The purpose of this blog is the creation of an open, international, independent and free forum, where every UFO-researcher can publish the results of his/her research. The languagues, used for this blog, are Dutch, English and French.You can find the articles of a collegue by selecting his category. Each author stays resposable for the continue of his articles. As blogmaster I have the right to refuse an addition or an article, when it attacks other collegues or UFO-groupes.
Druk op onderstaande knop om te reageren in mijn forum
Zoeken in blog
Deze blog is opgedragen aan mijn overleden echtgenote Lucienne.
In 2012 verloor ze haar moedige strijd tegen kanker!
In 2011 startte ik deze blog, omdat ik niet mocht stoppen met mijn UFO-onderzoek.
BEDANKT!!!
Een interessant adres?
UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN - DE ALLERLAATSTE NIEUWTJES
UFO's of UAP'S in België en de rest van de wereld In België had je vooral BUFON of het Belgisch UFO-Netwerk, dat zich met UFO's bezighoudt. BEZOEK DUS ZEKER VOOR ALLE OBJECTIEVE INFORMATIE , enkel nog beschikbaar via Facebook en deze blog.
Verder heb je ook het Belgisch-Ufo-meldpunt en Caelestia, die prachtig, doch ZEER kritisch werk leveren, ja soms zelfs héél sceptisch...
Voor Nederland kan je de mooie site www.ufowijzer.nl bezoeken van Paul Harmans. Een mooie site met veel informatie en artikels.
MUFON of het Mutual UFO Network Inc is een Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in alle USA-staten en diverse landen.
MUFON's mission is the analytical and scientific investigation of the UFO- Phenomenon for the benefit of humanity...
Je kan ook hun site bekijken onder www.mufon.com.
Ze geven een maandelijks tijdschrift uit, namelijk The MUFON UFO-Journal.
Since 02/01/2020 is Pieter ex-president (=voorzitter) of BUFON, but also ex-National Director MUFON / Flanders and the Netherlands. We work together with the French MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP.
ER IS EEN NIEUWE GROEPERING DIE ZICH BUFON NOEMT, MAAR DIE HEBBEN NIETS MET ONZE GROEP TE MAKEN. DEZE COLLEGA'S GEBRUIKEN DE NAAM BUFON VOOR HUN SITE... Ik wens hen veel succes met de verdere uitbouw van hun groep. Zij kunnen de naam BUFON wel geregistreerd hebben, maar het rijke verleden van BUFON kunnen ze niet wegnemen...
17-01-2025
Earth is 'off-track' to limit global warming to 1.5°C, scientists warn - as satellites show a 'very large rise' in CO2 across the globe
Global warming is quickly spiralling out of control, the Met Office has warned.
According to the forecaster, Earth is 'off-track' to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) - a key goal set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the Paris Agreement.
Last year, measurements taken at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, revealed the fastest annual rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) since records began back in 1958.
What's more, satellite measurements showed a 'very large rise' of CO2 across the globe.
These were due to widespread hot, dry conditions, partly linked to El Niño and partly to other factors - including climate change, according to the Met Office.
'Last week, it was confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record, with annual average temperatures higher than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time,' said Professor Richard Betts, who led the production of the forecast.
'While this does not represent a failure to achieve the Paris Agreement target, as that would require breaching warming 1.5°C over a longer period and we may see a slightly cooler year in 2025, the long-term warming trend will continue because CO2 is still building up in the atmosphere.'
Last year, measurements taken at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, revealed the fastest annual rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) since records began back in 1958
The study comes just one week after 2024 was confirmed to have been the hottest year on record. Pictured: wildfires in the West Hills section of Los Angeles on January 9
The measurements taken at Mauna Loa revealed a rise in CO2 of 3.58 parts per million (ppm) in 2024.
This far exceeded the Met Office's prediction of 2.84ppm (± 0.54ppm).
Worryingly, if global warming is to be limited to 1.5°C (2.7°F), calculations by the IPCC indicate that CO2 needs to be slowing by 1.8ppm per year.
It's not all doom and gloom.
Looking ahead, the CO2 rise between 2024 and 2025 is forecast to be less extreme than last year at 2.26 ± 0.56 ppm.
According to the Met Office, this is due to a partial re-strengthening of carbon sinks linked to a shift from El Niño to La Niña conditions.
However, even this slower rise will be too fast to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
'La Niña conditions are expected to cause forests and other ecosystems to soak up more carbon than last year, temporarily slowing the atmospheric CO2 rise,' Professor Betts added.
Worryingly, if global warming is to be limited to 1.5°C (2.7°F), calculations by the IPCC indicate that CO2 needs to be slowing by 1.8ppm per year
Hottest years on record
2024 (59.2°F/15.1°C)
2023 (58.96°F/14.98°C)
2016 (58.66°F/14.814°C)
2020 (58.65°F/14.807°C)
2019 (58.60°F/14.78°C)
2017 (58.50°F/14.723°C)
2022 (58.42°F/14.682°C)
2021 (58.38°F/14.656°C)
2018 (58.35°F/14.644°C)
2015 (58.34°F/14.637°C)
(Figures in brackets refer to global average air temperature for the year)
'However, stopping global warming needs the build-up of greenhouse gases in the air to come to a complete halt and then start to reduce.
'Large, rapid emissions cuts could limit the extent to which global warming exceeds 1.5°C.
'But this needs urgent action internationally.'
The new study comes just one week after a report published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), revealed that temperatures last year were 0.12°C (0.22°F) above 2023, the previous warmest year on record.
That makes 2024 the first calendar year on record to exceed 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level.
Although this single year does not mean the targets of the Paris Agreement have already been missed, experts say that humanity is now 'dangerously close' to this milestone.
The data shows that an exceptionally hot start to the year brought the average global air temperature in 2024 to 15.1°C (59.2°F).
While temporary patterns like El Niño helped push temperatures into the extremes, scientists say human-caused climate change remains the 'primary driver' of extreme temperatures.
And with the rate of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere even higher than in previous years, the planet's warming shows no signs of slowing any time soon.
Dr Friederike Otto, a climate policy expert from Imperial College London, says: 'This record needs to be a reality check.
'The climate is heating to levels we've spent years trying to avoid because countries are still burning huge amounts of oil, gas and coal.'
The Paris Agreement, which was first signed in 2015, is an international agreement to control and limit climate change.
It hopes to hold the increase in the global average temperature to below 2°C (3.6ºF) 'and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C (2.7°F)'.
It seems the more ambitious goal of restricting global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) may be more important than ever, according to previous research which claims 25 per cent of the world could see a significant increase in drier conditions.
The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has four main goals with regards to reducing emissions:
1) A long-term goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
2) To aim to limit the increase to 1.5°C, since this would significantly reduce risks and the impacts of climate change
3) Governments agreed on the need for global emissions to peak as soon as possible, recognising that this will take longer for developing countries
4) To undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with the best available science
A place of worship sealed up by the ancestors of Jesus has been discovered in the ancient heart of Jerusalem, frozen in time for nearly 3,000 years.
Carved into the rock near Temple Mount, the structure comprises eight rooms, containing an altar, a sacred standing stone, and presses for olive oil and wine.
And experts believe its destruction may have featured in the Bible, which describes how Hezekiah – one of Jesus' ancestors – smashed idolatrous places of worship.
This was one such place, according to Eli Shukron, exacavation director for the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who dated it to Hezekiah's reign.
He said: 'The structure ceased to function during the 8th century BC, possibly as part of king Hezekiah's religious reform.
'According to the Bible, Hezekiah sought to centralise worship at the temple in Jerusalem, abolishing the ritual sites scattered across the kingdom.
'The Bible describes how, during the First Temple period, additional ritual sites operated outside the temple.
'It says two kings of Judah – Hezekiah and Josiah – implemented reforms to eliminate these sites and concentrate worship at the temple.'
A place of worship sealed up by the ancestors of Jesus has been discovered in the ancient heart of Jerusalem , frozen in time for nearly 3,000 years
Carved into the rock near Temple Mount, the structure comprises eight rooms, containing an altar, a sacred standing stone, and presses for olive oil and wine
Experts believe its destruction may have featured in the Bible, which describes how Hezekiah – one of Jesus' ancestors – smashed idolatrous places of worship
Both kings are identified as paternal grandfathers of Jesus by the Gospel of Matthew.
Hezekiah's crackdown against pagan places of worship – or 'high places' – is described in the second book of Kings.
It recounts how he 'removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones' and 'did what was right in the eyes of the lord'.
Remarkably, the sacred standing stone at the site survived his onslaught.
Shukron called it 'the most dramatic and important find in the excavation'.
'This is what makes this place a cultic site,' he said.
'When we uncovered it, we found it standing in its place, with stones around it.
'The standing stone was covered with earth; it was preserved – no one destroyed it.
This was a place of worship, according to Eli Shukron, exacavation director for the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who dated it to Hezekiah's reign
'The Bible describes how, during the First Temple period, additional ritual sites operated outside the temple,' Eli Shukron said
Archaeologists also found a hoard of artifacts from the 8th century BC, sealed behind a stone wall in a cave. These included cooking pots, jars with fragments of ancient Hebrew inscriptions, loom weights, scarabs, stamped seals with decorative motifs, and grinding stones used for crushing grains
'When we found it, it was exactly as it was here 2,800 years ago.'
Another room featured the remains of an altar, identifiable by a drainage channel which still ran from its corner.
And in one part of the site, mysterious v-shaped carvings marked the floor.
Their true purpose is lost to history, but they might once have supported some sort of tripod with ritual use.
Archaeologists also found a hoard of artifacts from the 8th century BC, sealed behind a stone wall in a cave.
These included cooking pots, jars with fragments of ancient Hebrew inscriptions, loom weights, scarabs, stamped seals with decorative motifs, and grinding stones used for crushing grains.
The site lies in the ancient heart of Jerusalem – sometimes called the City of David – just a few hundred metres from Temple Mount, and once co-existed with the First Temple there.
Excavations began in 2010, but the northern part of the ruins was discovered in 1909 by Montague Parker, a British adventurer searching for the Ark of the Covenant and other temple treasures.
A 1585 depiction of king Hezekiah smashing the pagan places of worship
Amichai Eliyahu, Israel's Minister of Heritage, said: 'This unique structure uncovered in the City of David is an exciting testimony to Jerusalem's rich past.
'Such discoveries make our connection and historic roots – going back thousands of years – tangible, in Jerusalem and other sites where the Jewish culture and belief system emerged.'
Shukron published his findings in 'Atiqot, the IAA's in-house journal.
The Church of the Nativity, located six miles (10 km) outside of Jerusalem, is one of the most important religious sites in the world.
It has been recognised as the birthplace of Jesus since at least the Second Century and has been listed as a Unesco world heritage site since 2012.
The original church was built in 339 AD, but was rebuilt after fire in the 6th century and it is one of the oldest churches in the world still in daily use.
An estimated two million people make pilgrimages to the site each year to visit the church and the shrine below, the Grotto, where Jesus of Nazareth is believed to have been born.
But the region is of key importance to other religions as well. Almost 1,000 years before Jesus, Bethlehem was the city of King David.
Today, the site in Bethlehem is part of a large religious complex.
Set in the marble floor of the Grotto is a silver star which represents the spot where Jesus was born, installed in 1717 and surrounded by lamps to represent the different Christian communities.
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The new structure was found carved into the eastern slope of the City of David
Credit: Michael Havis
Various ancient artefacts were found sealed behind a stone wall
Credit: Michael Havis
An artist's impression of how the structure would have looked before it was destroyed
Credit: Michael Havis
When Jesus’ Tomb Was Opened For The First Time, Scientists Made A Groundbreaking Discovery !
Now, one couple's home security camera has recorded something entirely new to science.
For the first time ever, the terrifying sound of a meteorite striking the Earth has been revealed.
The groundbreaking video shows the exact moment a chunk of space rock hit the driveway of a home in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
In July 2024, Laura Kelly and her partner Joe Velaidum had just returned from walking their dogs when they found a mysterious star-shaped mark outside their home.
Checking the recording from their Ring camera, they watched as a rock hurtled out of the sky and exploded into a burst of dust on the ground.
Thinking fast, the couple managed to gather up about seven grams of suspected space rock and sent it to Dr Chris Herd, head curator of the meteorite collection at the University of Alberta.
Dr Herd says: 'No other meteorite fall has been documented like this, complete with sound.'
Residents of Prince Edward Island, Canada were baffled to find that their Ring doorbell had recorded the stunning moment a meteorite slammed into their driveway
The shocking video is the first time that the sound of an asteroid hitting Earth has ever been recorded
When the rock smashed into their home, it was moving so fast that the camera only captured it for a single frame.
However, as soon as Dr Herd looked at the samples, there was no question that this was no ordinary stone.
As luck would have it, Dr Herd already had a trip planned to the area just 10 days after the impact and was able to make a diversion to the site.
There, he found that the meteorite had blasted a 2cm x 2cm hole in the walkway outside the home.
With the help of Joe and Laura, Dr Herd collected 95 grams of asteroid material which is now being held for further study at the University of Alberta.
Dr Herd's analysis shows that the rock, now dubbed the Charlottetown Meteorite after the capital of Prince Edward Island, was made of Chondrite - the most common meteorite material.
Chondrite meteors are leftovers from the formation of the solar system some 4.5 billion years ago and have lurked almost untouched since then in the distant reaches of space.
This particular rock would have begun its long journey to Canada in the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars, around 204 million miles (329 million kilometres) from Earth.
In July 2024, Laura Kelly and her partner Joe Velaidum had just returned from walking their dogs when they found a mysterious star-shaped mark outside their home
What is the difference between a meteor and a meteorite?
A meteorite is a small chunk of asteroid or comet which has landed on Earth.
While these rocks are still in space, scientists call them meteoroids.
When it enters Earth's atmosphere it becomes a meteor, fireball or shooting star.
The pieces of rock that hit the ground are meteorites, and are valuable to collectors.
The remnants must be analyzed by a lab to be accredited as meteorites.
This was particularly exciting since this is the only recorded meteorite impact in the island's history.
Dr Herd says: 'As the first and only meteorite from the province of Prince Edward Island, the Charlottetown Meteorite sure announced its arrival in a spectacular way.
'It adds a whole new dimension to the natural history of the Island.'
But most excitingly of all, this is the only time the sound of a meteorite impact has ever been recorded.
Dr Herd told CBC News: 'It's not anything we've ever heard before. From a science perspective, it's new.'
The violent crack of the impact which you can hear in the video is a product of the Charlottetown meteorite's incredible speed.
Meteorites typically arrive at the edge of Earth's atmosphere travelling at over 37,000 miles per hour (60,000 kmph) before slowing down.
Dr Herd estimates that the Charlottetown Meteorite was probably moving at around 125 miles per hour (200 kmph) when it hit the ground.
The meteorite is believed to have hit the ground at around 125 miles per hour (200 kmph), producing enough force to gouge a 2cm hole into the walkway
Although the meteorite wasn't big enough to cause any serious damage to the property, it could have been quite dangerous, had Joe and Laura been nearby.
'The shocking thing for me is that I was standing right there a couple of minutes right before this impact,' says Joe.
'If I'd have seen it, I probably would've been standing right there, so it probably would've ripped me in half.'
Despite being a first for Prince Edward Island, events like this are actually surprisingly common.
Dr Greg Brown, Senior Public Astronomy Officer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, says: 'Meteors fall into the Earth’s atmosphere very often. Millions of minuscule particles of dust and rock burn up in the atmosphere each day, totalling around 15 thousand tonnes of material over the course of a year.
'If those particles are large enough, they can survive their entry to the atmosphere and impact the Earth with recent estimates suggesting around 17,000 impacts occur each year.'
However, most of those are so small that they arrive at the Earth's surface as grains of dust, having burned away their outer layers.
Although impacts with human settlements are rare, scientists estimate that there are around two 'damaging impacts' every year.
Further analysis at the University of Alberta shows that the meteorite (pictured) is made of Chondrite, a material left over from the formation of the Solar System 4.5 billion years ago
The impact left Ms Hodges with severe bruising and the unique claim to be the only person ever directly injured by a meteor impact.
However, given how large the planet is and how little of it is actually inhabited, there is little reason to worry about these kinds of small impacts.
'The vast majority of meteorites are far smaller, limiting the potential damage they could do,' Dr Brown added.
'What’s more, despite how widespread humanity is, the majority of the surface of the Earth is ocean, desert and other similarly sparsely inhabited places, meaning most impacts aren’t even noticed, let alone pose a threat to life and health.'
Meteors are fragments of space rock that enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up as a result of the friction created when they pass through, appearing as bright streaks of light in the sky.
As well as light, this friction also creates sound, with some meteors creating a 'sonic boom' as they break the sound barrier, in a similar way to a fast-moving aircraft.
Since meteors can be over a hundred kilometres in altitude, and their sound waves travel much slower than the light they generate, the sonic boom is often not heard until many minutes after the flash is seen.
The boom will also only be loud enough to hear from Earth if the meteor is particularly large, enters the stratosphere below an altitude of about 30 miles (50 km) and explodes as a bolide, or fireball.
As well as the boom, some stargazers claim to have heard hissing and buzzing sounds at the same time as a meteor is seen.
This is because meteors also give off very low frequency radio waves, which travel at the speed of light.
These are inaudible, but can cause physical objects on the Earth's surface to vibrate and produce a sound, which our ears may interpret as hissing.
Sometimes, stargazers are able to hear a meteor as it creates a 'sonic boom', in a similar way that a fast-moving aircraft does
Officials confirmed that the spacecraft was destroyed.
'Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today's flight test to better understand root cause,' SpaceX posted on X.
'With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.'
Debris, with unclear relations to the spacecraft, was captured on camera flying across the Caribbean just minutes after the flight test.
'Every Starship launch is one more step closer towards Mars,' Musk said before liftoff, as he hopes his ships will be the first to launch humanity into life on Mars.
SpaceX posted on X that today's test flight featured 'significant upgrades.'
The new-generation SpaceX ship launched from Texas on Thursday and successfully flew for around eight minutes, with the teams' second breathtaking booster catch, before contact was lost
The new Starship was rolled out taller - now standing at 403 feet - and with about 300 more tons of propellant than the last test flight ship, with added upgrades for 'reliability and performance'
'Every Starship launch is one more step closer towards Mars,' Musk said before liftoff, as he hopes his ships will be the first to launch humanity into life on Mars
Debris, with unclear relations to the spacecraft, was captured on camera flying across the Caribbean just minutes after the flight test
The new Starship was rolled out taller - now standing at 403 feet - and with about 300 more tons of propellant than the last test flight ship, with added upgrades for 'reliability and performance.'
SpaceX announced there would be 'hardware upgrades to the launch and catch tower to increase reliability for booster catch,' including enhancements to sensor protections on the chopsticks damaged during the last launch.
As well as a redesigned upper-stage propulsion system that can carry 25 percent more propellant, along with slimmer, repositioned forward flaps to reduce exposure to heat during reentry.
The post added that the flight 'set out to attempt Starship's first payload deployment test, fly multiple reentry experiments geared towards ship catch and reuse, and launch and return the Super Heavy booster.'
'Today’s flight test will launch a new generation ship with significant upgrades, attempt Starship’s first payload deployment test, fly multiple reentry experiments geared towards ship catch and reuse, and launch and return the Super Heavy booster.'
SpaceX's last successful launch happened in October on its fifth flight test. The sixth, which was witnessed by President-elect Donald Trump in November, made a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
The test flight launched just after 5.30 EST in Texas across the Gulf of Mexico.
Around six and a half minutes into the flight, Super Heavy returned and was successfully caught by the launch tower for SpaceX's second time
While Stage 1 was successful, contact with the ship was reported to be lost just after the eight-and-a-half-minute mark
'With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability,' SpaceX posted on X
Just around 3 minutes into the flight, the Super Heavy booster successfully detached and performed a flip maneuver, making its way back to the launchpad.
Around six and a half minutes into the flight, Super Heavy returned and was successfully caught by the launch tower for SpaceX's second time.
'Even in this day and age, what we just saw is magic,' Dan Huot observed from close to the launch site after the booster touched down. 'I am shaking right now.'
'The tower has caught the rocket!!' SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said via X as the spacecraft made the dramatic touchdown.
While Stage 1 was successful, contact with the ship was reported to be lost just after the eight-and-a-half-minute mark.
Just after the twenty-minute mark, it was confirmed that the ship was lost.
Hours earlier, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin - launched their newest rocket, New Glenn, in Florida. The rocket reached orbit on its first flight, successfully placing an experimental satellite thousands of miles above Earth.
However, the booster was destroyed and missed its targeted landing on a floating platform in the Atlantic.
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The pair had intended to stay for just eight days after arriving in Boeing's Starliner capsule, but engine failures and helium leaks meant they could not safely return.
Suni Williams (pictured), one of NASA's stranded astronauts, stepped outside the International Space Station for the first time in seven months
Williams and Wilmore will likely remain on the station until at least March or April after the failure of the Boeing Starliner (pictured)
Mission commander Williams and flight engineer Wilmore took off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on June 5 for a test flight of Boeing's new Starliner capsule.
The plan was to ride Starliner out of the atmosphere, perform a few test manoeuvres, and dock with the ISS for an eight-day stay before returning to Earth in the same capsule.
However, things almost immediately began to go wrong for the problem-plagued capsule as the craft experienced thruster failures and a helium leak.
That choice left the Boeing test crew stuck aboard the ISS without their vehicle until someone could be sent to get them.
That means the pair might not get back to Earth until April at the very earliest - 10 months after they left home.
Since their arrival, yesterday's spacewalk was the first time that Williams has been able to escape the cramped confines of the station.
However, on social media, many expressed their shock and disappointment that Williams and Wilmore had not yet been able to return to Earth.
As Williams enjoyed her first moments outside the station, one commenter dubbed her a 'captive worker' due to the fact she is still trapped in space
Another pointed out that Williams was only meant to have a 'week's vacation' and has now spent the second longest time in space of any American
One commenter angrily demanded to know when Williams and Wilmore would return to Earth
One commenter wrote: 'I appreciate that Suni Williams is just doing sidequests at this point.
'She was meant to be on a week's vacation to the ISS and now she's spent the second longest amount of time in space of an American.'
Another angrily asked: 'When are they going to be back on Earth?'
Meanwhile, other users joked that Williams was 'stepping out to get some fresh air after being unexpectedly cooped up for months.'
'Sometimes you just gotta get outta the house,' one commenter wrote.
Another joked: 'We can understand! Guys get pretty bored holed up inside the station & went out for a garden walk to loosen their limbs a bit!'
Likewise, some commenters suggested that Williams might be taking her resue into her own hands.
One commenter joked: 'Frustrated with NASA, astronauts figure it's easier just to walk home.'
Some commenters joked that Williams was only 'stepping out to get some fresh air' after her seven-month stint inside the ISS
Commenters felt they could relate to the feeling of just needing to get out of the house
One commenter added that Williams had gone 'out for a garden walk' to stretch her legs
While another cheekily added: 'If it'd been me I would've stepped outside and said 'F*** it, I'm walking home".'
Despite the social media reaction, the spacewalk had a more serious purpose which was to perform essential repairs outside of the ISS.
After spending the last few days undergoing rigorous health checks and inspecting their equipment, Williams and Hague donned their suits early Thursday morning.
At 08:00 EST (13:00 GMT), the astronauts switched their suits over to battery power, marking the official start of the spacewalk.
'I'm coming out,' Williams radioed as she emerged from the orbiting lab 260 miles above Turkmenistan in Central Asia.
The astronauts replaced equipment, repaired one of the station's telescopes, and replaced a navigation device on a visiting vehicle.
Williams got a close-up look at the SpaceX capsule that will bring her home this spring, floating just a few feet away from the parked vessel as she struggled with a chore.
However, she managed to safely conduct the repairs without putting any dents in her ride home.
A commenter suggested that Williams was fed up with waiting and decided to make her own way back to Earth
One commenter joked that they would have decided to walk home after remaining trapped in space for so long
Suni Williams (left) arrived at the ISS with Butch Williams (centre) in June last year for what was supposed to be an eight-day stay. On Thursday, Williams was joined by NASA astronaut Nick Hague (right) for her first excursion from the station since arriving
This marks Williams' eighth spacewalk and brings her total cumulative time spent in extra-vehicular activity to 56 hours and 40 minutes
John M. Grunsfeld: 58 hours 30 minutes: 8 spacewalks
Jerry L. Ross: 57 hours 55 minutes, 9 spacewalks
Williams also made important repairs to the 'rate gyro assembly', a key piece of equipment which helps the ISS stay in the same orientation.
At 08:01 EST (19:00 GMT), after six hours of work, NASA announced that the spacewalk was officially over.
This marks Hague’s fourth time working outside the station and the eighth for Williams, making her one of the most experienced spacewalkers in NASA's history.
Williams, who has stayed on the ISS before, has already spent 56 hours and 40 minutes in EVA, making her the 11th most experienced spacewalker ever.
If she spends just four more hours outside the station next week, that will make her the most experienced female spacewalker.
This is the first time that astronauts have undertaken 'extra-vehicular activity' (EVA) from the ISS since November 2023.
Earlier US EVAs were put on hold after astronauts found water leaking into the airlock from the cooling system in one of the space suits.
Williams and Hague spend six hours outside the station to make repairs and perform maintenance. Pictured: the view from Williams' helmet camera as she repairs a navigation device on a visiting spaceship
Williams also made repairs to the 'rate gyro assembly', a key piece of equipment which helps the ISS stay in the same orientation (pictured)
Williams (left) will be joined by Butch Wilmore (right) for another spacewalk on January 23 to make repairs and take samples to see if bacteria are growing on the outside of the ISS
NASA says the issue has now been fixed as has already announced a second EVA to take place next Thursday.
On January 23, Williams will be joined by her fellow stranded astronaut Butch Williams on a second spacewalk.
Their goal will be to remove a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the station’s truss and prepare a spare elbow joint for the Candarm2 robotic arm which is mounted on the station.
Williams and Wilmore will also use the opportunity to take surface samples from the outside of the Destiny laboratory and the Quest airlock to see if any bacteria or fungi are growing on the ISS.
Last year, NASA found 13 strains of bacteria growing on the station that were not found anywhere on Earth.
Understanding bacteria in the harsh environment of space is key to learning how life might flourish on other planets and to protecting future space colonies against new diseases.
However, while Williams and Wilmore might be enjoying the chance to step outside the station, there is still a long way to go before they can return to Earth.
The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.
It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000.
Crews have come mainly from the US and Russia, but the Japanese space agency JAXA and European space agency ESA have also sent astronauts.
The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for more than 20 years and has been expended with multiple new modules added and upgrades to systems
Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen.
ISS studies have investigated human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology.
The US space agency, NASA, spends about $3 billion (£2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners, including Europe, Russia and Japan.
So far 244 individuals from 19 countries have visited the station, and among them eight private citizens who spent up to $50 million for their visit.
There is an ongoing debate about the future of the station beyond 2025, when it is thought some of the original structure will reach 'end of life'.
Russia, a major partner in the station, plans to launch its own orbital platform around then, with Axiom Space, a private firm, planning to send its own modules for purely commercial use to the station at the same time.
NASA, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are working together to build a space station in orbit around the moon, and Russia and China are working on a similar project, that would also include a base on the surface.
This image, taken from NASA TV, shows astronaut Suni Williams working on the outside of the International Space Station on Thursday, just feet away from the parked SpaceX spacecraft.
(NASA TV)
In this photo provided by NASA, astronaut Suni Williams tries on and evaluates her spacesuit aboard the ISS on Jan. 9.
(NASA via The Associated Press)
In this image, made from NASA TV, Williams works outside the International Space Station on Thursday. It marked Williams's eighth spacewalk.
Nieuwe waarnemingen van de bekende exoplaneet GJ 1214 b wijzen op een koolstofdioxide-rijke atmosfeer, vergelijkbaar met die van Venus.
The Intriguing Exoplanet GJ 1214 b! Discovering Enaiposha: The Waterworld Exoplanet 🌌🌊
Er zijn inmiddels meer dan 5000 exoplaneten ontdekt rondom sterren buiten ons zonnestelsel. Veel van deze planeten verschillen flink van die in ons eigen zonnestelsel, wat het extra lastig maakt om hun werkelijke aard te doorgronden. Bekende voorbeelden zijn superaardes, hete Jupiters en sub-Neptunussen. In een nieuwe studie hebben onderzoekers een al bekende exoplaneet opnieuw onder de loep genomen om te bepalen in welke categorie deze thuishoort. Hun bevinding is verrassend: deze planeet lijkt namelijk in geen enkele bestaande categorie te passen.
Superaarde of sub-Neptunus? Een van de meest voorkomende typen exoplaneten heeft een grootte tussen die van de aarde en Neptunus. Astronomen zijn er nog niet over uit of het gaat om rotsachtige, aardachtige planeten met dikke waterstofrijke atmosferen, of ijzige, Neptunus-achtige planeten met waterstofrijke atmosferen, ook wel waterwerelden genoemd. Eerdere studies werden bemoeilijkt door dikke wolkenlagen, die vaak voorkomen op dit type planeet en het lastig maken om de atmosfeer eronder te onderzoeken.
The Mysterious World of Gliese 1214 b. What Do We Know about Ocean Planets?
GJ 1214 b Een internationaal team van onderzoekers heeft nu de krachtige James Webb-ruimtetelescoop gebruikt om door het dichte wolkenpak van een voorbeeld van dit type exoplaneet te turen, namelijk GJ 1214 b. Deze planeet, die op slechts 48 lichtjaar afstand van ons zonnestelsel ligt in de richting van het sterrenbeeld Slangendrager, is het ideale voorbeeld om dit type planeet nader te bestuderen.
Meer over GJ 1214 b De exoplaneet GJ1214b werd in 2009 door astronomen ontdekt. Deze planeet heeft een diameter die 2,7 keer zo groot is als die van de aarde en weegt zeven keer zoveel. GJ1214b draait in ongeveer 38 uur om een rode dwergster, op een afstand van slechts 2,09 miljoen kilometer.
Maar in plaats van een waterstofrijke superaarde of een waterwereld, brachten de nieuwe gegevens concentraties koolstofdioxide (CO2) aan het licht. Deze niveaus lijken sterk op die in de dichte CO2-atmosfeer van Venus in ons zonnestelsel. Deze waarnemingen van een koolstofdioxide-rijke atmosfeer, vergelijkbaar met die van Venus, wijzen op de mogelijkheid van een planeetklasse die aanzienlijk verschilt van de superaardes en sub-Neptunussen die astronomen eerder hadden gesuggereerd.
Super-Venus Dit zou kunnen betekenen dat Webb mogelijk een nieuw type planeet heeft ontdekt: de super-Venus. Maar onderzoekers houden vooralsnog een slag om de arm. “Het gedetecteerde CO2-signaal is klein”, legt onderzoeker Kazumasa Ohno uit. “Het vereiste een grondige statistische analyse om te bevestigen dat het echt is.”
‘Wat-als’-scenario’s Om de ware aard van GJ1214b verder te ontrafelen, gebruikte Ohno theoretische modellen om talloze ‘wat als’-scenario’s voor de atmosfeer van de planeet door te rekenen. Van al deze modellen blijken de meest passende scenario’s een koolstofrijke atmosfeer te voorspellen, die lijkt op die van een ‘super-Venus’.
Boek Toch is het laatste woord hier nog niet over gezegd. Onderzoeksleider Everett Schlawin vergelijkt het met het lezen van een boek. “Het is alsof je Leo Tolstojs Oorlog en Vrede leest”, zegt hij. “Stel je voor dat ik je twee exemplaren geef en in één van de boeken één zin verander – zou je die zin dan kunnen vinden?”
Hoewel de resultaten veelbelovend zijn, benadrukken de onderzoekers het belang van aanvullende studies om dit veelvoorkomende, maar mysterieuze type exoplaneet te bevestigen en verder uit te diepen.
In a new exclusive interview with investigative journalist Ross Coutlhart, Jake Barber, a US Air Force Veteran revealed that he saw an object that was white and egg-shaped. Mr. Barber said he has contracted as a helicopter pilot to retrieve all kinds of downed craft, some of which he believes are of nonhuman origin.
He shared the moment when he realized he was involved in recovering non-human technology, or alien technology. He explained that it became obvious when their communication procedures were changed, and when he saw the object on the ground. From its appearance, it was clear that the object was something extraordinary and different from anything human-made.
He was a helicopter pilot, and typically, he would work with a long line of about 150 to 200 feet. This time, he got within 150 feet of the object. When he got close enough, he saw something that looked like a white egg.
He was asked if there was any visible propulsion system on the object, but he said there was nothing like what we would recognize as an engine or any form of propulsion. He was operating at night, using night vision goggles. Even with the goggles, the object’s strange appearance remained clear. He would take the goggles off and on, examining the object from different angles to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.
When asked how he knew the egg-shaped object wasn’t from humans, Jake explained that, based on his experience and everything he had seen before, it looked completely out of the ordinary.
It didn’t match anything he had ever seen. His teammates also had the same reaction—they all knew they were dealing with something far beyond what they were used to.
Ross asked if he had ever been directly told that the craft was of non-human origin. Jake replied that in the years following the event, senior members of the UAP task force had confirmed that the object was, indeed, non-human in origin. He emphasized that this wasn’t a one-time, unique experience; similar things had been encountered before.
“Over the last couple years, it’s been confirmed to me by ranking members of the UAP task force that what we were working with that night was, in fact, NHI (nonhuman intelligence) and it was not a unique experience,” Barber said.
In the history of Ufology, the case of Lonnie Zamora was registered as the most authentic and well-documented UFO sighting in the United States. It is hard not to believe a police officer when he/she claims to have seen something not from this world. A police officer from Socorro named Lonnie Zamora witnessed a white Egg-shaped craft in New Mexico when he was chasing a high-speed vehicle in 1964.
On April 24, 1964, at around 5:45 p.m., Zamora was chasing an overspeed vehicle in his cruiser on the outskirts of his town. Suddenly, he was diverted by a loud roaring sound and noticed a flame in the sky.
Zamora said that the flame had been orange and bluish in color. He described it as “funnel-like.” He explained that he drove for half a mile and saw a white object on the ground.
“Thought that it might be a car that had turned over. Crossed to go out there to investigate, thought maybe somebody might be hurt. At that time, I saw this white, like an egg-shaped looking object.”
Initially, he thought that the object was an overturned car. He could also notice two humans near the object, examining it. As the police officer began approaching them, he understood that they were either large kids or small people. Besides, the object was of white aluminum color.
He contacted his station and told them about the situation. As soon as he tried to get out of the car, a roar was heard again and the craft started emitting blue flame. This noise scared him, and he thought there might be an explosion. So, he took cover and made his way back to his cruiser while keeping his eyes on the scene.
The craft was moving upward with an increasing sound, and Zamora could once again see an orange-bluish flame coming out from under the craft. He also said that the object had an oval shape without any door or windows.
What Can Explain This New Mexico UFO Sighting?
During his radio interview with Walter Shrode, Zamora said that the two people he had seen near the craft were not humans. The following is the conversation held between Zamora and Shrode.
SHRODE: Did they have helmets on like spacemen or anything?
ZAMORA: No sir, I wouldn’t say they were people, I just… I saw something white, white coveralls, that’s all I can say.
SHRODE: But you couldn’t identify them as actually being an actual human being, like you or I are?
ZAMORA: No sir, I couldn’t.
ZAMORA: It was very low to the ground, at the time I was seeing it, it was very low to the ground up to the perlite mill there, and then it started gaining in altitude.
There is no doubt about what Zamora had seen. Even the FBI investigated the case and discovered burned marks on the site where he had seen the craft land. The Air Force also recorded his case in detail for the Project Blue Book and concluded that they were definitely humans in white suits. What’s more, when the craft disappeared, another police officer Sergeant Sam Chavez arrived at the scene. He found his colleague totally lost and pale.
According to the investigation conducted by NICAP officer Ray Stanford, there were more witnesses who heard the loud roar around the same time as claimed by Zamora. From the police records, he found out that three people had reported seeing a bright object in the sky.
On April 26, 1964, two days after Zamora’s case, a local farmer went to check on his horses as if something was bothering them. He said he had seen an object in the shape of a butane tank. He also noticed a bluish-orange flame, emitting from the bottom of the craft.
Additionally, in the Voronezh UFO landing case 1989, according to eyewitnesses, the object was oval, egg-shaped, approximately 15 meters long, and 6 meters high. The brightly-glowing ship stopped one meter above the ground, rocking back and forth. Four landing pillars emerged from the base of the object and sank to the ground.
After the landing, a hatch slowly opened, and two grim humanlike figures (one of them was 3-4 meters high) came out. The aliens were moving like robots. The shape of the aliens was described as boxes with arms and legs, and buttons were glowing on their chests.
At that very moment, a boy from the group of children playing nearby screamed in fear. The tall alien cast his gaze at him with his central eye, without moving his head. A light came out of his eye and hit the boy, which made him motionless for several minutes.
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Er zijn indrukwekkende beelden gemaakt van het puin van de Starship-raket die gisteren kort na de lancering in de Amerikaanse staat Texas ontplofte. Onder meer SpaceX-baas Elon Musk deelde een video die toonde hoe het ruimteschip uiteenviel in iets wat op een kleurrijke meteorenzwerm leek. “Succes is onzeker, maar entertainment gegarandeerd”, schreef hij erbij.
De (onbemande) raket ontkoppelde na bijna vier minuten vliegen zoals gepland van de Super Heavy draagraket, maar enkele minuten later verloren de missieteams het contact met het ruimteschip. De Super Heavy draagraket keerde zoals gepland terug naar de aarde, maar SpaceX meldde later dat Starship was geëxplodeerd.
Dat gebeurde boven de Turks- en Caicoseilanden, twee eilandengroepen in de Atlantische oceaan, ten zuidoosten van de Bahama’s. Onder meer een piloot van een commercieel vliegtuig en een getuige op de grond maakten indrukwekkende beelden van het vallende puin. Verschillende vliegtuigen in het gebied vertraagden of maakten een omweg om niet geraakt te worden.
Volgens Musk wijzen de eerste vaststellingen in de richting van “een zuurstof-/brandstoflek in de ruimte boven de motorbrandwand van het schip”. Dat was groot genoeg om druk op te bouwen die de ontluchtingscapaciteit overschreed, meldt hij op zijn eigen socialemediaplatform X. “Naast dubbelchecken op lekken, zullen we brandbestrijdingssystemen aan de ruimte toevoegen en waarschijnlijk de ontluchtingsruimte vergroten.”
Normaal gezien zou de volgende lancering niet later dan volgende maand kunnen doorgaan.
Starship wilde gisteren tien objecten in de ruimte brengen die qua grootte, vorm en gewicht de Starlink-satellieten nabootsten. Het is de bedoeling dat Starship-raketten die in de toekomst in een baan om de aarde brengen. Het was de eerste keer dat SpaceX probeerde om met dit type raket vracht in de ruimte te brengen.
De lancering vond enkele uren plaats na de succesvolle lancering van een raket van Blue Origin. Dit bedrijf werd opgericht door Jeff Bezos en wil concurreren met SpaceX, het ruimtevaartbedrijf van Elon Musk.
SpaceX Catches Booster But Loses Ship in Starship Test Flight
SpaceX’s seventh flight test of its massive Starship launch system brought good news as well as not-so-great news.
The good news? The Super Heavy booster successfully flew itself back to the Texas launch site and was caught above the ground by the launch tower’s chopstick-style mechanical arms. That’s only the second “Mechazilla” catch to be done during the Starship test program. The bad news is that the upper stage, known as Ship 33, was lost during its ascent.
“Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause,” SpaceX said in a post-mission posting to X. “With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.”
Today’s test marked the first use of an upper stage that was upgraded with a redesign of the avionics, the propulsion system and the forward control flaps. Ship 33’s heat shield featured next-generation protective tiles as well as a backup layer of heat-resistant material. SpaceX had removed some of the tiles for this flight as a stress test for the heat shield.
During the webcast, an onscreen graphic suggested that Ship experienced engine problems during its ascent. “We saw engines dropping out on telemetry,” launch commentator Dan Huot said.
In a posting to X, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said preliminary indications were that there was “an oxygen/fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall that was large enough to build pressure in excess of the vent capacity.”
“Apart from obviously double-checking for leaks, we will add fire suppression to that volume and probably increase vent area,” Musk wrote. “Nothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month.”
After Ship’s breakup, eyewitnesses posted videos showing a glittering hail of debris falling to Earth. Reuters reported that at least 20 commercial aircraft had to divert to different airports or alter their course to dodge the debris.
In response to an emailed inquiry, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of the anomaly that occurred during today’s flight test and would be assessing the operation. “The FAA briefly slowed and diverted aircraft around the area where space vehicle debris was falling,” the agency said via email. “Normal operations have resumed.”
If Ship had made it to space, it would have deployed 10 Starlink simulators that were about the same size and weight as SpaceX’s Starlink broadband satellites. This was meant to test the procedure that SpaceX plans to use to put scores of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit during a single Starship mission.
At the end of the flight test, Ship would have made a controlled re-entry and splashdown into the Indian Ocean.
Starship is the world’s most powerful launch system, with the booster’s 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines providing liftoff thrust of 16.7 million pounds. That’s more than twice the thrust of the Apollo-era Saturn V rocket, and almost twice the thrust of NASA’s Space Launch System, which was first launched in 2022 for the uncrewed Artemis I moon mission.
When fully stacked, Starship stands 403 feet (123 meters) tall. The system is meant to be fully reusable. Flight tests began in 2023, and SpaceX has made gradual progress. The first successful catch of the Super Heavy booster thrilled observers last October — and like that catch, today’s catch drew cheers from SpaceX employees watching the launch.
This year, SpaceX aims to demonstrate full reuse of Super Heavy and Ship, and promises to fly “increasingly ambitious missions.” The Starship system would be used for large-scale satellite deployments — and eventually for missions beyond Earth orbit. A customized version of Starship is slated to serve as a crewed lunar landing system for NASA’s Artemis III mission, which is currently scheduled for no earlier than mid-2027.
Musk envisions sending Starships on missions to Mars, perhaps starting in 2026. “These will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars,” he said last September in a posting to X.
“If those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in 4 years,” Musk said. “Flight rate will grow exponentially from there, with the goal of building a self-sustaining city in about 20 years.”
Exclusive polling from DailyMail.com and J.L. Partners found that nearly half (45 percent) of people believe the bizarre activity was more than just recreational or normal drone use, with the majority (26 percent) of those respondents pointing to foreign surveillance.
The foreign powers mentioned were China or Russia, which has been suspected among lawmakers like Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who said some of the unidentified aircraft are 'spy drones.'
But 19 percent of Americans do believe the sightings are nothing more than hobby drones and 18 percent stated they are 'normal flying actives that have been exaggerated.'
There are some Americans (17 percent) who believe the drones were government surveillance tools, but 10 percent said the craft was actually protecting citizens.
And a small eight percent are sure the drones are alien vehicles.
While Americans have shared their take on the drones, the US government has yet to provide hard answers to what's invading the skies over New Jersey.
The FBI admitted that it does not know who is behind the flying objects, while the US military insisted it is not responsible. All while, the White House said it was 'closely monitoring the situation.'
Numerous 'car-sized' drones first appeared over New Jersey in mid-November, and have since been reported by eyewitnesses all across the Northeast
Numerous 'car-sized' drones first appeared over New Jersey in mid-November, and have since been reported by eyewitnesses all across the Northeast, though the Garden State still appears to be the epicenter of the activity.
But the White House said the sightingsnear or over Department of Defense (DoD) installations 'are not new.'
'DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate,' the statement continued.
The Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI released a joint statement on the matter in mid-December.
The agencies said the sightings were 'a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.'
But McCaul has been very open in pushing back against these claims.
Carlson did not provide details about the Beijing-operated GaoJing 1-02 satellite which he claimed the US shot down on December 21. It reentered Earth's atmosphere above New Orleans and headed north towards Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri
He claimed the Asian nation has to be responsible after it was revealed that the communist state had been snapping up strategically placed farmland next to military installations across the US.
Carlson appeared to hint at a Beijing-operated satellite known as GaoJing 1-02 which fell from space on December 21.
Others have pointed fingers at different foreign powers such as Iran and Russia.
But despite the wave of concern, the Pentagon has denied that a foreign country was behind the mysterious drones, even as they have been repeatedly spotted over sensitive US military sites.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said in December there are more than one million drones registered in the US and 'there are thousands of commercial hobbyists and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day,' suggesting the sightings were likely any of these.
A former NASAastronaut has come forward to reveal that he personally witnessed 'two metallic spherical orbs' whizz by his plane this August while flying above Texas.
Leroy Chiao, who served as the commander of Expedition 10 to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2004 and 2005, was 9,000 feet in the air when objects 'zipped' on the left side of his airplane.
He said one flew on top of the other and each was about three feet in diameter.
'It's just kinda dumb luck that they didn't hit me,' said Chiao.
The former NASA astronaut estimates that the orbs were only 'about 20 feet away.'
'It could've been a bad result, if they had actually hit me,' Chiao said. 'It happened so quick, there wasn't even a chance to get scared.'
'It wasn't on radar,' he noted, 'Air traffic control certainly didn't alert me.
'[And] it wasn't on my display that shows other airplanes that are participating with the [Federal Aviation Administration] FAA-required transponders.'
'I don't know what it was,' the baffled former astronaut confessed.
A former NASA astronaut has come forward to reveal that he personally witnessed 'two metallic spherical orbs' whizz by his plane while flying above Texas. Above, an example of a 'metallic sphere' weather balloon included in a 2023 report by NASA's UFO advisory panel
'It's just kinda dumb luck that they didn't hit me,' said Leroy Chiao (pictured), whose NASA missions saw him serve as the commander for Expedition 10 to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2004 and 2005. Chaio believes these strange metallic orbs were a top secret drone test
Chiao unpacked the details of his odd late-summer UFO encounter to The Hill on NewsNation, stating that he 'got a good look at them' but 'only for a second.'
'I was flying back from Colorado and I had just refueled in the panhandle of Texas in my small airplane,' Chiao recalled.
'I was flying back to Houston on an instrument flight plan,' he said, referencing a more formal set of flight rules that are coordinated with FAA air traffic control along known and pre-established flight corridors.
But with the benefit of hindsight, the former astronaut believes that these orb UFOs are still not only 'mysterious' — but that the government's lack of transparency on these and other mystery drones over sensitive US sites has 'scary' implications.
'They could tell us what they know,' Chiao opined, 'and if they really don't know, that's a little more disconcerting.'
'My first guess is that it's some kind of military program, a drone of some kind,' he told NewsNation, 'but you know it's hard to say, right?'
'Frankly, I think whoever was operating the drone wasn't aware that I was there.'
Above: a leaked US military image of what appears to be a metallic-looking orb flying over Mosul, Iraq in April 2016, included in a classified briefing video on UFOs shown to multiple US government agencies - according to the UFO reporter who obtained the image, Jeremy Corbell
While playing a 2022 military UFO video taken by an MQ-9 Reaper drone in the Mid East, Pentagon UFO-hunter Dr Sean Kirkpatrick told a NASA panel that: 'We see these ['metallic orbs'] all over the world, and we see these making very interesting apparent maneuvers'
'It is pretty mysterious,' he weighed in. 'It's hard to believe that our government doesn't really know what's going on.'
'At first blush, to me, it seems like some kind of a military program, our military,' he continued, 'and if it's not that, then it gets a little more scary.'
Chiao said that the past month of drone sightings over New Jersey and nearby states, as well as those over US military bases at home and abroad, seem 'way too widespread and organized to be some kind of a prank.'
He added that he feels the Pentagon and the rest of the federal government 'could be a little more transparent.'
The FBI and other agencies are investigating the alleged drones, but a representative from the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday, Dec. 11: 'We have no more information as to where these drones are coming from, where they're launching from, where they're landing'
In New Jersey, Belleville Mayor Michael Melham has also become a vocal critic of the federal government's lack of candor on the drone mystery, calling their response 'disappointing, to say the least.'
'Over 500 mayors were invited to an unprecedented 'mayors-only' briefing on such an important topic,' Mayor Melham told local network WABC last week.
'Many northern NJ mayors traveled nearly three hours round trip, on short notice, to be there,' he explained, 'only to learn what could have easily been said over a Zoom call. Many walked out.'
Journalist and author Michael Shellenberger, who testified to Congress last month on his reports of a hidden UFO data collection program, obtained a recording of the meeting, in which one NJ mayor complained of SUV-sized drones.
'The mayors are livid,' Shellenberger told Fox News. 'One of them got up there and said, 'I had two automobile-sized drones hovering over my house.''
Metallic orb UFOs have been the most common type of case reported by US military witnesses according to the first director of the Pentagon's UFO-hunting All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), ex-CIA physicist Dr Sean Kirkpatrick.
'We see these ['metallic orbs'] all over the world,' Dr Kirkpatrick told NASA's UFO advisory group last year, 'and we see these making very interesting apparent maneuvers.'
After mysterious bright lights, according to AARO's most recent annual report, orb or spherical UFOs were still the most commonly reported this year at 22 percent of all US military sightings.
An Air Force veteran has made shocking claims about UFOs and alien retrieval programs long-rumored to be operated by the US government.
Jake Barber said he was working for the government to assist downed craft when one night, the 'communication process and procedure was modified' and he witnessed something that he believes was of extraterrestrial origin.
'I saw an egg, a white egg,' the pilot explained. 'It's inconsistent with anything I'd ever seen before,' Barber told NewsNation.
His next order was to retrieve it from the ground, which he said was when he knew for sure the craft was not of this world.
'I can also tell you that the reaction by my team, we all knew we were dealing with something extraordinary,' the pilot said.
'Over the last couple of years, it's been confirmed to me by ranking members of the UAP task force that what we were working with that night was, in fact, NHI [non-human intelligence] and it was not a unique experience,' he said.
UAP stands for 'unidentified anomalous phenomena' and is a term used by the Department of Defense to describe mysterious objects in the sky.
Three high-level military veterans are said to corroborate Barber's story, according to NewsNation.
Jake Barber, now a chief helicopter pilot in California, said he has witnessed alien craft while working for a secret UFO retrieval program
He spoke with NewsNation special network correspondent Ross Coulthart in his first whistleblower interview.
When asked exactly how he knew the 'egg' was of alien origin, Barber said: 'Just visually looking at the object on the ground, you could tell that it was extraordinary and anomalous. It was it was not human.
Barber's LinkedIn profile states he is a 'disabled veteran,' but the account does not list his years in the Air Force.
The page shows that he is from California where he works as a chief pilot at San Joaquin Helicopters & Coastal Helicopters.
The full interview with Barber, titled 'Hunting UFOs: The Crash Retrieval Whistleblower,' is set to air on Saturday, January 18th at 8pm ET.
Barber's description matched another witness report from 1957 when two Civil Aeronautics Administration controllers in the tower at New Mexico's Kirtland Air Force Base saw 'an egg-shaped object.'
M. Kaser and E. G. Brink claimed they witnessed a white light traveling eastwards across the runway, left, then crossed other runways and areas of the airfield.
They claimed the mysterious object did not have wings, a tail or a fuselage, and was elongated vertically.
Many military personnel claimed to have witnessed UFOs. This image, obtained April 28, 2020, was taken by Navy pilots in 2017. Navy Cmdr David Fravor, who saw it, testified under oath in a hearing where he discussed the experience
And it appeared to be 12 to 20 feet tall, according to a report in UFO Evidence.
The men reported the object was about the size of an automobile standing on its nose, and had a single white light at its base.
'When the object was about 3000 feet ENE of the tower, it stopped completely and hovered for about a minute,' reads the case report.
'Then it began moving again, slowly at first, but then suddenly climbing at an extremely rapid rate of speed until it disappeared into the overcast sky.
'The object was in clear view at all time, with no intervening obstructions, according to the two men.'
They requested the radar control team track the object as it moved east, with radar showing it turning south at very high speeds 'until it reached the vicinity of the Albuquerque Low-Frequency Range Station, where it circled for several minutes.'
The object was then said to circle back to the Air Force base and follow behind a plane that had just taken off if to avoid detection.
Zelfs in de ruimte waar er allerlei bizarre dingen gebeuren, was diamantregen lange tijd iets bijzonders. Maar het blijkt veel minder zeldzaam dan gedacht. Op zeker 1900 exoplaneten kan het diamanten regenen.
Tot die conclusie komen astronomen na experimenten op Aarde, waaruit blijkt dat diamanten al bij veel minder hoge temperaturen kunnen ontstaan dan tot nu toe werd aangenomen. Het maakt dat diamantregen op de ijzige werelden in onze kosmos weleens een vrij normaal fenomeen zou kunnen zijn.
Verwarring Koolstof heeft hoge druk en veel hitte nodig om te veranderen in diamant. Maar tot nu was er wat verwarring over hóé hard het element samengeperst en verhit moet worden om diamant te kunnen vormen op ijsplaneten, zoals Uranus en Neptunus.
Er waren altijd twee soorten experimenten om dat te onderzoeken. Ten eerste kun je koolstof samenpersen door het bloot te stellen aan een plotse schok. Maar je kunt ook de koolstofbestanddelen in een ruimte leggen en langzaam samendrukken. Tot nu toe was het zo dat er in het eerste geval veel hogere temperaturen en meer druk vereist waren om de diamanten te vormen.
Nieuw trucje Maar nu hebben ze in de VS geprobeerd om die twee methodes te combineren. Aan het SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Californië besloot onderzoeker Mungo Frost samen met collega’s polystyreen – dezelfde polymeer waar ook Styrofoam van is gemaakt – samen te drukken tussen twee diamanten en die dan te verhitten met röntgenlicht. Zo zagen ze dat de diamanten zich al uit het polystyreen begonnen te vormen bij temperaturen van rond de 2200 graden en een druk van rond de 19 gigapascal. Dat zijn omstandigheden die vergelijkbaar zijn met het oppervlakkige binnenste van Uranus en Neptunus.
En dat is een veel lagere druk dan die eerder noodzakelijk werd geacht voor de vorming van diamanten bij de schoksgewijze samenpersing. De reactie duurde langer dan bij de eerdere experimenten. Dat kan verklaren waarom destijds de diamantvorming onder lagere druk niet is opgemerkt. “Het kwam niet overeen met eerdere resultaten en we hadden niet verwacht dit te zien, maar het paste eigenlijk goed en bracht soort van alles bij elkaar”, legt Frost uit. “Het blijkt allemaal met verschillende tijdschalen te maken te hebben.”
Diamanten op exoplaneten Maar wat heeft dit nu te maken met diamantregen op exoplaneten? Nou, een heleboel dus. Het betekent dat het ook op kleinere planeten diamanten kan regenen, iets dat tot nu toe voor onmogelijk werd gehouden. Van de 5600 bekende exoplaneten kan het op meer dan 1900 exemplaren diamanten regenen, op meer dan een derde dus.
Bovendien kunnen diamanten binnen ons zonnestelsel op minder grote diepte gevormd worden dan gedacht. Dat verandert wat we weten over de dynamiek in het binnenste van grote planeten. Doordat de diamanten minder diep gevormd worden, kan de diamantregen door een laag ijs zakken als die naar de kern van deze planeten zinkt. Dat zou weer impact hebben op de magnetische velden van deze ijswerelden, iets waar we nog weinig van weten. De ontdekking leidt dus misschien wel tot meer vragen dan antwoorden.
Wat is diamant? Diamant is zo ver we weten het hardste materiaal dat op Aarde in de natuur voorkomt. Het is een mineraal dat ontstaat door de kristallisering van koolstof. Op Aarde worden diamanten onder hoge druk en enorme hitte gevormd op zo’n 140 tot 190 kilometer diepte. Door vulkaanuitbarstingen komen ze aan de oppervlakte. Op onze eigen planeet vinden we diamanten alleen in de grond, maar op bijvoorbeeld Uranus en Jupiter regent het diamanten. Daardoor kan er zelfs een hele vreemde toestand van water ontstaan, die wordt omschreven als ‘superheet, zwart ijs’, zoals we eerder al schreven. Een zwart ijsblokje is vier keer zo zwaar als een gewoon ijsblokje en heeft een temperatuur van duizenden graden Celsius.
Colliding Stars, Stellar Siphoning, and a now a “Blue Lurker.” This Star System has Seen it All
Triple star systems are more common than might be imagined – about one in ten of every Sun-like star is part of a system with two other stars. However, the dynamics of such a system are complex, and understanding the history of how they came to be even more so. Science took a step towards doing so with a recent paper by Emily Leiner from the Illinois Institute of Technology and her team.
They examined a star called WOCS 14020 in the star cluster M67, which is about 2,800 light years away from Earth. It is currently orbiting a massive white dwarf star with a mass of about .76 times that of the Sun (about 50% heavier than a typical white dwarf). That pairing hints at a much more interesting past.
Dr. Leiner and her team believe that WOCS 14020 was originally part of a triple star system—specifically, that it orbited a binary pair of much larger stars. Around 500 million years ago, the two stars in the binary merged, briefly creating a much more massive star that pushed some of its material onto its third companion star.
Absorbing that material caused WOCS 14020 to start speeding up its spin. It now rotates once every four days, rather than typically once every thirty days, which is common to other Sun-like stars. This faster rotation feature is key to Dr. Leiner and her team’s classification of the star – a “blue lurker.”
To understand what that classification means, we must first understand another type of star, the blue straggler. Blue stragglers are stars that also have gained mass from another star and appear hotter, brighter, and “bluer” than they would be expected to be given their age. In this case, all three features are directly tied together, as a hotter star is more likely to be brighter and would give off more light in the blue part of the visible spectrum, though it would still appear almost exactly like the Sun to the naked eye.
Blue lurkers are a sub-set of blue stragglers – they also gained mass from a star, but they spin faster instead of being hotter and brighter. This makes this difficult to distinguish in a cluster like M67, as they blend in better with the other surrounding stars, hence the name “lurker.” However, they are relatively rare – out of the 400 main sequence stars in M67, only around 11 are estimated to be “blue lurkers.” That puts the total, even in a space as congested as M67, at only around 3% of stars. Blue lurkers likely make up less than 1% of the general population.
Since their evolutionary histories are likely to advance our understanding of the dynamics of the systems that created them, astronomers will spend more time analyzing these blue lurkers when they find them. Unique cases like WOCS 14020, where astronomers have a pretty good idea of the system’s evolutionary history, are instrumental in that regard, and the paper, which was presented at the ongoing 245th American Astronomical Society meeting, was a step towards that greater understanding.
The ESA has announced that Gaia’s primary mission is coming to an end. The spacecraft’s fuel is running low, and the sky-scanning phase of its mission is over. The ground-breaking mission has taken more than three trillion observations of two billion objects, mostly stars.
The ESA launched Gaia in December 2013. It’s an astrometry mission that measures the positions, motions, and distances of stars with extreme accuracy. It created the largest and most accurate 3D map of space ever, including about one billion objects, mostly stars but also quasars, comets, asteroids, and planets.
Gaia’s mission lasted twice as long as expected, and its data has changed astronomy. It serves as the foundation for many new discoveries and insights into the Milky Way. Astronomy and astrophysics would be far behind where they are now if it weren’t for Gaia. Regular Universe Today readers have encountered its data frequently.
“Today marks the end of science observations and we are celebrating this incredible mission that has exceeded all our expectations, lasting for almost twice its originally foreseen lifetime,” says ESA Director of Science Carole Mundell. “The treasure trove of data collected by Gaia has given us unique insights into the origin and evolution of our Milky Way galaxy, and has also transformed astrophysics and Solar System science in ways that we are yet to fully appreciate. Gaia built on unique European excellence in astrometry and will leave a long-lasting legacy for future generations.”
Gaia hasn’t always had it easy at its position at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. In April 2024, a tiny micrometeorite smaller than a grain of sand struck, puncturing a tiny hole in the satellite’s protective cover. The hole allowed a tiny bit of sunlight into the spacecraft, disrupting its sensors. In May 2024, a solar storm struck, and it suffered an electronics malfunction that led to an inordinately high number of false detections. In both cases, Gaia recovered and continued normal operations.
Gaia has three instruments that allow it to be so accurate. Its astrometric instrument (ASTRO) determines the positions of stars in the sky. By measuring the same stars multiple times over different years, Gaia can measure a star’s position and proper motion.
Gaia’s radial velocity spectrometer (RVS) measures the Doppler shift of a star’s absorption lines. This reveals the star’s velocity along Gaia’s line of sight.
The photometric instrument (BP/RP) provides colour information on stars, allowing astronomers to measure critical stellar characteristics like mass, chemical composition, and temperature.
These instruments have worked together to create the largest and most accurate map of the Milky Way ever.
Among its other achievements, Gaia has captured pinpoint precision orbits of more than 150,000 asteroids, accurate enough to uncover possible moons. It also discovered a new type of black hole revealed only through its gravitational influence on nearby stars.
Though its science operations are at an end, it still has data to deliver.
“After 11 years in space and surviving micrometeorite impacts and solar storms along the way, Gaia has finished collecting science data. Now all eyes turn towards the preparation of the next data releases,” says Gaia Project Scientist Johannes Sahlmann.
Gaia’s Data Release 4 (DR4) is expected in 2026. The volume and quality of data have increased with each DR. DR 4 should contain 500 terabytes of data covering the mission’s first 5.5 years, corresponding to the length of the mission’s originally foreseen duration.
“This is the Gaia release the community has been waiting for, and it’s exciting to think this only covers half of the collected data,” says Antonella Vallenari, Deputy Chair of DPAC based at the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Astronomical Observatory of Padua, Italy. “Even though the mission has now stopped collecting data, it will be business as usual for us for many years to come as we make these incredible datasets ready for use.”
The data release will feature more binary stars and exoplanets, among other things.
Gaia’s final data release, DR5, is a few years away. “Over the next months we will continue to downlink every last drop of data from Gaia, and at the same time the processing teams will ramp up their preparations for the fifth and final major data release at the end of this decade, covering the full 10.5 years of mission data,” says Rocio Guerra, Gaia Science Operations Team Leader based at ESA’s European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) near Madrid in Spain.
Though the fuel that allows it to point itself with such accuracy is almost gone, Gaia won’t meet its demise just yet. It still has enough fuel for about 15 days of operations. Instead of using its final 15 days to take more astrometric measurements, it’s going to do some technology testing.
“The Gaia spacecraft has been constructed using a wide range of technologies which have been combined to create a unique machine that operates in a very stable environment,” the ESA explains. “The spacecraft’s stability is essential for the science observations. These technology tests would have disrupted the spacecraft for an extended period and, therefore, could not be performed during the normal science observation campaign.”
These tests will teach engineers more about Gaia’s instruments and will allow engineers to study their behaviour and the behaviour of the spacecraft as a whole. The goal is to improve the calibrations for future Gaia data releases. They will also inform the design of the next mission.
“Some of the Gaia technologies have already been re-used, for example the mirror-drive electronics and cold-gas thrusters on EUCLID,” the ESA writes. Other future missions like LISA will require extreme accuracy, and the results of these tests can help them achieve that.
Once its testing is complete, Gaia will be placed in a heliocentric orbit far away from Earth’s influence. At the end of March 2025, it will be passivated to avoid any potential harm or disruption to other spacecraft.
Though the mission will end, Gaia’s data will be used for decades. So, in that sense, it will live on.
Astronomers See Flares Coming from the Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole
There’s plenty of action at the center of the galaxy, where a supermassive black hole (SMBH) known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) literally holds the galaxy together. Part of that action is the creation of gigantic flares from Sgr A*, which can give off energy equivalent to 10 times the Sun’s annual energy output. However, scientists have been missing a key feature of these flares for decades – what they look like in the mid-infrared range. But now, a team led by researchers at Harvard’s Center for Astrophysics and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy has published a paper that details what a flare looks like in those frequencies for the first time.
Astronomers have been observing Sgr A* since the 1990s and have known about the flares, which were initially seen as variances in the SMBH’s brightness. It has been observed with all manner of telescopes, including the Chandra X-ray observatory and, perhaps most famously, the Event Horizon Telescope, which was responsible for the famous first image of M87*, another black hole at the center of the Messier galaxy. EHT also released an image from Sgr A* itself in May of 2022.
So far, those observations have been in visible light through infrared and from far infrared up through X-rays. There has always been a gap in the middle of the infrared range. Several factors explain this gap.
First, Sgr A* is relatively weak in the mid-infrared range compared to other ranges, so it doesn’t stand out as much against the background noise of the universe. Second, much of the mid-infrared emissions get obscured by the dust cloud surrounding the SMBH at the galaxy’s center, blocking it from detectors at Earth 28,000 light years away. Third, there were technological limitations to infrared sensors themselves. There were ground-based telescopes that could have detected the signal, but the Earth’s atmosphere blocked even more of it.
That required scientists to wait for the long-delayed James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). When it finally launched in late 2021, it was only a matter of time before they would get observational time to watch Sgr A* and hopefully observe a flare with the most powerful infrared detector ever launched into orbit.
JWST did indeed get observational time with Sgr A* and saw a flare, representing the first-ever recording of a flare in the mid-infrared range. But the research team didn’t stop there – they were also watching with several other telescopes for confirmation of the JWST signal.
They didn’t find any in the X-ray range with Chandra, though that was probably because the flare wasn’t strong enough to emit a significant amount of X-rays. But they did see a signal from the Sub-Millimeter Array (SMA) in Hawai’i, which detected radio waves following along about 10 minutes behind the detected mid-infrared signal.
That confirmation was necessary because it allowed the experimentalists to provide even more insight about the same flare to the theoreticians. Their job is then to confirm the models and simulations of what causes the flares in the first place. The current theory is that they occur when magnetic field lines in the SMBH’s accretion disk join up and emit massive amounts of radiation in a process known as synchrotron emission. In synchrotron emission, a bunch of charged particles – typically electrons – get pushed down the magnetic field lines like they were part of a massive particle accelerator.
The data from JWST fits nicely into that theory. However, there appear to be additional unanswered questions about whether that feature was specific to Sgr A* or whether it could be observed for other SMBHs such as M87*. For now, that remains to be seen, though given the interest in this particular black hole in this specific wavelength, while this might have been the first study published on the topic, it probably won’t be the last.
This artist’s conception of the mid-IR flare in Sgr A* captures the variability, or changing intensity, of the flare as the black hole’s magnetic field lines approach each other. The byproduct of this magnetic reconnection is synchrotron emission. The emission seen in the flare intensifies as energized electrons travel along the SMBH’s magnetic field lines at close to the speed of light. The labels mark how the flare’s spectral index changes from the beginning to the end of the flare. Credit: CfA/Mel Weiss
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Recent Observations Challenge our Understanding of Giant Black Holes
Black holes are among the most mysterious and powerful objects in the Universe. These behemoths form when sufficiently massive stars reach the end of their life cycle and experience gravitational collapse, shedding their outer layers in a supernova. Their existence was illustrated by the work of German astronomer Karl Schwarzschild and Indian-American physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar as a consequence of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. By the 1970s, astronomers confirmed that supermassive black holes(SMBHs) reside at the center of massive galaxies and play a vital role in their evolution.
However, only in recent years were the first images of black holes acquired by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). These and other observations have revealed things about black holes that have challenged preconceived notions. In a recent study led by a team from MIT, astronomers observed oscillations that suggested an SMBH in a neighboring galaxy was consuming a white dwarf. But instead of pulling it apart, as astronomical models predict, their observations suggest the white dwarf was slowing down as it descended into the black hole – something astronomers have never seen before!
From what astronomers have learned about black holes, these gravitational behemoths are surrounded by infalling matter (gas, dust, and even light) that form swirling, bright disks. This material and energy is accelerated to near the speed of light, causing it to release heat and radiation (mostly in the ultraviolet) as it slowly accretes onto the black hole’s “face.” These UV rays interact with a cloud of electrically charged plasma (the corona) surrounding the black hole, which boosts the rays’ into the X-ray wavelength.
Since 2011, NASA’s XMM-Newton has been observing 1ES 1927+654, a galaxy located 236 million light-years away in the constellation Draco with a black hole of 1.4 million Solar masses Suns at its center. In 2018, the X-ray corona mysteriously disappeared, followed by a radio outburst and a rise in its X-ray output—what is known as Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPO). UMBC associate professor Eileen Meyer, a co-author of this latest study, also recently released a paper describing these radio outbursts.
“In 2018, the black hole began changing its properties right before our eyes, with a major optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray outburst,” she said in a NASA press release. “Many teams have been keeping a close eye on it ever since.” Meyer presented her team’s findings at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), which took place from January 12th to 16th, 2025, in National Harbor, Maryland. By 2021, the corona reappeared, and the black hole seemed to return to its normal state for about a year.
However, from February to May 2024, radio data revealed what appeared to be jets of ionized gas extending for about half a light-year from either side of the SMBH. “The launch of a black hole jet has never been observed before in real time,” Meyer noted. “We think the outflow began earlier, when the X-rays increased prior to the radio flare, and the jet was screened from our view by hot gas until it broke out early last year.” A related paper about the jet co-authored by Meyer and Masterson was also presented at the 245th AAS.
In addition, observations gathered in April 2023 showed a months-long increase in low-energy X-rays, which indicated a strong and unexpected radio flare was underway. Intense observations were mounted in response by the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and other facilities, including XMM-Newton. Thanks to the XMM-Newton observations, Masterson found that the black hole exhibited extremely rapid X-ray variations of 10% between July 2022 and March 2024. These oscillations are typically very hard to detect around SMBHs, suggesting that a massive object was rapidly orbiting the SMBH and slowly being consumed.
“One way to produce these oscillations is with an object orbiting within the black hole’s accretion disk. In this scenario, each rise and fall of the X-rays represents one orbital cycle,” Masterson said. Additional calculations also showed that the object is probably a white dwarf of about 0.1 solar masses orbiting at a velocity of about 333 million km/h (207 million mph). Ordinarily, astronomers would expect the orbital period to shorten, producing gravitational waves (GWs) that drain the object’s orbital energy and bring it closer to the black hole’s outer boundary (the event horizon).
However, the same observations conducted between 2022 and 2024 showed the fluctuation period dropped from 18 minutes to 7, and the velocity increased to half the speed of light (540 million km/h; 360 million mph). Then, something truly odd and unexpected followed: the oscillations stabilized. As Masterson explained:
“We were shocked by this at first. But we realized that as the object moved closer to the black hole, its strong gravitational pull could begin to strip matter from the companion. This mass loss could offset the energy removed by gravitational waves, halting the companion’s inward motion.”
This theory is consistent with what astronomers have observed with white dwarf binaries spiraling toward each other and destined to merge. As they got closer to each other, instead of remaining intact, one would begin to pull matter off the other, which slowed down the approach of the two objects. While this could be the case here, there is no established theory for explaining what Masterson, Meyer, and their colleagues observed. However, their model makes a key prediction that could be tested when the ESA’s Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) launches in the 2030s.
“We predict that if there is a white dwarf in orbit around this supermassive black hole, LISA should see it,” says Megan. The preprint of Masterson and her team’s paper recently appeared online and will be published in Nature on February 15th, 2025.
The Black Knight Satellite: A Perplexing Alien Visitor in Orbit - Part 1
The Black Knight satellite, a peculiar object that has allegedly been orbiting Earth for thousands of years, has sparked great speculation, debate, and fascination among conspiracy theorists and astronomers alike for well over a century since it was first detected.
Is it a classified United States military project, a derelict Cold War-era Russian spy satellite lost in the vastness of space, or an extraterrestrial probe monitoring Earth?
The Black Knight Emerges
When Russian Cosmonaut, Sergei Krikalev, who was a part of the six-member crew of the NASA STS-88 Endeavour mission looked out of the shuttle window to take photographs of an unknown object following NASA’s protocol for UFO sightings, little could he have imagined the incredible excitement and controversy his actions would cause back on Earth.
Although Krikalev was not the first to capture the strange-looking object on camera, his effort arguably produced the clearest pictures of the purported Black Knight Satellite in a hundred years. Intriguingly, those sensational photographs were published by NASA on their official website.
Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, who was a part of the six-member crew of the NASA STS-88 Endeavour mission in December 1998.
Ufologists relished the opportunity to scrutinize the pictures, declaring they proved the Black Knight Satellite was no figment of imagination; and, that as they had contended all along, it was an object of alien origin, sent to surveil Earth from afar for undetermined purposes
The “Dark Satellite” or “Black Knight Satellite” grabbed the attention of scientists in the early days of space exploration during the 1950s, when puzzling signals were detected in near-polar orbit of the Earth.
It was a time of heightened tensions between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. Inexplicable occurrences, whose sequence appears to have been orchestrated by some unseen hand, happened on the back of a series of events involving the United States.
An aerial photograph of the Trinity crater shortly after the atomic bomb test in 1945. White Sands, New Mexico.
These unprecedented episodes broadly include: The Battle of Los Angeles during the Second World War in February 1942; the detonation of the first atomic bomb in White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico, in July 1945; the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of the same year; sightings of odd, aerial objects by pilot Kenneth Arnold in Washington State in June 1947, which were termed “flying saucers” in the Press; the alleged crash of an extraterrestrial disc and the subsequent retrieval of alien bodies in Roswell, New Mexico in July 1947, and finally the UFO sightings over Washington, D.C. on two consecutive Saturday nights in July 1952 that caused widespread fear in the Nation’s Capital.
A noteworthy addition to this list is the considerable panic that ensued during an October 1938 Halloween radio broadcast. Directed and chillingly narrated by Orson Welles, a radio dramatization of ‘The War of the Worlds,’ the classic sci-fi novel penned by H. G. Wells, left terrified listeners thinking a Martian invasion was underway.
All these events were still fresh in people’s minds and sightings of UFOs or unidentified flying objects became a regular feature, what with the paranoid citizenry having their eyes glued to the skies.
The 1950s were also an era when the possibility of life on other planets and alien visitations began to enter public consciousness more than it ever had over the past half-a-century. Newspaper reports and magazine articles, science fiction novels and Hollywood movies, and, of course, Ufology societies kept everyone informed and on the edge of their seats.
A reprint of ‘The War of the Worlds’ was featured on the cover of the July 1951 issue of Famous Fantastic Mysteries.
On May 14, 1954, bang in the middle of the Cold War, the Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine reported that the United States Air Force had detected “at least one and possibly two artificial satellites circling the Earth” and that they were being kept under close observation.
In the normal course, such news would have constituted run-of-the-mill reportage, hardly raising eyebrows among the public. Though it would doubtless have caused alarm in the defense department and echelons of political power, if these objects were assumed to be spy satellites.
But the Aviation Week article sent chills down everyone’s spines, because at the time it was published humans had still not achieved the capability to launch satellites in orbit.
Cover of the 1950 book 'The Flying Saucers Are Real' by Donald Keyhoe, one of the world’s first true ufologists.
The shocking information about the mysterious satellites was revealed by Donald Edward Keyhoe, a Marine Corps Major-turned-UFO researcher and founder of The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena or NICAP, who claimed government scientists working at White Sands, New Mexico, had made the discovery.
The Air Force issued a vehement denial to Keyhoe’s statement, maintaining they were, “… not watching any satellites — artificial or otherwise.” Skeptics on the other hand accused Keyhoe of making outlandish statements to promote his latest book on UFOs.
Yet, behind the scenes, the Pentagon swiftly swung into action, even as a stunned U.S. citizenry grappled with the implications of the news.
Upon tracking two satellites emitting radio signals as they circled at 400 miles and 600 miles above our planet, Pentagon officials immediately suspected the Soviet Union. The Russians were not just blamed of espionage, but were presumed to have beaten the United States in the space race. The Russians categorically denied these charges, and in turn held the Americans responsible for the satellites.
If neither the U.S. nor Russia had secretly sent a satellite into space, whom did it belong to? Aliens, claim UFO hunters, convinced that it was the Black Knight Satellite. Nevertheless, the Air Force sought the help of Dr. Lincoln La Paz, the then head of the Extra-Terrestrial Bodies Institute at the University of New Mexico, to determine the nature of the anomalous objects.
Dr. La Paz was no ordinary scientist. He possessed vast experience in conducting UFO investigations for the U.S. Air Force — particularly the alleged Roswell non-terrestrial vehicle crash incident of 1947. La Paz teamed up with astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, the discoverer of Pluto in 1930, to confirm that the near-Earth orbiting objects were “natural”, meaning, they were no more than meteors.
However, another version of events states that it was La Paz and Tombaugh who had originally detected the two objects in the murky darkness of space while working on behalf of the Air Force, hinting they could be artificially-built satellites. And that the duo later stoutly denied ever having made such an erroneous identification, or even working together at White Sands Missile Range.
Since the earlier Aviation Week article received tremendous traction amongst the Press and public, the Pentagon once again rushed to allay growing fears about the unusual outer space objects. They stated in an August 23, 1954 Aviation Week report: “[the]… scare over the observance of two previously unobserved satellites orbiting the earth has dissipated with the identification of the objects as natural, not artificial satellites.”
Ufologists, though, assert this was the convenient, conventional explanation; one meant to distract and steer the public away from the truth. They point to the fact that the Soviet Union launched the beach ball-sized Sputnik 1, humankind’s first-ever artificial satellite, into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan only in October 1957 — a full three years after the detection of the so-called Black Knight Satellite. Yet, no one could have imagined that there was much more to come in this extraordinary saga.
Artist's impression of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, in orbit.
On February 11, 1960, a New York Times article reported that U.S. tracking stations had detected a mysterious “dark” and “silent” satellite wheeling overhead on a regular and roughly pole-to-pole or polar orbit. Such an orbit would endow the object with the exceptional capability to observe every part of the Earth’s surface.
The Navy had employed the latest component of the space watch program called Dark Fence, designed by the Naval Research Laboratory, to find and track this satellite. It was a kind of radar trip-wire that stretched across the width of the United States to help keep track of satellites whose radios had gone silent.
When the object showed up during two passes of the Dark Fence, the news was communicated to President Eisenhower and marked top secret.
However, though initially classified as a Soviet spy satellite, it was later revealed that the object constituted “…the remains of an Air Force Discoverer 5 — one of the first photographic reconnaissance satellites built by the United States — that had gone astray.”
Scientists Vouch for Space Anomalies
UFO hunters were not the only ones to believe that the strange objects detected in outer space were other-worldly; men of science jumped on the bandwagon too.
In 1960, Ronald Bracewell, Professor of Electrical Engineering of the Space, Telecommunications, and Radioscience Laboratory at Stanford University, published an article in the authoritative scientific journal, Nature, in which he advanced the possibility of the presence of an alien probe that was trying to establish contact with Earth. As proof of his theory, Bracewell cited the phenomenon of delays in radio signals observed since the beginning of the 20th century.
Noted Ufologist, astronomer and author, Jacques Vallée.
In 1961 French astronomer, ufologist, and author Jacques Vallée divulged that while working on the staff of the French Space Committee, he had taken photos and filmed a bright oil tanker-sized satellite. While tracking its trajectory, Vallée realized it was in a retrograde orbit; meaning, in an East to West orbit, opposite to Earth’s rotation. However, when he showed the astounding scientific material he had gathered to his superiors, he claims it was not just confiscated, but destroyed.
Certain UFO researchers opine that amateur American astronomer, Steven Slayton, was the first to observe the mysterious object way back in 1958. While observing the Moon with a 20-inch telescope, Slayton is said to have witnessed a dark spherical object, moving at high speed on an unusual elliptical trajectory, before disappearing when it reached the edge of the lunar disk. Based on these characteristics, he concluded it was artificial.
But the U.S. military dismissed Slayton’s sighting as a meteorite flying near the Moon, as the object had not been recorded by any radar station.
The Black Knight Name
According to researchers, there are two possible origins of the name “Black Knight.”
The first one maintains that it was derived from a 1972 science fiction novel “The Destruction of Faena” by Soviet author Alexander Kazantsev. In the story a civilization from the planet Phaeton, that was destroyed in a nuclear disaster, had launched the Black Prince satellite into Earth’s orbit to communicate with us.
When Kazantsev’s novel was translated into English, the phrase “Black Prince” was changed to Black Knight. It is believed that this fictitious satellite lent its name to the space object discovered by Slayton.
The second option is connected to United Kingdom’s research ballistic missile, called the Black Knight, that was launched at Woomera, Australia, on September 7, 1958.
Whatever the origin of the mysterious satellite’s moniker, it has stuck like glue!
Black Knight Chronology
To gain a proper understanding of the subject, it is important to study key instances of signals received from the Black Knight satellite in chronological order.
In 1899, Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla erected a large tower at his laboratory in Colorado Springs to study atmospheric electricity and wireless power. While conducting experiments, he intercepted repeating signals from outer space.
At first, Tesla speculated the transmission had originated from a planet communicating with Earth, noting in a February 9th, 1901 Collier’s Weekly article titled ‘Talking with the Planets’: “The feeling is constantly growing on me that I had been the first to hear the greeting of one planet to another … it dawned upon me that I had observed something possibly of incalculable consequences to mankind. I felt as though I were present at the birth of a new knowledge or the revelation of a great truth.”
Nikola Tesla sitting in front of a spiral coil used in his wireless power experiments at his East Houston St. laboratory.
Upon further study, Tesla believed the radio waves emanated from a satellite orbiting Earth. Until, finally, he formed the opinion that the signals came from an intelligent alien civilization based on Mars.
In a February 25th, 1923, article titled ‘A Giant Eye to See Round the World’ that appeared in the Albany Telegram, the genius scientist wrote: “I believe the Martians used numbers for communication because numbers are universal.”
The Global Mars Fixation
Radio waves, a type of electromagnetic radiation, have the lowest frequencies and longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, and can be larger than our planet. Given that the very first source of non-terrestrial radio waves were detected from the constellation of Sagittarius in the center of the Milky Way galaxy by an American physicist and radio engineer, Karl Jansky, only in April 1933, the scientific community has explained away Tesla’s signals as nothing more than radio wave pulses from a pulsar.
But this interpretation is hotly contested by Ufologists because Guglielmo Marconi, the Italian inventor and electrical engineer, known for his creation of a practical radio wave–based wireless telegraph system in 1896, also detected the same signals.
But what convinced Tesla that the transmission had come from Mars?
By the time H. G. Wells published ‘The War of the Worlds,’ the Red Planet had been observed through telescopes for nearly 300 years. Beginning with Galileo Galilei’s studies of the phases of Mars in 1610; Giovanni Cassini’s identification of the planet’s polar ice caps in 1666; and Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli’s observations of geological features which he called “canali” or channels in 1877.
The mistranslation of Schiaparelli’s “canali” into English as “canals” led to the popular belief that Mars was inhabited by an extraterrestrial race capable of engineering and agriculture.
American mathematician and astronomer Percival Lowell was tremendously inspired by the research on Mars that had preceded him. From his observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, he examined the Red Planet extensively for 15 years. These included studies conducted during the 1907 opposition, or the period when it was closer to Earth.
A prolific writer, Lowell postulated in his books "Mars" in 1895, "Mars and its Canals" in 1906, and "Mars as the Abode of Life" in 1908, that an advanced alien race indigenous to the planet had built canals to convey water from the polar caps to irrigate the remaining arable land in their arid, dying landscape.
As he confidently informed the editors of the journal Nature in London: “After the melting of the south polar cap had got well under way, canals began to make their appearance about it.”
“The planet is at present the abode of intelligent constructive life [and] I may say in this connection that the theory of such life upon Mars was... deduced from the outcome of observation [and] my observations since have fully confirmed it.”
Lowell accompanied his hypothesis with illustrations of imaginary geological features on Mars, just as Schiaparelli had done earlier.
But Lowell's grand pronouncements about Martian canals and their alleged-creators had been discredited by the time of his death in 1916. The Times trod delicately in a valedictory editorial, stating, “The present judgment of the scientific world is that he was too largely governed in his researches by a vivid imagination.”
Nevertheless, the determined efforts of Percival Lowell to unravel the mysteries of the Red Planet, and the way his scientific writings played a role in shaping Tesla’s thoughts, cannot be overlooked.
The Black Knight Satellite: Enigmatic Object Plotting Our Doom? - Part 2
In the first part of this series, we learned about the detection of the mysterious Black Knight Satellite in the 1950s, the alarm it raised in the military and air force, and the panic and confusion it caused amongst the public at the height of the Cold War.
Among other things we analyzed denials of the strange satellite's existence by the powers-that-be; reports to the contrary in the Press and respected publications by leading scientists, informed whistleblowers, and amateur astronomers; sightings of UFOs above prominent U.S. buildings; and radar detections of the satellite that led to a vicious blame-game between arch rivals the United States and the Soviet Union in the early days of the space race.
We also briefly learned about photographs of the purported Black Knight Satellite snapped by NASA astronauts, no less; explored the origin of the satellite's name; reviewed its chronology and efforts of scientists, such as Nikola Tesla to communicate with the object.
Let's continue our journey by going back millennia, to the very beginning of the Black Knight Satellite saga.
True Age of the Black Knight
Historical records and anecdotal evidence add further layers to the mystery of the Black Knight legend. Although the moon is our only celestial satellite, alien theorists contend that texts from various ancient cultures make references to a dark object, also called a “Dark Ark,” orbiting the earth.
Babylonian, Egyptian, and Greek mythology dwell specifically on the stars of the Boötes constellation. Even Homer mentions Boötes as a celestial reference for navigation in his epic poem Odyssey. Unsurprisingly, the Boötes connection is at the heart of the Black Knight Satellite narrative too.
Star map showing the Boötes constellation.
(International Astronomical Union (IAU) - IAU/Sky and Telescope/CC BY-SA 3.0).
One of the most shocking aspects of the Black Knight Satellite is its alleged age. According to one theorist, the alien probe has been orbiting Earth for approximately 13,000 years, long before the advent of human civilization.
Scottish science fiction author and astronomer, Duncan Lunan, made this age-related proposal in a 1973 Spaceflight magazine article published by the British Interplanetary Society. He proposed the vast number of years after analyzing the long-delayed echoes or LDEs received by Norwegian engineer and HAM radio operator, Jørgen Hals, in 1927. “From where this echo comes I cannot say for the present, but I will only herewith confirm, that I really heard this echo,” Hals stated.
Boötes as depicted in Urania’s Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825.
Lunan hypothesized that a 13,000-year-old object orbiting the Moon could have produced those LDEs. To arrive at this conclusion, he connected the satellite with the location of the North Pole star, Polaris; and then plotted a vertical axis of the transmitted pulse sequence with a horizontal axis of echo delay time.
In 1998, Lunan explained this process: “I tried plotting the delay times against the order in which the echoes were received... and at only the second attempt I found what looked like a star map.”
Lunan disclosed that the hidden radio message sent by the alien space probe announced:
“Start here. Our home is Epsilon Boötes, which is a double star. We live on the sixth planet of seven, coming from the sun, which is the larger of the two. Our sixth planet has one Moon. Our fourth planet has three. Our first and third planets each have one. This updates the position of Arcturus shown on our maps.”
The message also supposedly said, “Our probe is in the orbit of your Moon.”
Remember the object Slayton claimed to have seen streak across the Moon in 1958? Or references to the Boötes constellation in ancient cultures? Why, even the LDEs heard by Tesla, Marconi and Hals? Was it the Black Knight Satellite all along?
In deciphering the code, Lunan pinpointed the origin of the probe to Epsilon Boötes, also known as Izar, a binary star system located in the constellation of Boötes. But he hit a roadblock when he plotted out the co-ordinates on the star map, as they did not line up with the position of the stars mentioned in the alien message — especially the position of Arcturus, the brightest star in that constellation.
But things dramatically fell into place when Lunan, considering axial precession, adjusted the star map to reflect the position of the Boötes constellation as it would have appeared a staggering 13,000 years ago. He found an exact match, which meant the Black Knight Satellite arrived here in 11,000 BC.
The path of the north celestial pole among the stars due to the precession.
Despite gaining wide publicity in major news outlets, such as the New York Times, Time Magazine, and the CBS Evening News, Lunan retracted his conclusions in 1976. But that did not shake the conviction of the Ufology community, who swore that the Black Knight Satellite was real. However, Lunan re-interpreted a portion of his theory in 1998 on the grounds of positional astronomy.
Sightings of the Silent Space Sentinel
Alleged sightings of the Black Knight Satellite by NASA astronauts during space missions have added massive fuel to the speculation-fire.
In 1963 during his 15th orbit on the Faith 7 spacecraft, Gordon Cooper, one of NASA's original Mercury Seven astronauts, claimed to have spotted an object which was alleged to have been the Black Knight satellite. The craft, that Cooper described as emitting a greenish-glow with a distinct shape, was confirmed by tracking stations.
Astronaut Gordon Cooper sighted a strange object while orbiting Earth in the Faith 7 spacecraft in 1963.
This information not only went missing from NASA's mission transcripts, but Cooper's personal records too did not reveal any such report was made during the orbit. The truth was irrevocably buried when Cooper retracted his statement upon returning. In addition to this, the media blackout which ensued on the topic and the US space agency's bizarre explanation that their ace astronaut had suffered cosmic hallucinations put a lid on the matter forever.
Claims and counter-claims about the Black Knight came to a dramatic head when NASA released sensational photographs taken during the eleven-day STS-88 Endeavour mission in late-December 1998 — the first Space Shuttle mission to assemble vital components of the International Space Station, the first permanently-manned satellite in Earth’s orbit.
Among other payloads on board the STS-88 mission to the ISS was the first American-built module, the Unity node, which was designed to connect the Russian and United States segments of the station, where the crew shared meals.
View of the ISS Unity module photographed by the STS-88 mission in December 1998.
Dubbed as some of the weirdest-looking 70-mm photographs to ever emerge from the space shuttle program, the main controversial image showed a dark, oddly-shaped, elongated object with what appeared to be strange protrusions. An abnormal design for a spacecraft that indicated it could not have been conceived or built by humans.
Ecstatic ufologists instantly identified it as the Black Knight Satellite, and proclaimed the photograph in question was undeniable and compelling evidence that the craft originated from an alien world.
Detail of the controversial photo taken during Space Shuttle mission STS-88, described as showing a drifting thermal blanket or "space debris". Alien enthusiasts, however, claim it is the elusive Black Knight Satellite.
Unruffled by such conjecture NASA cataloged the image, under the number STS088-724-66, not as one that showed a spacecraft of extraterrestrial origin but with a more mundane explanation: space debris. Remnants, they explained, from a white thermal blanket that came loose from its tether and floated away during an extravehicular activity or EVA, commonly referred to as a spacewalk, performed by mission specialists Jerry Ross and Jim Newman.
When the astronauts embarked on this spacewalk to continue the installation of the Unity node, they began by connecting power and data cables to permit power generated from Zarya, which means sunrise in Russian. It was the Functional Cargo Block built by Boeing and the Russian Space Agency, to activate the systems on board Unity.
During the EVA outside Unity, Jim and Ross installed two antennas, removed launch restraint pins, and installed covers on data relay boxes to protect them from sunlight. It was during the last of these procedures that the crew spotted and photographed a thermal blanket floating away.
So, is there a rational explanation for the black object seen in the photos? The answer, according to NASA, is simple: the reflective surface of the thermal blanket is facing the darkness of space, away from the light of the Earth.
Though NASA reported that the debris fell from orbit a few days later and burned up in the atmosphere on re-entry, things were to take an even more peculiar turn. NASA rendered the original photo links inoperative during routine website maintenance. This purportedly innocuous move snowballed overnight, with UFO theorists claiming a cover-up.
Though events such as these played out amply in the public domain, they have not changed the minds of those who believe NASA is intentionally concealing information it has gathered over the years about the true nature and origin of the Black Knight Satellite. Ufologists even claim the space agency is in communication with the sneaky satellite.
Navigating Space Debris
Debunking the alien origin hypothesis, skeptics argue that the Black Knight Satellite is space junk from a lost piece of man-made technology. They point to the improbability and enormous challenges of maintaining such a satellite in orbit for extended periods, let alone 13,000 years, particularly without detection.
But who is to say what capabilities a technologically advanced alien civilization may command?
Illustration of a satellite breaking up into multiple pieces at higher altitudes.
Lest we forget, in the form of the Voyager Golden Records aboard the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts, we humans sent a kind of time capsule showcasing the sounds and images of planet Earth; indicating the origin of the spacecrafts and advertising our location for discovery by potential intelligent alien worlds. So why would another species not attempt to communicate in a similar manner, such as the Black Knight Satellite purportedly does?
Besides, if we can send orbital spacecraft, probes, and satellites to study nearby planets and other parts of the solar system, what would prevent an advanced extraterrestrial race from doing the same?
What is accurate though is that with the sheer amount of debris that clutters the space around our planet today, it would prove difficult to locate any prospective non-terrestrial technological artifacts that may be watching us.
While current European Space Agency data reveals there are 5,800 functioning satellites in orbit. The United States Space Surveillance Network estimates that there are over 170 million pieces of space debris, ranging from 1 millimeter to 10 centimeters, orbiting Earth.
NASA states that as of January 2022, they have calculated that this material collectively weighs more than 9,000 metric tons. But Space Surveillance Networks find it incredibly hard to log and continuously track space junk due to technological limitations.
Visitors from Stars Beyond
Is the Black Knight Satellite our first interstellar visitor? Probably not.
Using the Pan-STARRS telescope, in October 2017, astronomers detected Oumuamua, meaning ‘scout’ in Hawaiian. Speculated to use solar energy for propulsion, it was the first interstellar object to pass through our Solar System.
Artist's impression of 'Oumuamua', the mysterious interstellar object that entered our solar system in 2017.
As expected, the sighting of the rocky, cigar-shaped object with a somewhat reddish hue, sent the scientific world into a tizzy. Astronomer Avi Loeb, founder of The Galileo Project, that is aimed at detecting extraterrestrial technological signatures produced by Extraterrestrial Technological Civilizations or ETCs, suggested that Oumuamua could be a product of alien technology.
It boggles the mind to think about the many interstellar objects that may have gone unnoticed over the past 100 years, if not more, merely because we did not possess the means to identify them until about a decade ago.
Repeated Global Sightings
The Black Knight story is alive and well, precisely 125 years after Tesla first reported signals that apparently emanated from the object. Numerous sightings and photographs of this other-worldly satellite continue to be reported by sky gazers from all over the world.
In late-2020, a video that purportedly showed the Black Knight Satellite hovering over Santa Rosa, in the Philippine province of Laguna, circulated on YouTube. The fuzzy video showed a brownish-red tinted object, with what appeared to be spikes emerging from an opening on its top, moving silently through the sky.
But former NASA engineer James Oberg said that most UFO sightings were nothing more than "space dandruff" floating in front of cameras. He argued that the human brain is not wired to make sense of such tiny objects in our skies.
Be that as it may, the shape of the object witnessed over the Philippines bore a striking resemblance to the alleged Black Knight Satellite photographed by NASA astronauts in 1998.
But as always, NASA scientists remain unmoved. They say people who regularly mistake birds, planes, weather phenomena and optical illusions for UFOs, are taking it a bit too far with the Black Knight topic.
Moreover, they raise a moot point regarding the improbability of a satellite floating below the clouds in our atmosphere, as the satellites closest to Earth orbit around 200 miles in space.
Skeptics and NASA insiders have long-charged UFO hunters of making exaggerated claims and fabricating conspiracy theories out of thin air. They allege that despite the lack of concrete evidence, Black Knight devotees combine a collection of disconnected stories, some bordering on the downright preposterous, into one fanciful narrative.
But by all counts, it seems alien theorists cannot be simply wished away. Not just are their numbers increasing day by day; but with the aid of the Internet, they are a global community that digs deep into declassified government documents, sharing information and images about UFO sightings and related events, and registering personal experiences online in real-time. Above all, they do not hesitate to question the official version of events.
Purpose of the Black Knight Satellite
Under the cover of darkness, the Black Knight Satellite that is estimated to weigh a whopping 15 tons, has stealthily watched the rise and fall of civilizations and cultures throughout the world.
Though it ranks as one of the most seen, heard, and photographed objects in space history, we have no clue why it is here; who or what is monitoring us; and for what purpose? Are we akin to animals under observation, as posited in the Zoo hypothesis?
Noted planetary scientist, Carl Sagan, had this to say about the Voyager Golden Record: “The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced spacefaring civilizations in interstellar space.”
Renowned American astrophysicist and popular science writer, Carl Sagan, from an image of the Planetary Society.
But what if these superior extraterrestrial entities choose not to respond, probably because they have already learnt everything there is to know about the ‘Pale Blue Dot’ we inhabit – the one that Voyager 1 photographed from 3.7 billion miles away in 1990?
While optimistically-minded people say the Black Knight Satellite was sent to raise our level of consciousness and technology, or maybe even to prevent us from destroying ourselves; others fear it is a weapon that could annihilate us or instigate an invasion by harvesting information about us and relaying that data to its planet of origin.
With so many divergent views on the subject, it is impossible to reach a definitive conclusion.
Are We Racing to Disclosure?
Alien enthusiasts say the flurry of activity on the UFO subject over the past few years is welcome, as it was long overdue. Dubbed tinfoil hatters and nutcases for decades, experiencers of the UFO phenomenon from across the world are now being taken far more seriously.
Astonishing Pentagon videos and photos of alien craft making inconceivable maneuvers; whistleblowers from the Air Force and Navy spilling the beans about their personal encounters before the US Congress; the declassification of material pertaining to historic events involving unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP, as the US military has now rebranded them; and the heightened interest displayed by politicians and the media — all beg the question: is the public being prepared for imminent disclosure?
The stunning front-page article that sparked off the UFO craze worldwide. July 8, 1947.
But wait: Is it that simple, or are we being readied for something else? The revelation that German-American aerospace engineer and space architect, Wernher von Braun, allegedly made on his deathbed is haunting: “And the last card they will play, will be the alien card.”
Is the Truth Out There?
In March 2017, a conspiracy theorist released a video claiming the Black Knight satellite had been shot down by a secret Illuminati war plane. Despite garnering hundreds of thousands of views opinion about the footage, available on YouTube, remains divided as its authenticity cannot be determined.
With superlative software technology, including AI, available to the public like never before, it is now easy to fake videos of alleged extraterrestrial craft and alien entities. Separating the wheat from the chaff has indeed become a Herculean task for researchers who earnestly pursue the UFO subject.
Denouncing such online gimmicks that spread disinformation, they lament that it not only enables naysayers to easily discredit their findings, but that it dents the hard work they invest to unravel the phenomenon.
In 2015, Pepsi released a short film titled ‘Black Knight Decoded’ with the claim that the Satellite’s “… origin can be traced back 13,000 years.” And then adding confidently, “This is not Science Fiction. This is real.”
Despite the Hollywood spin, the origin and purpose of the Black Knight Satellite has continued to perplex observers. Dismissing all talk of the Black Knight Satellite, NASA reiterates that photographs of the so-called object are wrongly interpreted.
Space scientists direct attention to the fact that if it was a spacecraft or satellite wheeling in polar orbit, it would have been travelling at 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles per second. At that remarkable speed, the STS-88 Endeavour crew couldn't have taken the number of images that they did.
Down to this day, the lack of official confirmation about the ominous satellite has fueled numerous conspiracy theories, making it one of the most debated enigmas in space exploration history.
No matter which side of the fence you are on, curiosity is an intrinsic human trait, more so when it concerns the many unknowns in the cosmos. The truth about the Black Knight Satellite, that clinching piece of evidence everyone is waiting for with bated breath, may elude us for now. But the quest for answers will continue forever.
In recent years, the term “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” (UAP) has replaced “Unidentified Flying Objects” (UFOs) in official discourse, reflecting a broader approach to unexplained observations not limited to airborne occurrences. UAPs encompass mysterious phenomena in the sky, underwater, and even in space, which defy conventional explanation.
This change in terminology marks a significant shift in how these phenomena are perceived—moving from speculative to serious, scientific, and strategic investigation. Why are UAPs attracting so much attention, and what has changed in recent years to put them in the spotlight? I have been fascinated by this subject for over a decade, and in this article, I would like to explain, as best as I can recent developments in the field of UAP research.
What Are UAPs?
The term UAP includes observations of objects or phenomena that exhibit characteristics beyond current human understanding or technology. These may involve:
Aerial UAPs: Objects flying at extraordinary speeds, making sudden directional changes, or hovering without visible propulsion.
Underwater UAPs: Fast-moving objects detected beneath the ocean’s surface, often described as Transmedium vehicles capable of operating in air and water.
Space Phenomena: Unexplained movements or occurrences captured by satellites or astronauts.
The shift from UFO to UAP was formalized by organizations like the U.S. Department of Defense to encourage a more scientific and unbiased investigation. This change also aimed to remove stigma, enabling pilots, scientists, and military personnel to report sightings without fear of ridicule.
A Decade of UAP Developments
The past ten years have brought a series of revelations and investigations into UAPs, transforming public and governmental attitudes. Key milestones include:
2017: The AATIP Revelation
In 2017, The New York Times exposed the existence of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), a Pentagon initiative investigating UAPs. The report revealed:
Declassified Videos: U.S. Navy pilots recorded objects defying the laws of physics, including the now-famous “Tic Tac” UFO seen off the coast of California in 2004.
Pilot Testimonies: Pilots described objects moving without visible propulsion systems, executing instantaneous changes in direction, and disappearing at speeds beyond human capability.
This disclosure marked a turning point, spurring global curiosity and demanding further investigation.
2020: UAP Task Force
The U.S. Department of Defense established the UAP Task Force (UAPTF) in 2020. Its mission was to evaluate UAPs as potential threats to national security, emphasizing military sightings near restricted airspace. This formal acknowledgment legitimized the study of UAPs.
2021: Preliminary UAP Report
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a report summarizing 144 UAP incidents reported by military personnel between 2004 and 2021. Key findings included:
80 Cases Supported by Sensor Data: These sightings were corroborated by radar or infrared systems.
“No Single Explanation”: While some incidents were attributed to natural phenomena or human-made objects, most remained unexplained.
Recommendations for Study: The report stressed the need for additional data and a systematic approach to understanding UAPs.
2023: NASA Enters the Arena
In September 2023, NASA released its findings from an independent study on UAPs, focusing on how data could be collected to analyze these phenomena scientifically. The report concluded that while no evidence points to extraterrestrial origins, the lack of comprehensive data hinders definitive conclusions. NASA also announced a director to oversee its UAP research.
Congressional Hearings and Whistleblower Testimonies
In 2023 and 2024, U.S. Congress held hearings on UAPs, where former defense officials and whistleblowers claimed the existence of secret government programs retrieving non-human technology. Allegations included:
Reverse Engineering Efforts: Whistleblowers suggested attempts to study recovered materials from unidentified craft.
Public Transparency: Lawmakers emphasized the importance of sharing findings with the public to build trust and knowledge.
UAP Disclosure 2024: Unraveling the Mystery of Non Human Technologies
Why Are UAPs Attracting Attention?
Several reasons explain the growing focus on UAPs:
1. National Security Implications
UAPs are often observed near sensitive military installations or restricted airspace, raising concerns about potential espionage or advanced foreign technology. The possibility of adversaries deploying hypersonic drones or surveillance systems has prompted governments to take UAPs seriously.
2. Scientific Intrigue
Some UAPs exhibit flight characteristics beyond known aeronautical capabilities. Studying these phenomena could:
Challenge our understanding of physics.
Lead to breakthroughs in propulsion technology and materials science.
Provide insights into new forms of energy or transportation.
3. Growing Public Interest
Declassified videos and transparent discussions have captured the public imagination. Social media platforms amplify sightings, while documentaries and media coverage make UAPs a topic of global fascination.
4. Global Collaboration
Other nations, including Canada, Japan, and Brazil, have reported UAP sightings and begun their own investigations. Collaborative efforts could unify scientific and technological resources to better understand these occurrences.
SETI Talks: UAPs: Are they worth scientific attention?
What Does Science Say About UAPs?
While many theories exist, ranging from extraterrestrial visitation to advanced technology or atmospheric phenomena, the scientific consensus remains inconclusive due to a lack of consistent data. Some leading hypotheses include:
Advanced Human Technology: Hypersonic drones or experimental aircraft.
Natural Phenomena: Atmospheric anomalies, ball lightning, or meteors.
Extraterrestrial Origins: While no concrete evidence supports this, the possibility continues to fuel curiosity.
NASA and other agencies stress the importance of collecting high-quality data through sensors, radar systems, and AI analysis.
The Role of Government Transparency
Governments worldwide are under increasing pressure to disclose UAP-related information. In the U.S., laws like the National Defense Authorization Act of 2024 mandate reports on UAP incidents, aiming to address public concerns about secrecy. Greater transparency is seen as essential to building trust and fostering collaboration between agencies and the scientific community.
Looking Ahead: The Future of UAP Research
As the study of UAPs moves from speculation to serious inquiry, key priorities include:
Improved Data Collection: Developing systems to detect, track, and analyze UAPs in real-time.
Scientific Partnerships: Collaborations between government agencies, universities, and private institutions.
Global Monitoring: Creating international databases to pool resources and insights.
The next decade could redefine humanity’s understanding of unexplained phenomena and potentially open new frontiers in science and exploration.
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Over mijzelf
Ik ben Pieter, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam Peter2011.
Ik ben een man en woon in Linter (België) en mijn beroep is Ik ben op rust..
Ik ben geboren op 18/10/1950 en ben nu dus 74 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: Ufologie en andere esoterische onderwerpen.
Op deze blog vind je onder artikels, werk van mezelf. Mijn dank gaat ook naar André, Ingrid, Oliver, Paul, Vincent, Georges Filer en MUFON voor de bijdragen voor de verschillende categorieën...
Veel leesplezier en geef je mening over deze blog.