October MUFON eNewsletter- with the Monthly Sighting Statistics!

COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD UNITED STATES 373 CANADA 30 UNITED KINGDOM 18 FRANCE 10 AUSTRALIA 7 GERMANY 4 SWITZERLAND 4 PORTUGAL 3 BRAZIL 3 AUSTRIA 3 SPAIN 3 HUNGARY 3 MOROCCO 2 NETHERLANDS 2 TURKEY 2 FINLAND 2 ITALY 2 POLAND 2 CHINA 2 IRELAND 2 NORWAY 2 KOREA, (South) 1 INDIA 1 THAILAND 1 AFGHANISTAN 1 CYPRUS 1 ISRAEL 1 PERU 1 KUWAIT 1 IRAQ 1 ARGENTINA 1 BELGIUM 1 LEBANON 1   TOTAL: 491 SHAPE Sphere 75 Circle 60 Other 50 Unknown 38 Triangle 34 Star-like 33 Oval 30 Disc 16 Cylinder 14 Boomerang 13 Fireball 11 N/A 11 Cigar 9 Square/Rectangular 9 Egg 8 Tic Tac 8 Flash 5 Chevron 5 Teardrop 4 Bullet/Missile 3 Saturn-like 2 Diamond 2 Cross 2 Blimp 1 Cone 1 ALL STATES OF THE U.S.A. California 44 Michigan 24 Florida 19 Texas 18 New York 16 Washington 14 Arizona 12 Missouri 11 Ohio 11 Pennsylvania 11 Tennessee 10 Indiana 10 Georgia 9 Arkansas 9 Oklahoma 9 Colorado 9 North Carolina 8 New Jersey 8 Connecticut t7 Minnesota 7 New Mexico 7 South Carolina 7 Alabama 6 Utah 6 Idaho 6 Maryland 6 Kansas 5 Nevada 5 Massachusetts 5 Delaware 4 Wisconsin 4 Louisiana 4 Maine 4 Oregon 4 Virginia 4 Iowa 3 Rhode Island 3 West Virginia 3 Mississippi 3 North Dakota 3 Nebraska 3 Vermont 3 Illinois 3 New Hampshire 2 Kentucky 1 Alaska 1 Montana 1 Hawaii 1 DISTANCE < 100 ft 61 101-500 ft 55 501 ft - 1 Mile 72 Over 1 Mile 99 Unknown 61 NO VALUE 32 ERT Most impressively there were 17 Landings, Hovering, or Takeoffs reported, and 38 Entities observed.

{ MUFON }

03-10-2025 om 17:34 geschreven door peter  

The Hellfire UAP Strike Video: A MUFON Analysis of the evidence presented at the September 2025 Congressional Hearing

by Seth H. Feinstein, Colorado State Director, Photo Analysis Team

On September 9, 2025, the most recent UAP congressional hearing on Capitol Hill featured four firsthand witnesses, investigative journalist George Knapp, and a newly declassified video. For purposes of discussion, this video has been informally titled “The Hellfire UAP Strike.” The symbol appearing on the video itself—LRD LASE DES— this is a normal Hellfire target acronym.

This was the sixth in a series of congressional hearings on UAPs. Previous hearings—supported by videos, testimonies from military personnel, and intelligence whistleblowers—were intended to foster transparency, accountability, and public education on the UAP topic. All videos shown publicly had to be declassified beforehand, a process managed by the former Department of War (DOW) formerly the (DOD). Within the DOW, the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) holds the authority to declassify analyzed UAP data. AARO declassified and released the Hellfire UAP Strike video for public viewing.

Context of UAP Video Releases

The public release of UAP footage has coincided with congressional hearings dating back to 2017. In December of that year, The New York Times played a pivotal role in publicizing the “Tic Tac, “Gimbal,” and “Go-Fast” videos, with support from To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science (TTSA). This raised enduring questions: Did the DOW strategically use media outlets and TTSA to promote disclosure, or were the videos leaked without the department’s full knowledge?

Key examples of UAP-related video evidence include:

• Tic Tac (2004) – Declassified in 2017; widely discussed during the 2022 House Intelligence Committee and 2023 House Oversight Committee hearings.
• Gimbal (2015) and Go-Fast (2015) – Both declassified and released in 2017.
• Pyramid-shaped UAP (2022) – Shown in closed sessions; not declassified.
• Hellfire UAP Strike (2024) – Declassified and released in September 2025; reportedly filmed off the coast of Yemen on October 30, 2024.

Expert Reactions to the Hellfire UAP Strike Video

Members of the MUFON Photo Analysis Team, including Marc Dantonio, Dennis Freyermuth, and Greg Cisko, have offered preliminary assessments.

• Marc Dantonio highlighted three major observations:

1. The object appeared to be struck by a missile without triggering an explosion—suggesting a “soft” target.

2. The object fragmented into several smaller pieces that began to fall.

3. The apparent speed of the object could not be determined without knowing the aircraft’s velocity.

Dantonio theorized that the target could have been a balloon rather than a UAP. According to him, the missile’s pass-through without detonation, the breakup pattern, and the background-motion illusion caused by the aircraft’s speed all support this interpretation.

• Dennis Freyermuth expressed skepticism about the video’s authenticity, noting that it appears cropped and edited. He raised the possibility of a classified military test or a deliberate misdirection. Freyermuth also speculated that the missile might be the AGM-114 R9X “Ninja” variant, which deploys blades instead of explosives for precision strikes.
• Greg Cisko produced two YouTube analyses of the event. His frame-by-frame review concluded that the missile hit the object, which then released three secondary objects. Cisko also noted an apparent “energy surge” in the UAP as it rotated to face the incoming missile—behavior reminiscent of Cmdr. David Fravor’s 2004 “Tic Tac” encounter, where the object reportedly mirrored his aircraft’s movements. Cisko referenced reports of distressed UAPs ejecting pods, including parallels drawn to Roswell.

Technical Background

The tracking drone was reportedly an MQ-9 Reaper, widely used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision strikes. With a wingspan of 66 feet, a top speed of 300 mph, and an operational ceiling of 50,000 feet, it can carry Hellfire missiles. Because of the Reaper’s speed limit, the object it was tracking was likely moving below 300 mph—far slower than what is typically considered a UAP “observable” (no abrupt maneuvers, trans-medium travel, or extreme acceleration other accepted observables were evident).

Some have speculated the orb had impact-resistant coatings or continued its flight after the missile strike, but these claims remain unverified. The video released by AARO ends before any follow-up footage is shown, preventing full analysis.

Balloon Hypothesis

Research into high-altitude balloons reveals that many can reach speeds between 60–125 mph, depending on altitude and wind layers. Advanced balloons can exploit wind currents to adjust speed and direction. NASA’s experimental “rockoon” (rocket-balloon hybrid) systems also exist. These balloons are used in military experiments.

The orb in the Hellfire video resembles a balloon in shape and behavior. After impact, theprimary object appears deflated. Wind drag, tethering, or structural tilts could explain its movements. This supports Marc Dantonio’s balloon theory.

Competing Theories

• Balloon Hypothesis (Dantonio): The orb was likely a balloon, making the missile strike a misallocation of resources.
• Classified Military Test (Freyermuth): The event may have been a covert field test or military training exercise released under the guise of a UAP.
• Hybrid Theory: Combining both arguments suggests the Hellfire video might depict a rockoon military training event rather than a genuine UAP encounter.
• UAP Theory (Cisko): As with the well-documented 2004 Nimitz encounter, where Commander David Fravor witnessed a "Tic Tac" UAP align itself with his aircraft. This UAP theory then suggests a historical precedent for entity retrieval, referencing accounts from the Roswell incident where three pods containing occupants were allegedly ejected from a UAP following a targeted attack.

Conclusion: A Call for Transparency

The released Hellfire UAP Strike video is cropped, edited, and unverifiable. Its narrative relies heavily on anecdotal interpretation, and without the complete, unaltered footage, analysts cannot confirm its authenticity. AARO’s release fails to meet the standards of genuine disclosure.

Until the original, unaltered video is released for independent analysis by groups like MUFON, the public is left with speculation rather than evidence. As it stands, the Hellfire UAP Strike video represents a “nothing burger”—a heavily mediated artifact presented as disclosure but offering no verifiable proof of non-terrestrial technology.

Most importantly, this video analysis and assessment deals with a controversial subject. The conclusion presented here is not the only possible interpretation; however, it is based on available supporting facts and evidence revealed with this declassified release. The assessments and conclusion reported are subject to an update should future evidence suggest such a change.”

View the MUFON Analysis video on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/PAKeje-LuKQ

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{ MUFON }

03-10-2025 om 17:29 geschreven door peter  

03-10-2025 om 16:03 geschreven door peter  

Microbes trapped in permafrost AWAKEN after 40,000 years – as scientists warn they could spark the next pandemic

• READ MORE: Scientists discover hundreds of giant VIRUSES in the ocean

By JONATHAN CHADWICK, ASSISTANT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

It may sound like the start of a horror film, but ancient infectious lifeforms are being brought back to life. 

Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have deliberately resurrected microorganisms that have been frozen in Alaska for around 40,000 years. 

These tiny bugs, invisible to the naked eye, have been trapped in 'permafrost' – frozen earth material containing soil, rock and ice. 

In controlled experiments, the scientists discovered that if you thaw out permafrost, the microbes don't immediately become active. 

But after a few months, like waking up after a long nap, they begin to form flourishing colonies.

Worryingly, the microbes have the potential to unleash dangerous pathogens that could spark the next pandemic.

'These are not dead samples by any means,' warned study author Dr Tristan Caro, a geological scientist at University of Colorado Boulder. 

What's more, as they reawaken, the microorganisms release carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that fuels global warming. 

Back in 2022, an ancient virus called Pandoravirus that had lain frozen in Siberian permafrost for 48,500 years was revived. Pictured, digital rendering of Pandoravirus

For their experiments, the team travelled to Alaska's Permafrost Research Tunnel – an underground passage dug through permafrost in the 1960s

For their experiments, the team travelled from Colorado to the Permafrost Research Tunnel near Fairbanks in Alaska, just south of the Arctic Circle. 

This spooky underground passage was dug through permafrost in the 1960s for the purpose of facilitating scientific research into climate change. 

Described as an 'icy graveyard', permafrost is a frozen mix of soil, ice and rocks that underlies nearly a quarter of the land in the northern hemisphere.

The team collected samples of permafrost that was a few thousand to tens of thousands of years old from the walls of the tunnel. 

They then added water to the samples and incubated them at temperatures of 3°C (39°F) and 12°C (54°F) – which is chilly for humans but warm for the Arctic. 

'We wanted to simulate what happens in an Alaskan summer, under future climate conditions where these temperatures reach deeper areas of the permafrost,' Dr Caro said.

Although the microbes 'likely couldn't infect people', the team kept them in sealed chambers regardless. 

In the first few months, the colonies grew gradually, in some cases replacing only about one in every 100,000 cells per day – described as a 'slow reawakening'. 

Robyn Barbato of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory drills a sample from the walls of the Permafrost Research Tunnel

Permafrost is ground that remains permanently frozen even during summer months. Pictured, melting ice in the Arctic in spring

However, within six months, microbial communities underwent 'dramatic changes', forming strong communities distinct from the surrounding surfaces. 

Some had formed 'biofilms' – slimy layers made from a thriving community of micro–organisms that are hard to remove. 

Overall, the results suggest it could take a few months for microbes to become active enough that they begin to emit greenhouse gases into the air in large volumes following a hot spell. 

But this suggests that the longer Arctic summers last, the more likely microbes will become thawed and reawaken.

'You might have a single hot day in the Alaskan summer, but what matters much more is the lengthening of the summer season to where these warm temperatures extend into the autumn and spring,' Dr Caro said. 

Thawing could lead to the release of the permafrost’s enormous reserves of greenhouse gases CO2 and methane, an even more potent greenhouse gas. 

The study, published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, also notes that microbes in permafrost rely on different kinds of fatty lipids to construct their cell membranes.

These compounds may have helped them survive freezing, dark conditions for millenia.

The ability of the microbes to survive for so long before reawakening is triggering concerns that the melting Arctic could release a deadly disease, new to humanity. 

One possible defence is that permafrost–based microbes need to find a host in order to survive and spread, like an animal. 

Fortunately, permafrost is remote by nature because it is found in high–latitude and high–altitude regions. 

Still, it may only take a single unfortunate infection scenario for such a microbe to make the initial jump to a wild mammal or human. 

Back in 2022, an ancient virus called Pandoravirus that had lain frozen in Siberian permafrost for 48,500 years was revived.

Although the viruses are not considered a risk to humans, scientists warned that other viruses exposed by melted ice could be 'disastrous' and lead to new pandemics. 

Dr Brigitta Evengård, an infectious disease specialist from Sweden, thinks there could be possible pandemics from the Arctic that are caused by bacteria highly resistant to antibiotics. 

'The two that we know could come out of the permafrost are anthrax and pox viruses, other than that it’s pandora's box,' she told Greenpeace. 

KILLER VIRUSES COULD BE RELEASED FROM MELTING ICE IN THE ARCTIC, STUDY WARNS 

Glaciers that are melting amid rising global temperatures could be the cause of the next deathly pandemic, a study said. 

Scientists investigated how climate change may affect the risk of 'spillover' – a virus jumping to another species – by examining samples from Lake Hazen in the Arctic. 

Lake Hazen, seen from above in this NASA image, is the largest High Arctic freshwater lake in the world

They found that the chance of a spillover event increases with the melting of glaciers, as the meltwater can transport pathogens to new hosts. 

A warming climate could bring viruses in the Arctic into contact with new environments and hosts, increasing the risk of this 'viral spillover', the experts warn. 

'Spillover risk increases with runoff from glacier melt, a proxy for climate change,' say the researchers in their paper, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 

'Should climate change also shift species range of potential viral vectors and reservoirs northwards, the High Arctic could become fertile ground for emerging pandemics.' 

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03-10-2025 om 15:39 geschreven door peter  

On October 3, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS flew past Mars. This encounter was monitored by a fleet of spacecraft studying the Red Planet.

Comet 3I/ATLAS was discovered in early July. It became the third confirmed object of interstellar origin found in our Solar System. At the same time, it differs significantly from its predecessors in many of its characteristics. 3I/ATLAS is larger than Borisov’s interstellar comet and the asteroid Oumuamua, moves at a higher speed, and is most likely several billion years older than the Solar System.

On its journey through the Solar System, 3I/ATLAS will make several relatively close flybys of planets. One of them took place on October 3. On that day, 3I/ATLAS passed 30 million km from Mars.

Space agencies decided to take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn more about the visitor from another star system. In its statement, ESA reported that between October 1 and 7, the Mars Express and TGO spacecraft orbiting Mars would monitor the comet using their cameras and spectrometers. On NASA’s side, the LRO spacecraft will participate in tracking the interstellar visitor, as well as the Psyche mission, which is heading towards the asteroid Psyche.

Current observations are very important, as 3I/ATLAS is rapidly approaching the Sun. In the coming days, this will make it impossible to track it using ground-based observatories, and astronomers will have no choice but to rely on spacecraft.

On October 29, 3I/ATLAS will reach the perihelion of its orbit, approaching the Sun at a distance of 203 million km. At this point, the comet will reach its peak activity. By studying the composition of the gases evaporating from its nucleus, scientists will be able to learn about the structure of other star systems. At this point, the comet will still be inaccessible to ground-based telescopes, but fortunately, one spacecraft will be in a suitable position to make observations. It is about the European JUICE mission. It will monitor the comet between November 2 and 25.

By December, 3I/ATLAS will once again be visible to Earth-based telescopes. The comet will not approach our planet. The minimum approach distance will be 269 million km, which is almost twice the distance between the Earth and the Sun. 

In March 2026, 3I/ATLAS will fly by Jupiter at a distance of 53 million km. In theory, the Juno spacecraft, which is exploring the gas giant, could participate in its observations. After that, 3I/ATLAS will head off into deep space and never come back to the Solar System.

• Posted in News, Science

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{ https://universemagazine.com/en/news-en/science-en/ }

03-10-2025 om 12:43 geschreven door peter  

Scientists analyzing archived data from the Cassini mission have discovered new complex organic molecules being ejected from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. This is a clear sign that complex chemical reactions are taking place in its underground ocean. Some of them may be part of chains leading to the formation of even more complex molecules that are potentially biologically significant.

In 2005, Cassini discovered the first evidence that an ocean lies beneath Enceladus’ icy surface. Water sprays out of cracks near the moon’s south pole, ejecting ice particles into space. Some of these tiny pieces of ice, smaller than grains of sand, fall back onto the surface of the moon, while others fly away and form the E ring around Saturn.

During its mission, Cassini flew through this ring several times and analyzed it using its instruments. In particular, the vehicle detected many organic molecules in its ice grains, including amino acid precursors.

The problem was that the ice grains in the ring could be hundreds of years old. As they aged, they could have been subject to “weathering” and changed under the influence of intense cosmic radiation. Scientists wanted to study fresh grains ejected much later to better understand what exactly was going on in Enceladus’ ocean.

Fortunately, researchers already had this data. Back in 2008, Cassini flew right through a fresh plume from Enceladus. Uncontaminated ice grains struck the CDA dust analyzer at a speed of approximately 18 km/s. These were not only the freshest ice grains Cassini had ever detected, but also the fastest.

Speed was of the essence. At lower impact speeds, the ice breaks up, and the signal from clusters of water molecules can mask the signal from certain organic molecules. But when ice grains hit the CDA quickly, water molecules don’t stick together, which has made it possible to see signals previously hidden.

After analyzing all the available data, scientists were able to determine which molecules were present inside the fresh ice grains. Some of them had previously been detected in the E ring, confirming that they originate from Enceladus’ ocean.

Completely new molecules were also found that had never before been encountered in Enceladus’ ice grains. These included aliphatic, (hetero) cyclic esters/alkynes, esters/ethyls, and presumably compounds containing nitrogen and oxygen. On Earth, these molecules participate in chains of chemical reactions that ultimately lead to the formation of more complex molecules necessary for life.

This discovery is important for future missions that will study Enceladus and search for life in its ocean. ESA recently began preliminary design work on such a mission, which could be launched in the early 2040s.

• According to ESA

• Posted in News, Science

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/news-en/science-en/ }

03-10-2025 om 12:33 geschreven door peter  

Harvard astronomer and alien hunter Avi Loeb has floated a bold new idea about the legendary “Wow Signal.” In a recent blog post, he suggested that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, now passing through our solar system, might have been the source of the mysterious radio burst picked up by Ohio State’s Big Ear telescope on August 15, 1977 

The Wow Signal was recorded at Right Ascension (RA)=19h25m=291 degrees and Declination (Dec)=-27 degrees.

At nearly the same time, on August 12, 1977, 3I/ATLAS was about 600 astronomical units (AU) from Earth, some 600 times the Earth–Sun distance, or roughly a 3-day light-travel time away. Its position then was RA 19h40m (295°degrees), Dec -19 degrees. 

Here’s the intriguing part: just three days before the signal was detected, ATLAS had been moving through nearly the same patch of space. The separation was only about 4 degree in RA and 8 degree in Dec, an alignment chance of just 0.6%. 

If the signal really came from 31/ATLAS, its transmitter would have needed the power of a nuclear reactor, beaming directly on the 1420 MHz hydrogen line, the frequency often dubbed the “cosmic calling card.” 

While it may seem far-fetched that 3I/ATLAS could have sent the Wow Signal, the object’s unusual behavior so far means nothing can be completely ruled out. Perhaps it’s worth scanning 3I/ATLAS for radio emissions. 

In time, we’re likely to learn much more about whether 3I/ATLAS is simply an odd interstellar comet or something far more advanced which could catch us off guard.

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

02-10-2025 om 23:03 geschreven door peter  

A swarm of UFOs was seen flying over an active volcano in Mexico this week, reviving a wild theory that the natural landmark could be an alien portal to space. 

A webcam pointed at Popocatépetl volcano unexpectedly captured what appeared to be multiple glowing objects streaking past the site near Mexico City on Monday.

In a time-lapse video that covered 30 minutes of surveillance, viewers could see dozens of small lights speeding by in all directions like shooting stars as Popocatépetl billowed with smoke.

The famed UFO hotspot has been a constant source of extraterrestrial speculation, with witnesses photographing strange objects appearing to fly into and around the volcano for decades.

While some on social media have dismissed the strange lights as insects in the camera's way, others pointed out that the objects could be seen flying behind the volcano's smoke clouds, arguing that proves they were much farther away.

However, Alejandro Rojas, an advisor at Enigma Labs, which analyzes reports of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), was not convinced the light swarm was an actual UFO sighting, noting that the nature of the video means everything caught on camera will seem strange.

'What looks to be moving swiftly is actually moving much more slowly. So, airplanes, satellites, or anything else coming into the frame will appear to be zipping past when they are not,' Rojas told the Daily Mail.

He added that those claiming it was just a trick of the light caused by insects may be right as well, explaining that webcams emit invisible infrared light at night, which often illuminates bugs and birds that fly close enough to the camera. 

A time-lapsed video, filming 30 minutes around Popocatépetl volcano, captured dozens of strange objects appearing to streak by the mountain

Luis Guerra, a resident in the central Mexico city of Atlixco, photographed this image of an apparent UFO above the Popocatépetl volcano in 2023

'You can see the stars in the background moving quickly, whereas their movement in relation to the Earth is not discernible to the naked eye,' Rojas continued.

'That means everything is moving much faster than its actual speed. I do not see anything in this video that is particularly anomalous that could not be explained,' the UFO investigator declared.

Despite skepticism that the light show over Popocatépetl was a fleet of alien craft, the sighting adds to a literal mountain of evidence that has been caught on camera at the volcano.

In 2023, Luis Guerra was in his backyard when he heard a blast from the volcano and looked up to see a saucer-shaped object hovering over the opening of Popocatépetl.

It's one of several reported UFO sightings when Popocatépetl was active, prompting UFO conspiracy theorists to claim extraterrestrials were studying Earth's geothermal activity to understand how it works.

However, noted UFO researcher Jaime Maussan has come up with an even more astounding theory of what's happening at Popocatépetl: aliens have been using the volcano as a 'wormhole' to a distant point in space.

According to Maussan, UFOs seen flying directly into the volcano have been entering an 'interdimensional portal' which could both leave our planet and serve as a doorway to return to Earth later.

The controversial journalist from Mexico cited years of webcam footage and photos showing glowing orbs and discs entering the crater, which would be too hot for any human technology to survive.

Multiple UFO sightings around Popocatépetl have occurred during periods of volcanic activity

(Stock Image)

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

02-10-2025 om 22:56 geschreven door peter  

Discovery in Egypt offers new evidence for the Bible's story of Moses

• MORE:  Ark of the Covenant mystery blown wide open as 'biblical relic' is discovered

By CHRIS MELORE, US ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR

An ancient workshop unearthed in Egypt may offer new evidence for the Bible’s story of Moses.

Researchers discovered a copper smelting workshop, multiple ancient buildings and observation points at the Wadi al-Nasb site in South Sinai.

Inside the workshop, the team found a furnace for melting copper, tools for preparing raw materials, clay crucibles, pottery vessels and large amounts of copper slag.

The site lies near the ancient mining area of Serabit el-Khadim, historically known for turquoise and copper extraction.

Researchers emphasized the historical significance of the workshop, showing that ancient Egyptians possessed advanced knowledge of mining and metal-making, essential for tools, weapons, and crafts.

The location is also close to areas traditionally associated with the Exodus route, including Mount Sinai.

Although archaeologists have not directly linked the ruins to Moses or the Israelites, biblical scholars note that Hebrew or Israelite workers historically labored in Egyptian mining operations, and proto-Israelite inscriptions have been found at Serabit el-Khadim.

According to the Book of Exodus, Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, wandering through the Sinai Desert for 40 years and receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities revealed images of a recently discovered workshop at the Wadi al-Nasb site in the South Sinai

The Biblical story of Moses starts with the Israelites enslaved in Egypt, before the Pharaoh - coerced by 10 terrible plagues - agrees to release them and Moses leads them across the miraculously parted Red Sea

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, which announced the research, said: 'This adds a new dimension to our understanding of the history of industrial and mining activity in ancient Egypt.'

Two sandstone buildings were also unearthed, one at the western entrance of Wadi al-Nasb and another where the site meets the desert valley of Wadi al-Sour. 

Researchers believe these buildings served as lookout towers for guards and mining workers but were later converted into copper production facilities during Egypt’s New Kingdom period (1550–1070 BC).

A third building at the southern edge of Wadi al-Sour likely served as a control center for the mining operations and contained charcoal from local trees and purified clay for making bellows.

In 1999, American Egyptologist Gregory Mumford wrote: 'The mines were worked by prisoners of war from southwest Asia who presumably spoke a Northwest Semitic language, such as the Canaanite that was ancestral to Phoenician and Hebrew.'

Multiple biblical scholars have also cited evidence of proto-Israelite inscriptions at Serabit el-Khadim, pointing to the presence of Semitic workers. 

Researchers have even found inscriptions for one of the names for God in the Hebrew Bible at the site.

According to the Bible, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, forced to build cities, and worked under harsh conditions. 

Researchers noted that a furnace and copper remnants were unearthed at the site, revealing the advanced mining abilities of the ancient Egyptians

The presence of copper and mining and smelting tools at the site may have ties to the biblical accounts of Moses in the Book of Exodus

God chose Moses to confront Pharaoh and demand their freedom. After plagues struck Egypt, Pharaoh let the Israelites go, who fled through the Red Sea, which miraculously parted.

Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai during the first year of the journey, eventually reaching the Promised Land, also known as Canaan, around 1406 to 1407 BC.

Multiple biblical scholars have noted evidence of Semitic workers at Serabit el-Khadim, including proto-Israelite inscriptions and inscriptions of one of the names for God in the Hebrew Bible.

According to the Bible, Moses, a Hebrew raised in Egypt, led the Israelites out of slavery, confronting Pharaoh and guiding them through the Sinai Desert. 

During their journey, they received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai and eventually reached the Promised Land, also known as Canaan, around 1406–1407 BCE.

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02-10-2025 om 22:37 geschreven door peter  

Saturn's moon could harbour ALIEN life: Scientists discover new complex organic molecules spewing from Enceladus – suggesting it could be habitable

• READ MORE: NASA scientists discover the clearest signs of life on Mars 

By WILIAM HUNTER, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

Saturn's moon, Enceladus, could harbour alien life deep within its underground oceans of water, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). 

Although the moon may appear barren, near the South Pole, tiny grains of ice are constantly being spewed into space through cracks in the icy surface.

Using data collected by the Cassini spacecraft, scientists have found that these ice crystals are packed with complex organic molecules.  

According to a new study, some of these molecules could be part of the chain of chemical reactions that ultimately lead to life. 

The researchers say this discovery means Enceladus now 'ticks all the boxes' to be a world capable of supporting life. 

The moon has a constant supply of liquid water, a source of energy from hydrothermal vents, and the right set of chemical elements and complex organic molecules. 

This isn't necessarily proof that life already exists on Enceladus, but it makes it much more likely that Saturn's moon is habitable.  

Lead researcher Dr Nozair Khawaja, of Freie Universität Berlin, says: 'Even not finding life on Enceladus would be a huge discovery, because it raises serious questions about why life is not present in such an environment when the right conditions are there.'

Scientists have found that grains of ice spewed from Enceladus, Saturn's sixth–largest moon, contain organic compounds that could lead to life. Pictured: Enceladus' south pole as seen by the Cassini spacecraft 

The European Space Agency found that water forced up from the underground ocean carried a set of complex organic molecules that are likely produced by chemical reactions around deep hydrothermal vents

With a diameter of 310 miles (500 km) – about as wide as Arizona – Enceladus is Saturn's sixth–largest moon.

On the surface, conditions are exceptionally cold with temperatures as low as –201°C (–330°F).

However, in 2005, scientists discovered that a huge liquid ocean was actually trapped beneath the icy shell.

Jets of water erupt like geysers through cracks near the South Pole and, while some fall back down to the surface, some escape and form a ring around Saturn that traces the moon's orbit.

When the Cassini spacecraft flew through Saturn's rings, it took samples of these ice grains and found that they showed signs of complex chemical reactions that could be associated with life. 

Dr Khawaja says: 'Cassini was detecting samples from Enceladus all the time as it flew through Saturn's E ring. 

'We had already found many organic molecules in these ice grains, including precursors for amino acids.'

But some of these grains were hundreds of years old, so the scientists couldn't be sure whether the chemicals within had been altered by radiation from the sun.

In 2005, the Cassini spacecraft discovered striking tectonic faults at the south pole known as 'tiger stripes' (bottom right). These allow ice to escape from the oceans into space

Some of the ice falls back to the lunar surface, but much of it escapes into space, where it forms a ring around Saturn. In 2005, the Cassini spacecraft gathered samples from this ring and found that the ice contained organic molecules. Pictured: Artist's impression of Enceladus' surface

That changed when Cassini flew straight through Enceladus' spray in 2008, gathering ice crystals on its Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) as they emerged from the moon's interior. 

As Cassini whipped through the cloud at 11 miles per second (18 km/s), it gathered the freshest and fastest ever collected.

That speed actually makes a big difference to the quality of the data, since it helps scientists separate water from other interesting molecules.

'At lower impact speeds, the ice shatters, and the signal from clusters of water molecules can hide the signal from certain organic molecules,' explains Dr Khawaja.

'But when the ice grains hit CDA fast, water molecules don't cluster, and we have a chance to see these previously hidden signals.'

After spending years working through the vast amounts of data collected by Cassini, Dr Khawaja and his co–authors have finally confirmed that these fresh ice crystals also contain organic molecules.

Those molecules included some that had been found around Saturn and some new chemicals that hadn't been detected before.  

That means the molecules found in Saturn's ring and in Enceladus' ice geyser must be formed within the moon's ocean, not created later by reactions with solar radiation. 

Cassini (artist's impression) was able to fly directly through the plumes of ice emerging from the south pole and gather tiny particles of ice at extremely high speeds. This proved that the organic molecules found in Saturn's ring were formed in Enceladus' ocean

On Earth, these molecules are part of the chemical reactions that lead to life. This means that the moon now 'ticks all the boxes' to be a habitable world capable of sustaining living organisms 

On Earth, these organic molecules are involved in the chains of chemical reactions which lead to life, raising the tantalising possibility that Enceladus could be home to life.

Dr Khawaja says: 'There are many possible pathways from the organic molecules we found in the Cassini data to potentially biologically relevant compounds, which enhances the likelihood that the moon is habitable.'

In the future, ESA is planning to launch a mission to Enceladus that will collect more grains of ice from the South Pole plumes and even land on the moon's surface.

This would be the first time that any space agency has landed on Enceladus and could reveal more details about the possible conditions for life. 

WHAT DID CASSINI DISCOVER DURING ITS 20-YEAR MISSION TO SATURN?

Cassini launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1997, then spent seven years in transit followed by 13 years orbiting Saturn.

An artist's impression of the Cassini spacecraft studying Saturn 

In 2000 it spent six months studying Jupiter before reaching Saturn in 2004.

In that time, it discovered six more moons around Saturn, three-dimensional structures towering above Saturn's rings, and a giant storm that raged across the planet for nearly a year.

On 13 December 2004 it made its first flyby of Saturn's moons Titan and Dione.

On 24 December it released the European Space Agency-built Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan to study its atmosphere and surface composition.

There it discovered eerie hydrocarbon lakes made from ethane and methane.

In 2008, Cassini completed its primary mission to explore the Saturn system and began its mission extension (the Cassini Equinox Mission).

In 2010 it began its second mission (Cassini Solstice Mission) which lasted until it exploded in Saturn's atmosphere.

In December 2011, Cassini obtained the highest resolution images of Saturn's moon Enceladus.

In December of the following year it tracked the transit of Venus to test the feasibility of observing planets outside our solar system.

In March 2013 Cassini made the last flyby of Saturn's moon Rhea and measured its internal structure and gravitational pull.

Cassini didn't just study Saturn - it also captured incredible views of its many moons. In the image above, Saturn's moon Enceladus can be seen drifting before the rings and the tiny moon Pandora. It was captured on Nov. 1, 2009, with the entire scene is backlit by the Sun

In July of that year Cassini captured a black-lit Saturn to examine the rings in fine detail and also captured an image of Earth.

In April of this year it completed its closest flyby of Titan and started its Grande Finale orbit which finished on September 15.

'The mission has changed the way we think of where life may have developed beyond our Earth,' said Andrew Coates, head of the Planetary Science Group at Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London.

'As well as Mars, outer planet moons like Enceladus, Europa and even Titan are now top contenders for life elsewhere,' he added. 'We've completely rewritten the textbooks about Saturn.'

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02-10-2025 om 22:24 geschreven door peter  

Dark matter does NOT exist – and is simply an illusion, scientist controversially claims

• READ MORE: Scientists claim that the Big Bang theory is wrong 

By WILIAM HUNTER, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

The quest to understand dark matter and dark energy is one of modern science's most perplexing questions.

Now, one physicist has proposed a controversial solution: dark matter is nothing more than an illusion.

According to Professor Rajendra Gupta of the University of Ottawa, astronomers haven't been able to find any dark matter particles because they simply do not exist.

Instead, Professor Gupta argues that the effects attributed to these 'exotic matters' can be explained by the fundamental forces of the universe changing over time.

The laws of physics, which scientists use to make predictions about the world, are underpinned by constants, such as the speed of light and the force of gravity.

However, according to some physicists, these 'constants' aren't actually all that constant.

Instead, these fundamental features evolve and change as the universe ages in a way that might explain why it looks like we have dark matter and dark energy.

In his paper, Dr Gupta claims: 'Dark matter and dark energy...may be considered emerging from the weakening of the forces of nature in an expanding Universe.'

The quest to understand dark matter is one of modern science's most pressing questions. But now, one physicist says that dark matter could be nothing more than an illusion.

(artist's impression)

Scientists first started taking dark matter seriously in the 1970s when the astronomer Vera Rubin noticed that galaxies' outermost stars were rotating much faster than expected.

These strange gravitational effects suggested that galaxies contained more mass than their visible matter could account for, which scientists called dark matter.

Dark energy, meanwhile, was proposed as an extra hidden force to explain why the universe's expansion has accelerated since the Big Bang.

Scientists currently estimate that dark matter makes up around 27 per cent of the universe, while dark energy makes up about 68 per cent – leaving normal matter to account for a meagre five per cent.

This theory, known as the Lambda Cold Dark Matter Model (ΛCDM), works really well to explain everything from supernovae to the Big Bang.

The problem is that, even after 50 years of research, scientists still have no idea what dark matter or dark energy really are.

Professor Gupta's idea is to try to explain everything that dark matter currently does, without the need for any strange forces or exotic particles.

The basic idea is that, if the fundamental constants vary, we can take those varying 'covarying coupling constants' and put them into Einstein's equations for cosmic expansion.

Scientists think that dark matter makes up about 80 per cent of all matter in the universe, but it isn't directly visible. Instead, scientists infer its existence from its gravitational interactions with other objects

When we do this, we get two purely mathematical terms called alpha–matter and alpha–energy that behave just like dark matter and dark energy.

What makes this theory really interesting is that the amount by which the constants vary changes depending on how much matter is concentrated in one place.

At the heart of a galaxy where there is lots of normal matter, physics behaves just like we would expect.

However, out in the far–flung edges of a galaxy where matter is very sparse, the constants become weaker and the effects of alpha–matter become more noticeable.

This means there is a point at which matter became sparse enough for alpha–matter and alpha–energy effects to take over from conventional physics, known as the 'turn–off density'.

According to Professor Gupta, this explains why galaxies' outermost stars are moving faster than they should be compared to stars in the inner core.

In his new paper, Professor Gupta compares his model's predictions to real observations of seven galaxies of varying sizes.

The model reproduced the curve of the rotating galaxy and predicted where the turn–off density would need to be.

Instead of proposing that the universe is filled with dark matter like other scientists have done, Professor Rajendra Gupta, of the University of Ottawa, thinks that the supposed effects of dark matter can be explained by changes in the universe's fundamental constants. Pictured: The largest map of dark matter ever produced

Across the seven galaxies, the required turn–off density varied by a factor of four, despite the size of the galaxies varying by a factor of eight.

Professor Gupta argues that this consistency suggests that alpha–energy and alpha–matter are real features of the universe and not just theoretical contrivances.

If that is right, then scientists could get rid of dark matter and dark energy from their theories and still explain everything about the universe.

Professor Gupta says: 'The emergent alpha–matter and alpha–energy can, in principle, replace dark matter in galaxy clusters and assist in galaxy formation.

This theory also makes predictions, which scientists should be able to test.

If alpha–matter has less of an effect when the universe is denser, then more distant galaxies seen further back in time should be more dominated by the effects of visible matter.

However, the big problem for Professor Gupta's theory is that there is no more evidence that universal constants are variable than there is for the existence of dark matter particles.

There is currently no evidence to suggest that something like the speed of light or the gravitational constant has ever been different, and assuming that they are would require major changes to our theories about the universe.

If this is right, then projects that are attempting to map dark matter, such as the Dark Energy Survey Collaboration (pictured), are simply wasting their time

Observations of extremely distant and bright objects known as quasars show that, even much closer to the Big Bang, these constants are just the same as they are now.

If Professor Gupta is right, and dark matter really is an illusion, it would mean that astronomers have wasted huge amounts of funding on sophisticated telescopes to search for something that doesn't exist.

Professor Gupta is planning to extend his approach to analyse gravitational lensing and galaxy cluster dynamics, which would be a good test for the theory. 

But, with dark matter currently being our best bet about the nature of the universe, a lot more evidence will be needed to overturn the scientific consensus.

Dark matter: The mysterious substance that makes up 85% of the universe that scientists cannot confirm

Dark matter is a hypothetical substance said to make up roughly 85 per cent of the universe.

The enigmatic material is invisible because it does not reflect light, and has never been directly observed by scientists.

Astronomers know it to be out there because of its gravitational effects on known matter.

The European Space Agency says: 'Shine a torch in a completely dark room, and you will see only what the torch illuminates.

Dark matter is a hypothetical substance said to make up roughly 27 per cent of the universe. It is thought to be the gravitational 'glue' that holds the galaxies together

(artist's impression)

'That does not mean that the room around you does not exist.

'Similarly we know dark matter exists but have never observed it directly.'

The material is thought to be the gravitational 'glue' that holds the galaxies together.

Calculations show that many galaxies would be torn apart instead of rotating if they weren't held together by a large amount of dark matter.

Just five per cent the observable universe consists of known matter such as atoms and subatomic particles.

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02-10-2025 om 21:58 geschreven door peter  

A rogue planet 620 light-years from Earth has baffled scientists as it puts on a record-breaking 'growth spurt'.

In a months-long feeding frenzy, the planet hoovered up six billion tonnes of gas and dust every second.

The distant world, officially known as Cha 1107-7626, is located in the Chamaeleon constellation and is what scientists call a 'rogue planet'.

This means it is a free-floating mass which drifts through space by itself, rather than orbiting a star like Earth orbits the sun.

Embedded in a rotating spiral of gas and dust, the planet pulls in a constant stream of new matter to feed its growth, in a process called accretion.

However, while this was the fastest accretion burst ever recorded, the researchers believe that this is the planet's 'last trickle' of growth.

Study co-author Dr Alexander Scholz, an astronomer from the University of St Andrews, told Daily Mail: 'This rogue planet is pretty much finished with its growth.

'The really strong growth spurts would have happened earlier, while the object was still enshrouded in dust and gas, invisible to us.'

Scientists have been baffled by a young rogue planet which has put on a record-breaking growth spurt, hoovering up six billion tonnes of gas and dust every second

(artist's impression) 

Although Cha 1107-7626 is now between five and 10 times the size of Jupiter, the rogue planet is still in its infancy.

During this period of their existence, these lonely objects can sometimes begin extremely rapid periods of growth known as accretion bursts.

Most of these bursts occur at the earliest moments of a rogue planet's formation, when it is still shrouded in dust that telescopes can't penetrate.

Dr Scholz says: 'When we can observe them, they are already close to the finished products. The really exciting early evolution happens when they are embedded in a thick cloud. '

However, using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, scientists were able to catch the rogue planet as it entered a particularly rapid growth spurt.

Over a period of a few weeks, the rogue planet's accretion rate increased by almost eight times, reaching a peak in August and staying at that level for several months.

Lead researcher Dr Víctor Almendros-Abad, an astronomer at the National Institute for Astrophysics in Italy, says: 'This is the strongest accretion episode ever recorded in a planetary-mass object.

'People may think of planets as quiet and stable worlds, but with this discovery we see that planetary-mass objects freely floating in space can be exciting places.'

Located in the Chamaeleon constellation around 620 light-years from Earth, the planet known as Cha 1107-7626 is a 'rogue planet'. This means it does not orbit any star. Pictured: an infrared image showing the planet's location in the centre of frame 

Scientists still aren't exactly sure what causes such sudden and powerful bursts of accretion.

Some theories suggest that nearby companion objects might trigger a sort of avalanche in the accretion disc, while others propose that the burst might be caused by instabilities in the surrounding nebula.

This new study doesn't settle that debate, but by looking at the light coming from the planet before and after the burst, the researchers were able to reveal new details about the accretion process.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, Dr Almendros-Abad and his colleagues found that there was now water vapour in the disk around the planet that hadn't been there before.

Likewise, the scientists were able to show that the planet's magnetic field actually played a major role in funnelling material from the inner edge of the disc into the planet.

This is strikingly similar to how stars use their magnetic fields to feed on gases in the early stages of their lives.

Scientists had long thought that the rogue planets and stars might grow in similar ways.

For example, stars also grow through accretion bursts in which they gather most of their mass in short spurts, followed by long lulls.

Scientists believe that this kind of rogue planet might form in a very similar way to how stars are born, pulling in gas and dust to form a disc around itself. This discovery further 'blurs the line' between rogue planets and stars. Pictured: A visible light image of the planet's location 

But this new discovery further 'blurs the line' between rogue planets and stars.

This suggests that large gas giant planets might form in exactly the same way as stars, contracting clouds of dust and forming their own discs.

Some of the largest rogue planets might even form smaller planets of their own from the leftover material in the disc, creating miniature planetary systems without a sun.

Dr Amelia Bayo, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory, says: 'The idea that a planetary object can behave like a star is awe-inspiring and invites us to wonder what worlds beyond our own could be like during their nascent stages.'

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02-10-2025 om 21:44 geschreven door peter  

Story by Mihai Andrei

 

Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Is Looking More Habitable Than Ever

© ZME Science

When it comes to habitable places in our solar system, the tiny moons of Saturn don’t seem likely candidates. Yet time and time again, they’ve proven themselves to be exciting places for life. Europa, Titan, and Enceladus all have a claim to potential habitability. A new study just made Enceladus even more interesting.

View of Enceladus. NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute.

© ZME Science

In 2005, Cassini found the first evidence that Enceladus has a hidden ocean beneath its icy surface. After that, Enceladus has teased scientists for years with its spectacular plumes. Chemical analyses showed that this alien ocean contained salts and simple organic molecules. Already, you’ve got water, salt, and organic molecules necessary for life.

But it gets better.

Scientists, re-examining data from NASA’s Cassini mission, have identified a fresh batch of organic molecules bursting from Enceladus’s depths, including types never before seen there. They found esters, which give fruits their smell on Earth. They also observed ethers and alkenes, crucial chemical connectors, and other complex molecules containing nitrogen and oxygen. In other words, the chemistry on Enceladus looks even more promising for life.

Old Ice, New Ice

The new study is an analysis of already existing data. The Cassini spacecraft orbited Saturn for 13 years, and its Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) was designed to scoop up tiny dust and ice particles and analyze what they were made of.

On one of its 22 fly-bys of Enceladus, a maneuver codenamed “E5,” Cassini did something unique: it flew faster and closer than ever before, plunging through the densest part of the plues at a staggering speed of nearly 18 kilometers per second (over 40,000 miles per hour). This speed was key.

• Related video: How Humanity Could Colonize Titan! (Saturn’s Moon) (The Space Race)

Jets of water burst from cracks in Enceladus’ South Pole all the time. Some of them fall back onto the moon’s surface, while others escape and form a ring around Saturn that traces Enceladus’ orbit. Smaller than grains of sand, some of the tiny pieces of ice fall back onto the moon’s surface, whilst others escape and form a ring around Saturn that traces Enceladus’s orbit. Scientists call this the E ring.

“Cassini was detecting samples from Enceladus all the time as it flew through Saturn’s E ring. We had already found many organic molecules in these ice grains, including precursors for amino acids,” says lead author Nozair Khawaja.

Narrow jets of gas and icy particles erupt from the south polar region of Enceladus, contributing to the moon’s giant plume. A cycle of activity in these small-scale jets may be periodically lofting extra particles into space, causing the overall plume to brighten dramatically. Image credits: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute.© ZME Science

The ice grains in the ring can be hundreds of years old. They have been weathered and may have undergone chemical changes. Scientists wanted fresh grains. This is where the E5 mission came into play. It gathered particles straight from Enceladus, not from the ring. This speed made another key difference. At lower velocities, when the CDA instrument captured ice grains, the impact was relatively gentle. The water molecules in the ice would often clump together, creating “water-cluster species” that could mask the signals of the more interesting organic compounds hidden within.

“The ice grains contain not just frozen water, but also other molecules, including organics. At lower impact speeds, the ice shatters, and the signal from clusters of water molecules can hide the signal from certain organic molecules. But when the ice grains hit CDA fast, water molecules don’t cluster, and we have a chance to see these previously hidden signals.”

Tantalizing Chemistry

So, what are these new molecules, and why do they matter so much?

Image credits: NASA.

© ZME Science

The study confirmed the presence of compounds seen before, like aryl groups (ringed structures like benzene) and other simple oxygen-bearing molecules. But the new detections have opened up entirely new possibilities for the chemistry of Enceladus.

One group includes esters and alkenes. On Earth, esters are known for creating the pleasant smells of fruits like pineapples and pears. In biology, they form the chemical bonds in lipids, the molecules that make up cell membranes. Alkenes are highly reactive molecules that are key intermediates in the synthesis of more complex organic structures.

They also found strong evidence for ethers and ethyl groups. Ethers are molecules in which an oxygen atomacts as a bridge between two carbon chains. This structure makes them excellent building blocks for larger, more complex macromolecules. The detection of these compounds hints that Enceladus’s ocean can create the organics and link them together.

Perhaps most tantalizingly, the analysis revealed complex spectra that suggest the presence of molecules containing both nitrogen and oxygen. This includes possible derivatives of compounds like pyrimidine, a core component of the nucleobases in DNA and RNA. While the data isn’t sharp enough to identify specific molecules like thymine, the fragments strongly suggest a rich chemistry involving nitrogen, an absolutely essential element for life as we know it.

What Does This All Mean?

Depiction of a fissure through which water can eject from the surface. Image credits: NASA.

© ZME Science

All this reads a bit like “tell me you found life on Enceladus without telling me.” Sure, there are other plausible mechanisms through which these molecules could be there. There isn’t any smoking gun for evidence of life. But all of this fits perfectly well with a habitable subsurface ocean.

“There are many possible pathways from the organic molecules we found in the Cassini data to potentially biologically relevant compounds, which enhances the likelihood that the moon is habitable,” says Nozair. “There is much more in the data that we are currently exploring, so we are looking forward to finding out more in the near future.”

Based on what we know now, it appears that Enceladus has all the necessary ingredients for life. We know it has a liquid water ocean. We know that ocean is salty and in contact with a rocky core. And we have strong evidence for hydrothermal vents — cracks in the moon’s seafloor where hot, mineral-rich water churns up from the interior, creating chemical energy.

Here on Earth, such vents are vibrant ecosystems, powered not by sunlight but by chemical reactions. They are considered one of the most likely places for life to have originated. The detection of these new, relatively complex organic molecules on Enceladus suggests that similar life-powering chemistry could be happening right now, 800 million miles away.

The Legacy of Cassini

The Cassini mission officially ended in 2017 when the craft plunged into Saturn’s atmosphere, but its legacy is a gift that keeps on giving. The data it collected continues to be a treasure trove. But if we want to truly confirm whether Enceladus has life, we will need to go back with a new generation of tools designed for that specific purpose.

Cassini was a scout, and an excellent one at that. It proved that Enceladus is a habitable world, but its instruments weren’t built to find inhabitants. A future mission would need to be a dedicated astrobiology probe, one that could analyze freshly-plucked ice grains with even greater sensitivity, or maybe even dive into the planet.

The study was published in Nature.

This story originally appeared on ZME Science. Want to get smarter every day? Subscribe to our newsletter and stay ahead with the latest science news.

{ ZME Science }

02-10-2025 om 21:29 geschreven door peter  

Majestic 12-documenten: Achter de geheimhouding van Amerika’s geheime UFO-programma Majestic 12-documenten

In december 1984 arriveerde er een onopvallend pakketje bij Jamie Shandera, een televisieproducent uit Los Angeles met een fascinatie voor UFO’s. In het pakket zat een onontwikkelde rol 35mm film. Toen deze werd ontwikkeld, onthulden de beelden wat leek op geclassificeerde overheidsdocumenten met stampers “TOP SECRET/MAJIC” die een buitengewoon verhaal presenteerden: een geheime commissie van twaalf invloedrijke wetenschappers, militaire leiders en overheidsfunctionarissen, opgericht door president Harry S. Truman in 1947 om gevonden buitenaardse vaartuigen en lichamen te onderzoeken.

Deze stukken, al snel bekend als de “Majestic 12”- of “MJ-12”-documenten, vormen ofwel de meest ingrijpende openbaarmaking in de geschiedenis, of een van de meest geavanceerde hoaxes ooit gepleegd. Bijna vier decennia lang hebben ze vurige discussies ontketend onder onderzoekers, inlichtingendiensten en skeptici. Als ze authentic zijn, zouden ze ons begrip van de menselijke geschiedenis en staatsgeheimen radicaal veranderen.

Ikzelf heb decennia lang documenten geanalyseerd en via de Freedom of Information Act verzoeken informatie opgevraagd over onverklaarde luchtverschijnselen. De MJ-12-controverse illustreert hoe lastig het is om de waarheid vast te stellen als men geconfronteerd wordt met materiaal dat zich bevindt op het snijvlak van nationale veiligheid, geclassificeerde informatie en buitengewone beweringen.

Oorsprong van de MJ-12-documenten

Het MJ-12-saga begon in december 1984, toen een Los Angeles-seizoenproducent en ufoloog genaamd Jaime Shandera een anoniem pakket ontving op zijn adres. Binnenin zat een onontwikkelde 35mm-filmrol die poststempels bevatte uit Albuquerque, New Mexico. Na ontwikkeling bleken de beelden acht pagina’s te bevatten van een geklasseerde briefingdocument daterend van 18 november 1952. Dit “Eisenhower-brieffdocument” beweerde dat vice-admiraal Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter (voormalig CIA-directeur) president-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower informeerde over de teruggevonden twee gecrashte UFO’s en de resten van hun buitenaardse inzittenden. Aan de briefing was een éénbladige memo van president Truman gehecht, gedateerd 24 september 1947, waarin zogenaamd de oprichting van een “Majestic 12”-groep werd geautoriseerd om de teruggevonden ruimteschepen en wezens te onderzoeken.

Begin 1985 gingen Shandera en zijn collega William L. Moore (ufoloog en coauteur van The Roswell Incident) op tip naar de Amerikaanse National Archives op zoek naar verwijzingen naar “MJ-12.” Ze vonden een memo van 14 juli 1954 van de assistent van president Eisenhower, Robert Cutler, aan generaal Nathan Twining (Air Force Chief of Staff) waarin werd gesproken over een “MJ-12 Special Studies Project”-vergadering. Deze Cutler/Twining-memo, per toeval in een obscure map gevonden, leek het bestaan van Majestic 12 te bevestigen – al wezen sceptici er later op dat generaal Cutler op de datum van de memo eigenlijk in het buitenland was, waardoor de memo hoogstwaarschijnlijk een hoax was.

Het MJ-12-verhaal bleef vooral bekend bij UFO-insiders totdat 1987, toen de Britse auteur Timothy Good een kopie van de documenten verkreeg en aankondigde ze naar buiten te brengen. Moore en Shandera gingen publiek met hun oorspronkelijke film en met de Cutler/Twining-memo in mei 1987. Het nieuws over het vermeende geheime comité maakte dagelijkse krantenkoppen en leidde tot een mediastorm. Grote kranten- en televisie-programma’s (waaronder The New York Times en ABC’s Nightline) berichtten over de controverse. De plotselinge publiciteit bracht de Amerikaanse overheidsdiensten ertoe te reageren en markeerde het begin van een hevig debat dat tot op de dag van vandaag voortduurt.

Belangrijke beweringen en inhoud van de documenten

De MJ-12-documenten doen dramatische uitspraken over UFO-incidenten en overheidsgeheimhouding. De kern is een rapport over de beroemde Roswell-zaak: volgens het Eisenhower-brieffdocument vond op 7 juli 1947 een geheime operatie plaats om puin van een gecrasht buitenaards schip in New Mexico te bergen. Tijdens de berging zouden de strijdkrachten volgens de stukken vier kleine menselijke wezens hebben aangetroffen (buitenaardse lichamen) die waren uitgevlogen uit het vaartuig en in de woestijn waren omgekomen. De documenten beschrijven dat het geredde buitenaardse vaartuig en de lichamen werden weggevoerd voor wetenschappelijke analyse, waarbij alle informatie streng geheim werd gehouden.

Om de situatie te beheersen, stellen de documenten dat president Truman in september 1947 een uitvoeringsbevel heeft uitgevaardigd dat Operation Majestic-12 oprichtte. Dit was beschreven als een “Top Secret/Eyes Only”-comité van toponderzoekers, wetenschappers, militaire leiders en inlichtingenfunctionarissen belast met het onderzoeken van de Roswell-crash, het exploiteren van buitenaardse technologie en het afhandelen van toekomstige UFO-incidenten. Het memo van Truman (gericht aan minister van Defensie James Forrestal) zou Forrestal en Dr. Vannevar Bush hebben gemachtigd om door te gaan met het MJ-12-project en alle benodigde regelingen te treffen om de hoogste geheimhouding te bewaren. Het latere Eisenhower-brieffdocument (18 november 1952) somt Operation Majestic-12 op – Voorlopig Briefing voor President-Elect Eisenhower. Het blikt terug op vroege UFO-waarnemingen (zoals de beroemde Kenneth Arnold-waarneming in juni 1947) en verklaart dat teruggevonden buitenaardse vaartuigen en lichamen onder het MJ-12-programma worden bestudeerd. Het briefing-document bevatte zelfs gruwelijke details van Roswell, waaruit bleek dat vier ontbonden buitenaardse wezens waren gevonden op twee mijlen van de crash-site en autopsieën waren verricht.

De MJ-12-papers schetsen bovendien hoe de overheid de buitenaardse bevindingen verborgen hield voor het publiek en hoe men samenwerkte met wetenschappelijke en militaire inlichtingendiensten. Ze geven aan dat de Majestic 12-commissie rechtstreeks en uitsluitend verantwoording aflegde aan de President van de Verenigde Staten. In een passage wordt benadrukt hoe extreem gevoelig het project is, met “exclusive control of MJ-12” en dat alleen een speciale geclassificeerde uitvoeringscommande (Truman’s bevel van 24 september 1947) de bevoegdheid ervan vestigde. Het Eisenhower-brieffdocument sluit af met de verwachting van een vollediger operationeel briefing zodra Eisenhower aanzit, wat impliceert dat de aankomende president in de UFO-geheimen zou worden ingelijfd.

Het documenten-pad

Hoe MJ-12 uit de schaduwen kwam De aanvankelijke MJ-12-materialen die Shandera ontving, bevatten twee belangrijke documenten: een zogenaamd memo van Truman aan minister van Defensie Forrestal dated 24 september 1947, waarin “Operation Majestic-12” werd opgericht, en een briefingpapier, zogenaamd voorbereid voor President-Elect Eisenhower in november 1952. Shandera deelde zijn ontdekking met collega’s Moore (co-auteur van The Roswell Incident) en de natuurkundige Stanton Friedman, die begonnen met het onderzoeken van hun authenticiteit.

De spanningsdiamant verzwaarde zich in 1985 toen Moore en Shandera beweerden anonieme tips te hebben ontvangen die hen naar de National Archives brachten. Daar ontdekten ze wat bekend werd als het “Cutler-Twining-memo” — een document van Robert Cutler (Special Assistant to the President Eisenhower) aan generaal Nathan Twining, waarin wordt verwezen naar een “NSC/MJ-12 Special Studies Project”-vergadering. Deze vondst was opmerkelijk omdat het de enige MJ-12-referentie in officiële archieven betrof.

“Ik herinner me de opwinding toen ik die documenten voor het eerst zag,” vertelde een voormalige onderzoeker van de National Archives me. “Het idee dat we fysiek bewijs konden hebben van een geheime UFO-commissie was ongekend. Maar al snel verschenen er rode vlaggen naast de verleidelijke details.”

In de daaropvolgende jaren verschenen aanvullende documenten. In 1994 ontving UFO-onderzoeker Don Berliner een anonieme zending met wat bekend werd als de “Special Operations Manual,” met als ondertitel “Extraterrestrial Entities and Technology, Recovery and Disposal,” gedateerd april 1954. Een andere onderzoeker, Tim Cooper, ontving daarna talloze vermeende MJ-12-documenten via een mysterieuze bron met het pseudoniem “Cantwheel,” die beweerde connecties te hebben met de “Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit.”

Tegen het late-1990s-tijdvak was er meer dan 3.500 pagina’s van ogenschijnlijk MJ-12-documentatie opgedoken uit verschillende bronnen, wat onderzoeker Ryan Wood een “Majestic document trove” noemde.

In de documenten

Beweringen over gecrashte schotels en buitenaardse lichamen De kern-JM-12-documenten beschrijven de oprichting van een topgeheim comité na de terugkeer van een gecrasht buitenaards vaartuig bij Roswell, New Mexico, in juli 1947. Volgens deze stukken rapporteerde de operatie dat ze “rechtstreeks en uitsluitend aan de President van de Verenigde Staten” verantwoordelijk waren en de onderzoeking van zowel teruggevonden technologie als biologische entiteiten afhandelden.

Het Eisenhower-brieffdocument stelt dat “vier kleine menselijke wezens” werden gevonden die waren uitgestoten uit een “schijfvormig vaartuig” nabij Roswell. Allen waren dood en leden aan blootstelling en predatie. De rommel en lichamen zouden naar Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio zijn gebracht voor analyse. Een tweede crash zou hebben plaatsgevonden in 1950 nabij de grens tussen Mexico en Texas, bij El Indio en Guerrero.

De documenten noemen twaalf prominente mannen als de oorspronkelijke MJ-12-leden:

• Admiraal Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter (Eerste CIA-directeur)
• Dr. Vannevar Bush (Voorzitter van de National Defense Research Committee)
• Secretaris James Forrestal (Eerste Minister van Defensie)
• Generaal Nathan F. Twining (Commandant Air Material Command)
• Generaal Hoyt S. Vandenberg (Chef van de Staaf van het Luchtleger)
• Dr. Detlev Bronk (Medisch fysicus en fysioloog)
• Dr. Jerome Hunsaker (Luchtvaartingenieur, NACA-voorzitter)
• Sidney W. Souers (Eerste Directeur van Central Intelligence)
• Gordon Gray (Secretaris van het Leger, Nationale Veiligheidsadviseur)
• Dr. Donald Menzel (Astronoom en astrofysicus)
• Generaal Robert M. Montague (Commandant van Sandia Base)
• Dr. Lloyd V. Berkner (Fysicus en ingenieur)

Het Special Operations Manual verschaft buitengewone details over het omgaan met buitenaardse biologische entiteiten (EBE’s) en hun technologie, met specifieke classificatieprotocollen voor verschillende typen teruggewonnen materiaal. Het bevat instructies voor het beveiligen van crashplaatsen, het vervoeren van exemplaren en het handhaven van absolute geheimhouding.

De documenten zijn in de loop der jaren uitgebreid met vermeende autopsies van aliens, technische analyses van voortstuwingssystemen en strategische beoordelingen van de potentiële “buitenaardse dreiging.”

De authenticiteitsstrijd: echte documenten of uitgebreide fictie?

Sinds het ontstaan van de MJ-12-documenten is er hevige scepsis over hun echtheid. De debatten blijven vandaag voortduren met overtuigende argumenten aan beide zijden.

Het sceptische kamp stelt dat in 1988, toen de documenten vanuit het Air Force Office of Special Investigations werden ontvangen, de FBI een kort onderzoek deed en ze “volledig nep” verklaarde. Archivisten bij de National Archives identificeerden tal van problemen met de Cutler-Twining-memo, waaronder onjuiste beveiligingsmarkeringen en het ontbreken van registratienummers.

Onderzoeker Philip J. Klass bepaalde dat de handtekening van Truman op het MJ-12-document een exacte fotokopie was van een echte Truman-memo aan Vannevar Bush uit 1947, inclusief dezelfde krasmarkeringen. Verder blijkt uit bronnen dat Robert Cutler, de vermeende auteur van de Cutler-Twining-memo, in feite in het buitenland was op 14 juli 1954, de datum waarop de memo zogenaamd werd geschreven.

“De inconsistenties zijn voor iedereen met verstand van overheidsdocumenten duidelijk,” vertelde een voormalige militaire archivarier me. “Classificeringsmarkeringen, papiertypes, handtekeningprotocollen – dit zijn geen dingen die men zomaar kan faken zonder insiderkennis, en de MJ-12-papers bevatten talrijke fouten.”

Echter, Stanton Friedman, een kernfysicus en een van de meest gerespecteerde UFO-onderzoekers, werd de belangrijkste verdediger van de authenticiteit van de documenten. In zijn boek Top Secret/Majic presenteerde Friedman gedetailleerde argumenten ter ondersteuning van hun legitimiteit.

Friedman merkte op dat de documenten details bevatten over geclassificeerde projecten en individuen die in 1984-1985 niet publiekelijk bekend waren maar later via gedeclassificeerde stukken werden bevestigd. Hij wees op specifieke details zoals beursdata en beveiligingsprotocollen die overeenkwamen met andere geverifieerde documenten uit die periode.

Misschien wel het overtuigendste punt

Friedman betoogde dat Truman een autopen-machine gebruikte voor handtekeningen, wat de identieke markeringen zou kunnen verklaren. Hij vond bovendien talrijke voorbeelden van de betwiste datumvorming in echte overheidsdocumenten, wat een van Klass’ belangrijkste bezwaren weerlegt.

“Wanneer je de specifieke beweringen van de sceptici werkelijk onderzoekt,” vertelde een documentenspecialist mij, “ontdek je dat ze vaak geen stand houden onder kritiek. De authenticiteitskwestie is veel genuanceerder dan beide zijden doorgaans toegeven.”

• Donald Menzel

De scepticus met een geheim leven Het meest intrigerende aspect van het MJ-12-verhaal draait om Dr. Donald H. Menzel, een Harvard-astronoom die publiek UFO-rapporten probeerde te ontkrachten door middel van boeken en mediaoptredens. Zijn aanwezigheid op de MJ-12-lijst leek in eerste instantie een flagrante fout of een gemakkelijk te herkennen hoax te suggereren: waarom zou een vooraanstaand wetenschapper als Menzel betrokken zijn bij een geheime commissie die buidellaardse apparaten bestudeert? Maar, zoals Friedman later toeschreef, blijkt Menzel op mysterieuze wijze veel nauwere banden te hebben met het Amerikaanse inlichtingennetwerk dan het publiek ooit vermoedde.

Uit FOIA-verzoeken en archiefonderzoek blijkt dat Menzel lange tijd nauw samenwerkte met de National Security Agency en, via connecties bij de Navy, toegang had tot een reeks “restricted projects” die zelden aan het grote publiek werden onthuld. Dit suggereert een complexer patroon van samenwerking tussen wetenschappers die publiek scepticisme prediken en de stille wereld van nationale veiligheid die buiten het bereik van de nieuwsgierige ogen opereert. Het brengt een paradox naar voren: iemand die publiekelijk de beste UFO-verhalen in twijfel mocht trekken, kon toch diep verankerd zijn in een net van geheime informatie-uitwisseling en cryptografische kennis die de kern raakt van klassificatie en informatiebehandeling.

Menzel’s rol in de MJ-12-discussie werd bovendien ondersteund door een reeks documenten en logboeken die later naar voren kwamen in FOIA-verzoeken en teruglezingen van krantenarchieven. Sommige onderzoekers suggereren dat zijn “sceptische” positie mogelijk diende als een soort legitimatie voor officiële onderzoeken met een semantische dekking van scepticisme, waardoor de overheid gemakkelijker kon blijven communiceren in termen van “geen bewijs voor buitenaards leven” terwijl er in werkelijkheid verschillende niveaus van geheimhouding bestonden. Anderen menen dat Menzel daadwerkelijk een actieve rol heeft gespeeld in het coördineren van wetenschappelijke analyses die later konden worden hergebruikt voor de publieke claims dat “alle UFO-waarnemingen op niets uitliepen.”

In het bredere beeld lijkt Menzel een geval te zijn van hoe de scepticus zelf onderdeel kan zijn van een groter speelveld waarin informatie en non-information elkaar afwisselen. Zijn werk aan de astronomie en zijn publieke debatten over UFO’s gaven hem een autoriteitspositie die zowel door studenten en leken als door beleidsmakers werd erkend. Dit maakte zijn vermeende betrokkenheid bij MJ-12 niet alleen schokkend, maar ook verhelderend in termen van hoe geheimhouding en academische reputatie met elkaar verweven kunnen raken.

De rol van de National Archives en andere officiële bronnen

Naarmate de jaren vorderden, werd het duidelijk dat de discussie rondom MJ-12 niet enkel een zaak was van onsamenhangende stukken en anonieme brieven, maar ook van de manier waarop officiële bronnen worden geïnterpreteerd en gepresenteerd. De National Archives, de FBI, en het Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) speelden een cruciale rol in hoe deze documenten werden bekeken, geclassificeerd en al dan niet verklaard als authentiek of nep. De sceptici wezen erop dat, zelfs als een document in een archief terechtkomt, de context en de metadata – zoals datums, schrijfrichting, schriftuur en de technische achtergrond van de gebruikte beveiligingsmarkeringen – essentieel zijn om de echtheid te bepalen.

Het AFOSI en de FBI voerden in 1988 een kort onderzoek uit waarin werd geconcludeerd dat de MJ-12-documenten “volledig nep” waren. Archivisten bij de National Archives wezen op een aantal inconsistenties, waaronder onjuiste beveiligingsmarkeringen, ontbrekende registratienummers en mogelijke duplicatie van oudere memo’s. Deze bevindingen werden door sceptische onderzoekers aangehaald als aanwijzingen voor vervalsing. Tegelijkertijd geloofden anderen, waaronder sommige onderzoekers die de stukken bestudeerden, dat de combinatie van authentieke elementen en gemanipuleerde details een klassieke hoax-techniek vormde: de overdaad aan realistische elementen maakte het verhaal plausibel, terwijl kleine maar kritieke fouten het mogelijk maakten om geloofwaardigheidsverlies te creëren als men die fouten expliciet zou benadrukken.

Onderzoeker Philip J. Klass, een van de meest bediscusseerde stemmen in het veld van ufologie, leverde een van de meest scherpe argumenten tegen de authenticiteit van MJ-12. Hij analyseerde de handtekening van Truman op de MJ-12-documenten en concludeerde dat het een exacte fotokopie was van een echte Truman-memo aan Vannevar Bush uit 1947, inclusief dezelfde krasmarkeringen. Dit soort overeenkomsten leek op het eerste gezicht een sterke aanwijzing voor authenticiteit, maar Klass wees erop dat dezelfde tekenmatige werkelijkheidskenmerken ook in voorhanden kritische hoaxes konden worden gerepliceerd, vooral door iemand met toegang tot high-level memorandums en ervaring met typografische praktijken van de tijd.

Desalniettemin blijft Stanton Friedman, zoals eerder genoemd, een van de meest invloedrijke verdedigers van de echtheid van een deel van de MJ-12-documenten. Friedman gaf in zijn boek Top Secret/Majic gedetailleerde argumenten waarom sommige inhoudelijke elementen kloppen ten opzichte van wat later in de declassificeerde bronnen naar voren kwam. Hij wees op specifieke details, zoals data, beveiligingsprotocollen en namen die overeenkwamen met het bredere historische landschap van de jaren vijftig en eerder. Friedman betoogde ook dat Truman een autopen-machine gebruikte voor handtekeningen, wat de plausibiliteit van de handtekeningen verhoogde vanwege de technologische context van die tijd. Hij betoogde bovendien talrijke voorbeelden van dezelfde datumvorming in echte overheidsdocumenten, wat in zijn ogen een sterke aanwijzing vormde tegen de claim dat alles gefabriceerd zou zijn.

Toch blijft de debatoverheerlijking rondom MJ-12 vooral gepolijst door de ontbrekende “kolom van onomstotelijk bewijs” – een klassiek begrip in de wereld van geopolitieke documentanalyse. Voor elke bewering van authenticiteit is er wel een tegenargument dat het tegenovergestelde suggereert, en vice versa. Dit maakt de MJ-12-zaak idealiter geschikt voor een bredere discussie over de betrouwbaarheid van geheime documenten die zichzelf als getuigen van een mega-samenspel presenteren.

Autopsies, technologie en de toekomst van onderzoek

Een van de meest schokkende aspecten van de MJ-12-documenten is de claim dat er autopsies van buitenaardse lichamen zijn uitgevoerd en dat dit soort wetenschappelijke analyses al in de vroege jaren vijftig werden uitgevoerd in instellingen die streng geclassificeerd waren. De beschrijvingen van autopsies, voortstuwingssystemen en bevindingen met betrekking tot buitenaardse technologie zetten de toon voor een mogelijk exclusief onderzoeksveld waarin radiaal nieuwe vormen van voertuigentechnologie en bio-mechanische antilichamen zouden kunnen worden blootgelegd. Het idee dat biologische entiteiten bestudeerd en gedocumenteerd werden in een streng beveiligde omgeving, hand in hand met technische experimenten, heeft de verbeelding van veel UFO-onderzoekers en liefhebbers aangewakkerd.

Maar zoals elke claims in dit domein, vereist dit een streng, methodologisch verantwoorde benadering. Het begrijpen van de pseudohistorische structuur van de MJ-12-documenten en het onderscheiden van feit en interpretatieve constructies blijft een uitdaging. Moderne methoden voor documentanalyse – waaronder digitale forensische technieken, metadata-analyse, en cross-referenties metikhailische archieven – kunnen nieuwe inzichten bieden. Daarnaast spelen openheid en de bereidheid om de zwakke plekken in het verhaal te erkennen een cruciale rol bij het heropenen van het debat op een productieve manier.

De rol van het publiek en de media

De publieke belangstelling voor MJ-12 is nooit verdwenen. Het verhaal heeft een blijvende aantrekkingskracht vanwege zijn dramatische reikwijdte: een geheime commissie die mogelijk de koers van de menselijke geschiedenis heeft beïnvloed door het accepteren of negeren van buitenaardse waarheden. Media-aandacht heeft hierin een dubbelrol gespeeld. Enerzijds heeft het bijgedragen aan de verspreiding van fascinerende maar onvermijdelijk speculatieve informatie; anderzijds heeft het juist de verantwoording en het nadenken over nationale veiligheid versterkt. In de hedendaagse tijd, waar informatie snel verspreid wordt via sociale media en digitale platforms, groeit de uitdaging om de echtheid van een stuk documentatie kritisch te evalueren zonder in generalisaties of sensationele claims te vervallen.

Een andere relevante factor is de rol van “whistleblowers” en anonieme bronnen. In de MJ-12-case waren het vaak anonieme zendingen en tip-offs die de oorspronkelijke documenten in omloop brachten. De manier waarop zulke brieven en artefacten worden gebundeld en gepresenteerd – soms als een combinatie van authentic references en heroic myths – kan een beeld schetsen dat zowel intrigerend als misleidend is. Dit vereist een publiek debat waarin wetenschappelijke nauwkeurigheid, archivarische zorgvuldigheid en een verantwoord scepticisme centraal staan.

Conclusies en de huidige status

Het MJ-12-verhaal blijft een verhaal met meerdere lagen. Aan de ene kant bestaat er een consistente en overtuigende narratief, dat een geavanceerde en strikt gecontroleerde innerlijke cirkel van macht en kennis beschrijft die slechts aan een select gezelschap is voorbehouden. Aan de andere kant bestaan er duidelijke aanwijzingen voor inconsistenties, aangevuld met de realistische kritiek van archivarissen en forensische onderzoekers die de echtheid van de kerndocumenten in twijfel trekken. Deze tweespalt zorgt voor een voortdurende, maar productieve dialoog: wat is echt, wat is mogelijk, wat is een interpretatie, en wat is volledig fictief?

Wat we vandaag kunnen aannemen, is dat de MJ-12-documenten een belangrijke katalysator zijn geweest voor bredere discussies over nationale veiligheid, openbaar beleid en de spanning tussen transparantie en geheimhouding. Ze hebben bijgedragen aan een cultuur waarin het idee van een verborgen waarheid over buitenaardse aanwezigheid, en de bereidheid van een staat om die waarheid te beschermen, een onderwerp werd van legitieme publieke interesse en academische studie. Hoewel de meeste onderzoekers er nu op staan dat veel van de documenten waarschijnlijk vervalsingen of opsommingstijdgenieën bevatten, blijft hun onderstroom – de vraag of er ooit een reëel, operationeel geheime programma was dat de publieke ruimte beïnvloedt – bestaan.

Tot slot vormt de MJ-12-zaak een les in kritisch denken en historiciteit. Voor onderzoekers betekent dit:

• Wees voorzichtig met anonieme bronnen en test always de primaire bronnen grondig;
• Let op valuta van documenten, handtekeningen, typefaces en referenties;
• Plaats documenten in hun historische context en kruisverbind ze met de declassifice van andere officiële archieven;
• Houd rekening met de menselijke factor: intrige, reputatie en narratieve troeven kunnen evenveel wegen als feiten wegen;
• Bewaar een gezonde scepsis over claims die te mooi of te vijandig lijken om waar te zijn.

Hoewel de raid op de waarheid bij MJ-12 nog steeds gaande kan lijken, illustreert deze zaak perfect hoe geheimhouding, wetenschappelijke nieuwsgierigheid en publieke verlangen naar antwoorden elkaar kunnen kruisen en botsen. Voor ons als hedendaagse lezers is het de moeite waard om te blijven vragen: Waar eindigt geloofwaardigheid en waar begint fictie? En hoe ver kunnen en moeten wij gaan in het nastreven van de waarheid, wanneer die waarheid misschien verder weg is dan we ooit hadden kunnen vermoeden?

Een oproep tot openheid en nieuwe onderzoeken

Het verhaal van Majestic 12 laat zien dat het verzamelen van bewijs, het hechten van labels aan bronnen, en het interpreteren van documentatie een voortdurend proces is. Het zou zinvoller zijn als toekomstige inspanningen gericht zijn op het vergroten van transparantie en samenwerking tussen historici, archivarissen, wetenschappers en beleidsmakers. Daarvoor kunnen enkele concrete stappen worden ondernomen:

• Een onafhankelijk, publiek toegankelijk archiefproject dat alle bestaande MJ-12-documenten verzamelt, exact dateert en annotateert met commentaar van experts uit verschillende disciplines.
• Periodieke, transparante herzieningen van de status van de documenten, inclusief duidelijke uitleg over welke stukken als authentiek worden gezien en welke als twijfelachtig.
• Interdisciplinaire onderzoeken die niet alleen ufologie bestuderen, maar ook de sociologie, de politieke geschiedenis en de media-analyse betrekken om de maatschappelijke impact van deze documenten beter te begrijpen.
• Een streng peer-reviewproces voor elke bewering die voortkomt uit deze documenten, inclusief replicatiepogingen van forensische analyses en het verifiëren van anonieme bronnen via meerdere, betrouwbare kanalen.

Daarbij blijft de menselijke verlangen naar antwoorden intact, maar in een wereld waarin de hoeveelheid informatie exponentieel groeit en de verleiding van sensationeel nieuws groot is, is het juist belangrijker dan ooit om methodologisch streng en eerlijk te zijn. Het MJ-12-verhaal kan ons leren dat, zelfs als de ultieme antwoorden niet onmiddellijk beschikbaar zijn, het proces van onderzoek, dialoog en auditieve kritiek zelf een waardevol doel op zich kan zijn.

Tot slot

Een waarschuwing en een uitnodiging Het is essentieel om te erkennen dat sommige delen van het MJ-12-verhaal mogelijk nooit volledig kunnen worden opgehelderd. De aard van geheimhouding betekent dat er aantoonbaar geen onbeperkt toegang zal zijn tot alle relevante documenten, en sommige details kunnen voor altijd in een klein groepje verzonken blijven. Desalniettemin kan de universele les hieruit bestaan uit het koesteren van nieuwsgierigheid, zorgvuldigheid bij de interpretatie van bronnen, en de bereidheid om publieke discussies te blijven voeren. De MJ-12-documenten herinneren ons eraan dat waar geschiedenis en geheimhouding elkaar ontmoeten, er altijd een risico is op misinterpretatie en misleiding. Maar ze bieden ook een kans: de kans om te leren hoe men de waarheid benadert in een wereld waarin de staat, wetenschap en het publiek elkaar voortdurend uitdagen.

In de komende decennia kan een hernieuwde interesse in de MJ-12-zaak leiden tot betere methoden voor het onderzoeken van paranormale en onverklaarde fenomenen in relatie tot nationale veiligheid. Dit vraagt om pluralistische benaderingen, waarin zowel sceptici als voorstanders van authenticiteit ruimte krijgen om hun standpunten te presenteren, maar ook waar erkend wordt dat de waarheid vaak in minder dramatische, maar uiterst betrouwbare details ligt. Als we dit pad volgen, kunnen we misschien ooit een stap dichter bij een genuanceerde, weloverwogen conclusie komen over wat er werkelijk achter Majestic 12 schuilgaat – of het nu een waarheid, een mythe, of een product van een complex samenspel van belangen is.

{ PETER2011 }

02-10-2025 om 21:08 geschreven door peter  

02-10-2025 om 20:27 geschreven door peter  

The Mystery of Majestic 12

Majestic 12 is the ultimate ufology legend: a powerful committee covering up the truth about alien encounters; or an elaborate hoax designed to mislead and misdirect. Read on as we spill the gravi-tea.

In 1984, a series of government memos were leaked, purportedly revealing a coverup of galactic proportions: that, in 1947, President Truman had secretly assembled a committee of scientists and government and military officials codenamed the Majestic 12. Their task? To investigate the crash of an alien aircraft in the town of Roswell, New Mexico.

The twelve individuals named as members of Majestic 12 were all prominent figures in 1940s-50s government, military, and science circles. According to the documents, the original MJ-12 panel consisted of:

1. Adm. Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter – first Director of the CIA (allegedly the MJ-12 briefing officer and “MJ-1”).

2. Dr. Vannevar Bush – top scientific advisor during WWII (led the Office of Scientific Research and Development).

3. James V. Forrestal – U.S. Secretary of Defense (formerly Secretary of the Navy) in 1947.

4. Gen. Nathan F. Twining – commanding general of Air Materiel Command (later Air Force Chief of Staff).

5. Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg – Air Force Chief of Staff (and former Director of Central Intelligence in 1947).

6. Dr. Detlev Bronk – biophysicist and chairman of the National Research Council.

7. Dr. Jerome Hunsaker – aerodynamic engineer and chairman of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

8. Mr. Sidney Souers – first Director of Central Intelligence (Central Intelligence Group) under Truman, later NSC executive secretary.

9. Mr. Gordon Gray – Truman’s Secretary of the Army and aide to the National Security Council.

10. Dr. Donald H. Menzel – Harvard astronomer (notable as a public UFO-skeptic, which made his inclusion a surprise to many).

11. Gen. Robert M. Montague – Army general at Fort Bliss and deputy commander at Sandia Base (involved in ordnance research).

12. Dr. Lloyd V. Berkner – physicist and executive secretary of the military’s Research and Development Board.

The US Air Force has denied the existence of any such group. But, to many ufologists, this was yet another attempt to hide the truth. They argue that the group they call the Majic-12 or simply MJ-12 was very much real. And that they were the key to uncovering government activities relating to extraterrestrial phenomena.

So, what’s the truth about MJ-12? Are the Majestic twelve conspiracy theories right? Or was it more fiction than fact? The truth, or as much of it as is out there, is here for the reading.

The Origins of MJ-12

President Harry S. Truman

(Credit: manley099 via Getty Images)

In December of 1984 ufologist Jaime Shandera received an anonymous package. It contained a roll of film with photographs of a document marked “Top Secret / Majic eyes only.” It seemed to be a briefing paper dated 18 November 1952, in which Vice Admiral Roscoe Hillenkoetter advised President-elect Dwight Eisenhower of the existence of a group called the Majestic 12.

The documents outlined a narrative that placed this group at the very heart of the US government. Created by the executive order of President Truman, this secret committee was seemingly tasked with recovering two spaceships which had crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, and investigating the incidents. But that wasn’t all. Within the crashed craft were said to be the bodies of four alien beings.

So, was this evidence that human beings were not alone in the universe? And that the US government knew as much? Determined to find out, Shandera joined forces with fellow UFO enthusiast Bill Moore. Together, they searched the National Archives in Washington, where they discovered what became known as the Cutler/Twining memo.

The Cutler/Twining Memo

General Nathan F. Twining, centre

(Credit: Keystone via Getty Images)

The Cutler/Twining memo was sent by Special Assistant to President Eisenhower, Robert Cutler to the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, General Nathan F. Twining. Dated 14 July 1954, it confirmed the existence of the Majestic 12 or “MJ-12,” and their role investigating and controlling information regarding UFOs, extraterrestrial encounters, and alien technology.

Public Reveal and Scrutiny

US National Archives Building, Washington, DC

(Credit: Patrick Donovan via Getty Images)

It was only in June 1987 that Moore revealed the existence of the Majestic 12 at a UFO conference. Now in the public sphere, it wasn’t long before the Cutler/Twining memo and other MJ-12 documents came under intense scrutiny.

Several government departments refuted their authenticity, the FBI declaring them “completely bogus.” The National Archives released a statement listing numerous inconsistencies, such as the use of anachronistic language, incorrect formatting, and a lack of corroborating evidence.

The Eisenhower Library also confirmed that Robert Cutler was visiting foreign military installations on the date he supposedly wrote his infamous memo to General Twining. And thus could not have authored it.

The Majestic Twelve Conspiracy: Theories

What did Lonnie Zamora see?

(Credit: OsakaWayne Studios via Getty Images)

Despite the repeated denials of the Majestic twelve conspiracy, it nevertheless endures as a truth within parts of the ufologist community. Indeed, some argue that the refutations are all part of the coverup.

According to those who believe in the existence of Majestic Twelve, the group is still tasked even today with managing the retrieval and study of alien spacecraft and beings, suppressing information about their existence, and coordinating disinformation campaigns to discredit credible sightings. Enthusiasts speculate that MJ-12 continues to operate in secrecy, managing extraterrestrial-related incidents and influencing governmental policy on UFO disclosure.

Sceptics on the other hand point to the lack of any evidence beyond the documents, which they label as forgeries, and believe the entire idea of Majestic Twelve to be a hoax. However, even here, there’s uncertainty as to the perpetrators of the hoax. This is partly due to the assertion that the papers included some information that was in fact beyond the public sphere. This has led to speculation that the MJ-12 papers were actually misinformation distributed by none other than the FBI.

MJ-12 in Pop Culture

The X Files

(Credit: Gerasimov174 via Getty Images)

The mythology surrounding Majestic 12 has inspired numerous books, films, and television series. The group has appeared in a host of popular fiction, often depicted as the sinister, all-powerful entity orchestrating global disinformation campaigns about alien encounters. In shows like The X-Files, Dark Skies, and The Umbrella Academy, and video games like Deus Ex, MJ-12 is portrayed as a secretive organisation pulling the strings behind the scenes, fueling fascination with government conspiracies and extraterrestrial phenomena in the public imagination.

The Ongoing Mystery of ‘Majic-12’

Artistic rendering of UFO in the sky

(Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen via Getty Images)

Despite the controversy and scepticism, the mystery of Majestic 12 persists. The group’s alleged activities, coupled with the Cutler/Twining memo and other Majic-12 documents, continue to spark curiosity and debate among UFO enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists alike.

Related

{ https://www.discoveryuk.com/articles }

02-10-2025 om 19:04 geschreven door peter  

Reincarnation: Do We Live Again?

Across many cultures and centuries, the question of whether we live again after death has stirred wonder, comfort, and controversy. Reincarnation—the belief that the self or consciousness persists beyond the grave and re-enters a new body—offers a hopeful, almost intimate answer to the final mystery of life. It is not a single doctrine but a family of ideas that takes different forms in Hinduism, Buddhism, certain strands of Judaism and Islam, various folk traditions, and modern spiritual movements. At its best, reincarnation invites us to see life as a continuous learning journey. At its most provocative, it challenges the very boundary between self, memory, and identity. What is certain is that the appeal of reincarnation rests not on scientific proof alone but on a broader human longing: to be known, to make sense of suffering, and to believe that existence persists beyond one ephemeral moment.

One of the strongest motives people cite for believing in reincarnation is the sense that life’s patterns sometimes repeat themselves in telling ways. Children occasionally recall details of past lives, speak unfamiliar languages with unexpected fluency, or show talents and fears that seem unconnected to their upbringing. For adherents, these experiences are more than curiosities; they are pointers to a deeper continuity. Philosophically, reincarnation reframes the problem of evil and moral responsibility. If a person’s current life is a consequence of past actions, then suffering can be interpreted as a form of spiritual debt or unfinished work. In this view, karma is not a punitive ledger but a natural mechanism that drives growth, balance, and eventual freedom from striving. The emphasis shifts from reward and punishment in a single life to a long arc of transformation across lifetimes.

Yet the skeptic’s counterpoint is strong and stark: extraordinary anecdotes do not constitute evidence. Memory, the most intimate record of a person, is notoriously fallible. We remember with bias, fill gaps, and sometimes misattribute sources of information. In the laboratory of the mind, false memories can be as persuasive as genuine ones. From a scientific standpoint, there is no widely accepted method to verify past lives or to distinguish genuine recollections from imaginative product, cultural suggestion, or even deception. The burden of proof, many researchers argue, remains on those who claim the existence of a soul that survives death and migrates into a new vessel. Until such proof emerges, reincarnation risks becoming a comforting fiction rather than a rational hypothesis.

Still, science is not the only criterion by which to judge meaningfulness. Reincarnation has often served as a moral education: it teaches humility, accountability, and the value of long-term consequences. If a person’s choices echo beyond a single lifetime, the stakes of daily decisions expand dramatically. An ethical framework rooted in reincarnation invites a patient view of human development, allowing for multiple opportunities to learn sorrow, forgive, and mature. The idea of endless opportunities to heal wrongs can transform a culture’s approach to justice, education, and social reform. In some traditions, the persistence of a soul provides a compassionate counterpoint to fatalism: no matter how dire one’s current circumstances, there is room for growth in future lives.

Many ancient religions speak of reincarnation

From a cross-cultural standpoint, reincarnation reflects how humanity seeks a coherent narrative about life’s mysteries. In Hindu and Buddhist cosmologies, the soul (atman) or mind-stream (citta) moves through an endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, shaped by karma. In these systems, liberation (moksha or nirvana) is the ultimate release from the cycle, achieved through insight, virtue, and renunciation of ego. By contrast, many Western traditions center on a single judgment and an eternal heaven or hell. Yet even in the West, parallel ideas have appeared: the notion of a soul’s pilgrimage, the idea of rebirth through ideas or legacies left behind, or the sense that a life can quietly ripple into future generations in ways not immediately visible. The appeal of reincarnation thus lies as much in its narrative flexibility as in its doctrinal claims.

A nuanced discussion of evidence must acknowledge the role of near-death experiences (NDEs) and déjà vu in the discourse on reincarnation. NDEs often describe a sensation of leaving the body, meeting beings of light, or traversing a tunnel, followed by a return to life with a transformed outlook. Some interpreters read these experiences as glimpses of an afterlife or a doorway to past lives. However, many scientists interpret NDEs as brain-based phenomena: the functioning brain under extreme stress, neurochemical cascades, or cultural storytelling shaping the experience. The challenge is to separate metaphor from memory, to ask whether the content could be drawn from latent cultural scripts rather than from an objective metaphysical realm. Déjà vu, likewise, can feel like recognition of a past life, but research suggests it is a misfiring of memory or pattern recognition rather than evidence of reincarnation. In the end, personal conviction often depends less on conclusive data than on the coherence such beliefs bring to a life’s arc.

Another layer of complexity arises when we consider the ethical implications of reincarnation. If our actions in this life affect the conditions of future lives, what does that mean for social justice? Some proponents argue that this framework encourages compassion for the vulnerable, patience in conflict, and a long-term view of consequences. Critics worry about fatalism or the misuse of reincarnation to rationalize inequality: “If people are in their present misery because of past lives, should we intervene or simply wait for karmic balance?” A thoughtful position seeks a balance: it uses the concept as a moral compass without absolving individuals of responsibility in the present. The belief that life is a continuum can also inspire gratitude for the opportunity to learn and grow, fostering a humility that transcends personal pride or national belonging.

Personal narratives often illuminate the human scale of the reincarnation conversation. Some individuals—mostly children—report memories that feel precise, vivid, and emotionally charged, sometimes including specific places, people, or events. Investigators of such cases have documented details that could not be easily explained by normal means. Others warn against the seductive simplicity of definitive claims: many stories are shaped by family or cultural expectations, and memory, again, is a fragile instrument. A careful approach respects the power of personal testimony while maintaining rigorous scrutiny. It also recognizes that even if past-life memories are not verifiable, they can still yield genuine insight into a person’s inner life: a sense of purpose, resolve, or a healing account to explain inexplicable fears or attachments.

Ultimately, the question “Do we live again?” may sit closer to poetry than to technical science. The beauty of the idea lies in its capacity to expand the horizon of what life means. Reincarnation invites us to place ourselves not at the center of a solitary life but within a larger human drama that spans generations and perhaps even civilizations. It challenges the finality of death with the possibility of continuity, and it offers a stage upon which moral growth can play out across time. Whether one accepts, doubts, or simply remains undecided, the topic remains a powerful prompt for reflection on identity, responsibility, and the meaning of being.

A balanced stance can acknowledge the value of reincarnation as a symbolic framework rather than a testable fact. It can honor the heartfelt experiences of those who feel they have lived before while maintaining a healthy skepticism about empirical proof. In everyday life, this translates into fostering curiosity, kindness, and resilience. It means that we treat others with dignity, recognizing that our actions may echo in ways we cannot fully foresee. It also means cultivating a sense of wonder about memory, consciousness, and the mystery of consciousness itself—without surrendering critical rigor.

In closing, reincarnation remains one of humanity’s enduring questions: a rich tapestry of belief, memory, philosophy, and longing. It asks us to imagine a world in which life is not a solitary sprint toward a final end but a continuous, evolving journey across many forms. It offers comfort to some, challenge to others, and a language by which to speak of the inexplicable. Whether we live again in a literal sense, through the emergence of new beings, or through the legacies we leave—the values we inculcate, the work we begin, and the love we share—the question persists: what becomes of us after death, and how should that belief shape the way we live today? The conversation endures because it touches the essential human needs: to be known, to belong, and to hope that our time here matters beyond the clock.

3-Year-Old Boy Recalls Past Life Murder And Located Body

Check out the video below. It looks at the fascinating subject that is reincarnation.

{ PETER2011 }

01-10-2025 om 22:50 geschreven door peter  

Is pas ontdekte komeet mogelijk echt een ufo afkomstig van aliens? NASA geeft uitsluitsel

Een nieuw ontdekte komeet met de naam 3I/Atlas schiet met enorme snelheid door ons zonnestelsel en passeert volgende maand de planeet Mars. Harvard-hoogleraar Avi Loeb schreef in een wetenschappelijk artikel dat het misschien geen gewone komeet is, maar een technologisch artefact met zelfs actieve intelligentie. NASA haalt de angel uit deze boude uitspraken

Loeb, ook hoofd van het zogeheten Galileo Project, dat zoekt naar tekenen van buitenaards leven, wees er in het artikel op dat de komeet zich anders gedraagt dan de meeste kometen uit ons eigen zonnestelsel. Zo is er tot nu toe geen duidelijke staart van gas en stof waargenomen en volgt het object een opvallend ongewone baan. In zijn blog schreef Loeb: “Als toekomstige data het ontbreken van een komeetstaart laten zien, worden we geconfronteerd met de mogelijkheid dat dit object niet toevallig in ons zonnestelsel terechtkwam, maar hierheen gestuurd is.”

Loeb ging zelfs een stap verder en opperde dat de komeet tijdens haar passage achter de zon in oktober een geheime koerswijziging kan maken, met “kwaadaardige bedoelingen” richting de aarde. “De gevolgen, mocht deze hypothese juist blijken, zouden potentieel rampzalig voor de mensheid zijn”, schreef hij.

NASA blijft nuchter

Bij de Amerikaanse ruimtevaartorganisatie NASA klinkt er echter weinig paniek. Wetenschappers van de organisatie volgen 3I/Atlas sinds de ontdekking op 1 juli en zien vooral veel kenmerken die juist heel normaal zijn.

“Het ziet eruit als een komeet. Het doet wat kometen doen. Het lijkt in vrijwel alle opzichten op de kometen die we kennen”, zegt Tom Statler, NASA’s hoofdwetenschapper voor kleine hemellichamen. “Het bewijs wijst overweldigend op een natuurlijk object. Het is een komeet.”

Volgens metingen van de Hubble-telescoop is 3I/Atlas tot wel 5,6 kilometer breed en reist het met een snelheid van ruim 209.000 kilometer per uur, sneller dan ooit is waargenomen.

Statler benadrukt dat kometen sowieso grillig zijn: ze bestaan uit mengsels van ijs en stof die op onvoorspelbare manieren reageren op zonnewarmte. Soms lichten ze plotseling op doordat een 'ijszak' smelt en veel stof loslaat. Zulke verrassingen horen erbij, zegt hij, en zijn juist een kans om meer te leren.

Geen gevaar voor de aarde

Belangrijk voor wie zich zorgen maakt: 3I/Atlas komt de komende maanden niet dichterbij dan 270 miljoen kilometer van de aarde. Het object maakt wel nauwere passages langs Mars, Jupiter en Venus, maar vormt geen enkel risico voor ons.

Voor wetenschappers is de komeet vooral interessant omdat het pas de derde bekende interstellaire bezoeker is die ons zonnestelsel aandoet. Statler: “Dit geeft ons een unieke blik op de samenstelling van andere zonnestelsels.”

En Loeb? Die erkent inmiddels dat de eenvoudigste verklaring waarschijnlijk de juiste is: “De simpelste hypothese is dat 3I/Atlas een komeet is.” Toch houdt hij vast aan zijn motto dat we nieuwsgierig moeten blijven en alternatieve ideeën moeten onderzoeken, al is het maar “voor de lol”.

Bron: The Guardian

 { Welingelichte Kringen }

01-10-2025 om 22:24 geschreven door peter  

Ufoloog Marin Vandercruyssen in 2004. Op 21 juli 1955 zag hij tien minuten lang vijf zilveren schijven vliegen.

© Bousard

Op 21 juli 1955, zag de toen 18-jarige paracommando Marin Vandercruyssen 5 grote zilveren schijven geruisloos boven de toenmalige E5 (nu E40) zweven, in de buurt van Lotenhulle, Aalter. De schijven vormden een formatie van 3 vooraan en 2 achteraan, vergelijkbaar met het Olympische logo. Een 20-tal autobestuurders stopten in het midden van de weg en stapten uit om toe te kijken.

Schepen Dirk De Smul aan het opgeknapte ufomonument op de baan tussen Aalter en Deinze.

© Joeri Seymortier

Pas in 2004 kwam Marin met zijn verhaal naar buiten bij het gemeentebestuur. Dat was eerst wantrouwig, maar ging na andere getuigenverklaringen mee in het verhaal. Er kwam een monument langs de Steenweg op Deinze. De tekst op de gedenksteen vermeldde de datum, het aantal getuigen en de naam van Marin Vandercruyssen, met 5 ovale symbolen, en een foto van de jonge paracommando. 

Dit jaar nog gerestaureerd

In juli dit jaar werd het monument nog opgeknapt, maar nu is het toch verwijderd. De familie van Vandercruyssen, die in 2020 overleed, wilde niet meer in verband gebracht worden met de gebeurtenis. Via een advocatenkantoor stuurden ze een brief naar de gemeente Aalter met de dringende vraag om het monument weg te halen. Anders zou een schadeclaim volgen.

De gemeente wil geen verdere details geven, maar bevestigt wel dat er op de vraag is ingegaan. Het monument werd vorige week door gemeentediensten weggehaald. Daarmee verliest België haar enige UFO-monument. 

• Ik heb Marin jarenlang gekend als een optimistische UFO-onderzoeker en joviale collega. Een aantal jaren geleden is hij spijtig genoeg overleden... Ik vind het spijtig dat zijn erfgenamen en familieleden uit onbegrip, onwetendheid, onterechte schaamte of de publieke domheid dit eerbetoon aan Marin lieten weghalen. Het was een uniek eerbetoon in BELGIë EN EUROPA aan een integere ufoloog, die voor zijn mening en waarneming dierf uit te komen . Rust in vrede, dierbare vriend, ondanks het wegnemen van jouw eerbetoon...

{ VRT NWS }

01-10-2025 om 22:12 geschreven door peter  

01-10-2025 om 21:44 geschreven door peter