The sun made a time travel portal on nasa sun viewer, Nov 9, 2025 UFO UAP sighting news

Date of sighting: Nov 9, 2025

Location of sighting: Earths sun

Source: NASA

 

I recorded this myself, a portal being created on our suns south pole region. The portal is so big, a hundred Earths side by side could enter it. A portal to time travel as well as being a worm hole to travel across the universe. 

Scott C. Waring 

 

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

11-11-2025 om 22:20 geschreven door peter  

3I/ATLAS Radio Signal Detections Offer New Confirmation of What Many Astronomers Have Been Saying for Months

Micah Hanks

Collected by the MeerKAT radio telescope, the recent radio observations reveal distinctive hydroxyl absorption lines, which astronomers point to as only further solid evidence of cometary activity.

Lending additional clarification to the ongoing debate over the mysterious object and its unique natural properties, the new findings also help to dampen renewed interest in its possible technological origins generated in recent days, following the object’s apparent display of non-gravitational acceleration during its closest approach to the Sun last month.

Latest Data from MeerKAT

Comprised of an array of radio telescopes in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, MeerKAT made its recent detections on October 24, according to the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.

The observations revealed OH absorption at 1665 and 1667 MHz, which refers to the process astronomers use involving the detection of the hydroxyl radical (OH) molecule, which absorbs very specific radio or infrared frequencies from background sources. This results in a “dip” that astronomers identify as an absorption line in the observed spectrum.

Hydroxyl radicals are a well-established tracer of cometary behavior, which are formed when ultraviolet radiation breaks down water vapor released during sublimation. Because of this, astronomers frequently rely on these spectral lines to study gassy areas in space like nebulae, star-forming regions across the galaxy, and, of course, the phenomenon of cometary outgassing.

The Hydroxyl Key

In the case of the recent MeerKAT observations, molecular signatures were detected in association with 3I/ATLAS that are just the sort astronomers would expect to be typically produced when a comet heats up near the Sun.

While the detection confirms ongoing sublimation and solar-driven outgassing—normal behavior for comets—researchers still say continued monitoring of 3I/ATLAS will help to further assess the object’s physical profile during the time we have for observation prior to its departure from our solar system.

In summary, while the idea of radio signals emanating from an unusual comet may sound a bit like the kind of “technosignature” astronomers would hope for in the search for evidence of alien technologies, it’s actually something that is commonly observed in comets (like this one) and other kinds of celestial objects.

If At First You Don’t Succeed…

The recent successful MeerKAT detections were the third attempt made using the observatory, following efforts on September 20 and 28 that produced no observable signals. Fortunately, scientists will have additional opportunities to make observations of 3I/ATLAS in the months ahead before it returns to interstellar space, and will likely never be observed again.

The sensitive MeerKAT radio telescope array, located in the Karoo semi-desert in South Africa

(Credit: SARAO)

Next March, the comet will pass within just 53 million kilometers of Jupiter, where NASA’s Juno spacecraft will engage in further attempts to detect any low-frequency radio emissions it might be producing, specifically those ranging from 50 hertz to 40 megahertz.

For now, though, the new MeerKAT data offers the latest reinforcement of the mainstream scientific consensus: 3I/ATLAS is acting like a comet, even if some of its behaviors are a little strange (at least when compared to comets that have existed in our solar system for very long periods).

With additional observations planned for the early months of next year—and with the object passing near one of the best-positioned spacecraft for close-range monitoring—the search for more definitive insights into 3I/ATLAS, its nature, and unique composition, is really just getting underway.

• Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.

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

11-11-2025 om 22:07 geschreven door peter  

On October 30, the InnoCube satellite performed a maneuver in Earth’s orbit. This event might have gone unnoticed, but it was controlled by artificial intelligence for the first time in history. The test was successful.

Artificial intelligence-based satellite orientation controller 

As a real milestone on the path to autonomous space systems, a research team from Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (JMU) has successfully tested an AI-based attitude control system for satellites directly in orbit — a world’s first experience. The test was conducted on board the 3U nanosatellite InnoCube.

During the satellite’s passage between 11:40 and 11:49 Central European Time on October 30, 2025, an AI agent developed at JMU performed a complete orbital orientation maneuver, fully controlled by artificial intelligence. Using reaction wheels, the AI brought the satellite from its current initial orientation to a predetermined target orientation. The AI then had several further opportunities to demonstrate its capabilities: in subsequent tests, it also successfully and safely maneuvered the satellite into the desired orientation. The LeLaR research team—Dr. Kirill Djebko, Tom Baumann, Erik Dilger, Professor Frank Puppe and Professor Sergio Montenegro—thus took a decisive step toward space autonomy.

LeLaR Project

The goal of the In-Orbit Demonstrator for Learning Attitude Control (LeLaR) is to develop the next generation of autonomous attitude control systems. The main focus is on the development, training, and in-orbit testing of an artificial intelligence-based attitude controller aboard the InnoCube nanosatellite.

Attitude controllers stabilize satellites in orbit and prevent them from spinning chaotically. They are also used to point the spacecraft in the desired direction. For example, to align cameras, sensors, or antennas toward a specific target.

What makes this work special is that the Würzburg controller was not created using traditional, fixed algorithms. Researchers applied deep reinforcement learning (DRL), a branch of machine learning in which a neural network autonomously learns the optimal control strategy in a simulated environment.

The key advantage of the DRL approach is its speed and flexibility compared to classical control system development. Traditional orientation controllers often require lengthy manual parameter tuning by engineers—sometimes taking months or even years. The DRL method automates this process. In addition, it opens up the possibility of creating controllers that automatically adapt to differences between expected and actual conditions, eliminating the need for lengthy manual readjustment.

Bridging the gap between simulation and reality

Before implementation, the AI controller was trained on Earth in a highly detailed simulation and then uploaded to the flight model of the satellite in orbit. One of the biggest challenges was overcoming the so-called simulation-to-reality gap (Sim2Real) — ensuring that the controller trained in simulation would also work effectively on a real satellite in space.

“This is a real breakthrough,” emphasizes Djebko from JMU. “We have achieved the world’s first practical confirmation that a satellite orientation controller trained using deep reinforcement learning can operate successfully in orbit.”

Trust in AI in space applications

By successfully demonstrating an AI-based controller in orbit, the Würzburg team has shown that artificial intelligence can be reliably used in space missions that are critical to safety. Puppe is convinced that “this will significantly increase the acceptance of AI methods in aeronautics and space research,” pointing to the important role of simulation models. Growing confidence in this technology is a crucial step toward future autonomous missions, such as interplanetary or deep space missions, where human intervention is impossible due to vast distances or communication delays. An AI-based approach could thus become vital for the survival of spacecraft.

Prospects for the application of AI for satellite platforms

This successful test in orbit establishes the University of Würzburg as a pioneer in the field of space systems controlled by artificial intelligence. The demonstrated AI-based controller is an important building block for future space exploration. The results of the LeLaR project could enable faster and more cost-effective development of new, complex AI-based controllers for a wide range of satellite platforms.

“The next goal is to build on this initial success,” says Djebko. “This is a big step toward complete autonomy in space,” adds Montenegro. We are at the beginning of a new category of satellite control systems: intelligent, adaptive, and capable of self-learning.

• According to phys.org

• Posted in News, Science

 { https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

11-11-2025 om 21:50 geschreven door peter  

Is there a mysterious ninth planet in our solar system?

©Getty Images

Is there a mysterious ninth planet in our solar system?
New evidence shows that, far beyond Pluto, there may exist a hypothetical planet referred to as Planet X or Planet Nine. Astronomers predict that there is possibly a large, undiscovered planet with gravitational interaction in the Kuiper Belt. The existence of this mystery planet may explain unusual orbits and gravitational interactions of some dwarf planets and other objects in the Kuiper Belt region.

Curious to find out more? Read through the gallery!

©Shutterstock

Neptune
It has been almost 200 years since astronomers discovered a new planet in our solar system. Neptune was found in just one night of planetary observation, when Johann Gottfried Galle and his student pointed a telescope in its direction back in 1846.

©Getty Images

California Institute of Technology
In 2016, astronomers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown, stated that their research provides evidence for the great possibility of a large planet in the outer solar system.

©Getty Images

Strong evidence
While the astronomers have not observed the planet, they provide strong theoretical evidence for its existence and information relevant to its potential impact.

©Getty Images

Kuiper Belt
This evidence looks at the potential relationship and influence of the hypothetical planet on dwarf planets and smaller objects in the Kuiper Belt.

©Shutterstock

Planet Nine
The mystery planet, dubbed "Planet X" (x as in the letter, not the Roman numeral) or "Planet Nine," is thought to be 1.5 times the size of the Earth, sitting far beyond Pluto.

©Shutterstock

Mass 5-10 times larger than Earth
The planet’s mass could be 5-10 times larger than Earth and it could orbit the Sun 20-30 times farther than Neptune. NASA notes that if this theory is accurate, it would take Planet Nine between 10,000-20,000 Earth years just to make one orbit around the Sun.

©Getty Images

Unique orbits
Astronomers say that the potential existence of this planet could explain certain gravitational patterns in the outer solar system, specifically the unique orbits of dwarf planets and icy objects in the Kuiper Belt.

©Getty Images

Gerard Kuiper
The Trans-Neptunian Region, more often called the Kuiper Belt, was named after astronomer Gerard Kuiper. It is sometimes referred to as the "third zone" of the solar system; a cold region located in the solar system beyond Neptune’s orbit.

©Shutterstock

Icy objects
In addition to Pluto, astronomers believe that millions of icy objects lie in the Kuiper Belt, including compounds like ammonia and methane.

©Getty Images

Puffy donut
Known as one of the biggest structures in our solar system, the Kuiper Belt has generally been described as looking like a puffy donut.

©Shutterstock

Edge of Neptune’s orbit
Beginning at the edge of Neptune’s orbit, the Kuiper Belt extends nearly 1,000 AU (1 AU is equivalent to the distance from the Sun to Earth).

©Shutterstock

Over 2,000 objects discovered
While astronomers have only identified around 2,000 objects in the Trans-Neptunian Region, it is likely that there are hundreds of thousands more undiscovered objects; often thought of as "leftovers" from the solar system’s formation.

©Shutterstock

Formation of solar system
The theory about how this happened is that when the solar system was forming, because of shifts in Jupiter and Saturn’s orbits, Uranus and Neptune were required to orbit farther from the Sun.

©Shutterstock

Uranus and Neptune
Drifting further and further away, Uranus and Neptune passed through the icy leftovers after all the huge planets formed.

©Shutterstock

Jupiter
The gravity of Neptune’s orbit tossed these objects toward the Sun and big planets like Jupiter, while Jupiter then flung them either out of the solar system or to distant orbits.

©Shutterstock

Fragmented bits
Neptune’s gravitational power pushed the remainder of the objects into the Kuiper Belt, where they sometimes collide and break into fragmented pieces.

©Shutterstock

Dwarf planets and objects clumped
Astronomers who have been studying the Kuiper Belt notice that several of the smaller planets and some objects tend to pursue orbits that clump together.

©Shutterstock

Theory on Planet Nine
It’s through the analysis of these orbits, namely gravitational interactions with a huge planet, that astronomers base their theory on the existence of Planet Nine.

©Shutterstock

Some researchers deny its existence
Some naysayers in the scientific community downplay Planet Nine's potential existence. They argue that the observed orbits are merely due to the random distribution of objects along the belt.

©Getty Images

All tools being used
Scientists are desperately trying to find the planet to confirm its existence. Using a dedicated observatory, powerful telescopes, and citizen projects, astronomers are attempting to gather as much data as possible to locate the planet.

©Shutterstock

Complex computational simulations
The current theory is based on complex computational simulations that take into account a number of conditions. The model that most closely aligns with observed orbital patterns is that which includes Planet Nine.

©Getty Images

Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Scientists are hoping that the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located in Chile, will help unlock some of the inquiries relevant to Planet Nine and other astronomical questions.

©Getty Images

Detailed, time-lapse record
Using innovative technology, the observatory will be able to provide an extensive, detailed record of the Universe over the span of a decade using the largest camera ever built.

©Getty Images

Collected imagery
The imagery collected by the observatory will be able to provide a more detailed understanding of the distribution of objects along the Kuiper Belt.

©Getty Images

Why is it so complex to find the planet?
Locating planets is quite challenging. Astronomers use the transit method to find planets in other solar systems.

©Getty Images

Transit method
Astronomers may be more likely to locate planets by observing a star’s movement. The computational model used to detect Planet Nine’s existence estimates a 99% probability of its existence.

©Shutterstock

Malena Rice
Assistant Professor of Astronomy Malena Rice from Yale University stated that finding another planet “could completely reshape our understanding of the solar system and of other planetary systems, and how we fit into that context.”

©Shutterstock

Mysteries of the outer solar system
Small black holes, potential alien worlds, additional dwarf planets, volcanic comets, and asteroids, among other possibilities, are just some of the mysteries that astronomers also seek to understand about the outer solar system.

©Shutterstock

The quest continues
While the quest to find Planet Nine continues, some scientists are betting everything on indirect evidence of the planet’s existence, while others hold very skeptical positions.

Sources:

• (NASA)
• (AP News)
• (Live Science)
• (Yahoo News UK)
• (Interesting Engineering)
• (ABC Australia)

See also: Is it possible to bring humans back from extinction?

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{ starsinsider.com }

11-11-2025 om 17:38 geschreven door peter  

First-ever radio signal from 3I/ATLAS detected—confirming typical comet activity

There has been much talk about the possibility of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS being an alien mothership or alien technology. However, the MeerKAT radio telescope, operated by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, came out with new evidence confirming that the object showed typical comet activity. Radio absorption lines by hydroxyl radicals, namely OH molecules, were detected from the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. "OH absorption was detected on the 1665 MHz and 1667 MHz lines," explained a report by D.J. Pisano and collaborators posted on The Astronomer’s Telegram, revealing the detection.

A view of comet 3I/ATLAS, as seen by NASA’s SPHEREx, which observed the interstellar object from 7–15 August 2025.

(Image Source: NASA | Photo by NASA / SPHEREx)

This signal was unlike spacecraft transmissions and was a radio-frequency pattern detected by 64 antennas, each with a 13.5-meter diameter. Lines of radio absorption by hydroxyl radicals, or OH molecules, are a pattern consistent with usual comet activity. Per WIRED, the lines appeared as absorption because 3I/ATLAS was very close to the sun, an observation vantage that favored absorption over emission. At the closest distance from the Sun, sublimation ejected more ice into space, receiving greater radiation, an aspect that also led to a change in its trajectory.

NASA’s Webb Space Telescope's image of Comet 3I/ATLAS.

(Image Source: NASA | James Webb Space Telescope.)

The hydroxyl radical (OH) is capable of absorbing or emitting radiation at particular frequencies from a transition in energy levels. In this case, the 1665 and 1667 MHz lines. OH spectral lines “glow” brightly under conditional radio frequencies and helped map star and water-born regions. These spectral lines have been previously detected in nebulae, comets, and star-forming regions. 

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS going past a dense star field

(Image Source: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/K. Meech (IfA/U. Hawaii). Image processing: Jen Miller & Mahdi Zamani (NSF NOIRLab))

The observation by MeerKAT was made on October 24, 2025, when the angular separation of 3I/ATLAS from the Sun was 3.76 degrees. Attempts to detect these lines with the telescope were previously unsuccessful on September 20 and 28, 2025. On October 21, 2025, a few days before the observation, the object was close to the orbital plane of the Earth around the Sun, putting it at a solar conjunction relative to Earth. 

ESA’s Mars and Jupiter missions observe comet 3I/ATLAS

(Image Source: ESA)

“Five weeks ago, I encouraged radio observatories like MeerKAT to search for radio emission from 3I/ATLAS, given that the arrival direction of 3I/ATLAS coincided to within 9 degrees with the arrival direction of the Wow! Signal detected in 1977 at a frequency of 1.4204556 gigahertz,” Harvard astronomer Loeb mentioned in his Medium blog. “In response, I was assured that 3I/ATLAS will be monitored by radio observatories like MeerKAT,” he added. Continued monitoring of the object will identify whether the OH production is constant or intermittent.

Image shows the trajectory of comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through the solar system

(Image Source: NASA | JPL-Caltech)

There has been no other signal detected apart from the OH absorption signal, and the nature of this is also dependent on other factors. The extent and structure of the tail could be one such aspect, given its formation and reaction to radiation. The trajectory of the comet is being closely studied by experts, and on December 19, 2025, it will be at its closest point to Earth.

More on Starlust

• Massive tail and anti-tail jets reveal unexpected structure of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS
• A 'nearly interstellar' object has just been discovered. Harvard astronomer clarifies possible link to comet 3I/ATLAS
• There's a 30 percent chance Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS does not have 'natural origin,' says Harvard astronomer

{ Starlust.org }

11-11-2025 om 15:37 geschreven door peter  

Strange signal detected from mysterious interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS as it moves closer to Earth

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

For the first time, astronomers have picked up a radio signal from the mysterious interstellar visitor as it speeds through our Solar System.

South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope detected absorption lines from OH molecules, made of oxygen and hydrogen, around the object on October 24.

Harvard professor Avi Loeb, who has been studying 3I/ATLAS since the summer, said: 'These molecules leave a distinct radio signature that telescopes like MeerKAT can pick up.'

Previous attempts to detect these signals on September 20 and 28 had failed.

Analysis showed the OH molecules were moving at roughly 61 miles per second relative to Earth. 

The widths of the absorption lines matched the expected thermal motion of molecules at the object's surface temperature of around -45°F. The detection came just days after 3I/ATLAS passed near the orbital plane of Earth, making it easier to observe.

Optical images captured on November 9 reveal that 3I/ATLAS is ejecting enormous jets of material both toward and away from the sun. The jets stretch nearly 600,000 miles sunward and almost 1.8 million miles in the opposite direction, roughly the diameter of the sun or the moon in the sky. 

At its current distance of 203 million miles from Earth, these distances represent the first clear measurements of the vast size of 3I/ATLAS's activity.

Optical images captured on November 9 (pictured) reveal that 3I/ATLAS is ejecting enormous jets of material both toward and away from the sun

'Given that the anti-tail jets are only stopped at about 620,000 miles, their ram pressure exceeds that of the solar wind by a factor of a million,' Loeb noted.

The solar wind flows at roughly 250 miles per second, a thousand times faster than the outflow speed expected from a natural comet. 

'This implies a mass flux of about 2.2 million pounds per second per million-square-mile section of the jet, adding up to a mass loss of 50 billion tons per month,' Loeb said.

Summing over the full area of the jets, the total ejected mass is comparable to the minimum mass of 3I/ATLAS itself. 

'Assuming a solid density of 0.5 grams per cubic centimeter, the object must be at least three miles across, and if most of its nucleus survived perihelion, it could be six miles or larger,' Loeb added. 

For comparison, the famous interstellar object 1I/'Oumuamua measured only a few hundred feet.

The extreme scale of 3I/ATLAS's jets raises fundamental questions. If the object were a natural comet, the jets should move much more slowly and require months to reach the observed distances. 

Instead, the extraordinary mass, density, and collimation of the outflows suggest something unusual may be happening.

South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope (pictured) detected absorption lines from OH molecules, made of oxygen and hydrogen, around the object on October 24

 'The numbers are challenging for a natural comet explanation,' Loeb said. 'The required mass loss, the rapid perihelion brightening, and the size all point to anomalies.'

Spectroscopic observations from space telescopes like Hubble and Webb, planned as 3I/ATLAS approaches its closest point to Earth on December 19, will allow astronomers to measure the velocity, composition, and total mass of the jets. 

These observations may help determine whether 3I/ATLAS is a conventional icy comet or perhaps powered by technological thrusters, which could produce similar jets with far less mass loss.

Meanwhile, the Juno spacecraft is scheduled to probe the object on March 16, 2026, when it passes 33 million miles from Jupiter, using its dipole antenna to search for low-frequency radio signals. Observatories around the world are also monitoring the object, partly because its trajectory aligns within 9 degrees of the direction of the famous 1977 'Wow!' Signal.

'3I/ATLAS is giving us a rare opportunity to study an interstellar object in real time,' Loeb said. 

'The combination of radio and optical data shows it is shedding massive amounts of material, moving at incredible speeds, and behaving in ways that challenge our understanding of natural comets.'

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

11-11-2025 om 15:15 geschreven door peter  

A 'nearly interstellar' object has just been discovered. Harvard astronomer clarifies possible link to comet 3I/ATLAS

Story by Raj Naik

Recently discovered celestial object C/2025 V1 (Borisov), initially labeled as "nearly interstellar" due to its orbital characteristics, is more likely a visitor from our solar system's own Oort Cloud, according to Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb's Medium blog. The object, first identified by Gennady Borisov on November 2, 2025, sparked immediate attention because of its similarity to the enigmatic interstellar object 3I/ATLAS due to the absence of a clear cometary tail.

However, in an analysis of the new object's trajectory, Professor Loeb concluded that C/2025 V1 is unlikely to be truly interstellar. According to the data shared by Solar System Dynamics, the comet's orbital eccentricity is 1.0095, a value extremely close to the threshold of 1.0 that defines an unbound object. However, Loeb's research suggests that when traced back beyond the influence of the planets, C/2025 V1’s eccentricity would likely drop below 1.0, indicating an origin in the far-flung Oort Cloud. Unmodeled outgassing could also push the eccentricity to below 1.0. 

Loeb also addressed the fundamental question of whether C/2025 V1 could be linked to 3I/ATLAS, which some speculate could be a technological 'mothership' that released smaller probes. "C/2025 V1 is not related to 3I/ATLAS if it did not employ non-gravitational propulsion," Loeb Stated. The two objects' orbits are separated by a minimum of 75 million kilometers or 46.6 million miles (0.5 AU), and they never came closer than 225 million kilometers or 139.8 million miles (1.5 AU) without additional thrust. The measured non-gravitational acceleration of 3I/ATLAS is insufficient to bridge this distance.

Loeb emphasized that the composition, outflow velocity, and mass flux of 3I/ATLAS's jets can be easily measured as the object nears Earth on December 19, 2025. This close approach offers a critical opportunity to spectroscopically determine whether the interstellar visitor is a natural 

Comet C/2025 V1's closest approach to Earth

While the comet's scientific significance is high, its current brightness puts it far out of reach for casual observation, per Sky Live. C/2025 V1 (Borisov) is currently located in the constellation Virgo, about 103.3 million kilometers from Earth (64.2 million miles). Its closest approach to our planet is projected to occur on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at a distance of about 103.11 million kilometers or 64 million miles (0.68 AU). 

Is it visible in the night sky?

The comet's current faintness means it is not visible to the unaided eye. Objects must be magnitude 6.5 or brighter to be potentially seen without optical aid under ideal, dark-sky conditions. A magnitude of 14.2 requires observers to use a telescope and a good, dark observing site to successfully track the object. 

{ Starlust.org }

10-11-2025 om 21:06 geschreven door peter  

NASA’s ultraquiet supersonic 'flying swordfish' makes history with first test flight

According to Lockheed Martin’s specifications, the X-59 has a top speed of Mach 1.4, or 925 mph (1,489 km/h), which is almost twice as fast as a Boeing 747. It’s designed to fly at an altitude of 55,000 feet (16,764 m). The aircraft has a wingspan of 30 feet (9.1 m), is 14 feet (4.3 m) high, and a whopping 100 feet (30.5 m) long, giving it a strong resemblance to a swordfish.

From the side, the airplane’s shockingly long nose appears to narrow to a point, but it’s actually shaped like a chisel. The nose’s shape is designed to change the shape of the shockwaves generated by supersonic flight, making the aircraft much quieter than the supersonic jets used today. These are banned from flying over populated areas in the United States because of their loud sonic booms.

Sonic booms are caused by shockwaves from rapidly compressed air, similar to thunder. As an aircraft flies, it pushes upon the air in front of it, creating pressure waves. When an aircraft goes supersonic, the pressure waves can’t move out of the way fast enough, so they combine into a single large shockwave, resulting in a sonic boom.

A controversial six-month test over Oklahoma City in 1964 showed that sonic booms from supersonic aircraft flying too close to the ground can break windows, cause minor damage to buildings, and startle people. At the end of the study, more than 1 in 4 people surveyed said that they could not learn to live with the sonic booms.

To lessen the impact of the booms, the X-59 design separates the usual shockwave into multiple smaller shockwaves, resulting in "thumps" that are about the same volume as a car door slamming.

The shockwaves that cause sonic booms can be seen with schlieren imaging, a type of specialized photography invented in 1864 by August Toepler, a German physicist. It relies on how changing air pressure warps light passing through it. Imaging the shockwaves helps us understand if the aircraft’s aerodynamics match what was modeled using computers and small model planes in wind tunnels.

The X-59 is planned to go supersonic in future test flights, and if all goes to plan, will be used to test public reaction to its supersonic "thumps” — paving the way for commercial supersonic flight to return to the US, albeit much quieter this time.

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{ https://www.livescience.com/technology }

10-11-2025 om 20:42 geschreven door peter  

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{https://www.universetoday.com/ }

10-11-2025 om 18:19 geschreven door peter  

Unprecedented radio view of the Milky Way took over 40,000 hours to construct — Space photo of the week

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

09-11-2025 om 18:29 geschreven door peter  

De mysterieuze hetze rond de komeet 31/Atlas: een wetenschappelijke analyse

In de afgelopen maanden is er op sociale media en in sommige wetenschappelijke kringen een uitgebreide discussie ontstaan over de komeet 31/Atlas. Vooral de geruchten en speculaties dat deze object in de buurt van de aarde zou passen bij buitenaardse technologieën en dat het mogelijk een buitenaards ruimteschip zou kunnen zijn, maken veel ophef. Het is belangrijk om deze claims kritisch te onderzoeken, de onderliggende feiten te analyseren, en een wetenschappelijke blik te werpen op de situatie. In deze analyse zullen we de ontstane geruchten onder de loep nemen, bestaande kennis over komeet 31/Atlas bespreken, afwijkende patronen en mogelijke verklaringen verkennen, en tot een onderbouwde conclusie komen.

Op 1 juli 2025 ontdekten astronomen met de ATLAS-surveytelescoop in Rio Hurtado, Chili, een snel bewegend object dat officieel de naam 3I/ATLAS kreeg. NASA bevestigde woensdag dat het object een komeet is, en daarmee is het pas de derde interstellaire bezoeker ooit waargenomen na ʻOumuamua in 2017 en 2I/Borisov in 2019. Zijn snelheid en traject tonen aan dat het afkomstig is uit een ander sterrenstelsel, wat onderzoekers een zeldzame kans biedt om materiaal van buiten onze kosmische omgeving te bestuderen.

Inleiding

De komeet 31/Atlas, ontdekt in 2017 door de Pan-STARRS-telescoop, behoort tot de categorie van terugkerende kometen die vaak de kosmische omgeving van de aarde passeren. In 2024 kwam deze komeet opnieuw in de buurt van de aarde, wat aanleiding gaf tot allerlei geruchten op sociale media, waarin werd gesuggereerd dat deze mogelijk buitenaards van oorsprong zou kunnen zijn, of zelfs een ruimteschip. Het ontstaan van deze theorieën wordt gevoed door de onbegrijpelijkheid van sommige waarnemingen en de snelle verspreiding van informatie via online platforms. Om hier een wetenschappelijk verantwoorde analyse op los te laten, moeten we starten met een overzicht van de objectkenmerken, de historische context, en bestaande kennis over komeetgedrag.

Wat weten we over komeet 31/Atlas?

Kometen vormen een fascinerende categorie hemellichamen die uit de oudste en meest primitieve materialen van ons zonnestelsel bestaan. Ze worden vaak beschreven als ijsachtige rots- en stoflichamen, die ontstaan in de buitenste regionen van de Kuipergordel en Oortwolk. Wanneer ze de binnenste regionen van het zonnestelsel naderen, verdampen hun ijs en ontstaat er een kenmerkende coma en komeetstaart. De komeet 31/Atlas behoort tot deze groep en biedt ons inzicht in de oertijden van ons zonnestelsel.

• Ontdekking en observaties: Komeet 31/Atlas werd voor het eerst ontdekt in 2017 door het Pan-STARRS-onderzoeksprogramma, dat wordt uitgevoerd vanuit Hawaï. Deze detectie volgde op een serie nauwkeurige fotografische waarnemingen van het hemellichaam, waaruit bleek dat het een terugkerende komeet is. De voorlopige ist orbitale metingen wijzen op een inclinatie van ongeveer 41 graden ten opzichte van de ecliptica, het vlak waarin de banen van de meeste planeten liggen. De perihelionafstand, oftewel de kortste afstand tot de zon tijdens haar baan, bedraagt circa 1,7 astronomische eenheden (AE). Dit betekent dat de komeet haar dichtste nadering tot de zon bereikt op ongeveer 1,7 keer de gemiddelde afstand van de aarde tot de zon.

• Traject en snelheid: Tijdens haar passage dicht bij de aarde in 2024 bereikte komeet 31/Atlas snelheden die typisch zijn voor terugkerende kometen. Zo bewoog ze met een snelheid van ongeveer 45 kilometer per seconde. Deze snelheid is normaal voor een komeet die uit de buitenste regionen van het zonnestelsel komt en door de zwaartekracht van de planeten wordt beïnvloed. Als gevolg van haar onregelmatige baan vertoonde de komeet bij haar laatste passage typische kenmerken zoals het vormen van een coma en een mooie, heldere staart, afhankelijk van de hoeveelheid bevroren gassen en stof die werd vrijgegeven.

• Samenstelling: Wetenschappelijke waarnemingen tonen aan dat de samenstelling van komeet 31/Atlas vergelijkbaar is met die van andere bekende kometen. Het bestaat uit een mengsel van stofdeeltjes en bevroren gassen, vooral water, kooldioxide en andere organische moleculen. Er is geen bewijs gevonden dat wijst op buitenaardse technologieën, vreemde materialen of een ongewone structuur. De fysische eigenschappen en chemische samenstelling vertonen overeenkomsten met typische kortperiodieke kometen.

• Gedrag en uiterlijke kenmerken: Bij haar laatste passage vertoonde de komeet de verwachte kenmerken: een uitgebreide coma – een wazige wolk rond de kern – en een helder verlengde staart die ontstaat doordat het ijs en stof door de zonnestraling worden weggeblazen. Er waren geen opvallende onregelmatigheden of afwijkingen in haar gedrag, zoals plotselinge uitbarstingen of onverwachte veranderingen in de baan.

In wetenschappelijke termen vertoont komeet 31/Atlas geen afwijkingen die wijzen op buitenaardse intelligentie, ongewone samenstelling of geavanceerde technologie. Haar beweging, uiterlijk en fysische eigenschappen vallen binnen de parameters die bekend zijn voor een typische terugkerende komeet. Verder onderzoek kan meer inzicht bieden in haar precieze samenstelling en evolutie, maar tot nu toe is deze komeet een mooi voorbeeld van de primitieve resten uit het geboorteuur van ons zonnestelsel.

De basis van de geruchten en speculaties

Hoe ontstaan de geruchten dat 31/Atlas een buitenaards ruimteschip zou zijn? Deze theorieën ontstaan vaak uit een combinatie van verschillende factoren die samen de basis vormen voor de vermeende buitenaardse status van het object. Hieronder volgt een gedetailleerde analyse van de belangrijkste oorzaken.

• Onvolledige gegevens en interpretatie: Een van de belangrijkste redenen is dat waarnemingen van ongewone patronen op beelden of video’s vaak verkeerd geïnterpreteerd kunnen worden. Reflecterende oppervlakken, lichtflitsen of schijnbare bewegingen kunnen lijken op kunstmatige objecten, terwijl ze in werkelijkheid natuurlijke of technische fenomenen zijn. Een klein detail kan al leiden tot de conclusie dat er sprake is van een buitenaards schip.

• Visuele illusies en waarnemingsfouten: Bij het bekijken van beelden onder slechte omstandigheden, zoals lage lichtomstandigheden of door technische beperkingen van telescopen, kunnen verschijnselen worden waargenomen die niet fysiek bestaan. Bijvoorbeeld, sensorartefacten, chromatische aberraties, of statische ruis zorgen voor visuele illusies die voor het ongetrainde oog lijken op een object in de ruimte, wat de vermeende aanwezigheid van een ruimteschip versterkt.

• Misbruik van sociale media: In het tijdperk van digitale communicatie worden beelden en informatie snel gedeeld. Bewuste verspreiding van disinformatie, sensationele rapportages en het gebruik van clickbait dragen bij aan het ontstaan en versterking van complottheorieën. Mysterieuze of onduidelijke objecten worden vaak doelbewust als buitenaards afgeschilderd om aandacht te trekken en publieksthema’s te creëren.

• De menselijke drang tot mysterie: Mensen hebben van oudsher een natuurlijke neiging om onopgeloste raadsels te verklaren door het toeschrijven van buitenaardse intelligentie of technologie. Vooral wanneer een object opvallend ‘buitengewoon’ lijkt, zoals een vreemd gevormde komeet of een atypisch bewegend object, ontstaan snel interpretaties in de richting van buitenaardse beschavingen. Deze drang wordt versterkt door storytelling en de fantasie om het onbekende te begrijpen.

Het is essentieel om te benadrukken dat er momenteel geen wetenschappelijke bewijzen bestaan die het bestaan van een buitenaards ruimteschip zoals 31/Atlas ondersteunen. Wetenschappelijke analyses blijven kritisch en gebaseerd op data, en het is belangrijk om dergelijke geruchten met een gezonde dosis scepsis te benaderen.

Waarden en patronen in de waarnemingen

Binnen de uitgebreide geschiedenis van astronomische waarnemingen bestaan er diverse patroonanalyses die helpen om onderscheid te maken tussen natuurlijke verschijnselen en de mogelijkheid van buitenaardse objecten. Door nauwkeurig te observeren en te kijken naar specifieke kenmerken, patronen en gedragingen, kunnen astronomen een beter begrip krijgen van wat er zich in de ruimte afspeelt. Deze methoden vormen de basis voor het evalueren van waarnemingen en bieden inzicht in de aard van de objecten die men observeert.

• Patroon 1: Lichtpatronen en snel veranderende helderheid

Eén van de meest opvallende aspecten bij het volgen van hemellichamen is de variatie in lichtintensiteit. Zo vertoonde komeet 31/Atlas bepaalde lichtpatronen die echter geen uitzonderingen vormen binnen het bekende komeetgedrag. De schommelingen in helderheid konden volledig verklaard worden door de afstand van de komeet tot de zon en de wijze waarop stof en ijs op het oppervlak van de komeet de lichtreflectie beïnvloeden. De variaties pasten binnen het patroon dat men verwacht bij gewone kometen, zonder onregelmatigheden die wijzen op onbekende of buitenaardse oorzaken. Deze observaties bevestigen dat de veranderingen in helderheid niet direct wijzen op nieuwe of vreemde fenomenen, maar eerder gerelateerd zijn aan de natuurlijke fysica van kometen en de interactie met zonlicht.

• Patroon 2: Traject en lichtfases

Een belangrijk aspect van astronomische waarnemingen is de nauwkeurigheid waarmee de banen van hemellichamen kunnen worden berekend. In het geval van 31/Atlas werd de baan duidelijk en nauwkeurig vastgesteld. Geen afwijkingen werden vastgesteld die niet verklaard konden worden door bestaande kosmische modellen en fysische wetten. De baangegevens kregen bevestiging via multiple observaties met verschillende telescopen die over de hele wereld opereren. Bovendien werden deze observaties ondersteund door complexe berekeningen en simulaties die overeenstemmen met de fysieke wetten van beweging en zwaartekracht. Dit versterkt het vertrouwen op de natuurlijke, bekende oorsprong van de koers en beweging van deze komeet.

• Patroon 3: Ongewone voorvallen

Ongewone voorvallen Soms worden er waarnemingen gedaan die buiten de standaardpatronen vallen, zoals een lichtflits die wordt gedeeld op sociale media en door sommigen wordt geïnterpreteerd als een buitenaards ruimteschip. Bij nadere analyse blijkt echter dat zulke waarnemingen vaak kunnen worden verklaard door optische artefacten, reflecties van licht op ruimtepuin of andere technische afwijkingen. Reflecties van zonlicht op fragmenten, ruimteschroot of glas en plastic voorwerpen in de atmosfeer kunnen zeer sterk lijken op vreemde objecten, maar worden uiteindelijk weerlegt door fysische kennis en verdere gecontroleerde observaties. Deze voorbeelden onderstrepen dat vaak schijnbare anomalieën kunnen ontstaan door menselijke en technische factoren, en niet door buitenaardse technologie.

Algemene conclusie: Al deze patronen en waarnemingen leiden tot een consistente conclusie: er zijn geen aanwijzingen voor patronen van anomalieën die niet kunnen worden verklaard door bekende natuurkundige principes en technologische limieten. De waargenomen verschijnselen passen binnen de grenzen van de huidige wetenschap en technologie, zonder dat er bewijs is voor buitenaardse objecten. Het is daarom van essentieel belang om waarnemingen kritisch te blijven bekijken, met oog voor de details en met voortdurende evaluaties op basis van actuele wetenschappelijke kennis.

De komeet heeft een ijzige kern omgeven door een gloeiende coma van gas en stof - ©Bron: Wikimedia Commons

De identificatie door NASA van 3I/ATLAS als een komeet kwam na gedetailleerde telescoopwaarnemingen die duidelijke tekenen van activiteit onthulden. Wetenschappers observeerden een ijzige kern omgeven door een coma, de lichtgevende halo van gas en stof die zich rond kometen vormt. Dit uitgassen en het vrijkomen van stof geeft aan dat het object voornamelijk uit bevroren verbindingen bestaat, wat overeenkomt met het gedrag van een komeet en niet met de kenmerken van een asteroïde. De naam is afgeleid van de aanduiding als het derde interstellaire object dat werd ontdekt, waarbij ATLAS verwijst naar het telescopenetwerk dat het waarnam.

Mogelijke verklaringen en hypothesen

Gegeven dat de meeste waarnemingen vrijwel allemaal binnen de natuurlijke parameters blijven, kunnen we verschillende hypotheses formuleren om de waargenomen verschijnselen te verklaren en te begrijpen wat er waarschijnlijk aan de basis ligt van de waarnemingen. Het is belangrijk om elke hypothese kritisch te bekijken en rekening te houden met de context waarin de observaties plaatsvinden, evenals de betrouwbaarheid van de gebruikte instrumenten en interpretaties. Hieronder worden de meest gangbare en plausibele hypothesen nader toegelicht.

• Hypothese 1: Het object is een natuurlijke komeet met standaard gedrag

De meest waarschijnlijke en gangbare verklaring is dat het object in kwestie een natuurlijke komeet betreft die zich volgens de bekende fysische en astronomische wetten gedraagt. Kometen vertonen doorgaans bepaalde standaardkenmerken, zoals een opvallende compositie van ijs en stof, een actief coma rondom de kern en een opvallende staart die onder invloed van de zonnewind wordt gevormd. Het lijkt erop dat 31/Atlas, een bekende komeet, zich overeenkomstig deze gedragsvoorschriften gedraagt. De waargenomen afwijkingen en onvolkomenheden die soms worden gerapporteerd, kunnen meestal worden verklaard door de beperkingen van de instrumenten die de waarnemingen verrichten, zoals oude telescopen, verouderde camera’s of onjuiste kalibraties. Daarnaast kunnen interpretaties van de gegevens door waarnemers variëren, afhankelijk van hun ervaring en kennisniveau. Dergelijke afwijkingen vallen vaak binnen de natuurlijke variaties en meetfouten en betekenen niet noodzakelijk dat het object niet natuurlijk is.

• Hypothese 2: 'Verkeerde interpretatie van visuele waarnemingen'

Veel waarnemingen die worden gerapporteerd als mogelijke buitenaardse verschijnselen of vreemde objecten, kunnen vaak worden toegeschreven aan optische artefacten, reflecties of verkeerde interpretaties van het waargenomen beeld. Bijvoorbeeld kunnen reflecties in de atmosfeer, spiegelingen op de lens of parasitaire lichtinvallen leiden tot uitingeffecten die lijken op onbekende of buitenaardse verschijnselen. Daarnaast kunnen asymmetrische vormen of knipperende lichtpatronen van de komeet zelf de illusie creëren dat het object niet natuurlijk is. Soms worden bijzonder gevormde objecten in de lucht verkeerd geïnterpreteerd vanwege de beperkte zichtbaarheid of omdat waarnemers niet over voldoende ervaring beschikken om de natuurlijke verschijnselen juist te identificeren. Dergelijke interpretatiefouten dragen bij aan het ontstaan van buitenaardse theorieën, terwijl de werkelijkheid veel eenvoudiger en natuurlijker is.

• Hypothese 3: Gekozen voor sensatie of disinformatie

 In sommige gevallen spelen menselijke factoren en de wens naar aandacht of geld een grote rol bij het verspreiden van verhalen over buitenaardse objecten. Geruchten, gerapporteerde waarnemingen en beeldmateriaal kunnen opzettelijk worden versterkt of overdreven door mensen met een bepaald belang, zoals media, complottheoretici of groepen die commerciële winst willen maken. Sociale media en internetplatforms zorgen ervoor dat sensationele verhalen razendsnel kunnen worden gedeeld en verspreid, vaak zonder dat deze onderbouwd zijn door wetenschappelijk onderzoek of objectieve waarnemingen. Hierdoor ontstaan mythen en achterhaalde theorieën die vooral inspelen op menselijke nieuwsgierigheid en angst voor het onbekende, terwijl de realiteit veel eenvoudiger en natuurlijker is.

• Hypothese 4: Onjuiste interpretatie van gegevens of incomplete waarnemingen

Een andere mogelijke verklaring is dat sommige waarnemers niet beschikken over voldoende expertise of toegang tot volledige gegevens om de waarnemingen correct te interpretëren. Veel waarnemingen worden gedaan met beperkte apparatuur of onder omstandigheden die de resultaten kunnen beïnvloeden, zoals slecht zicht, atmosferische storingen of onjuiste communicatie. Hierdoor kunnen foutieve conclusies ontstaan, zoals het denken dat er buitenaardse technologieën of vreemde objecten betrokken zijn bij de waarneming. Bovendien kan een gebrek aan aanvullende gegevens en secundaire observaties leiden tot misinterpretaties die niet op de werkelijkheid zijn gebaseerd. Het is daarom cruciaal dat waarnemingen geverifieerd worden door meerdere, gekwalificeerde onderzoekers en dat alle beschikbare gegevens zorgvuldig worden beoordeeld voordat conclusies worden getrokken over de aard en oorsprong van het waargenomen verschijnsel.

Kortom, het beoordelen van dergelijke waarnemingen vereist een kritische blik, duidelijke criteria en een brede kennis van natuurlijke fenomenen. De meest plausibele verklaringen blijven in de lijn van bekende en natuurlijke parameters, waarbij de rol van menselijke interpretatie en media-incidenten niet over het hoofd mag worden gezien. Door systematisch en objectief te werk te gaan, kunnen we een beter begrip krijgen van deze verschijnselen en de factoren die eraan ten grondslag liggen.

De komeet zal binnen 270 miljoen kilometer van de aarde passeren - ©Bron: Wikimedia Commons

NASA meldt dat 3I/ATLAS zijn dichtste nadering tot de aarde zal maken op een afstand van ongeveer 270 miljoen kilometer, zonder dat dit een bedreiging voor onze planeet vormt. De baan van de komeet voert hem door het binnenste zonnestelsel, waardoor astronomen waardevolle observatiemogelijkheden krijgen terwijl hij zich tussen de banen van de planeten beweegt. Deze veilige afstand stelt wetenschappers in staat de interstellaire bezoeker te bestuderen met grond- en ruimtetelescopen zonder zich zorgen te hoeven maken over de veiligheid van de aarde.

Kansen en mogelijkheden tot verdere studie

Ondanks dat er geen bewijs is voor buitenaardse oorsprong, biedt het onderzoek naar kometen als 31/Atlas belangrijke mogelijkheden:

• Verbetering van waarnemingsinstrumenten: Door geavanceerde telescopen en schepen kunnen we de fysische eigenschappen van komeetmaterialen nauwkeuriger bestuderen.

• Analyse van stof en ijs samenstelling: Dit kan helpen bij het begrijpen van de oerstaat van het zonnestelsel en de condities tijdens de vorming ervan.

• Monitoring van baanbewegingen: Hierdoor kunnen we nauwkeurig voorspellen wanneer kometen het dichtst bij de aarde komen, en eventuele risico’s inschatten.

• Anomalieën onder de radar houden: Door systematische en wetenschappelijke monitoring kunnen we afwijkingen snel identificeren en beoordelen.

NASA Wijst Het Theorie Van Buitenaardse Technologie Krachtig Af - ©Bron: Wikimedia Commons

Tom Statler, NASA's hoofdwetenschapper voor kleine lichamen in het zonnestelsel, verwierp Loebs perspectief en stelde dat 3I/ATLAS eruitziet als een komeet, zich gedraagt als een komeet en in vrijwel elk opzicht sterk lijkt op bekende kometen. NASA's standpunt is gebaseerd op concrete observatiegegevens, waaronder de coma van de komeet, uitstootpatronen en samenstelling. Loeb heeft daarna in een blogpost erkend dat de eenvoudigste hypothese is dat 3I/ATLAS een komeet is, en verduidelijkte dat zijn doel was om aannames uit te dagen in plaats van harde beweringen te doen.

Verklaringen en aanpak van geruchten

De verspreiding van ongefundeerde theorieën over de komeet 31/Atlas lijkt te worden aangejaagd door:

• Gebrek aan kennis: Mensen die niet vertrouwd zijn met astronomische principes, kunnen de waargenomen verschijnselen verkeerd interpreteren.

• Media en internet: Sensationalistische berichtgeving en virale video’s versnellen de verspreiding van onjuiste informatie.

• Onwetendheid over natuurkundige principes: Bijvoorbeeld dat lichtreflecties of lensflare in camera’s bevestigd kunnen worden op natuurlijke fenomenen.

Om dit te voorkomen moeten wetenschappers, mediaprofessionals en amateur-astronomen gezamenlijk werken aan het verspreiden van correcte informatie, en open communiceren over wat wel en niet bekend is.

Harvard-astrofysicus Vraagt Zich Af of Het Object Buitenlandse Technologie Kan Zijn - ©Bron: Wikimedia Commons

Professor Avi Loeb, een theoretisch astrofysicus aan de Harvard University, heeft gepleit voor een nader onderzoek van 3I/ATLAS via het Galileo-project, dat mogelijk bewijs van buitenaardse technologie onderzoekt. In wetenschappelijke essays gepubliceerd op Medium betwijfelde Loeb of de helderheid van het object afkomstig kon zijn van zelfluminescentie in plaats van gereflecteerd zonlicht, een eigenschap die anders is dan bij bekende kometen. Hij stelde voor dat wetenschappers zouden moeten overwegen of 3I/ATLAS een kunstmatig sondage of artefact van een andere beschaving zou kunnen zijn.

Oplossingen en aanbevelingen

Om de kloof tussen wetenschap en publieke perceptie te overbruggen, kunnen de volgende strategieën effectief zijn:

• Educatieve campagnes: Uitleggen hoe komeetwaarnemingen technisch en fysisch verklaard kunnen worden.

• Betrouwbare communicatiekanalen: Wetenschappelijke instituten en ruimtevaartorganisaties moeten altijd transparant en toegankelijk communiceren over nieuwe waarnemingen.

• Publicatie van data: Verzamelde gegevens moeten zoveel mogelijk gedeeld worden met de wetenschappelijke gemeenschap en publiek.

• Wetenschappelijke toezicht op sociale media: Het opzetten van betrouwbare bronnen die snel kunnen ingrijpen en misvattingen corrigeren.

• Inzet van amateur-astronomen: Samenwerking tussen professionele en amateur-astronomen kan helpen om waarnemingen te valideren.

Door dergelijke maatregelen kunnen we de verspreiding van fictie beperken, en het publieke vertrouwen in de wetenschap vergroten.

“Kan potentieel rampzalig zijn voor de mensheid” - ©Bron: Wikimedia Commons

In een artikel getiteld "Is het interstellaire object 3I/ATLAS buitenaardse technologie?" schreef Loeb dat als het object een technologische artefact met actieve intelligentie is, twee mogelijkheden volgen: de bedoelingen ervan kunnen volledig goedhartig of kwaadwillig zijn, of ergens daartussenin. Hij waarschuwde dat de gevolgen, mocht de hypothese correct blijken, mogelijk rampzalig zouden kunnen zijn voor de mensheid en mogelijk verdedigingsmaatregelen vereisen. De provocerende uitspraken zorgden voor aanzienlijke discussie binnen de astronomische gemeenschap.

Conclusie

Na een uitgebreide wetenschappelijke analyse van de komeet 31/Atlas en de geruchten die hierover circuleren, kunnen we concluderen dat:

• Er geen bewijzen zijn voor buitenaardse technologie of ruimteschepen in de verschijning van deze komeet.

• De waarnemingen en gedragingen van 31/Atlas volledig binnen de natuurlijke parameters van bekende kometen vallen.

• De claims over buitenaardse oorsprong voortkomen uit een combinatie van interpretatiefouten, optische artefacten, en de influencer van sociale media en sensatiezucht.

• Het is van belang dat wij blijven vertrouwen op wetenschappelijk onderzoek, en sceptisch blijven ten opzichte van ongefundeerde geruchten.

Dichtstbijzijnde nadering van de zon op 30 oktober - ©Bron: Wikimedia Commons

3I/ATLAS zal rond 30 oktober 2025 zijn dichtstbijzijnde nadering van de zon maken en komt daarbij binnen 1,4 astronomische eenheden, ongeveer 130 miljoen mijl, iets binnen de baan van Mars. Dit periheliumpassage vertegenwoordigt het punt waarop de komeet de maximale zonneverwarming ervaart, wat mogelijk zijn activiteit en helderheid vergroot. De nauwe nadering van de zon zal waarschijnlijk de uitgas- en stofproductie van de komeet versterken voordat hij zijn reis terug het zonnestelsel uit begint.

In plaats van in te gaan op sensationele verhalen, verdienen objectieve, data-gedreven analyse en communicatie onze aandacht. Alleen zo kunnen we misverstanden over astronomische objecten zoals komeet 31/Atlas voorkomen, en het publiek meenemen in de wonderen en mysteries van ons universum, met een waarneming gebaseerd op feiten en wetenschap.

Komeet Zal Ons Zonnestelsel Voor Altijd Ontvluchten - ©Bron: Wikimedia Commons

De komeet raast door de ruimte met ongeveer 61 kilometer per seconde, waarbij de snelheid toeneemt naarmate hij de zon nadert. Volgens Con Stoitsis, komeet- en meteorendirecteur bij de Astronomical Society of Victoria, volgt 3I/ATLAS een hyperbolische baan, wat betekent dat hij te snel beweegt om door de zwaartekracht van de zon te worden gevangen. De komeet zal door het binnenste zonnestelsel tussen de banen van Mars en de aarde trekken voordat hij langs de zon vliegt en ons zonnestelsel voorgoed verlaat.

Einde van de analyse

Tot slot wil ik benadrukken dat het streven naar kennis en waarheid altijd de hoogste prioriteit moet krijgen. Het universum is complex en fascinerend, en onze zoektocht om het te begrijpen, vereist dat we openstaan voor nieuwe inzichten, maar altijd kritisch blijven op de bronnen en interpretaties. Mogelijk kunnen toekomstige technologieën en onderzoek ons verder brengen in het vertrouwen dat de vreemde verschijnselen die we observeren, altijd te verklaren zijn binnen de natuurlijke gang van de wetenschap.

Meer waarnemingen mogelijk begin december -  ©Bron: Wikimedia Commons

NASA meldt dat 3I/ATLAS weer zichtbaar zou moeten worden via telescopen vanaf de aarde begin december 2025, zodra het weer tevoorschijn komt van achter de zon. De omvang en fysieke eigenschappen worden nog bestudeerd terwijl astronomen doorgaan met observaties tijdens de doorgang door ons zonnestelsel. Het kijkvenster in december zal wetenschappers extra mogelijkheden bieden om gegevens te verzamelen over deze zeldzame interstellaire bezoeker, voordat het ons zonnestelsel voorgoed verlaat en materiaal van een ander sterrenstelsel terug de diepe ruimte in meeneemt.

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{ PETER2011 }

08-11-2025 om 22:04 geschreven door peter  

The European Space Agency (ESA) has published an intriguing image taken by the Trace Gas Orbiter. It shows distinctive black “scratches” on the Martian surface. These were formed by a meteorite impact.

According to scientists, these stripes were formed when a meteorite struck the edge of Mount Apollo, an ancient volcano located in the southern Hemisphere of Mars. The image shows a faint cluster of impact craters in a discolored area at the base. The impact caused more than a hundred dust avalanches to descend the mountain slope.

Similar dark streaks can be found in many regions of Mars. Scientists believe they are formed when layers of fine dust suddenly slide down steep slopes. Having found no traces of water, they concluded that these formations were mainly the result of dry processes caused by wind and dust.

The results of a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications suggest that most of them are not related to meteorites: less than one in a thousand streaks were formed by rocks falling on Mars. In most cases, seasonal changes and wind causing dust to rise are to blame.

“The dynamics of dust, wind, and sand appear to be the main seasonal factors influencing the formation of stripes on slopes. Meteorite impacts and earthquakes are locally significant but relatively insignificant factors on a global scale,” explains lead author Valentin Bickel from the University of Bern in Switzerland.

Valentin used deep learning algorithms to analyze more than two million streaks on slopes in images taken by the MRO spacecraft. As a result, the census of streaks made it possible to determine their location in five separate “hot spots” on Mars between 2006 and 2024.

“These observations can help us better understand what is happening on Mars today. Obtaining long-term, continuous, and global observations that reveal the dynamics of Mars is a key task for current and future orbiters,” says Colin Wilson, ESA scientist for the Trace Gas Orbiter project.

Trace Gas Orbiter continues to photograph Mars from orbit in order to understand its ancient past and potential suitability for life. The spacecraft regularly takes images of the surface, and its data has made it possible to identify areas of the Red Planet that are rich in water ice.

Earlier, we reported on how carbon dioxide ice “dug” ravines on Mars.

• Posted in News, Science

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

08-11-2025 om 18:31 geschreven door peter  

NASA Withholding New Images of Mysterious Object From Beyond Solar System

08-11-2025 om 15:47 geschreven door peter  

Scientists baffled as interstellar visitor mysteriously SHRINKS ahead of Earth flyby

• MORE:  NASA detects bizarre boost in interstellar visitor's speed as it moves toward Earth

By CHRIS MELORE, US ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR

Shocking new images of the interstellar visitor have revealed that it has mysteriously shrunk in size weeks ahead of its closest approach to Earth.

NASA recently calculated the change, noting it shed 13 percent of its material after 3I/ATLAS soaring past the sun last month.

Harvard Professor Avi Loeb, who has been analyzing the object since the summer, noted that this sudden shrinkage was directly tied to the noticeable change in the interstellar object's course as it moved closer to the sun.

'For a typical comet, this should have resulted in a massive coma with dust and gas that would have been pushed by the solar radiation pressure and the solar wind to the shape of a typical cometary tail pointing away from the sun,' he said in a blog post.

'No such tail is visible in the new images from November 5, 2025.'   

3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to our planet on December 19, just six weeks from now.

 Loeb has previously warned that contact with 3I/ATLAS has the makings of a 'black swan event,' meaning this massive space object could be an alien mothership trying to disguise itself as a space rock for an unknown purpose.

However, NASA and hundreds of researchers are sure 3I/ATLAS is nothing more than a comet from outside of our Solar System.

An image of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS taken on November 5 revealed no obvious cometary tail, which should have formed after passing the sun

Clues have continued to pile up that suggest this object from outside the solar system is not a natural phenomenon. This includes displaying a strange 'anti-tail' which pointed towards the sun as it made its closest approach to the star last month

With no such tail forming around 3I/ATLAS, Loeb maintains that the odds of this strange visitor being an artificial craft of extraterrestrial origin are growing every single day.

The shedding of material happened when a ground-based telescope in Chile identified a mysterious increase in speed.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) said the mysterious shift by 3I/ATLAS could not be explained by the sun's extreme gravity pulling on the alleged comet.

Instead, 3I/ATLAS clearly pulled away from the sun and also turned to its side, which Loeb suggested was a sign of a rocket engine adjusting the craft's course. 

For a normal comet to complete this shocking maneuver naturally, 3I/ATLAS would have had to lose more than 13 percent of its mass, creating giant jets of gas pouring out of the space rock.

These jets of gas would have had the same effect as a rocket engine, pushing the comet away from the sun despite the massive star's gravitational pull on everything in the solar system.

However, this kind of outpouring of gas leaves a trail of evidence, clear signs that the comet melted and released roughly five billion tons of gas and dust into space.

NASA's latest images, released on November 5, show absolutely no signs that 3I/ATLAS has done any of this, despite shrinking by about 13 percent and pulling away from the sun.

NASA telescopes photographed 3I/ATLAS as it moved out of its blind spot behind the sun in early November

Moreover, Loeb revealed that the unidentified object hasn't changed much at all compared to a photo taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in July.

Read More

• Mysterious interstellar visitor heading towards Earth dubbed a 'Trojan Horse' for alien tech 

The physicist and head of the Galileo Project, a scientific research group looking for signs of extraterrestrial life, has argued that 3I/ATLAS has shown at least 10 signs it's an artificially constructed vessel that's now heading toward Earth. 

However, clues have continued to pile up that suggest this object from outside the solar system is not a natural phenomenon.

This includes displaying a strange 'anti-tail' which pointed towards the sun as it made its closest approach to the star last month.

A normal comet's tail points away from the sun as ice and rock break away and trail behind the comet as it moves through space.

3I/ATLAS has also repeatedly changed color during its journey through the solar system, including turning blue as it reached the sun, something a typical comet never does.

Normal comets turn red as their cold surfaces absorb blue light and bounce back mostly red light, just like a cold piece of metal glows red when you start heating it.

While one strange oddity being seen in a comet could be explained by science, Loeb noted that the odds of 3I/ATLAS displaying 10 strange anomalies at the same time are astronomical and point to the object being created by a distant intelligence.

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

08-11-2025 om 15:36 geschreven door peter  

Saturn's moon could harbour ALIEN life: Scientists spot heat coming from Enceladus - suggesting it could be habitable

• READ MORE: Scientists discover organic molecules spewing from Enceladus

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

Saturn's moon, Enceladus, could harbour alien life, scientists have discovered.

New findings from NASA's Cassini mission have revealed heat leaking out from the moon's North Pole.

This suggests that the moon's vast underground ocean might have a much more stable climate than had previously been thought.

According to the researchers, this means it might be the perfect place for life to evolve.

Although Enceladus' icy surface is barren, its underground oceans have all the necessary ingredients for life.

However, until now, scientists weren't sure whether the planet's internal temperature could be stable for long enough for organisms to emerge.

Scientists can't yet say whether life actually exists on the moon, but they have now shown that Enceladus has an ocean in which life stands a chance of surviving.

Co-author Dr Carly Howett, of the University of Oxford, told Daily Mail: 'We think life likes stability to survive - so showing Enceladus’ energy is stable means its sub-surface environment probably is too.'

Saturn's Moon Enceladus (artist's impression) might be home to alien life, according to a new study, as researchers find heat escaping from the moon's North Pole

Although Enceladus looks barren on the surface, beneath the ice, there is a vast liquid water ocean which has all the ingredients for life. Pictured: Enceladus as seen by the Cassini spacecraft 

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).

But beneath the surface, there is enough heat energy to maintain a large, liquid ocean of water.

The moon gets heat from a process called tidal heating, where it is squeezed and stretched by Saturn's gravity.

This energy prevents the moon from freezing completely, but the underground oceans would only be able to support life if the energy coming in matches the energy flowing out.

Dr Howett says: 'If Enceladus is losing more energy than gaining, then eventually the whole moon will cool and Enceladus’ ocean is going to freeze – which is obviously bad for life!

'If it's gaining more energy than losing, then the ocean will heat and melt the ice shell from the bottom – which will change both the ocean’s temperature and chemistry.'

Previous studies have estimated how much energy Enceladus loses through its active South Pole, where jets of water are constantly erupting through tectonic fissures known as 'tiger stripes'.

Scientists have calculated how much heat is escaping through the North Pole from the warm ocean below. This reveals that the planet is losing as much energy as it gets from the gravitational pull of Saturn 

Since Enceladus' energy is balanced, scientists say that its oceans are likely to be stable and long-lived. This increases the chances that the planet might have developed life 

What is Enceladus?

However, figuring out how much energy the entire planet loses from its ocean is extremely difficult because it heats the entire ice sheet at once.

This means there is only a tiny difference from the normal day-night temperature cycle at any given time.

'These subtle temperature increases are easiest spotted against a cold surface, and probably where the ice shell is thinnest,' says Dr Howett.

'Enceladus’ north polar region met these requirements.'

Using measurements from the Cassini spacecraft, the researchers compared the surface temperature of the North Pole in deep winter and in summer.

This revealed that the surface around the pole was around 7°C (7 Kelvin) warmer than expected.

From this data, Dr Howett and her co-authors were able to calculate that the moon is losing 46 milliwatts of energy per square metre, or 35 gigawatts of energy across the entire planet.

Combined with the known energy loss from the active South Pole, Enceladus' total energy loss rises to 54 gigawatts.

In 2005, the Cassini spacecraft discovered striking tectonic faults at the south pole known as 'tiger stripes' (bottom right), which allow water from the inner ocean to escape. Analysis found that this water contained complex molecules associated with the origins of life

Scientists don't know yet whether the planet hosts life, but any life that does exist might look similar to that found around hydrothermal vents in Earth's deep oceans 

This figure is almost exactly the same as the estimated total energy input from tidal warming, proving that it is balanced.

Dr Howett says this 'supports Enceladus having an ocean that is long-lived and stable, in which life stands a better chance of evolving.'

Scientists aren't sure what that life might look like, since we have only ever seen how life evolved on one planet, but it could share some similarities with life on Earth.

'It’s possible life on Enceladus looks a little like that around the deep hydrothermal vents of the Earth, says Dr Howett.

'There we see things that look like shrimp, crabs and lobsters. So perhaps like that – but maybe not like that at all!'

The next steps will be to work out whether the oceans on Enceladus have existed long enough for life to have formed.

If the oceans are old enough, it might justify sending another probe to look for chemical signs of life in the South Pole's icy plumes or even to burrow through the ice into the ocean itself.

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.'

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

08-11-2025 om 15:05 geschreven door peter  

Chang'e-6 Samples Indicate Water was Delivered to the Earth and Moon by Ancient Meteorites

By Matthew Williams

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

08-11-2025 om 12:53 geschreven door peter  

Mysterious 3I/ATLAS object leads NASA and Harvard to take unprecedented action in space

Hubble captured this image of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on July 21, 2025, when the comet was 277 million miles from Earth. Hubble shows that the comet has a teardrop-shaped cocoon of dust coming off its solid, icy nucleus.

Hubble captured this image of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on July 21, 2025, when the comet was 277 million miles from Earth. Hubble shows that the comet has a teardrop-shaped cocoon of dust coming off its solid, icy nucleus.

A mysterious interstellar object known as 3I/ATLAS has prompted NASA and Harvard University to initiate one of the most extraordinary cooperative monitoring operations in modern space history, as reported by El Adelantado. The joint effort, which involves agencies across the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), was discreetly activated after the comet began exhibiting behavior scientists described as “inexplicable.”

Discovered in July 2025 by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescope in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object ever identified passing through our solar system. It appears to have come from a completely different star system, traveling at speeds exceeding 209,000 km/h on a hyperbolic trajectory that will eventually send it back into deep space.

NASA and Harvard’s unprecedented response to 3I/ATLAS

The quiet but sweeping international alert surrounding 3I/ATLAS began on October 21, 2025, when Harvard’s Minor Planet Center issued bulletin MPEC 2025-U142. The notice marked the activation of a global space safety protocol under the IAWN, directing international observatories to focus on the comet until January 27, 2026. Although NASA confirmed that Earth is not in danger, the object’s unpredictable motion and unique physical features have raised scientific—and political—interest. 

“The object is most likely a natural comet, but its anomalies imply that we must consider a technological origin because of the large implications to humanity in that case,” explained Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb (as per NY Post).

Loeb, who first suggested that the interstellar traveler ʻOumuamua might have been artificial, described 3I/ATLAS as potentially a “black swan event”—a rare, unpredictable phenomenon with civilization-altering potential. 

“We must remain open-minded. It’s at least a thousand times more massive than the previous interstellar objects we’ve seen,” he said. 

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble, and several other observatories—including TESS, Swift, Lucy, and Parker Solar Probe—have been tasked with monitoring the object. Even amid a U.S. government shutdown, NASA confirmed that “essential personnel” continue tracking 3I/ATLAS due to its significance. Congress has also taken notice. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) recently called on NASA to release unreleased imagery and data about the object, writing that “this information is of great importance to advancing our understanding of interstellar visitors.” Sources within NASA and the Pentagon confirmed plans to brief lawmakers about the ongoing investigation, despite normal operations being paused.

Related video: 3I/ATLAS: What Are We Really Looking At? (Today In The Space World)

What exactly is 3I/ATLAS?

To the untrained eye, 3I/ATLAS might appear to be just another comet, but astronomers quickly realized it was anything but ordinary. Its hyperbolic orbit confirms that it originated beyond our solar system, and its Manhattan-sized nucleus—approximately 5 kilometers in diameter—places it among the largest interstellar objects ever observed. The comet’s most striking feature is its “anti-tail”—a bizarre plume of dust and particles that points toward the Sun instead of away from it. This reversal defies normal cometary behavior, which typically results from solar radiation pushing material outward. Compounding the mystery is the comet’s non-gravitational acceleration, believed to be caused by uneven jets of gas and dust that act like thrusters, sending it veering slightly off expected paths.

NASA’s Webb Telescope also detected nickel emissions without any iron, a composition never seen in natural comets. Loeb noted that this particular form of nickel—nickel tetracarbonyl—has only ever been observed in human manufacturing processes, further deepening the enigma. Despite the growing intrigue, NASA maintains that 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth. It will pass no closer than 270 million kilometers from our planet—roughly 1.8 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. Still, the object’s unusual characteristics have prompted agencies to use it as a “natural laboratory” to test methods for tracking and analyzing future interstellar visitors.

“The more we learn about 3I/ATLAS, the better we’ll understand how interstellar material moves through our solar system—and how to respond to it safely,”  said a NASA spokesperson.

For now, Earth remains safe—but the lessons gleaned from 3I/ATLAS will likely shape our planetary defense and interstellar research strategies for decades to come.

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07-11-2025 om 17:24 geschreven door peter  

Three astronauts are left stranded in space after their ship was 'struck by unknown object'

• MORE: Astronaut who spent 286 days stranded in space dramatically RETIRES from NASA

By CHRIS MELORE, US ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR

Three astronauts are stranded in orbit after their return capsule was believed to have been struck by an unknown object.

The crew, already in space for six months, were supposed to return on Wednesday in the craft, which may have been damaged by debris floating around Earth.

Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie have been on the Tiangong station since April, completing science experiments, carrying out space walks, and living in zero gravity, as part of China's Shenzhou 20 mission.

At some point before the trio officially handed over the station to the next crew, the collision occurred.

It left a noticeable mark on the space vehicle's hull, leading the team to fear their craft may have also sustained internal damage that could endanger their flight home.

Their replacements had already arrived at the space lab after taking off in their own rocket on October 31.

The two crews will now have to comb through the spacecraft to check for any critical problems before attempting to use the vessel again. The next return data has not yet been released.

It's the second time this year that astronauts has been stranded in space due to a problem with their space capsule, taking place just seven months after NASA's Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were rescued from the International Space Station (ISS).

Astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie (Pictured) have been stranded on the Chinese space station Tiangong until their return vehicle can be repaired

Shenzhou 20, seen launching in April, was scheduled to go back down to Earth on Wednesday, but it's believed that space junk damaged the return craft

Chinese officials are unsure what struck the spacecraft, but the damage is believed to have been caused by space debris, which is basically junk floating around the Earth from older space missions and rocket launches.

This could include anything from bits from broken satellites and dropped tools from spacewalks to giant pieces of discarded rocket parts.

This floating garbage is moving around the planet at incredible speeds of up to 17,000mph, the average velocity for objects in low Earth orbit.

This can be a real hazard for manned spacecraft, similar to driving through a hailstorm of bullets.

Right now, there are about 19,000 pieces of space debris in Earth's orbit that the US is tracking, not counting the satellites still working. 

However, experts at NASA think there could be over half a million smaller pieces too small to track easily.

'The impact analysis and risk assessment are underway,' officials at CMSA said, according to CNN.

However, the agency did not provide any details on how long it might take the crews of Shenzhou 20 and 21 to check the ship and repair whatever damage was done.

China's Tiangong space station (Pictured) was launched in 2021 and orbits about 250 miles above Earth

This isn't the first time debris has struck a manned spacecraft while astronauts orbited the Earth.

Russia's Mir station was repeatedly hit by tiny pieces of space junk during its lifespan in the 1980s and 1990s.

The ISS has also been on the receiving end of several collisions with debris, including some incidents that caused significant damage to the US and Russian-led lab.

In 2021, a piece of space junk left a hole in one of the station's robotic arms.

Just a year later, an unknown object hit a docked Russian Soyuz craft, putting a nearly inch-wide hole in its radiator and causing a coolant leak.

As for the crew of Shenzhou 20, it is not currently known what the backup plan will be if the damage to their craft cannot be repaired.

The Shenzhou 21 mission was also scheduled to last for six months on board the station, which is exclusive to Chinese astronauts.

Tiangong, which means Heavenly Palace, was launched in 2021 and orbits about 250 miles above Earth.

RELATED VIDEO

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

06-11-2025 om 20:41 geschreven door peter  

NASA detects bizarre boost in interstellar visitor's speed as it moves toward Earth

• MORE: Scientists reveal all the strange behaviors of interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS

By CHRIS MELORE, US ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR

The interstellar object racing through our solar system has been caught unexpectedly picking up speed as it moves away from the sun and closer toward Earth. 

NASA has confirmed a small extra 'kick' moving the mysterious visitor dubbed 3I/ATLAS off its predicted path, which can't be explained by the sun's gravity.

The sun contains almost all of the solar system’s mass, meaning its weight pulls all the planets together in a predictable motion scientists can measure, but these new movements by 3I/ATLAS appear to defy our laws of gravity.

The object, which many scientists claim is a comet, set a record as the fastest space rock entering the solar system ever detected by humans at more than 130,000mph.

After reaching its closest point to the sun on October 29, known as perihelion, its speed has now soared to approximately 152,000mph.

While NASA believes the sun's gravity is mainly responsible for the speed boost, scientists are having a harder time figuring out what has caused 3I/ATLAS to noticeably shift away from our home star.

If it were an ordinary comet, the heat of the sun would be causing the icy cold space rock to melt and shoot out jets of gas trapped inside, potentially pushing the comet in a different direction.

However, Harvard physicist Avi Loeb has revealed that astronomers are still awaiting evidence that 3I/ATLAS has released anywhere close to enough gas to prove the object is really a comet.

3I/ATLAS (pictured) has exhibited unique features, including an anti-tail, extreme color changes, and an extremely unusual course through our solar system

The interstellar visitor has unexpectedly changed course as it picked up speed during its perihelion with the sun in late October

3I/ATLAS is now just six weeks from reaching its closest point to Earth, and Loeb added that not detecting a cloud of gas coming from the object would be a clear sign that this latest speed boost was powered by an extraterrestrial rocket engine.

NASA's latest readings found the mystery push got significantly weaker in the days after 3I/ATLAS reached its perihelion with the sun, but it was still noticeable and unrelated to the star's gravitational pull.

For a natural space rock to pull off this strange maneuver, scientists examining the NASA data have estimated that 3I/ATLAS would have had to suddenly lose at least 13 percent of its total mass as it approached the sun.

That's the only way enough of the comet would have been transformed into a gas that blasted the object away like a thruster on a spacecraft.

If this happened while 3I/ATLAS was hiding in the sun's blind spot from our viewpoint on Earth, a huge cloud of dust and gas from that event would have formed around the rock.

In December, the James Webb Space Telescope will look for this giant cloud around 3I/ATLAS.

However, Loeb has noted that 3I/ATLAS showed little evidence of shedding enough of its mass as it got closer to the sun last month. 

'If 3I/ATLAS is not enshrouded in a much more massive gas cloud after perihelion than it had in the months preceding perihelion, then its recent non-gravitational acceleration must have resulted from a different cause than cometary evaporation,' Loeb said on Wednesday.

The supposed comet, 3I/ATLAS, mysteriously turned blue as it approached the sun on October 29, unlike normal comets which turn red

Loeb added that there are now 10 strange anomalies that science can't completely explain when it comes to the interstellar visitor's trip through the solar system.

The latest oddities that point to the object possibly being an extraterrestrial craft of some kind took place as 3I/ATLAS neared our sun.

Unlike a typical comet, which would have changed color to red, 3I/ATLAS quickly began to shine brighter than normal space rocks and also turned blue.

That's when its course suddenly shifted beyond gravity's control, which NASA has just confirmed for the first time on Tuesday.

It's also incredibly massive, weighing approximately 33billion tons, which Loeb said doesn't make sense because there isn't enough rocky material in interstellar space to have created such a structure naturally.

READ MORE

• Mysterious interstellar visitor spotted above Mars appears as 'massive cylindrical craft'

While fellow scientists have concluded that the massive object formed in a distant solar system on the other side of the Milky Way galaxy, its strange chemical makeup is still raising serious questions about its origins.

Unlike comets that formed in our solar system, which are mainly composed of ice and water, scans have shown that 3I/ATLAS is an odd mixture of nickel and carbon dioxide.

Loeb has theorized that 3I/ATLAS could be a nuclear-powered 'mothership,' which would explain how it could get unusually bright if it were generating its own light.

Also, its nickel shell, which originally turned the object green, could be a sign of an alien intelligence using the valuable metal as a protective coating against the extreme heat of approaching our sun, just like humans do with manmade space probes.

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

05-11-2025 om 22:47 geschreven door peter  

Image: NASA

The Dreams of Interstellar Travel and the Team Paving the Way

Christopher Plain 

The Debrief: One of the main programs at Limitless Space is your ‘I-squared grants,’ which provide money for mainstream scientists and engineers interested in advanced power propulsion to pursue their research. Was LSI already working on the grants when you joined, or did you bring that concept with you?

Sonny White: That was something I immediately championed as soon as I came in the door. LSI’s mission is to inspire and educate the next generation to travel beyond our solar system and support the research and development of enabling technologies. We wanted to be a “doing” organization, and as we were talking about earlier in the discussion, it really comes down to power propulsion.

I felt we needed a focused grant initiative, where we can put out a solicitation for the community to write some proposals and where they can be as bold as they want to be. I think it feeds the community in a way that allows them to get attention at their own universities and maybe improve the chances that they’ll get resources from other entities.

TD: Is that already happening?

SW: It is. One of our grant winners, a Professor University of Pomona picked up a grant. He also just sent me a note the other day that his graduate student just got approved by the University for three years. It’s cool to see how that gets connected back to this.

TD: How many applicants were there for these first grants, and how did LSI choose the nine winners?

SW: There were a lot. And the thing that was amazing to me is that there were a lot of very good proposals. They did a good job of making it hard for us to pick. And if we had more resources, there were more we would have liked to have funded.

TD: In the 1990s, NASA had the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics project, which in many ways seems like a predecessor to this effort. Was that project an influence?

SW: I think they did some great work. They tried to champion stuff that is in the same categories that we try and champion.

TD: Is there a technological advantage to this program taking place almost 30 years later?

SW: There is. It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, the stuff we can do that we couldn’t do five years ago because of technological capability!’ For example, we do work internally where we’re working with the DARPA science office. We do an enormous amount of simulation work with our models, and we have to have 1000 CPUs to make the run; otherwise, it would take forever. Even five years ago, we couldn’t have done that. We’re also seeing work in nanofabrication that wasn’t available even ten years ago.

TD: You mentioned that you’re doing some in-house stuff at Eagleworks that isn’t part of the grants. Would you be willing to give me a little more detail on that, or is it top secret?

SW: Certainly nothing’s classified, but we tend to be very cautious about how much we say. We’re currently funded by DARPA, through the science office, so this is meant to be categorized as basic research/applied research.

We’re doing some work exploring something we call our dynamic vacuum model. And there are some potential implications of this dynamic vacuum model when you apply it to the idea of a Casimir effect. There’s potential for some power implications, some propulsion implications, and maybe some communication sensor implications for fabricating some customized Casimir cavities using our dynamic vacuum model to predict the quantum vacuum that responds to this customized topology and structure that we build in these nanoscale customized Casimir cavities.

So, that’s the work that we’re doing currently, internally with DARPA. We’re working with things like the Casimir Force, trying to measure very, very small fields in these cavities. There’s a paper coming out on that soon.

TD: Will you share that research with us?

SW: At the time, yes.

TD: Did the money for the nine grants awarded last year come from DARPA as well?

SW: The I-squared grants are philanthropic money. They don’t come from DARPA. That’s all philanthropic dollars, primarily from our benefactor, Kam Ghaffarian. Our DARPA grant is to support our internal work.

TD: Is there anything from your original Warp Drive work among those things that you’re actually working on? Or did it kind of hit a wall with theory in 2011, and that’s kind of just been where it’s been since then?

NASA file photo of Harold "Sonny" White

(Image: NASA)

TD: Because Limitless Space is a nonprofit, and because you have a financial benefactor, is there any long-term goal to try and capitalize on some of the work that’s being done? Or is it really a pure science venture?

Warp Fields 101

SW: Let me restate the mission of LSI and then give you the pinnacle objective. Our mission is to inspire and educate the next generation to travel beyond our solar system and support the research and development of enabling technologies. And our pinnacle objective, our “North Star,” is to enable Interstellar flight. Everything we do traces to that critical path.

TD: You have previously mentioned the Perimeter Institute as an influence for your approach at LSI. Could you explain that?

SW: The Perimeter Institute is a nonprofit, and they are solely focused on theoretical physics. There are no commercial products, and it’s just trying to push the boundaries of knowledge. It was set up in a very beautiful facility in Canada, a 120,000 square foot facility on a lake, and they have professors who come and visit and have lectures.

At LSI, our focus is advancing power propulsion as it applies to this goal of interstellar travel. Their focus is just trying to push the boundaries of theoretical physics, just to help humanity develop a deeper understanding of nature at its core. And so, in some ways, they were a good analog for us to kind of look at, as we were trying to figure out how do we set up the gears in this system, how do we want to do things, and what do we want to be as we continue to move forward?

TD: Where do you see the Limitless Space Institute in 10 years?

SW: Hopefully, we’ll be doing some of the things that we’re already doing and we’ll just be doing them a little bit more. Ideally, we’d love to have a facility, whether it’s located on a university campus somewhere or some other location, have a facility with laboratories, classrooms, and is partnered with universities all over the planet, even more so than what we are now. We have about 17 formal partnerships already.

TD: What is the single most important thing about your work at LSI that you want to make sure gets across to The Debrief’s readers?

SW: It comes down to this. This is all about capability, and our objective is to enable human exploration to the outer reaches of the solar system and the stars.

As a capability, chemical propulsion enables us to do all kinds of things. We can send stuff to the surface of Mars, we can send stuff to the surface of the moon, and we can send people to the surface of the moon. We might be able to send people to the surface of Mars. But we can’t even send robotic probes all over the solar system. We cannot send humans to Saturn in 200 days with chemical propulsion. But as a capability, if you just think about known engineering, known physics, nuclear-electric propulsion as a capability enables us to send humans to every destination in the solar system.

And the beauty is, if you build that capability, you won’t have to convince anyone to do that; they’re just going to do it. There’s always this perennial debate about ‘humans or robots.’ Well, to me, that’s a beautiful philosophical discussion, but I prefer to think about the practical side. As a capability, advanced power propulsion is going to enable us to do all kinds of stuff. We’ll send humans, and we’ll send robots. Because as a capability, we can do that. So we will!

• A special thanks to Dr. White for giving The Debrief this exclusive interview. In the coming weeks, look for exclusive interviews with a number of the I-squared grant winners, including projects on Pulsed Fusion Propulsion, Directed Energy Propulsion, and Traversable Wormholes. Plus, keep following The Debrief to learn more about Dr. White’s recent Warp Drive breakthrough.
• Follow and connect with author Christopher Plain on Twitter: @plain_fiction

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05-11-2025 om 18:38 geschreven door peter