6 Things to Know About SPHEREx, NASA’s Newest Space Telescope

Credit: BAE Systems/NASA/JPL-Caltech

Expected to launch no earlier than Thursday, Feb. 27, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, NASA’s SPHEREx space observatory will provide astronomers with a big-picture view of the cosmos like none before. Short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, SPHEREx will map the entire celestial sky in 102 infrared colors, illuminating the origins of our universe, galaxies within it, and life’s key ingredients in our own galaxy. Here are six things to know about the mission.

1. The SPHEREx space telescope will shed light on a cosmic phenomenon called inflation.

In the first billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second after the big bang, the universe increased in size by a trillion-trillionfold. Called inflation, this nearly instantaneous event took place almost 14 billion years ago, and its effects can be found today in the large-scale distribution of matter in the universe. By mapping the distribution of more than 450 million galaxies, SPHEREx will help scientists improve our understanding of the physics behind this extreme cosmic event.

2. The observatory will measure the collective glow from galaxies near and far.

Scientists have tried to estimate the total light output from all galaxies throughout cosmic history by observing individual galaxies and extrapolating to the trillions of galaxies in the universe. The SPHEREx space telescope will take a different approach and measure the total glow from all galaxies, including galaxies too small, too diffuse, or too distant for other telescopes to easily detect. Combining the measurement of this overall glow with other telescopes’ studies of individual galaxies will give scientists a more complete picture of all the major sources of light in the universe.

3. The mission will search the Milky Way galaxy for essential building blocks of life.

Life as we know it wouldn’t exist without basic ingredients such as water and carbon dioxide. The SPHEREx observatory is designed to find these molecules frozen in interstellar clouds of gas and dust, where stars and planets form. The mission will pinpoint the location and abundance of these icy compounds in our galaxy, giving researchers a better sense of their availability in the raw materials for newly forming planets.

Molecular clouds like this one, called Rho Ophiuchi, are collections of cold gas and dust in space where stars and planets can form. SPHEREx will survey such regions throughout the Milky Way galaxy to measure the abundance of water ice and other frozen molecules.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

4. It adds unique strengths to NASA’s fleet of space telescopes.

Space telescopes like NASA’s Hubble and Webb have zoomed in on many corners of the universe to show us planets, stars, and galaxies in high resolution. But some questions — like how much light do all the galaxies in the universe collectively emit? — can be answered only by looking at the big picture. To that end, the SPHEREx observatory will provide maps that encompass the entire sky. Objects of scientific interest identified by SPHEREx can then be studied in more detail by targeted telescopes like Hubble and Webb.

5. The SPHEREx observatory will make the most colorful all-sky map ever.

The SPHEREx observatory “sees” infrared light. Undetectable to the human eye, this range of wavelengths is ideal for studying stars and galaxies. Using a technique called spectroscopy, the telescope can split the light into its component colors (individual wavelengths), like a prism creates a rainbow from sunlight, in order to measure the distance to cosmic objects and learn about their composition. With SPHEREx’s spectroscopic map in hand, scientists will be able to detect evidence of chemical compounds, like water ice, in our galaxy. They’ll not only measure the total amount of light emitted by galaxies in our universe, but also discern how bright that total glow was at different points in cosmic history. And they’ll chart the 3D locations of hundreds of millions of galaxies to study how inflation influenced the large-scale structure of the universe today.

6. The spacecraft’s cone-shaped design helps it stay cold and see faint objects.

The mission’s infrared telescope and detectors need to operate at around minus 350 degrees Fahrenheit (about minus 210 degrees Celsius). This is partly to prevent them from generating their own infrared glow, which might overwhelm the faint light from cosmic sources. To keep things cold while also simplifying the spacecraft’s design and operational needs, SPHEREx relies on an entirely passive cooling system — no electricity or coolants are used during normal operations. Key to making this feat possible are three cone-shaped photon shields that protect the telescope from the heat of Earth and the Sun, as well as a mirrored structure beneath the shields to direct heat from the instrument out into space. Those photon shields give the spacecraft its distinctive outline.

More About SPHEREx

SPHEREx is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the agency’s Astrophysics Division within the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. BAE Systems (formerly Ball Aerospace) built the telescope and the spacecraft bus. The science analysis of the SPHEREx data will be conducted by a team of scientists located at 10 institutions in the U.S., two in South Korea, and one in Taiwan. Data will be processed and archived at IPAC at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA. The mission principal investigator is based at Caltech with a joint JPL appointment. The SPHEREx dataset will be publicly available at the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive.

For more information about the SPHEREx mission visit:

• https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/spherex/

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{ https://www.nasa.gov/ }

03-02-2025 om 23:12 geschreven door peter  

Revealed: What life on Earth will look like in 2100 - with entire cities plunged underwater and millions of people perishing in the heat

• READ MORE: Images reveal the cities that will be flooded by global warming 

By WILIAM HUNTER

From Snowpiercer to The Day After Tomorrow, countless movies and series have put forward their vision of how climate change might reshape the world.

Worryingly, scientists predict that the reality might be far more shocking than anything imagined by a Hollywood studio.

Now, artificial intelligence (AI) reveals what this might look like.

With Google's ImageFX AI image generator, MailOnline has used the latest scientific research to predict how the world will be in 2100.

As greenhouse gas levels continue to increase, scientists predict that entire cities will be plunged under water.

Meanwhile, climbing temperatures and punishing heatwaves could kill millions of people around the globe. 

Professor Julienne Stroeve, a climate scientist from University College London, told MailOnline: 'The largest impacts that affect all of us are sea level rise and changes in weather extremes.

'All of these will increase through the century if we do not do anything to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.'

Scientists say that the real impacts of climate change could be far more shocking than anything imagined in a Hollywood studio. Now AI has revealed what that might look like 

Rising temperatures  

Scientists have known for years that human-caused climate change is leading to a warmer climate.

As greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane build up in the atmosphere, they act like a blanket covering the planet, trapping heat from the sun and leading to rising temperatures.

This year, the Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record, reaching an average surface temperature of 15.1°C (59.2°F).

Last year was also the first year when average temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above the pre-industrial record.

In the future, scientists predict that temperatures will continue to get hotter on average.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes predictions about future climate change based on three different scenarios.

In the most optimistic scenario, the world achieves net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, preventing any more significant increases in global temperatures.

Scientists predict that global temperatures could rise by as much as 4.4°C (7.92°F) above the pre-industrial average in the worst-case scenario. This would lead to widespread drought in water-shortage-prone countries like France 

In the middle scenario, CO2 emissions stay around current levels until the mid-century before declining towards net-zero by 2100.

Meanwhile, in the very high emissions scenario, the world does not take measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions and CO2 levels actually increase by 2100.

The IPCC predicts that global temperatures will be 2.7°C (4.86°F) higher than the pre-industrial average by 2100 in the medium scenario and 4.4°C (7.92°F) higher in the worst-case scenario.

In either of these scenarios, it could trigger widespread droughts with devastating impacts.

In a report last year, the UN warned that the spread of dry, arid areas was an 'existential crisis' threatening billions around the globe.

Since 1990, arid regions have expanded by an area a third larger than India and now cover 40 per cent of the Earth's land excluding Antarctica.

If nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the number of people living in drylands will more than double from 2.3 billion to 5 billion in 2100.

Likewise, one 2023 paper predicted that the risk of 'flash droughts', in which drought conditions occur abnormally fast, will increase from 32 per cent to 53 per cent in Europe by 2100.

That means that countries like France which already struggle with systematic water shortages are more likely to face devastating droughts.

Melting Ice and higher sea levels

As the atmosphere gets warmer over the next 75 years, the seas will also begin to warm.

In the 1980s, scientists recorded that ocean temperatures were rising at a rate of about 0.06°C per decade.

However, a recent study by experts from the University of Reading found that the rate has surged to a whopping 0.27°C per decade.

Looking ahead, the researchers say is 'plausible' that the ocean temperature increase seen over the past 40 years will be exceeded in just the next 20 years.

In turn, that will lead to potentially devastating impacts for all life on Earth.

Professor Stroeve says: ‘Summer sea ice for sure will be gone well before 2100 but there will be several months of ice-free conditions, not just one month.

By 2100, scientists say the Arctic will be 'unrecognisable' with sea ice totally vanishing in the summer, leaving months of ice-free waters (AI impression)

Antarctic sea ice also hit near-record lows during 2024. Reduced sea ice means that less energy from the sun is reflected back out of the atmosphere, triggering even faster rates of warming 

'This will warm up the Arctic even faster, leading to more melting from Greenland and faster sea level rise, destabilization of the permafrost areas, and disruption of the thermohaline [deep ocean currents] circulation.'

For any people or animals that rely on snow and ice, Professor Stroeve says this rate of change will simply be too fast to adapt to.

Studies predict that more than half of the world's glaciers will be gone by 2100, with the European Alps losing 75 per cent of its glaciers in a high emissions scenario. 

Combined with decreasing snow coverage, that will bring huge changes to the Arctic as well as now-popular skiing regions.

'The Arctic will be unrecognizable from its contemporary state,' says Professor Stroeve.

'Further, the ice-free conditions exposes the coastlines to waves from storms, and that combined with permafrost thaw results in entire communities to be moved.'

As the oceans warm, they will also expand, combining with fresh water from the melting ice caps to drive up sea levels.

Researchers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have predicted that global sea levels could rise by a staggering 6.2ft (1.9 metres) by 2100 if carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions continue to increase.

In the European Alps, glaciers will be reduced by 75 per cent by volume and snow will be absent for much of the year (AI impression)

Global heating will melt the icecaps and cause the oceans to expand, leading to rising sea levels. UK cities like Hull (pictured in AI impression) could be completely submerged as the sea level rises by a staggering 6.2ft (1.9 metres) by 2100

If global sea levels were to rise this much, towns and cities around the world could be plunged underwater - including Hull, London, and Cardiff.

Meanwhile, in the US, people living on the East Coast would be hit the hardest - with large portions of New York City, Boston, Atlantic City and Miami submerged.

These findings also predict President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, located in Palm Beach, Florida will also be underwater in about 75 years.

More extreme weather

By 2100, one of the biggest ways we will feel the impact of climate change will be in the massive increase in extreme weather events.

Dr Suzanne Bartington, associate professor of environmental health at the University of Birmingham, told MailOnline: 'Climate change is significantly increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, heavy rainfall, droughts, wildfires which affect physical and mental health.'

As the atmosphere gets warmer, it is able to hold onto more water vapour before releasing it as precipitation leading to much heavier rainfall.

A Met Office study predicts that weather rivalling the wettest day ever recorded could become ten times more likely by 2100 thanks to climate change in a medium emissions scenario.

Even as sea levels rise, plunging cities like London underwater, scientists predict that there will be a significant increase in flooding. The UK will receive up to 35 per cent more precipitation in winter and record-breaking days of rain will be 10 times more likely 

The increased temperature led to record-breaking amounts of water vapour in the atmosphere which created more severe storms and flooding around the world 

At the same time, changing weather patterns mean that some places will experience very little rain at other times of the year.

By 2070, the Met Office predicts that average summer rainfall in the UK could decrease by up to 47 per cent.

Meanwhile, the same study found that there could be up to 35 per cent more precipitation in winter.

When these sudden bursts of rain hit areas where drought has already hardened the ground, the risk of flash flooding becomes extremely high.

Unfortunately, we do not need AI to help us imagine such a scenario.

Last year, Spain was hit by the worst ecological disaster in the country's history as flash floods tore through Valencia and the surrounding regions.

Leading climate scientists say there is 'no doubt' that these floods were made worse by climate change.

In the future, the situation is likely to become even more dire.

In Valencia, Spain a combination of high temperatures and a long time without rain led to devastating flash floods which killed at least 213 people. This photo shows residents and volunteers carry out clearing duties in the flood-hit municipality of Paiporta, Valencia province, Spain, November 4, 2024

Studies have shown that the Mediterranean region - which is home to more than 510 million people - is warming 20 per cent faster than the global average.

The UN predicts that, outside of summer, the Mediterranean will see up to 20 per cent more rainfall events by 2080.

Elsewhere in the world, the biggest concern will be the rise of catastrophic 'mega-hurricanes'.

Typhoons, hurricanes, and tropical storms, which are all essentially the same weather phenomena, are caused when warm moist air rises from the ocean.

As human-caused climate change warms the oceans where these form, there is more energy to drive the storm - leading to ever more powerful events.

Last year, a group of researchers called for the standard scale used to measure hurricanes, the Saffir-Simpson Windscale, to be extended to include these abnormally-strong storms.

A 'category-6' hurricane would unleash winds of 192 miles per hour or higher and a rise in seawater exceeding 25 feet.

For places like Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the southern states of the US, these devastating storms may become much more common by 2100.

Warmer waters also mean more intense tropical storms in Asia and above the Gulf of Mexico. This puts cities like Toyko (depicted here by AI), which already experiences typhoons, at serious risk 

During 2023 and 2024 a natural weather phenomenon called the El Niño Southern Oscillation created exceptionally high sea surface temperatures. This event occurs once every 14 years, leading to warmer temperatures. However, the end of El Niño does not mean that temperatures will begin to decline 

Raging wildfires

While some parts of the world will be battered by intense storms, others will be baked by stifling droughts and heatwaves.

Scientists predict that this combination of intense heat and low rainfall will turn some regions into 'tinderboxes' - regions susceptible to wildfires.

Worryingly, there are clear signs that this process has already begun.

The devastating Los Angeles wildfires started on January 7 and spread quickly, killing at least 28 people and destroying more than 10,000 homes, racking up billions in costs and leaving thousands of people homeless.

At the time the fires started, LA was experiencing its driest start to the year since records began in 1944.

As of January, Los Angeles Airport had recorded just 0.03-inch (0.08cm) of rain since October 1, creating 'severe drought' conditions across Los Angeles County.

The World Weather Attribution - a network of researchers from the US, UK and a number of other European countries - warned the hot, dry and windy conditions that drove the fires were about 35 per cent more likely due to global warming.

Extreme wildfires are predicted to become 50 per cent more frequent by 2100 as drier, hotter conditions create highly flammable conditions. In cities like LA, these fires could cause huge destruction. This is an ultra-realistic AI depiction of Los Angeles affected by climate change

The devastating Los Angeles wildfires (pictured in this photo) started on January 7 and spread quickly, killing at least 28 people and destroying more than 10,000 homes, racking up billions in costs and leaving thousands of people homeless

By 2100, the UN Environment Programme predicts that climate change and changing land usage will make wildfires more intense and more frequent.

The frequency of extreme fires is predicted to increase by 14 per cent by 2030, 30 per cent by 2050, and 50 per cent by the end of the century.

The researchers warn that even the Arctic will face a growing wildfire risk unless radical steps are taken.

In areas like LA and Australia where fires are already common, the impact of these fires could be devastating.

Choking air pollution

If nothing is done to invest in cleaner technologies, scientists warn that air pollution could become one of humanity's deadliest challenges.

Over the last 160 years, the levels of toxic air pollution around our cities have generally decreased for most wealthy countries.

However, recent studies have shown that 99 per cent of the world's population still live in areas with dangerously dirty air.

Studies suggest that cities like Delhi (pictured) which already has deadly levels of air pollution could face even worse conditions. Warmer air and less rain mean pollution stays in the air longer 

Due to mass urbanisation, industrialisation, and population growth cities like Delhi, India (pictured) now have worse pollution than ever before

Studies have predicted that air pollution will lead to 260,000 deaths by 2100 as a result of the changes caused by climate change

In countries experiencing rapid industrial growth, poor environmental regulation has allowed pollution to reach unsafe levels.

Over the last few years, Delhi's air pollution levels have exceeded 100 micrograms per cubic meter - 20 times higher than the WHO recommendations.

By 2100, many researchers expect these conditions to get worse for many people around the globe.

Less rain and warmer temperatures mean that pollution tends to stay in the air for longer.

This means that climate change will increase the amount of ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution we breathe - leading to lung disease, heart conditions, and strokes.

Research published in Nature Climate Change found that if climate change continues, air pollution will cause an extra 60,000 deaths worldwide by 2030 and 260,000 deaths by 2100 as a result.

Millions dead

Through a combination of these factors, scientists believe that the world will see millions of extra deaths by 2100 thanks to human-caused climate change.

Excess heat alone is predicted to cause 5.8 million extra deaths in Europe by 2100. The worst affected city will be Barcelona (depicted in this AI impression) where 246,000 net extra deaths are forecast 

As the climate warms, more and more people will be exposed to the effects of deadly heatwaves.

This will be particularly harmful in areas which have never had to adapt to extreme heat conditions in the past.

A study published this year suggests that dangerous temperatures will kill 50 per cent more Europeans by the end of the century.

Even under the most optimistic scenario, an additional 8,000 people will be killed by the heat every year while an extra 80,00 could die in the worst-case scenario.

Dr Bartington says: 'Under current climate policies it is expected that heat-related deaths will increase, particularly among older people in the context of an ageing population.'

Between 2015 and 2099, heat alone will lead to 5.8 million extra deaths with the worst affected city in Europe being Barcelona - with 246,082 net deaths.

That is even after accounting for the number of people that climate change would save from death in the cold European winters - challenging the popular theory that global heating could be a net positive for cold countries.

Combined with rising air pollution, the effects on life around the globe could be even worse.

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, recently predicted that air pollution and extreme temperatures could lead to 30 million excess deaths by 2100.

Even in the most likely scenario, an additional 10.8 million people could die each year due to heat while 19.5 million might be killed by air pollution.

Given that these figures do not even consider the increased risk of extreme weather, wildfires, and famine caused by disruption to agriculture, the true toll of climate change could be higher still.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

03-02-2025 om 20:56 geschreven door peter  

• READ MORE: US Congress to submit controversial 'alien' mummies for lab tests

By MATTHEW PHELAN SENIOR SCIENCE REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Dissection has begun on hands from one of Peru's hotly debated 'alien mummies' — seen in an eerie new video revealing bones and odd metallic structures.

Worldwide controversy has followed these now roughly dozen or so small peculiar specimens, often referred to as the 'Nazca Tridactyls' after the region in Peru where they are believed to have been taken by anonymous local 'huaqueros' (tomb raiders).

Now, doctors claimed to have removed a 'light metal' implant from the new specimen's palm, a reporter who is working with medical professionals involved in the investigation told DailyMail.com.

The short video documents the moment one physician carefully pulls the suspected 'alien implant' from the Nazca Tridactyl's severed, three-fingered hand with tweezers.

Mexican Navy forensic doctor Dr Jose Zalce Benitez — who devoted his free time to remove the metal — said: 'It is a very complex metal alloy that requires special knowledge and techniques to be able to achieve it with such quality and purity.'

'It was possible to identify elements such as aluminum, tin, silver, copper, cadmium and osmium among others in smaller quantities and percentages,' Dr Zalce added.

The video also depicts what appears to be one of the mummified hands peeled back to reveal two of its 'metacarpal' or 'palm' bones.

Mexican Navy Forensic doctor Dr. Jose Zalce Benitez, working with a colleague, removed an 'implantation of light metal' from the hand (pictured) of a tiny, 2-ft-tall specimen - believed by some to be an 'alien mummy' - as reporter Fernando Correa Dominguez told DailyMail.com

Dissection has begun on these hands from one of Peru's macabre and hotly debated 'alien mummies' - seen in eerie new videos revealing two of its apparent 'metacarpal' or 'palm' bones (above) as well as a thin, eerie metallic structure

'This tridactyl hand, from which I obtained the metal, does not belong to any of the bodies presented at the Mexican Congress,' Dr Zalce emphasized.

'This hand is part of a series of loose pieces that belong to the place where the tridactyl bodies of Peru were found,' the physician and forensic expert clarified. 

The doctor's volunteer investigation into these unusual, potentially extraterrestrial bodies dates back to his testimony before an open hearing of Mexico's Congress last year, during which two similar alleged 'alien' corpses were presented.

Since that September 12, 2023 congressional presentation, two distinct sizes of these alleged 'alien mummies' have been subjected to public scrutiny — but the new video examination relates to the smaller and more controversial of the specimens.

The alleged 'metal implant' can be see looking like a torn patch of silvery reptilian scales in the new video, as it is tilted toward the camera by Dr Zalce's gloved hand.

Reporter Fernando Correa Dominguez explained to DailyMail.com that the hand had been carefully rehydrated by the doctors to better remove the 'metal implant.'

Initially, Correa noted, 'they did not see any moisture inside the hand, [only] dehydrated skin tissue was observed inside the tendons and muscles.' 

Dr Zalce described the procedure in more detail: 'We used a forensic technique to protect the tissue and minimize its degradation [...] a special serum that is used for the rehydration of corpses that has very specific concentration percentages.'

Correa told DailyMail.com that this hand from this alleged non-human mummy had been rehydrated by Drs Zalce and Rangel to better remove the 'metal implant' (above)

Above: 'The metal implant,' as Correa explained from Mexico on Wednesday, 'looks like aluminum and tin: a very light alloy [...] However, it is not possible to confirm what type of metals it contains until it is subjected to metallurgical analysis

'We use sterile swabs with a soft surgical cotton tip to avoid any type of damage or contamination to both the metal sample and the tridactyl hand,' Dr Zalce elaborated.

'This technique is used by the FBI and helps recover data or information from relevant evidence in forensic investigations,' the physician noted.

Correa, who took credit for bringing Dr Zalce onto this project, added that the severed 'tridactyl' hand closely resembles the hands present on the specimens brought before Mexican Congress last year.

That spectacle within the nation's highest legislative body had been spearheaded by UFO researcher and broadcaster Jaime Maussan, Correa's boss for over two decades at the paranormal-focused TV news magazine 'Tercer Milenio.'

'It is a hand from small bodies,' Correa told DailyMail.com, 'such as the mummies of Josephina, Victoria and Louise' as the mummies have been nicknamed by the team. 

These purported beings — typically just under two feet (60.96 centimeters) long — have originated from sites in Peru along with larger, more human-sized specimens, similarly coated in white, powdery algae fossils known as diatomaceous earth.

Critics, including top Peruvian officials from the Ministry of Culture, have claimed the smaller bodies are grim fabrications, based on two specimens seized by customs.

Dr Flavio Estrada, a forensic archaeologist with Peru's Institute for Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, concluded the seized bodies were grisly dolls, 'assembled with bones of animals from this planet, with modern synthetic glues.'

'They're not extraterrestrials,' Dr Estrada pronounced after his group's examination last January. 'It's totally a made-up story.'

But Colorado attorney Josh McDowell has told DailyMail.com that these two alleged mummies, which were confiscated by Peruvian customs from courier DHL at an airport in Lima, only superficially resemble those brought before Mexico's congress.

These contraband specimens, he said, also did not resemble those kept at the University of Ica in Peru, where many of the Nazca Tridactyls are currently stored.

McDowell said that the seized 'mummies,' dressed-up in miniature imitations of traditional Andean dress, had merely been bootlegs made by an artist who intended to cash-in on the 'Nazca mummy' craze.

'The artist that made them said as much,' he continued.

'There is a way to obtain definitive answers as to what these specimens are through genetic testing and additional forensic examination,' McDowell emphasized. 

'It would mean a true collaborative effort with a multidisciplinary team of scientists, working with the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, to complete the studies legally, ethically and with respect to the cultural heritage of Peru.'  

The prolific UFO researcher and broadcaster Jaime Maussan (left) was Correa's boss for decades at the paranormal-focused TV news magazine 'Tercer Milenio.' Above, Correa (right) and Maussan pose beside a statue of a 'grey alien' in Tercer Milenio's studio in Mexico City

But whatever the truth behind these two seized 'alien mummies,' Correa said that the hand dissected by his partners closely match those presented to Mexico's congress. 

'Dr Ricardo Rangel, molecular geneticist, and Dr Zalce, a physician expert in forensic sciences, are the two scientists with the most experience in this case,' he said.

'I invited them from the beginning to analyze the bodies of the Nazca mummies.'

Correa noted that Rangel and Zalce's study of this specimen's hand greatly resembled the internal structure of Maussan's prior Nazca bodies, scanned via a noninvasive x-ray-like method, high-resolution computed tomography.

'Both agreed on the inside of the hand,' Correa said.

'There is anatomical correspondence with this member that comes from the same place where the other specimens were found: a cave in the Peruvian desert,' he said.

But even some sympathetic observers and amateur 'ancient alien' archeologists online have voiced their doubts about the hand as depicted in the new video.  

Posters on the Reddit forum r/alienbodies likened the interior seen in the new alien hand video to 'wet sludge and bones' or hastily stuffed 'with ground coffee beans.' 

'The more I learn about these,' one opined, 'the less authentic I believe them to be.' 

For his part, Dr Rangel, whose past research work has focused on a form of gene called Human leukocyte antigens (HLA), has focused the most of his studies on DNA samples taken from the Nazca mummies over the past few years.

In one of his 2023 assessments of the specimens, he asserted that 'there is a probability greater than 50 percent that this organism is not related to living beings known to date on our planet.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

03-02-2025 om 18:48 geschreven door peter  

The so-called 'alien mummies' discovered in Peru, supposedly near the Nazca lines, have been dismissed as a hoax by skeptics and most of the scientific community, with claims that a definitive study released in 2024 has exposed the fraud. But researchers who’ve been studying the small and oddly shaped specimens for many years feel otherwise, and they are now fighting back to save their reputations and let the public know about the latest evidence suggesting the mummies are something organic and real.

The lead investigator on the ongoing investigation of the strangely shaped mummified bodies is Dr. José Zalce, the former director of the Mexican Navy Medical Department, and by anyone’s measure, a legitimate scientist with bonafide credentials. He has analyzed 21 of the strange bodies, all of which were recovered during excavations in Peru, and he told the Daily Mail that he has identified “fingerprints, bone wear, dental formations, muscular features and internal organs - proving they're 100 percent real biological organisms.” He even claims to have found evidence that one of the females mummies was pregnant at the time of her death and mummification, which in his words is something “impossible to fake or replicate fraudulently.”

To back this assertion, Dr. Zalce has provided a recent scan of the “pregnant” mummy that seems to show an intact fetus inside of her body.

• Unusual Theories on Human Origins
• Integrity Of Ancient Mummies Offended By Ancient Aliens

All of this is important for those who advocate for the reality of the alien mummies, as the debunking study put out in 2024 claimed the mummified beings weren’t “beings” at all, alien, mutated human, lost hominin species, or anything else, because they were actually “dolls” assembled from animal bones fixed together with glue and then wrapped up to make fake mummies. This is the theory that Dr. Zalce has had to respond to, as he attempts to keep the story of the Peruvian mummies and their true identify alive.

The Science is On Our Side, Leading Advocate Declares

The mummies emerged from obscurity in 2023, when controversial UFOologist and journalist Jaime Maussan brought two small wrapped beings before the Mexican Congress, in his version of alien disclosure. He said they were not part of 'our terrestrial evolution', as a third of their genetic features had proven to be unidentifiable.

Ufologist and journalist Jaime Maussan presenting an “alien mummy” to the Mexican Congress.

(Cámara de Diputados ).

This presentation was not particularly helpful to the cause of those who swear the mummies are legitimate, since Maussan has a reputation as a grifter and attention-seeker even among those who take the UFO phenomenon seriously.

Dr. Zalce and his team, however, have carried out a range of scientific tests on the mummies over the past several years, including X-rays, CT scans with 3D reconstruction, fluoroscopy, DNA analysis, forensic fingerprinting and tissue sample examinations. This is the sort of analysis that is required for the story of the alien mummies to be taken seriously, and Dr. Zalce insists his findings debunk the debunkers.

“These confirm with 100 percent certainty their organic, biofunctional, and skeletal anatomical authenticity,' Dr. Zalce stated, throwing down the gauntlet to the scientific community as a whole.

Jois Mantilla, a Peruvian journalist who has worked closely with the doctor’s team, accepts this conclusion, having been persuaded finally by the pregnant mummy called Monserrat.

Scanned image showing alleged fetus inside alleged “alien” mummy from Peru.

(Dr. José Zalce).

“The fact that the fetus is a tridactyl [three-fingered being] makes it one of the most important proofs of the authenticity of these bodies,” he said.

Dr Zalce and his team have determined that Monserrat was  between 15 and 25 years old at time of her mummification, based on her “bodily condition, gestational state, and a comparison of her anthropomorphic bone structure.” He estimates Montserrat's remains are from 1,200 to 1,600 years old.

While much has been made of the claim by Maussan and others that the Peruvian mummies are alien, Dr. Zalce and his team and supporters are only interested in proving they are anomalous. In fact Mantilla believes that the mummies are remains from an unknown species of hominin, due to the mixture of features that match humans in some cases but differ in others (the three-fingered hands, facial features, and elongated skull and feet are variants).

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'It could be a different species of hominid that had not been described before by science,' he said.

This idea is backed by a different study of a Peruvian mummy named Maria, which was published in May 2024. The researchers involved in this work found biological similarities with humans but also “many morphological and anatomical structural differences.”

Image of skull of mummy known as Maria, studied by researchers in 2024.

(Hernandez Huaripaucar, et.al./Revista de Gestao Social e Ambiental).

This creature's bones were observed to fit together naturally under the mummified casing, as would be the case with a human body, and the elongated skull showed no signs of artificial cranial deformation.

Image of three-fingered hand from mummy named Maria. 

(Hernandez Huaripaucar, et.al./Revista de Gestao Social e Ambiental).

Skeptics Respond to Believers, Believers Respond to Skeptics

While Dr. Zalce is more convinced than ever that he and his team are studying a truly bizarre lifeform, from Earth or elsewhere, scientists outside this group who’ve tried to squash the story because they see it as a hoax aren’t backing down from their conclusions, either.

Peruvian forensic archaeologist Flavio Estrada, who led the much-cited analysis that refuted Dr. Zalce’s assertions, said the claims that the two objects came from another world, or are truly anomalous in any way, are “totally false.”

“The conclusion is simple: they are dolls assembled with bones of animals from this planet, with modern synthetic glues, therefore they were not assembled during pre-Hispanic times,” he stated definitively. “They are not extraterrestrials; they are not aliens.”

As confident as this sounds, Estrada's statements have not stopped Zalce and his team from continuing their research.

 “All serious researchers involved have confirmed that these are non-human bodies with unique anatomical differences, such as tridactyl, without any traces of artificial manipulation or alteration,” Dr Zalce countered, insisting that the mummies' “authenticity is supported by fingerprints, DNA analysis showing remarkable differences from human DNA, and other surprising genetic and pathological findings.”

One intriguing discovery, according to Dr. Zalce, are many metal plates that have been found in different areas of the mummies' bodies. They are located “from the interior covering some bones to external attachments on the skin, forming a biofunctional implant with no signs of rejection. These polymetallic plates have been analyzed using [a light-based measurement], revealing an alloy composed of copper, cadmium, osmium, aluminum, gold, and silver. Notably, the silver has a purity of over 95 percent, which is rare in nature,” he continued.

According to Mantilla, Montserrat was found with a metallic-like object on its head that was put into the body before death.

“They have been placed on the skin using a technique that we still do not know,” he said. “In some cases, [like Montserrat], the skin has been seen to have grown around the implant.”

Dr. Zalce, Mantilla, and everyone advocating for the legitimacy of the Peruvian mummies are making some extraordinary claims, which have been rejected in at least one peer-reviewed study (that of Dr. Estrada). To progress further, they plan to work collaboratively with the Peruvian Ministry of Culture to complete additional genetic and forensic testing.

'There are a lot of unknowns about these tridactyl specimens that could be definitively answered through additional testing modalities not currently available in Peru, “Mantilla said. “Our position is simply that they should be tested, in a legal and culturally sensitive manner, with the best methods available today.”

Top image: Mysterious Peruvian mummies with unusual physical features, leaving some to suspect they are not human.

• Source: Unearthing Nazca/Gaia/YouTube.

By Nathan Falde

• Tags: mummies, aliens, UFOs, strange discoveries, Peru, unexplained mysteries
• FB: If you thought the story of the alien mummies from Peru had been totally debunked, think again—the story is back, and the former director of the Mexican Navy Medical Department says his work proves the mummies are real and not human.
• Meta: The former director of the Mexican Navy Medical Department, Dr. José Zalce, says that several

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/mysterious-phenomena }

03-02-2025 om 18:31 geschreven door peter  

An illustration of an alien being.

Depositphotos.

The Zoo Hypothesis: A Cosmic Isolation Strategy?

Among the many theories proposed to solve the Fermi Paradox, the zoo hypothesis stands out as one of the most thought-provoking. It suggests that advanced alien civilizations are not only aware of humanity but are actively avoiding contact. Why? To observe us from afar, much like zookeepers monitor animals in an enclosure.

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Supporters of this idea argue that intelligent aliens could easily detect us. Our broadcasts have been leaking into space for decades, and our technological advancements, from peaceful space missions to destructive weaponry, are undeniable. To them, humanity might appear unpredictable or even dangerous—an intelligent species still grappling with its place in the cosmos.

If the hypothesis holds, these alien civilizations might be using advanced technology to mask their presence. This intentional silence could be their way of protecting both themselves and us, giving us the space to evolve without interference. The ultimate goal? Perhaps one day, when humanity has matured, we might be invited to join a larger galactic community.

The zoo hypothesis is captivating but faces criticism for assuming too much about alien motives and behaviors. It presumes not only the existence of multiple advanced civilizations but also a collective agreement to avoid Earth. For now, it remains an interesting thought experiment, one that highlights our persistent desire to answer the age-old question: are we alone?

Ultimately, the only way to resolve the Fermi Paradox is to keep exploring. As our tools and techniques improve, we may one day find the evidence we’ve been seeking—or confirm that solitude is humanity’s unique cosmic condition.

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

03-02-2025 om 17:38 geschreven door peter  

Astrophysicist suggests that the search for non-intelligent life is a better option than searching for alien civilizations.

Credit: DepositPhotos

What About Intelligent Life?

While microbes are tied to their environment, advanced civilizations could become nomadic, escaping planetary risks by living on artificial platforms in space. Professor Loeb emphasizes that survival, even for intelligent species, is precarious. On Earth alone, more than 99.9% of species have gone extinct. Some, like the dinosaurs, perished due to catastrophic events, such as the impact of the Chicxulub meteor. Others disappeared due to environmental changes and competition.

Given that the average species lasts between 1 to 10 million years, Professor Loeb points out that humanity, which evolved roughly 5–7 million years ago, may already be approaching the end of its natural lifespan. While technology might help delay extinction, it can’t eliminate all risks. Even our Sun poses a long-term threat—within a billion years, it will heat up enough to boil Earth’s oceans away. This recognition drives efforts like Elon Musk’s vision to colonize Mars, but Professor Loeb suggests that advanced civilizations might go even further, building space platforms powered by artificial energy sources.

A New Approach to Finding Advanced Civilizations

Traditional SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) efforts have focused on detecting signals from star systems. However, if advanced civilizations have already left their planets, they might be roaming interstellar space. Professor Loeb leads the Galileo Project, an initiative searching for evidence of extraterrestrial technology within our solar system.

Instead of looking for radio signals, the Galileo Project focuses on identifying physical artifacts—objects that could have originated from advanced extraterrestrial technology. Currently, the team operates observatories at Harvard University and plans to expand with new facilities in Pennsylvania and Nevada. Future expeditions aim to recover materials from interstellar meteors, while upcoming data from the Rubin Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope will aid in these investigations.

Professor Loeb argues that humanity should broaden its search by not only looking for microbial life on distant planets but also by hunting for technological relics near Earth. He believes it’s crucial to keep an open mind—what we might find could be far beyond our current understanding. As we invest billions in these efforts, one thing is clear: the search for alien life, whether microbial or advanced, might yield its first results right in our own cosmic neighborhood.

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{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

03-02-2025 om 17:25 geschreven door peter  

Harvard Astronomer Suggests Using Satellite Images to Look for UFOs

UFO, an alien plate soars in the sky, hovering motionless in the air. Unidentified flying object, alien invasion, extraterrestrial life, space travel, humanoid spaceship mixed medium

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{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

03-02-2025 om 17:07 geschreven door peter  

Ex-Pentagon Official Confirms Alien Language Exists – Lue Elizondo Reveals Shocking Details

For decades, the question of extraterrestrial existence has been the subject of intense speculation, with governments and intelligence agencies often accused of withholding crucial information. In a groundbreaking revelation, former Pentagon official Lue Elizondo, who previously led the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), has confirmed the existence of alien language and symbols found on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs).

The Existence of Alien Symbols

During a recent discussion, Elizondo disclosed that multiple encounters with unidentified flying objects have included evidence of engravings or markings on their surfaces. According to his statements, these symbols appear to have structured patterns, suggesting they serve as a form of communication or identification.

“When you have reports of a UAP with something written on it, the first presumption is that it is conveying information. Writing exists to communicate, whether through symbols, hieroglyphics, or some advanced script,” Elizondo explained. He emphasized that the presence of these markings indicates a higher level of intelligence behind these unidentified craft.

The Implications of Alien Communication

One of the key takeaways from Elizondo’s statements is that these symbols may provide insights into the nature of non-human intelligence (NHI). If an advanced civilization is visiting Earth, the presence of an alien language suggests a need for communication—whether among themselves, with humanity, or as part of their operational mechanisms.

Elizondo also pointed out that the markings were not randomly placed scratches or damage from atmospheric conditions but appeared to be precise engravings. The implication is that these symbols hold specific meanings, much like how human aircraft and spacecraft bear identification numbers, insignia, and operational codes.

The Scientific Approach to Decoding Alien Language

The confirmation of alien symbols opens up new avenues for scientific research. Linguists, cryptographers, and artificial intelligence experts may play a role in deciphering these markings. The study of alien language could resemble efforts to decode ancient human scripts, such as Egyptian hieroglyphs or Sumerian cuneiform.

Elizondo suggested that researchers have likely already begun examining patterns in the engravings. While he did not disclose classified information, he acknowledged that efforts were ongoing within certain government and private research sectors to understand the significance of these symbols.

The Broader Context of UAP Disclosure

This revelation aligns with a growing body of evidence that suggests government agencies have been studying UAPs for years. Elizondo has consistently advocated for greater transparency, arguing that the public deserves to know what is being discovered. His comments reinforce testimonies from military pilots, intelligence officials, and defense personnel who have encountered UAPs exhibiting advanced technology far beyond human capabilities.

Furthermore, the discussion about alien language adds another dimension to the debate on extraterrestrial intelligence. If symbols have been observed on UAPs, it suggests these objects are not merely advanced drones or experimental human aircraft but possibly vehicles of an intelligent civilization.

What’s Next?

As the study of UAPs continues to gain legitimacy, Elizondo’s claims about alien language provide an important lead for researchers. Whether these symbols can be fully understood remains uncertain, but their presence alone is a significant step in acknowledging that humanity may not be alone.

• https://youtu.be/WGUb1JKxBDo

With government agencies slowly releasing more information and public interest at an all-time high, the question is no longer if UAPs are real, but what they signify and how we can engage with their messages. The discovery of alien language, if verified and deciphered, could become one of the most important breakthroughs in human history.

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

03-02-2025 om 16:31 geschreven door peter  

One of the most celebrated and debated UFO incidents of all time took place in Rendlesham Forest near Suffolk, England just after Christmas in 1980. United States Air Force personnel stationed at two former Royal Air Force installations in the area, RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge, told incredible stories about encounters with mysterious lights and metallic craft that seemed under intelligent control as they danced around and above the trees on the nights of December 26, 27 and 28 that year.

Now, an ex-detective and the author of a recently released book entitled Non-Human: The Rendlesham Forest Incidents: 42 Years of Denial, Gary Heseltine, is organizing a special tour. The Sun reported that the aim of this tour to take UFO enthusiasts and other curious souls deep into the heart of Rendlesham Forest, so they can visit the exact locations where these strange and unexplained events occurred over the course of three nights more than four decades ago.

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On the nights of June 3 and 4, Heseltine will lead his tour group to various sites in the woods, as he relates the fascinating and frightening stories of the multiple witnesses to the UFO-related events that allegedly took place at those spots. It has been claimed that as many as 17 lighted objects were spotted by one or more witnesses, all of whom were serving in the US Air Force (USAF) at the time of the Rendlesham Forest incident.

The supposed UFO landing site at Rendlesham Forest.

(Simon Leatherdale / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Gary Heseltine and the Rendlesham Forest UFOs

Gary Heseltine is a retired British police constable and a UFO sightings field investigator who is currently the vice president of the International Coalition for Extra-terrestrial Research (ICER). He is widely recognized as one of the premier experts on the weird events reported at Rendlesham Forest.

Heseltine’s new book has been praised by readers and reviewers for the immense amount of detail it reveals about what the witnesses experienced and about how the US and UK militaries have apparently tried to cover up the truth about this astonishing incident. “The Rendlesham Forest incident has often been referred to as ‘Britain's Roswell’, and in terms of its significance in UFO history the comparison is well made,” Heseltine wrote in the introduction to his new book.

“However, I have to say that in many aspects the RFI, as it has become known, is very, very different in certain key areas,” he continued. “After almost 14 years of public research into the RFI, I can think of no other case that has been subject of so much disinformation and damaging internal witness ‘political’ infighting.”

Heseltine’s mission during his upcoming two-day summer tour will be to reveal the real story about the Rendlesham Forest incident. During the event, he aims to separate fact from fiction as relates to the supposed Unidentified Flying Object spotted there, not just for the benefit of the members of his tour group, but ultimately for the historical record as well.

The USAF abandoned the installations at Woodbridge and Bentwaters in the 1990s, and while the former was eventually converted to a British army base, the latter is now closed and is the site of a public park. Rendlesham Forest is now open to visitors and is quite heavily trafficked, by picnickers, hikers, cyclists and UFO and alien enthusiasts who can visit the park on their own to follow a nature trail that traces the path USAF personnel followed on the nights they were chasing UFOs.

Representational image of a UFO flying over a forest, much like the accounts of the events which took place at Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk.

(RookStuff / Adobe Stock)

Aliens, a Hoax or an Elaborate Prank?

It is fitting that the Rendlesham Forest incident is referred to as the British Roswell. The 1980 sightings on forest land adjacent to RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge have been vigorously discussed, debated and written about since the time they happened, and the alleged crash of a flying saucer near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 is the only UFO incident that has generated more public interest.

The list of men who wandered through the woods chasing the lights and looking for landed craft on those remarkable nights included deputy commander Charles Halt and enlisted men Larry Warren, John Burroughs and James Pennington. These individuals are the most well-known of the Rendlesham witnesses, as all have been extensively interviewed and all have written their own books about the subject.

Their stories differ in some of the details, and both skeptics and believers alike suspect there have been embellishments and distortions. Back in 2017, the Mirror reported that Larry Warren’s claims have proven especially controversial. Nevertheless, the eerie and otherworldly nature of their accounts is consistent.

Interestingly, many suspect the Rendlesham Forest incident was real but did not involve aliens. They believe the sightings may have been a high-level hoax coordinated by the USAF itself, as part of a military psy-op meant to test the reactions of Air Force personnel when confronted with what seemed to be a real alien invasion.

Some media reports on the Rendlesham incident, including an article about the UFO tour just published in the Daily Mail, have claimed that the purported alien invasion was actually a prank carried out by personnel from the British Army’s Special Air Service (SAS).

The 1980 UFO sightings took place near Royal Air Force installations, on forest land adjacent to RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge, whose East Gate is pictured above.

(Taras Young / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Was the Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident a Prank?

This claim comes from a letter sent to researcher David Clarke in 2018, purportedly from a former SAS airman who said he and others in his unit had concocted this elaborate hoax as a way to get revenge on US Air Force personnel for an earlier incident. It seems the Air Force men had treated them rudely following a secret security exercise that required SAS personnel to penetrate the defensive perimeter of the RAF Woodridge base without US Air Force permission.

To perpetrate their UFO prank, the individual from the SAS said he and his cohorts had rigged lights and shot off flairs in Rendlesham Forest. The also claimed they had used remote-controlled kites and black helium balloons to carry lighted materials up into the sky. “A great deal of nocturnal Christmas fun was had at the expense of the USAF — and the matter should have ended there,” the anonymous source wrote.

“Unfortunately, a senior US officer (Lt Col Halt) led the US contingent out into the forest on the second night and took along his tape recorder,” he continued when discussing the Rendlesham Forest events. “The hovering and whizzing lights were sufficiently impressive for him to send a report to the MoD.”

The letter writer told Clarke that the truth about the matter had been disclosed privately to the US Air Force, and that people at the highest levels in both the US and UK military knew what had really taken place.

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Many media sources, including the Daily Mail reporter, take this claim seriously and report it as a likely explanation for what happened at Rendlesham. But the Daily Mail failed to mention that David Clarke, who is an experienced professional journalist currently employed as an associate professor in the Media Arts and Communication Department at Sheffield Hallam University, investigated the claims of the anonymous letter writer and determined them to be without merit.

It seems the letter’s assertions about what had been done didn’t match the eyewitness testimony about what had been seen. Additionally, military sources Clarke contacted said that SAS personnel would not have been able to pull off such a prank on secure air force grounds without being quickly apprehended. Topping it all off, David Clarke received the anonymous letter on April 1st, leading him to conclude (quite reasonably) that the letter writer’s revelations were an April Fool’s Day joke.

The Rendlesham Forest Incident: The Truth is Out There

The truth about the events at Rendlesham Forest will likely never be established with 100-percent certainty. Even if insiders or whistle-blowers were to come forward to reveal exactly what happened, they probably wouldn’t be able to prove their claims. Their statements would undoubtedly be rejected by skeptics if they said the events were caused by aliens and by many UFO researchers if they said they weren’t.

The upcoming tour will be open to everyone, regardless of their opinions on the matter. With Gary Heseltine leading the way, they will have an educated and knowledgeable narrator to guide them. Although he personally believes in the possibility of alien visitation, he is perfectly content to allow each participant to draw their own conclusions about the events that occurred at Rendlesham Forest in December 1980.

• Top image: Representational image representing a UFO flying over Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk.
• Source: fergregory / Adobe Stock

By Nathan Falde

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/mysterious-phenomena }

02-02-2025 om 22:28 geschreven door peter  

Space photo of the week: James Webb and Hubble telescopes unite to solve 'impossible' planet mystery

• Why it's so special: This James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) image has helped astronomers untangle a long-standing mystery about how planets form. The mystery arose more than 20 years ago, when the Hubble Space Telescope spotted the universe's oldest known planet, which formed earlier in the universe's history than scientists thought was possible.

Stars form in large clouds of gas and dust called molecular clouds. Any remaining gas and dust gather in disks around the stars. Planets, in turn, form from these disks. Scientists believed that early stars didn't have planets because there was a lack of heavier elements, such as carbon and iron, which are created by stars' nuclear fusion and supernova deaths. They thought that these heavier elements were essential for planet-forming disks to exist long enough for planets to form.

Related: 

• Space photo of the week: The tilted spiral galaxy that took Hubble 23 years to capture

But in 2003, Hubble detected a massive planet orbiting an ancient star in the M4 globular cluster, which is about 5,600 light-years distant in the Milky Way. Globular clusters are extremely old and, therefore, lack heavier elements. The exoplanet is about 13 billion years old, which suggests that planets may have formed earlier in the universe's history than scientists thought was possible. But astronomers were unsure exactly how it formed so early in the universe's history

To learn more about the early universe, astronomers use proxies that have similar conditions to ancient galaxies. One such proxy is the star cluster NGC 346, a star-forming region within the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a dwarf galaxy that orbits the Milky Way. Like early galaxies, the SMC lacks heavier elements and is made up mainly of hydrogen and helium.

When astronomers pointed Hubble at NGC 346, they found signs that planet-forming disks existed around stars for 20 million to 30 million years — about 10 times longer than theories predicted such disks could survive. However, the signs were faint, so astronomers needed further proof.

In 2023, JWSTused the unprecedented sensitivity and resolution provided by its Near Infrared Spectrograph and Mid-Infrared Instrument to confirm the existence of long-lived planet-forming disks in NGC 346.

The findings, published Dec. 16, 2024, in The Astrophysical Journal, affirm the Hubble result and suggest that the lack of heavier elements may slow the star's ability to disperse its planet-forming disk — giving planets more time to form. Another theory is that the initial gas cloud from which the star forms might be larger, resulting in a more massive, longer-lived disk.

• For more sublime space images, check out our Space Photo of the Week archives.

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

02-02-2025 om 22:11 geschreven door peter  

High-Resolution Imaging of Dyson Sphere Candidate Reveals no Radio Signals

Dyson Spheres are a class of megastructures originally proposed by physicist Freemon Dyson, who proposed how advanced civilizations could create structures large enough to enclose their stars (thus harnessing all of their energy). Project Hephaestos, led by Prof. Erik Zackrisson, has published numerous papers exploring possible Dyson Sphere candidates using different methods and data sources. The fourth and most recent paper in the series focused on seven potential candidates (designated A to G) around M-type stars from a sample of 5 million detected by the ESA’s Gaia Observatory.

Previously, Ren and his team have investigated these candidates to identify possible natural explanations. As they explored in a previous paper, these include dust-rich debris disks that absorb light and re-emit it as infrared radiation. This will lead to an observed infrared excess, which Dyson proposed as a possible indication of his proposed megastructure. However, as they indicate in their most recent paper, the Project’s measurements do not appear to resemble typical debris disks. As Garrett explained to Universe Today via email:

“When I saw the original results from Project Hephaestos last year, I was skeptical – they had surveyed 5 million stars, and if you do that, there is a good chance your measurements might include emission from background sources. You don’t expect stars to show radio emission at this level, and it basically tells you that the radio emission is probably coming from background (radio) galaxies. But then you also need a special kind of galaxy that is faint in the optical but very bright in the infrared – the only galaxies I knew that had this characteristic are DOGs – Dust Obscured Galaxies.”

The team was also inspired by another paper by Jason T. Wright, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State, the director of the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center (PSETI), and a member of the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds (CEHW). In this paper, Wright hypothesized that a true Dyson Sphere might use radio emissions to discharge waste heat. This led them to consider the possibility that these candidates were indeed Dyson Spheres.

As Tongtian explained, they were also inspired by previous research by Garrett:

“Mike briefly argued in 2015 that even in a Kardashev Type I Civilization, where energy consumption is significantly higher than that of humans on Earth, their radio communication signals are too weak to detect. However, the Dyson Spheres could correspond to a Kardashev Type II Civilization—one that harnesses over a billion times more energy than a Type I Civilization. Therefore, regardless of whether the beings reside on planets or elsewhere near the Dyson Sphere, it might be possible to detect their use of similar electromagnetic technologies.”

To investigate these possibilities further, the team searched through data obtained by the enhanced Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) and the European VLBI Network (EVN) for data on the brightest radio source (candidate G). To their surprise, they found that three candidates from Project Hephaestos had radio counterparts in the astronomy databases. As Tongtian explained, the most logical explanation is that these signals (including candidate G) were due to contamination from bright radio sources – Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) – in the background:

“They shouldn’t belong to one civilization. Otherwise, many anomalous stars would be connected as a swarm in the sky, not isolated seven. At that moment, we realized that either different extraterrestrial civilizations located hundreds of light-years away all have mastered the same or similar advanced radio emission technologies, or these signals originate from some form of natural contamination. We preferred to assume that they were some natural objects beyond the Milky Way – and most likely to be hot DOGS.”

These results effectively confirmed their earlier hypothesis that at least some of the candidates identified by Project Hephaistos are contaminated by bright radio sources that are also very bright in the infrared wavelength. This causes them to mimic the characteristics that Freeman Dyson predicted and what astronomers expect from Dyson Spheres. However, this does not rule out the remaining six candidates and highlights the importance of thoroughly analyzing each candidate with high-resolution radio observations.

“We don’t know that all of the candidates are contaminated, but some, maybe all, probably are. I really hope some of them are indeed good Dyson Sphere candidates,” said Garrett. “This all shows that a multiwavelength approach is really required when looking for candidates in order to rule out background contamination.”

“The development of new astronomical instruments does not follow the rapid update cycles of consumer electronics—it takes decades,” added Tongtian. “Gaia (launched in 2013 and recently decommissioned) and WISE (launched in 2009 and expired in 2024) provided a crucial observational window. The next generation of similar probes may not be available for a long time, making it unlikely that a large-scale Dyson Sphere search program like Project Hephaistos will be conducted again in the near future. So the current seven Dyson Sphere candidates deserve to be carefully examined.”

Further Reading: 

• arXiv,
• MNRAS

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

02-02-2025 om 21:39 geschreven door peter  

Stranded NASA astronaut says she's lost ability to perform vital bodily function after being in space so long

• READ MORE:  NASA's stranded astronaut leaves ISS for the first time in months
• PODCAST: On Welcome to MAGAland - Trump’s response to the tragic D.C plane crash, plus is project 2025 really a myth?

By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

One of NASA's stranded astronauts has revealed she has lost the ability to perform several basic tasks after being stranded in space for eight months. 

Sunita Williams admitted this week that she has forgotten what it's like to walk after spending 234 days in microgravity.

'I've been up here long enough, right now I've been trying to remember what it's like to walk. I haven't walked. I haven't sat down. I haven't laid down,' she said during a video call with students at Needham High School in Massachusetts on Monday. 

Williams, 59 and her crewmate, Barry Wilmore, 62, were supposed to spend eight days on the ISS when they embarked on their mission on June 5, but the Boeing capsule that took them was plagued by technical issues.

The capsule has since returned to Earth empty, leaving the two astronauts stuck on the ISS until at least late March when they can catch a ride home on SpaceX's Crew-9 spacecraft.

President Donald Trump said 'the two brave astronauts' were 'virtually abandoned by the Biden administration' and asked Elon Musk and SpaceX to 'go get' them.

'Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe,' the president said. 'Good luck Elon!!!'

The 53-year-old billionaire vowed in a post to retrieve Wilmore and Sunita Williams 'as soon as possible.' 

otten how to walk after spending 234 days in microgravity Sunita Williams admitted this week that she has forg

Musk said he was asked by President Donald Trump to bring NASA's stranded astronauts home as soon as possible 

Musk's SpaceX was already tasked with bringing astronauts Williams and Wilmore back from the ISS prior to this new order due to Boeing's Straliner malfunctioning in space.

The capsule experienced helium leaks and thruster malfunctions before, during and after its launch.

By August, NASA decided Starliner was unfit to safely bring the astronauts home, and announced that Williams and Wilmore would instead hitch a ride back to Earth on SpaceX's Crew-9 capsule, which is currently docked to the ISS.

NASA previously said that Crew-9 would return home as soon as February, but the agency changed the mission timeline in December.

In a statement, officials explained that SpaceX needed more time to complete work on the Crew-10 capsule, which must launch to the ISS before Crew-9 can leave the ISS. 

Thus, the astronauts' return was pushed back to late March. By that time, they will have spent eight months in space. 

During long space missions, microgravity takes a toll on astronauts' bodies, causing significant muscle and bone deterioration.

For every month in space, astronauts' weight-bearing bones become roughly one percent less dense if they don't take precautions to counter this loss, according to NASA.

If Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams do return in late March as expected, they will have spent 10 months on the ISS, which is two months longer than a standard long-term ISS mission

President Donald Trump asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to 'go get' two astronauts who remain stuck in space

And their muscles which are usually activated by simply moving around on Earth also weaken because they no longer need to work as hard, the agency says. 

When astronauts return from long-term space missions, it's not uncommon for them not to be able to walk under their own power.  

The recent statements from Musk and President Trump suggest the timing of Williams and Wilmore's rescue mission could change again, potentially bringing them home sooner. 

There are a couple ways SpaceX might do this, according to astrophysicist and science communicator Scott Manley.

One option is to launch Crew-10 earlier, which would also allow the Crew-9 capsule to bring Williams and Wilmore home earlier, he explained in a recent X post. 

Welcome to MAGALAND: Insider Trump's Second 100 Days - The podcast bringing you the latest news and gossip from the White House. Listen here. 

This would require SpaceX to finish work on the spacecraft ahead of schedule, but the company has not said that it is on track to do so. 

Option two is to allow Crew-9 to return to Earth before Crew-10 launches, Manley said. 

This would go against NASA protocol, which requires the agency to maintain a critical mass of astronauts on the ISS during the 'handover process,' or the overlap between a departing ISS crew's time on the space station and a new crew's arrival. 

This period allows the departing crew (in this case, Crew-9 and the Starliner crew) to share any lessons learned with the newly arrived crew (Crew-10) and support a better transition for ongoing science and maintenance at the complex, according to NASA.

The handover process helps operations on the ISS run smoothly, but it is not an absolute necessity. 

Should NASA opt to let the Crew-9 capsule leave the ISS before Crew-10 arrives, Russian Soyuz astronauts would be there to receive the Crew-10 astronauts. 

SpaceX's Crew-9 capsule launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket in September. The capsule is currently docked on the ISS and ready to bring its crew plus Williams and Wilmore home by late March, unless NASA and SpaceX move its departure up

There are a couple ways SpaceX might do this, according to astrophysicist and science communicator Scott Manley.

One option is to launch Crew-10 earlier, which would also allow the Crew-9 capsule to bring Williams and Wilmore home earlier, he explained in a recent X post. 

This would require SpaceX to finish work on the spacecraft ahead of schedule, but the company has not said that it is on track to do so. 

Option two is to allow Crew-9 to return to Earth before Crew-10 launches, Manley said. 

This would go against NASA protocol, which requires the agency to maintain a critical mass of astronauts on the ISS during the 'handover process,' or the overlap between a departing ISS crew's time on the space station and a new crew's arrival. 

This period allows the departing crew (in this case, Crew-9 and the Starliner crew) to share any lessons learned with the newly arrived crew (Crew-10) and support a better transition for ongoing science and maintenance at the complex, according to NASA.

The handover process helps operations on the ISS run smoothly, but it is not an absolute necessity. 

Should NASA opt to let the Crew-9 capsule leave the ISS before Crew-10 arrives, Russian Soyuz astronauts would be there to receive the Crew-10 astronauts.

It's also possible that the timing of the Starliner crew's return will not change at all. 

When Musk stated he would bring the astronauts home 'as soon as possible,' he may actually have been referring to the current mission schedule, Manley said. 

What's more, it could be that 'Elon is trolling,' he added. In other words, these statements from Musk and Trump may be displays of political showmanship that do not actually promise any real changes to the rescue mission's timeline.

Neither SpaceX, NASA, nor the White House have made any official public  statements regarding a revised return date for Williams and Wilmore.

In an emailed statement, NASA told DailyMail.com: 'NASA and SpaceX are expeditiously working to safely return the agency's SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore as soon as practical, while also preparing for the launch of Crew-10 to complete a handover between expeditions.' 

SpaceX and the White House did not  immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.  

Despite the astronauts' dramatically extended stay on the ISS, NASA has repeatedly stated that they are not stranded. 

The agency has also emphasized that NASA astronauts always train for lengthy missions, and that medical experts have been closely monitoring the Starliner crew's health as they endure the harsh conditions aboard the ISS, including low-gravity, heightened radiation exposure and the psychological stress of confinement. 

If Williams and Wilmore do return home in late March as expected, their mission will have lasted two months longer than a standard long-term ISS mission, which typically lasts six months.

But they will not break astronaut Frank Rubio's record for the longest stretch of time spent on the ISS, which is 371 consecutive days. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

02-02-2025 om 01:10 geschreven door peter  

NASA says chances of 'city-destroying' asteroid hitting Earth have increased

• READ MORE: Study confirms asteroid Bennu contains building blocks of life

By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

The odds of a 'city-killer' asteroid smashing into the Earth on December 22, 2032 appear to have ticked up slightly.

NASA previously estimated that Asteroid 2024 YR4, a nearly 200-foot-wide space rock, has a one-in-83 chance (1.2 percent) of striking our planet.

But now, the agency's 'Sentry' Earth Impact Monitoring system reports a one-in-77 chance (1.3 percent) of a direct hit.

Astronomers have also calculated a predicted impact zone that stretches from South America across the Atlantic Ocean to sub-Saharan Africa.

The asteroid has the potential to cause significant damage, especially if it lands in a densely populated area like a major city due to it being the size of another space rock that hit Earth in 1908 with a blast equivalent to detonating 50 million tons of TNT.

Though estimates suggest a very small increase in the likelihood of impact, astronomer and professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Richard P Binzel told DailyMail.com that it is nothing to worry about. 

'The difference between 1.2 percent and 1.3 percent doesn't matter,' he said. 

'Until the data are sufficient to pinpoint which of these two final answers is correct, we can expect the probability numbers to wobble around a bit. This is simply how scientific data measurements play out,' he added. 

The current 'risk corridor,' or the geographical area where the 2024 YR4 is most likely to hit, runs from South America across the Atlantic Ocean to sub-Saharan Africa

Regardless, the odds of this asteroid impacting our planet are still very low.

Astronomers say it is much more likely to safely pass us by, coming within roughly 66,000 miles of Earth. 

Astronomers believe 2024 YR4 is roughly the same size as the Tunguska asteroid, which caused the most explosive impact in recorded history when it shot through Earth's atmosphere in 1908, reportedly killing three people.

It exploded in the air over Siberia in what's known as an 'air burst,' flattening an estimated 80 million trees over 830 square miles of forest.

If 2024 YR4 infiltrates Earth's atmosphere, it could cause a similar event, astronomers say. 

Alternatively, it could remain intact during the descent and slam into the ground, creating a massive crater and decimating human communities in the impact zone. 

Asteroid 2024 YR4 shot to the top of NASA's automated Sentry risk list that ranks known Near Earth Objects (NEOs) on how likely they are to collide with our planet. 

NEOs are asteroids and comets that orbit the sun and pass close to Earth. 

The recently found space rock, however, is currently the most threatening NEO astronomers are aware of, ranking as a three out of 10 on the Torino risk scale,  a tool for categorizing potential Earth impact events. 

It's a scale from zero to 10, with higher numbers indicating a greater risk of impact. 

Most NEOs never reach higher than two on the scale. 

Analysis of 2024 YR4's orbit indicates that the asteroid will come within 66,000 miles of Earth on December 22, 2032. But when orbital uncertainties are factored in, it turns out there is a 1.2 percent chance of it directly hitting out planet 

Asteroid 2024 YR4 is about the same size as the Tunguska asteroid, which caused the largest impact event in recorded history when it shot through Earth's atmosphere in 1908

The Tunguska asteroid exploded in the air over Siberia in what's known as an 'air burst,' and a blast equivalent to detonating 50 million tons of TNT that flattened an estimated 80 million trees over 830 square miles. Experts say Asteroid 2024 YR4 could cause a similar event

While NASA and astronomers worldwide are keeping a close eye on the incoming asteroid, they are unable to predict how much damage it would cause. 

Experts will need to determined the asteroid's composition and true size before calculated its impact, which can only be done when it moves closer to our planet Rankin told Space.com. 

'Size and composition are big players in possible damage, along with impact location,' he said. 

'It's hard to constrain size and composition with the current orbital situation, as it's outbound,' or moving away from us, he added.

Experts still aren't 100 percent sure how much damage a direct hit from 2024 YR4 would cause (STOCK)

But best way to measure an asteroid's size is with radar observations, he added.

This technique reflects radio waves or microwaves off an asteroid's surface and then analyzes the reflections to calculate its size. 

Astronomers may have a chance to perform radar observations in 2028 when the asteroid passes within roughly five million miles of Earth, Rankin said. 

Until then, astronomers must rely on the asteroid's absolute magnitude, or brightness, to indirectly estimate its size.

This calculation gives them a rough diameter of 196 feet, but this estimate assumes that the asteroid's surface has a certain level of reflectivity that may not be accurate. 

'If the asteroid has a darker surface, that number is too small; if it has a more reflective surface, that number is too high,' Rankin said.

Asteroid reflectivity depends on its composition, which also plays an important role in how space rocks behave once they penetrate Earth's atmosphere.  

'If [asteroid 2024 YR4] is made of stony material, it could cause a significant air burst and fireball reaching the ground,' Rankin said. 

'If made of iron, it will punch right through the atmosphere with little trouble and make an impact crater. This is why understanding not just the orbit but also the composition and size are so critical.'

Due to these risk scenarios, astronomers will closely study and monitor 2024 YR4 in the years leading up to its approach. 

But 'people should absolutely not worry about this yet,' Rankin said. 

'Impact probability is still very low, and the most likely outcome will be a close approaching rock that misses us,' he said.

Now that 2024 YR4 has been identified as a potential — but unlikely — threat, the race to learn as much about it as possible before 2032 is on. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

02-02-2025 om 00:43 geschreven door peter  

• READ MORE:  Two more 'alien mummies' are found with slanted eyes and hair

By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

The 'alien mummies' discovered in Peru have largely been dismissed as a hoax by the scientific community, but researchers studying the specimens believe otherwise.

Dr José Zalce, former director of the Mexican Navy Medical Department, has analyzed 21 of the strange bodies, finding 'fingerprints, bone wear, dental formations, muscular features and internal organs - proving they're 100 percent real biological organisms.'

He even claimed some were pregnant, 'making them impossible to fake or replicate fraudulently,' said Zalce who has testified under oath that the mummies are real following his six years of work with them.

Recent scans of a 'pregnant' mummy revealed what appeared to be an intact fetus that had the same physical characteristics of the corpses, which the team said was proof of authenticity.

The mummies first exploded on the scene when controversial UFO enthusiast and journalist Jaime Maussan ushered two small beings into Mexico Congress in 2023.

He claimed they were not part of 'our terrestrial evolution', with 30 percent of their genetic composition still 'unknown.'

Dr Zalce and his team, however,  have performed X-rays, CT scans with 3D reconstruction, fluoroscopy, DNA analysis, forensic fingerprinting and tissue sample examinations on each body for the last six years.

'These confirm with 100 percent certainty their organic, biofunctional, and skeletal anatomical authenticity,' Dr Zalce told DailyMail.com.

Researchers have been studying these 'alien mummies' for about six years, claiming them to be 100 percent real

The researchers conducted a recent scan of a mummy named 'Montserrat,' finding it was pregnant at the time of death, which they believe was at least 1,200 years ago

The mystery began in 2017 when Maussan and a team of self-proclaimed paranormal researchers said they found a mysterious three-fingered 'mummified humanoid' with an elongated skull near the city of Nazca.

The body was found covered in white powder, which the team said was used to preserve the remains.

And five years later, the tiny beings were paraded through Mexico's Congress where Maussan argued his case and did so on two occasions.

During the second meeting, he brought in a string of doctors who all said the bodies were those of real, once-living organisms - some experts claimed to have studied 'five similar specimens over four years.

Now, a group of researchers who have studied nearly two dozen specimens are 100 percent sure they are real.

Jois Mantilla, a Peruvian journalist, has worked closely with the team stands with the experts' conclusion, specifically when the fetus was discovered in a mummy named Montserrat.

'The fact that the fetus is a tridactyl [three-fingered being] makes it one of the most important proofs of the authenticity of these bodies,' he said.

Dr Zalce and his team have determined that the specimen was between 15 and 25 years old at time of due to its 'bodily condition, gestational state, and a comparison of her anthropomorphic bone structure.'

He estimated Montserrat's remains are from 1,200 to 1,600 years old.

Mantilla also believes the the mummies are remains from an unknown species of hominin due to having some physical characteristics of a human, while its hands, facial features, elongated skull and feet are completely different.

One specimen, named Montserrat, was found with a metallic-like object on its head that experts said said was placed on the body while it was alive

Dr José Zalce, former director of the Mexican Navy Medical Department, has analyzed 21 bodies , finding 'fingerprints, bone wear, dental formations , muscular features and internal organs - proving they're 100 percent real biological organisms'

'It could be a different species of hominid that had not been described before by science,' he said.

'We presume that these beings, so similar to humans, but different at the same time, may have been genetically created by combining genes as in the case of Maria.'

A study on the mummy named Maria, published in May 2024, found that it has biological similarities to that of a human - but with 'many morphological and anatomical structural differences.'

The creature's bones were observed to flow smoothly under the mummified casing, in a way that is found throughout the human body, and its elongated skull showed no signs of artificial cranial deformation.

Mantilla claimed that genes of a bamboo and chimpanzee were used to genetically modify a 'human from the East.'

However, scientists outside this group have also studied two mummies and found different results.

Forensic archaeologist Flavio Estrada, who led the analysis, said the claims that the two objects came from another word are 'totally false.'

'The conclusion is simple: they are dolls assembled with bones of animals from this planet, with modern synthetic glues, therefore they were not assembled during pre-Hispanic times,' he said in January 2024.

Researchers said the fingerprints are very unique as they are linear and not wavy like those of humans

'They are not extraterrestrials; they are not aliens.'

However, a former Colorado prosecutor and current defense attorney, who has examined one of the mummies, is also a true believer.

Joshua McDowell said: 'The bodies studied by Estrada were not related to any specimen that we have studied. They were folk dolls made to look like tridactyls confiscated at the airport.'

Estrada's statements have not stopped Zalce and his team from looking deeper into the mysterious bodies.

 'All serious researchers involved have confirmed that these are non-human bodies with unique anatomical differences, such as tridactyl, without any traces of artificial manipulation or alteration,' Dr Zalce said.

One of those differences, according to researchers, are the specimens' fingerprints do not correspond to any hominid, they are linear.

'Those of humans, hominids, are oblique, they are wavy, they are rounded shapes and these are totally linear,' Mantilla said.

'In some of the bodies, the number of fingers reach five, in others four and some have only three.'

Dr Zalce added that the mummies' 'authenticity is supported by fingerprints, DNA analysis showing remarkable differences from human DNA, and other surprising genetic and pathological findings.'

Experts speculated that the mummies could be a remains from an unknown species of hominin due to having some physical characteristics of a human, while its hands, facial features, elongated skull and feet are completely different

'We presume that these beings,so similar to humans, but different at the same time, may have been genetically created by combining genes as in the case of Maria,' they said. Pictured is Maria

Metallic plates have been found throughout other areas of the mummies' bodies, 'from the interior covering some bones to external attachments on the skin, forming a biofunctional implant with no signs of rejection,' said Dr Zalce.

'These polymetallic plates have been analyzed using [a light-based measurement], revealing an alloy composed of copper, cadmium, osmium, aluminum, gold, and silver,' he added.

'Notably, the silver has a purity of over 95 percent, which is rare in nature. Additionally, cadmium and osmium, relatively recent discoveries, are currently used in satellite communication and satellite structures.'

Montserrat was found with a metallic-like object on its head that Mantilla said was placed on the body while it was alive.

'They have been placed on the skin using a technique that we still do not know,' he said. 'In some cases, [like Montserrat], the skin has been seen to have grown around the implant.

'This gives us the understanding that these implants were used while the subject was still alive. They were not metal implants placed for ritual purposes.'

McDowell is helping the researchers work collaboratively with the Peruvian Ministry of Culture to complete additional genetic and forensic testing not currently available in Peru.

'There are a lot of unknowns about these tridactyl specimens that could be definitively answered through additional testing modalities not currently available in Peru,' he said.

'Our position is simply that they should be tested, in a legal and culturally sensitive manner, with the best methods available today.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

02-02-2025 om 00:26 geschreven door peter  

Scientists Use NASA Spacecraft Data to Predict Alien Contact

Using advanced star-mapping data from the Gaia mission, the researchers have pinpointed potential star systems that may have intercepted Earth’s messages and calculated when a response could arrive.

Shutterstock.

Tracing Earth’s Signals into Deep Space

In 1973, NASA sent its first interstellar radio signal via the Pioneer 10 spacecraft. Pioneer 10 traveled toward the star Aldebaran, approximately 65 light-years away, though it has yet to come close to this distant star.

Similarly, the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft, launched in 1977, transmitted signals as they journeyed beyond the solar system. Voyager 2 left the Sun’s heliosphere in 2018 and is now traveling through interstellar space. Along its trajectory, it passed near the direction of a brown dwarf star located about 24 light-years away.

As per The Debrief, by analyzing these trajectories and combining them with Gaia’s data, researchers have mapped where other civilizations might intercept Earth’s signals. The team predicts that if intelligent life near this brown dwarf intercepted Voyager 2’s signal, we could theoretically receive a reply by the early 2030s.

Using Gaia Data to Refine Predictions

The Gaia space observatory, renowned for producing the most accurate star maps in history, was instrumental in this research. By charting the positions and motions of stars, the researchers calculated the time required for Earth’s radio signals to reach specific systems and for a potential reply to return.

“Our estimates are based on the time it takes for light-speed signals to travel between stars,” said lead researcher Howard Isaacson, an astronomer at UC Berkeley. “If an extraterrestrial civilization intercepted our signals and chose to respond, their reply would also travel at the speed of light, taking years to reach us.”

This analysis also highlights specific systems where SETI researchers could focus their telescope time, maximizing the chances of detecting alien signals.

The Odds of Contact

While the predictions are scientifically grounded, Isaacson acknowledges the slim likelihood of receiving an alien signal. “The probability is low, but the potential impact of such a discovery is enormous,” he explained. “Even if we don’t find signals immediately, this research inspires new ideas and technologies for exploring the cosmos.”

The study has also drawn attention from UFO enthusiasts, some of whom speculate that significant extraterrestrial-related events might occur by 2027. However, Isaacson has distanced his work from such unverified claims, emphasizing that the research relies on scientific data rather than speculation.

This study represents more than just a search for alien life—it’s a testament to humanity’s curiosity and determination to explore the unknown. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and precise measurements, the research opens new doors for understanding our place in the universe.

“Whether or not we find extraterrestrial life soon, the effort to look inspires us to think bigger and imagine the possibilities,” Isaacson concluded.

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{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

01-02-2025 om 22:35 geschreven door peter  

Scientists Discover Vast Traces of Life Deep Beneath Earth’s Surface

The study shows that microbial life deep in Earth’s crust is far more diverse than previously thought, rivaling or even surpassing surface ecosystems in some cases.

An illustration of the interior of the Earth.

Credit: Shutterstock

“It’s commonly assumed that the deeper you go, the less energy is available, and the fewer cells can survive,” said Emil Ruff, a microbial ecologist at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory and lead author of the study. “But our research demonstrates that in some subsurface environments, diversity can match or exceed that of the surface.”

The researchers identified a universal ecological principle showing that subsurface microbial ecosystems are not anomalies but a significant and thriving part of Earth’s biosphere.

The Global Collaboration Behind the Discovery

This breakthrough is the result of an eight-year international effort that analyzed over 1,400 datasets from microbial ecosystems worldwide. A lack of standardization in microbial DNA data had long hindered global comparisons, but that changed with a project led by molecular biologist Mitchell Sogin of the Bay Paul Center.

Sogin and his team worked to harmonize data collection and analysis techniques, enabling researchers to compare microbial samples from diverse environments, such as caves in Utah and subsurface layers in Spain. This collaborative approach revealed striking similarities in microbial diversity across vastly different regions.

Kimberlites are complex rocks that came to the Earth's surface from great depths. The picture shows a thin section of a carbonate-?rich kimberlite.

(Photograph: David Swart / Messengers of the Mantle Exhibition)

The study not only highlights the resilience of life on Earth but also provides a template for exploring life in extreme environments elsewhere in the solar system.

The discovery of microbial ecosystems thriving under extreme conditions has profound implications beyond Earth. These microbes rely on chemical energy rather than sunlight, making them analogous to potential life forms that might exist in subsurface environments on Mars or the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

This research serves as a reminder of the untapped potential within Earth’s hidden ecosystems and reinforces the importance of international collaboration in uncovering the planet’s secret

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

01-02-2025 om 22:21 geschreven door peter  

“RESILIENCE knows what it means to be alone in the vastness of space. Looking back at Earth on Jan. 25, 2025, the lander was about 10,000km from our Blue Marble, poignantly capturing Point Nemo, the most remote place on our planet, about 2,688 kilometres from the nearest land.”

The most well-known picture of our Blue Marble came from astronauts on Apollo 17 in 1972. It appeared during a boom in environmental activism and helped people around the world understand the planet they live on and consider its future and our impact on it.

The second most well-known image of Earth is probably Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot image. Voyager 1 captured that image in 1990 on its way to the outer Solar System. The spacecraft captured the image from 6 billion km away when it passed Saturn. Carl Sagan proposed the idea not for scientific reasons but to drive home the idea that humanity’s home was just a tiny dot in the dark.

It seems de rigueur now for space missions to turn around and capture an image of Earth on their way to their destinations.

OSIRIS REx did it.

So did Artemis 1’s Orion spacecraft.

So have Lucy and many others. Now, they’re as common as pictures of their homes that young people take as they leave for college.

Yet, we don’t seem to ever tire of them. For some reason.

Maybe it’s because we’re accustomed to looking at maps with borders and labels on them, emphasizing how we see our planet through a political and historical lens. In those images, the context is human.

"The RESILIENCE lander remains in excellent health as it continues to orbit Earth in its planned trajectory towards the Moon!" ispace updated about its lander's health as it shared the visual.

But images of Earth from space have none of that. They show the true context of our planet. It’s a brilliant blue sphere, rippling with life, delicate and precious. It’s at the mercy of greater events that go on elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond, events beyond our control.

The people at ispace might not have intended their image to trigger this type of thinking. But regardless, this image takes its place in a long lineage of images of Earth captured by our departing spacecraft.

Hopefully, that lineage will continue for a long time.

ALSO SEE: 

• Moon Lander Captures Eye-Watering Views Of Earth During Lunar Journey; Watch

 { https://www.universetoday.com/ }

01-02-2025 om 18:24 geschreven door peter  

The research was conducted by Cole Nypaver and Thomas R. Watters, a postdoctoral student and Senior Geologist with the NASM’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian Institute. They were joined by Jackie Clark, an Assistant Research Scientist with UMD’s Department of Geology. The paper detailing their findings, “Recent Tectonic Deformation of the Lunar Farside Mare and South Pole–Aitken Basin,” recently appeared in the Planetary Science Journal.

Based on previous research, scientists have determined that the Moon once had a magnetic field. Like Earth’s, this field was powered by a dynamo in the Moon’s interior caused by a liquid outer core (surrounding a solid inner core) that rotated opposite to its axial rotation. However, crystallization began in the Moon’s core about 4 billion years ago, causing this dynamo to disappear between 2.5 and 1 billion years ago. This led to the disappearance of its magnetosphere and volcanic activity, ceasing about 3 billion years ago. As Clark summarized in a recent UMD press release:

“Many scientists believe that most of the Moon’s geological movements happened two and a half, maybe three billion years ago. But we’re seeing that these tectonic landforms have been recently active in the last billion years and may still be active today. These small mare ridges seem to have formed within the last 200 million years or so, which is relatively recent considering the moon’s timescale.”

Using advanced mapping and modeling, Nypang, Watters, and Clark found 266 previously unknown small ridges on the Moon’s far side. These were largely arranged in groups of 10 to 40 ridges that likely formed in narrow areas 3.2 to 3.6 billion years ago where underlying weaknesses in the lunar crust may have existed. Based on a technique known as “crater counting,” the team found that these ridges were notably younger than other features in their surroundings.

“Essentially, the more craters a surface has, the older it is; the surface has more time to accumulate more craters,” said Clark. “After counting the craters around these small ridges and seeing that some of the ridges cut through existing impact craters, we believe these landforms were tectonically active in the last 160 million years.”

The team also noted that the ridges observed on the far side of the Moon were similar in structure to ones found on the near side. This suggests both were created by the same forces, possibly by shallow moonquakes first detected by the Apollo missions. Scientists have since deduced that these are caused by a combination of shifts in the Moon’s orbit and its gradual shrinking – which explains why the Moon still experiences landslides. Understanding the factors that shape the lunar surface is of immense importance to future lunar missions.

As Clark indicated, this presents opportunities for further studies of lunar evolution:

“We hope that future missions to the moon will include tools like ground penetrating radar so researchers can better understand the structures beneath the lunar surface. Knowing that the moon is still geologically dynamic has very real implications for where we’re planning to put our astronauts, equipment and infrastructure on the moon.”

Further Reading: 

• University of Maryland, 
• The Planetary Science Journal

 { https://www.universetoday.com/ }

01-02-2025 om 18:06 geschreven door peter  

Currently, 2024 YR4 has a 3 on the scale, which means it “merits attention by astronomers.” It is currently the only object with a number other than 0 on the Torino Scale, and it means a couple of things come into play. The first is that the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) will work to pin down the orbit of the asteroid. Chaired by NASA, the IAWN coordinates with observatories around the world to make detailed observations of 2024 YR4. It will take time to gather enough data. But what will likely happen is that they will determine there is no risk of collision, and 2024 YR4 will be demoted to 0 on the scale.

The second thing initiated is the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG), chaired by the European Space Agency. They have a scheduled meeting next week when there will be some initial discussions about a possible mission to 2024 YR4 to shift its orbit. If we do find there is a real risk of impact, this group would ramp up quickly. But again, this isn’t likely.

Statistically, asteroids the size of 2024 YR4 strike Earth every couple thousand years or so. This is why astronomers track these objects and are constantly looking for more. So even though the odds of an impact are never zero, with planning and preparation we should be able to ensure that any real risk can be mitigated.

Near Earth Asteroid 2024 YR4 observed with the VLT

This is a sequence of observations of the Near Earth Asteroid 2024 YR4 carried out with ESO’s Very Large Telescope in January 2025, shortly after it was discovered in December 2024. The asteroid is the faint source moving diagonally against the background of fixed stars. Follow-up observations such as this one have found that, as of 29 January 2025, it has an almost 99% chance of safely passing Earth on 22 Dec 2032, but a possible impact cannot yet be entirely ruled out.

Credit:

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

01-02-2025 om 17:54 geschreven door peter  

A summer barbecue transformed into a nightmare when lightning split the sky above Somerset, England. Peter Williamson dashed across his rain-soaked lawn to rescue his terrified dog, unaware that his next step would carry him beyond the boundaries of our world. 

His family watched in horror as a blinding flash illuminated his silhouette against the stormy sky. When their vision cleared, Peter had evaporated into thin air. 

The police launched a search, but found no footprints, no scorch marks, and no explanation for how a man could disappear from a walled garden. Sixteen witnesses swore they watched him vanish in plain sight. 

Three days passed before Peter materialized in his backyard, wearing unfamiliar clothes and carrying items that defied explanation. His memories painted a picture of a hospital that both existed and didn't exist, where reality shimmered like heat waves rising from summer pavement. 

The investigation into his disappearance uncovered something extraordinary: evidence suggesting Peter had slipped through a crack between parallel universes. 

A "crack between parallel universes" is a metaphorical concept in physics, often used to describe a hypothetical point or region where two separate parallel universes could potentially interact or intersect with each other, allowing for potential travel or communication between them. 

If such a "crack" existed, it would likely demand extraordinarily extreme conditions, exactly the kind Peter Williamson encountered during his disappearance. 

His impossible story forces us to question everything we think we know about the nature of reality.

  

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

01-02-2025 om 17:30 geschreven door peter