What are the chances of four iconic landmarks being struck by lightning on the same day?  

On December 31, 2024, an extraordinary series of lightning strikes hit four major landmarks: the U.S. Capitol Building and the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., along with the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center in New York City. 

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

02-01-2025 om 21:07 geschreven door peter  

Why do rich, bored people report more UFO sightings?

Study shows that UFO sightings are more common in wealthy areas and everywhere during economic downturns.

UFO: Are UFO sightings for the rich and bored?

Photo by Lucas Pezeta via Pexels

By Zachy Hennessey

With global interest in UFOs at an all-time high, particularly in the United States where mysterious drone sightings have been driving everyone crazy, two Israeli researchers have uncovered fascinating patterns in who reports these mysterious sightings — and when. 

Their study, published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, reveals that UFO reports might tell us less about what’s in the sky and more about what’s happening on the ground, particularly in our bank accounts.

Ohad Raveh from Hebrew University and Nathan Goldstein from Bar-Ilan University were trying to solve an interesting puzzle: How can we measure what the public is paying attention to in different places and at different times? This is important for understanding the economy, but it’s difficult to measure.

They looked at years of data cataloguing recorded sightings of UFOs — or as they refer to them, UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomena). 

Their assumption was that when people report seeing something strange in the sky, they’re clearly paying attention to their surroundings. The researchers thought this could be a useful way to measure public attention.

“ We set out to understand what the association is between attention given to the sky and attention given to the economy,” explains Raveh.

Two contradictory findings?

The researchers analyzed thousands of reports from the National UFO Reporting Center in the United States and discovered that more wealthy areas consistently report more UFO sightings than less wealthy regions.

Raveh and Goldstein initially believed that this phenomenon could be explained by understanding attention as a hierarchical system: you give attention to the most pressing issues before you worry about other things.

“Once you give attention to the fundamental things, then you may give attention to things that are more luxurious,” Raveh elaborates. “Attention to the economy is a fundamental thing, because in the end that’s what brings food to your table. But once you attend to that, then you have more time on your hands to start looking at the sky.”

So, because people who are more financially secure can let their minds (and eyes) wander from their budgets, they’re more likely to see UAPs, right?

However, that theory runs into some turbulence when considering the second pattern they uncovered during their research: Across the board, both poor and wealthy areas saw an increase in UFO sightings during economic downturns – a pattern that caught the researchers by surprise.

“ We thought that the two types of attention would be substitutable. Because attention is a limited resource, and if you give attention to, say, the sky, that would be at the expense of other types of attention that you can give to other factors like the economy,” says Raveh. “But apparently it doesn’t work like that.”

To summarize: Wealthy areas generally report more UFOs than poor areas, but when any area hits hard economic times, UFO reports increase. 

It’s all about attention

This apparent contradiction makes sense when you realize UFO reports are really measuring how much attention people are paying to their surroundings.

Wealthy people generally have more free time and mental space to notice unusual things in the sky. But during economic downturns, people everywhere have more time on their hands (often due to job losses or reduced work hours) and thus spot more UFOs.

This interpretation is supported by what the researchers saw during Covid lockdowns: When people were forcibly given more free time (even if they weren’t necessarily experiencing economic hardship), UFO sightings increased.

Overall, the research findings serve as strong evidence that UFO/UAP sightings serve as a reliable indicator of public attention patterns, which opens new possibilities for understanding how public attention influences economic outcomes.

Only one question remains, though — have the researchers seen any UFOs themselves?

“ I wish!” jokes Raveh. “Actually, since we started to work, I’ve tried to give more attention to the skies. But I haven’t seen anything, unfortunately. I hope they visit Israel sometime.”

{ https://www.israel21c.org/ }

02-01-2025 om 20:44 geschreven door peter  

Scientists SOLVE the mystery of 'alien' signal received from outer space

• READ MORE:  Dark energy mystery is finally SOLVED by radical new theory 

By WILIAM HUNTER

Scientists have finally discovered the mysterious origins of an 'alien' signal received from outer space.

In 2022, a radio telescope detected a burst of energy coming from a galaxy about 200 million light-years from Earth.

Although the burst only lasted milliseconds, it contained enough energy to outshine entire galaxies and was theorised to have been a signal from an advanced alien civilisation. 

Now, scientists from MIT have discovered that this 'fast radio burst' (FRB) originated from a small area extremely close to a rotating neutron star, the ultra-dense remains of a dead sun.

The researchers argue that the burst must have come from the layer of powerful magnetic fields surrounding the star known as the magnetosphere.

Although thousands of FRBs have been detected, this is the first time that astronomers have been able to pin down the origin of one of these mysterious signals.

Co-author Professor Kiyoshi Masui says: 'Around these highly magnetic neutron stars, also known as magnetars, atoms can't exist — they would just get torn apart by the magnetic fields.

'The exciting thing here is, we find that the energy stored in those magnetic fields, close to the source, is twisting and reconfiguring such that it can be released as radio waves that we can see halfway across the universe.'

Scientists have revealed the origin of a mysterious 'fast radio burst' signal (illustrated) which arrived from space in 2022. Although the signal only lasted two milliseconds it briefly outshone some galaxies 

Neutron stars are formed when a star about seven to 19 times the size of our sun explodes in a violent supernova, leaving behind a dense core of compressed matter.

Although they are only a few miles wide, these alien stars contain up to twice as much matter as the sun.

These stellar cores are so dense that a sugar cube-sized chunk of neutron star material would weigh one billion tonnes on Earth - making them the densest objects we can directly observe.

Surrounding these strange worlds are violent magnetic fields which can be trillions of times stronger than those surrounding the Earth.

Since the first FRB was spotted in 2007, researchers have detected thousands of these brief but intense bursts everywhere from our own galaxy to 8 billion light-years away.

Although these bursts don't contain enough energy to be dangerous, they have presented scientists with a perplexing mystery.  

Some scientists have suggested that these could be created by the powerful magnetic fields surrounding distant neutron stars - but not all astronomers agree.

Lead researcher Dr Kenzie Nimmo says: 'In these environments of neutron stars, the magnetic fields are really at the limits of what the universe can produce.

Researchers believe this powerful signal originated from within the magnetic fields surrounding a neutron star, the ultra-dense remains of a dead star. As this burst passed through gases in another galaxy it split into multiple paths (illustrated) causing the signal to flicker in brightness

The signal was detected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (pictured). By looking at how the signal flickered, researchers calculated that it must have emerged from a region no larger than 10,000 km (6,200 miles) across 

'There's been a lot of debate about whether this bright radio emission could even escape from that extreme plasma.'

Some models suggest that the bursts of energy are formed in the turbulent magnetosphere while others argue that they originate from much farther out as part of a shockwave coming from the star itself.

In their study, published in Nature, the researchers focused on a radio pulse spotted in 2022 by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME).

Using four large radio receivers shaped like half pipes, scientists detected a two-millisecond pulse which was named FRB 20221022A.

Based on the highly polarised light that the FRB produced, the researchers worked out that its source is very likely to be rotating - something that has been seen in fast-spinning neutron stars called pulsars.

But to figure out exactly where FRB 20221022A originated, Dr Nimmo and her co-authors looked at a property called 'scintillation'.

If you see a star in the night sky from Earth, it appears to twinkle or 'scintillate' because the light from the star is filtered through gasses in the atmosphere.

Yet this effect doesn't just affect stargazers since light from any small, bright source will be bent as it passes through an obstruction like the gasses surrounding a galaxy.

The researchers argue that the burst would have come from the magnetic fields within hundreds of thousands of kilometres of a neutron star. This is the first evidence that a neutron star's magnetosphere (illustrated) is capable of releasing a fast radio burst.

The smaller and farther away the source of light is the more it scintillates, which is why planets like Jupiter and Mars don't appear to twinkle when you see them.

If the FRB originated from a shockwave tens of millions of kilometres from the neutron star the area of origin would be so large that researchers wouldn't expect to see any scintillation at all.

But when Dr Nimmo and her colleagues analysed the energy from FRB 20221022A they saw that the mysterious flash was twinkling like a star in the sky. 

Dr Nimmo says: 'This means that the FRB is probably within hundreds of thousands of kilometres from the source.'

By identifying the gas cloud that the flash must have passed through, the researchers were able to zoom in on its origin within unprecedented accuracy.

Although the FRB emerged from a galaxy more than ten times the distance to our nearest neighbouring galaxy, the researchers found that its source was an area just 10,000km (6,200 miles) wide.

For comparison, that is equivalent to the distance from Edinburgh to Cape Town, South Africa.

Professor Masui says: 'Zooming in to a 10,000-kilometer region, from a distance of 200 million light years, is like being able to measure the width of a DNA helix, which is about 2 nanometers wide, on the surface of the moon.'

FAST RADIO BURSTS ARE BRIEF RADIO EMISSIONS FROM SPACE WHOSE ORIGIN IS UNKNOWN

Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are radio emissions that appear temporarily and randomly, making them not only hard to find, but also hard to study.

The mystery stems from the fact it is not known what could produce such a short and sharp burst.

This has led some to speculate they could be anything from stars colliding to artificially created messages.

Scientists searching for fast radio bursts (FRBs) that some believe may be signals sent from aliens may be happening every second. The blue points in this artist's impression of the filamentary structure of galaxies are signals from FRBs

The first FRB was spotted, or rather 'heard' by radio telescopes, back in 2001 but wasn't discovered until 2007 when scientists were analysing archival data.

But it was so temporary and seemingly random that it took years for astronomers to agree it wasn't a glitch in one of the telescope's instruments. 

Researchers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics point out that FRBs can be used to study the structure and evolution of the universe whether or not their origin is fully understood.

A large population of faraway FRBs could act as probes of material across gigantic distances. 

This intervening material blurs the signal from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the left over radiation from the Big Bang. 

A careful study of this intervening material should give an improved understanding of basic cosmic constituents, such as the relative amounts of ordinary matter, dark matter and dark energy, which affect how rapidly the universe is expanding.

FRBs can also be used to trace what broke down the 'fog' of hydrogen atoms that pervaded the early universe into free electrons and protons, when temperatures cooled down after the Big Bang. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

02-01-2025 om 18:34 geschreven door peter  

Mars from 2020.

Credit: Andrew Symes

The atmosphere of Mars is thin and made up mostly of carbon dioxide (about 95%.) There are traces of nitrogen, argon, and oxygen too. This sparse atmosphere is only about 1% the density of Earth’s and is unable to support human life without significant technological aid. Despite its thinness, the Martian atmosphere is active, and one of its most fascinating phenomena is the occurrence of dust devils. These swirling columns of dust and air are similar to tornadoes on Earth.

Dust devils are created when the surface heats up and causes warm air to rise rapidly, drawing in dust particles into a rotating column. They can range in size from small, harmless whirlwinds to massive, kilometer-wide spirals that can last for hours. Dust devils on Mars are important for scientists because they help to redistribute dust across the planet’s surface, driving its weather patterns and even the Martian climate. 

A fascinating phenomenon but a friend and foe to machines on the surface of the red planet; they can both deposit and clear particles of dust from solar panels and other instruments. The swirling nature of these vortex weather events can lift up the fine dust particles, carry them across the Martian surface and over time, they can accumulate on surfaces. When depositing on solar panels, the effect can reduce the efficiency by blocking sunlight, and reduce power output. Their strong winds though can act as cleaners by scrubbing the panels clean. 

An image recently released by NASA JPL shows dust devils tracking across the surface of Mars. Teams of astronomers are studying their fading tracks to calculate the rate of deposition of dust over time. Gaining a better ujnderstanding of this helps to safeguard future space misssions. 

Source : 

• The Art of Dust Devils

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

02-01-2025 om 18:05 geschreven door peter  

This idea is supported by the fact that there is a correlation between the spectral category of TNOs and their orbital types. For example, cold classical TNOs with orbits at the outer edge of the planetary disk are mostly cliff-type TNOs.

The team was also able to connect TNOs to another type of planetoid known as centaurs, which orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Saturn. While the spectra of centaurs differ significantly from those of TNOs, there are enough similar features to identify many centaurs as part of a particular TNO type. The centaur Thereus matches the bowl-type category, for example. On the other hand, some centaurs, such as Okyrhoe don’t fall into any TNO category. This supports the idea that many centaur planetoids were TNOs that migrated inward over time, while others are likely comets that became centaurs after a close approach with Jupiter or Saturn.

In the future, the team would like to gather even more detailed spectra of TNOs. This could tell us the specific histories of each TNO category and how they connect to the early evolution of our solar system.

Reference: 

• Pinilla-Alonso, Noemí, et al. “A JWST/DiSCo-TNOs portrait of the primordial Solar System through its trans-Neptunian objects.” Nature Astronomy (2024): 1-15.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

02-01-2025 om 17:41 geschreven door peter  

Dark energy is central to our modern understanding of cosmology. In the standard model, dark energy is what drives the expansion of the Universe. In general relativity, it’s described by a cosmological constant, making dark energy part of the structure of space and time. But as we’ve gathered more observational evidence, there are a few problems with our model. For one, the rate of cosmic expansion we observe depends on the observational method we use, known as the Hubble tension problem. For another, while we assume dark energy is uniform throughout the cosmos, there are some hints suggesting that might not be true. Now a new study argues we’ve got the whole thing wrong. Dark energy, the authors argue, doesn’t exist.

Let’s start with what we know. When we look out across the billions of light-years of cosmic space, we see that matter is clumped into galaxies, and those galaxies are groups into clusters so that the Universe has clumps of matter separated by great voids. On a small scale, this means that the distribution of matter is uneven. But as we go to larger scales, say a billion light-years or so, the average distribution of matter evens out. On a large scale, the cosmos is homogeneous and not biased in a particular direction. This means we can broadly describe the Universe as the same everywhere. This is known as the principle of homogeneity. By applying this principle to cosmic expansion, we can model the Universe by the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) metric, where dark energy is a cosmological constant.

Opponents of the standard model argue that the principle can’t be applied to cosmic expansion. Some even argue that the basic principles of general relativity can’t be applied on cosmic scales. In one such model, known as the Timescape model, it’s argued that dark energy would violate the principle of equivalence. Since the principle equates inertial energy and gravitational energy, there is no way to distinguish cosmic expansion as a real effect. Furthermore, since we know that gravitational fields affect the rate of time, the Timescape model argues that the Universe can’t be homogeneous in time. Basically, the model argues that within the gravitational well of a galactic cluster, clocks would run more slowly than they would within the vast empty cosmic voids. Over the billions of years of cosmic history, this difference would build up, creating a variance of time throughout the Universe. It is this time divergence that would give the appearance of cosmic expansion.

In this latest study, the authors use the Pantheon+ dataset of Type Ia supernovae to see if it better fits the standard cosmological model or the Timescape model. The main difference between the two models is that cosmic expansion must be uniform in the standard model, while in the Timescape model, cosmic expansion can’t be uniform. What the team found was that while the Pantheon+ supports both models, the data is a slightly better fit to the Timescape model. In other words, the best fit of the data suggests that dark energy is an illusion, but the fit is not strong enough to disprove the standard model.

If future observations continue to support the Timescape model, it would revolutionize our understanding of the Universe. But there are reasons to be cautious. To begin with, the Timescape model is only one of many proposed alternatives to the standard model, which this study doesn’t address. The Timescape model also has some internal issues of its own that would need to be resolved to become the new cosmological model. But it is clear now that we can’t ignore the fact that the standard model may be wrong. We are entering an exciting period of astronomy where our knowledge of the Universe will increase significantly in the near future.

Reference: 

• Seifert, Antonia, et al. “Supernovae evidence for foundational change to cosmological models.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters 537.1 (2025): L55-L60.

RELATED VIDEOS

What is Dark Energy?

Final Supernova Results Dark Energy Survey's Groundbreaking Insights!

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

02-01-2025 om 17:20 geschreven door peter  

This location has advantages and disadvantages – the Moon’s disk is much smaller than the Earth’s, so LUMIO could capture the entire hemisphere and watch for any impacts on the lunar surface. It’s important to note that most of the impacts would indeed be on the surface itself, since the lunar atmosphere is negligible in terms of providing energy for a micrometeoroid to burn up before impact. That is why the Moon is pockmarked with so many craters.

LUMIO CubeSat operative orbit.

Credits: ASI/LUMIO Collaboration

Overview of LUMIO mission.

Credits: LUMIO collaboration

LUMIO mission upgraded roadmap. Last week the European Space Agency approved the next stage of the Lunar Meteoroid Impacts Observer (LUMIO) CubeSat mission, which means it could be ready for launch as early as 2027.

Credits: ASI/LUMIO Collaboration

Also, while it’s commonly referred to as the “dark side” of the Moon, the far side is lit up half the time – and fully lit when we down on the planet experience a “new Moon.” But, when it is dark on the lunar surface, it is genuinely dark – there aren’t any lights that could be misconstrued as an asteroid strike. The L2 point has the added advantage of not suffering from “Earthshine” – reflected light from Earth that could diminish the effectiveness of the LUMIO-cam when trying to detect faint light streaks.

Difficulties abound with the placement, though, including a lack of a direct line of communication and the necessity of an automated navigation and control system. Since the Moon is literally between the CubeSat and any ground receiver that could send commands or receive data, it must be bounced off a relay satellite in order to do so.

LUMIO will also capture a large amount of data, not all of which will be useful. Since the flashes it’s looking for are very fast, LUMIO-Cam will capture about 15 frames per second. Then, onboard processing will use an algorithm to sort through the image to see if there are any flashes visible in it. Those interesting images will then be the ones sent back to Earth. 

Estimates put the number of micrometeoroids striking the Moon’s surface at as high as 23,000 times per year for micrometeoroids as small as 30 grams. Even if LUMIO only watches half of that area, it will observe impacts multiple times every day. Each is a little look into the types of debris that still exist in our local part of the solar system and maybe into what asteroids and comets they were initially a part of.

There’s a good chance the LUMIO team will be able to capture that data as well – the mission was accepted as a finalist to ESA’s Lunar CubeSat for Exploration (LUCE) SYSNOVA Competition and is currently planned for launch in 2027. Once it reaches its stable orbit, expect to see some brilliant flashes on the Lunar surface popping up new reports regularly.

Learn More:

• ESA – LUMIO – New CubeSat Illuminating Lunar Impacts
• Topputo et al. – LUMIO: A CubeSat at Earth-Moon L2
• UT – Astronomers are Working to Put a Radio Telescope on the Far Side of the Moon by 2025
• UT – Finally, an Explanation for the Moon’s Radically Different Hemispheres

Lead Image:

• Depiction of LUMIO’s orbital path to the L2 Earth-Moon point.
  Credit – ESA

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

02-01-2025 om 16:22 geschreven door peter  

Unveiling the 1997 Alien Interview: A Remote Viewing Investigation

The 1997 “Alien Interview” video, purportedly depicting a live extraterrestrial being held by the U.S. government, has intrigued and divided audiences for decades. Skeptics dismiss it as a hoax, while others see it as compelling evidence of non-human intelligence. A recent remote viewing project sought to shed light on this enigmatic footage by analyzing its authenticity and origins through the disciplined methodology of remote viewing. This article explores the findings and their implications.

The Remote Viewing Process

Remote viewing (RV) is a structured technique where trained individuals describe or gather information about a target that is inaccessible to their senses. In this project, four remote viewers, guided by a project manager, were tasked blindly—without any prior knowledge of the target—to investigate the context and authenticity of the “Alien Interview” video. Their objective was to describe the environment, participants, and events surrounding the creation of the video, avoiding any cultural or speculative biases.

Initial Findings

The remote viewers independently provided strikingly consistent data. Each described:

• An extraterrestrial presence: All viewers perceived a non-human entity, which they described as frail, tan or brown in color, with large eyes and a wrinkled, leathery appearance akin to elephant skin. The being was perceived as intelligent and mission-oriented but in distress.
• Medical distress: The entity was described as being in poor health, with respiratory or circulatory issues. Viewers noted a sense of despair and resignation from the being, consistent with its apparent state in the video.
• A military environment: The session data depicted a sterile, controlled facility staffed by humans in military attire. The viewers identified a mixture of humans and non-human beings present, with some human participants described as anxious or fearful.

The Alien’s Origins and Purpose

One of the most intriguing findings was the perception of the extraterrestrial’s mission. The being was described as reconnaissance-oriented, indifferent to humanity’s well-being, and possibly a scout or surveyor. Additionally, remote viewers noted the presence of a secondary, more authoritative non-human figure—a detail that may point to hierarchical relationships among extraterrestrial entities.

Uncovering the Context

Beyond the immediate filming, viewers explored the broader context of the event. They identified:

• A crash retrieval: The sessions revealed details of a craft’s controlled descent, leading to the being’s apprehension. This craft was described as advanced, sentient, and capable of camouflaging itself.
• Advanced communication techniques: The alien’s communication was perceived as telepathic or using thought projection. Some viewers noted the involvement of telepathic monks, reportedly acting as intermediaries during the interactions.
• Historical connections: The viewers’ data hinted at ongoing government programs for extraterrestrial contact and reverse engineering of alien technology, aligning with longstanding rumors in UFO circles.

Validating the Data

The remote viewing sessions were cross-referenced with known details about the “Alien Interview” video and associated lore. Several corroborations emerged:

1. Physical Descriptions: The entity’s appearance, as described by viewers, matched the being shown in the video.
2. Environmental Details: Descriptions of a sterile, dimly lit facility and military presence align with the video’s setting.
3. Historical Parallels: References to telepathic communication and military handling of extraterrestrials resonate with accounts from whistleblowers and alleged leaked documents.

Skepticism and Limitations

While the results are compelling, they must be treated as experimental. Remote viewing cannot conclusively prove or disprove the video’s authenticity. Skeptics argue that the perceived data could stem from subconscious biases or imaginative extrapolation. Nevertheless, the consistency across viewers adds weight to the findings, suggesting a deeper reality behind the imagery.

Broader Implications

The “Alien Interview” video, regardless of its veracity, serves as a focal point for exploring humanity’s potential interactions with extraterrestrial intelligence. The remote viewing project reinforces the possibility that such events, whether real or fabricated, reflect deep-seated cultural and existential questions about our place in the universe.

VIDEO:

The remote viewing investigation into the 1997 “Alien Interview” offers a fascinating glimpse into the potential truth behind one of the most debated pieces of UFO evidence. While definitive conclusions remain elusive, the data adds depth to the ongoing discussion about extraterrestrial life and government secrecy. As the search for answers continues, the interplay of science, speculation, and spirituality will undoubtedly shape our understanding of these profound mysteries.

RELATED VIDEOS

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

02-01-2025 om 15:48 geschreven door peter  

(Pexels)

In an email to The Debrief, Dr. Raveh explained what motivated he and Goldstein to explore the potential connection between UAP sightings and economic conditions.

“As a social scientist fascinated by the UAP phenomenon, I was disappointed by the grave scarcity of studies that examine the social aspects of it,” Dr. Raveh explained, “especially as official reports (by NASA and others) confirm that about 95-98 percent of UAP sightings have conventional explanations, thus suggesting that patterns of UAP sightings are rooted in human and social behavior.

“This inspired undertaking a deeper examination, pursuing an unconventional hypothesis which ties sky viewing to economic attention,” Raveh said.

Key Findings on UAP Sightings

The researchers analyzed data from The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), which spans over 20 years and is tracked across the United States. Raveh and Goldstein discovered that UAP sightings tend to occur more frequently in wealthier areas, but also tend to increase during economic downturns and decrease during periods of economic stability in those same regions.

This, they say, suggests that interest in unusual events like UAPs fluctuates based on broader societal conditions, especially during times of uncertainty.

“The counter-cyclicality on its own may point at various behaviors, ranging from, say, mental breakdowns, to extended leisure time; i.e., when unemployment rises, for example, the extent of UAP sightings increase because people may have more time on their hands, or otherwise they may be affected by the mental stress involved with unemployment,” Raveh explains.

“The key point, however, is that the patterns of UAP sightings are not only counter-cyclical, but they also exhibit a positive correlation with wealth cross-sectionally; i.e., at any given point in time, the extent of UAP sightings tend to be higher in wealthier regions, going against a mentally-related hypothesis,” he added.

“This opposite correlation across the two dimensions (cross-sectional and temporal) is rather consistent with patterns observed using traditional measures of economic attention, and hence supports an attention-related interpretation,” Raveh said.

When asked why NUFORC data was used for this study rather than other UAP databases, Raveh said the NUFORC data “is one of the two major reporting centers of UFO sightings in the U.S., reporting the details of sightings across the U.S. for decades; in addition, as noted in the paper, it is also the source that the FAA recommends reporting to when observing an unexplained phenomenon in the sky, strengthening its validity.”

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

01-01-2025 om 21:32 geschreven door peter  

[6] https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5032795-uap-hearings-congress-ufo/

[7] https://thesolfoundation.org/

[8] https://www.unhidden.org/

[9] https://vascoproject.org/

[10] https://www.ecr-initiative.org/

[11] https://uapdisclosurefund.org/

[12] https://www.nhir.org/

[13] https://newparadigminstitute.org/take-action/cfd-demand-uap-transparency/

[14] https://youtu.be/Lltd9rhNiEs?t=338

[15] https://thedebrief.org/mystery-drones-invading-new-jersey-airspace-are-keeping-officials-on-edge-as-feds-probe-for-answers/

[16] https://thehill.com/opinion/5043276-drones-baffle-authorities/

[17] (1) Instantaneous acceleration absent apparent inertia, (2) Hypersonic velocity absent a thermal signature and sonic shockwave, (3) Trans medium (such as space-to ground and air-to-undersea) travel, (4) Positive lift contrary to known aerodynamic principle, and (5) Multispectral signature control.

[18] https://lexpress.mu/amp/341900

[19] https://imazpress.com/actus-reunion/un-meteore-un-ovni-ou-un-morceau-de-fusee

[20] https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12418

[21] Section 1089 of the NDAA FY 2025.

[22] https://thesolfoundation.org/event/sols-2024-symposium/

[23] https://x.com/ChrisKMellon/status/1865138535524655215

[24] Dr Jacques Vallee, “Dimensions: A Casebook of Alien Contact” (1988).

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

01-01-2025 om 21:14 geschreven door peter  

(Pixabay)

The advancement of low Earth orbit technologies and addressing unresolved challenges like unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) were among the issues discussed during a recent meeting hosted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and attended by more than 120 experts.

The interagency working group meeting, held on November 4, 2024, convened to exchange information and explore ways to advance the development of disruptive technology and ‘edge science’ within the U.S. government.

Discussions focused on the complexities of pushing technological boundaries in government projects while navigating the evolving challenges presented by unidentified aerial objects, which have remained a pressing area of scientific inquiry and a national security challenge for many decades. 

The U.S. National Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Research and Development Strategy refers to a coordinated effort by various U.S. government agencies to establish policies, programs, and partnerships focused on utilizing, managing, and securing the low-earth orbit environment. Groups attending the meeting ranged from space economy and advanced manufacturing to experts in human systems, biological sciences, bioengineering, and agriculture, as well as research innovators and entrepreneurs committed to advancing innovation.

With over 120 people in attendance, the November online event was chaired by Anna Brady-Estevez, National Program Director at the National Science Foundation, Co-Chair of US Digital Assets Research and Development Strategy, and Co-Chair of US Interagency Space Economy.

“I am thrilled to see the National Science Foundation participating in this important initiative,” said Nicole Wagner, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of LambdaVision. Experts like Wagner and others in attendance explored the impact of space, microgravity, and advanced materials at the November meeting, including their potential in biomaterials, semiconductors, and retina development. 

“The research and work that is happening in low earth orbit right now has the potential to benefit people on Earth, and these types of interagency conversations and discussions are necessary to lay the foundation for research to come,” Wagner said. 

The November meeting brought together thought leaders and experts from diverse fields to discuss the future of space, technology, and their potential applications in advancing national security, aerospace, and scientific discovery. Speakers included keynotes Charles Chase, Co-Founder of UnLAB, who focused on disruptive technologies that could pave the way for a more abundant future, and Hal Puthoff, President & CEO at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Austin and EarthTech International Inc., who discussed the history and technological development of UAP studies.

Discussions also touched on space-based research and the prediction and prevention of accelerated stem cell aging and cancer evolution, as presented by Cat Jamieson, Ph.D. Other presentations covered extended electrodynamics, tissue multiplexed staining, and the intersection of UAP phenomena with biological science, as discussed by Mike Fiddy, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Stanford professor of pathology Garry Nolan, Ph.D.

Others in attendance included Rhodium Scientific founder Olivia Holzhaus,  former fighter pilot and Americans for Safe Aerospace co-founder Ryan Graves, and Jay Stratton, the former Director of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), who shared perspectives on government engagement with UAP research.

Further presentations included topics on quantum propulsion, space-time distortion, lattice confinement fusion, and advanced sensing. Experts like American scientist and engineer Travis Taylor, Ph.D, and Dr. Chance Glenn, President of Morningbird Space Corporation, offered their expertise in cutting-edge research areas.

Others who presented included NASA Glenn Research Center scientist Larry Forsley; Stevens Institute of Technology researcher Lou DeChiaro, Ph.D; Sonny White, founder of Limitless Space Institute; Phillip Lentz, founder of UnSpace; Richard Banduric, CEO of Field Propulsion Technologies Inc.; Julia Mossbridge Ph.D Neuroscientist and co-founder of RISE; and Ankur Bhatt, a researcher with UCLA Electrodynamics.

Ryan Graves, who characterized the meeting as being “ 70 percent edge and deep technology and 30 percent UAP,” said he was there primarily to discuss his personal experiences involving the anomalous phenomena his organization promotes awareness of. 

“ I was there to talk about my experiences, both as a pilot and as someone who had to interact with these things (UAPs) for a period of time,” Graves told The Debrief.

Chaired and assembled by Anna Brady-Estevez, a low-profile but influential figure advancing innovation within the National Science Foundation, the event’s coordinator is no stranger to pushing the boundaries and helping to finance disruptive or edge science research. With a Ph.D in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Yale University, Brasy-Estevez leads the NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, managing a national portfolio and investments in chemical, environmental, and distributed ledger technologies (including blockchain and DAGs) and fosters positive relationships, funding, and advancements within the science and technology communities.

Staying Ahead of Foreign Adversaries

Amid modern global challenges involving geopolitical tensions with China, Russia, and the United States, parallels to the Cold War era seem increasingly evident. During the height of the Cold War and the first modern space race, the U.S. government pursued what some now call ‘edge science’—cutting-edge research that the U.S. aimed to use to help secure global power, technological dominance, and ideological influence. Throughout that period, the topic of UAPs (then primarily called unidentified flying objects, or UFOs) repeatedly surfaced, drawing attention from key government entities like the CIA, the Air Force, and other federal agencies, whether entirely welcome or not.

The U.S. must continue investing in frontier scientific research and emerging technologies to remain competitive. Staying at the forefront of edge science is essential for maintaining superiority in critical fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, aerospace engineering, and defense technologies. Falling behind in these areas could jeopardize national security and risk losing technological dominance, particularly in the context of UAPs and advanced aerospace systems. Moreover, failure to prioritize these innovations could hinder U.S. capabilities in space exploration, military defense, and strategic intelligence.

“I had a long career at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, where I was a Senior Technical Fellow and led the Revolutionary Technology organization, focusing on developing and transitioning breakthrough technologies,” says Charles Chase, Co-Founder of UnLAB. “This experience gave me good insight into advanced technologies, military systems, and threats.”

For Chase, the most promising disruptive technologies are those that he says can reduce conflict and its drivers by creating abundance.

“Falling behind could mean that disruptive technologies are developed without regard for peaceful applications, increasing global instability,” Chase said. “Without leadership, the U.S. might lose its ability to shape the ethical use of advanced technologies, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by others.”

However, government policy plays a critical role in how edge science evolves. Determining what comes first—policy adjustments or technological advancements—remains a crucial part of the equation. 

“Investing in edge science, or what I call frontier science, is essential to maintaining national security, driving economic growth, and giving the U.S the ability to help shape the future by using technological advancements for good,” said Jay Stratton, former director of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) and Chief Operating Officer with QuantumFrontier, LLC, in a statement provided to The Debrief.

“Whether it’s UAP research or quantum physics, leading in frontier science challenges what we know, pushes innovation forward, and impacts our future,” Stratton said. “Falling behind risks not only losing our nation’s competitive edge but also leaves critical discoveries in the hands of adversaries, giving them an incredible advantage on both the battlefield of the future and the global stage of technological and economic dominance.”

“I’m committed to helping make sure the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence on the global stage,” Stratton said.

Often, policies are created retroactively to manage new developments within culture and society, such as the internet, AI, social media, or nuclear weapons. Ideally, governments would anticipate cultural market trends and scientific and technological advancements to design proactive policies supporting national defense and cultural and economic goals.

“ But the problem with policy is that you can be wrong, right?” Graves says. 

“ If we were a very organized government, we would hope that we would have the ability to have an understanding of where the market is going, where the technology is going, what’s capable, and then ideally crafting policy that would allow us to advance any of those particular technology regimes or areas that we,” Graves told The Debrief.

It seems fitting that the UAP subject has been brought to the table again, especially amid the heightened modern-day global tensions. This demonstrates that government agencies and scientific officials are finally viewing it as a serious field of inquiry and emphasizing its relevance to interagency efforts like those outlined at the November meeting. 

While the meeting wasn’t primarily focused on UAPs, the presenters were tackling some of the most complex issues in frontier science. Yet, one consistent point of contention, both within and outside of progressive meetings like these, involves government and private funding.

“The way edge science and technology has been advanced in the past is by dedicated funding that isn’t transitioned to more mainstream work,” explained Julia Mossbrige, Ph.D, in an email to The Debrief.

“For example, the Bial Foundation in Portugal funds mainstream psychophysiology research and also funds PSI research—they have conferences in which the researchers doing this work meet one another and discuss their fields,” Mossbridge said.

“This approach—mainstreaming the edge—is key. But if it is mainstreamed so much that the new edge fails to be explored, that’s a problem.”

Given that these ideas and concepts were, for now, only the subjects of presentations, the obvious next step is to address how all of this will be funded and why funding is so critical to advancing cutting-edge science within the government.

“Dedicated funding allows you to focus on the things that matter without fear of losing access to resources when a funding cycle is over, or an administration changes,” Dr. Chance Glenn observed in an email to The Debrief. “Science and technology is what has placed the United States firmly in the position of a global leader.  It is what will keep us there.  It is what could catapult another nation forward as well.  Therefore, bleeding edge science and technology must be supported consistently.” 

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

01-01-2025 om 20:48 geschreven door peter  

Ex-Defence Minister: E.T.s From Andromeda & Saturn’s Moon Visiting Earth For Thousands Of Years

There are already dozens of claims in favor of extraterrestrial visitation. Today, numerous astronauts and government officials support the UAP phenomena, and some are highly positive that they could have an alien origin. The Honorable Paul Hellyer (1923-2021), former Canadian Minister of Defense said extraterrestrials have been visiting our planet for thousands of years and it is likely that at least two of them are working with the U.S. government and sharing their highly-advanced technologies with humans.

In the 1960s, Paul Hellyer, a high-ranking official during the Cold War, asserted that he had discovered with certainty about the existence of aliens while serving in the military. He said that people from other worlds had been coming to Earth for a very long time. He insisted that a lot of the stuff that makes up our high-tech gadgetry had been gifted to us by overly-advanced ETs.

Hellyer had long expressed his views on extraterrestrials in public. He testified at the Citizen Hearing on Disclosure in May 2013 in Washington, DC. Five former members of U.S. Congress and one former U.S. senator listened to more than thirty hours of testimony from government officials, military personnel, researchers, and witnesses.

Huffington Post Canada described that, as part of his testimony, Hellyer stated that “aliens are living among us and that it is likely at least two of them are working with the U.S. government.” More specifically, Hellyer announced that at least four species of extraterrestrials had been visiting Earth for thousands of years. According to Huffington Post Canada, he also stated that some extraterrestrials originate from the “Zeta Reticuli, the Pleiades, Orion, Andromeda, and Altair star systems” and “may have different agendas.”

He first spoke openly about his belief governments are covering up an alien presence back in 2005, saying UFOs are as plentiful in our sky as airplanes. “Much of the media won’t touch it, so you just have to keep working away at it and we will get a critical mass and one day they will say Mr. President or Mr. Prime Minister, we want the truth and we want it now because it affects our lives.”

In 2013, Hellyer appeared on the RT interview show SophieCo with Sophie Shevardnadze to discuss extraterrestrials and UFOs. Shevardnadze asked Hellyer, “Why do you say that UFOs are as real as airplanes flying over our heads?” Hellyer replied, “Because I know that they are. As a matter of fact, they’ve been visiting our planet for thousands of years.” He further stated military action had brought down UFOs, and humans had adapted alien technology for use on Earth. (Source)

Read also:

• Head of Canada UFO Program: Ancient Races From Elsewhere Colonized Earth Many Times
• Ex-US Air Force Lt. Col. Testified He Saw Two UFOs With Grey Beings Underwater
• Ex-Pentagon Agent Claims UFOs Changed Witnesses’ Brain, Unlocked Sixth Sense
• Ex-Apollo Astronaut Claimed Humans Are Ancient Aliens, Visited Earth From Space

He said: “As far as technology is concerned, they are light years ahead of us, and we have learned a lot of things from them. A lot of the things we use today we got from them, you know – led lights and microchips and Kevlar vests and all sorts things that we got from their technology and we could get a lot more too, especially in the fields of medicine and agriculture if we would go about it peacefully. But, I think, maybe some of our people are more interested in getting the military technology, and I think that’s wrong-headed, and that’s one of the things that we are going to have to change, because we’re going to have to work together, all of us, everywhere on the planet.”

Shevardnadze asked: “Have you ever had your own encounter with aliens?” Hellyer replied: “Not encounter with aliens, no. I’ve seen a UFO, about 120 miles north of Toronto, over Lake Muskoka, where I have a cottage. Two years ago, at Thanksgiving, which is October, [my wife?] said that she wanted to go out and look at the stars, so… I’m not much of a night man… but I put on my cap and went out with her and she looked into the eastern sky and said, ‘There’s a star,’ and I turned the other way and said, ‘Oh, there’s a much brighter one over here,’ and she looked there and we watched it until our necks almost broke for about 20 minutes, and it was definitely a UFO because it could change position in the sky by three or four degrees in three or four seconds.”

Shevardnadze further asked Hellyer if shooting down those UFOs was risking an interstellar war, and, if so, “should we be creating a Star Wars force to defend ourselves from possible invasion or something like that?”

Hellyer said: “I think it’s a possibility, but it’s a possibility especially if we shoot down every UFO that comes into our airspace without asking who they are and what they want. Right from the beginning, we started scrambling planes, trying to shoot them down, but their technology was superior enough that we weren’t able to get away with it, certainly not for a long while.”

He continued: “During that period of time they could have taken us over without any trouble if they wanted to, so I think, rather than developing our own Star Wars to protect ourselves against them, we should work with the benign species that are of a vast majority and work together, and rely largely on them, of course, and cooperate, so that we would be contributing something at the same time; I don’t think there’s any point in us developing a galactic force that would tempt us to ride on our own and get into mischief, which is one of the things that some of them are concerned about.”

On countering physicist Stephen Hawking’s assertion that any alien visitors to Earth would likely be malevolent, Hellyer argued that not only have aliens already visited Earth but that they have helped contribute to humanity’s technological progress. He said earthlings owe a lot to their alien friends. “Even that computer screen on your desk,” he said, “can trace its origins to spaceships. Microchips, for example, fiber-optics, they are just two of the many things that allegedly — and probably for real — came from crashed vehicles,” Hellyer added. (Source)

Hellyer was not the only one speaking of a partnership between humans and extraterrestrial intelligence. The former head of the Israeli space security program and retired general Haim Eshed also claimed that a sort of agreement had been made between aliens and the US government to keep silent on their experiments on Earth and secret bases on Mars.

Mr. Eshed said that aliens and “Galactic federation” do exist and have been working with the US and the Israel government for years, but they keep it a secret to avoid mass hysteria. According to him, President Trump was aware of it and has already been in contact with space aliens. He further said that the aliens have been waiting for humans to evolve and reach a certain stage to actually understand space and spaceships. Besides, they signed a contract with humans to do experiments on Earth and also research with them to learn the fabric of the universe.

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{ https://howandwhys.com/ }

01-01-2025 om 20:31 geschreven door peter  

Researchers investigate possible transitional phase between life and death

©Shutterstock

Researchers investigate possible transitional phase between life and death
In a groundbreaking discovery that challenges our understanding of life and death, scientists have uncovered a mysterious "third state" of existence. This intermediate phase, where cells from deceased organisms continue to function and even evolve, opens up new possibilities in biology and medicine.

Could the third state hold the key to extending human lifespan or even achieving immortality? While this may seem like science fiction, the implications of this discovery are profound. Click through and find out.

©NL Beeld

It's alive!
Stories like 'Frankenstein' explore the idea of reviving the dead. While this might seem like science fiction, recent studies suggest a "third state" of existence may be a reality in modern biology.

©Shutterstock

Redefining death
If further experiments on cells from dead animals, including humans, confirm this ability, our concept of legal death could be redefined.

©Shutterstock

What is the "third state"?
Researchers from the University of Washington and City of Hope National Medical Center revealed in a new study in the journal Physiology that a "third state" occurs when cells from a deceased organism continue to function after its death.

©Shutterstock

Cellular upgrade
According to the study, the cells sometimes even gained new capabilities they never had while the organism was alive.

©Shutterstock

Transformation
This happens when certain cells—when given nutrients, oxygen, bioelectricity, or biochemical signals—reorganize and transform into new multicellular organisms.

©Shutterstock

Cell bots?
In 2021, US scientists discovered that skin cells from dead frogs could form multicellular organisms, or "xenobots," in a lab environment.

©Shutterstock

Moving along
These xenobots, using hair-like structures called cilia, moved and behaved in ways that surpassed their original biological purpose.

©Shutterstock

Self-healing abilities
They also proved to be able to collect materials, record information, self-heal, and replicate to a limited extent.

©Shutterstock

More cell bots
In a 2023 study published in Advanced Science, researchers also discovered that human lung cells could self-organize into tiny multicellular organisms called "anthrobots."

©Getty Images

Healing other cells
Anthrobots, ranging in size from a human hair to a pencil tip, self-assemble and demonstrate they can heal other cells.

©Shutterstock

Medical breakthrough
The ability of anthrobots to move, self-repair, and heal nerve cells, surpassing xenobots, holds promise for future medical applications.

©Shutterstock

How does it work?
But what exactly allows cells to function in the third state after an organism dies?

©Shutterstock

Electrical boost
Following a Frankenstein-like hypothesis, researchers suggest that a hidden system of electrical circuits might reanimate cells.

©Shutterstock

Connected system
These circuits seem to pump electrical signals that allow cells to communicate, grow, move, and form new organisms.

©Getty Images

Entering the third state
Several factors, including temperature and energy availability, determine whether cells can enter the third state.

©Getty Images

Fuel source
Access to "fuel," whether from the hidden electrical system or artificial lab sources, and the cells' ability to metabolize it are crucial for post-mortem survival and function.

©Shutterstock

Cell ID
Age, health, sex, and species type also influence a cell's ability to enter the third state.

©Shutterstock

What's next?
For researchers, the results are promising as they consider the research a significant step toward bringing animal cells, and a wider range of human cells, into this third state.

©Shutterstock

Treatment innovation
This discovery not only reveals the incredible adaptability of cells but also promises innovative medical treatments.

©Shutterstock

Mini-doctors
For example: using a person's own living tissue, specialists could create anthrobots that would deliver medication to damaged cells without triggering an immune response.

©Shutterstock

Use cases
These engineered anthrobots could dissolve arterial plaque in atherosclerosis patients.

©Shutterstock

Use cases
Another use case would be to clear excess mucus in patients with cystic fibrosis, a severe inherited disorder affecting the lungs, digestive system, and other organs.

©Getty Images

Is it safe?
Researchers argue that anthrobots are biodegradable and safe, with a limited lifespan and lab-bound existence.

©Shutterstock

Is it safe?
This would eliminate concerns of external exposure or uncontrolled proliferation.

©NL Beeld

What if...
However, using elements of deceased organisms to create new life remains controversial. This theme, with its potentially catastrophic consequences, has been explored in numerous pop culture references, such as the 1985 movie 'Re-Animator.'

©NL Beeld

Dangerous outcome
In the '80s cult film, a medical student discovers how to re-animate dead tissue, leading to a series of horrifying events as the reanimated corpses exhibit a frenetic, zombie-like state.

©Getty Images

Positive outlook
Sci-fi exaggerations aside, researchers believe the third state holds great promise. "This research has the potential to transform regenerative medicine, redefine legal death, and provide insights into life's physiological limits (...)”, they concluded.

©Shutterstock

Positive outlook
The anthrobots study authors hope to observe similar "healing" behavior in human neurodegenerative diseases. They suggest potential applications like repairing damaged retinas or spinal cords, though these remain speculative.

Sources:

• (Earth.com)
• (Daily Mail)
• (Scientific American)

See also: Weird things that happen to your body when you die

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{ https://www.msn.com/en-us/channel/topic/Science/ }

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

NASA Discovers Massive Planet Bigger Than Earth with Gas Tied Exclusively to Living Organisms

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery on a planet over eight times the mass of Earth, located 120 light-years away. Using advanced technology, researchers detected a gas in its atmosphere that, on Earth, is only produced by living organisms. Could this be the first real hint of life beyond our planet? While the findings are intriguing, they come with questions that still need answering.

Arezki Amiri

NASA Discovers Massive Planet Bigger Than Earth with Gas Tied Exclusively to Living Organisms

The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel

Breaking  astronomical news: NASA‘s James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled a groundbreaking find—an exoplanet not only significantly larger than Earth, but also with signs of a gas only produced by living organisms on our planet. Could this be the closest we’ve come to proving life exists beyond Earth?

K2-18 B: A Colossal Planet with Life-like Gas

Named K2-18 b, this intriguing exoplanet is located 120 light-years away in the constellation Leo, orbiting a red dwarf star known as K2-18. This star is significantly smaller and cooler than our Sun, creating a potentially habitable environment for planets within its orbit. K2-18 b is a sub-Neptune-class exoplanet, a type absent from our solar system, with 2.6 times Earth’s radius and 8.6 times its mass.

First identified by NASA‘s K2 mission in 2015, the planet has become a focal point of atmospheric studies due to its unique size and position in the habitable zone. Recent investigations using the James Webb Space Telescope have provided groundbreaking insights into its atmosphere.

Atmospheric composition highlights:

• Methane and Carbon Dioxide: Strong evidence of carbon-bearing molecules, indicative of active processes.
• Potential Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS): On Earth, this molecule is produced exclusively by marine life, making its potential detection on K2-18 b particularly exciting.

Is K2-18 B a Hycean World?

The presence of methane, carbon dioxide, and a potential absence of ammonia support the hypothesis that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet. These planets are defined by their hydrogen-rich atmospheres and possible water-covered surfaces, making them promising candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Lead researcher Nikku Madhusudhan emphasized, “Traditionally, the search for life on exoplanets has focused on smaller rocky planets, but larger Hycean worlds are significantly more conducive to atmospheric observations.”

However, the planet’s size suggests challenges. It likely has a mantle of high-pressure ice beneath its hydrogen-rich atmosphere and ocean, which could be too hot to sustain life as we know it.

Key characteristics of K2-18 b:

Groundbreaking Observations with the James Webb Telescope

The advanced capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope have been instrumental in characterizing K2-18 b’s atmosphere. By analyzing light as it passes through the planet’s atmosphere during transits, scientists identified its molecular composition with unprecedented detail.

Comparison to previous observations:

• Webb’s two transits yielded insights equivalent to eight years of Hubble data.
• Observations revealed robust spectral features, marking a milestone in atmospheric analysis.

The telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) will be used in future observations to confirm the presence of DMS and provide further data on the planet’s environment. “This result was only possible because of the extended wavelength range and unprecedented sensitivity of Webb,” noted Madhusudhan.

Potential Habitability and the Search for Life

Despite its position in the habitable zone, K2-18 b’s habitability remains uncertain. Its massive size and dense atmosphere might create conditions too extreme for life as we know it. However, the detection of DMS, if validated, would be a significant step in the quest to identify life-supporting environments.

stronomer Savvas Constantinou explained, “Our work here is but an early demonstration of what Webb can observe in habitable-zone exoplanets.”

The Road Ahead

NASA’s continuing exploration of Hycean worlds like K2-18 b is revolutionizing our understanding of exoplanetary environments. Future observations will seek to confirm the presence of DMS and further investigate K2-18 b’s potential to host life.

As Madhusudhan stated, “Our ultimate goal is the identification of life on a habitable exoplanet, which would transform our understanding of our place in the universe.”

This discovery brings us closer to answering humanity’s profound question: Are we alone in the cosmos? With K2-18 b as a beacon of possibility, the universe has never seemed more full of potential.

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{ https://dailygalaxy.com/category/space/ }

01-01-2025 om 17:19 geschreven door peter  

New Space Equation Unveils Hidden Asteroids That Could Be Heading for Earth

01-01-2025 om 16:59 geschreven door peter  

Triangular-Shaped UFO Filmed By Multiple Witnesses Stumps Locals

by Douglas Charles

iStockphoto

At some point, the truth about all of these UFO and drone sightings has to start being revealed. There are just too many eyewitness reports and videos being shared online for governments to just keep pretending like nothing is happening.

It’s not just in the United States either (though that is where a majority of the reports are originating). They have also been happening in places like the United Kingdom, Germany, and now, in Brazil.

While orb-shaped UFOs are perhaps the most common type of UFO that has been seen over the years, triangular-shaped crafts have also been reported being seen quite often

The latest triangular-shaped UFO to be reported, and in this case filmed, occurred recently in the Barigui Park, in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil.

“I came across the video yesterday while browsing reels on Instagram,” a report written for Ovniologia in Brazil read. “The account published the footage, called Paranadrone , is a page dedicated to aerial images to with drones and has no connection to the UFO theme.

“I contacted you and requested the original footage, which was sent to me. The video was forwarded them by a follower who requested anonymity. The images were recorded around 8 pm, while the witness was in a trade in the park region.

“At the beginning of the video, it is possible to see that the person filming was apparently close to a wall, inside a residence or business, the Paranadro told me. Then, we see a large, luminous point coming from the left, reveals its which triangular shape when the witness zooms in,” the report continued.

“The object crosses the sky at a considerable and constant speed until it disappears from the author’s field of vision behind the trees. See below.”

“Here we have what appears to be beautiful footage of a triangular UFO. The fixed, unwavering lights at the bottom seem to match reports of these craft. One worth thing noting is the number of lights. As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, three to four lights are usually reported on these objects. However, in the footage, in addition to the three lights at the ends, we can see two more luminous points near the larger central light.

“This led me to question if it was actually a solid object or just a formation of orbs. While the footage is quite clear, it is not possible to draw a definitive conclusion.”

The report goes on to say that another witness to the same UFO claimed it had “two lights at a considerably low altitude that same day. One of them was in front of her house, with a green and red coloration, while the other, located behind the house, was orange in color and considerably larger.”

Her neighbor also saw the UFO and also filmed it.

The report by Ovniologia went on to explain, “I spoke to other people who reported strange activity in the skies over Curitiba this month. The reports describe some anomalous sightings and experiences. It is possible that that some incidence of the phenomenon is occurring in the region.

“When I watched the video of the triangular UFO, the first thing thing that came to mind was the wave of drones on American soil. Could there be any possible connection? Could it be starting to spread to other regions of the Americas? We don’t know.”

So far, no definitive explanation has been revealed.

Douglas Charles  

Douglas Charles is a Senior Editor for BroBible with two decades of expertise writing about sports, science, and pop culture with a particular focus on the weird news and events that capture the internet's attention. He is a graduate from the University of Iowa.

{ https://brobible.com/ }

01-01-2025 om 16:40 geschreven door peter  

If you're a fan of stargazing, make sure you keep an eye on the skies over the next few weeks. 

You'll soon have a rare opportunity to watch as a new star is born in the heavens. 

The 'blaze star' T Coronae Borealis is set to flare into life any day now, going from invisible to as bright as the North Star overnight in a spectacular nova. 

Once the nova appears, it will be visible to the naked eye for a couple of days before disappearing for another 80 years. 

Dr Rebekah Hounsell, a NASA expert on nova, said: 'There are a few recurrent novae with very short cycles, but typically, we don't often see a repeated outburst in a human lifetime, and rarely one so relatively close to our own system.'

Dr Hounsell adds that this is 'a once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity to get front-row seats to a truly special cosmic event. 

Unfortunately, astronomers have been unable to pinpoint exactly when it will spring into view. 

However, Lord Martin Rees, the current Astronomer Royal and former president of the Royal Society and a fellow of Trinity College at Cambridge University, told The Telegraph that it could be any day now, addding that it is perhaps 'slightly overdue'. 

If you're a fan of stargazing, make sure you keep an eye on the skies over the next few weeks. You'll soon have a rare opportunity to watch as a new star is born in the heavens

Stargazers will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the birth of a new star as the 'Blaze Star' T Coronae Borealis flares into life (artist's impression) 

To spot this unique phenomenon, all you need to do is to head out on a dark, clear night and look to the North East.

The blaze star will appear in a faint constellation called the Northern Crown, or Corona Borealis, between the constellations of Boötes and Hercules.

But if this is a bit tricky to spot, there is a method to help narrow down your search using some brighter stars in the sky. 

First, look for the Big Dipper, sometimes called the Saucepan or Plough, and follow the curve of the 'handle' till you find a bright reddish star above the eastern horizon.

From that star, which is called Arcturus, look to the North East on the same level and you should spot another bright star called Vega.

Halfway between these two, you will be able to find a faint curl of seven stars - this is the Northern Crown where the Blaze Star will appear.

Of course, it will be a lot easier to find the star constellation once the blaze star has appeared as it should be one of the brightest in the sky.  

For the best viewing conditions make sure to get far away from any sources of light that could ruin your view.

To find the start look for the constellation of Corona Borealis which is between Hercules and Bootes in the North East 

That might mean getting away from city lights where possible and avoiding using your torch while your eyes adjust to the darkness.

The star will be visible to the naked eye but you will be able to see more if you use a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.

There is no way of knowing exactly when the star will come to life, and even scientists are eagerly waiting for any signs of activity. 

It is predicted that T Coronae Borealis should appear sometime between now and September, but that could happen any day.  

Although the term 'nova' comes from the Latin for 'new star' it will actually only appear that a new star has been created.

In reality, what we will see is the moment that a very faint star 3,000 light years from Earth suddenly becomes brighter.

T Coronae Borealis is a binary system nestled in the Northern Crown constellation, which means that it consists of two stars locked in orbit around each other.

One of those stars is a vast but cool red giant, while the other is a white dwarf - a hot, dense remnant of a dead star about the size of the Earth but containing the same mass as our Sun.

To find the star follow the handle of the big dipper (shown here from the Northern Hemisphere) and look for a reddish star named Arcturus. The blaze star should appear halfway between this star and another bright star to the North East called Vega 

T Coronae Borealis is a binary system, meaning that is actually made up of two stars locked in orbit with one another (artist's impression) 

As these stars orbit, the white dwarf is slowly devouring its neighbour, stripping the hydrogen from its atmosphere. 

As this hydrogen piles up around the white dwarf it builds up massive pressure and heat.

When enough matter falls into the star at once, it triggers an enormous thermonuclear explosion so bright we can see it from Earth, blasting away the built-up material. 

But, unlike a supernova which happens as a star dies, the white dwarf is left intact so that the process can begin again.  

Because this build-up takes about 80 years, T Coronae Borealis flares on a regular cycle, making it a recurrent nova. 

The first time the star was spotted was more than 800 years ago in 1217 when a man named Burchard, abbot of Ursberg, Germany, spotted 'a faint star that for a time shone with great light.'

This is also how scientists know that the star is set to blaze again since it is following the same pattern as it did in 1866 and 1947. 

In those cases, the star first grew brighter before suddenly fading away in anticipation of the big bang. 

Scientists have been watching T Coronae Borealis grow brighter again since 2015 until it suddenly dimmed in March last year.

When it finally blows, it could grow up to 600 times brighter based on these previous flares.  

Since T Coronae Borealis is quite close to Earth and flares regularly, it is also a great chance for scientists to learn more about novae.

The nova will be watched carefully by scientists all around the world using the James Webb Space Telescope, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and many others.  

Dr Elizabeth Hays, chief of the particle physics laboratory at NASA Goddard, says this means the help of amateur stargazers will be vital to catch the first moments of the explosion. 

'We'll observe the nova event at its peak and through its decline, as the visible energy of the outburst fades,' she said.

'But it's equally critical to obtain data during the early rise to eruption – so the data collected by those avid citizen scientists on the lookout now for the nova will contribute dramatically to our findings.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

01-01-2025 om 01:28 geschreven door peter  

Moment 'glowing red UFO' soars over Disney World baffles parkgoers

• READ MORE: Unlikely US state named best for UFO-spotters in new 2024 study

By MATTHEW PHELAN SENIOR SCIENCE REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Winter tourists at Disney World in Orlando, Florida caught a glimpse of a 'glowing red' UFO streaking upward in the night sky like a falling star in reverse.

A parkgoer was capturing the scene inside Epcot when the crowd turned and began pointing to the illuminated object in the sky.

The video was posted on social media where users are sure the object was an 'orb'-like unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) of extraterrestrial origin.

One user on X commented: 'Yet more even bizarre aerial phenomena witnessed again by tens of thousands of people. They' clearly want us to all see it now…'

While the bizarre sighting may have sparked fears of an alien encounter, others on social media were quick to point out that the glowing streak was likely a SpaceX rocket that launched from Cape Canaveral.

The clip was taken on December 16 and a Falcon 9 rocket blasted off that night at 7:52pm ET.

After stunning Disney parkgoers with the spectacle, Falcon 9's reusable first stage booster reportedly came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes after launch — executing a landing on the drone ship 'A Shortfall of Gravitas' in the Atlantic. 

Winter tourists at Disney World in Orlando caught a glimpse of a 'glowing red' UFO streaking upward in the night sky like a falling star in reverse. 'Look what's in the skies about EPCOT tonight!!' one park patron posted to social media, pointing in wonder at the apparent craft

Amateur investigators to Disney World's glowing red UFO have been baffled: 'I've seen a lot of shooting stars,' one observer posted. 'None have ever glowed red. It's not a shooting star. It's not firework'

The Falcon 9 rocket launched as part of mission RRT-1, an effort that included the transport of an advanced GPS satellite into orbit for the US military branch. 

SpaceX is currently under contract to launch three of these GPS-3 satellites in total, with the first launched nearly a year prior, back in January 2023.

Below the original TikTok video of the odd sight about Disney World's EPCOT Center, posted by user @DisneyDads, some locals were keen to share their familiarity with what a SpaceX launch looks like locally. 

'That's Space X,' former Disney theme park employee Brandon Harper posted to the video. 'I live in Orlando, eight miles from Disney.'

But that did not stop others from proposing more exotic theories.

'Google US Navy Laser Creates Plasma 'UFOs,'' one TikTok user advised. 

'They are using the plasma balls to create heat to attract heat seeking missiles instead of hitting our drones. Our drones are testing.'

Soon other Disney fans - who were facing away from the unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) - can be seen swiveling their heads to see the strange sight with their own eyes

Read More

• NASA astronaut spots 'two metallic spherical orbs' flying by his airplane over Texas 

Another user simply posted: 'Santa.'

The episode appears to be just one of multiple cases from this month when a SpaceX launch was visible from the Magic Kingdom.

A park patron, who goes by Armand Luigi, Esq. on social site X.com, visited Disney on December 23, 2024 and reported seeing a similar eerie red glowing streak across the sky that was timed to SpaceX's mission to launch 21 Starlink satellites late that night.

The apparent rocket flames are visible in the video, even through the red haze of the park's nearby tiki torch flames.

'I was there and took this video in Epcot, Disney WORLD,' Luigi said in his post. 'We looked it up while it was happening, and it was a SpaceX Launch.'

Many still remain unconvinced that the object has been concretely identified however, with one observer claiming the video was a forgery: 'It's called CGI,' he said.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

01-01-2025 om 01:12 geschreven door peter  

Moment 'glowing red UFO' soars over Disney World baffles parkgoers

• READ MORE: Unlikely US state named best for UFO-spotters in new 2024 study

By MATTHEW PHELAN SENIOR SCIENCE REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Winter tourists at Disney World in Orlando, Florida caught a glimpse of a 'glowing red' UFO streaking upward in the night sky like a falling star in reverse.

A parkgoer was capturing the scene inside Epcot when the crowd turned and began pointing to the illuminated object in the sky.

The video was posted on social media where users are sure the object was an 'orb'-like unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) of extraterrestrial origin.

One user on X commented: 'Yet more even bizarre aerial phenomena witnessed again by tens of thousands of people. They' clearly want us to all see it now…'

While the bizarre sighting may have sparked fears of an alien encounter, others on social media were quick to point out that the glowing streak was likely a SpaceX rocket that launched from Cape Canaveral.

The clip was taken on December 16 and a Falcon 9 rocket blasted off that night at 7:52pm ET.

After stunning Disney parkgoers with the spectacle, Falcon 9's reusable first stage booster reportedly came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes after launch — executing a landing on the drone ship 'A Shortfall of Gravitas' in the Atlantic. 

Winter tourists at Disney World in Orlando caught a glimpse of a 'glowing red' UFO streaking upward in the night sky like a falling star in reverse. 'Look what's in the skies about EPCOT tonight!!' one park patron posted to social media, pointing in wonder at the apparent craft

Amateur investigators to Disney World's glowing red UFO have been baffled: 'I've seen a lot of shooting stars,' one observer posted. 'None have ever glowed red. It's not a shooting star. It's not firework'

The Falcon 9 rocket launched as part of mission RRT-1, an effort that included the transport of an advanced GPS satellite into orbit for the US military branch. 

SpaceX is currently under contract to launch three of these GPS-3 satellites in total, with the first launched nearly a year prior, back in January 2023.

Below the original TikTok video of the odd sight about Disney World's EPCOT Center, posted by user @DisneyDads, some locals were keen to share their familiarity with what a SpaceX launch looks like locally. 

'That's Space X,' former Disney theme park employee Brandon Harper posted to the video. 'I live in Orlando, eight miles from Disney.'

But that did not stop others from proposing more exotic theories.

'Google US Navy Laser Creates Plasma 'UFOs,'' one TikTok user advised. 

'They are using the plasma balls to create heat to attract heat seeking missiles instead of hitting our drones. Our drones are testing.'

Soon other Disney fans - who were facing away from the unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) - can be seen swiveling their heads to see the strange sight with their own eyes

Read More

• NASA astronaut spots 'two metallic spherical orbs' flying by his airplane over Texas 

Another user simply posted: 'Santa.'

The episode appears to be just one of multiple cases from this month when a SpaceX launch was visible from the Magic Kingdom.

A park patron, who goes by Armand Luigi, Esq. on social site X.com, visited Disney on December 23, 2024 and reported seeing a similar eerie red glowing streak across the sky that was timed to SpaceX's mission to launch 21 Starlink satellites late that night.

The apparent rocket flames are visible in the video, even through the red haze of the park's nearby tiki torch flames.

'I was there and took this video in Epcot, Disney WORLD,' Luigi said in his post. 'We looked it up while it was happening, and it was a SpaceX Launch.'

Many still remain unconvinced that the object has been concretely identified however, with one observer claiming the video was a forgery: 'It's called CGI,' he said.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

01-01-2025 om 01:12 geschreven door peter  

What would happen minute-by-minute if a SUPERFLARE with the force of billions of atomic bombs hit Earth

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

By WILIAM HUNTER

While it might look like a tranquil yellow ball from here, the sun is actually a raging inferno of intense magnetic forces and violent explosions.

So, although all life on Earth depends on the Sun to survive, it may one day be the thing that destroys us.

Scientists have recently warned that Earth is well overdue for a solar 'superflare' - a stellar explosion containing the energy of billions of atomic bombs. 

When this happens, power grids will be damaged, satellites will fall from orbit, and the destruction of undersea cables could trigger an 'internet apocalypse'.

From the superflare's eruption from the sun, Earth will have just eight minutes before the first wave of radiation slams into the atmosphere.

However, the worst will still be yet to come as a vast wave of plasma and magnetic fields follows close behind, causing havoc for the planet's electrical system. 

The last time Earth was hit by a blast on this scale was during the 1859 Carrington Event, which was strong enough to give electric shocks to telegraph operators and set sheets of paper alight.

But experts now say that the planet could soon be hit by a solar flare more than 100 times more powerful and far more devastating.

What is a superflare?

A solar flare is a huge explosion on the sun's surface which releases a huge amount of stored energy in a very short time.

These occur when magnetic fields become 'twisted' above cool patches of the sun's surface called sunspots.

Within minutes these tangled fields heat material to many millions of degrees before snapping into a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to X-rays and gamma rays.

However, that burst of energy is only part of the problem, since large solar flares are often accompanied by events called coronal mass ejections.

Professor Sean Elvidge, an expert on space weather from the University of Birmingham, told MailOnline: 'Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), on the other hand, are huge clouds of charged solar plasma and magnetic fields hurled into space.

'They move more slowly often taking one to three days to reach Earth, but can cause significant geomagnetic disturbances once they interact with our planet’s magnetic field.'

A so-called superflare is simply a particularly large solar flare capable of releasing one octillion joules of energy - that is one followed by 27 zeros.

Earth is overdue for a devastating superflare which could wipe out communication systems and knock satellites out of orbit, scientists have warned (stock image) 

Previously, scientists had estimated that Earth would only experience one of these once every thousand to ten thousand years.

However, a recent study suggested that these events may occur as often as once every century.

Given that a superflare hasn't hit Earth since 775 AD, we are well overdue for a run-in with one of these dangerous explosions.

So, if a superflare were to explode on the sun's surface, here's what would happen minute by minute. 

Eight minutes since the superflare

Since electromagnetic radiation moves at the speed of light, we would only have eight minutes from the moment the flare bursts until we experience the first effects.

Dr Erika Palmerio, a research scientist at Predictive Science, told MailOnline: 'From the flare we get radiation and solar energetic particles and those are the first things that are coming to us because they are the fastest.'

As this initial wave of X-rays and intense ultraviolet radiation arrives, it creates a build-up of electrons in a layer of the atmosphere called the ionosphere.

A superflare would release the energy of several billion atomic bombs and transmit one octillion joules of energy, one followed by 27 zeros. The first wave of X-ray radiation would hit Earth in eight minutes, causing widespread radio blackouts (stock imiage)

Those electrons interfere with radio signals moving around the planet, scrambling and decaying any messages humans might be trying to send.

That means the first sign a superflare had hit would be a sudden and total radio blackout on the sunlit side of Earth.

Dr Palmerio says: 'That can be problematic if there is a disaster back on Earth, for example, a hurricane, since all those rescue teams communicate through radio.'

However, that lack of communication will become particularly dangerous when we consider what is still to come. 

30 minutes since the superflare 

Travelling just behind the solar flare's first flash of radiation, the next thing to arrive would be a cloud of ionising high-energy particles.

Dr Palmerio says: 'We have these solar particles which are launched by the flare and then accelerated as the CME moves through the lower atmosphere of the sun.

'They're not as fast as X-rays, but these particles are very energetic so within tens of minutes we can have a solar radiation storm.'

30 minutes after the superflare a radiation storm would hit Earth, exposing astronauts on the International Space Station (pictured) to a deadly dose of radiation 

Down on the ground, we're unlikely to see any impact from this radiation storm since the charged particles will be directed away by the Earth's magnetic field.

However, passengers or crew on commercial flights are very likely to receive a substantially increased dose of radiation.

This would be especially dangerous for anyone flying near the poles where the charged particles would be most concentrated.

But the biggest risks of all would be faced by astronauts out beyond the protection of the atmosphere.

Anyone on the International Space Station (ISS) would be in real danger of receiving a deadly dose of ionising radiation as the radiation storm batters the planet.

Nor is this threat hypothetical since NASA astronauts have very nearly been killed by solar flares in the past.

In August 1972, Earth was hit by one of the worst solar storms in recorded history, knocking out long-distance communications across some US states.

Dr Palmerio says: 'In that year we had the Apollo 16 mission in April and then Apollo 17 in December.

With radio blackouts on Earth, astronauts might not have time to receive a warning. But if they can, they would have about 30 minutes to either evacuate or shelter in a shielded area of the station

'It's been estimated that had that storm happened during one of those two launches, it would have been life-threatening for the astronauts.'

Additionally, since NASA uses radio frequencies to communicate with the ISS, astronauts might have no warning at all before receiving a deadly dose of radiation. 

16 hours since the superflare 

So far, most of the superflare's effects have been limited to the upper atmosphere.

But now as the wave of charged plasma and magnetic fields which make up the CME roll towards Earth, things are about to become significantly worse.

Professor Elvidge says: 'A strong CME usually takes between one and three days to reach Earth.

'The exact timing depends on its initial speed and the conditions of the interplanetary environment, but travel times of around 36 to 48 hours are often typical for significant events.'

However, this is no typical event and in the case of a superflare we may have far less time to prepare.

Solar flares can release large amounts of stellar material in events called Coronal Mass Ejections (pictured). The fastest CMEs can hit Earth just 15-16 hours after the solar flare erupts 

'The fastest we have seen travel around 3,000 km/s and can reach the Earth in less than a day,' says Professor Elvidge.

The fastest CME on record, the August 1972 event, took just 14.6 hours to reach Earth after leaving the sun.

Leaving a generous window, we might have only 16 hours between realising a flare has happened and the CME hitting.

When it does arrive, it is this part of the superflare that is likely to cause the most long-lasting damage.

Professor Elvidge says: 'As a CME arrives, its interaction with Earth’s magnetic field can generate geomagnetic storms.'

These vast fluctuations in the magnetic field induce strong electrical currents in any long piece of metal on Earth including the wires in the power grids.

These power fluctuations can trip safety systems leading to regional outages or cascade failures and even set fire to the insulation surrounding electrical transformers.

As the CME hits the Earth's magnetic field it creates a charge which induces a strong current in power grids on the ground. These surges could cause widespread blackouts around the world 

What is the solar cycle?

The solar cycle is the cycle that the sun's magnetic field goes through about every 11 years.

The beginning of a solar cycle is a solar minimum, or when the Sun has the least sunspots.

The middle of the solar cycle is the solar maximum, or when the Sun has the most sunspots.

The current solar cycle, numbered 25, started in 2019 and is expected to continue until about 2030, but the solar maximum is now expected in early 2024.  

One study estimates that a flare on the scale of the 1859 Carrington Event could leave 20 to 40 million people in the US without power for up to two years. 

On the scale of a superflare, that could mean blackouts and power failures around the entire world lasting for years to come.  

But the problems won't be limited to the power grid, since some researchers also believe that a superflare could lead to an 'internet apocalypse'.

While local internet connections have largely shifted over to non-conductive fibre optic cables, the subsea internet cables which join up the world are still made of copper.

These cables are equipped with repeaters every 30 to 90 miles (50-150km) to boost the signal over long distances which are very vulnerable to the effects of a solar flare.

If just one of these repeaters fails, the entire cable is rendered useless until it can be repaired.

That means that a failure rate of just one per cent would mean almost 15 per cent of subsea cables would be rendered useless.

This could cut entire parts of the globe off from the internet and take years to repair.

A recent study suggests that a solar storm could damage the undersea cables which provide the backbone of the internet. This could lead to entire parts of the world losing connection  

17 hours since the superflare 

Unfortunately for everyone on Earth, global power failures and the destruction of the internet are really just the start of the problems.

One of the biggest risks of a solar flare hitting Earth is that it will have a devastating effect on the network of satellites we use to communicate, navigate, and monitor the Earth.

Outside the protection of the atmosphere, satellites will be buffeted by all of the worst impacts of the solar Tsunami.

Professor Elvidge says: 'Satellites might be affected almost as soon as the storming begins.

'Increased radiation can disrupt onboard electronics, degrade solar panel efficiency, and interfere with communication and navigation signals.'

With an exceptionally large storm like a superflare, this could cause serious damage to systems we are extremely reliant on.

However, the real problems will begin about an hour later as the CME causes the atmosphere to warm and expand.

If a solar flare hits it will cause serious damage to our orbiting communications and GPS satellites. An hour after the CME arrives, satellites will begin to experience increased atmospheric drag and slip from their orbits 

This plunges satellites in low-Earth orbit into a denser region of the atmosphere than they are used to moving through.

That increased drag slows down a satellite and deteriorates its orbit, slowly pulling it back down to Earth.

'Depending on the CME’s intensity and a satellite’s resilience, these disruptions can last from a few hours to several days,' says Professor Elvidge.

While most satellites won't necessarily plummet to Earth, even small issues can lead to big problems since sensitive navigation systems are set to work at a certain altitude. 

And with every satellite around Earth simultaneously falling towards the ground, significant disruption is almost inevitable.

Months and years afterwards   

Depending on the alignment of the CME's magnetic fields, the worst of the geomagnetic storm should subside between 10 and 24 hours after it began.

However, the lingering effects of the superflare could take months or years to fade.

Scientists demonstrate how observations of the rate of decrease of the Sun’s dipole magnetic field can be usefully combined with sunspot observations to predict when the ongoing cycle would peak. Their analysis suggests that the maximum of solar cycle 25 is most likely to occur in early 2024 

Geomagnetic storms can cause dazzling aurora displays to appear at unusually low latitudes (pictured) but they can also damage sensitive computer equipment around the world, creating disruption that could take years to repair

Professor Alan Woodward, a computer security expert from the University of Surrey, told MailOnline: 'You could get effects in the national grid but, probably more importantly, you'd also get them in delicate electronics like computers.

'As a result, you'd have a lot of equipment that suddenly wouldn't work properly.'

In the case of a superflare, Professor Woodward says this wouldn't just be big things like your laptop but all the devices which make our modern world possible.

Professor Woodward says: 'Think of your phone or the industrial control systems that are controlling traffic lights and heating systems, anything that uses computing could be damaged and cause a massive amount of disruption.

'When you start looking at it, you suddenly realise how unbelievably dependent we are on modern communication. 

'Commerce, personal life, certain ways of working, certain ways of living; that would literally disappear.'

For humanity to recover, this would mean replacing all the damaged computer components while dealing with the fallout of massive power failures and the potential collapse of the internet.

And with every nation on Earth simultaneously competing for the same computer parts, that process could take months or years to complete.

SOLAR STORMS PRESENT A CLEAR DANGER TO ASTRONAUTS AND CAN DAMAGE SATELLITES

Solar storms, or solar activity, can be divided into four main components that can have impacts on Earth:  

• Solar flares: A large explosion in the sun's atmosphere. These flares are made of photons that travel out directly from the flare site. Solar flares impact Earth only when they occur on the side of the sun facing Earth.  
• Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's): Large clouds of plasma and magnetic field that erupt from the sun. These clouds can erupt in any direction, and then continue on in that direction, plowing through solar wind. These clouds only cause impacts to Earth when they're aimed at Earth. 
• High-speed solar wind streams: These come from coronal holes on the sun, which form anywhere on the sun and usually only when they are closer to the solar equator do the winds impact Earth. 
• Solar energetic particles: High-energy charged particles thought to be released primarily by shocks formed at the front of coronal mass ejections and solar flares. When a CME cloud plows through solar wind, solar energetic particles can be produced and because they are charged, they follow the magnetic field lines between the Sun and Earth. Only charged particles that follow magnetic field lines that intersect Earth will have an impact. 

While these may seem dangerous, astronauts are not in immediate danger of these phenomena because of the relatively low orbit of manned missions.

However, they do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks.

This photo shows the sun's coronal holes in an x-ray image. The outer solar atmosphere, the corona, is structured by strong magnetic fields, which when closed can cause the atmosphere to suddenly and violently release bubbles or tongues of gas and magnetic fields called coronal mass ejections

The damage caused by solar storms 

Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost.

The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing Earth's magnetic field.

Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies.

When Coronal Mass Ejections strike Earth they cause geomagnetic storms and enhanced aurora.

They can disrupt radio waves, GPS coordinates and overload electrical systems.

A large influx of energy could flow into high voltage power grids and permanently damage transformers.

This could shut off businesses and homes around the world. 

Source: NASA - Solar Storm and Space Weather 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

31-12-2024 om 17:57 geschreven door peter