboratories will enable high-precision isotopic studies to determine biogenic versus abiotic origins of the detected features. Advanced techniques such as microfossil identification, mineralogical characterization, and molecular analysis will be employed, surpassing the capabilities of rover-based instruments. These investigations aim to confirm whether the observed features are indeed the result of past biological activity or are products of non-biological processes. Such definitive evidence would profoundly impact our understanding of Mars’ history and its potential to have harbored life. Moreover, the findings will guide future missions, refining biosignature detection strategies and expanding our search for extraterrestrial life elsewhere in the universe. 

Broader Scientific and Astrobiological Context

• Understanding Mars’ Habitability

The findings reinforce the idea that early Mars had environments suitable for life: persistent liquid water, chemically rich sediments, and energy sources. The presence of organic molecules and microbial-like mineral signatures suggests that habitable conditions may have persisted long enough for microbial communities to develop. These conditions provide a compelling case for Mars being a potentially life-supporting environment in its past. The detection of water-related minerals, such as clays and sulfates, indicates that Mars experienced prolonged aqueous activity, which is essential for the emergence and sustenance of life. Moreover, the chemical richness of sediments points to the availability of nutrients necessary for microbial metabolism. The energy sources, possibly derived from volcanic activity or chemical gradients, could have powered biological processes. Understanding these factors helps scientists reconstruct the planet’s ancient climate and assess its capacity to harbor life, guiding future exploration efforts to identify specific sites with the highest potential for biosignatures. Such insights are crucial in establishing Mars’ role in the broader narrative of life's origins in the universe and assessing the planet’s potential as a future habitat for human exploration. 

NASA's Perseverance rover captured this selfie on 23 July 2024, near a rock known as Cheyava Falls, which shows evidence that it may have once been home to microbial life.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

• Astrobiological Significance

Discovering potential biosignatures on Mars has profound implications for understanding the universality of life. If microbial processes can form mineral-Organic associations in Martian environments, it broadens the scope of where life could exist or have existed elsewhere in the universe. These findings suggest that life may not be confined to Earth-like conditions but could potentially thrive in a variety of extraterrestrial settings. The detection of organic molecules, combined with mineral signatures indicative of biological activity, supports the hypothesis that life’s building blocks are widespread and that similar processes might occur on other planetary bodies, such as Europa or Enceladus. This expands the astrobiological search beyond traditional habitable zones, encouraging scientists to explore diverse environments that may harbor life. Additionally, understanding how biosignatures form and are preserved on Mars provides critical insights into the longevity and detectability of extraterrestrial life signals. These discoveries fuel the scientific quest to answer whether life exists beyond Earth, shaping future missions aimed at detecting definitive signs of past or present life on other planets and moons.

• Challenges and Limitations

Despite the excitement, scientists emphasize caution. The features observed could result from non-biological processes, such as mineralization, chemical reactions, or abiotic mineral formation. Differentiating between biological and abiotic origins of potential biosignatures remains a significant challenge, requiring rigorous analysis and multiple lines of evidence. Definitive proof of past life necessitates unambiguous biosignatures, such as microfossils—tiny, cell-like structures—or isotopic ratios characteristic of biological activity, which are difficult to confirm remotely. Contamination, preservation biases, and the complexity of planetary geology complicate interpretations. Future sample analyses, potentially conducted on return missions, are expected to provide more conclusive evidence. They aim to identify complex organic molecules, specific microscopic structures, and isotopic signatures that can only be attributed to biological processes. Until then, findings remain promising but provisional, emphasizing the importance of cautious scientific interpretation. These limitations highlight the need for advanced instrumentation, meticulous data collection, and comprehensive analysis to confidently establish whether life once existed—or still exists—on Mars.

Concluding Remarks

The Perseverance rover’s exploration of the Bright Angel formation has provided compelling evidence that ancient Martian environments could have supported microbial life. The detection of complex organic molecules is particularly significant, as these are fundamental building blocks of life. Additionally, the identification of minerals such as clay and sulfates—known to form in the presence of water—indicates that Mars once had a habitable environment with the necessary conditions for microbial life to thrive. Structural features observed within the rock formations resemble biosignatures, further strengthening the case for past life, although they are not definitive proof on their own.

These findings are crucial because they suggest that Mars's ancient environment was more hospitable than previously thought, potentially allowing microbial organisms to exist or have existed. The significance of these discoveries extends beyond Mars; they contribute to the broader search for life beyond Earth and inform future exploration strategies. The upcoming analysis of samples returned to Earth will be critical in verifying these initial findings.

Advanced laboratory techniques can detect subtle biosignatures that in-situ instruments cannot, offering the possibility of conclusive evidence of past life. Ultimately, these discoveries challenge our understanding of life's distribution in the universe, opening new avenues for scientific inquiry and existential reflection. Continued research is essential to fully unravel Mars’s ancient habitability and to answer one of humanity’s most profound questions: Are we alone?

{ PETER2011 }

14-09-2025 om 23:31 geschreven door peter  

{ https://futurism.com/ }

14-09-2025 om 22:18 geschreven door peter  

UAP witnesses criticize Pentagon UFO office in Congressional hearing for 'using science and coming up with answers'

Secrecy, stigma, dismissal

For too long, UAPs have been "shrouded in secrecy, stigma, and in some cases outright dismissal," Luna said in her opening statement.

"Today, I want to state clearly: this is not science fiction or creating speculation. This is about national security, government accountability, and the American people's right to the truth," said Luna. "Future generations will look back on this moment and ask what we did when presented with the unknown. Did we look away, embarrassed or afraid? Or did we pursue the truth with courage? I intend to be on the side of truth, transparency, and accountability," the lawmaker stated.

A transcript of the hearing and witnesses' prepared testimonies can be read on the U.S. House of Representatives' website.

Space.com asked several experts from leading research groups on UAPs/UFOs concerning the hearing and their take-away thoughts.

Wanted: nitty-gritty details

"The military witness reports were very good," said Robert Powell, executive board member of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies in Austin, Texas.

While it may not be apparent to the public or congress, Powell said that anyone who has studied the history of the subject knows that there have been hundreds of such reports by military witnesses that are equally as good.

So how do we move forward?

"Unless Congress is willing to push for the nitty-gritty details" by obtaining full videos, interviewing pilots involved in UAP incidents, and other reported events, "we will not progress," said Powell.

Powell said, in his view, the military will never release the necessary information to establish the presence of a non-human intelligence.

"That's because of their concerns for national security and whether one of our adversaries might learn something from UAP that they could use militarily against us," Powell said. "The resulting tendency to silo all information on UAP prevents moving forward with learning more. Only if Congress allocates funding to the scientific community and academia to study UAP will we make any progress," he concluded.

Science above all

"I find it frustrating that they, rightly, reiterate the importance of the role science can take in figuring out what is behind UAP, but do not apply it in these hearings."

That's the outlook from Alejandro Rojas, a long-time UFO journalist and a consultant to Enigma, a UAP/UFO sightings alert network.

"We have years of anecdotal sighting reports and claims of hidden government knowledge about alien visitation. What we need is evidence," Rojas said.

Rojas added that he found it also trying that the one organization that has been using science, the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), was pummeled in the hearing, without being represented.

"Having worked in the UFO field for so long, I am sympathetic to their [AARO's] effort. They have shown each step of their work analyzing previous videos, and although it is unpopular to demystify some of these reports, their scientific analyses have been sound," he said.

Preconceived notions

At the recent hearing, "the gripes of committee members came across as being frustrated with the organization that is using science and coming up with answers," sensed Rojas. "However, because they dislike the answers, they blame AARO, when in fact they genuinely do not want scientific analysis to dismantle their preconceived notions."

In the end, Rojas found the hearing disheartening.

"Instead of focusing on real issues and truly championing scientific investigation, the hearing comes across as a very political back-and-forth between the Oversight Committee and the Pentagon," said Rojas. "What gets lost is what we actually need, and that is data gathering and scientific evaluation of that data."

As a consultant with Enigma, Rojas said the group is collecting hundreds of reports, many with videos.

"What we need is a robust, transparent effort to analyze what we are collecting, and to build better sensor systems to gather more and better data on UAP," said Rojas. "If extraterrestrials are visiting us, it is not just the military that would be seeing them."

Credible and intriguing

Avi Loeb, head of the Galileo Project at Harvard, and director of the Institute for Theory & Computation, said he found the first-hand testimonies at the hearing "to be credible and intriguing."

Loeb's Galileo Project is an endeavor to bring the search for extraterrestrial technological signatures of other star folk from "accidental or anecdotal observations and legends" to the mainstream of crystal-clear, confirmed and systematic scientific research.

"I salute congresswoman Luna for chairing this important discussion within the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets in the U.S. Congress," Loeb said.

But does such a congressional hearing restore public interest in UAP?

"This discussion is not a matter of public relations in a popularity contest, but instead a topic of great relevance for national security and science," responded Loeb. "Once we all see credible evidence about the nature of UAP, we will be able to get to the bottom of it and everyone would agree on what it means."

Best path to new knowledge

Data collection is the goal of the Galileo Project under Loeb's leadership.

Does the astrophysicist believe that the U.S. government is hiding information? He replied that "as a scientist I respond to evidence and not to what people tell me. Scientific evidence is our best path to new knowledge."

The simplest way to tell the difference between a dogmatist and a genuine scientist, Loeb said, is to flood both of them with scientific-quality data.

"Whereas the dogmatist will shove anomalous data under the carpet of traditional thinking, an open-minded scientist will be thrilled to learn something new with an underlying sense of humility," advised Loeb. "Not only is nature more imaginative than we are, but it also does not care whether we figure it out. The insistence that everything in the sky is either icy rocks or human-made technologies will not rid us of cosmic neighbors, if they exist out there," he concluded.

Tone and testimony

"Overall, I was pleased with the tone and testimony in the hearing from the witnesses, and the often excellent questions from the Representatives," said Mark Rodeghier, president and scientific director of the Center for UFO Studies in Chicago, Illinois.

"The hearing hopefully provided more impetus to pass the crucial legislation necessary to answer questions we have about possible US government/contractor involvement with UAP that has been hidden all these years," said Rodeghier.

Rodeghier said the witnesses added additional experiences on the record of both UAP sightings and how the aftermath of those has been handled by the military, including treatment of those wishing to speak publicly.

Crucial legislation

Beyond moving Congress to pass the bills, Rodeghier advised getting witnesses into a SCIF, short for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility. Located several levels beneath the U.S. Capitol, a SCIF is where lawmakers and witnesses hold closed interviews, far from the prying eyes of the public.

"I'm not sure what can be done with it [those interviews], but having it available is important," said Rodeghier.

Another Rodeghier recommendation is to have the head of AARO in a hearing this fall now that he has been on the job for a year. Lastly, there's need to work on getting the appropriate government agencies to provide modest funding for UAP research, which continues to be unavailable, he said.

Deep difficulties

Michael Cifone is the founding executive director of the Society for UAP Studies, based in Los Angeles, California. The group's mission is not to promote a single narrative but to advance careful scholarship, develop educational frameworks, and advocate for standards of evidence and data transparency.

The recent Congressional hearing on UAPs underscored, once again, "both the importance of the issue and the deep difficulties that have hampered its treatment for decades," said Cifone.

That handling of the topic within the government — whose aim since at least after World War II has been increasingly obsessed with national security and maintaining US military and strategic dominance, feels Cifone, "are guiding principles that are ultimately at odds with the inner operating directives of the sciences themselves: free, open, and therefore democratic exploration of self and world."

Mixed pool

"The UAP problem is not a mystery with one answer, but rather a somewhat unstable and chaotic amalgam of many overlapping realities, complicated by the unfortunate facts of the modern bureaucratic national security state," is a view that Cifone basically endorses.

"UAP reports are not a monolith," Cifone advised.

Instead, they are a mixed pool consisting of: (1) misidentified U.S. black projects, where cutting-edge aerospace programs are understandably shrouded in secrecy; (2) adversarial drones and surveillance platforms, which represent a genuine national security challenge; (3) a large number of ordinary misperceptions of balloons, satellites, or atmospheric phenomena; and (4) a small but stubborn residue of anomalous cases that resist explanation.

"This mixture makes the phenomenon difficult to study, not because of some grand cover-up, but because of the dysfunctional way information is handled inside the government," Cifone said.

Are we up to the task?

The UAP hearing, for all its frustrations, said Cifone, "at least signaled that Congress is beginning to take seriously the structural problems that have long clouded this issue."

From a safety standpoint, the "mixture hypothesis" is particularly important, said Cifone. If even a fraction of UAP reports involve advanced adversarial drones or unsafe incursions into U.S. airspace, then society is faced with an aviation and national security challenge that demands systematic response, he said.

"Let's see what data and frameworks we can establish that can handle UAP and associated phenomena/claims, and what philosophical/conceptual challenges remain, and if we're up to the task," Cifone said.

And for the other claims — crashes, bodies, and so on, Cifone concludes, "sure, but where's the beef?"

{ https://www.space.com/space-exploration }

14-09-2025 om 22:08 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.hln.be/ }

14-09-2025 om 17:46 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.hln.be/weer-en-wetenschap/ }

14-09-2025 om 17:33 geschreven door peter  

14-09-2025 om 17:13 geschreven door peter  

Breakthrough as scientists create a new form life

• READ MORE: Breakthrough new treatment could REVERSE Down syndrome

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

Scientists have engineered a strain of bacteria with a genetic code unlike anything found in nature, marking a groundbreaking advance in synthetic biology.

The microbe, called Syn57, is a lab-made version of Escherichia coli, a bacterium that normally causes infections in the gut, urinary tract and other parts of the body.

Unlike all known life, which relies on 64 codons, or three-letter DNA sequences that tell cells how to build proteins, Syn57 uses just 57 codons. 

Think of DNA as a cookbook where each codon is a three-letter word telling the cell which amino acids, or ingredients, to use. 

Life normally has some duplicate instructions, but Syn57 strips out the extras while still functioning perfectly. 

These freed-up codons open the door to entirely new possibilities, allowing scientists to create proteins and synthetic compounds that nature has never produced.

Syn57's unusual genetic code also makes it resistant to viruses, which rely on the standard DNA language to hijack cells. And because its code is so different, it is less likely to mix with natural organisms, easing safety concerns. 

This breakthrough could also pave the way for new medicines, advanced materials and synthetic lifeforms beyond anything seen in nature.

The microbe, named Syn57, is a lab-engineered version of Escherichia coli, a bacterium that can naturally cause infections in the gut, urinary tract and other areas of the body

To tackle this huge project, scientists divided the genome into 38 pieces, each about 100,000 DNA letters long. 

They built each piece in yeast and then inserted it into E coli using a method called uREXER, which combines CRISPR-Cas9 and other tools to swap in synthetic DNA in one step. 

Some genome regions slowed growth or resisted changes, but the team solved these issues by adjusting gene sequences, untangling overlapping genes, and carefully choosing which codons to swap. 

Step by step, the fragments were stitched together into the final, fully synthetic bacterium.

The result, Syn57, is the most heavily redesigned organism ever made, demonstrating that life can survive with a much smaller, simpler genetic code. 

Wesley Robertson, a synthetic biologist at the Medical Research Council Laboratory in the UK, told the New York Times: 'We definitely went through these periods where we were like, 'Well, will this be a dead end, or can we see this through?'

Syn57 is alive, but barely. While normal E. coli can double in an hour, Syn57 takes four, making it 'extremely feeble,' Yonatan Chemla, a synthetic biologist at MIT who was not involved in the study. 

The bacteria grew on a jelly-like surface and in a nutritious liquid, but at four times slower than their natural counterparts. 

Dr Robertson and his team are now experimenting to see if they can make it grow faster. 

If successful, scientists could eventually program it to do tasks that ordinary bacteria cannot.

In addition to the 20 standard amino acids that all life uses to make proteins, chemists can create hundreds of others. 

Syn57's seven missing codons could potentially be reassigned to these unnatural amino acids, allowing the bacterium to produce new drugs or other useful molecules.

Syn57 could also make engineered microbes safer for the environment. 

Microbes swap genes easily, which can be risky if engineered DNA spreads. 

But a gene from Syn57 would be gibberish to natural bacteria because of its unique genetic code, preventing it from being used outside the lab.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html}

14-09-2025 om 16:38 geschreven door peter  

Fahima Degia

Image by Department of Defense 

SHOCKING footage shows a UFO being struck by an American "hellfire missile."

The unidentified orb - seen off the coast of Yemen - appears to show the missile bouncing straight off the bright, shiny object.

Never-before-seen footage shows a UAP struck by a Hellfire missile

Credit: NewsNation

The footage was released during a congressional hearing on Tuesday about unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs.

It shows an MQ-9 Reaper drone tracking a glowing orb off the coast of Yemen before firing a Hellfire missile straight at it.

But instead of blowing the object to bits, the so-called “orb” appeared to shrug it off and keep flying.

The video was taken in October 2024, but has only just been released to the public.

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Representative Eric Burlison called it "startling evidence," per News Nation.

“A Reaper drone fired a Hellfire missile at this thing," he said during the hearing.

"And the missile didn’t seem to have any effect."

The AGM-114 Hellfire is a laser-guided missile made for precision drone strikes and capable of "defeating any known tank in the world today," according to Military.com.

Representative Eric Burlison called it "startling evidence," per News Nation.

“A Reaper drone fired a Hellfire missile at this thing," he said during the hearing.

"And the missile didn’t seem to have any effect."

The AGM-114 Hellfire is a laser-guided missile made for precision drone strikes and capable of "defeating any known tank in the world today," according to Military.com.

Burlison then turned his questions toward George Knapp, a witness in the hearing and a journalist whose work has largely focused on UFOs, to ask for his point of view.

"I have heard about events like this. I have heard about this event," Knapp said of the Yemen video.

“There are servers where there is a whole bank of these kinds of videos that Congress has not been allowed to see, that the public hasn’t been allowed to see," Knapp said.

"Occasionally, some of that stuff gets out in the wild and it comes our way, but it should be going to you. The public should be seeing this stuff, and why you're not allowed to, I don't know."

"But that's a Hellfire missile smacking into that UFO and just bounce right off, and it kept going."

He concluded his statement by saying simply, "What the hell is that?"

The Rendlesham Forest incident: Britain’s most famous UFO sighting

The Rendlesham Forest incident took place in December 1980 over a series of at least two nights.

On December 26, 1980, military personnel at the twin bases of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk saw a strange light in Rendlesham Forest, which lies between the two bases.

Three men were sent out to investigate where two of them encountered a small, triangularshaped craft.

One man, Jim Penniston, got close enough to touch the side of the object.

He and another of the airmen present, John Burroughs, made sketches of the craft for witness statements.

Two nights later Deputy Base Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt and his team then encountered the UFO.

He said later: “Here I am, a senior official who routinely denies this sort of thing and diligently works to debunk them, and I’m involved in the middle of something I can’t explain.”
Despite an MOD investigation the Rendlesham Forest incident remains unexplained.

UFO SIGHTINGS

The new footage comes as US Air Force veteran Dylan Borland gave his testimony on a separate experience he had with a UFO during the same hearing.

The whistleblower claimed he was outside Langley Air Force Base in Virginia back in 2012 when a mysterious white light suddenly appeared in the night sky.

“At first I thought it was just a hot air balloon,” he said.

“Then the light started moving across the base and that’s when everything changed.”

In sworn testimony, the veteran described a colossal 100 foot triangular craft hovering silently above him.

The bizarre black object was “one to two stories thick,” with sharp 90-degree edges and lights glowing at each corner, plus a blinding, larger orb at its center.

Even more terrifying, he said, was the shimmering effect across the UFO’s surface.

“It was like molten gold, lava, plasma — some kind of liquid flowing over the craft,” he recalled.

“I was under it for two to three minutes. Then the center light flashed two or three times and — bang — it shot thousands of feet straight up without a sound.”

The encounter left Borland reeling.

He also told lawmakers that his phone overheated and died during the incident.

"My whole body was covered in static electricity,” he said. “And I smelled that strong storm scent, like after lightning in the summer.”

But the nightmare didn’t end there.

After this sighting, Borland claimed in his testimony that his career was sabotaged, and he became the target of shadowy phishing attempts.

“If this gets buried again, behind closed doors, it’s going to get really ugly,” Borland said.

UAP HEARINGS

The never-before-seen clip was played during a Congressional UAP hearing where lawmakers demanded answers on what the US government really knows about UFOs. 

The hearings are part of a growing push to hold the Pentagon accountable after years of secrecy.

In November 2024, whistleblowers stunned Washington with claims that Navy ships were stalked by intelligently controlled UFOs and that the mystery crafts defied the laws of physics.

Earlier this year, the US intelligence chief said extraterrestrial life “cannot be ruled out” and warned that the unexplained objects in US skies demand serious investigation.

{ https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/ }

13-09-2025 om 22:30 geschreven door peter  

Camera trap in Chile detects strange lights blazing through the wilderness. Researchers are scrambling to explain them.

Kusch is one of the leaders of the Public Baseline project, which uses 65 camera traps distributed between continental Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, on the southern tip of Chile, to record terrestrial animals, particularly felines. Since the project began in November 2023, at least 365,000 images and videos have been collected; however, only these three photographs show this phenomenon.

UMAG shared the images with a variety of organizations, from Chile's General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (SEFAA)to the La Serena UFO Museum, and to several people who analyze anomalous aerial phenomena.

Potential explanations ranged from an arachnid coming very close to the camera lens to that of a "plasmoid," a short-lived form of plasma rarely observed in nature that may be behind phenomena such as ball lightning. However, all specialists agreed: for now, there is no conclusive explanation.

This sighting is unique because it was recorded within the framework of a scientific project, said Rodrigo Bravo, a researcher with the Environmental Studies Group (GEA) at UMAG and a member of the Public Baseline project. That means there is no possibility of fraud or manipulation, as the camera traps operate under rigorous protocols and are equipped with an infrared system, motion sensor, and other features that would preclude people tampering with them, he argued.

"This is not the first time these phenomena have been described in the area, but it is the first time they have been recorded in this way," Bravo told Live Science.

Related: 

• No aliens in NASA's debut UFO report — but big questions remain

Bad lights

The local Mapuche people traditionally speak of "bad lights," which they believe are spirits that appear in the fields. This raises the possibility that the camera traps are finally capturing a phenomenon that has long been recognized in the region.

But even if these strange flashes are the "bad lights" the Mapuche speak of, what are they?

One possibility is that the lights are unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), possibly from a mysterious flying object. Some declassified Pentagon files on UAP show similar characteristics, Bravo added. Generally poor-quality data means that most UAP sightings cannot be confirmed or explained, but common explanations include foreign spy drones and "airborne clutter" such as birds and weather balloons.

To address that possibility, UMAG sent photos and video to Freddy Alexis, who discusses UFOs and other unknown phenomena on his TV programs on UCVTV, the station of the Catholic University of Valparaíso.

Alexis wrote two reports on his findings, which included trajectory, spectrographic, and relief analyses of the photographs and videos. In the second report, he wrote that only a single "luminous stimulus" is visible, not two, and that the other "lights" are internal lens reflections.

According to Alexis, the primary light may be a plasmoid, or a bubble of incandescent ionized gas that is confined by Earth's local magnetic field, and that can remain stable for a few seconds. The most familiar atmospheric example is ball lightning, usually associated with storms. But that is where his explanation hits a wall. "It was summer, with 48  degrees Fahrenheit [8 degrees Celsius], and there were no electrical storms," Alexis told Live Science. "There were no atmospheric conditions for a storm, so it is very unlikely that ball lightning could have formed."

But more exotic plasmoids have been proposed under special conditions, such as transient, localized changes in Earth's magnetic field.

Still, Alexis noted that there may be other, poorly understood atmospheric plasmoids, similar to the "mysterious lights" of Hessdalen, Norway. Like the Magallanes phenomenon, these lights defy conventional explanations and could involve plasma structures that are still poorly understood.

In one of his reports, Alexis also calculated that, assuming this was a distant, flying object, it would have been moving at a speed of 590 mph (947 km/h), or roughly 0.7 times the speed of sound. Alexis suggested that the lights might not be a flying object, but some plasmoids can move at high speeds, he added.

A strange creature

In a separate report, technicians from La Serena UFO Museum suggested that a spider or moth may have inadvertently tripped the camera's sensor. That's because in the first photo, what appears to be an insect or arachnid can be seen along one edge of the image. However, the insect does not appear in the subsequent photos.

While one possibility is that the insect triggered the camera, this would only explain why the photo was taken, not why a bright, blob-like light appears, said

Cristian Riffo, director of the La Serena UFO Museum, who was also consulted for the UMAG report.

Riffo noted that the camera traps are designed to minimize false positives caused by insects, lasers or other stimuli. He thinks the rapid sequence of photos, in which the light appears to move toward the camera, is baffling and hard to explain.

"It could be two different phenomena: one natural, which triggered the camera, and the other, a light phenomenon, which remains unexplained," Riffo told Live Science.

Archaeological teams in southeastern Austria have made an extraordinary discovery that pushes back our understanding of European monumental architecture by thousands of years.

Imagine standing in a vast circular arena, its earthen walls rising around you under ancient skies. Now imagine that this monument was already ancient when the first stones of Stonehenge were being dragged across the English countryside, and older still than when Egyptian pharaohs first dreamed of pyramids. In the rolling hills of southeastern Austria, archaeologists have uncovered exactly such a place: a complex of three massive circular enclosures that hosted mysterious gatherings over 6,500 years ago, making them among humanity's earliest experiments in monumental architecture.

At Rechnitz, near the Hungarian border in Burgenland province, excavations have revealed traces of three massive circular enclosures dating back over 6,500 years. These Neolithic structures represent some of Central Europe's earliest examples of organized communal construction, predating both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids by millennia.

The discoveries form part of preparations for constructing a new Archaeological Visitor Center and open-air Stone Age Village in Rechnitz. This ambitious project, integrated within Burgenland's Masterplan Archaeology initiative, aims to transform how the public experiences prehistoric heritage through interactive exhibitions and reconstructed Neolithic settlements. Regional governor Hans Peter Doskozil emphasized that thorough documentation must precede construction, ensuring no archaeological evidence is lost records a  Land Burgenland report.

• Goseck Circle: The Oldest Known Solar Observatory
• Mysterious Roundel Older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids

Aerial view of the "Rechnitz Ring Ditch and Stone Age Village" project area.

(Land Burgenland)

Kreisgrabenanlagen: Europe's First Monumental Architecture

The centerpiece of Rechnitz's archaeological significance lies in its circular enclosures, known in German as Kreisgrabenanlagen. These monumental ditch-and-bank structures, some exceeding 100 meters in diameter, were constructed by Neolithic societies across Central Europe between approximately 4800 and 4600 BC. Their purpose remains one of archaeology's most debated mysteries, with theories ranging from astronomical observatories to ritual centers or defensive fortifications.

Rechnitz stands out because three separate circular enclosures were discovered here between 2011 and 2017 - an unusual concentration suggesting the area served as a significant regional center during the Middle Neolithic period. These structures are part of a broader network of similar monuments stretching from Austria and Hungary through Germany to the Czech Republic, indicating shared architectural traditions among early European farming communities.

• Neolithic farmers assimilated local hunter-gatherers
• 8000-Year-Old House Reveals Sedentism in Europe

Astrid and Wilfried Tögel from Archaeology Burgenland manually cleaning the excavation area. 

(Land Burgenland)

Scientific Methods Reveal Hidden Landscapes

The current excavations, led by Nikolaus Franz, head of Archaeology Burgenland, follow years of non-invasive archaeological surveying. Advanced geomagnetic surveys conducted by GeoSphere Austria first revealed the presence of postholes, ceramic fragments, storage pits, and ditches beneath the surface. These techniques allowed archaeologists to map the ancient settlements before physically excavating them.

The excavation trench follows the planned walkway path from the visitor pavilion to the circular enclosure, based on geomagnetic soil surveys by GeoSphere Austria.
(Land Burgenland)

Franz describes the site as "a window into the Stone Age," emphasizing that the Neolithic period marked humanity's revolutionary transition from hunting and gathering to organized agriculture and permanent settlement. Bioarchaeological analysis of soil samples is underway, while the University of Vienna conducts specialized research on soil formation and geology to understand how agricultural landscapes developed in the region thousands of years ago.

Astronomical Alignments and Ritual Significance

Some researchers interpret these circular enclosures as proto-observatories, noting that many feature entrances aligned with sunrise or sunset during key agricultural seasons. This theory connects Rechnitz to other famous Neolithic astronomical sites like the Goseck Circle in Germany, considered the world's oldest solar observatory. Such alignments would have been crucial for early farming communities tracking seasonal changes essential for crop cultivation.

The monumental scale and communal effort required to construct these enclosures suggests they held profound social and possibly religious significance. Unlike earlier hunter-gatherer societies, these Neolithic communities invested tremendous resources in permanent structures designed to endure generations, symbolizing their commitment to sedentary agricultural life.

Cultural Heritage and Tourism Potential

The planned Archaeological Visitor Center represents Burgenland's commitment to making prehistoric heritage accessible to contemporary audiences. Until recently, these ancient earthworks were barely visible to the naked eye, detectable only through aerial photography and magnetometric surveys. The new facility will use reconstructions, interactive exhibitions, and educational programs to bring 6,500-year-old Neolithic life vividly to life for visitors from around the world.

This project positions Rechnitz within Austria's growing cultural tourism sector while contributing invaluable scientific data to ongoing debates about early European civilization. As construction approaches, archaeologists race against time to complete documentation, ensuring that future generations can study these remarkable testimonies to humanity's earliest monumental achievements.

The discoveries at Rechnitz confirm the town's importance within a vast prehistoric network of circular monuments that demonstrate sophisticated architectural knowledge and social organization among Central Europe's first farming communities. These findings continue to reshape our understanding of the Neolithic revolution and its lasting impact on European civilization.

• Top image: Aerial view of the archaeological excavation site showing the project area for the Circular Enclosure & Stone Age Village in Rechnitz, Austria
• Source: Archäologie Burgenland/ Land Burgenland

By Gary Manners

References

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-archaeology }

13-09-2025 om 21:21 geschreven door peter  

UFO Moves Across Sky Over Minneapolis, Minnesota on Aug 24, 2025, UAP Sighting News. VIDEO!

Date of sighting: Aug 24, 2025

Location of sighting: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Source: NUFORC

 

Now hold on a second, if you look at the video at first it looks like balloons, but when I take a screenshot and enlarge it, this is a single craft. This is odd for sure and I have to admit, its glowing parts or flashes are baffling to me. This is one extraordinary UFO! It moves with the wind across the sky, but it's not balloons because there are no strings, it's not a weather balloon because they have transponder boxes required by law hanging below. This is a real UFO and it seems to be interested in the people watching it, as if it were deliberately trying to be seen. 

Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily 

 

Eyewitness states: 

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

13-09-2025 om 21:02 geschreven door peter  

UFO Caught During Sunset Over New York, New York, Aug 25, 2025, UAP Sighting News.

Date of sighting: Aug 25, 2025

Location of sighting: New York, New York, USA

Source: NUFORC

 

This report is fascinating. The eyewitness was on the top of a building recording the sunset and accidentally caught a UFO. Now maybe it was shooting past at high speed, uncloaked or just was revealed by the digital eye of the camera...is unknown...but one thing is for sure...UFOs get revealed during sunsets. So that leads me to conclude that the suns angle combined with the right digital lens...causes UFOs that are cloaked to be revealed for anywhere between 15 seconds to a few minutes. Sunsets are the most common time of the day to catch a UFO due to these things. Was it a UFO? Oh yeah...it sure was. 

Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily 

 

Eyewitness states: 

I was filming and taking photographs from E137th street in the Bronx on a rooftop facing east.Viewing sunrise from the east, behind Throgsneck, I continuously shot a plane crossing the horizon into Laguardia Airport.

When I processed the Cr2 files, i noticed in a single frame, an object was captured. Disc like with a rounded top and flat bottom. It did not appear in any frame but one. I checked my camera, the lens, the sensor. Nothing suggests that the object was dust or anything ordinary.

Appearing in one frame suggests it was in transit at high speed and I was lucky to capture it by matching the frame rate. That’s my best guess.

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

13-09-2025 om 20:56 geschreven door peter