A stone disk bearing peculiar markings could be an ancient star map representing one of the world’s oldest depictions of the night sky, according to recent findings that have prompted debate among experts.

The stone, which features close to 30 carvings on its front and back, was found several years ago near the ancient Rupinpiccolo protohistoric hill fort in northeastern Italy. According to research published in the journal Astronomical Notes, the markings may indicate the locations of the brightest stars that were visible to the ancient night sky observers who carved it at least as far back as 2,400 years ago.

THE ENIGMA OF RUPINPICCOLO’S CURIOUS STONE DISKS

Located close to the border between northwestern Italy and Slovenia, the sprawling ruins of the castelliere of Rupinpiccolo were first documented toward the end of the 19th century. A massive ancient defense structure protected by huge, seven-meter-wide ramparts, archaeological excavations did not occur there until almost a century after its initial discovery.

Along with the stones used in the fortification’s construction were smaller, round stone artifacts that were later discovered in the collections sent to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Aquileia.

“Nine marks are found to match the Tail of Scorpius and five the Orion’s Belt, together with Rigel and Betelgeuse,” Molaro and Bernardini write in their recent paper. Additionally, nine of the etchings on the same side of the stone appear to be a close match for the location of the Pleiades, while on the artifact’s opposite side, there are a series of marks the researchers associated with Cassiopeia.

The stone’s markings, according to Molaro and Bernardini, are consistent with how constellations like Scorpius and Orion would have appeared in the night sky during the period the fort was constructed, which is believed to have been sometime between 1800 and 400 BCE.

Altogether, 28 markings covering the stone “show a Pearson correlation coefficient with stellar positions higher than 0.99,” denoting the correlation coefficient used by statisticians to measure linear correlations between two data sets, adding that the probability of a wrong correlation is “lower than 0.001.”

AN UNIDENTIFIED CELESTIAL OBJECT IN AN ANCIENT STAR MAP?

However, there are other markings on the back side of the stone that are not as easily identifiable with known celestial features.

“One mark slightly North of Orion cannot be identified,” the researchers write, admitting that this solitary unidentified marking “challenges the whole picture.”

As a possible solution, they conclude that this out-of-place celestial feature, if that is indeed what it would have represented to its carvers thousands of years ago, “could have been the progenitor of a failed supernova, thus offering also the possibility of a verification.”

While the authors present several compelling possibilities in their paper, the argument that the Rupinpiccolo stone may represent one of the world’s oldest star maps has received pushback from other experts.

ANCIENT STAR MAP OR SPECULATION?

Dr. Ed Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory, is regarded as a leading expert in the discipline of archaeoastronomy, which studies the intersection of archaeology and astronomy through research into how ancient cultures viewed the sky. Recently, Krupp had already expressed doubts about the argument Molaro and Bernardini present in their paper.

“The authors’ own remarks inform us the matches between marks on the stone and stars in the sky are not very good, despite their assertion of Pearson correlation coefficient support for the notion,” Krupp told The Debrief in an email. “I am not able to argue about the statistical case here, but I don’t think it is either necessary or relevant.”

“The statistical argument suggests something is there that doesn’t really seem to be there, and that can happen with such analyses,” Krupp added.

Responding to Dr. Krupp’s assertions, Molaro told The Debrief that he felt Krupp’s assessment of their research “does not go into the merits of the statistical analysis on which the result is based” and that beyond this aspect of their paper, he and Bernardini have offered more than just statistical results as evidence for their conclusions.

“Why on earth do the asterisms of Orion and the Scorpion’s tail have the same scale despite having been reproduced at different times?” Molaro said. “Why do they have the same orientation in the sky? How come they are complete for all and only the brightest stars?”

“Why are only the most popular asterisms and those traditionally found in many of the planet’s cultures reproduced?” Molaro added. “We have indicated a possible explanation supported by statistics and further considerations.”

While Krupp concedes that several of the chisel marks do resemble star patterns that are present in the constellations of Orion and Scorpius as Molaro contends, he also points out that there are a few outliers beyond the unexplained marking that the authors themselves say they could not match with any known celestial object. 

“In the Scorpius marks, there are at least four marks that don’t match any of the brighter stars, which seems odd,” Krupp told The Debrief. “And you would expect that Antares, not only the brightest star in Scorpius but one of the brightest stars in the sky, would be unambiguously marked. It isn’t.

“There are two stars that could represent a misplaced Antares, but why is that? It’s actually a problem.”

“If we have a representation of a key piece of the real estate of Scorpius, Antares should be obvious,” Krupp said.

THE DEBATE—AND THE SCIENCE—CONTINUES

Although Krupp raised several points of contention with the findings Molaro and Bernardini present in their paper, he conceded that “a rather robust statistical argument is made for the chisel marks matching actual formations of stars in the sky,” though maintaining Molaro and Bernardini’s resulting assessment “doesn’t really square with what just looking at the disk reveals

“It is fair to say the paper is a serious study,” Krupp contends. “It provides plenty of disciplined archaeological context and makes the data and the method of analysis very clear. I don’t have any quarrel with the authors’ serious intent.”

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

Lue Elizondo’s Attorney Claims Vatican Knows Aliens Are Here & They Come From Different Star Systems

This year, a lot has been happening in the UFO community. Following the July 2023 UAP hearings, the UFO buzz is spreading across the United States. Many people are discussing the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), which has led to the release of information never shared before. The Pentagon whistleblower David Grusch has drawn serious attention to the UFO enigma, motivating some important individuals to escalate the matter in the US Congress.

Daniel Sheehan, an attorney who represented Lue Elizondo, spills the beans and speaks of things he has never shared before. He blames these five officials for putting up resistance to the UAP legislation (the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023, put forth by Senate leader Chuck Schumer): Senators Wicker and Mitch McConnell (Minority Leader of the Senate), and Representatives Mike Turner, Mike Rogers, and Mike Johnson (Speaker of the House).

Sheehan, a public interest lawyer and activist, has a long history of taking on the federal government on behalf of high-profile clients, including defending The New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case as well as one of the Watergate burglars. He is also widely viewed as a provocateur who has an abiding interest in UFOs and has spoken publicly about alien visitations. He also served as a counsel for the Disclosure Project, led by ufologist Steven Greer, which has sought to force more government transparency on UFOs.

Journalist Christopher Sharp writes that Sheehan told Liberation Times that “the resistance against the UAP language is headed by Representatives Mike Rogers and Mike Turner, Chairs of the House’s Armed Services Committee and Intelligence Committee. Sheehan and other sources revealed that both individuals have faced pressure from private defense contractors and the intelligence community, influencing their opposition.”

According to Sheehan, certain entities, such as private aerospace companies (Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Radiance Technologies), and the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, are pressuring Representatives Turner and Rogers, possibly through campaign contributions or threats. He highlighted the CIA’s involvement in covert operations, especially related to non-human materials and UFO technology.

Sheehan’s Wild UAP Statements

Sheehan is actively giving interviews where he reveals some of the UFO information that would come as shocking to the people who are not aware of what is happening with the UFO subject. In the recent episode of “The UFO Podcast,” Sheehan said 40 witnesses have come forward with compelling evidence supporting the existence of UFO crafts. These witnesses, he claims, are aware not only of the existence of such crafts but also of the aerospace industry’s involvement in reverse engineering them for weapon development purposes. Sheehan stressed the gravity of the situation, labeling it an “extraordinarily serious problem.”

The proposed bill, as described by Sheehan, seeks to establish an international treaty that prohibits any country from using UFO technology to gain a military advantage. The overarching goal is to prevent the development of weapon systems based on UFO technology. Despite widespread bipartis an support, Sheehan revealed obstacles encountered during the legislative process.

“The individual head of the intelligence committee on the house side, the Republican head Michael Turner, intervened. He comes from the second congressional district in Ohio, where the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is located,” Sheehan explained. He noted that Turner’s ties to the area, home to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, may have influenced his stance on UFO disclosure.

Sheehan next pointed to Michael Rogers from the second congressional district in Alabama, a head of the armed services committee, linking his involvement to the Redstone missile base. Allegedly, this base is a key location where efforts are underway to utilize UFO technology for the development of more effective missiles, including nuclear missiles.

According to Sheehan, the term “catastrophic disclosure” varies in definition among different individuals. Some interpret it as the revelation of criminal acts committed against those attempting to disclose information, resulting in potential criminal liability for various people. Drawing parallels to historical cases, Sheehan points to the Pentagon Papers incident during the Nixon Administration.

In the Pentagon Papers case, the government argued that disclosing information from the classified documents would irreparably damage national security. Sheehan underscores the importance of distinguishing between genuine concerns for national security and potential abuses of power. He recalls a similar refusal by officials to divulge specific details in court during the Pentagon Papers case, emphasizing the abuse of discretionary power within intelligence agencies.

One of Sheehan’s major concerns is the secrecy surrounding information related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and the potential existence of an extraterrestrial civilization. He criticizes the idea that a select few have the right to withhold such information from the public, labeling it as preposterous, fundamentally unconstitutional, anti-democratic, and, in his professional opinion, criminal.

During the discussion on the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations, Sheehan was asked by the show host, Andy, “You’ve used ‘extraterrestrial civilization’ a few times, and you’re a careful lawyer. Why do you say ‘civilization’ and not ‘civilizations’? Do you think there’s only one, or are you saying there might not be more than one interacting with us?”

Sheehan confidently replied, “Oh yeah, there are definitely different species here. About half a dozen have been identified, and they probably come from different star systems…We don’t know if they have some kind of coalition or federation, or how they cooperate among themselves. We just don’t have the answers.”

Sheehan expressed concern about possible communication between government individuals and these beings, with important information being kept secret. He stated, “There’s evidence that there’s been communication with these extraterrestrial beings, and we’re being kept in the dark. That goes against our Constitution.”

Vatican’s involvement in UAPs & Alien life

In his other interview with James Landoli on “Engaging The Phenomenon,” Sheehan, who was a former Chief Council for the United States Jesuit order, revealed intriguing details about his conversations with the head of the Vatican archives regarding the Vatican’s knowledge of extraterrestrial life. Sheehan shed light on his involvement in a groundbreaking initiative to address the theological and philosophical implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence.

During the interview, James raised the topic of David Grusch‘s claim that the Vatican possessed knowledge of extraterrestrial phenomena. Sheehan discussed his access to the classified files of the Project Blue Book, where he encountered photos of UFO crash retrievals and concrete evidence of non-human piloted vehicles. (Click here to read the full article on it)

He proposed the formation of a task force involving all 54 major religious denominations to address the issue from a theological perspective. However, at that time, there was insufficient consensus, and the proposal was declined. Sheehan is currently working through his New Paradigm Institute to organize a global summit conference involving world religious leaders to discuss the recent recovery of an extraterrestrial spacecraft.

“The United States government is in possession of biological evidence and has actually taken into custody alive an extraterrestrial person. They’re keeping this secret, interrogating the being, and distorting the information to justify massive expenditures on weapon development under the guise of a perceived threat.”

– Daniel Sheehan

Sheehan highlighted the Vatican’s acknowledgment of the possibility of extraterrestrial life. He referenced a formal statement issued by the Catholic Church on November 10, 2009, authorized by Pope Benedict. The statement, issued by Father Jose Gabriel Alfuz, a director of the Pontifical Observatory in Rome, recognized the increasing discovery of exoplanets and called for a global discussion on the philosophical and theological implications of the imminent discovery of extraterrestrial life.

Sheehan disclosed that the government was telepathically interrogating the extraterrestrial biological entity (EBO) in custody. Despite acknowledging the bizarre nature of the revelation, Sheehan stood by the credibility of the information, having interviewed individuals directly involved in the process. The EBO allegedly conveyed that a coalition of star systems in our galaxy monitors the evolution of life on different planets, including Earth.

“Pope Benedict had a formal statement issued by the Catholic Church, saying that with the discovery of more exoplanets, it has become clear that we will be discovering life elsewhere in the universe. This prompted the need for a global discussion on the philosophical and theological questions posed by the discovery of extraterrestrial life.”

– Daniel Sheehan

The Hill reported that on the Senate floor, Chuck Schumer stated that “House Republicans are also attempting to kill another commonsense, bipartisan measure passed by the Senate, which I was proud to cosponsor… to increase transparency around what the government does and does not know about unidentified aerial phenomena.”

{ https://www.howandwhys.com/ }

De signalen die de wetenschappers zien komen overeen met die van de poolkappen van Mars, waarvan men weet dat ze zeer rijk zijn aan ijs  © Getty Images

Deze kaart geeft de mogelijke ijsdikte weer die de wetenschappers gevonden hebben op de evenaar in de MFF.  © ESA

{ https://www.hln.be/ }

Noordwest-Europa zet zich schrap voor nieuwe storm: waar, wanneer en hoe hard zal ‘Isha’ toeslaan? En zal dit ook bij ons zijn?

Na sneeuw komt .... storm, zo blijkt uit de weerkaarten voor het noordwesten van Europa. In een mum van tijd schakelen we over van winterweer naar een onstuimig herfstachtig weertype. Want een heuse stormdepressie, die intussen officieel de naam ‘Isha’ kreeg, ontwikkelt zich momenteel over de Atlantische oceaan. Meteorologen waarschuwen nu al voor de zware windstoten waarmee Isha gepaard zal gaan. De Britse en Ierse weerdiensten hebben code oranje voor wind afgekondigd en code geel voor de vele regen die zal vallen. Maar hoe zwaar zal de storm precies uitpakken? Waar en wanneer mogen we de meeste wind verwachten? En moeten ook wij vrezen voor Isha?

Samuel Helsen 

“Een dooi zonder regen of wind, is niet waard dat ‘t eraan begint”, luidt een alom bekende weerspreuk. En actueler kan zo'n weerspreuk niet zijn. De weerkaarten zijn onverbiddelijk: de winterprik van afgelopen week wordt de komende dagen letterlijk weggewaaid en weggespoeld. We lijken over te schakelen van winter naar herfst.

We krijgen de komende dagen te maken met aanvoer van zeer zachte zeelucht van over de Atlantische Oceaan.  © wxcharts

De luchtstroming draait naar het zuidwesten en vanuit die hoek krijgt West-Europa de komende dagen te maken met aanvoer van zeer zachte zeelucht van over de Atlantische Oceaan. Op die manier zal de ene na de andere depressie richting onze contreien worden gestuurd die de nodige wind en regen met zich mee zullen brengen.

Het is vooral zondag en maandag uitkijken voor stormdepressie ‘Isha’. Deze storm bereikt zondag de westkust van Ierland en trekt vervolgens via de Britse Eilanden en Schotland de Noordzee op. Zondagnacht en maandag zal de storm ook de Benelux bereiken en vervolgens doorstoten naar Duitsland en Scandinavië.

Waar komt deze storm zo plots vandaan?

Het aankomende stormweer wordt veroorzaakt door een zeer sterke straalstroom. Dit is een grote luchtrivier op een hoogte van zo’n 10 tot 12 kilometer die depressies meesleurt in z’n kielzog en deze verder doet uitdiepen. De komende dagen is de straalstroom erg actief en bereikt deze windsnelheden tot tussen 240 en 280 kilometer per uur. Een sterke straalstroom staat bij ons garant voor onstuimig weer met veel wind.

De komende dagen is de straalstroom erg actief en bereikt deze windsnelheden tot tussen 240 en 280 kilometer per uur. Een sterke straalstroom staat bij ons garant voor onstuimig weer met veel wind.  © netweather

De verhoogde activiteit van de straalstroom hebben we deels te danken aan de uitbraak van barre winterkou in delen van de VS en Canada. De uitstulping van de poolwervel met ijskoude lucht nabij de VS en Canada aan de andere kant van de oceaan staat in schril contrast met de nog steeds erg hoge temperaturen in de Atlantische oceaan en de bijhorende zeer zachte luchtmassa die zich boven de oceaan bevindt.

Dit scherp contrast tussen de erg koude en erg zachte lucht is de drijfveer voor het aansterken van de straalstroom, die op zijn beurt de motor is voor het ontstaan van de stormdepressies.

Hoe fel zal de storm tekeer gaan en waar mag men de meeste wind verwachten?

Storm Isha is een zuidwesterstorm en zal gepaard gaan met zware tot zelfs zeer zware windstoten op veel plaatsen in Noordwest-Europa. De storm bereikt als eerste de westkust van Ierland op zondag, waar de hoogste windstoten verwacht worden. Gemiddeld komt er zo’n 8 tot 10 beaufort te staan op zee en in de kustregio’s. Op dit moment wordt uitgegaan van windstoten die kunnen pieken tot 120 km/u. Een uitschieter naar 130 km/u is zelfs niet onmogelijk volgens sommige weermodellen.

Daarna raast het stormveld in de loop van de dag verder over het Verenigd Koninkrijk en Schotland. Ook daar is het vooral in de westelijke kustgebieden alsook in de hoger gelegen gebieden uitkijken voor windstoten tot 120 km/u. In het binnenland worden veelal windstoten verwacht tot 100 km/u. Daar waait de wind krachtig tot hard en in sommige gebieden stormachtig.

Windstoten tot 120 kilometer per uur zijn niet uitgesloten bij storm Isha.  © wxcharts

Zowel de Ierse als de Britse weerdienst kondigden al code oranje af op zondag en maandag voor de felle windstoten. “Er bestaat een kans dat er stroomuitval zal zijn”, luidt het. De storm zou ook een impact kunnen hebben op het verkeer. Er worden dan ook heel wat vertragingen en schrappingen verwacht bij het openbaar vervoer, het luchtverkeer en de ferrydiensten. Naast stormschade door wind is het ook opletten voor stormvloed met hoge golven. Op volle zee kunnen de golfhoogtes pieken tot wel 10 meter hoog en ook langs de westkusten zijn golfhoogtes mogelijk tot wel 7 meter hoog.

Tijdens de nacht van zondag op maandag trekt storm Isha dan de Noordzee op als een zware zuidwesterstorm met nog steeds gemiddeld 8 tot 10 beaufort. Vervolgens zal het windveld ook het vasteland bereiken van de Benelux, West-Duitsland en Scandinavië. Vooral op de Waddeneilanden en ook langs de kusten van Denemarken mogen ze ook windstoten verwachten tot 120 km/u volgende de laatste weerkaarten. Elders lijken de windstoten beperkt te blijven tot maximale waarden tussen 90 en 110 km/u. Tegen maandagavond lijkt het ergste gepasseerd en trekt de storm al afzwakkend verder het Europese binnenland in.

Langsheen de westkusten van Schotland, het Verenigd Koninkrijk en Ierland, alsook in het westen van Noorwegen kan er in totaal tot meer dan 100 liter water per vierkante meter vallen tussen zondag en woensdag  © wxcharts

Het is trouwens niet alleen oppassen voor wind, want Storm Isha zal ook gepaard gaan met veel regen. Op sommige plekken langsheen de westkusten van Schotland, het VK en Ierland, alsook in het westen van Noorwegen kan er in totaal tot meer dan 100 liter water per vierkante meter vallen tussen zondag en woensdag. Hierdoor is er kans op wateroverlast.

Zal het ook bij ons stormen?

Ook wij mogen ons opmaken voor een onstuimige periode. Vooral zondagavond en tijdens de nacht naar maandag zal de wind fors in kracht toenemen met de doortocht van storm Isha. Zondag overdag staat er al een vrij krachtige wind. ’s Avonds en ’s nachts wakkert de wind verder aan tot zo’n 6 of tijdelijk zelfs 6 à 7 beaufort.

Dinsdag dient zich mogelijk al een volgende storm aan op de weerkaar­ten, genaamd Jocelyn

Daarmee zal het krachtig tot soms hard waaien. Momenteel wordt er uitgegaan van windstoten tot 90 km/u, maar sommige weermodellen berekenen tijdens het hoogtepunt van de storm zondagavond en maandagnacht zelfs windstoten tot 110 km/u. De kans bestaat dat ook het KMI hiervoor een code oranje zal afkondigen in ons land als deze voorspellingen aanhouden. Bij windstoten onder 100 km/u gaat het om code geel. Aangezien het om een zuidwesterstorm gaat zal de impact op onze kust gelukkig eerder beperkt zijn. Door de oriëntatie moeten we niet meteen vrezen voor stormvloeden. Wel is er een aanzienlijke kans op windschade door de stevige windstoten mogelijk.

Een temperatuurstijging van meer dan 10 °C in minder dan 24u op zondag  © weerplaza

Zondag nemen we ook afscheid van het zonnige en koude weer. Met de aanwakkerende zuidwestenwind zal de dooi razendsnel z’n intrede doen en mogen we opnieuw erg zachte temperaturen verwachten. We krijgen zelfs te maken met een heuse temperatuurschok. Op zondag schakelen we abrupt over naar zeer zachte subtropische lucht afkomstig van de Azoren. In de ochtend vriest het mogelijk nog licht, maar tegen de avond zal de temperatuur opnieuw dubbele cijfers bereiken. We halen dan rond 10 °C. Een temperatuurstijging van meer dan 10 °C in minder dan 24u. Dat is best opmerkelijk.

Is er nog stormweer op komst de komende dagen?

De komende dagen zal de winter ver te zoeken zijn. De maxima liggen met 12 of 13 °C rond zeer hoge waarden voor deze tijd van het jaar. Bovendien blijven we te maken hebben met een herfstachtig en vrij onstuimig weertype met regelmatig regenzones die de revue passeren en een stevig windveld.

Dinsdag dient zich mogelijk al een volgende storm aan op de weerkaarten. Deze zal de naam ‘Jocelyn’ dragen. Vooral Ierland, het VK en Schotland mogen zich dan opnieuw opmaken voor stevige windstoten. Volgens de laatste prognoses zou de storm zich vooral richten op de noordelijke delen van Ierland, het VK en Schotland met opnieuw potentiële windstoten tot 130 km/u. Ook bij ons blijft het onstuimig. Na een korte adempauze dinsdagochtend zal de wind dinsdagavond en woensdag opnieuw aanwakkeren met windstoten tussen 70 en 90 km/u.

Na woensdag lijkt het weerbeeld zich stilaan terug wat te stabiliseren. De onstuimige periode lijkt op het eerste zicht van korte duur. Mogelijk schakelen we later in de week over op stabieler weer onder invloed van een hogedrukgebied met ’s nachts lichte vorst en overdag ruim positieve temperaturen.

LEES OOK:

• Aline, Babet, Ciarán ... zijn er nu meer stormen dan vroeger? En hoe zit het met al die stormnamen in Europa? Expert licht toe (+)

• Hoe kan het nog zo koud zijn en sneeuwen in een opwarmend klimaat? Klimatoloog legt uit (+)

• “Eén rukwind op het verkeerde moment is voldoende om over de baan te slingeren”: met deze zaken houd je best rekening tijdens een storm (+)

{ https://www.hln.be/ }

Over the past few years, much of the talk in the UAP community has revolved around Brett Tingley’s reporting of unusual patent applications by Dr. Salvatore Cezar Pais, an aerospace engineer at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). Among those patents are: a “plasma compression fusion device” that promises to generate practically unlimited amounts of clean energy with a small reactor; a “high-frequency gravitational wave generator” that promises to harvest the power of gravity; and a “craft using inertial mass reduction device” that promises to revolutionize transportation.

These patent applications relate directly to UAP observables, in that UAPs seem to defy the known laws of physics precisely by appearing to deploy unthinkable amounts of energy in small regions of space, manipulate gravity at will, and have little to no inertial mass. For this reason, many—such as Ariel Cohen, writing for Forbes—have speculated that Pais’s ostensible inventions may be a cover for reverse-engineered UAP technology, and the associated patents an attempt by the US Navy to stay ahead of China and Russia in the new arms’ race.

• https://youtu.be/5E6QyAhTB3o

• https://youtu.be/_lml2D4eHbQ

In this essay, I will argue that these speculations are based on a fundamentally wrong understanding of how the game of Intellectual Property Rights—or ‘IPR’ in short, which includes patents—is played. Whatever NAWCAD’s inventions are, they aren’t reverse-engineered UAP technology and almost certainly have no defense significance.

Although I am best known as a philosopher and scientist, I have spent almost 25 years in the high-tech industry doing technology strategy. I have been deeply immersed in the world of high-tech IPR, having even once co-founded a computer company—Silicon Hive, now part of Intel—that dealt in IPR licensing. As such, despite not being a lawyer myself, I am qualified to opine on patent matters.

A patent is a legal monopoly: it gives an individual or a company the right to be the exclusive exploiter of the patented idea for a limited period—usually 20 years—unless the individual or company in question chooses to license the patent to a third-party. The goal is to give companies an incentive to invest in Research and Development (R&D) without fear that its competitors will immediately benefit from the fruits of that R&D without having invested in it. Patent law is at the foundation of high-tech entrepreneurship for this reason. Without it, which company would invest billions in, say, inventing a new drug, just to see its key competitors reverse-engineer the drug and commercialize an identical, cheaper alternative within months?

But patents represent a trade-off. While giving their holders temporary monopoly power, they also force the inventors to publicly disclose the ideas in question. Indeed, patents—and even patent applications—are public documents by law, available on multiple searchable databases such as Google Patents. Moreover, not only do the inventors have to publicly describe their inventions, they must also do so in a manner that a “person skilled in the art”—that is, a minimally competent practitioner in the field in question—can, based on a patent’s text and diagrams alone, implement a working embodiment of the corresponding invention.

As such, patents are the opposite of industrial secrets. Before deciding whether to patent an idea, a company needs to weight its monopoly benefits against giving the competition a head-start; for this is exactly what a patent application does: it broadcasts to the world the lines along which a company is developing its technology.

Sometimes, the decision of whether to patent an invention or keep it a secret is straightforward. For instance, it may be impossible to hide an idea, either because it is a visible and advertised product feature—such as a fingerprint reader or facial scanner to unlock your phone—or because the product can be easily bought from a shop and reverse-engineered. In these cases, it’s best to patent the whole thing in advance, as the secret cannot be kept.

{ https://thedebrief.org/ }

THE VANISHING STAR ENIGMA AND THE 1952 WASHINGTON D.C. UFO WAVE

BEATRIZ VILLARROEL·

As we look up at the starry sky, countless celestial bodies silently peer down upon us. Most of these have been there for billions of years as stellar processes slowly unfold, starting from their birth until their final demise. Light from other celestial objects, though long vanished, has only recently reached us. In other instances, swift changes in the sky occur at timescales as short as seconds or minutes, like when a dwarf star momentarily flares up or when a human satellite crosses the field of view.

My team has been searching for objects that may have vanished. As an unexpected result of our searches, we found cases where multiple star-like objects (transients) appeared and vanished in a small image within an hour, and even more peculiarly, two of our brightest cases happened in July 1952, coinciding in time with the 1952 Washington D.C. UFO flyovers. But what have we actually found, and how do these two events potentially link to one another?

In the Vanishing & Appearing Sources during a Century of Observations (VASCO) project, our team has been dedicated to the search for celestial objects that vanished over the span of 70 years. In the grand scheme of cosmic time and the billions of years needed for a low-mass star to turn into a white dwarf, seventy years is only a fleeting moment in cosmic time. But 70 years is also much longer than the time needed for a satellite to pass through the telescope’s field of view. Our original objective was to search for a star that had vanished, with the hope of detecting instances where a star directly collapses into a black hole (failed supernova), an event predicted by supernova theoreticians. Alternatively, we were intrigued by the prospect of finding a star that vanishes entirely without a trace or explanation; a signature of a highly advanced civilization.

However, this task was far from straightforward. My colleague spent two years developing powerful methods [5] for sifting through the vast terabytes of image data involved. In parallel, we were (and still are) running a citizen science project together with scientists, amateur astronomers, and students primarily in Algeria and Nigeria, to search for these vanishing stars.

For our searches, we employed an object catalog sourced from the US Naval Observatory (USNO) together with archival images dating back to the early 1950s, captured at the Palomar Observatory in California. The images from Palomar predate the dawn of human space exploration. This night sky was pristine, and a far cry from today’s sky that is littered with tens of thousands of debris pieces from human satellites in orbits around the Earth, many producing flashes lasting fractions of a second as they reflect sunlight and tumble through space. These images we compared to the modern databases from Palomar Sky Survey, PanSTARRS, and the Gaia satellite in our quest to find disappearing objects.

Then we executed the search. We identified two candidates that were statistically significant and had unlikely alignments of transients and an additional three statistically weaker candidates (in total 5 candidates). Our best candidate, Candidate 5, had a probability of p ~ 0.0001 to exist by chance (see Figure 1 below). Regrettably, one journal after another declined to send our paper for peer review, informing us that the topic of the paper consistently fell ‘outside the scope of the journal’. Only one journal sent the paper to referees, which ended up being rejected after several confusing rounds. The paper remains on the arXiv preprint server.

Meanwhile, our team continued its search efforts. One year ago, my colleague presented the team with a case that he had uncovered during the automated searches [5]. The image showed three bright and beautiful objects looking just like stars in a POSS-I image from the 19th of July 1952 that appeared and vanished within a plate exposure [3] (see Figure 2 below). The three bright objects seemed as real as Betelgeuse itself. We explored a gravitational lensing hypothesis, considering the possibility that a massive foreground object could bend the passing light so that three images appear only to vanish moments later. Perhaps, a supermassive black hole located just a few light-years from Earth, with a mass ten times that of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, could explain the triple transient? We were not convinced. The article was recently published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Figure 2. The left image shows three transients on the 19th of July 1952 in the First Palomar Sky Survey. The right image shows the same star field in the Second Palomar Sky Survey, about 30 years later. This image is an adaption of the images in Solano, Marcy et al., 2023.

Let us have a closer look at the time period of the observations. July 1952 was a very special month in Washington D.C. Between July 12th and July 29th, 1952, a multitude of UFO sightings occurred over Washington D.C. in the United States involving radar-visual sightings in simultaneous observations, and even circumstances where a Navy pilot was authorized to shoot down an object (with some debris collected). The highest number of sightings took place during two weekends: July 19th – 20th and the weekend of July 26th – 27th, 1952.

An official record from the National Archives of Australia reveals that while the average monthly number of UFO reports of sightings between 1948 and 1951 was 15 per month, there were approximately 536 reports in July 1952. The US Air Force held a large press conference at the Pentagon (the largest press conference since the end of World War II), claiming that the radar observations were caused by temperature inversions, citing a theory produced and promoted [6,7] by the astronomer and UFO skeptic Donald Menzel, who had the highest clearances within the National Security Agency in the United States. Further work cast serious doubts on Menzel’s explanation. Also, the US Air Force failed to explain the numerous eyewitness reports.

This is where things get fun. The three transients we found were, indeed, observed on the night of July 19th, 1952, which coincided with the first weekend of the Washington UFO flyovers – a coincidence first noticed by my friend David Altman. As scientists, we recognize that coincidences will occur from time to time, no matter how remarkable they may seem. Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder about whether any of the five top candidates in our previous 2022 arXiv paper could have been observed during the Washington flyovers.

Indeed, our absolute top candidate (Candidate 5, with a mere 0.0001% probability) was observed on July 27th, 1952, aligning with the second weekend (Author’s Note: In the arXiv paper and all presentations, including one I presented at the Sol Foundation event at Stanford University in October, 2023, and up until December 2023, I have quoted the wrong date of 28th of July 1952. The correct date for the XE141 plate, according to the STScI plate archive, is the 27th of July 1952). Ironically, our two most prominent and brightest cases of multiple transients coincided in time with the two weekends of the renowned Washington UFO flyovers.

What types of events might lead to the detection of multiple transients in plates from the same period? One possible explanation is that these transients are indeed UFOs. Another hypothesis is that high-altitude atomic bomb tests could have generated aurora-like phenomena over Washington. These events might have produced nuclear fallout in other regions of the vast country, which–perhaps–could be detected as false stars on the photographic plates. Perhaps, in this instance, Occam’s razor suggests that the first hypothesis requires less of a stretch.

A dataset that possibly could help to solve the mystery is the Digital Access to a Sky Century @ Harvard (DASCH) project, which comprises digitized portions of Harvard College Observatory’s photographic plate collection. The observatory’s plate collection consists of 550,000+ plates that played a pivotal role in cutting-edge astronomy research spanning over a century. Given that the Harvard Observatory is considerably closer to Washington D.C. than Palomar, it might possess valuable records from the time of the Washington D.C. UFO flyovers. As recently as a few weeks ago, the DASCH project came back online after a several years-long hiatus; a blessing to many astronomers.

Despite its numerous successes, Harvard’s photographic plate collection faced many challenges during its history. In the early 1950s, Harvard University chose to destroy a portion of its own photographic plate collection under the directive of its Director Donald Menzel who entered office in 1952. This story is carefully retold in the astronomer Dorrit Hoffleit’s autobiography, Misfortunes as Blessings in Disguise. Furthermore, Donald Menzel stopped Harvard’s observatory from conducting further photographic plate surveys of the sky in 1953. The latter event is now commonly referred to as the ‘Menzel gap‘. Constraints related to storage space and budgetary limitations were cited. Only fifteen years later, Harvard resumed its surveillance of the sky upon Menzel’s retirement.

{ https://thedebrief.org/ }

CHRIS SHARP: Get over it, UFOs DO exist… as the latest extraordinary sighting proves. Now the terrifying question: which power has the technology that has us baffled - and beaten?

By CHRISTOPHER SHARP FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

It's balloons.

It's a smudge.

It's Superman!

Is there anything social media naysayers won't conjure up to dismiss new footage of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) flying above an overseas U.S. airbase in 2017?

Video of the mysterious floating object – dubbed the 'jellyfish' for its dangling tentacle-like appendages – was published last week by investigative journalists Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp.

The release has since unleashed a torrent of wild speculation from armchair debunkers. But there's good reason not to dismiss this disclosure so easily.

As a journalist covering the UFO beat, I regularly work with Corbell and Knapp who have been behind much of the groundbreaking reporting in this field.

Knapp is a two-time winner of the prestigious Edward R. Murrow journalism award.

In 1989, he famously revealed the still-controversial allegations of Bob Lazar, who claimed he was hired to reverse-engineer extraterrestrial technology at a secret Nevada site near a U.S base – a facility that has come to be known as Area 51.

Corbell, too, has earned his place among pioneering UFO reporters.

In 2021, Corbell published leaked footage of a spherical object - filmed by the crew of the U.S.S. Omaha - off the coast of Southern California. The oblong orb is seen flying into stiff headwinds before disappearing into the ocean.

Video of the mysterious floating object – dubbed the 'jellyfish' for its dangling tentacle-like appendages – was published last week by investigative journalists Jeremy Corbell (left) and George Knapp (right).

The duo have now released six pieces of footage showing potentially unexplainable UFOs over conflict zones in the Middle East.

For decades, the U.S. government has dismissed this journalism as conspiracy until 2017 when the Pentagon confirmed the existence of long-running secret programs that studied these strange occurrences.

In 2023, under growing public pressure, Congress held its first hearings to investigate claims of ex-military pilots who testified under oath on their first-hand accounts of mysterious flying objects encountered around the world.

Now as more and more UFO evidence surfaces, the government has no choice but to be more transparent. And it is in this spirit of openness that Corbell and Knapp step forward.

They hold no theories on what the 'jellyfish' UFO is, and - yet again - as no plausible explanations have emerged others have rushed to judgment.

Some proclaim the allegedly military-grade infrared footage recorded from a surveillance blimp shows a smudge on the camera lens - bird poop, perhaps.

The 'smudge theory' was soon rubbed out by sleuths who zoomed in on the object revealing that it rotated as it passed over Al-Taqaddum Airbase in central Iraq in 2017.

A lens smear would exhibit two dimensions. Only three-dimensional objects can appear to spin on video.

Another conjecture was that the 'jellyfish' is a cluster of balloons. An expert on infrared videos, Dave Falch, has seemingly burst that bubble.

Falch, known for his in-depth analysis of such footage, demonstrated through an experiment posted on his Twitter feed that latex balloons are not visible when viewed using infrared.

Some proclaim the allegedly military-grade infrared footage recorded from a surveillance blimp shows a smudge on the camera lens - bird poop, perhaps. 

Another conjecture was that the 'jellyfish' is a cluster of balloons. An expert on infrared videos, Dave Falch, has seemingly burst that bubble. 

Falch's analysis is also supported by the accounts of anonymous first-hand military witnesses, who have reportedly spoken with Corbell and Knapp.

These witnesses, who have been trained to differentiate between harmless balloons, surveillance aircraft, and other, potentially dangerous, airborne objects, to this day cannot explain what they saw.

The world is left with no concrete answers, which can be an uncomfortable position for some. But if solving UFO mysteries were straightforward, the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence apparatus wouldn't have found it necessary to create an entirely new unit in July 2022 - the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (ARRO) – to investigate them.

UFOs exist. Get used to it.

There are things in our skies, oceans and outside the atmosphere, which cannot be explained.

What the 'jellyfish' UFO footage doesn't show is what witnesses have reported to Corbell and Knapp: that the UFO is said to have descended into the nearby Habbaniyah Lake for 17 minutes, then re-emerged from the water and accelerated rapidly at a 45-degree angle until it disappeared from the frame.

If those claims are proven true, then the 'jellyfish' footage will be another piece of sobering evidence suggesting that the most powerful nation in history is not its most technologically sophisticated.

In 2021, Corbell published leaked footage of a spherical object - filmed by the crew of the U.S.S. Omaha - off the coast of Southern California. The oblong orb (above) is seen flying into stiff headwinds before disappearing into the ocean.

The duo have now released six pieces of footage showing potentially unexplainable UFOs over conflict zones in the Middle East. (Above) A metallic-looking orb flying over an Iraqi city was allegedly caught on video by a US spy plane.

Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe implied as much last year when he conceded that the U.S. government has a responsibility to scrutinize 'objects that demonstrate technologies that seem to defy the law of physics and capabilities that we don't have as the world's superpower.'

The situation is so concerning that Five Eyes – the intelligence alliance comprised of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States report – has published a classified report on the increased frequency of UFO encounters, according to Corbell's reporting.

Many in Congress, even Democratic Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have demanded more disclosure. But worryingly, some in the U.S. government may be turning back the clock on secrecy.

Following the declassification of three UFO videos in 2020, the U.S. Navy has explicitly stated that it will not declassify any more footage over 'national security' concerns. This week the Pentagon issued a statement on the 'jellyfish' UAP refusing to confirm or deny the authenticity of the video or whether it has been reported to AARO.

The public should push harder for answers. Whatever the 'jellyfish' is - it is, without a doubt, part of a broader discussion about transparency and trust.

As much as the doubters and government censors might wish it away as a smudge, the issue won't be wiped up so easily.

• Author Christopher Sharp is the Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Liberation Times 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

Inside secret UFO briefing in DC: Congress finds 'many' claims about US government harboring aliens and spaceships 'have merit' after grilling top US spy watchdog

• America's top spy watchdog gave Congress a top secret UFO briefing Friday
• READ MORE: Inside the battle that watered down the bipartisan UFO bill that would disclose confidential 'non-human intelligence' data to the public

By MATTHEW PHELAN SENIOR SCIENCE REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Lawmakers say they are one step closer to the truth about humanity's place in the universe today after a top secret briefing on UFOs in Congress.

America's top spy watchdog met with members of the House Oversight committee on Capitol Hill today — a meeting previewed by DailyMail.com's anonymous intelligence community insider.

The meeting aimed to get to the bottom of last year's explosive charges alleging the existence of an illegal UFO crash retrieval program.

Those allegations, made by the formerly high-ranking US intelligence official David Grusch, accused the US military and its private contractors of covering up retrieved UFOs and alien 'beings,' plus retaliation campaigns to keep their secrets.

'We've now made, I would say, progress on some of the claims Mr. Grusch has made in his complaint,' Democratic Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz told reporters.

'Based on what we heard,' Rep. Moskowitz said, 'many of Grusch claims have merit!

Grusch's allegations were first made in detail via this classified formal complaint, a 'Disclosure of Urgent Concern(s); Complaint of Reprisal' filed to the office of the US Intelligence Community's Inspector General (IC IG) in May of 2022.

'I think this one [today's briefing] is going to lead to a lot of things,' Rep. Moskowitz said. 'There's a lot of new questions and a lot of new areas to ask and poke in.' 

'I think everybody left there thinking and knowing that Grusch is legit,' said Republican Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett, Rep. Moskowitz's colleague on the House Oversight Committee, which spearheaded today's secret UFO conclave.

Burchett added, 'if they didn't think that before.'

The Tennessee legislator, who has become a strong voice calling for transparency on what officials now call 'unidentified anomalous phenomena' or UAP, did retain some of his criticisms, telling reporters 'by design this issue is very compartmentalized.'

'We've now made, I would say, progress on some of the claims Mr. Grusch has made in his complaint,' Democratic Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz told reporters. 'Based on what we heard,' Rep. Moskowitz said, 'many of Grusch claims have merit!'

'It's not about little green men in flying saucers,' Burchett said steps from a 'Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility' or SCIF where the classified meeting was held. 

'The issue is tens of millions of dollars,' he emphasized, 'on an issue that we've been told does not exist since 1947.' 

Rep. Moskowitz, who has joined Rep. Burchett and others in the House UAP Caucus on what has become an bipartisan effort to get to the truth on these airborne mysteries, also acknowledged continuing bottlenecks with over-classification. 

'Well, obviously, look: the process is extremely frustrating,' Rep. Moskowitz told reporters assembled outside the SCIF. 

'But actually this is the first real briefing that we've had,' the congressman said, 'the first time we kind of got a ruling on what the IG thinks of those [Grusch's] claims.' 

'I think everybody left there thinking and knowing that Grusch is legit,' said Republican Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett (left), Rep. Moskowitz's colleague on the House Oversight Committee, which spearheaded today's secret UFO conclave

'It's not about little green men in flying saucers,' Burchett said steps from a 'Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility' or SCIF (above) where the classified meeting was held

Republican Representative of Arizona Andy Biggs (above) arrives to attend today's closed-door intelligence briefing on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)

EXCLUSIVEREAD MORE: 

• Retired US Army Colonel says secret UFO projects should be made public by October 2030 - to beat America's rivals and get ahead of a 'catastrophic' leak 

The revelations came amid an invite-only UFO gathering at Stanford University. But, many speakers at the exclusive event expressed worry over the risk of social and economic upheaval. One former CIA scientist said that Washington insiders had deeply weighed both the positive and negative ramifications of declassifying America's top-secret UFO programs in 2004. They came to believe that the risks of UFO 'disclosure' were just too great. 

'So this meeting, unlike the one we had previously [with the Department of Defense's office of the Inspector General], this one actually 'moved the needle.''

Despite these promising statements of forward momentum, it is unclear whether or not members of House Oversight were actually permitted to review Grusch's official classified IC IG complaint, or what hard facts they learned behind closed doors.

Last week, a source with direct knowledge of standard operations inside the US Intelligence Community's Inspector General's office (IC IG) told DailyMail.com that a review of the complaint would be unlikely.

'I do not expect that to occur,' the source told DailyMail.com.

According to the DailyMail.com's well-placed US intelligence community source, IC IG would likely endeavor to satisfy lawmakers while telling them as little as possible. 

'The IG, when he goes and briefs Oversight, his job, between you and I, is going to be to make them feel as though they're getting information,' this source said, 'and basically tell them nothing.'

This source believes Attorney Thomas Monheim, the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, and his staff would be forced to juggle the expectations of multiple competing congressional committees. 

'He's in charge of what he's going to tell them,' the source told DailyMail.com.

'I would be very shocked if they hear the same things the Intel committees heard,' the source elaborated, 'not because he doesn't want to tell them — because they're Congress.' 

'But because HPSCI [the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence] and SSCI [the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence] have probably said to him, 'Hey! We are your committees of jurisdiction, not Oversight,'' so this source advised.

Nevertheless, Rep. Moskowitz presented a carefully worded comment on the progress made by the committee and the roadmap ahead in their quest for answers about the govenment's closely held, long-rumored UFO portfolio. 

'Let me just give you a hypothetical, because I am not going to share anything from a classified briefing,' the Florida congressman began.

'If someone makes ten claims, and then someone says, 'Well, we didn't look into all ten, because they weren't all in the report. But, hey, we found these six very credible,'' Rep. Moskowitz said, 'well, then you'd wanna go attack those six.' 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

Mysterious Burning Object seen over Charlotte, NC last night. Jan 19, 2024, UFO Sighting News. Whats going on In North Carolina? 

Burning UFO making a hard right turn.

UFO in below screenshot over contrail of the other UFOs. 

Date of sighting: Jan 19, 2024

Location of sighting: Charlotte, NC, USA

Source: Twitter 

 

Guys this just in. A huge burning object was seen with long flames coming out of it over a city in North Carolina last night. The object or objects were seen flying low and leaving a smokey trail behind them. Very odd indeed. Clearly this is a burning UFO that is barely making back to an underground base somewhere in North Carolina. The object is one large object breaking apart. As of yet, the Carolina news has not talked about it or explained what it might be.

Scott C. Waring

 

 

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

The Enigma of Post-WWII Alien Aeronautics: Unraveling the Secrets of Operation Paperclip

In the aftermath of World War II, amidst the ruins and reckoning, a new chapter of intrigue and technological pursuit began to unfold. This chapter, steeped in secrecy and speculative theories, revolves around the clandestine Operation Paperclip and its alleged connection to extraterrestrial technology and aeronautics.

Operation Paperclip: A Covert Endeavor

At the core of this enigmatic period was Operation Paperclip, a top secret program initiated by the United States government. Its primary objective was to recruit and leverage the expertise of former Nazi scientists, particularly in the fields of aeronautics, rocketry, and various other scientific disciplines. This strategic move was aimed at ensuring that the U.S. did not fall behind in the burgeoning Cold War technological race.

The Roswell Incident: A Catalyst for Conjecture

The narrative takes an intriguing turn with the 1947 Roswell incident, where a mysterious object crashed in the New Mexico desert. This event, reported by the Roswell Daily Record, sparked widespread speculation. While many believed the object to be of extraterrestrial origin, an alternative theory proposed that it was a product of the advanced aeronautical experiments stemming from Operation Paperclip.

Nazi Innovations and UFO Sightings

The theory gains traction from the fact that Nazi Germany was known for its unconventional aircraft designs. Notably, the Horten 229, a flying wing bomber, exhibited design elements that strikingly resembled descriptions of UFOs reported around the same period. This parallel has led some to speculate that what were perceived as extraterrestrial UFOs might actually have been misidentified experimental aircraft, developed by the very scientists recruited through Operation Paperclip.

Speculations and Unanswered Questions

The hypothesis that Operation Paperclip might have been instrumental in analyzing and possibly reverse-engineering recovered alien technology adds another layer of mystery. The notion is that if any alien crafts were obtained, the most adept minds in aeronautics and rocketry at the time – many of whom were part of Operation Paperclip – would have been called upon to study and understand these advanced technologies.

VIDEO:

• The UnXplained TOP SECRET Alien Aeronautics Program Launched After WWII (Season 6)

• https://youtu.be/_R5BNbB8H0g

While the narrative connecting Operation Paperclip to alien aeronautics is compelling and intriguing, it remains largely speculative. The lack of concrete evidence and reliance on anecdotal accounts means that these theories continue to float in a realm between documented history and the corridors of conspiracy theories. The true extent of Operation Paperclip’s involvement in post-WWII aeronautics, and its possible intersection with extraterrestrial technologies, remains an enigmatic topic that continues to fascinate and provoke discussion.

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

The Beijing Sky Mystery: Unraveling the Truth Behind the Recent UFO Sighting

The evening skies over Beijing and several other regions in China recently became the canvas for an extraordinary and mysterious spectacle. Residents were captivated by the sight of an unidentified flying object (UFO), leading to a whirlwind of discussions, theories, and intrigue. This article delves into the details of this enigmatic occurrence, exploring eyewitness accounts, expert analyses, and the eventual explanation that demystifies this celestial event.

The Sighting: 

On a clear Sunday evening, just after 6 PM, residents across Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, and Shandong provinces witnessed an unusual phenomenon in the sky. Described as a glowing, isosceles triangle-shaped object with three distinct light sources, this UFO moved rapidly from west to east. The object stood out for its silence and the absence of flashing lights typical of aircraft. Eyewitnesses reported that it eventually dissipated like mist and disappeared without leaving a trace.

This event quickly escalated in prominence, becoming a hot topic on Chinese social media platforms like Weibo. With over 900,000 threads, people shared images and descriptions of the object, each adding to the tapestry of this aerial mystery.

Speculations and Theories: 

The lack of immediate explanation led to a flurry of speculations. Some hypothesized extraterrestrial involvement, while others pondered secret military technology. The diverse descriptions – ranging from a “moving cloud-like object” to a luminous, non-flashing entity – only fueled the public’s curiosity and diverse theories.

Scientific Explanation: 

The mystery began to unravel with insights from Wang Zhuoxiao, a researcher at Tsinghua University’s Centre for Astronomy Technology. He proposed that the sighting was likely the result of a SpaceX rocket launch, specifically for the Starlink satellite mission. This mission involved the deployment of 22 satellites into low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Wang explained the rocket’s trajectory, inclined at 53 degrees to the south, would have made it visible in northern China during sunset or before sunrise. Following the deployment of satellites, the rocket was programmed to jettison its excess fuel. This process can create a scattering of light around the rocket, forming a cloud-like appearance. The tumbling motion of the rocket for fuel disposal might also explain the changing shapes observed by the witnesses.

Supporting Wang’s explanation, an anonymous astronomer from the Beijing Planetarium agreed that the UFO was likely a rocket launched from the US. This theory was consistent with similar past events in northern China, where rocket clouds formed after spacecraft launches had been mistaken for UFOs.

VIDEO:

• https://youtu.be/HCMR205t_tI

The UFO sighting over Beijing and neighboring regions, initially shrouded in mystery and excitement, turned out to be an extraordinary display of human technological prowess rather than extraterrestrial visitation. This incident underscores the importance of scientific inquiry and critical thinking in interpreting unusual phenomena. While the allure of a UFO sighting captivates many, often the truth lies in the realms of our expanding technological and scientific understanding. The Beijing sky mystery, now solved, serves as a fascinating reminder of the wonders of our universe and human ingenuity in exploring it.

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

{  https://www.universetoday.com/  }

{  https://www.universetoday.com/  }

What Future Propulsion Technologies Should NASA Invest In?

{  https://www.universetoday.com/  }

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

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

Footage recently emerged showing a 'jellyfish UFO' supposedly flying over a US military base in Iraq in 2018 - and now the Pentagon has issued a statement in response

The 'jellyfish' UFO, supposedly filmed in Iraq in 2018 

(Image: @JeremyCorbell/Twitter)

The US government has issued a statement in response to a video showing what has been dubbed the "jellyfish" UFO.

The video was shared by journalist Jeremy Corbell and appears to show a jellyfish-shaped object floating over a military base.

Corbell claims it was recorded over a US base in Iraq and dates back to 2018. He also said the object was officially designated as an "unidentified aerial phenomenon" (UAP) by the Pentagon.

READ MORE: 

• 'Jellyfish UFO' seen soaring over military base is army 'ghost story' says marine

Corbell claims the object was officially designated as a UAP by the Pentagon 

(Image: @JeremyCorbell/Twitter)

RELATED ARTICLES

• UK missile base 'tracked UFO' with military chiefs baffled by 'unknown target'

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Corbell said on X/Twitter: "An incursion by an object of unknown origin was filmed at a United States joint operations base in Iraq. The object was designated UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena), and was tracked for a durational period. The object moved through a sensitive military installation - and eventually traversed over a body of water, where it actuated a controlled descent - submerging into the water.

"After an observational period of about seventeen minutes - the UAP re-emerged from the body of water and shot-off at an extreme rate of speed - beyond the optical scope of the observation platform. The origin, intent and capability of the Anomalous Aerial Vehicle remains unknown. Official designation remains UAP."

The US Department of Defence has now responded, but refused to share details on "material that may have been leaked". The statement from spokeswoman Sue Gough reads: "We do not comment on the authenticity of alleged DOD material that may have been leaked. DOD takes public interest in unidentified anomalous phenomena seriously and is committed to openness and accountability to the American people.

"This commitment must be balanced with the department’s obligation to protect sensitive information, sources, and methods. To that end, AARO will provide updates to the public via its website as it resolves UAP cases, including sharing the analytic approach and method used for each case, as well as imagery, when approved for public release."

The Pentagon has previously released other videos leaked by Corbell and confirmed they were UAPs

Expert Ross Coulthart, special correspondent for NewsNation, said the Pentagon's response this time around was "very revealing for what it doesn't say".

"It doesn’t reveal a categorical denial," he told the news station. "It’s the last resort of governments and intelligence services when they don’t want to answer a question." He added that the video has proved to be a "very big issue" for the Pentagon.

READ NEXT:

• 'Jellyfish UFO' seen soaring over military base is army 'ghost story' says mar
  
  

{ https://www.dailystar.co.uk/ }

Webb Detects Oldest Black Hole Yet Known

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have detected a small and vigorous black hole in GN-z11, an exceptionally luminous galaxy that existed just 420 million years after the Big Bang, more than 13 billion years ago. That this black hole with a mass of a few million solar masses even exists so early in the Universe challenges current assumptions about how black holes form and grow.

GN-z11, shown in the inset, is seen as it was 13.4 billion years in the past, just 400 million years after the Big Bang.

Image credit: NASA / ESA / P. Oesch, Yale University / G. Brammer, STScI / P. van Dokkum, Yale University / G. Illingworth, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Astronomers believe that the supermassive black holes found at the centre of galaxies like the Milky Way grew to their current size over billions of years.

But the size of this newly-discovered black hole suggests that they might form in other ways: they might be ‘born big’ or they can eat matter at a rate that’s five times higher than had been thought possible.

According to standard models, supermassive black holes form from the remnants of dead stars, which collapse and may form a black hole about a hundred times the mass of the Sun

If it grew in an expected way, this newly-detected black hole would take about a billion years to grow to its observed size.

However, the Universe was not yet a billion years old when this black hole was detected.

“It’s very early in the Universe to see a black hole this massive, so we’ve got to consider other ways they might form,” said Dr. Roberto Maiolino, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge.

“Very early galaxies were extremely gas-rich, so they would have been like a buffet for black holes.”

Like all black holes, the young black hole in GN-z11 is accreting material from its host galaxy to fuel its growth.

Yet, this ancient black hole is found to gobble matter much more vigorously than its siblings at later epochs.

GN-z11 is a compact galaxy, about one hundred times smaller than the Milky Way, but the black hole is likely harming its development.

When black holes consume too much gas, it pushes the gas away like an ultra-fast wind.

This ‘wind’ could stop the process of star formation, slowly killing the galaxy, but it will also kill the black hole itself, as it would also cut off the black hole’s source of ‘food.’

“It’s a new era: the giant leap in sensitivity, especially in the infrared, is like upgrading from Galileo’s telescope to a modern telescope overnight,” Dr. Maiolino said.

“Before Webb came online, I thought maybe the Universe isn’t so interesting when you go beyond what we could see with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.”

{ https://www.sci.news/ }