UFO flying across the sky in San Antonio and Hondo, Sept 18, 2024, video, UAP Sighting News.

This is obviously a real UFO, alien spacecraft seem flying over Texas. This is a puzzling sighting left residents of San Antonio and Hondo intrigued on Wednesday evening. Kristen Allen was on her way to drop off her daughter at gymnastics practice when she noticed an unusual object flying through the sky. Using her phone, she quickly recorded the phenomenon, capturing a glowing object moving southbound along Bulverde Road just after 5 p.m., during sunset.

“It appeared to be descending straight down, but it was quite distant,” Kristen recounted. Curious and unsure of what she had witnessed, she shared the video with her husband, Ryan. After he posted it on social media, several acquaintances confirmed they had also seen the strange object.

Adding to the intrigue, Samantha Gonzales snapped a photo of the object over Hollywood Park in northern San Antonio, and Christina Alexis, located nearly 60 miles away in Hondo, also managed to record the mysterious sight. Her footage depicted the object with a striking red glow across the night sky.

“I noticed the glow became more pronounced as you moved further west,” Ryan Allen observed.

While the Allens remain uncertain about what the object could be, their young sons have their own theories. “We thought it might be a missile,” said Gage Allen. His brother, Trace, offered a different perspective: “To me, it looked kind of like a plane.”

The family, along with other witnesses, continues to seek answers, speculating on what the strange sighting could have been.

Scott C. Waring

• https://youtu.be/5XLTqEZb1x0

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

Nieuw onderzoek onthult eindelijk hoe El Niño 252.000 jaar geleden de grootste massa-uitsterving ter wereld veroorzaakte

door Janine

Freepik - Maddox1/Wikimedia commons - Public domain

Heel lang geleden veroorzaakte een klimaatfenomeen de grootste massale uitsterving op onze planeet. Nu heeft een nieuwe studie ontdekt hoe en waarom.

Massale uitsterving 252 miljoen jaar geleden: El Niño

Ongeveer 252 miljoen jaar geleden, in het Perm-Trias-tijdperk, veroorzaakte het klimaatfenomeen dat bekend staat als El Niño de grootste massa-uitsterving die ooit op onze planeet heeft plaatsgevonden, dat stelt een nieuwe studie, waarin werd onderzocht waarom dit gebeurde en vooral met zulke effecten.

El Niño veroorzaakt periodiek een aanzienlijke opwarming aan de oppervlakte van de Stille Oceaan in de centraal-zuidelijke en oostelijke delen. Dit gebeurt in december en januari, meestal om de vijf jaar, wat kan variëren tussen drie en zeven jaar. Toen de mens echter nog niet op aarde was verschenen, speelde dit fenomeen een sleutelrol bij het veroorzaken van een ongekende uitsterving, die de hele aardbol en bijna al zijn levensvormen trof.

Waarom het leven op het land verdween door El Niño

University of Bristol and China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)

De wetenschap heeft al geruime tijd een verband gevonden tussen de verdwijning van leven op aarde 252 miljoen jaar geleden en krachtige vulkaanuitbarstingen in wat nu Siberië is, die aanleiding gaven tot de uitstoot van kooldioxide die tot een snelle opwarming van het klimaat leidde. Hierdoor stortten terrestrische en mariene ecosystemen onvermijdelijk in.

Het is echter nooit begrepen waarom het leven buiten de zee deze situatie niet kon weerstaan: insecten zijn, net als sommige planten, behoorlijk veelzijdig en bestand tegen verandering, maar desondanks zijn ze uitgestorven. Alexander Farnsworth van de Universiteit van Bristol legde uit dat de opwarming van het klimaat op zichzelf deze gevolgen niet kan veroorzaken: zoals nu het geval is: “wanneer de tropen te warm worden, migreren soorten naar koelere en hogere breedtegraden. Ons onderzoek heeft aangetoond dat toegenomen broeikasgassen niet alleen het grootste deel van de planeet warmer maken, maar ook de weer- klimaatvariabiliteit vergroten, waardoor het nog ‘wilder’ wordt en moeilijker voor het leven om te overleven”.

“Veel intensere en langdurige El Niño-gebeurtenissen” 252.000 jaar geleden

Volgens Yadong Sun van de China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, co-hoofdauteur van het onderzoek, “slaagde het meeste leven er niet in om zich aan deze omstandigheden aan te passen, maar gelukkig overleefden sommigen, zonder welke we hier vandaag niet zouden zijn. Het was bijna, maar niet helemaal, het einde van het leven op aarde.”

Het niveau van de opwarming van het Perm-Trias werd geschat door zuurstofisotopen te analyseren die werden gedetecteerd in de gefossiliseerde tandresten van conodonten, zeer kleine organismen. “Eigenlijk was het overal te warm”, legt Farnsworth uit. “De veranderingen die verantwoordelijk waren voor de vastgestelde klimaatpatronen waren ingrijpend omdat er veel intensere en langduriger El Niño-gebeurtenissen waren dan die vandaag de dag worden waargenomen. De soorten waren simpelweg niet in staat om zich snel genoeg aan te passen of te evolueren.”

Tegenwoordig duren deze fenomenen slechts één of twee jaar, terwijl El Niño 252 miljoen jaar geleden veel langer duurde, met ongeveer tien jaar ononderbroken wereldwijde droogte. Dit verklaart ook de grote hoeveelheid plantaardige koolstof in de rotsen in die tijd. Het verdwijnen van planten verhinderde ook de opname van CO 2 uit de atmosfeer. Als mariene soorten langer overleefden, konden op het land “alleen soorten overleven die snel konden migreren, en er waren niet veel planten of dieren die daartoe in staat waren.”

{ https://www.curioctopus.nl/ }

The Mysterious 1803 Utsuro-bune: UFO Sighting or Foreign Shipwreck?

In 1803, an event occurred off the coast of Japan that has puzzled scholars, folklorists, and UFO enthusiasts alike. A strange vessel, described as unlike anything seen before, was discovered by local fishermen off the coast of Hitachi Province (modern-day Ibaraki Prefecture). This mysterious object, often referred to as the “Utsuro-bune”, meaning “hollow ship” in Japanese, contained a foreign woman whose origins, language, and appearance sparked confusion and intrigue.

Japan’s Isolated State in 1803

To fully understand the significance of this event, it’s essential to consider the historical context. At the time, Japan was an isolated nation, following the sakoku policy, which had been in place since the early 1600s. Under this policy, Japan had closed its borders to nearly all foreign influence, trade, and travel. Foreigners were rarely allowed to enter the country, and Japanese citizens who left were often prohibited from returning, on pain of death.

This isolationist stance made the arrival of a strange vessel and its foreign occupant an extraordinary occurrence. Japan’s self-imposed seclusion meant that any encounter with outsiders was rare and often viewed with suspicion or fear. The story of the Utsuro-bune is particularly fascinating because it happened decades before Japan’s borders reopened to the world in the 1850s.

The Mysterious Vessel and Its Occupant

According to accounts, the vessel that the fishermen discovered was circular, resembling a modern UFO in shape, and made of materials that were unfamiliar to those who found it. Some accounts describe the boat as being about 10 feet wide, made of wood and metal, with windows or glass panels that allowed the occupants to see inside.

The most striking aspect of the encounter, however, was the enigmatic woman inside the craft. She appeared to be in her twenties, had pale skin, and was dressed in clothing that did not resemble the traditional attire of Japan. Her hair was reportedly a reddish color, and she carried with her a box that she protected fiercely, refusing to let anyone near it.

The woman spoke a language that the locals could not understand, and all attempts at communication failed. She seemed to be of foreign origin, though it was impossible for the fishermen to determine where she might have come from. After some time, the villagers, unsure of what to do, set the vessel adrift, allowing it to float away, along with its mysterious occupant.

Interpretations of the Utsuro-bune Incident

Over the centuries, the Utsuro-bune incident has been the subject of much speculation, leading to various interpretations and theories about what truly happened that day.

1. Historical and Cultural Context: Many scholars believe that the incident was a case of shipwreck involving a foreigner who had drifted to Japan by accident. Some theories suggest that the woman might have come from nearby countries, such as Korea or Russia, which were known to have some maritime contact with Japan. The unusual vessel and her unfamiliar appearance could be explained as the result of cultural differences and the isolationist policies of Japan at the time.
2. Folklore and Mythological Interpretation: Some historians see the Utsuro-bune story as a piece of folklore, meant to convey a moral or spiritual lesson rather than report an actual event. It could have been a symbolic tale representing the foreign threats or mysterious encounters with outsiders that Japan had little experience dealing with during its isolationist period. These stories often became embellished over time, leading to the more mystical elements of the narrative.
3. Extraterrestrial Explanation: In more recent times, the Utsuro-bune incident has caught the attention of UFO enthusiasts who see it as evidence of extraterrestrial contact. They point to the strange, circular shape of the craft and the mysterious nature of its occupant as clues that this could have been an early UFO encounter. While this theory is popular in modern UFO lore, it is largely based on speculative interpretation rather than historical evidence.

Could It Have Been a UFO?

The idea that the Utsuro-bune was an early example of a UFO encounter is certainly intriguing, especially given the unusual details surrounding the story. The vessel’s shape and construction, combined with the mystery surrounding the foreign woman, make it tempting to speculate about otherworldly origins.

However, it’s important to remember that this theory lacks concrete evidence and relies on a modern reinterpretation of a centuries-old tale. Most historians agree that the story is more likely a cultural legend or a case of an actual foreign shipwreck, with the strange details being products of Japan’s isolationist policies and the fishermen’s unfamiliarity with foreigners.

The 1803 Utsuro-bune incident remains one of Japan’s most curious historical mysteries. Whether it was a simple shipwreck involving a foreign woman, a fantastical piece of folklore, or a potential UFO sighting, the story continues to capture the imagination of people around the world. While the truth behind the strange vessel and its occupant may never be fully known, the Utsuro-bune remains an enduring enigma, illustrating the fascination with the unknown that transcends cultures and centuries.7

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

Ret. US Army Colonel Claimed Aliens In Roswell UFO Crash Were Bio-Robots Built For Space Travel

The information about the  Roswell crash and so-called Extraterrestrial Biological Entities revealed by retired US Army Officer Philip James Corso was a breathtaking move in the history of UFOlogy. In his 21 years of serving, he claimed to have alleged involvement in the research of extraterrestrial technology recovered from the 1947 Roswell incident.

Roswell Revisited -- (Colonel Phillip J. Corso)

Born in 1915, Corso served in the US Army from 1942 to 1963, retiring from the rank of lieutenant colonel. According to him, the US policy was clear that UFOs and aliens do not exist. They were led to believe in it. But there were some great men who expressed themselves as believers. Some of them were Gen. Douglas McArthur, Gen. George Marshall, Werner Von Braun, President Ronald Reagan, Gen. Nathan Twining, Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, Dr. Carl Gustav Jung, and many others.

Corso emphasized that the advancement in the technology that the world achieved in the past decades could not be possible without the helo of other worlds. Scientists such as Dr. Herman Oberth, Stanton T. Friedman, Robert Sarbaeher, W.E. Smith, Dr. Werner Von Braun, etc., are disregarded or ridiculed when they say, “we cannot take the credit for our record advancements in certain scientific fields alone. We have been helped by people of other worlds.”

Brig. Gen. Brown (left) shakes the hand of Maj. Philip Corso, who just received his bronze star in Rome. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

He highlighted the intervention of aliens in human history by referring to Sumerians who stated that the EBEs were the most advanced in the studies and manipulations of DNAs, who were adroit in cloning. “We believed that the beings of the Roswell crash were clones. The Sumerians called them IGIGIs. They were used to ferry the ‘Gods’ to earth and continuously stayed in subspace and circled the globe-earth,” Corso explained.

During his military career, Corso was granted nine clearances above “Top Secret.” These included cryptographic, satellites, code and intercept special operational clearances, and the “Eyes Only” category of special White House (NSC) matters. This allowed him to have an eye on matters within the government which included UFO information.

He was the Chief of the Foreign Technology Division in the US army R&D. He received the piece of information that a sample recovered from the Western US desert was believed to be from a UFO. The material had immense strength but at the same time was as light as feather. It was perfect for space travel and no space debris could harm it.

Corso concluded UFOs existed. His team had reports of objects from a mother ship and they believe what was recovered were parts of sphere-type probes. Usually, four or five of these came from every saucer. He further explained that the radar images of formations are probably these probes surrounding one or two flying saucers. They dissolved in a transparent alignment of atoms.

Read also:

• Ret. US Army Major Showed Deleted UFO Photos Captured By Apollo Astronauts On Moon
  

• FBI Chilling UFO Reports: Recovered 3 UFOs With Alien Bodies In New Mexico & 27,000 Mph Craft
• Former NASA Scientist Unlocked UFO Flying Technology, Proved It Is Attainable
• Does This FBI Document Suggest That Nikola Tesla Was An Alien From Venus?

Philip Corso’s Roswell Story

On visiting the crash site, Corso was convinced that it was the UFO. His faith in UFOs came from his work in R&D, where the radars once locked an object flying over 3000 miles an hour.

Upon examination of the items recovered from the crashed craft, a harness-type system was discovered. Corso argued that many technical discoveries that appeared in the following decades, such as Kevlar body armor, optical fiber, transistors, night vision devices, and the integrated circuit chip were a direct result of what scientists studied and found inside the alien spacecraft. He also claimed that his job had been to transfer the alien technology to American companies.

The craft inside was illuminated by a yellow-greenish light. The light appeared to emit from solid metal, possibly a variation of the atom alignment within the structural members of the craft. This was discovered early from small pieces. When a light was applied at one end, the whole piece would light up and glow. This was thought to be a variation of the fiber optic tubes. It is not known if the source of the yellow-greenish light or glow was ever found.

In 1957, while in command of the Army’s Missile Firing Range at Red Canyon, New Mexico, part of the White Sands Proving Grounds, Coros came up against a most perplexing problem. There had been much speculation that UFOs engage in time travel. He later discussed this with German scientists and they were of the opinion that this was the fact – the UFOs’ terrific acceleration and flashy disappearance and appearance is caused by exit and entry into a time dimension.

An interesting version that Corso advanced was that the two UFOs were entering our time zone at the same instant, they collided. One went on to crash at  Roswell, the other was damaged and debris fell into our time zone. It accelerated at terrific speed, exceeding its own limits, and fell, just west of Red Canyon, in the White Sands area, but it had gained 10 years and crashed in 1957.

In 1997, Corso and writer William J. Birnes published a book that revealed many secrets and mysteries that took place during the events of Roswell in 1947. The book “The Day After Roswell” immediately became a sensation among UFO researchers and conspiracy theorists.

In the book, there are so many strong revelations about aliens that even ufologists considered it partly fictional or much exaggerated. At the same time, Corso suddenly died of an unexpected heart attack just a few months after the publication of his book. Conspiracy theorists believed that he was simply silenced by higher authorities because he had revealed many things.

In general, according to all the facts stated above, it does not prove that in the late 1990s, he was influenced by extraterrestrial beings. He also repeatedly participated in interviews with the American late-night radio talk show “Coast to Coast AM.”

He had repeatedly argued that the US government was hiding the truth about UFOs and aliens to profit from it in the tech sector. In the book, he described not only the UFO technology but also talked about the alien bodies found during the crash.

According to him, Grey aliens, also referred to as Zeta Reticulans, were not really aliens, but bio machines specially created to work on other planets. He wrote that as far as he knew, no one had encountered real aliens, and all eyewitnesses or abductees had seen only big-headed and black-eyed “bio machines.”

To prove his claim, Corso described what he had seen during the autopsy. He wrote that those aliens were without any digestive system, and their bodies were linked to the spacecraft as if they were controlled through ships.

He wrote further that those extraterrestrial biological objects, as indicated in the autopsy reports, were humanoid robots specially designed to travel long distances in space and time.

• https://www.openminds.tv/pdf/ufo-files/DawnOfANewAge.pdf
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-465276/Roswell-officers-amazing-deathbed-admission-raises-possibility-aliens-DID-visit.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/05/us/senator-regrets-role-in-book-on-aliens.html

{ https://www.howandwhys.com/ }

Nederlander bewijst bestaan van mysterieuze monstergolven in diepzee: ze zijn extremer dan extreem

Jeannette Kras

{ https://scientias.nl/ }

De aarde staat op het punt een nieuwe maan te krijgen, maar slechts voor even: dit is wanneer het zal gebeuren

door Janine

Freepik

De Aarde zal voor korte tijd een nieuwe Maan krijgen, net alsof het een tweede satelliet van onze planeet is. Maar wat is het en hoe lang zal het duren?

De aarde zal twee maanden lang een mini-maan hebben

De enige natuurlijke satelliet van de aarde is de maan, maar binnenkort krijgt onze planeet er nog een kleinere bij. Dat zal eind september gebeuren, gedurende ongeveer twee maanden. Maar hoe is dit mogelijk?

Het zal een tijdelijke new entry zijn, maar wel een die in alle opzichten een mini-maan voor onze planeet zal zijn. Concreet zal het fenomeen plaatsvinden tussen 29 september en 24 november 2024. Het zal echter niet eenvoudig zijn om het met het blote oog waar te nemen.

Het is namelijk een kleine asteroïde met de naam 2024 PT5, die op 7 augustus voor het eerst werd gedetecteerd door ATLAS, het Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System. Mini-manen zijn in feite hemellichamen die voor kortstondige perioden worden gevangen door de zwaartekracht van de aarde, en het is precies dit dat de nabije toekomst van 2024 PT5 zal zijn.

Asteroïde 2024 PT5, onze nieuwe mini-maan

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Wikimedia commons - Public domain

Het ruimtegesteente in kwestie is slechts tien meter breed, waardoor het observeren ervan zonder speciale telescopen een nogal moeilijke onderneming is. Hoe dan ook zal 2024 PT5 eind deze maand onze Maan gezelschap houden, die al zo'n vier miljard jaar een satelliet van onze planeet is, totdat hij terugkeert naar zijn thuisbasis, een asteroïdengordel die rond de zon draait en de aarde volgt.

Deze verschijnselen zijn niet zo zeldzaam, aangezien er niet veel decennia verstrijken tussen het verschijnen van de ene mini-maan en de andere. Een nieuwe studie heeft echter de komst van de volgende dergelijke gebeurtenis aangekondigd door interessante informatie te verstrekken. Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, professor aan de Universidad Complutense en hoofdauteur van het werk, legde uit dat het kleine hemellichaam tot de secundaire Arjuna-asteroïdengordel behoort, die bestaat uit ruimtegesteenten die banen volgen die vergelijkbaar zijn met die van de aarde, met een afstand tot de zon van ongeveer 150 miljoen kilometer.

Mini-maan 2024 PT5: zal het te zien zijn?

Planetoïden en kometen uit de Arjuna-gordel kunnen ons langzaam naderen met een snelheid van ongeveer 3.540 km per uur, waarbij ze zich op een afstand van 4,5 miljoen km bevinden. Op dat punt kan de geocentrische energie van het ruimteobject negatief worden, waardoor het in alle opzichten een tijdelijke aardse mini-maan wordt.

2024 PT5 zal geen volledige baan om onze planeet maken, maar zoals gezegd na twee maanden terugkeren naar de basis. Bij andere soortgelijke fenomenen kunnen mini-manen langer blijven, één of meer volledige banen maken en dan meerdere jaren blijven. Zodra zijn werk is voltooid, zal PT5 uit 2024 uit de baan van de aarde worden verdreven en teruggebracht naar die van de zon, waardoor deze door verstoringen van de zwaartekracht zal verdwijnen.

Hij is niet alleen niet met het blote oog te zien, maar zelfs amateurtelescopen zullen hem waarschijnlijk niet kunnen waarnemen vanwege zijn kleine formaat. Professionele astronomische instrumenten met een minimale diameter van 76 cm, uitgerust met een CCD- of CMOS-detector, zullen het echter wel mogelijk maken om het magische schouwspel van de tijdelijke mini-maan vast te leggen.

{ https://www.curioctopus.nl/ }

Top secret China spaceplane releases a mystery object into Earth's orbit - and no one knows what it is

• READ MORE: China's spaceplane released strong signals over North America 

By Stacy Liberatore For Dailymail.com

China’s top-secret spaceplane has released a mysterious object into Earth’s orbit just 372 miles above the surface.

The US Space Force is monitoring the situation, but the purpose of the object ejected on May 24 is unknown.

A Harvard astrophysicist first spotted the object, speculating it could be a subsatellite deployment, or a piece of hardware ejected before the spaceplane ends its mission and deorbits.

The craft - named Shenlong after a spirit dragon from Chinese mythology - launched last December and has since been found to release several objects into orbit with some sending strong signals over North America.

China has been very secretive about the spaceplane, only describing the purpose as providing 'technical support for the peaceful use of space.’

The craft launched one day after the US scrubbed the flight of its ‘spy’ plane, which the US Space Force chief said was 'no coincidence.'

'It's probably no coincidence that they're trying to match us in timing and sequence of this,' General Chance Saltzman, Space Force's Chief of Space Operations, said.

And while China’s spaceplane has since fallen under the radar, the mysterious object is raising concerns.

Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, first spotted the object and shared his findings on X.

‘This object could be a subsatellite deployment, or it could be a piece of hardware ejected prior to end of the mission and deorbit (the spaceplane's first flight did something similar),’ McDowell shared.

‘Will be interesting to see if the plane maneuvers or lands soon.’

China’s spaceplane is currently on its third mission, and US officials have said that its capabilities are somewhat similar to America's X-37B (pictured) that launched on December 29, 2023

Amateur astronomer Scott Tilley was tracking China’s spaceplane in December when it ejected six objects, which emitted signals over North America.

Tilley said he believed the signals targeted a ground station or boat near British Columbia, Canada, where he lives.

'When the spaceplane passes over me, it only emits on a certain trajectory of pass that appears to favor a location south to southwest of me.

'I.e., on higher elevation passes over me, there are no signals, but on ocean-hugging passes to my southwest, all of my observations of the object have occurred.'

Tilley has teamed up with a group in Switzerland that specializes in optical-band space surveillance, and the collaboration has been keeping a close eye on the plane since it launched on December 15.

China’s spaceplane is currently on its third mission, and US officials have said that its capabilities are somewhat similar to America's X-37B that launched on December 29, 2023.

The launch followed more than two weeks of false starts and delays attributed to poor weather and unspecified technical issues, leading ground crews to roll the spacecraft back to its hangar.

It came two weeks after China's  spaceplane launched on its third mission to orbit since 2020.

The US Boeing-built vehicle, roughly the size of a small bus and resembling a miniature space shuttle, is built to deploy various payloads and conduct technology experiments on years-long orbital flights. 

The planned duration of the latest X-37B mission was not made public, but it will presumably run until June 2026 or later, given the prevailing pattern of successively longer flights.

OTHER VIDEOS * PETER2011 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

By Stacy Liberatore For Dailymail.com

An amateur astronomer believes he has captured the first image of an ultra-secretive US spacecraft.

Felix Schöfbänker, from Austria, claims to have photographed a classified fleet of spy satellites operated by a shadowy DoD agency to hunt international terrorists, drug dealers and crime lords for the US government.

The (Future Imagery Architecture) FIA-Radars, also called Topaz, are five craft made by Boeing which are powerful enough to provide high definition imaging of targets on the ground 24 hours of the day.

Using a telescope built to track and photograph satellites, Schöfbänker observed 'things that either were not known or only were speculated before' - including their size, shape and position in the sky.

The space watcher shared what could be the only images of America's secretive spy satellites Pictured is a a Future Imagery Architecture satellite (FIA-Radars), nicknamed Topaz

The (Future Imagery Architecture) FIA-Radars, also called Topaz, are five craft made by Boeing which are powerful enough to provide high definition imaging of targets on the ground 24 hours of the day (a mock up is pictured)

The US launched its first spy satellite, CORONA, in 1960 to photograph adversaries in China and the Soviet Union with a focus on how rapidly the latter was producing long-range bombers and ballistic missiles and where they were being deployed.

The satellite imagery captured all Soviet medium-range, intermediate-range, and intercontinental ballistic missile launching complexes.

'Without CORONA, the US may well have been misguidedly pressured into a World War III,' the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) shared in a statement.

The US leads the world with more than 200 in space and Schöfbänker has observed several in the past few months.

Read More

• Top secret China spaceplane releases a mystery object into Earth's orbit - and no one knows what it is 

The sky watcher recently shared his discoveries with Space.com, detailing mechanics and technologies he observed.

His telescope, a Dobsonian, spotted several FIA-Radars fitted with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which enables the US to beam radar through clouds, foliage and shallow soil.

The images are taken by sending microwave pulses to the Earth's surface and measuring the reflected signals.

Topaz is a series of five satellites developed by Boeing, with the first launching in 2010 and the last in 2018.

The US government has been secretive about the capabilities, only sharing details that Topaz 1 had a nuclear power system, an attitude control system and a cylindrical monocoque aluminum structure.

While it is unclear which model Schöfbänker observed, he was able to make out other details.

'From my images, I conclude that these satellites have a parabolic mesh antenna which is roughly 12 meters [39 feet] in diameter, and two solar panels with roughly 10 meters [33 feet] of wingspan,' he told Space.com.

Topaz, developed by Boeing, includes a series of five satellites used to collect intelligence on the ground. Felix Schöfbänker, from Austria, spotted all five orbiting in space

The satellites capture  by sending microwave pulses to the Earth's surface and measuring the reflected signals

'There also is another bright object between the solar panels that I interpret as an up-and down-link antenna, though this also might be something else.'

Schöfbänker continued to explain that the satellite's antenna moved six times to the left and 22 times to the right during his observations.

Also in his sights was a few KH-11 satellites, which convert light into electronic signals.

Another satellite, the KH-11, was also snapped, which was the first to provide real-time intelligence of officials

Donald Trump shared a declassified image of an Iranian rocket launch site captured by a KH-11 that launched in 2011 while he was president in 2019

The KH-11, developed by Lockheed Martin, is believed to use a seven-foot prime mirror that allows the satellite to identify objects as small as three inches across.

The first KH-11 launched in December 1976, allowing the first real-time collection of intelligence as it previously took days or even weeks for photos.

The need for real-time observations was often stated by officials during key events like the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Six-Day War or the invasion of Czechoslovakia.

In 2019, Donald Trump, president at the time, shared a declassified image of an Iranian rocket launch site captured by a KH-11 that launched in 2011.

There are four of these satellites in orbit.

'The oldest one currently up there was launched in 2005. It is a third-generation KH-11 with the name USA 186. The next two are called USA 224 and USA 245, and these are the fourth generation from 2011 and 2013,' Schöfbänker said.

'The newest one is a fifth-generation spacecraft from 2021 and is called USA 314.'

His observations suggested that they were about 36 feet long, with mirrors ranging in size depending on the generation.

Another satellite, however, is the unknown type. Schöfbänker suggested it was a USA 290, which officials have kept under wraps 

The space watcher determined there were three generations of KH-11 orbiting above, with the fourth's mirror measuring nearly 10 feet across.

On July 20, Schöfbänker uploaded a timelapse of a satellite on his website, which may be one of the most secretive in America's arsenal.

Schöfbänker suggested it was a USA 290 or another KH-11, but noted that images did not match up with the latter and the two were launched into different orbits.

Based on the observations, he determined that the spacecraft featured a 16-foot-long panel and had a total size of around 31 feet.

The USA 290 also captures intelligence in real-time, but that is all that is known about America's secretive spy satellite.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

Out of this world! Inventor builds a fully functional flying saucer-inspired jet boat - as incredible footage shows the vehicle reaching 31mph as it skims across the water

• Vietnamese inventor Trang Long Ho builds a UFO-shaped jet boat from scratch
• The fibreglass vessel is capable of reaching top speeds of up to 31 mph (50km/h)

By Wiliam Hunter

Whether or not you believe in UFOs, there's no denying that this incredible craft is truly out of this world.

Amazing footage shows how an inventor has created a fully functional flying saucer-shaped jet boat in his home workshop.

Made of fiberglass and a few steel plates, the stunning creation features automatic doors, light-up panels, and just enough room for the pilot to sit.

While it might not soar through the air, the boat still clocks some impressive speeds reaching 31 mph (50km/h) as it skims across the water.

In a post on Facebook sharing the amazing invention, the craftsman Tran Long Ho wrote: 'I created what I was dreaming.'

While Mr Ho's creation might look futuristic, it actually begins with some very basic materials.

In a video documenting the building process, he begins by building up a model out of sand in the shape of the UFO's top section.

This sand mould is then covered with a thin layer of concrete to create a hard shell, over which Mr Ho and his team layer sheets of fibreglass and epoxy.

Once the fibreglass has been set, the builders are able to lift up the structure and chip away the concrete to leave a thin, light hull.

Next, the hull is reinforced with a lattice of fibreglass ridges and hexagons before the process is repeated to create the bottom hull where the engines are installed.

Mr Ho then creates cutouts for a series of hexagonal windows and sliding door panels.

Mr Ho begins by sculpting a UFO shape out of sand which he uses to make a concrete mould

By layering fibreglass over the mould, the builders create a dish-like shape. Mr Ho then attaches a pattern of hexagonal boards to provide structure and mark the location of future panels

Using a cleverly designed mechanism, the doors are able to open and slide to the sides just like you might imagine a real spaceship.

With the overall structure in place, Mr Ho turns his attention to the electronics and controls.

LED strips are used to provide a futuristic glow around the panels and a steering wheel, pedals, and dashboard are installed within the cockpit.

In the video, you can also see as Mr Ho solders dozens of small solar panel segments into large panels which are installed on the outside of the craft.

Since we don't see Mr Ho install a battery system it is likely that these are used to power the lights and electronic doors.

Once the fibreglass has dried, the process is repeated to create a similar bottom layer where the engine is installed

The boat is fitted with sliding doors and lined with grey material to make it more comfortable 

The small cockpit features a steering wheel, pedals, and a dashboard complete with speedometer and light-up controls 

Read More

• Bizarre device wins the James Dyson award in the UK - but can you guess what it does? 

After a final lick of paint and some last pieces of decoration, the flying saucer is complete and ready to test.

The video shows as Mr Ho - who has to recline quite far back to fit in the low cockpit - races along a river at high speeds of 31 mph (50km/h), according to Vietnamese news outlet Tuoi Tre News.

Part of the craft's bottom section is shaped like a conventional flat-bottomed boat which gives the round vessel more directional control.

However, the ride still looks far from smooth as the boat often lurches backwards and leaps out of the water before jolting back down.

The UFO-shaped boat is completed with a coating of grey paint. Mr Ho also installs a series of solar panels on the upper surface to provide power for the doors and lights 

On social media, commenters expressed their amazement at this impressive feat of nautical engineering.

One viewer wrote: 'I am an old retired engineer. I have designed a lot of things in my time, but this is the coolest thing I have ever seen!'

'Never in my life have I seen so much talent in one individual. You are a gift to all mankind. Thank you so much for your inspiration and creativity,' wrote another.

While another enthusiastic commenter wrote: 'You are an alien from the space. That's how you made a boat spaceship from scratch! No human could do what you did!'

The electronic doors of the vessel open with the press of a button and allow the pilot to enter. On the doors, a message reads: 'The universe is vast and life is endless'  

Mr Ho is seen driving his boat at high speeds on a river. There is not a lot of room in the craft but the pilot is able to see through the small windows 

Read More

•  Bombshell UFO hearings coming to US Senate as new video emerges of 'huge' craft near nuclear base 

If you were thinking about getting a UFO boat of your own, the bad news is that Mr Ho says he doesn't make products for commercial sale.

However, in a post on his Facebook fan page translated from Vietnamese Mr Ho writes: 'The works I do are mainly recording videos for entertainment, but anyone who likes to buy then I will sell them to get the money for accessories to invest for new and more interesting videos!'

Referring to an older jet boat, Mr Ho said that it was 'somewhere around 20 million' adding 'If you like it, just message me.'

Assuming that Mr Ho means 20 million Vietnamese Dong, that would be the equivalent of roughly £612 ($814).

Mr Ho is yet to say whether his latest UFO-shaped creation has been sold, so there could still be time to grab yourself a bargain.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

By Adry Torres For Dailymail.com

Hundreds of residents were left in awe when they spotted a mysterious object hovering over their city. 

Normally, such objects are spotted in the dead of night, but this one in the western Mexican city of Guadalajara was in broad daylight last Friday.

'Here comes my flying saucer customer,' Eduardo Chavez, the owner of a rims and tire shop, could be heard saying in the background in one video showing it hovering over his shop that's had 6.3 million views  

'He's coming for rims and tires...  At your service. Take a look at whatever you like.'

An object resembling a UFO was spotted floating around the western Mexican city of Guadalajara last week. A video recording went viral on the TikTok account of a rims and tire shop owner, who invited the 'aliens' over for a visit

A resident in Mexico records the moment an object, which many believed was a UFO, flew through the skies of western city of Guadalajara last week

A second video with more than 1.7 million views showed what appeared to be the same object flying at a lower altitude under a white patch of clouds.

"When I saw it I was impressed but as the minutes went by, I saw it as normal and that's when I made the video," Chavez told DailyMail.com on Thursday.

The wild videos sparked the never-ending conversation of whether life exists outside Earth.

'There is another UFO that passes very fast behind the one that is still,' one TikToker commented. 'You have to pause the video a couple of times till you see it. It's way too fast.'

'Every civilization evolves at the precipice of destruction,' another TikTok user said. 'Maybe the influx in sightings means we're either almost completely wiped out or on the verge of a species wide evolution.'

Eduardo Chávez went viral last week when he recorded what people believe to have been a flying saucer hovering in a neighborhood in the Mexican town of Guadalajara. Chávez used the sighting as a chance to promote his small business, where he sells rims and tires

'There are a few flying around in the clouds in background moving like gravity doesn't exist pulling insane maneuvers!' another person added.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

Mysterious UFO Fragment Said to Levitate Sparks Scientific Investigation

The mysterious specimen caught attention due to its potential ability to cause levitation, sparking curiosity and further investigation.

Ever since humanity began contemplating life beyond Earth, we’ve been captivated by the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations. So when an unusual metallic shard surfaced, rumored to have originated from an alien spacecraft, it sparked widespread curiosity. The mysterious fragment said to have fallen to Earth in 1947 during the infamous Roswell incident, has undergone extensive examination—leading some to believe it could be evidence of alien technology.

While the Roswell event was ultimately attributed to a U.S. Air Force balloon used to monitor Soviet nuclear activities, the debate around the true origins of this metal piece continued for decades. The sample came into the hands of UFO enthusiasts, including Tom DeLonge, former frontman of Blink-182, through his To the Stars Academy. DeLonge’s organization researches unexplained phenomena, and this particular metal shard appeared to have properties that suggested it wasn’t from our planet.

A Closer Look at the Shard: Is It Earthly or Alien?

The strange object is primarily composed of magnesium and zinc, along with small amounts of bismuth and lead. To investigate its origins, the U.S. government’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) tasked the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with conducting a detailed analysis. ORNL, a research institution originally established during WWII, has historically been involved in nuclear energy research, but it also has experience analyzing materials believed to be extraterrestrial.

AARO’s mission was to determine if the object was from Earth or if it could have extraterrestrial roots, specifically whether the shard could act as a terahertz waveguide—a structure that directs electromagnetic waves. This would potentially align with theories suggesting that alien technology could use advanced waveguides for purposes like levitation or propulsion. However, the findings painted a different picture.

Analysis Results

In 2022, ORNL conducted a thorough isotopic analysis of the shard. This method allowed scientists to identify the specific isotopic signatures of the metals in the alloy. By comparing the sample’s magnesium and lead isotopes with known isotopic ranges on Earth, the scientists confirmed that the metal had a terrestrial origin. The isotope ratios of magnesium, unique to Earth’s solar system, indicated that the metal likely formed within our region of space, specifically in a star-forming zone.

Further studies revealed that the shard’s structure had undergone some degree of fractionation, a process where lighter and heavier isotopes separate due to extreme heat or stress during manufacturing. However, the material remained within the range of Earth’s naturally occurring isotopic patterns, strongly suggesting that this fragment wasn’t a product of alien technology.

In fact, the shard’s chemical structure was similar to magnesium alloys commonly used during the post-WWII era. Magnesium alloys were poorly understood at the time, and the unusual mixture of elements in the shard could be the result of early research into creating stronger and lighter aircraft materials.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the analysis centered on the presence of bismuth in the shard. Bismuth is a metal known for its ability to guide terahertz waves, which are emitted by energy sources and can be used in various technologies, including communication devices. In theory, if the bismuth in the shard were pure and layered correctly, it could act as a terahertz waveguide, potentially allowing for the levitation of objects.

However, the bismuth in the shard wasn’t pure—it contained traces of lead and was layered in a way that disrupted its ability to function as a proper waveguide. This key finding reduced the likelihood that the shard was extraterrestrial in origin.

The Verdict: A Fascinating but Earthly Find

After months of speculation and analysis, ORNL concluded that the shard was likely created on Earth. According to the report, the object was “manufactured terrestrially, albeit with an uncommon mixture of elements.” Despite the unusual properties and composition, the shard does not exhibit any biosignatures or technosignatures that would suggest it was alien in origin.

To the Stars Academy has since issued a statement acknowledging the findings but also expressing their desire for further investigation. The organization pointed out that while the reports confirm the material’s terrestrial origin, some anomalies remain unexplained. As a result, they are eager to continue their research in collaboration with ORNL.

While this particular shard may not be the smoking gun for alien technology, the investigation represents a significant step forward in understanding unexplained phenomena. Every time scientists rule out terrestrial origins for strange objects, it narrows down the possibilities, bringing us closer to discovering what truly lies beyond our planet.

Speculation about alien life has long captivated our imaginations, and while this shard likely belongs to Earth, it doesn’t mean the search for extraterrestrial technology is over. As science advances, so too will our ability to investigate the mysteries of the universe with greater precision. The search continues, and with each investigation, we get one step closer to unlocking the secrets of the cosmos.

What do you think? Could future discoveries finally give us the answers we seek about extraterrestrial life?

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

Planetary Scientists Create Global Map of Volcanic Hotspots on Io

Io is the most volcanically active body in the Solar System. Io’s volcanoes are powered by both the extreme tides from Jupiter and the gravitational interactions between it and Jupiter’s other moons. These tides generate friction inside Io. Using data from an infrared camera on NASA’s Juno orbiter called the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM), planetary researchers at Cornell University have mapped where Io’s volcanoes are producing the most power and compared that to where scientists expect higher heat flow from the interior models. They found that Io has active volcanoes at its poles that may help to regulate tidal heating in its magma interior.

These are maps of the global volcanic flux on Io in an equirectangular projection, showing the averaged volcanic flux in milliwatts per square meter per steradian (the most common units for volcanic flux on Io). The top is on a linear scale while the bottom is on a logarithmic color scale. The colored bars and the line plots beside each map show the average flux projected horizontally (to the right of each map) and the average flux projected vertically (below each map) to show trends in flux by latitude and longitude.

Image credit: Pettine et al., doi: 10.1029/2023GL105782.

Io, the innermost Galilean moon of Jupiter and the most volcanically active body in the Solar System, is a unique resource for studying volcanism outside Earth and tidally-generated volcanism.

Despite its importance in the development of the worlds of the outer Solar System (and beyond), tidal heating remains relatively unconstrained.

In fact, the existence of volcanism powered entirely through extreme tidal forces and strong orbital resonances was only proposed and discovered in the last five decades.

“Tidal heating plays an important role in the heating and orbital evolution of celestial bodies,” said Cornell University’s Professor Alex Hayes.

“It provides the warmth necessary to form and sustain subsurface oceans in the moons around giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn.”

“Studying the inhospitable landscape of Io’s volcanoes actually inspires science to look for life,” said Madeline Pettine, a doctoral student at Cornell University.

By examining the JIRAM data from 11 Juno orbits, the authors found that Io has active volcanoes at its poles that may help to regulate tidal heating in its magma interior.

“I’m trying to match the pattern of volcanoes on Io and the heat flow that they’re producing with the heat flow we expected from theoretical models,” Pettine said.

This image from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft shows a volcanic explosion on Io.

Image credit: NASA / JPL / University of Arizon.

Using a mathematical equation called spherical harmonic decomposition, a way of understanding round objects, the researchers broke down Juno’s flyby maps to establish complex volcanic surface patterns.

They found a surprising number of active volcanoes at Io’s poles, as opposed to the more-common equatorial regions.

“I’m not solving tidal heating with this one paper. However, if you think about icy moons in the outer Solar System, other moons like Jupiter’s Europa, or Saturn’s Titan and Enceladus, they’re the places that if we’re going to find life in the Solar System, it will be one of those places,” Pettine said.

“The interior liquid water oceans in the icy moons may be kept liquefied by tidal heating.”

“We need to know how the heat is being generated. It’s easier to study tidal heating on a volcanic world rather than peering through a kilometers-thick ice shell that’s keeping the heat covered up.”

According to the scientists, both pole regions of Io have active volcanoes.

In the north, a cluster of four volcanoes — Asis, Zal, Tonatiuh, one unnamed and an independent one named Loki — were highly active and persistent with a long history of space mission and ground-based observations.

A southern group, the volcanoes Kanehekili, Uta and Laki-Oi demonstrated strong activity.

The long-lived quartet of northern volcanoes concurrently became bright and seemed to respond to one another.

“They all got bright and then dim at a comparable pace,” Pettine said.

“It’s interesting to see volcanoes and seeing how they respond to each other.”

• The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
• M. Pettine et al. 2024. JIRAM Observations of Volcanic Flux on Io: Distribution and Comparison to Tidal Heat Flow Models. Geophysical Research Letters 51 (17): e2023GL105782; doi: 10.1029/2023GL105782
• https://youtu.be/oHpxCGeXU3c
  
• https://youtu.be/keGIesBlsFI

{ https://www.sci.news/ }

Grotschildering zou geïnspireerd kunnen zijn op het fossiel van een bizar wezen dat 250 miljoen jaar geleden uitstierf

door Janine

Plose One

Een Afrikaanse grotschildering kan volgens een nieuwe studie een uitgestorven wezen voorstellen dat miljoenen jaren voor ons leefde. Dit is wat het volgens de onderzoekers zou zijn.

Het uitgestorven dier geschilderd door de San

PLOSE ONE

Op een rotswand in het Karoo-bekken, in Zuid-Afrika, is een vreemd dier afgebeeld met naar beneden gerichte slagtanden, blauw gekleurd. Deze rotskunst is tussen 1821 en 1835 gemaakt door de inheemse San-bevolking.

Archeologen vroegen zich bij het bekijken van de tekening af of het het resultaat was van de fantasie en dus een mythologisch wezen voorstelde, maar een nieuwe studie beweert het antwoord te hebben gevonden: de tekening zou in werkelijkheid geïnspireerd kunnen zijn door een soort die daadwerkelijk bestond en 250 miljoen jaar geleden uitstierf, lang vóór de mens.

Als dit inderdaad het geval zou zijn, zou dit betekenen dat de stammen van zuidelijk Afrika over meer geavanceerde paleontologische kennis beschikten dan we ons konden voorstellen. Maar wat is het prehistorische dier dat de San inspireerde?

De inheemse San waren mogelijk geïnspireerd door de Dicynodontia

Viliam Simko/Wikimedia commons - CC BY-SA 4.0

Julien Benoit van het Evolutionary Studies Institute, Universiteit van de Witwatersrand, die het onderzoek uitvoerde, is van mening dat het afgebeelde dier is geïnspireerd op het fossiel van de dicynodontia, een zeer robuust plantenetend dier dat in Zuid-Afrika leefde. De grotschildering, die “het paneel met de hoornslang” wordt genoemd, lijkt op geen enkele andere hedendaagse diersoort.

Hoewel hij misschien op een walrus lijkt, leeft deze laatste dichtbij de Noordpool en zeker niet in zuidelijk Afrika. Zelfs als het een figuur is die voortkomt uit de verbeelding van het San-volk, komen mythologische wezens gewoonlijk voort uit de werkelijkheid en halen ze inspiratie uit feitelijk bestaande dieren. Om deze reden geloven onderzoekers dat er concreet bewijs is dat het San-volk erin geslaagd is om fossielen van de dicynodontia te identificeren en deze tijdens lange reizen van de ene plek naar de andere te verplaatsen. Bovendien zijn experts van mening dat verschillende uitgestorven diersoorten opdoken in de cultuur van deze stam.

Dicynodontia uit Zuid-Afrika, een regendier?

In 1905 werd in een verslag dat in de studie wordt genoemd, verwezen naar de woorden van de San bosjesmannen die beschreven hoe hun voorouders omgingen met “enorme monsterachtige beesten, groter dan de olifant of het nijlpaard”. De dicynodontia dateren echter van ver voor het verschijnen van de mens, dus deze mensen waren zich bewust van het bestaan van uitgestorven wezens in de oudheid. Hoewel dit slechts een veronderstelling is, stelt Benoit dat “het dier met de slagtanden op het paneel met de gehoornde slang waarschijnlijk werd afgebeeld als een regendier, wat betekent dat het waarschijnlijk betrokken was bij ceremonies waarbij dit atmosferische fenomeen een rol speelde”.

De San komen namelijk tijdens rituelen om regen aan te trekken in een geestestoestand die hen in staat stelt om een andere dimensie te bereiken om regendieren te pakken en naar onze wereld te brengen. “Door een soort als de dicynodontia te kiezen, waarvan ze wisten dat hij uitgestorven was, hoopten ze waarschijnlijk dat dit regendier meer kracht zou hebben om als brug tussen de twee werelden te fungeren.”

Al met al is de inheemse kennis van het verleden veel nauwkeuriger dan werd vermoed, als je bedenkt dat de wetenschappelijke erkenning van de dicynodontia dateert van 1840, een paar jaar nadat de rotskunst werd gemaakt.

{ https://www.curioctopus.nl/ }

Scientists analyse the 'alien song' coming from the Mariana Trench - and finally reveal the truth about the mysterious noises

• READ MORE: Listen to mysterious 'alien song' heard deep in the Mariana trench 

By Shivali Best For Mailonline 

The Mariana Trench is one of the most mysterious places on Earth.

Measuring almost seven miles (37,000ft) deep, the trench sits on the floor of the Pacific Ocean and is so difficult to reach that just a handful of people have ventured down there.

So it's no surprise that unusual sounds coming from the Mariana Trench sparked fears of an alien invasion when they were first recorded back in 2014.

Lasting between 2.5 and 3.5 seconds, the noises were dubbed 'biotwangs', yet their source was unknown.

Ten years later, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have reanalysed the sounds - and believe they've finally revealed the truth.

The eerie noises were first recorded in 2014 by underwater gliders, which were being used to carry out acoustic surveys of the trench.

Lasting between 2.5 and 3.5 seconds, the five-part sounds included deep moans at frequencies as low as 38 hertz and a finale that pushed as high as 8,000 hertz.

Researchers were initially baffled by the noises.

However, in 2016, a team from Oregon State University (OSU) suggested that they could be a new type of previously unheard baleen whale call.

Speaking at the time, Sharon Nieukirk, senior faculty research assistant in marine bioacoustics at Oregon State, said: 'It's very distinct, with all these crazy parts.

'The low-frequency moaning part is typical of baleen whales, and it's that kind of twangy sound that makes it really unique. 

'We don't find many new baleen whale calls.'

Now, scientists have reanalysed the noises using a combination of visual and acoustic survey data – and their findings suggest that the OSU team wasn't far off.

Measuring almost seven miles (37,000ft) deep, the Mariana Trench sits on the floor of the Pacific Ocean and is so difficult to reach that just a handful of people have ventured down there

The eerie noises were first recorded in 2014 by underwater gliders, which were being used to carry out acoustic surveys of the trench. Lasting between 2.5 and 3.5 seconds, the five-part sounds included deep moans at frequencies as low as 38 hertz and a finale that pushed as high as 8,000 hertz

Rather than being produced by baleen whales, the new study suggests that Bryde's whales are responsible.

In a study published in the Frontiers in Marine Science journal, the team, led by Dr Ann Allen, explained: 'It was assumed to be produced by a baleen whale, but without visual verification it was impossible to assign a species.

'Using a combination of visual and acoustic survey data collected in the Mariana Archipelago, we determined that Biotwangs are produced by Bryde's whales.'

Bryde's whales can be found around the world in warm, temperate oceans including the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific.

Bryde's whales can be found around the world in warm, temperate oceans including the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific

The unusual sounds coming from the Mariana Trench sparked fears of an alien invasion when they were first recorded back in 2014

The researchers spotted ten of the whales swimming in the area, and even recorded nine making the distinctive noises.

However, to prove these whales were indeed the source, the team turned to artificial intelligence.

'We used a combination of manual and machine learning annotation methods to detect Biotwangs in our extensive historical passive acoustic monitoring datasets collected across the central and western North Pacific,' they explained in the study.

'We identified a consistent seasonal presence of Biotwangs in the Mariana Archipelago and to the east at Wake Island, with occasional occurrence as far away as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and near the equator (Howland Island).'

The team still doesn't know why the whales' calls are so unusual, or why they're being made in the first place. 

However, speaking to Popular Science, Dr Allen suggested: 'It's possible that they use the biotwang as a contact call, a sort of "Marco Polo" of the ocean. 

'But we need more information before we can say for sure.'

{https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

Natuurwonderen die per toeval zijn ontstaan

©Shutterstock

Natuurwonderen die per toeval zijn ontstaan
De trekpleisters die je in deze galerij zult zien, zijn natuurlijke wonderen die puur per toeval zijn ontstaan, hetzij door toedoen van de mens, hetzij door niet vaak voorkomende natuurverschijnselen. Het zijn ware pareltjes waar toeristen van over de hele wereld versteld van staan.

©Shutterstock

Dark Hedges (Noord-Ierland)
Deze prachtige weg met beukenbomen is wereldwijd de enige in zijn soort. Dit sprookjesachtige natuurwonder ligt langs Bregagh Road, een weg tussen de dorpjes Armoy en Stranocum in Noord-Ierland.

©Shutterstock

Dark Hedges (Noord-Ierland)
De bomen werden een paar jaar geleden door een familie geplant, met als doel om de weg naar hun landhuis te versieren. Dat leidde tot dit bijzondere natuurwonder.

©Shutterstock

Fly Geyser (Verenigde Staten)
Deze buitengewone natuurlijke bezienswaardigheid in Nevada (Verenigde Staten) ontstond in 1916 per toeval tijdens het boren van waterputten.

©Shutterstock

Fly Geyser (Verenigde Staten)
Pas in de jaren zestig, toen er werd gezocht naar bronnen van geothermische energie, begon de geiser een hete vloeistof vol met opgeloste mineralen en bacteriën de lucht in te spuiten.

©iStock

Fly Geyser (Verenigde Staten)
Dit rode en groene wonder is vandaag de dag een van de bijzonderste natuurverschijnselen ter wereld. Zijn zeldzame vorm maakt hem buiten gewoon mooi.

©Shutterstock

Blue Pond (Japan)
Deze kunstmatige lagune ligt vlak bij het dorp Biei, gelegen op het eiland Hokkaido. Hij ontstond door werkzaamheden aan de Biei-rivier, die werden uitgevoerd na de uitbarsting van de Tokachi-vulkaan in 1988. Het doel was om de stad te beschermen tegen vulkanische modderstromen.

©Shutterstock

Blue Pond (Japan)
De lagune heeft waarschijnlijk zijn kleur te danken aan de toevallige aanwezigheid van colloïdaal aluminiumhydroxide in het water.

©iStock

Blue Pond (Japan)
De dorre, bewegingloze bomen en de kleur van het water geven de plek zowel in de winter als in de zomer een magische sfeer.

©Shutterstock

Tunnel of Love (Oekraïne)
Deze indrukwekkende, zeven kilometer lange tunnel is door de natuur ontstaan en wordt door de inwoners van het Oekraïense plaatsje Klevan 'de tunnel van de liefde' genoemd.

©iStock

Tunnel of Love (Oekraïne)
De plek is vooral onder koppels een trekpleister geworden. Volgens de legende bewijzen ze dat ze elkaars ware liefde zijn wanneer ze hand in hand door de tunnel lopen.

©Shutterstock

Tunnel of Love (Oekraïne)
De tunnel is eigenlijk een spoorlijn. Hoewel het niet vaak voorkomt, rijdt er af en toe nog steeds een trein doorheen.

©Shutterstock

Ruskeala (Rusland)
Ruskeala is een plattelandsdorpje in de Russische deelrepubliek Karelië, waar zich ook beroemde marmergroeven bevinden

©Shutterstock

Ruskeala (Rusland)
Ongeveer 250 jaar geleden stortte een groot deel van een van de groeven in en het gebied eromheen kwam onder water te staan, wat ze gevormd heeft tot hoe ze nu zijn. Sindsdien kan dit natuurwonder bezocht worden door toeristen van over de hele wereld.

©Shutterstock

Krater van Derweze (Turkmenistan)
Deze mysterieuze krater, die plaatselijk bekend staat als 'de poort naar de hel', werd per ongeluk gecreëerd door Sovjet-geologen. Ze staken hem in brand om de verspreiding van methaangas te voorkomen.

©iStock

Krater van Derweze (Turkmenistan)
De krater is sinds 1971 blijven branden en wordt gevoed door rijke aardgasvoorraden die zich in het gebied bevinden.

©Shutterstock

Krater van Derweze (Turkmenistan)
De oranje vlammen hebben een diameter van ongeveer 70 meter en veroorzaken een sterke zwavelachtige geur. Het verschijnsel maakt indruk op toeristen van over de hele wereld en blijft voor geologen een mysterie.

©Shutterstock

Las Médulas (Spanje)
Dit verbazingwekkende berglandschap is een historische locatie waar goud werd gewonnen. Het was de grootste bovengrondse goudmijn in het hele Romeinse Rijk.

©Shutterstock

Las Médulas (Spain)
Dit fascinerende landschap is tot op de dag van vandaag intact gebleven.

©Shutterstock

Ojos del Salar (Chili)
Deze twee indrukwekkende lagunes in het zoutmeer Salar de Atacama zijn ontstaan door een door mensen uitgevoerd geologisch onderzoek.

©Shutterstock

Ojos del Salar (Chili)
Het resultaat was dit buitengewone natuurwonder, dat toeristen van over de hele wereld boeit.

©Shutterstock

Hamilton Pool (Verenigde Staten)
Bij de Hamilton Pool was er geen sprake menselijk handelen, maar van het werk van de natuur. Hij ontstond duizenden jaren geleden, toen het dak van een grot instortte als gevolg van grootschalige erosie.

©Shutterstock

Hamilton Pool (Verenigde Staten)
Het gevolg was een ware oase van kristalhelder water en prachtige vegetatie, die toeristen van over de hele wereld trekt. De Hamilton Pool ligt in de buurt van Austin (Verenigde Staten).

©Shutterstock

To Sua Ocean Trench (Samoa)
Dit mooie 'zwemgat' is ontstaan ​​als gevolg van watererosie. Het is een magische plek die toeristen uit alle hoeken van de wereld lokt.

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Great Blue Hole (Belize)
Dit schitterende 'blauwe gat' is een enorme onderwatergrot. De perfect gevormde cirkel is iets meer dan 300 meter breed en 124 meter diep. Hij ontstond tienduizenden jaren geleden, toen de zeespiegel veel lager was dan nu.

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Zhangye Danxia (China)
Deze bijzondere, kleurrijke rotsformaties, die uit zandsteen en andere mineralen bestaan, ontstonden meer dan 24 miljoen jaar geleden.

©Shutterstock

Zhangye Danxia (China)
Deze kleurrijke bergen behoren tot de mooiste natuurwonderen ter wereld.

©Shutterstock

Bryce Canyon (Verenigde Staten)
Bryce Canyon is een groot 'natuurlijk amfitheater' dat is ontstaan ​​door de schurende werking van wind, water en ijs.

©iStock

Bryce Canyon (Verenigde Staten)
Het is een waar natuurwonder waar toeristen van over de hele wereld versteld van staan.

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Pamukkale (Turkije)
De kalkterrassen bij Pamukkale zijn het resultaat van warmwaterbronnen die eronder liggen. De bronnen stootten calciumcarbonaat uit dat later hard werd, waardoor uiteindelijk deze terrassen ontstonden.

©Shutterstock

Pamukkale (Turkije)
Deze gigantische bassins met water, dat van een helling afloopt, liggen in de buurt van Denizli en zijn een van de meest bijzondere bezienswaardigheden van Turkije.

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Earth Had Ring System 466 Million Years Ago, New Research Suggests

Breakup of an asteroid passing within Earth’s Roche limit likely formed the debris ring during the middle Ordovician period, according to new research from Monash University.

Tomkins et al. suggest that a large chondrite asteroid had a near miss encounter with Earth 466 million years ago, which caused it to break up as it passed through Earth’s Roche limit.

All large planets in our Solar System have rings, and it has been suggested that Mars may have had a ring in the past.

This raises the question of whether our home planet also had a ring system in the past.

In new research, Monash University’s Professor Andy Tomkins and his colleagues examined the positions of 21 asteroid impact craters from a 40-million-year period of enhanced meteor impact cratering known as the Ordovician impact spike.

All these craters are located within 30 degrees of the equator, despite over 70% of Earth’s continental crust being outside this region, an anomaly that conventional theories cannot explain.

The researchers believe this localized impact pattern was produced after a large asteroid had a close encounter with Earth.

As the asteroid passed within Earth’s Roche limit, it broke apart due to tidal forces, forming a debris ring around the planet — similar to the rings seen around Saturn and other gas giants today.

“Over millions of years, material from this ring gradually fell to Earth, creating the spike in meteorite impacts observed in the geological record,” Professor Tomkins said.

“We also see that layers in sedimentary rocks from this period contain extraordinary amounts of meteorite debris.”

“What makes this finding even more intriguing is the potential climate implications of such a ring system,” he said.

The researchers speculate that the ring could have cast a shadow on Earth, blocking sunlight and contributing to a significant global cooling event known as the Hirnantian Icehouse.

This period, which occurred near the end of the Ordovician, is recognized as one of the coldest in the last 500 million years of Earth’s history.

“The idea that a ring system could have influenced global temperatures adds a new layer of complexity to our understanding of how extraterrestrial events may have shaped Earth’s climate,” Professor Tomkins said.

“The existence of such a ring, forming around 466 million years ago and persisting for a few tens of millions of years, could explain several puzzles in our planet’s past,” lead author Andrew G. Tomkins, a geologist at Monash University in Australia, writes in the Conversation.

• The team’s findings appear in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
• Andrew G. Tomkins et al. 2024. Evidence suggesting that Earth had a ring in the Ordovician. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 646: 118991; doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118991

{ https://www.sci.news/ }