Dit is ons nieuw hondje Kira, een kruising van een waterhond en een Podenko. Ze is sinds 7 februari 2024 bij ons en druk bezig ons hart te veroveren. Het is een lief, aanhankelijk hondje, dat zich op een week snel aan ons heeft aangepast. Ze is heel vinnig en nieuwsgierig, een heel ander hondje dan Noleke.
This is our new dog Kira, a cross between a water dog and a Podenko. She has been with us since February 7, 2024 and is busy winning our hearts. She is a sweet, affectionate dog who quickly adapted to us within a week. She is very quick and curious, a very different dog than Noleke.
DEAR VISITOR,
MY BLOG EXISTS ALREADY 12 YEARS AND 10 MONTHS.
ON 06/04/2024 MORE THAN 1.951.050
VISITORS FROM 134 DIFFERENT NATIONS ALREADY FOUND THEIR WAY TO MY BLOG.
THAT IS AN AVERAGE OF 400GUESTS PER DAY.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG AND HOPE YOU ENJOY EACH TIME.
The purpose of this blog is the creation of an open, international, independent and free forum, where every UFO-researcher can publish the results of his/her research. The languagues, used for this blog, are Dutch, English and French.You can find the articles of a collegue by selecting his category. Each author stays resposable for the continue of his articles. As blogmaster I have the right to refuse an addition or an article, when it attacks other collegues or UFO-groupes.
Druk op onderstaande knop om te reageren in mijn forum
Zoeken in blog
Deze blog is opgedragen aan mijn overleden echtgenote Lucienne.
In 2012 verloor ze haar moedige strijd tegen kanker!
In 2011 startte ik deze blog, omdat ik niet mocht stoppen met mijn UFO-onderzoek.
BEDANKT!!!
Een interessant adres?
UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN - DE ALLERLAATSTE NIEUWTJES
UFO's of UAP'S in België en de rest van de wereld In België had je vooral BUFON of het Belgisch UFO-Netwerk, dat zich met UFO's bezighoudt. BEZOEK DUS ZEKER VOOR ALLE OBJECTIEVE INFORMATIE , enkel nog beschikbaar via Facebook en deze blog.
Verder heb je ook het Belgisch-Ufo-meldpunt en Caelestia, die prachtig, doch ZEER kritisch werk leveren, ja soms zelfs héél sceptisch...
Voor Nederland kan je de mooie site www.ufowijzer.nl bezoeken van Paul Harmans. Een mooie site met veel informatie en artikels.
MUFON of het Mutual UFO Network Inc is een Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in alle USA-staten en diverse landen.
MUFON's mission is the analytical and scientific investigation of the UFO- Phenomenon for the benefit of humanity...
Je kan ook hun site bekijken onder www.mufon.com.
Ze geven een maandelijks tijdschrift uit, namelijk The MUFON UFO-Journal.
Since 02/01/2020 is Pieter ex-president (=voorzitter) of BUFON, but also ex-National Director MUFON / Flanders and the Netherlands. We work together with the French MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP.
ER IS EEN NIEUWE GROEPERING DIE ZICH BUFON NOEMT, MAAR DIE HEBBEN NIETS MET ONZE GROEP TE MAKEN. DEZE COLLEGA'S GEBRUIKEN DE NAAM BUFON VOOR HUN SITE... Ik wens hen veel succes met de verdere uitbouw van hun groep. Zij kunnen de naam BUFON wel geregistreerd hebben, maar het rijke verleden van BUFON kunnen ze niet wegnemen...
31-03-2023
This is what it sounds like when plants CRY: Scientists find plants produce alarm sounds when they are cut (just like the mandrakes in Harry Potter!)
This is what it sounds like when plants CRY: Scientists find plants produce alarm sounds when they are cut (just like the mandrakes in Harry Potter!)
A study has found that plants really do emit sounds when they're stressed
The sound is more of a pop, and cannot be heard with human ears
The idea of a plant making noises when in distress all sounds very Harry Potter.
But a study now suggests that the plant kingdom is not as silent as we once believed as some really do produce noises when they're underwatered.
They also appear to make distress signals after being cut, with these sounds found to come from tomato and tobacco plants, as well as corn and the grapevines used to make cabernet sauvignon.
Ultrasonic vibrations have been recorded from species previously, using sensors directly touching them.
But this new study provides the first evidence that plants emit airborne sounds, which researchers estimate could be heard by animals with sharp hearing, such as mice and moths, from up to 16 feet (5 metres) away.
A study has found that plants really do emit sounds when they're stressed - but it's more of a pop than a scream
The idea of a plant making noises may evoke a vision of the mandrakes from Harry Potter
Flowers and trees warn neighbours when they're under attack by releasing chemicals into the wind
However, we can't naturally listen to the noises as humans cannot hear in the high-frequency 'ultrasonic' range. So researchers have lowered the frequency of the plant noises so we can listen.
Plants typically produce a noise similar to popcorn popping - thought to be caused by air bubbles bursting in their stem - less than once an hour.
But tomato plants which had not been watered for up to five days produced this popping sound much more frantically - more than once every two minutes on average.
And when they were cut, the tomato plants made an alarm sound around every two and a half minutes.
In the Harry Potter universe, mandrakes make a screaming noise when they are taken out of the soil - and a fully grown plant's squeal could be lethal.
Professor Lilach Hadany, an evolutionary biologist at Tel Aviv University and senior author of the study which looked at hundreds of plants, said: 'Our findings suggest that the world around us is full of plant sounds, and that these sounds contain information – for example about water scarcity or injury.
'We assume that in nature the sounds emitted by plants are detected by creatures nearby, such as bats, rodents, various insects, and possibly also other plants - that can hear the high frequencies and derive relevant information.
'We believe that humans can also utilise this information, given the right tools, such as sensors that tell growers when plants need watering.
Normally plants produce a noise rather like popcorn popping - thought to be caused by air bubbles bursting in their stem - less than once an hour
Do plants feel 'pain'?
When a bug bites down on a plant leaf, the wound triggers the release of calcium, researchers at the University of Wisconsin said last year.
This sets off a chain reaction in the cells along the plant leaves and stem.
It takes about one to two minutes for the response to reach every part of the plant.
The calcium generates a hormonal response from the plant to protect its leaves.
Some plants release noxious chemicals that makes it taste bad to other invading bugs.
Others, such as grass, give off hormones that attract nearby parasitic wasps, which eat the attacking insects.
'Apparently, an idyllic field of flowers can be a rather noisy place. It's just that we can't hear the sounds!'
The ultrasonic recordings captured by two microphones positioned next to each plant in the study support the theory that they could use sound to warn each other of danger from drought or hungry animals.
If plants knew water is scarce ahead of time, they could close pores in their leaves to conserve water.
And if it heard a noise from another plant whose stem had been severed by an animal eating it, that plant could then emit volatile compounds to deter the hungry animal.
The researchers used artificial intelligence algorithms to compare the noises from healthy tomato and tobacco plants to those which had been cut or deprived of water for up to two weeks in a soundproofed acoustic chamber.
The team found plants which had not been watered began making distress calls before they were visibly dehydrated, with the noises peaking after five days without water, before decreasing before the plants dried up completely.
The noise could help growers use a sensor to tell when their house plants are unhappy and need water, or help farmers save water by irrigating crops only when they are becoming dehydrated.
The researchers also found plants including grapevines, wheat, corn and cacti made noises when they were cut or dehydrated.
The sounds lasted for longer when a plant was dehydrated compared to when it was cut, and different plants appeared to make different noises based on factors like noise frequency.
Experts suspect these noises may be helpful for creatures such as moths, which lay larvae on plants, so will find dehydrated ones unsuitable.
The noise could help people use a sensor to tell when their house plants are unhappy and need water, or help farmers save water by irrigating crops only when they are becoming dehydrated
These plant sounds have been processed to make them audible to the human ear.
Research showing water-stressed or injured plants emitting high-pitched sounds could have implications for horticultural monitoring.
credit: Lilach Hadany
Plants do not suffer in silence. Instead, when thirsty or stressed, plants make “airborne sounds,” according to a study published today in Cell1.
Plants that need water or have recently had their stems cut produce up to roughly 35 sounds per hour, the authors found. But well-hydrated and uncut plants are much quieter, making only about one sound per hour.
The reason you have probably never heard a thirsty plant make noise is that the sounds are ultrasonic — about 20–100 kilohertz. That means they are so high-pitched that very few humans could hear them. Some animals, however, probably can. Bats, mice and moths could potentially live in a world filled with the sounds of plants, and previous work by the same team has found that plants respond to sounds made by animals, too.
Crying crops
To eavesdrop on plants, Lilach Hadany at Tel-Aviv University in Israel and her colleagues placed tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants in small boxes kitted out with microphones. The microphones picked up any noises made by the plants, even if the researchers couldn't hear them. The noises were particularly obvious for plants that were stressed by a lack of water or recent cutting. If the sounds are pitched down and sped up, “it is a bit like popcorn — very short clicks”, Hadany says. “It is not singing.”
These plant sounds have been processed to make them audible to the human ear.
Plants do not have vocal cords or lungs. Hadany says the current theory for how plants make noises centers on their xylem, the tubes that transport water and nutrients from their roots to their stems and leaves. Water in the the xylem is held together by surface tension, just like water sucked through a drinking straw. When an air bubble forms or breaks in the xylem, it might make a little popping noise; bubble formation is more likely during drought stress. But the exact mechanism requires further study, Hadany says.
The team produced a machine-learning model to deduce whether a plant had been cut or was water stressed from the sounds it made, with about 70% accuracy. This result suggests a possible role for the audio monitoring of plants in farming and horticulture.
To test the practicality of this approach, the team tried recording plants in a greenhouse. With the aid of a computer program trained to filter out background noise from wind and air-conditioning units, the plants could still be heard. Pilot studies by the authors suggest that tomato and tobacco plants are not outliers. Wheat (Triticum aestivum), corn (Zea mays) and wine grapes (Vitis vinifera) also make noises when they are thirsty.
Chattering grasses?
Previously, Hadany’s team has also studied whether plants can ‘hear’ sounds, and found that beach evening-primoses (Oenothera drummondii) release sweeter nectar when exposed to the sound of a flying bee2.
So are plant noises an important feature of ecosystems, influencing the behaviour of plants and animals alike? The evidence isn’t yet clear, according to Graham Pyke, a retired biologist at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, who specializes in environmental science.
He’s sceptical that animals listen to the moans of stressed plants. “It is unlikely that these animals are really able to hear the sound at such distances,” he says. He thinks the sounds would be too faint. Further research should shed more light on the matter. But Pyke says he’s perfectly willing to accept that plants ‘squeal’ when stressed.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00890-9
References
Khait, I. et al.Cell https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.03.009 (2023).
A Sound Scientific Explanation For The Biblical Floods: The Burckle Crater Comet Impact
5000 years ago, a comet broke apart into three pieces upon entry into Earth. The largest piece, smashed into the indian ocean, with the other two smaller pieces landing in different areas of the Pacific Ocean. The Indian Ocean impact, was incredibly disastrous. It landed in a very deep part of the ocean, and, as a result, it released a truly monstrous mega tsunami during impact. This tsunami was so disastrous, that 600 foot high mountains were built in Madagascar in the blink of an eye, when massive amount of churned up sediment that was carried by it, got deposited in truly vast quantities here, and everywhere else that this tsunami stuck, too, including very, very far places, such as Tasmania.
When this Mega tsunami struck, it did so with such force, that it severely eroded entire cliff faces, and left deep gashing scars in the land, which document the direction the flow. Along with this, it also deposited something known as seismic chevrons. Which are arrow shaped hills of deposition, that were left after the wave had slammed into every coastline around the Indian ocean. When it began to recede, all the material it carried was just dropped where it landed, and the water move out, but the sediment remained. Because of this, massive layers of sand were deposited, and even though 5000 years have passed, you can still see many places where this tsunami impacted.
In this video we are covering the global deluge that occurred after the 3 comets impacted the earth. The massive amount of vaporized sea water would eventually cool down, and fall back to ground en masse, as a seemingly never ending rainstorm began, lasting between days to several weeks.
Who knows how many ancient civilizations were lost to time as a result of this event. But one thing is clear, not a single part of the Earth was spared from the chaos wrought by these collisions.
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Fusion Reactor To Melt Through Europa's Ice [NIAC 2023]
In this interview, I'm talking with Theresa Benyo and Lawrence Forsley from NASA. They are authors of a Lattice Confinement Fusion Reactor that got a NIAC award this year. A reactor like this could help us melt through the ice on Europa and Enceladus and have other interesting applications in space missions.
Multiple US NAVY Sensors Detected Something "Impossible" | Scientifically Authenticated UFOs
JWST has taken the most DETAILED spectrum of an exoplanet EVER
JWST has taken a DIRECT spectrum of an exoplanet mass object (it could be a failed star, the jury is still out on that one) and it is the most detailed, beautiful spectrum you ever did see. It's revealed the existence of silicates (think sand) in the atmosphere and suggests it has very dusty clouds and storms. It's also orbiting around TWO stars, so there's been a lot of comparisons to Tatooine from Star Wars!
Could We Be Detecting the Effects of "Hyperdrive" Travel? | More Wow Signals
The most intriguing signals SETI ever detected - SHGb02+14a, BLC1 and fast radio bursts.
Could Chat GPT Talk to Whales?
Could Chat GPT actually be used to talk to whales and other intelligent mammals? Understanding our language origins might help explain about how language is used by our ocean friends.
The Abduction of Betty & Barney Hill – The Full Story
The Abduction of Betty & Barney Hill – The Full Story
The Betty and Barney Hill abduction case remains one of the most intriguing UFO encounters in history, captivating the public’s imagination for over six decades. The story revolves around an ordinary couple who claimed to have experienced a close encounter with extraterrestrials, with subsequent hypnotic regression revealing disturbing details about their experience. This article will delve into the fascinating account of the Hills, the arguments for and against the validity of their story, and the impact of their claims on the broader UFO phenomenon.
Betty & Barney Hill
On the night of September 19, 1961, Betty and Barney Hill were returning to their home in New Hampshire after a vacation in Canada. As they drove along a desolate road, they noticed an unusual bright light in the sky that seemed to be following them. Curious and somewhat frightened, they continued to observe the light, which eventually descended and hovered near their vehicle. The couple claimed to have seen a craft with humanoid figures inside before experiencing a sudden loss of memory. They arrived home later than expected, with no recollection of the missing time.
Hypnotic Regression and the Star Map
The Hills sought help from a psychiatrist, Dr. Benjamin Simon, who used hypnosis to uncover their buried memories. During the sessions, both Betty and Barney recounted similar experiences of being abducted by extraterrestrials, subjected to medical examinations, and shown a star map. Betty’s star map would later become the subject of much debate, with researchers both supporting and refuting its accuracy.
While the Hills’ story is fascinating, skeptics argue that there are several reasons to doubt its validity. Firstly, the couple’s memories were only retrieved under hypnosis, a technique that has been criticized for its potential to create false memories. Additionally, inconsistencies in the timeline of their journey and the influence of fatigue on their perception raise questions about the reliability of their account.
Betty’s later claims of numerous additional UFO encounters also cast doubt on her credibility as a witness. Despite these concerns, the Hills’ story has never been definitively disproven, and certain aspects, such as the unexplained biological substance found on Betty’s dress, remain mysterious.
VIDEO:
The Abduction of Betty & Barney Hill – The Full Story | Documentary
The Betty and Barney Hill abduction case continues to fascinate both believers and skeptics alike. While substantial counter-arguments exist, the story endures as a cornerstone of UFO lore, inspiring countless other accounts of extraterrestrial encounters. Whether fact or fiction, the Hills’ experience serves as a testament to the enduring allure of the unknown and the human desire to explore the mysteries of our universe.
Temperatuurmetingen van de aardachtige exoplaneet TRAPPIST-1b onthullen dat het er niet alleen snikheet is, maar dat het de planeet bovendien aan een noemenswaardige atmosfeer lijkt te ontbreken.
Tot die conclusie komen astronomen in het blad Nature. Ze baseren zich – zoals gezegd – op waarnemingen van ruimtetelescoop James Webb. Of nauwkeuriger gezegd: op metingen van Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (kortweg MIRI). Met dit instrument kan James Webb de temperatuur van TRAPPIST-1b meten. En wel door de warmte-energie die TRAPPIST-1b in de vorm van infrarood licht afgeeft, te detecteren. De observaties wijzen uit dat de dagzijde van de planeet een temperatuur heeft van ongeveer 230 graden Celsius en suggereren dat de planeet het zonder een noemenswaardige atmosfeer moet stellen.
Over TRAPPIST-1b In 2017 doen astronomen een opmerkelijke ontdekking; op zo’n 40 lichtjaar afstand van de aarde ontdekken ze zeven(!) planeten rond een ultrakoele rode dwergster. De planeten – die aangeduid worden als TRAPPIST-1b tot en met -1h – zijn qua grootte en massa allemaal grofweg vergelijkbaar met de rotsachtige planeten in het binnenste deel van het zonnestelsel (waaronder de aarde). Daarnaast ontvangen ze ook ongeveer net zoveel energie van hun moederster als onze planeet van de zon ontvangt. Hoewel die overeenkomsten misschien veelbelovend lijken als het gaat om onze zoektocht naar buitenaards leven, stelden onderzoekers eerder al vast dat TRAPPIST-1b, -c en -d waarschijnlijk te heet zijn voor leven. TRAPPIST-1h was waarschijnlijk weer te koud. TRAPPIST-1e, -f en -g zouden zich wel in de leefbare zone bevinden, wat betekent dat hun temperaturen hoog genoeg zijn om te voorkomen dat eventueel vloeibaar water op het oppervlak van de planeten bevriest, maar niet zo hoog dat eventueel vloeibaar water verdampt. Op deze drie planeten zou in theorie dus vloeibaar water – een belangrijke vereiste voor de totstandkoming en instandhouding van leven zoals wij dat kennen – te vinden kunnen zijn. In de afgelopen jaren zijn er echter ook wel twijfels geuit over de leefbaarheid van deze drie planeten; zo zou de extreme activiteit van de moederster TRAPPIST-1 zomaar roet in het eten kunnen gooien.
Atmosfeer De nieuwe metingen van James Webb bevestigen wat onderzoekers eerder al vermoedden: het is warm op TRAPPIST-1b. Maar daarnaast kunnen onderzoekers dus ook uit de metingen afleiden dat de planeet geen noemenswaardige atmosfeer bezit. Dat laatste komt misschien ook niet direct als een verrassing; eerdere observaties van TRAPPIST-1b met behulp van ruimtetelescopen Hubble en Spitzer wezen al uit dat de planeet in ieder geval geen omvangrijke atmosfeer herbergde. Maar die ruimtetelescopen konden niet uitsluiten dat de planeet een dunnere, dichte atmosfeer bezat. James Webb veegt die laatste optie nu echter ook van tafel en wel op basis van de temperatuur van de planeet. “Deze planeet heeft een synchrone rotatie,” zo legt onderzoeker Pierre-Olivier Lagage uit. Dat betekent dat de ene zijde van de planeet ten alle tijde op de moederster gericht is, terwijl de andere zijde in permanente duisternis gehuld is. “Als de planeet een atmosfeer heeft waarin de hitte kan circuleren en zich kan verspreiden zou de dagzijde koeler zijn dan wanneer er geen atmosfeer is.”
Nadat de onderzoekers de temperatuur van de planeet hadden gemeten, vergeleken ze die metingen met de temperatuur die computermodellen in verschillende scenario’s (bijvoorbeeld een TRAPPIST-1b met en zonder een atmosfeer) voorspellen. En daaruit blijkt dat de temperatuur die James Webb heeft gemeten het beste past bij een warm, rotsachtig object zonder atmosfeer. Zo wijzen de modellen bijvoorbeeld uit dat een atmosfeer waarin de hitte gelijkmatig over de planeet verdeeld wordt, ertoe zou leiden dat de temperatuur aan de dagzijde zo’n 100 graden Celsius lager uitvalt dan nu het geval is.
De temperatuur van een planeet meten Om vast te stellen hoeveel infrarood licht (en dus warmte) TRAPPIST-1b afgeeft, bestudeerden onderzoekers het TRAPPIST-1-systeem op verschillende momenten. Namelijk op momenten dat ze zowel de moederster als de planeet in zicht hadden. Maar ook op het moment dat TRAPPIST-1b achter de moederster verdween – dit wordt ook wel een secundaire eclips genoemd. Op het moment dat de planeet achter de moederster schuilging, konden de onderzoekers vaststellen hoeveel infrarood licht de moederster alleen afgaf. Door die hoeveelheid infrarood licht vervolgens af te trekken van de hoeveelheid infrarood licht die gedetecteerd werd als TRAPPIST-1b wel zichtbaar was, konden ze vaststellen hoeveel infrarood licht deze planeet in zijn eentje afgaf. Dat klinkt misschien eenvoudig. Maar dat is het zeker niet. Zo is het al zeer opmerkelijk dat Webb in staat was om de afname in infrarood licht die optrad toen TRAPPIST-1b achter de moederster verdween, te detecteren. TRAPPIST-1 is namelijk meer dan 1000 keer helderder dan TRAPPIST-1b en op het moment dat TRAPPIST-1b achter de moederster dook, veranderde de helderheid van het systeem met nog geen 0,1 procent. “Daarnaast waren we ook bang dat we de eclips zouden missen,” merkt onderzoeker Taylor Bell op. “De planeten trekken allemaal aan elkaar, dus hun omloopbanen zijn niet perfect. Maar het was geweldig: de eclips vond binnen enkele minuten van het moment waarop we deze voorspeld hadden, plaats.”
Uniek De metingen zijn zeer bijzonder. Nog niet eerder zijn wetenschappers erin geslaagd om infrarood licht afgegeven door een exoplaneet zo klein en koel als de rotsachtige planeten in ons eigen zonnestelsel te detecteren. “Bij deze observaties is echt geprofiteerd van Webb’s vaardigheden in het midden-infrarood,” aldus onderzoeker Thomas Greene. “Geen enkele eerdere telescoop was gevoelig genoeg om zulk zwak mid-infraroodlicht te meten.”
Opmaat naar meer De metingen zijn tevens de opmaat naar meer. Want James Webb heeft nu aangetoond dat deze in staat is om vast te stellen of planeten rond kleine, actieve sterren – zoals TRAPPIST-1 – een leefbare atmosfeer kunnen herbergen. In het geval van TRAPPIST-1b zijn de resultaten misschien een beetje teleurstellend, maar er zijn nog veel meer koele dwergsterren in onze Melkweg te vinden, zo benadrukt Greene. “Er zijn tien keer meer van deze sterren in onze Melkweg dan er zonachtige sterren zijn en deze (koele dwergsterren, red.) hebben in vergelijking met zonachtige sterren een twee keer grotere kans om rotsachtige planeten te herbergen.” En hoewel veel van die planeten waarschijnlijk onleefbaar zijn, omdat hun moedersterren in hun jonge jaren heel actief zijn en genoeg zonnevlammen en röntgenstraling afgeven om de atmosferen van hun planeten te vernietigen, zijn dit toch de systemen waar astronomen – via James Webb – toch met bovengemiddelde interesse naar kijken. En ook de planeten rond TRAPPIST-1 mogen zich de komende tijd ongetwijfeld in nog meer aandacht verheugen. “Het is gemakkelijker om aardachtige planeten rond kleinere, koelere sterren te karakteriseren,” aldus onderzoeker Elsa Ducrot. “Als we de leefbaarheid op planeten rond M-klasse sterren willen begrijpen, is het TRAPPIST-1 systeem een geweldig laboratorium. Dit zijn de beste kandidaten als we willen kijken naar de atmosfeer van rotsachtige planeten.”
Ook over TRAPPIST-1b is het laatste woord nog niet gezegd. Zo wordt er momenteel nog steeds met behulp van James Webb naar deze planeet gekeken. Uiteindelijk hopen de onderzoekers vast te kunnen stellen hoe de helderheid van deze planeet in infrarood licht gedurende één volledige omloop rond de moederster verandert. Dat zal ze vervolgens ook in staat stellen om de temperatuurverschillen tussen de dag- en nachtzijde te onthullen. Op basis daarvan kan dan weer geconcludeerd worden of de planeet echt geen atmosfeer bezit of misschien toch een (heel dunne) atmosfeer herbergt.
Op de scheidslijn tussen de permanente dag- en nachtzijde van een planeet heersen mogelijk de juiste omstandigheden waar weleens leven zou kunnen gedijen.
Op dit moment is onze ijverige zoektocht naar buitenaards leven nog vruchteloos gebleken. Maar misschien zoeken we helemaal op de verkeerde plekken. Wanneer astronomen naar aliens speuren, worden planeten met een permanente dag- en nachtzijde vaak als onleefbaar bestempeld. Onderzoekers in een nieuwe studiebetwijfelen echter of dat wel de juiste denkwijze is. Want mogelijk zijn de omstandigheden in bepaalde gebieden op dergelijke extreme exoplaneten wel uitermate geschikt voor leven.
Permanente dag- en nachtzijde Rode dwergsterren zijn de de meest voorkomende en langstlevende sterren in het heelal. Ze zijn een stukje kleiner en koeler dan onze eigen zon. Bekend is dat deze zogenoemde M-sterren regelmatig planeten herbergen. “Deze planeten hebben vaak een permanente dag- en een permanente nachtzijde,” vertelt onderzoeker Ana Lobo. Dit heeft ermee te maken dat de tijd die de planeet nodig heeft om een rondje rond zijn as te voltooien, gelijk is aan de tijd die deze nodig heeft om een rondje rond zijn moederster te cirkelen. Het gevolg is dat altijd dezelfde zijde van de planeet op de moederster gericht is. Deze zijde wordt de dagzijde genoemd. De zijde die altijd van de moederster afgewend is, noemt men de nachtzijde.
Barre omstandigheden Zoals je je kunt voorstellen zijn de omstandigheden die op dergelijke planeten heersen niet bepaald mals. De temperaturen kunnen op de kant die altijd naar de ster gericht is hoog oplopen, terwijl aan de donkere kant van de planeet de eeuwige nacht ertoe leidt dat al het mogelijk aanwezige water bevriest. “Dit betekent dat het op de dagzijde altijd bloedheet is en daarom verre van bewoonbaar is,” legt Lobo uit. “Tegelijkertijd is het aan de nachtzijde ijskoud. Deze regio kan zelfs bedekt zijn met ijs en grote gletsjers.”
Water In de zoektocht naar buitenaards leven zoeken astronomen dus naar planeten met geschiktere klimaten, waar water in vloeibare vorm voorkomt. Dat komt omdat vloeibaar water – voor zover we weten – een essentieel ingrediënt is voor leven. “Je wilt dus een planeet die precies de juiste temperatuur heeft om vloeibaar water te herbergen,” concludeert Lobo.
Terminator-zones In die zin zou je dus de planeten met permanente dag- en nachtzijdes van het lijstje kunnen strepen. Toch denkt Lobo dat dat waarschijnlijk iets te voorbarig is. Op dergelijke planeten bestaan namelijk bepaalde tussengebieden; regio’s die precies op de scheidslijn tussen de dag- en nachtzijde liggen. En in deze zogenoemde ‘terminator-zones’ zouden zich volgens Lobo best weleens aliens verborgen kunnen houden.
Studie Om tot die conclusie te komen, modelleerde Lobo samen met haar collega’s het klimaat van planeten die terminator-zones hebben. Dit deden ze met behulp van software die doorgaans gebruikt wordt om het klimaat van onze eigen planeet te modelleren, maar dan met een paar aanpassingen. Uit de modellen blijkt dat de temperatuur in terminator-zones weleens precies goed zou kunnen zijn voor de aanwezigheid van vloeibaar water. En in dat water zou vervolgens best leven kunnen gedijen.
Zoektocht naar leven Volgens de onderzoekers is dit de eerste keer dat er aangetoond wordt dat planeten met permanente dag- en nachtzijdes mogelijk toch bewoonbaar zijn. En dat breidt het aantal werelden waar we naar buitenaards leven kunnen zoeken enorm uit. Tot nu toe hebben astronomen zich met name op met oceaan bedekte exoplaneten gericht. Maar nu laten Lobo en haar team zien dat ook planeten die op het eerste gezicht misschien onleefbaar ogen, mogelijk toch geschikter zijn voor leven dan gedacht. “We proberen de aandacht te vestigen op meer ‘waterbeperkte’ planeten, die ondanks het feit dat ze niet over uitgestrekte oceanen beschikken, mogelijk toch meren of andere kleine hoeveelheid water herbergen,” zegt Lobo. “De hier heersende klimaten zijn mogelijk zelfs veelbelovend voor het voorkomen van leven.”
Land Bovendien is het juist belangrijk dat een planeet met terminator-zones niet over teveel water beschikt. Wanneer het namelijk om een waterrijke wereld gaat, zal het water dat altijd naar de ster gericht is verdampen, waardoor de hele planeet omhuld wordt door een gordijn van damp. Als er in plaats daarvan veel land is, zal dit effect niet moeten optreden. In dit geval is het veel waarschijnlijker dat er in de terminator-zones aliens te vinden zijn.
De bevindingen hebben verstrekkende implicaties. Zo stellen de onderzoekers dat de huidige manier waarop astronomen op exoplaneten naar tekenen van leven speuren, enigszins aangepast zal moeten worden. Dat heeft ermee te maken dat van leven afkomstige biosignaturen mogelijk alleen aanwezig zijn in specifieke delen van de atmosfeer. Wanneer astronomen dus in het vervolg met onder andere ruimtetelescoop James Webb planeten karakteriseren die mogelijk buitenaards leven herbergen, weten ze beter waar ze exact moeten zoeken. En misschien zal dat al vrij vlot succes opleveren. “Door rekening te houden met verschillende klimaten op één en dezelfde planeet, vergroten we de kans dat we al in de nabije toekomst op een bewoonde planeet stuiten,” besluit Lobo.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:ALIEN LIFE, UFO- CRASHES, ABDUCTIONS, MEN IN BLACK, ed ( FR. , NL; E )
The Chilling Messages Encoded in Egyptian Tombs (Video)
The Chilling Messages Encoded in Egyptian Tombs (Video)
It’s common knowledge that man didn’t learn to fly until the 20 th century. However shocking discoveries in both South America and Egypt are beginning to bring this long-stated fact into question. Ancient golden figurines and carvings found in South Americantombs are eerily similar in shape and dimension to modern aircraft. Stranger still, ancient carvings, paintings and hieroglyphs found in the Egyptian pyramids seem to depict everything from airplanes and helicopters to submarines and spaceships. What’s the truth? Were our ancient ancestors hiding advanced technology from us all along? Were they visited by advanced extra-terrestrials? Or are these strange carvings and markings just a coincidence? Perhaps the truth really is out there.
Computers are not mechanical brains, and our brains are not biological computers. They differ in function, organization, and composition. Both have circuits, sure, but computer chips are ultimately bits of silicon alloys pressed into highly designed, extremely convenient sizes and shapes, while our brains are carbon-based masses whose structure is still largely a mystery to neuroscientists.
Since the mid-20th century, people have touted the similarities — and considered the possibility of combining — brains and computers. Sci-fi author Isaac Asimov helped to devise the idea of a “positronic brain” that could bestow robots with the intelligence and self-awareness of a human in 1950.
Computer scientists still dwell on the shared features between minds and machines. Artificial neural networks, which power many of today’s AI, mimic the organization of neurons in the human brain. Other researchers are trying to make computer hardware more brain-like, for instance, by replicating the electrical activity of a neuron on a chip.
Researchers designed artificial “neurons” for a futuristic computer chip.
UNIVERSITY OF BATH
There are also researchers like Thomas Hartung, a biochemist and physician at Johns Hopkins University. Hartung and his colleagues are growing “brain organoids,” collections of human skin cells coaxed into resembling brain cells, in the lab. They want to connect the organoids to sensors and other devices and train them to process and store information with the help of machine learning.
Hartung has lofty goals for these organoids. They could help neuroscientists study how brain cells work together. They could also aid pharmacologists who study brain chemistry — for example, people developing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Hartung believes brain organoids can eventually replace the animal subjects typically used in these experiments.
But ultimately, Hartung wants to turn the creations into “biological hardware” for computers. In theory, organoids could perform certain tasks using less energy and hold far more memory than current silicon machines.
Hartung and his colleague Lena Smirnova with an image of a brain organoid.
COURTESY OF THOMAS HARTUNG
This dream is already taking shape. A team of researchers in Australia recently taught a collection of brain cells to play the video game Pong using a method somewhat similar to training a dog.
The team hooked their organoid up to electrodes and fed it details on the ball’s position; the organoid sent electrical signals back to control the paddle. If the organoid successfully hit the ball, the researchers “rewarded” it with an electrical stimulus, somewhat like a treat for a pup that sits on command. The organoid didn’t master Pong, but it managed to perform better with training than it would by random chance.
We spoke to Hartung about what a brain organoid might do next — and when to expect organ-powered computers.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
If brain cells can play Pong, can they defeat humans?
They only were able to show acute, or short-term, memory. The organoid culture became better and better in each training session, but the next day, everything was forgotten. The expectation is that, now, with the potential to establish long-term memory, we can actually move into memory and learning in the sense people would understand it.
And you cannot easily build production of such complex cell cultures. It takes at least a year. We train many people, but it takes them a year, on average, to get them done.
What’s next for organoid research?
We’re planning to use brain-machine interfaces to control robots. That’s on the plan for about a year’s time from now. So, we want to demonstrate the capability of long-term learning and, ideally, learning a sequence of tasks in a brain organoid.
One of the big changes at the moment is to scale first. We are limited with the brain organoids to about half a millimeter in size … otherwise, we don’t get enough oxygen and nutrients into the center of this cell ball. But that’s just the number of neurons of a fly, so it’s not really worth training. You might lose your organoid and can’t find it anymore!
Our work at the moment aims at producing an organoid which is about 1 centimeter large — which is then, already, twice the size of a mouse brain. That’s substantial, but it requires perfusion, where we create an equivalent to blood vessels to get nutrients into the brain. That’s not rocket science; this has been done for other organs already, but nobody had seen a need so far to produce larger brains.
Tiny organoids in a petri dish at Hartung’s Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing.
CAROLINA ROMERO, CENTER FOR ALTERNATIVE TO ANIMAL TESTING, BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
How is this method different from using a mouse brain?
At the moment, when you bring a mouse or mouse brain into an experiment, it has a history: There is complex behavior, there is already an architecture in response to the mouse’s life experiences.
With our organoids, we really start from zero. We can influence and control every moment, and by what you feed into it, you can also determine what you study.
Many people are concerned about whether the organoids could suffer, for example. If I don’t give them pain receptors, there cannot be pain reception.
What about a computer that runs on a human brain?
With organoids, we can really control the input. With a human, you cannot really control what this human is experiencing. Even if you put them into a certain controlled environment, you’re limited. You’re also very much limited because — we have a skull. You cannot really poke many electrodes into the human brain easily and then control the experimental situations.
That’s exactly what we can do with organoids.
Hartung creates organoids from human skin cells in his lab.
THOMAS HARTUNG
What advantages might brain organoids have over computers?
There’s a couple of aspects which make the brain still superior to computers. For example, our capability of concluding on the basis of incomplete information, or what we would call intuitive thinking. We can be very fast and take shortcuts. We are often right — not always, but it is much easier to live with a decision that is based on incomplete data.
For example, a child can distinguish cats and dogs after 10 pictures with a pretty good error rate. A computer needs hundreds of pictures.
We can also add information much easier. You learn 10 words in Italian and you add it to your current “model.” Most computers have to just rerun their entire model to integrate this information.
But we should not compete with silicon computers where they are good. My handheld calculator is better than me at doing calculations. Why should I use a brain organoid to make it a calculator? It will likely be limited to what my brain is capable of doing — if it ever achieves something like this.
Organoids could work even quicker than today’s supercomputers, like Japan's record-breaking Fugaku.
STR/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
How far are we from brain-powered computers?
For the last 60 to 70 years, the more we have understood the brain, we have tried to make computers more brain-like, because there are still some advantages.
You can either envisage that you use it as a model to change our computer architecture, or you could at some point even have a biological component to your computational system.
That’s certainly the furthest away. It is science fiction, but I would say: 20 years ago, the iPhone was science fiction.
Are you considering the obvious question: What if these organoids become self-aware?
We are far from anything which is really producing concerns. There is no suffering, there is no self-awareness or consciousness that you can expect from these organoids, for the foreseeable future. But we have to discuss it, because people are feeling uneasy.
So, one of the things our ethicists at Johns Hopkins are doing at the moment is surveying the general population. They are asking, “what do you think about this?” At some point, people say, “Uh, perhaps we should think about this better?”
Then you give them information like, “there’s an informed consent by the donors of these cells,” or “this is done to find drugs for Alzheimer’s.” You test out what people feel about it, and this helps with the communication of this research.
We don’t want this to suddenly backfire. We want to work for the greater good.
Those who have followed the UFO phenomenon for sometime are well aware how these strange aerial machines befuddle us with their seemingly weird and unpredictable movements, which are completely unlike those of standard commercial airliners or military aircrafts. The fact that eye-witness reports from all over the world mention a similar set of bizarre behavior associated with UFOs, tells us that something inexplicable has been going on in our skies for a long time. A long, long time, indeed, if we turn over the pages of the ancient records of humanity. For UFOs are not a new phenomenon at all, and have been observed, recorded and passed down through the oral traditions of many cultures. One of the UFO hotspots of the ancient world was India, where aerial vehicles called “vimanas” have been mentioned in the legends time and again.
But, before we go there, let me quickly jot down some of the key features of UFOs from the full gamut of recorded sightings over the past few decades. I shall refer back to this list later, when I start discussing the UFO war described in the ancient Indian text.
UFOs appear to have a metallic body, with light reflecting ability. They come in different shapes viz. disc-shaped, spherical, cylinder, triangle etc. Certain reports indicate that UFOs can also change their shape.
UFOs can move away and disappear at extremely high speeds, far exceeding the speed of sound. Yet, they do so noiselessly, without producing the expected “sonic boom”. How they defy the known laws of physics is anybody’s guess.
They can accelerate / decelerate or ascend / descend vertically extremely quickly. The UFO occupants, obviously, don’t seem to mind very high G forces.
They are highly maneuverable. They can change directions drastically in an instant, and sometimes move in a zigzag motion.
UFOs have been seen standing still in mid air and hovering over a specific place.
A UFO spotted at night generally has a bright array of flashing lights of different colors.
Sometimes a single UFO may split up into multiple UFOs, which whiz off in different directions. Conversely, a number of UFOs with flashing lights could come together and give the appearance of a single object. Sometimes a bunch of UFOs can move in a V-shaped formation.
A UFO can turn off its lights and become invisible. This typically happens when fighter planes get too close to it to investigate. In such cases, the lights are turned on again once the fighter planes move away.
Sometimes a UFO sends down brilliant beams of light to the ground or into water bodies. They have the ability to lift up heavy objects by means of the light beam, including cars, humans and animals. They have been seen descending into water bodies like lakes and oceans.
Many people have seen small balls of light coming out of a UFO in mid-air and dart around, as if they are intelligent, conscious entities.
UFOs cause electronic interference with car radios, engines, and aircraft communication systems. There are reports by airline pilots that their weapons systems were temporarily disabled, only to come back online after the UFO was gone.
These are some of the UFO characteristics that recur in various eye-witness reports. It is possible to add to this list, of course, since UFOs keep surprising us with their behavior from time to time, but this will do nicely for now. Quite amazingly, some of the features listed here were observed and recorded thousands of years ago in an incredible story of a UFO battle from ancient India.
The story that I am going to relate has been documented in an ancient text called Srimad Bhagavatam [1], the composition of which is attributed to the sage Vyasa – the same person who composed the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. It tells of a king named Salva, who had propitiated Lord Shiva through his penances and acquired a vimana i.e. an aerial vehicle. In Hinduism, Shiva is the patron god of yoga and meditation, who takes on the fierce form of a “destroyer” at the end of a Yuga. The vimana that Salva obtained was called Saubha, and it was built by an “asura” called Maya or Mayasura. This is what the text tells us:
The great Lord Umapati [Shiva] is known as “he who is quickly pleased,” yet only at the end of a year did he gratify Salva, who had approached him for shelter, by offering him a choice of benedictions. Salva chose a vehicle that could be destroyed by neither demigods, demons, humans, Gandharvas, Uragas nor Raksasas, that could travel anywhere he wished to go, and that would terrify the Vrsnis. Lord Siva said, “So be it.” On his order, Maya Danava, who conquers his enemies’ cities, constructed a flying iron city named Saubha and presented it to Salva.
Maya - who built this flying city of iron - was not an ordinary human being. He was a “danava” i.e one of the sons of the primeval goddess of the waters, Danu. The danavas, along with the daityas (i.e. the children of the goddess Diti) were classed as “asuras” or “titans” in Hindu mythology. The term “asura” means “powerful” or “mighty”, and may be linked to the “aesir” of Norse legends, where it means “lord” or “god”. The asuras are powerful beings with magical powers, and although they are generous and pious by nature, they are also prone to being beset by pride, anger, jealousy, lust, greed and other egoic tendencies, which brings them into frequent confrontation with the gods (devas).
Maya was one of the leader of the asuras, and was famed for his architectural and astronomical skills. Whether he had any linkage to the Maya civilization of Mesoamerica is conjectural, for nothing specific is mentioned in the Indian texts along these lines. However, considering that the Mayans were also expert builders and astronomers, it would not be far-fetched to think that the asura Maya had a role to play in the evolution of their civilization.
Coming back to the story, on acquiring the Saubha vimana, Salva immediately attacked Dvaraka, the golden, fortified city built by Lord Krishna on the western coast of India. As per Hindu beliefs, Lord Krishna was an incarnation of the Supreme Being who had taken birth towards the end of the Dwapara Yuga (Silver Age), in order to cleanse the planet of the many bloodthirsty, powerful warriors and tyrants, and to re-promulgate the sacred wisdom to serve as a beacon of light for humanity during the dark age of Kali (Iron Age) that was soon to follow. Salva regarded Krishna as his enemy, since Krishna had killed many of his powerful allies. The text tells us:
This unassailable vehicle was filled with darkness and could go anywhere. Upon obtaining it, Salva went to Dvaraka, remembering the Vrsnis’ enmity toward him. Salva besieged the city with a large army, O best of the Bharatas, decimating the outlying parks and gardens, the mansions along with their observatories, towering gateways and surrounding walls, and also the public recreational areas. From his excellent airship he threw down a torrent of weapons, including stones, tree trunks, thunderbolts, snakes and hailstones. A fierce whirlwind arose and blanketed all directions with dust. Thus, terribly tormented by the airship Saubha, Lord Krsna’s city had no peace, O King, just like the earth when it was attacked by the three aerial cities of the demons….
At one moment the magic airship built by Maya Danava appeared in many identical forms, and the next moment it was again only one. Sometimes it was visible, and sometimes not. Thus Salva’s opponents could never be sure where it was. From one moment to the next the Saubha airship appeared on the earth, in the sky, on a mountain peak or in the water. Like a whirling, flaming baton, it never remained in any one place. Wherever Salva would appear with his Saubha ship and his army, there the Yadu commanders would shoot their arrows…As the Yadus and Salva’s followers thus went on attacking one another, the tumultuous, fearsome battle continued for twenty-seven days and nights.
In this passage we find a number of striking correlations between the descriptions of Salva’s vimana, and the characteristics of UFOs which I had listed out earlier. Let me go through them one by one. Firstly, the vimana acquired by Salva has been described as a “flying city of iron”, which is capable of going anywhere. UFOs, on the other hand, have mostly been described as metallic objects with a shiny surface. So, apparently, these aerial vehicles are made of some kind of metal, possibly with a high iron content.
Salva’s vimana sometimes appeared as a single object, and sometimes in many identical forms. This happens frequently in case of UFO sightings. A number of bright UFOs may bunch together and give the appearance of a single object, and then, suddenly, split up into multiple bright objects that fly off in different directions.
Salva’s vimana was sometimes visible, and sometimes not. UFO witnesses have said that these objects can suddenly turn off their lights and become invisible. UFOs can also accelerate away at tremendously high speeds and disappear almost instantly.
Finally, Salva’s vimana was said to constantly dart from one place to another, never remaining still in any one place. This agrees with the extreme maneuverability of UFOs. Many sightings mention that UFOs can change their direction drastically and rapidly, which, in turn, makes it very difficult for fighter planes to trail them.
The 16th century Dwarkadhish Temple at Dwarka, dedicated to Lord Krishna. It was built over an earlier shrine dating to 200 BCE. It is believed that the ancient city of Dvaraka was located in this region. Credit: Vinayaraj CC BY-SA 4.0
A vimana depicted on the walls of the Ta Prohm Temple, Cambodia. Public Domain
These correlations make it quite obvious that the vimana described in the Srimad Bhagavatam is what we today know as a UFO. Of course, to the ancients, it was not an “Unidentified” Flying Object. They knew very well who built it, and how king Salva got his hands on it. However, they wouldn’t have had any idea as to how these machines were built, for, as the text tells us, it was built by Maya, the leader of the asuras. Humans had no part in their construction. Let us now return back to the story, to see how this aerial assault on Dvaraka finally ended.
The reason why Salva’s attack on Dvaraka had lasted twenty seven days is because, Krishna, who was the foremost warrior of the Yadus, had gone to Indraprastha (near modern-day Delhi) to attend a royal sacrifice. After he returned, the battle ended quite swiftly.
Invited by Yudhisthira, the son of Dharma, Lord Krsna had gone to Indraprastha. Now that the Rajasuya sacrifice had been completed and Sisupala killed, the Lord began to see inauspicious omens. So He took leave of the Kuru elders and the great sages, and also of Prtha and her sons, and returned to Dvaraka…After He arrived at Dvaraka and saw how His people were threatened with destruction, and also saw Salva and his Saubha airship, Lord Kesava [Krishna] arranged for the city’s defense and then addressed Daruka [Krishna’s charioteer] as follows: “O driver, quickly take My chariot near Salva. This lord of Saubha is a powerful magician; don’t let him bewilder you.”
Thus ordered, Daruka took command of the Lord’s chariot and drove forth…Lord Krsna then pierced Salva with sixteen arrows and struck the Saubha airship with a deluge of arrows as it darted about the sky…While Salva continued to hurl torrents of weapons at Him with great force, Lord Krsna, whose prowess never fails, shot His arrows at Salva, wounding him and shattering his armor, bow and crest jewel. Then with His club the Lord smashed His enemy’s Saubha airship. Shattered into thousands of pieces by Lord Krsna’s club, the Saubha airship plummeted into the water. Salva abandoned it, stationed himself on the ground, took up his club and rushed toward Lord Acyuta [Krishna]…Employing His disc weapon, Lord Hari [Krishna] removed that great magician’s head with its earrings and crown, just as Purandara [Indra] had used his thunderbolt to cut off Vrtra’s head.
Thus, the magical Saubha vimana, fashioned by Maya asura and given as a boon to Salva by Lord Shiva, was eventually destroyed by Lord Krishna using his club. This suggests that, even modern-day UFOs are liable to crash or may be brought down by suitable weapons. There have been a few stories of UFO crashes, the most famous being the Roswell incident of 1947, although it is difficult to be certain of the facts of that case and of others of a similar nature.
Another important insight that can be gleaned from this story is that the ancient UFOs were not built by some prehistoric Boeing company, but by the “asuras” or “titans” - a race of powerful, semi-divine beings with magical abilities. If you are wondering where the asuras live, you need not venture very far; for they don’t live on another planet, but right below our feet in an underground realm called Patala, a Sanskrit term which means, “that which is below the feet”.
As per the ancient Indian texts, Patala has seven realms, which are occupied by the asuras, along with other supernatural entities such as the nagas (human-serpent hybrids), rakshasas (giants), yakshas (dwarfs) etc. In the Bhagavata Purana, these seven realms are described as the seven subterranean paradises (bila-svargas), which are filled with beautiful houses, groves, lakes, lovely maidens, splendid jewels and unlimited opulence. Mayasura has constructed many brilliantly decorated cities in Patala. Life here is one of perpetual pleasure and sensory enjoyments. There is no old age, no decay, and no disease in Patala. Even though there is no sunshine in these regions, the effulgence of the brilliant jewels with which the residents of Patala decorate themselves, light up the entire region. It is due to the absence of sunlight, that the concept of time does not exist in Patala, whose inhabitants enjoy enormously long lives, free of anxiety or fear.[2]
Patala sounds like the perfect destination for the next vacation! Except that, it is not easy to get there. The entrances to this underworld paradise are camouflaged and heavily guarded. In Tibetan Buddhism, Patala (meaning, “the Underground”) can be entered through specific Asura caves in the sacral landscape, which are closely guarded by dakinis (“sky goers”) - the Buddhist counterparts of the British faeries. Robert Mayer of the Oxford University writes, “Once in Patala, the yogin could gain such boons as longevity, magical knowledge, fabulous material treasures, and, not least, extraordinary pleasures, especially erotic ones.”[3] This almost sounds like one of those exotic travel brochures that you read on a long, boring flight.
So, we are basically talking about of a hidden, underground dimension of great opulence and pleasures whose entrances are guarded by invisible faeries. No wonder this stuff passed into the realm of fantasies and legends over time. At some point, I guess, you simply couldn’t talk about it with a straight face. And yet, now we have this global UFO phenomenon, and the ancient texts tell us that UFOs are built by the supernatural beings of Patala. And to add to that, UFOs have been seen entering into water bodies, and many eye-witnesses have reported dwarf alien beings, the dwarfs being one of the members of the faerie folk.
It’s definitely time to bring the topic of Patala out of the cupboard, dust it off and take a fresh look at similar beliefs from around the world. For, it is quite possible that some of the UFO and alien sightings could be of subterranean origin. As to what their plans are for humanity, why they feel the urge to abduct humans and poke them with needles, or what they gain by mutilating animals – these are questions that will continue to baffle us for the time being.
ALL RELATED VIDEOS, selected and posted by peter2011
Robert Mayer, "The Importance of the Underworlds: Asuras' Caves in Buddhism, and Some Other Themes in Early Buddhist Tantras Reminiscent of the Later Padmasambhava Legends", Journal of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, 2007.
Is your dresser covered with dust? How about your coffee table? Your car? Before you grab a rag or a hose, you may want to pause and take a closer look at those particles. An astronomer in Japan believes dust on Earth may be filled with space dust ejected from meteorite and planetary collisions in our Solar System and beyond, and that dust could contain evidence of extraterrestrial life. Is this the perfect excuse for not dusting?
Is this the future of SETI?
“The search for life outside our solar system typically means a search for signs of communication, which would indicate intelligent life but precludes any pre-technological life. Or the search is for atmospheric signatures that might hint at life, but without direct confirmation there could always be an explanation that does not require life.”
Professor Tomonori Totani from the University of Tokyo’s Department of Astronomy states the obvious in a university press release announcing the release of his new study, "Solid grains ejected from terrestrial exoplanets as a probe of the abundance of life in the Milky Way," published in the International Journal of Astrobiology. Professor Totani thinks all of those other astronomers analyzing data from the habitable “Goldilocks” zones around other stars in our galaxy in the race to find technical or biological signatures are looking in the wrong direction, and even if they find something that looks like a life sign, there are always chemical alternatives that could explain them. He plans to win the race to find extraterrestrial life by looking down instead of up – at the dust beneath our feet covering planet Earth.
“I propose we study well-preserved grains ejected from other worlds for potential signs of life.”
In a sense, Professor Totani is saying the evidence of extraterrestrial life is already terrestrial – but unlike others searching for it, he doesn’t believe it came in a spaceship shaped like a long cigar or a breath lozenge or a saucer. He believes the evidence traveled to Earth on its own in the form of space dust ejected from its home planet or space rock by a catastrophic event. Totani points out that geologists have found meteorite fragments on Earth which originated on Mars. It takes no stretch of the imagination to look at the Chixculub asteroid collision 65 million years ago and see some of the millions of tons of debris ejected into the air continuing on into space and traveling to Mars and beyond to other solar systems. Intelligent life forms on exoplanets could find our dust and see evidence of the life that once existed on the solid ground that dust came from. Why can’t we do the same thing with the space dust that falls on Earth? After all, there is plenty of it. A 2021 study published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters estimated that around 5,200 metric tons of micrometeorites fall to Earth every year. Micrometeorites are particles less than a millimeter in diameter – approaching the size of the space dust or ejecta Totani is looking for.
“There is a chance that recently deceased or even fossilized microorganisms could be contained in some rocky material in this ejecta.”
Grains in the region of 1 micrometer (one-thousandth of a millimeter) could not only host a specimen of a single-celled organism, but they could also potentially escape their host solar system altogether, and under the right circumstances, maybe even venture to ours.”
Professor Totani admits that the chances of life forms staying alive on a dust particle traveling from another star system are smaller than the dust particle itself. Even if it was like a tardigrade and could survive the cataclysmic event that ejected it on its trip and could live long enough to reach Earth, the extreme heat, cold and space radiation would probably end its life somewhere during the voyage. However, signs of life might still be seen in the particles. And with about 5,200 metric tons of micrometeorites hitting Earth annually, they shouldn’t be hard to find. Right, Professor Totani?
“Despite that, I calculate around 100,000 such grains could be landing on Earth every year.”
Forget the needle … this is like looking for a dust particle in a haystack. Nonetheless, astronomers are an optimistic group of scientists. Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb thinks he can find debris from an interstellar space object on the floor of the Pacific Ocean even though it crashed in 2014. Professor Totani is cut from the same cloth – he believes that while his estimate may be too high, it could also be too low, and in either case “the means to explore it already exist so it seems like a worthwhile pursuit.”
“These grains from terrestrial exoplanets can be collected by detectors placed in space, utilizing a low-density capture media like silica aerogel that enables capture of hypervelocity particles with mild deceleration and hence minimal damage to biosignatures.”
One method Totani proposes is a kind of space gel pack with a stick surface which would catch space dust but have enough cushion that the dust remains intact and undamaged. The gel packs could then be retrieved for study.
“Another collecting method may be to search on Earth for these exoplanet grains. Cosmic dust particles smaller than 10–100 µm survive atmospheric entry without severe heating, and hence biosignatures are not seriously damaged by the entry process.”
That dust on your hand could have once been dust on an ET's hand.
Totani also thinks that, like micrometeorites and asteroid debris, space dust particles could be on Earth – frozen in Antarctic ice or resting on the floor of the oceans. While it has been relatively easy to find micrometeorites in Antarctica, and Avi Loeb believes he can find them in the Pacific, sifting through the scoops of dirt to find the extraterrestrial dust, and then sorting that out to separate the stuff from our solar system and the stuff from other star systems seems to be a daunting task. But not impossible, and it can happen today, not far into the future like a mission to another planet or moon. Professor Totani believes it is worth the effort.
“Extraordinary biosignatures that are quite different from known Earth life, as well as anomalous isotope ratios and/or mineralogical compositions, are expected to be helpful in identifying biosignatures of extrasolar particles. Finding even just one such particle would have an immense impact on the origin of life studies.”
One speck of space dust from another solar system with a biosignature proving life existed on the planet it came from would truly be a “this changes everything” moment. Think about that as you look at what your rag picked up from the top of your coffee table.
In the interview, Bryan Callen and Leslie Kean discuss various aspects of UFOs, government knowledge, and related phenomena. They cover topics such as:
Leslie Kean’s background as a journalist investigating UFOs and her book, “UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record.”
Mass sightings, including the Phoenix Lights event in 1997 and other sightings in Hudson Valley and Belgium in the 1980s and 1990s.
The speed at which some UFOs have been reported to travel, such as 13,000 MPH, and the implications of such capabilities.
Area 51 and speculation about what might be inside the secretive facility.
The U.S. government’s response to UFO sightings, including the Pentagon’s recent acknowledgment of the existence of UFOs and the creation of a task force to study them.
The difference in how UFO sightings are handled by governments in other countries, with some being more open about the topic than the United States.
The possibility that the U.S. government might be using UFOs as a means to spook adversaries with advanced technology.
Leslie Kean’s involvement in the documentary series “UFOs: Investigating the Unknown,” which originally aired on CNN and is now available on Hulu.
Throughout the conversation, they also discuss the fascination people have with UFOs and the mystery surrounding their existence, as well as the importance of approaching the subject with an open mind and a healthy dose of skepticism.
NASA has spent many years seeking the truth regarding extraterrestrial life. Furthermore, the space agency has never denied the existence of non-human life beyond Earth in any form. This is sufficient to discuss the idea of non-human life existing beyond Earth in any form, from the microscopic to the macroscopic. Avi Loeb, a professor at Harvard, has supported the idea that there may have been earlier civilizations on both Earth and Mars, and that these civilizations may have been the origin of UAPs.
The head of the Galileo Project Avi Loeb speculated that Mars, which is the main spot for NASA to find the clue to alien life, was once the home to a long-vanished civilization that may have thrived like Earthly civilization. According to the most recent study of data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), Mars was rippling with rivers and ponds over the first half of its history. Based on the analogy with Earth, it is conventionally expected that Mars developed microbial life when it lost its atmosphere. In that case, the water on its surface evaporated and left a frozen desert.
This study gives thought to Mr. Loeb into believing the possibility that it intelligent life on Mars developed just twice as fast as it did on Earth, there could have been a technologically advanced civilization there a few billion years before humans showed up on Earth.
A strange keyhole-shaped formation protruding from the surface of Mars was first noticed by George Hass
He writes: “Planets like Mars or Earth could have given multiple births to technological civilizations that were a billion years apart and hence were not aware of each other. Like stable parents, the planets recovered from the environmental impact of these civilizations over time. We may have been separated in time from siblings that we never had the opportunity to meet and so we are unaware of their existence.”
Mr. Loeb believes it is possible that some of the technological advancement devices made by early inhabitants of Mars and Earth are still operational elsewhere in the Solar System. He suggests that “in that case, old flying gadgets could be a source of some of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in reports from the Director of National Intelligence to the US Congress.” (Source)
Professor Loeb is not alone in thinking of the advanced civilization that once inhabited Mars. Physicist John E. Brandenburg explained in this 2015 study what could have happened on Mars. The planet that once had an Earthlike atmosphere faced a massive thermonuclear explosion that destroyed its atmosphere. The study considered the Cydonian Hypothesis and Fermi’s Paradox. (Source)
Brandenburg considered the Cydonian Hypothesis in light of imaging and geochemical data. He adopted a model of Earthlike eroded archeology for comparison with Mars artifacts using the pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx and Olmec heads as analogs under the Principle of Mediocrity with attention to detail.
John E. Brandenburg.
Image credit: COAST TO CAST AM
Enrico Fermi analyzed the problem of the universe where intelligent life was both possible and noisy. He also knew the Universe was very old compared to humanity. There was plenty of time for other species to develop and make radio and TV broadcasts and spread throughout the universe to all habitable planets.
NASA, from its inception, expected that artifacts of past intelligent activity might be found in the Solar System: “Though intelligent or semi-intelligent life conceivably exists elsewhere in our solar system, if intelligent extraterrestrial life is discovered in the next twenty years, it will very probably be by radio telescope from other solar systems. Evidence of its existence might also be found in artifacts left on the moon or other planets.”
In his work, physicist Brandenburg showed that data from two Martian sites, Cydonia Mensa and Galaxias Chaos, were studied. This led to the Cydonian Hypothesis, which says that there was an ancient, native civilization on Mars around the time of the Bronze Age. Isotopic and gamma-ray data from Mars show that a huge explosion with both fusion and fission took place near Cydonia Mensa.
The existence of a dead humanoid civilization on Mars is completely consistent with its apparent long-lived Earthlike past climate and the Principle of Mediocrity, the idea that humanoid intelligence is not exotic or miraculous, but is a natural consequence of any long-lived Earthlike biosphere. This Martian civilization apparently perished due to a planet-wide catastrophe of unknown origin, that changed Mars’ climate from being Earthlike to its present state in a brief period compared to geologic time. However, what ended this civilization, was it a massive nuclear attack?
Taken together, the evidence suggests that Mars was the locale of a planetary nuclear massacre. The answer to Fermi’s Paradox may thus lie on Mars. Brandenburg recommended that a mission for human occupation of Mars should be immediately initiated to maximize knowledge of what transpired there.
Taking into Mr. Loeb and Brandenburg’s views on the existence of alleged Martian civilization in the past, in 2019, Retired NASA scientific director Dr. Jim Green gave some statements that caused a lot of controversies. The expert believed that it is most likely that the European Space Agency had already discovered evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. Dr. Green is convinced that humanity, as we know it today, is not ready for such information.
In the summer of 2020, two rovers from Nasa and the European Space Agency (ESA) traveled to Mars to drill horizontally into rocks and deep into the surface, in the hope of finding evidence of living organisms. He assured that the evidence of extraterrestrial existence on Mars was obtained, at the latest, in the middle of 2021. However, it will take much longer for humanity to come to terms with the fact that life does exist outside of Earth after all. (Source)
Note: NASA’s rover Mars 2020 successfully landed on February 18, 2021, however, ExoMars rover a.k.a. Rosalind Franklin launch was postponed by 2028 due to conflicts in Ukraine.
Before the launch, Dr. Green said: “The missions are the best chance humanity has ever had of answering the question: ‘Are we alone in the universe?’” He added that “there is a real possibility that one or both will be successful.” Yet it would have far-reaching implications, and he believes Earth is not ready.
“It will be revolutionary. It’s like when Copernicus stated ‘no we go around the Sun’. Completely revolutionary. It will start a whole new line of thinking. I don’t think we’re prepared for the results. We’re not.”
“I’ve been worried about that because I think we’re close to finding it, and making some announcements. What happens next is a whole new set of scientific questions. Is that life like us? How are we related? Can life can move from planet to planet or do we have a spark and just the right environment and that spark generates life – like us or not like us – based on the chemical environment that it is in?”
The research published in 2020 shows that planets that were previously thought to be uninhabitable may have once had suitable conditions for life. The researchers detected a chemical — phosphine — in the thick Venus atmosphere. After much analysis, the scientists assert that something now alive is the only explanation for the chemical’s source.
No wonder the whole world will unite if tomorrow Earth is invaded by aliens. It may sound like science fiction but the probability of it cannot be denied. There are many accounts of encountering non-human beings but such stories are often neglected due to a lack of strong evidence. However, things become different when a government itself supports such claims. Some of them were Gen. Douglas McArthur, Gen. George Marshall, Werner Von Braun, President Ronald Reagan, Gen. Nathan Twining, Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, Dr. Carl Gustav Jung, and many others.
Former US President Ronald Reagan expressed his concern about an alien invasion in his speeches from 1985 to 1988. In one of his speeches to the UN, he said: “What if all of us in the world were threatened by an outer power, from outer space, from another planet? We would all of a sudden find out that we didn’t have any differences at all.” None of the presidential aides, speechwriters, and handlers liked what he said. Besides, it never appeared on original drafts. Despite it, Reagan continued adding it subtly.
In 1982, there was a special screening of the movie “ET: The Extra-Terrestrial” at the White House. During the screening, President Reagan whispered to Steven Spielberg that everything depicted in the film was real. Spielberg confirmed this during an interview with Quint (also known as Eric Vespe).
John Herrington, Former US Navy AS R&MA and served as the United States Secretary of Energy under Ronald Reagan during his second term.
Spielberg said: “No, he wasn’t ushered out of the room. He was the President of the United States! Nobody could usher Ronald Reagan out of the room! It was in the White House screening room and Reagan got up to thank me for bringing the film to show the President, the First Lady, and all of their guests, which included Sandra Day O’Connor in her first week as a Justice of the Supreme Court, and it included some astronauts… I think Neil Armstrong was there, I’m not 100% certain, but it was an amazing, amazing evening.”
Reagan was criticized for his bizarre comments on aliens, he was called an actor reading a script but the truth is that they were his own words. In the following years, many officials in the White House hinted at the presence of outer world life.
One such interesting case is brought to light by the writer, producer, co-host of the podcast Need To Know, and former CNN correspondent Bryce Zabel. Mr. Bryce discovered the story of a Reagan administration cabinet member crying himself to sleep after being briefed on the truth about UFOs.
President Reagan and James Baker interviewing John Herrington for the cabinet position of Secretary of Energy in Oval Office Photo courtesy of U.S. National Archives and Records Administration: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum.
Mr. Bryce was telling a story originally told by his friend Brent Friedman. According to him, Brent was a family friend of John S. Herrington, who served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of Energy in the Reagan Administration. Herrington “had Brent drive his car across the country in 1981 because he had just taken a position in the Reagan administration.” This is where Herrington allegedly told this story to Friedman. (Source)
Friedman said: “A good family friend of ours, when I was just getting out of high school, was working at a very high level in the Reagan administration. One night, he took me aside and was telling me some of the things he was doing in the government. He was going to get us a White House tour and everything and ended up telling me some pretty shattering stories.
And in particular, he knew that I had always been into science fiction and fantasy and comic books and very casually just threw out there that aliens were real. They’re here, and I’ve seen them. The story goes on to much greater detail because at the time, I was just absolutely shocked. And this is a person I grew up with and I completely trusted, and he just rocked my world.”
“In addition to Sauder’s well-documented research, there are other tantalizing links to the underground world. One, for example, concerns an assistant secretary to a branch of the armed forces in a new Republican administration. This person told a family friend that he had been ‘briefed’ for some eight weeks at an underground facility outside of Washington.”
When asked the purpose of the briefing, this highly-positioned man, who went on to become a cabinet secretary, said: “There is intelligent life in the universe. It’s here. And I’ve seen it.” The man said that the information he had been given caused him to cry himself to sleep for a number of nights. The reason, he told his shocked listener, was that he had children. “This is not the kind of world I thought they’d grow up in.
What kinds of things are going on that require months-long briefings in underground facilities and cause grown men to cry? The cabinet secretary told the family friend that aliens were just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ in terms of mind-blowing revelations. It is clear, then, that large underground facilities not only are real, but are connected in some way with the reality of ETs or ‘Others’ here on Earth."
The claims of non-human intelligence living with us are not new and have been told by more than a dozen of government officials.
The Honorable Paul Hellyer (1923-2021), former Canadian Minister of Defense said extraterrestrials have been visiting our planet for thousands of years and it is likely that at least two of them are working with the U.S. government and sharing their highly-advanced technologies with humans.
Hellyer stated that “aliens are living among us and that it is likely at least two of them are working with the U.S. government.” More specifically, Hellyer announced that at least four species of extraterrestrials had been visiting Earth for thousands of years. According to Huffington Post Canada, he also stated that some extraterrestrials originate from the “Zeta Reticuli, the Pleiades, Orion, Andromeda, and Altair star systems” and “may have different agendas.”
In December 2020, Haim Eshed, a retired Israeli general and former head of the Israeli Defense Ministry’s space directorate gained attention for making controversial claims about extraterrestrial life and alleged secret collaborations between humans and aliens. He stated that aliens and the U.S. government had reached some type of deal to stay quiet about their experiments on Earth and secret facilities on Mars.
In his claims, Mr. Eshed said ETs exist and monitor our nuclear capabilities. There is a “Galactic Federation,” and the alien species with whom humanity will contact is “Grey.” According to him, Earth is their Petri dish, and they are also trying to understand the whole fabric of the universe. He further stated that some of the smaller UFOs are robots/AI, consciousness is present after death, and humans have anti-gravity technology but it is still classified.
Jim Semivan, a former CIA officer has recently made a shocking statement, saying “there’s a whole other reality that surrounds us that we just simply don’t have the ability to see or interact with. There’s an entity out there! There’s some kind of non-human intelligence that’s living with us on this planet!”
“I think they mention that the phenomenon is a natural part of our universe, and we’re living in it but we don’t recognize it. The same way that insects and animals don’t recognize the human universe. A cat and a dog could be running through a library, but they don’t have the faintest idea what the books are all about and what libraries are all about. We might be walking through our existence and there’s a whole other reality that surrounds us that we just simply don’t have the ability to see or interact with.”
“It seems to be peeking inside our little consensus reality. As I explained to somebody once, it comes close, it teases us, it cajoles us, it lies to us, but you can never take it home to meet the parents. It won’t allow you to do that. There’s no formal introduction. Add on top that there’s no ontology, which is just a fancy word, it basically means there’s no structure to even discuss this. We don’t have a common lexicon. Somebody said we have dots but no connections. I don’t even think we have dots.”
The next major step in astronomy, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will see the big picture in terms of space.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is the next major step in astronomy.
(Image credit: GSFC/SVS)
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA's future infrared space observatory that will attempt to tackle some of the most pressing questions in cosmology by addressing the mysteries of dark energy.
The telescope also known as "Roman" or the "Roman Space Telescope" will also search for planets outside the solar system — exoplanets, and will investigate the physics of distant stars.
Set to launch around 2026 or 2027, NASA says(opens in new tab) that the space telescope possesses a wide field of view that will allow it to generate never-before-seen big pictures of the universe essential for tackling some of the most pressing cosmic mysteries. The mission is projected to last for five years.
The Roman space telescope will be situated at Lagrange point 2, a stable gravitational point between Earth and the sun located around 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from our planet.
WHO IS TELESCOPE NAMED AFTER?
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope began life as the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) in 2010, only gaining its current name a decade later when in May 2020 it was renamed in honor of Nancy Grace Roman, a pioneering scientist who served as NASA's first chief astronomer from 1961 to 1963. Roman passed away on December 26, 2018, at the age of 93.
During her life, Roman was affectionately known as "the mother of Hubble" the nickname emerged due to the fact that Roman tirelessly advocated for new tools that would allow scientists to study the broader universe which led to the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990.
Nancy Grace Roman is best remembered for being the first chief of astronomy in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, and the first woman to hold an executive position at the space agency. (Image credit: NASA)
Announcing the new moniker for WFIRST in 2020 then NASA administrator, Jim Bridenstine said:(opens in new tab) "It is because of Nancy Grace Roman's leadership and vision that NASA became a pioneer in astrophysics and launched Hubble, the world's most powerful and productive space telescope."
"I can think of no better name for WFIRST, which will be the successor to NASA's Hubble and Webb Telescopes." Bridenstine continued.
"Roman is planned to teach us a great deal about exoplanets and cosmology, but will have the capability to do so much more," Postdoctoral Fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Samson A. Johnson told Space.com. "Right now, and all the way up to and after its launch, there will be a lot of opportunities for astronomers to propose their own ideas for Roman, and there are many interesting prospects such as studying stellar mass black holes, exoplanet transit surveys, asteroseismology surveys, and much, much more." Johnson continued.
NANCY GRACE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE DEVELOPMENT AND COST
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has been a long time in the making. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic furnished with text supplied by Robert Lea. )
The development of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has been handled primarily by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, with participation by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, in Pasadena, California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprised researchers from institutions across the U.S.
The development of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has been handled primarily by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, with participation by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, in Pasadena, California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprised researchers from institutions across the U.S.
Initial designs for the Roman Space Telescope from 2011 suggested it would be equipped with a smaller 4.3 ft (1.3 m) diameter mirror and a single instrument. The current and final design of the telescope was introduced in 2015 in the WFIRST-AFTA 2015 Report by the Science Definition Team (SDT) and WFIRST Study Office.
In 2022, NASA estimated the total launch cost of the Roman telescope as $255 million, which includes the launch service and other mission-related costs.
WHAT WILL THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE DO?
According to the WFIRST-AFTA Science Definition Team Final Report(opens in new tab) the Roman Space Telescope will weigh 4,166 kilograms (9,184 pounds) at launch and is set to carry a payload of 2,191 kg (4,830 lb).
The primary mirror of the Roman Space Telescope has a diameter of 7.9 ft (2.4 meters), the same size as the mirror of Hubble but under a quarter of the weight at 410 pounds (186 kilograms).
The primary mirror of The Roman Space Telescope is 7.9 ft (2.4 meters) across. (Image credit: L3Harris Technologies)
The mirror grants the telescope a 0.281-degree square field of view and sends light to the two main instruments carried by the Roman Space Telescope, the Wide Field Instrument, and the telescope's Coronagraph Instrument. The barrel-like shape of the spacecraft itself blocks out unwanted light from the sun.
This will allow the Wide Field Instrument to measure the light from a billion galaxies over its 5 5-year-long operation time, thus facilitating the primary mission of the Roman Space Telescope — to investigate dark energy.
As NASA points out,(opens in new tab) physicists estimate that dark energy accounts for around 68% of the universe's total energy/matter content, yet have little idea what it actually is. One way of addressing this problem could be to observe how the influence of dark energy has changed over time.
The Wide Field Instrument on the Roman Space Telescope will help investigate this by mapping the distribution of matter across the universe and measuring how the universe has expanded since it was around 500 million years old, about 4% of its current age. Examining the brightness and distances of supernovas, the explosions that occur at the end of stars' lives, the Roman Space Telescope may detect the first traces of dark energy thus giving scientists an idea of how the influence of this mysterious force has grown over time.
Among the other objectives of Roman, such as the study of distant supernovas and the examination of objects on the outskirts of the solar system, will be the hunt for planets around other stars.
NANCY GRACE ROMAN TELESCOPE AND DARK ENERGY FAQS ANSWERED BY AN EXPERT
Luz Ángela García is a cosmology postdoctoral researcher at Universidad ECCI in Bogotá, Colombia.
We asked Luz Ángela García, a cosmology postdoc in Bogotá, Colombia, a few questions about the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope and dark energy.
How does the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope compare to the James Webb Space Telescope?
Both telescopes are optimized to work on the wavelength range of the infrared. However, the JWST has a very narrow and detailed field of view. Instead, the Nancy Grace Roman will cover a very broad patch of the sky. One way to understand this is that the science goals of both telescopes are different, and thus, their coverage has to adapt to these observational needs.
The JWST aims to recover deep lines of view of the sky. On the other hand, the Roman will provide us with the "Big Picture". It will complement other wide galaxy surveys run from the ground, such as DESI or the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory.
How will the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope study dark energy?
Most capabilities of the Nancy Grace Roman will make it a suitable instrument to study the nature of dark energy. Because of its broad coverage of the sky, the telescope will capture an unprecedented number of galaxies in its field of view and the distribution of those galaxies in our universe, which will allow us to understand the effect of dark energy on large cosmological scales and the clustering and evolution of galaxies. With such an extensive map of the galaxies, we can recover a robust prediction of the acoustic peak.
On the other hand, the Nancy Grace Roman will focus on detecting signals in the infrared; thus, it will 'see' galaxies that the current ground-based telescopes could be missing. In addition, the telescope will observe a large number of supernova Ia (the same type of objects that led to the concept of dark energy and the accelerated expansion of the universe in the first place). Most importantly, its findings concerning dark energy and the Universe's large-scale structure will complement those made by other observatories.
What impact will the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope have on astronomy?
Every new telescope provides a new piece of information about dark energy, the structure of matter, and the universe itself. This telescope will allow us to get a very broad map of the galaxies in infrared, therefore, they will not be only nearby galaxies, but mostly early galaxies whose light has traveled for a long time before reaching the mirrors of the Roman, thus their light will exhibit large redshifts.
But the Nancy Grace Roman will also address other interesting topics in the discipline, such as exoplanets delivering the largest census of planetary systems in our galaxy and other astronomical challenges in the infrared that neither the HST nor the JWST can tackle because of their narrow view.
HUNTING FOR EXOPLANETS
"Roman is going to teach us about exoplanets in two ways. First, one of its Core Community Surveys is designed to detect microlensing events. These events are the extremely rare, near-perfect alignment of a foreground object and a background star, which is why we need Roman's large field-of-view to monitor for these rare events," Johnson explains. "The mass of the foreground object bends space in such a way that it magnifies the light coming from the background star, temporarily increasing its brightness. If there are any planets orbiting the lensing star, they will cause deviations in the magnification which will indicate their presence."
By using the tiny bending of light caused by the presence of mass the Wide Field Instrument will conduct a survey of theMilky Wayand hunt for around 2,600 new exoplanets, according toNASA JPL(opens in new tab).
As this instrument searches for new exoplanets, the Roman Coronagraph will investigate dozens of already discovered exoplanets, by imaging them and carrying out spectroscopic — absorption and emissions of light and other radiation — observations.
Examining light as it passes through the atmospheres of exoplanets can reveal the elements that make up said atmospheres and can help scientists detect the presence of molecules such as water and complex organic molecules that could be the by-products of life.
Technology currently allows astronomers to detect bright young exoplanets that are around a million times dimmer than their host stars, but many exoplanets are fainter by their stars by factors of 100 million or more. This is especially true for "mature" gas giants like the solar system's own Jupiter and Saturn or rocky terrestrial worlds like Earth.
"The second way that Roman will study planets is by using its Coronographic Instrument, which is a technological demonstration of the first space-based adaptive optics," Johnson adds. "This will be critical for the future of directly imaging planets from space, and pave the way for the next generation of space telescopes searching for biosignatures in the 2040s."
The Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument will be the first high-performance coronagraph system sent into space with current lab tests indicating the instrument should be able to detect exoplanets a billion times fainter than their host star.
That makes Roman an important stepping stone for future missions that aim to image and characterize terrestrial planets 10 billion times fainter than their host star.
SPACE TELESCOPE SHOWDOWN: NANCY GRACE ROMAN VS THE JAMES WEBB VS HUBBLE
Though it's natural to compare the abilities of, the Hubble space telescope, theJames Webb Space Telescope, and the forthcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, none of these instruments is strictly a replacement for its predecessor, instead, each telescope is intended to complement the other. Though all three instruments view the universe in infrared, they offer different cosmic perspectives.
Header Cell - Column
Roman
Hubble
JWST
Wavelength coverage
0.5 to 2.3 microns (visible and infrared)
0.2 to 1.7 microns (ultraviolet light to near-infrared)
0.6 to 28 microns (near infrared, mid-infrared and small amount of visible light).
Primary mirror diameter
7.9 feet (2.4 meters)
7.9 feet (2.4 meters)
21 foot-diameter (6.5-meter)
Roman's wavelength coverage of visible and infrared light will span 0.5 to 2.3 microns, which is a 20% increase over the mission's original design. NASA says(opens in new tab) this range will enable the telescope to better collaborate with the Hubble Space Telescope, which views the universe in ultraviolet light to near-infrared light, 0.2 to 1.7 microns, and the JWST which observes the cosmos in near-infrared, mid-infrared and a small amount of visible light, from 0.6 to 28 microns.
The silver-coated mirror of Roman is the same size as Hubble's primary mirror, but it is dwarfed by the gold-coated mirror 21 foot-diameter (6.5-meter) mirror of the JWST. This huge mirror made of 18 hexagonal segments makes the JWST 100 times more powerful than Hubble and can see objects 100 times fainter than Hubble allowing it to see deeper into the universe. Because light has a finite traveling speed this means the JWST can see further back in time than Hubble, too.
Each telescope is intended to complement the other. (Image credit: NASA)
"The best way to compare Roman and Webb is actually to compare them to Hubble. Webb's big advantage over Hubble is that it is much more sensitive and can detect sources of light 100 times fainter than Hubble," Johnson said. "This makes Webb an excellent 'Swiss army knife' type observatory, very flexible and can observe a wide range of objects from the first galaxies to directly imaging exoplanets.
"Roman has a similar sensitivity to Hubble, but it has a much wider field of view. In one pointing, Roman can observe a patch of sky 100 times larger than Hubble can in a single pointing. This makes Roman great at observing thousands of galaxies at a time or tens of millions of stars in one image."
Roman's Wide Field Instrument's field of view is 100 times greater than Hubble's widest exposure. (Image credit: NASA Goddard Media Studios)
NASA estimates that Roman's infrared vision should also allow the telescope to see back into the universe to when it was little more than 300 million years old. Though Roman's main strength, according to NASA(opens in new tab), is the size of its field of view.
Roman's Wide Field Instrument's field of view is 100 times greater than Hubble's widest exposure. Roman will therefore generate much larger views of the cosmos while matching Hubble's crisp infrared resolution. In its first five years of operation, Roman will image over 50 times as much of the night sky as Hubble has done since 1990. Though Hubble can still capture something Roman can't provide, high-resolution ultraviolet observations, thus demonstrating that even the oldest of these three 'mega-telescopes' is in no way made obsolete by its predecessors.
This will allow Roman to spot targets in its wide-field view for Hubble to follow up in infrared, and for the JWST to get a clearer and deeper view of.
"Combining the Roman Space Telescope's findings with Hubble's and Webb's could revolutionize our understanding in a multitude of cosmic pursuits," NASA says.(opens in new tab)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The inspiration behind the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and so many of NASA's pioneering missions is its first chief astronomer, Nancy Grace Roman. You can read about her life in her own words in an interview conducted before her death in 2018, during a series of interviews she gave with NASA(opens in new tab).
The primary mission of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be the investigation of dark energy. You can get the lowdown on this mysterious force driving the expansion of the universe, with these resources from NASA(opens in new tab). Put your observation skills to the test with NASA's Roman Space Observer game.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, [Accessed 01/26/23], [https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/(opens in new tab)]
AI-blog | AI-experts en Elon Musk roepen op om onderzoek stil te leggen
AI-blog | AI-experts en Elon Musk roepen op om onderzoek stil te leggen
Foto: BELGA
Hoe wij omgaan met informatie op het internet is helemaal aan het veranderen. En onze job ziet er straks ook heel anders uit. In deze blog volgen we de pijlsnelle opmars van ChatGPT en generatieve AI.
Gastheer van deze blog: Dominique Deckmyn
Het onderzoek in de meest geavanceerde AI-systemen moet voor zes maanden worden stilgelegd, om overleg mogelijk te maken over noodzakelijke veiligheidsmaatregelen. Die oproep is de jongste uren ondertekend door onder meer Elon Musk, Apple-oprichter Steve Wozniak en historicus Yuval Noah Harari.
De open brief staat op de website van het Future of Life institute. Het groeiende lijstje ondertekenaars omvat al heel wat vooraanstaande tech-ondernemers en denkers. Daar zitten medewerkers bij van verschillende grote spelers in de AI, zoals Deepmind (een zusterbedrijf van Google) en Stability AI (ontwikkelaar van de beeldgenerator Stable Diffusion). Voorlopig is nog niemand gesignaleerd van OpenAI, het bedrijf dat enkele weken geleden zijn meest geavanceerde AI-model, GPT-4 lanceerde.
Opvallend is dat de brief heel nadrukkelijk oproept om alleen de ontwikkeling stil te leggen van systemen ‘krachtiger dan GPT-4’. Koploper OpenAI zou dus de ontwikkeling van een hypothetisch GPT-5 voor zes maanden moeten stilleggen, maar concurrenten zouden ongestoord verder kunnen werken om hun achterstand op OpenAI in te halen. Dat kan de reden zijn dat de topmensen van OpenAI niet, maar die van de concurrenten wél bij de ondertekenaars zijn. Ook het ontwikkelen van AI-toepassingen gebaseerd op bestaande AI-modellen zou niet worden gehinderd.
De brief opent met een waarschuwing voor ‘human-competitive intelligence’ en de maatschappelijke risico’s die samenhangen met het gebruik van AI die de mens naar de kroon steekt. Zo’n ingrijpende verandering in de geschiedenis van het leven op aarde, zegt de brief, moet met grote zorg gepland worden. Maar in plaats daarvan is een ‘ongecontroleerde race’ aan de gang ‘die niemand, zelfs niet de makers, kan begrijpen, voorspellen of controleren’.
De oproep om de ontwikkeling van systemen die GPT-4 overtreffen, voor zes maanden stil te leggen, is geadresseerd aan alle AI-labs. Als daar geen akkoord over wordt bereikt, moeten overheden een moratorium opleggen.
De adempauze van zes maanden moet worden gebruikt om regelgeving en regelgevende autoriteiten op punt te stellen. Een andere geëiste maatregel is een systeem van ingebouwde watermerken, zodat teksten geproduceerd door zo’n AI-systeem als zodanig kunnen worden herkend.
We call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.
AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity, as shown by extensive research[1] and acknowledged by top AI labs.[2] As stated in the widely-endorsed Asilomar AI Principles, Advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth, and should be planned for and managed with commensurate care and resources. Unfortunately, this level of planning and management is not happening, even though recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control.
Contemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks,[3] and we must ask ourselves: Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization? Such decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders. Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable. This confidence must be well justified and increase with the magnitude of a system's potential effects. OpenAI's recent statement regarding artificial general intelligence, states that "At some point, it may be important to get independent review before starting to train future systems, and for the most advanced efforts to agree to limit the rate of growth of compute used for creating new models." We agree. That point is now.
Therefore, we call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. This pause should be public and verifiable, and include all key actors. If such a pause cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium.
AI labs and independent experts should use this pause to jointly develop and implement a set of shared safety protocols for advanced AI design and development that are rigorously audited and overseen by independent outside experts. These protocols should ensure that systems adhering to them are safe beyond a reasonable doubt.[4] This does not mean a pause on AI development in general, merely a stepping back from the dangerous race to ever-larger unpredictable black-box models with emergent capabilities.
AI research and development should be refocused on making today's powerful, state-of-the-art systems more accurate, safe, interpretable, transparent, robust, aligned, trustworthy, and loyal.
In parallel, AI developers must work with policymakers to dramatically accelerate development of robust AI governance systems. These should at a minimum include: new and capable regulatory authorities dedicated to AI; oversight and tracking of highly capable AI systems and large pools of computational capability; provenance and watermarking systems to help distinguish real from synthetic and to track model leaks; a robust auditing and certification ecosystem; liability for AI-caused harm; robust public funding for technical AI safety research; and well-resourced institutions for coping with the dramatic economic and political disruptions (especially to democracy) that AI will cause.
Humanity can enjoy a flourishing future with AI. Having succeeded in creating powerful AI systems, we can now enjoy an "AI summer" in which we reap the rewards, engineer these systems for the clear benefit of all, and give society a chance to adapt. Society has hit pause on other technologies with potentially catastrophic effects on society.[5] We can do so here. Let's enjoy a long AI summer, not rush unprepared into a fall.
For thousands of years, phallic objects have been used symbolically as a means to boost fertility and ward off evil spirits - but their use as sexual aids has a long history, too.
A 28,000-year-old phallus found in Germany recently, for example, is quoted as being the oldest known 'sex toy' ever found.
While phalluses made from stone, wood, leather and even camel dung have all be found during excavations, or referenced throughout historical text and images.
To celebrate this expansive history of sexual experience, the Wellcome Collection currently has a number of ceremonial sculptures shaped - among other sexual artefacts - as part of its Institute of Sexology exhibition.
A 7.8-inch (20cm) long, 1.1-inch (3cm) wide stone object (pictured) was found in the Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm in the Swabian Jura. The prehistoric ‘tool’ is made from 14 fragments of siltstone and dates back 28,000 years. Due to its size, experts believe it may be the earliest example of a sex aid ever found
The term dildo was first coined in around 1400 AD and originated from the Latin for ‘dilatare’, which means ‘open wide’, and the Italian for delight, which translates as ‘diletto.’
In the Middle East, historical reports reference Egyptians and the Greek using unripe bananas, or camel dung coated in resin as sexual aids.
But the aids were used much earlier, as far back as 500BC, when phalluses were carved out of stone, leather or wood. Some were even made from tar.
PHALLIC SYMBOLS WARD OFF EVIL
Phallic sculptures weren’t just used for sexual pleasure.
In some pagan cultures, a female orgasm was seen as an offering to the gods of fertility, while the phallic symbol was popular during ancient Roman times.
In particular, statues of fertility god Priapus with a large phallus would be used to protect gardens and help crops grow.
In Greek mythology, Priapus was depicted with oversized, permanent erection, which is where the name for the medical term priapism originated.
Priapism is a persistent and often painful erection that lasts for several hours - in rare case, for weeks.
A solid bronze amulet, in the form of Priapus, is among the artefacts displayed at the Wellcome Collection.
Phallic charms of the time were known as fascinum, and were even found in the ruins of Pompeii, and it was believed that the symbols could ward off evil spirits.
Meanwhile, the phallic deity Mutunus Tutunus was a symbol of marital sex.
In Turkey, during the 6th century BC, ancient Anatolians used sculptures of sex organs to ward off evil and ill luck as they believed they contained special powers.
In ancient Greece, in particular, reports claim traders in the city of Miletus made and sold objects called ‘olisbos’, intended to help wives achieve sexual penetration while their husbands were away.
The aids were also used in Renaissance Italy, and were typically made of leather and used with olive oil for lubrication.
High class members of society would even display their sex toys, often made from silver, gold and ivory.
However, they were said to be painful to use and their popularity waned. The first dildos didn’t arrive in the UK until the 1500s.
Honor Beddard, co-curator at the Wellcome Collection said: ‘The Institute of Sexology presents the study of sex in all its complexity and contradiction.
‘It brings together the diverse collections of data, art, testimony and objects of those who challenged preconceived ideas about sex and tells the human stories behind the charting of sexual experience.
‘Highlighting the profound effect that gathering and analysing information can have in changing attitudes about the human condition, the exhibition reveals our understanding of sexual identity as an ever-evolving story.’
The exhibition features rare archival material, erotica, film, photography, medical artefacts and ethnography, all related to sex.
In 2005, a 7.8-inch (20cm) long, 1.1-inch (3cm) wide stone object was found in the Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm in the Swabian Jura.
The prehistoric ‘tool’ is made from 14 fragments of siltstone and dates back 28,000 years.
Due to its size, experts believe it may be the earliest example of a sex aid ever found, but could have also been used for knapping flints to help light fires, said Professor Nicholas Conard, from the department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, at Tübingen University.
During excavations at Neolithic site Membury Rings in Dorset in the early 20th century, archaeologists found various deposits of artefacts and other material, including antler, animal and human bone, flints and carved chalk.
Symbol: In Turkey, during the 6th century BC, ancient Anatolians used sculptures of sex organs (pictured) to ward off evil and ill luck as they believed they contained special powers
During excavations at Neolithic site Membury Rings in Dorset, archaeologists found various deposits of artefacts and other material, including antler, animal and human bone, and flints. Among these artefacts was a phallic-shaped object made of chalk (pictured) that measures 4-inches long. However, its use is unknown
Among these artefacts was a phallic-shaped object made from chalk and measures approximately 4-inches long. However, its use is unknown.
But the sculptures weren’t just used for sexual pleasure.
In some pagan cultures, a female orgasm was seen as an offering to the gods of fertility, while the phallic symbol was popular during ancient Roman times.
In particular, statues of fertility god Priapus with a large phallus would be used to protect gardens and help crops grow.
In Greek mythology, Priapus was depicted with oversized, permanent erection, which is where the name for the medical term priapism originated.
Priapism is a persistent and often painful erection that lasts for several hours - in rare case, for weeks.
Statues of fertility god Priapus with a large phallus would be used to protect gardens and help crops grow. Priapus was often depicted with oversized, permanent erection, which is where the name for the medical term priapism originated. Priapism is a persistent and often painful erection that lasts for hours
Phallic charms of the time were known as fascinum (examples pictured), and were even found in the ruins of Pompeii, and it was believed that the symbols could ward off evil spirits. Used in ancient Roman religion and magic, the fascinum referred to the god Fascinus. The phallus was used to summon divine protection
A solid bronze amulet, in the form of Priapus, is among the artefacts displayed at the Wellcome Collection.
Phallic charms of the time were known as fascinum, and were even found in the ruins of Pompeii, and it was believed that the symbols could ward off evil spirits.
Used in ancient Roman religion and magic, the fascinum referred to the god Fascinus. The phallus was used to summon divine protection.
Meanwhile, the phallic deity Mutunus Tutunus was a symbol of marital sex.
The 'Veedee' massager (pictured) is said to have been used by doctors to cure Victorian women of hysteria. But this has been disputed as myth
In Turkey, during the 6th century BC, ancient Anatolians used sculptures of sex organs to ward off evil and ill luck as they believed they contained special powers.
Much later, in 18th century France, the first vibrator called Tremoussoir was built. It was a handheld, wind-up contraption designed by physicians.
In 1869, an American physician George Taylor is credited as creating a steam-powered version called the Manipulator, before an electromechanical vibrator was developed in 1880 by Dr Joseph Granville.
Far from being sexual aids, these devices were said to have been used to treat female hysteria.
Reports claim that doctors as far back as the 13th century doubted that women had libidos and advised using sex toys to alleviate sexual frustration.
Physicians during the 20th century would then use vibrators for clitoral stimulation to treat this so-called hysteria, which comes from the Greek word for uterus.
Symptoms for hysteria included anxiety, sleeplessness, irritability and erotic fantasies.
One such vibrator, called Veedee, is on display at the Wellcome Collection, but a spokesman told MailOnline that its use as a Victorian tool by doctors to induce orgasms has been disputed as myth.
The first rubber dildos have been traced back to around 1850 and they started appearing in movies during the 1930s and 1940s.
At this point, many were called marital aids, rather than sexual aids.
‘At the turn of the century, the vibrator kind of split into two product lines,’ explained technology historian Rachel Maines.
‘One was for doctors and one was for consumers and doctors really hated the idea that there were consumer vibrators out there.
‘There were these relatively inexpensive, some that looked like an egg beater for people who didn't have electricity. And there were battery powered ones.
‘There were even water-powered ones that you could attach to your sink!’
A solid bronze amulet, in the form of Priapus, is among the artefacts displayed at the Wellcome Collection
The Institute of Sexology exhibition features rare archival material, erotica, film, photography, medical artefacts and ethnography, all related to sex. A collection of sexual aids on display is pictured. The exhibition runs at the London-based museum until 20 September 2015
Humans Have Been Keeping Dildos Handy for at Least 28,000 Years
Humans Have Been Keeping Dildos Handy for at Least 28,000 Years
When archaeologists assembled the pieces of an ancient stone artifact discovered in a cave in Germany, it was pretty clear what they’d found. Known as the Hohle Fels phallus, this prehistoric tool dates back 28,000 years and has come to be known popularly as the world’s oldest dildo.
The reconstruction of the so-called dildo by archaeologists from the University of Tübingen was finally announced at a press conference in 2005 after 14 stone fragments were excavated at the Hohle Fels cave in southern Germany. The resulting artifact measured an adequate 20 centimeters (8 in) long and 3 cm (1.2 in) wide.
Described as being smooth and “hard as, well, a rock” in the Huffington Post , this life-sized representation of a phallus was probably used as a sex toy during the Ice Age . “It's highly polished; it's clearly recognizable," said Professor Conard to the BBC. The archaeologists also found evidence that it was used during Paleolithic times to sharpen flints, thanks to marks found on its surface.
Whatever it was, Nicholas Conard from the Tübingen team described it as “very rare.” An article in ACB News explained that this was due to the fact that while artistic representations of female genitalia are “common” during this era, the discovery of representations of male genitalia in the prehistoric record are sparse.
One issue with stone is its resistance to dating. Nevertheless, by looking at other remains discovered in the same ash layer the archaeologists involved in the find claimed that it was created by prehistoric modern humans, i.e. Homo sapiens , as far back as 28,000 years ago.
Although avowals that these objects are dildos abound, the World Journal of Research and Review explained that “these interpretations say a lot more about the mind of the proposers (their own Rorschach-like test) than about reality.” When it comes to the supposed dildo from Hohle Fels, it may well have been a multi-purpose tool, used for anything from “knapping flints” to personal pleasure.
While the thought is rather satisfying, Snopes concluded that “the interpretation of the use of this object is speculative.” Meanwhile, the resulting paper published in Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt merely stated: “Whether the stone artifact had functions related to its masculine symbolism is difficult to answer.”
Writing about the history of the dildo in All That’s Interesting , John Kuroski speculated that the plethora of ambiguously named “ Ice Age batons ” within excavation inventories could actually be referring to a universe of female pleasure dating back – literally – to the Ice Age. Shaped to serve their purpose, and made out of anything from antler bone to bread sticks, the rediscovery of these bedroom buddies could rewrite the history of female sexuality. A gratifying thought indeed.
Top image: The 28,000-year-old Hohler Fels phallus is thought to be the oldest dildo in the world.
Mystery of Flight N3808H: 'Pilot mentioned a UFO before went missing'
Mystery of Flight N3808H: 'Pilot mentioned a UFO before went missing'
Authentic Mayday radio transmission by Jose Santos Pagan on June 28, 1980. In the second part of the video (03:35-08:31) Puerto Rican UFO researcher Jorge Martin talks about the disappearance of flight N3808H. At the end of his speech he suggests what may have happened to the crew.
At 6:10 P.M. on June 28, 1980, Jose Maldonado Torres and his friend, Jose Pagan Santos, took off from Los Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in an Ercoupe aircraft marked N3808H.
The Ercoupe was owned by Santos' father Jose Pagan Jimenez, an Aero Police Officer for Puerto Rico. They were bound for home in Puerto Rico.
At 8:03 P.M. the Las Mesas site and several aircraft picked up radio transmissions from N3808H:
"Mayday, Mayday! Ercoup ocho cero, eight, zero, zero, Hotel. We can see a strange object in our course, we are lost, Mayday, Mayday!"
An Iberia Airlines Flight IB-976 en route from Santo Domingo to Spain responded to the Mayday and received a reply:
"Ah we are going from Santo Domingo ah San Juan International, but we found ah, a weird object in our course that made us change course about three different times, we got it right in front of us now at one o'clock, our heading is zero seven zero degrees… our altitude one thousand six hundred a zero seven zero degrees… our VORs got lost off frequency…"
Iberia Flight IB-976 then relayed a message asking from San Juan Center asking N3808H to turn on their transponder.
N3808H replied that the Ercoup was not equipped with a transponder. At 8:06 Iberia IB-976 asked for their call sign and estimated position and received this reply:
"Right now we are supposed to be at about thirty-five miles from the coast of Puerto Rico but we have something weird in front of us that make us lose course all the time I changed our course a second (unintelligible) our present heading right now is three hundred we are right again in the same stuff, sir."
They were not heard from again. At 8:12, the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range verified the last radar position of N3808H as thirty-five miles West of Puerto Rico.
A search that included Santos' father was then mounted which centered on this last radar position.
It was discontinued after two days when no trace had been found.
Mystery of Flight N3808H: 'Pilot mentioned a UFO before went missing'
Mystery of Flight N3808H: 'Pilot mentioned a UFO before went missing'
Authentic Mayday radio transmission by Jose Santos Pagan on June 28, 1980. In the second part of the video (03:35-08:31) Puerto Rican UFO researcher Jorge Martin talks about the disappearance of flight N3808H. At the end of his speech he suggests what may have happened to the crew.
At 6:10 P.M. on June 28, 1980, Jose Maldonado Torres and his friend, Jose Pagan Santos, took off from Los Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in an Ercoupe aircraft marked N3808H.
The Ercoupe was owned by Santos' father Jose Pagan Jimenez, an Aero Police Officer for Puerto Rico. They were bound for home in Puerto Rico.
At 8:03 P.M. the Las Mesas site and several aircraft picked up radio transmissions from N3808H:
"Mayday, Mayday! Ercoup ocho cero, eight, zero, zero, Hotel. We can see a strange object in our course, we are lost, Mayday, Mayday!"
An Iberia Airlines Flight IB-976 en route from Santo Domingo to Spain responded to the Mayday and received a reply:
"Ah we are going from Santo Domingo ah San Juan International, but we found ah, a weird object in our course that made us change course about three different times, we got it right in front of us now at one o'clock, our heading is zero seven zero degrees… our altitude one thousand six hundred a zero seven zero degrees… our VORs got lost off frequency…"
Iberia Flight IB-976 then relayed a message asking from San Juan Center asking N3808H to turn on their transponder.
N3808H replied that the Ercoup was not equipped with a transponder. At 8:06 Iberia IB-976 asked for their call sign and estimated position and received this reply:
"Right now we are supposed to be at about thirty-five miles from the coast of Puerto Rico but we have something weird in front of us that make us lose course all the time I changed our course a second (unintelligible) our present heading right now is three hundred we are right again in the same stuff, sir."
They were not heard from again. At 8:12, the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range verified the last radar position of N3808H as thirty-five miles West of Puerto Rico.
A search that included Santos' father was then mounted which centered on this last radar position.
It was discontinued after two days when no trace had been found.
Located out in a small valley in the central part of Norway, in the municipality of Holtålen in Trøndelag county, is the scenic valley of Hessdalen. Surrounded by scenic mountains, it is an isolated, sparsely populated area, the largest settlement being the tiny village of the same name, which has a population of just 150 people. Not much typically goes on here, and the people live a quiet, peaceful life among the picturesque scenery away from the bustle of city life, but beginning in 1981 their serene lives would be interrupted by a spate of sightings of mysterious lights in the sky that have remained unexplained.
Hessdalen Valley
Although strange lights had been sporadically seen in the valley since the 1940s, the activity of the phenomenon now known as the Hessdalen lights really picked up and became known in 1981, when villagers in the valley were startled by a myriad of mysterious orbs of light in the sky that would regularly appear at various places throughout the valley both night and day. These lights could be anywhere from the size of a basketball to the size of a car, sometimes even much larger, and had a wide variety of characteristics and behaviors. They would usually be bright white, yellow or red, and depending on the report usually appearing below the horizon but sometimes above the mountains. They would alternately zip away at high speeds to vanish, slowly float about, hover in midair, speed up or slow down, away from side to side, or do aerial acrobatics. They would sometimes merely appear and disappear in a flash, while others were observed floating and zipping about for up to 2 hours, with larger orbs frequently seen to spew out smaller orbs. On occasion, the orbs were said to hover over water or approach or shy away from observers when approached, demonstrating what seemed to be intelligent control, and in some daytime sightings the objects were described as looking metallic. Whatever they were, they were sighted very frequently, in their peak being seen 15 to 20 times a week, frightening locals in the process.
In spite of their irregular occurrence—i.e., 15 to 20 times per week from 1981 to 1984 and 10 to 20 times per year nowadays— the Hessdalen lights (HL) have been consistently observed and possess a series of recurring features: (1) they have the appearance of a free-floating light ball with dimensions ranging from decimeters up to 30 m. (2) they are characterized by geometric structures that are often accompanied by small, short-duration pulsating “spikes” in the high frequency and very low frequency radio ranges, (3) they show an absolute luminosity that has been estimated to be 19 kW, and (4) they have a time duration ranging from seconds to hours. HL are also characterized by the formation of light ball clusters and the ejection of mini light balls. They may also show very high velocities. Furthermore, HL are thunderstorm-independent events, as opposed to other rare and poorly understood transient luminous phenomena occurring in the atmosphere (i.e., ball lightings, blue jets, red sprites and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes).
The Hessdalen lights quickly became big news, drawing in droves of all manner of curiosity seekers and UFO researchers, as well as mainstream scientists eager to get to the bottom of the mystery. In the summer of 1983, an ongoing scientific field investigation was launched to study the lights, and by the conclusion of their 1-year investigation there were 53 light observations made. More scientific investigations have been carried out as well, including one in 1985, and another from 1997–1998 which managed to capture footage of the lights in a bizarre pyramid shape that bounced up and down. In 1998, an automated station was installed in the valley, called the Hessdalen Automatic Measurement Station (Hessdalen AMS) to monitor the lights year round, collecting reams of photos of the lights, as well as various readings on scientific equipment, and there have been various peer reviewed papers on the lights published in scientific journals. Indeed, the Hessdalen lights constitute one of the most well researched mysterious phenomenon there is. However, despite all of this study, no one can quite figure out what they actually are.
The number of theories as to what the lights might be is vast. One idea is that some sort of combustion is occurring involving hydrogen, oxygen and sodium, helped along by large deposits of scandium in the area. Another is that they are caused by piezoelectricity, which is an electrical charge that accumulates in certain materials including certain kinds of rock such as quartz, crystals, certain ceramics, and even some biological materials like bone. Considering that the valley has large deposits of crystal rocks, it is speculated that these may build up a charge that is released to form these balls of light. Other theories include plasma balls, ball lightning, meteorites, mirages, igniting gases, and even the idea that the valley itself acts as a sort of battery that generates a current, as well as many other numerous hypotheses and speculations. However, no single explanation can really account for all of the different characteristics reported with the lights. Of course, the lights have been claimed to be ghosts and alien UFOs as well, and UFO researchers have long held keen interest in this place. Yet, as much as this lonely valley has been studied, the secrets of its strange lights have remained evasive, and we still have no idea what they are, keeping them in the realm of mystery and speculation.
Unidentified Submerged Objects: A Hidden Dimension of the UFO Phenomenon
Unidentified Submerged Objects: A Hidden Dimension of the UFO Phenomenon
For years, the UFO phenomenon has captivated the public’s imagination with tales of strange objects in the sky. However, a lesser-known aspect of this enigmatic phenomenon is the existence of unidentified submerged objects (USOs) – mysterious entities lurking beneath the ocean’s surface. This article delves into intriguing USO cases, their potential implications, and the ongoing debate surrounding their existence.
The USO Phenomenon: Unidentified submerged objects are often reported as fast-moving underwater entities that defy conventional explanations. Many witnesses, including military personnel, have reported observing USOs demonstrating advanced propulsion systems, seemingly unaffected by the challenges of underwater travel. These objects are occasionally seen entering or exiting the water, further complicating the mystery.
The Shag Harbour Incident (1967) – An object crashed into the water off the coast of Nova Scotia, prompting an extensive search by Canadian authorities. No debris was ever found, leaving the incident unexplained.
The Togo Beach Encounter (1978) – In West Africa, a group of fishermen reported observing an object emerging from the water, which then hovered over their boats and scanned them with a beam of light before disappearing.
The Malibu Anomaly (2014) – A peculiar underwater structure was discovered off the coast of California, leading to speculation that it could be a submerged extraterrestrial base.
Possible Explanations:
Skeptics argue that these cases could be attributed to natural phenomena, military exercises, or advanced human technology. However, proponents of the USO theory suggest that we may be dealing with an advanced intelligence operating covertly in Earth’s oceans. Some believe that these entities could be studying our oceans, marine life, or even maintaining hidden underwater bases.
VIDEO:
USOs: The Forgotten UFOs | The Richard Dolan Show
The Trans-Medium Dilemma:
One of the most puzzling aspects of USO cases is the reported ability of these objects to transition seamlessly between water and air, defying known principles of physics and engineering. This trans-medium capability raises questions about the origin and purpose of these elusive objects.
While the USO phenomenon remains shrouded in mystery, it serves as a reminder that there is more to the UFO enigma than meets the eye. The existence of unidentified submerged objects challenges our understanding of the world and underscores the need for further research and exploration. As we continue to investigate these perplexing cases, we must remain open-minded and vigilant in our pursuit of the truth.
JAMES WEBB DEMOLISHES HUBBLE'S RECORD OF FITTING THE MOST GALAXIES IN A SINGLE IMAGE
JAMES WEBB DEMOLISHES HUBBLE'S RECORD OF FITTING THE MOST GALAXIES IN A SINGLE IMAGE
AND WE'RE BARELY SCRATCHING THE SURFACE.
NASA/FUTURISM
Galactic Triumph
The Hubble Ultra Deep Field, conducted using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, was once considered the zenith of astronomical surveys, capturing light from some 10,000 galaxies in the deepest reaches of the cosmos — all in a single image.
But as you may be very familiar with at this point, the James Webb Space Telescope has proven to be so advanced, it's making the Hubble's most Herculean efforts look almost trivial.
Now, astronomers are sharing some of the first images from James Webb's largest survey to date: the COSMOS-Web, set to eclipse the scope of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field with a whopping 25,000 galaxies in just its first stage.
"It's one of the largest JWST images taken so far," said Caitlin Casey, co-principal investigator of the project and an astronomer at the University of Texas at Austin, in a press release. "And yet it's just four percent of the data we will get for the full survey."
"When it is finished, this deep field will be astoundingly large and overwhelmingly beautiful."
Already observable in the first image are a host of exotic galaxies: spiral galaxies, merger galaxies, the gravity of galaxies creating cosmic lenses, magnifying older galaxies even further behind them.
Deep Impact
Like other deep field surveys preceding it, the COSMOS-Web focuses only on a tiny sliver of the sky — just 0.6 square degrees, or about the size of three full moons according to NASA — using the telescope's Near-Infrared Camera. Its Mid-Infrared Instrument scans an additional 0.2 square degrees.
In doing so, scientists hope to deepen our understanding of the Reionization Era between 400,000 and one billion years after the Big Bang, a time during which stars, galaxies, and other structures emerged.
Of particular interest are these primeval galaxies, and how dark matter, a hypothetical but unobservable substance thought to be holding our galaxies together, evolved along with them.
And, to reiterate, this is merely the first stage of the survey. When it wraps up, the over 200 scientists collaborating from across the globe will have surveyed up to one million galaxies over the course of some 255 hours of observations. That's the goal, anyhow.
It's ambitious, but the scientists are undeniably off to a stellar start. According to Santosh Harish, an astrophysicist at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the James Webb is so effortlessly detailed that "sources are literally popping out in every small patch of the observed sky."
"With these first observations," he said in the release, "we have just barely scratched the surface of what is to come with the completion of this program, next year."
The universe may be flat, but could still be shaped like a doughnut, weird patterns in leftover light from the Big Bang suggest.
An image of the cosmic microwave background as taken by the Planck satellite. The size of fluctuations in the CMB suggest the universe is flat, but new research suggests it could still be twisty.
The universe could, in fact, be a giant doughnut, despite all of the evidence suggesting it's as flat as a pancake, new research suggests.
Strange patterns found in echoes of the Big Bang could be explained by a universe with a more complicated shape, and astronomers have not fully tested the universe's flatness, the study finds.
All observations so far suggest the universe is flat. In geometry, "flatness" refers to the behavior of parallel lines as they go out to infinity. Think of a tabletop: Lines that start out parallel will remain that way as they extend along the table length.
In contrast, look at Earth. Lines of longitude begin perfectly parallel to each other at the equator but eventually converge at the poles. The fact that parallel lines initially intersect reveals that Earth is not flat.
The same logic applies to the 3D universe. For instance, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) — light released when the cosmos was only 380,000 years old — now sits over 42 billion light-years away and features tiny fluctuations in temperature across the sky. Astronomers have calculated the predicted size of those fluctuations compared with observations. If their measured size differs from predictions, that means those rays of light, which started out parallel, changed directions over space-time, indicating that the geometry of the universe is curved.
But those same measurements have revealed that, ignoring small-scale deflections from galaxies and black holes, the overall geometry of the universe is flat.
Different types of flat
But there's more than one kind of flat. For example, draw parallel lines on a piece of paper. Then wrap one end of the paper to connect with the other, forming a cylinder. The lines remain parallel as they circle the cylinder. In the language of mathematics, any cylinder is geometrically flat but is said to have a different topology. Close up both sides of the paper, and you make a torus, or doughnut shape.
To get another example of a weirdly flat shape, wrap a thin strip of paper in a circle, but make a 180-degree twist in one end. The end result is a Möbius strip, which is still geometrically flat, because parallel lines stay parallel, even when they flip over each other.
Mathematicians have discovered 18 possible geometrically flat, 3D topologies. In each one, at least one dimension wraps up on itself, and sometimes, they flip over like a Möbius strip or make partial rotations. In such a twisty universe, if we looked far away, we would see a (maybe upside-down) copy of ourselves from a much younger age. For example, if the universe were 1 billion light-years across, astronomers would see a version of the Milky Way galaxy as it was 1 billion years ago and, behind that, another copy from 2 billion years ago, and so on.
If the universe were a giant doughnut, astronomers could look in two directions to see such copies.
The universe's shape
Astronomers have measured the topology of the universe in multiple ways, from looking for duplicates of patterns of galaxies to matching circles in the CMB. All evidence suggests the universe is both geometrically flat and has a simple unwrapped topology.
But a paper published Feb. 23 to the preprint database arXiv(opens in new tab) suggests that past measurements have been limited. Most notably, observations have assumed that the universe wraps around itself in only one dimension and does not have a more complicated topology. Also, observations of the CMB have revealed some strange, unexplained anomalies, like large patterns appearing where they shouldn't.
In fact, a universe with a complicated topology could explain at least some of the anomalies in the CMB. While this isn't an iron-clad case for complicated topologies, the researchers offered ideas for more sophisticated direct searches, like follow-up studies of the CMB.
In that case, there may be a mirror image of us somewhere in our twisty universe.
This story originally appeared on Livescience(opens in new tab).
Some mass extinctions unfold like a sloppy murder, leaving clear fingerprints for the keen investigator to uncover. (Asteroids are no masters of subtlety.) The Late Ordovician mass extinction, the oldest of all and the second most lethal, isn’t one of them. Though there is a standard explanation for this granddaddy of death — involving an ancient ice age — the evidence is cryptic enough that experts are still submitting new theories for how 85 percent of all marine species suddenly sank into oblivion.
The planet’s first death knell sounded 444 million years ago, near the end of the Ordovician Period.* Simple forms of life — mainly bacteria and archaea — had already flourished for 3 billion years. Complex life, on the other hand, had only just hit its stride.
In the sequence of geologic time, the Ordivician follows the Cambrian Period, well-known for the evolutionary "explosion" of the same name that populated the world with nearly all the modern animal phyla — the major branches we now see in the tree of life. The ranks of vertebrates, mollusks, arthropods and other broad taxonomic groups still familiar to us today were growing and diversifying at an extraordinary rate — until their abrupt downfall, that is.
“The Ordovician is a very interesting time period,” says Seth Finnegan, a paleobiologist at the University of California, Berkeley, “because you have one of the largest and most rapid biodiversification events … and also one of the largest mass extinction events. Both of them are clearly tied up in physical changes to the environment.”
Ice, Fire and Deformities
At the time, most of Earth’s dry land was merged together in the supercontinent of Gondwana, which had drifted so far south that it hovered over the pole like present-day Antarctica. To the north, there were a few minor continents — notably Laurentia, which includes most of North America, and Baltica, which includes the Baltic region and part of Russia — that dotted the tropical and temperate regions around the equator.
Plants and animals were perhaps beginning to venture above water, though nothing near the extent that they would in the coming eras. By and large, most of the action was still happening under the sea, where trilobites, corals and other primordial ocean-dwellers prospered like never before.
Cameroceras (name meaning "chambered horn") is an extinct orthoconic (straight-shelled) cephalopod that lived during the Ordovician period. They were likely a top predator of their time.
(Credit: Esteban De Armas/Shutterstock)
Then came their demise. In conventional wisdom, it consisted of two distinct “pulses” separated by roughly a million years. First, glaciers engulfed Gondwana and the planet cooled dramatically, chilling the tropics and mid-latitudes. Sea levels plummeted hundreds of feet. This destroyed vast stretches of the warm, shallow-water habitat that sustained much marine life. Then, in the second pulse, the glaciers melted, the planet warmed, and the ocean rose. The species that had just adapted to the cold struggled once again to evolve fast enough.
It’s unclear what triggered that icy advance. Some studies suggest weathering of silicate rocks — especially in the rising Appalachian Mountains — could have drawn down atmospheric carbon dioxide, lowering global temperatures. Others implicate the expansion of plants, which could have absorbed greenhouse gases while also speeding up silicate weathering. One theory posits that a gamma-ray burst, by converting nitrogen and oxygen into sun-blocking smog, may have brought on the glaciers.
But many researchers are beginning to think that “cooling itself may not be solely responsible for these extinctions,” as Thijs Vandenbroucke and colleagues wrote in a 2015 paper that links some deaths to changing ocean chemistry. They found fossilized plankton with fatal deformities dating to the event, suggesting the release of toxic metals like iron and lead from the ocean depths may have been an important kill mechanism.
Some evidence in recent years even points the finger at glaciation’s elemental opposite: volcanism. The Ordovician extinction, if caused by the cooling climate, would be an outlier. Extreme volcanic activity is widely accepted as a main catalyst in most other mass die-offs, since it leads to inhospitable global warming. Now, with the discovery of mercury deposits from the era, the telltale signature of eruptions has surfaced in this extinction too. Rewriting the story with a fiery culprit would “make the late Ordovician stand out less,” Finnegan says, though he’s not convinced yet.
(Credit: Microstocker1/Shutterstock)
The Equitable Extinction
While scientists are unsure why the majority of species died at this moment, they do understand how those deaths influenced the progression of life. Many extinctions jolt evolution off its course, allowing a host of new organisms to rise from the ashes and fill new niches in a new environment. But not so with the Ordovician extinction.
“The resulting fauna had ecologic patterns similar to the fauna that had become extinct,” writes Peter Sheehan, a paleontologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “Other extinction events that eliminated similar or even smaller percentages of species had greater long-term ecologic effects.” That’s because those long-term effects depend on which level of the taxonomic ladder an extinction acts upon.
The Ordovician, for example, eliminated 85 percent of all species, but only 60 percent of genera and 25 percent of families, the next two levels of classification. Since some members survived in most families, life went on more or less as it would have anyway. The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction, in contrast, dethroned both orders (an even higher tier of taxonomy) of the dominant dinosaurs. The natural hierarchy inverted, and mammals rose to power.
So, even though it was deadlier than all mass extinctions but the Permian (also known, grimly, as the “Great Dying”), the Ordovician didn’t leave much of an impression. It killed many individual organisms, but decimated no so-called mascot groups — nothing of dinosaur, or even ammonite, stature.
There were casualties, of course. The asaphida family of trilobites — which, with their snail-like eye stalks, are “about as charismatic as late Ordovician fossils get,” says Finnegan — disappeared almost completely. Graptolites, tiny colonial animals that lived together in a single skeleton, also flirted with annihilation. Corals, bryozoans (another colonial creature), clam-like brachiopods, and eel-esque conodonts suffered too.
Fossilized asaphida at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.
(Credit: Sarunyu L/Shutterstock)
But overall this extinction just wasn’t as selective as most — it didn’t target specific groups over others. In some extinctions, “it matters who you are and how you make your living,” as Finnegan puts it. For example, in the Permian extinction, acidic oceans eroded the calcified shells of many animals, while sparing the uncalcified. “In the late Ordovician event,” he went on, “my sense is that it matters more where you are.”
Most high-level taxonomic groups, happily for them, were widely dispersed. So even as ecological catastrophe struck certain regions, the cousins of the less fortunate persisted elsewhere and upheld the evolutionary status quo. In fact, the fossil record is so similar before and after the event that a rookie paleontologist staring right at the layers might miss the cutoff. “You need to be a specialist,” Finnegan says, “to tell what side of the Ordovician-Silurian boundary you’re on.”
Author note:It’s likely that the Ordovician event wasn’t actually the first mass extinction ever to sweep Earth, at least in terms of the proportion of organisms killed. In the billions of years before complex life emerged, the planet’s single-celled denizens endured harsh ecological change many times, including so-called snowball Earth episodes that likely locked every living thing beneath a sheet of ice. These and other events surely led to widespread extinction for microbial life.
Glass beads under the lunar surface could trap vast reservoirs of moisture.
(Valeriano Antonini/Getty Images)
We know there's water on the Moon, but questions remain about how it got there, where it's stored, and how it moves around. In a new study, scientists from China have identified tiny glass beads in the lunar soil as potential places where water could hide.
And we're talking about a lot of water too, perhaps as much as 270 trillion kilograms (297.6 billion tons) of the stuff.
The new findings are based on samples brought back from China's Chang'e 5 rover mission. The spacecraft spent a couple of weeks collecting material from the lunar surface in December 2020, and we've already seen exciting new discoveries from subsequent analysis.
Impact glass beads under analysis. (He et al, Nature Geoscience, 2023)
Microscopic glass beads typically form as bits of space rock smack into another object's surface, vaporizing minerals which can cool into vitreous particles barely a few tens or hundreds of micrometers across. Past studies on beads found in Apollo lunar samples helped overturn prior assumptions on the dryness of the Moon.
Current research suggests a good proportion of the Moon's water is produced with a little help from the Sun's winds, as hydrogen ions from these showers of solar particles bond with oxygen already stored in lunar soil.
The reservoir of water potentially represented by these beads could potentially play an important part in the lunar water cycle, according to the researchers behind this latest study. As some water gets lost to space, it can be replenished by the stores held in the amorphous impact glass.
"The impact glass beads preserve hydration signatures and display water abundance profiles consistent with the inward diffusion of solar wind-derived water," the researchers write in their recently published paper.
How the lunar water cycle might work. (He et al., Nature Geoscience, 2023)
Each glass bead is capable of holding up to 2,000 micrograms (0.002 grams) of water for every gram of the particle's mass. Based on a hydration signatures analysis, the scientists think the beads can accumulate water in the span of just a few years.
"This short diffusion time indicates that the solar wind-derived water can be rapidly accumulated and stored in lunar impact glass beads," write the researchers.
This is all very useful to know when it comes to supporting Moon missions and bases. Being able to tap into this vast reservoir of water could make living on the lunar surface for extended periods of time much more comfortable.
What's more, the scientists say that other "airless bodies" like the Moon could be storing water in their surface layers in the same way. Expect more discoveries along these lines as the samples from Chang'e 5 continue to get analyzed.
"These findings indicate that the impact glasses on the surface of the Moon and other airless bodies in the Solar System are capable of storing solar wind-derived water and releasing it into space," says geophysicist and study co-author Hu Sen from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
A spectroscopic analysis determined that the beads contained more water than the researchers expected based on past studies. They surmised that interactions between hydrogen ions in the solar wind and oxygen-bearing materials in lunar soil created H2O molecules that could be trapped within the glass — and then diffused under the right conditions.
Based on an extrapolation of such findings, the research team — headed by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences — estimates that glass beads in lunar soil may contain up to 270 trillion kilograms (595 trillion pounds, or 71 trillion gallons) of water.
“We propose that impact glass beads in lunar soils are a prime water reservoir candidate able to drive the lunar surface water cycle,” the researchers report in Nature Geoscience.
Scientists have known for decades that the moon harbors reservoirs of water in the form of ice, concentrated at the poles. That sort of water is thought to have arrived in the form of cometary impacts, with water molecules migrating to permanently shadowed craters in the lunar polar regions.
Water was even detected in glass bead samples that were brought back to Earth by NASA’s Apollo lunar missions in the late 1960s and early 1970s — but the water detected in the Chang’e-5 samples was three times as abundant on average. And based on studies of basaltic glass beads on Earth, the researchers say it’s theoretically possible for the abundances to be even greater.
“This could be the result of dynamic diffusion and release of water in the impact glass beads controlled by the time-of-day temperature oscillations,” they write. “The dynamic ingress and egress of water in impact glass beads could have acted as a buffer to explain the global and daily variations of water abundance on the lunar surface and in the lunar exosphere.
Researchers propose a three-stage process for sustaining a lunar water cycle with impact glass beads: (A) The beads are created when a meteoroid impact melts silica-bearing materials on the moon’s surface. (B) The solar wind brings hydrogen ions to the surface, and interactions with oxygen-bearing materials produce water molecules that are trapped within the beads. (C) The beads sink deeper into the lunar soil, creating a reservoir for water. Irradiation or further meteoroid impacts can cause release of the water. (Credit: He et al. / Nature Geoscience)
If enough of the beads could be collected, and if engineers can come up with an efficient way to heat up the beads and extract the H2O, that could give future lunar explorers a source of water for drinking, oxygen for breathing, and hydrogen for rocket fuel. Those are a couple of big “ifs,” but the research team says the problems seem solvable.
“These findings indicate that the lunar soils contain a much higher amount of solar wind-derived water than previously thought, which could be a water reservoir for in situ utilization in future lunar exploration,” they say in their study. “Indeed, this water entrapped in impact glass beads appears to be quite easy to extract.”
Astronauts could investigate the possibilities further as part of NASA’s Artemis program, which is due to send the first crewed mission since the Apollo era to the lunar surface in the mid-2020s. And if the newly reported findings hold up, they could also apply to the exploration of other worlds where water has been detected, such as Mercury and Vesta.
“Our findings indicate that the impact glasses on the surface of solar system airless bodies are capable of storing solar wind-derived water and releasing it to space,” the researchers behind the new study say.
Some of the best ever video footage of an unidentified flying object, was captured while a passenger was on board an airplane. Kerry Forides from Athens, Greece was on a commercial airplane flight. He is a resident in Greece, but is from Australia.
To his surprise, he noticed something quite unusual…whatever it was, it was seen moving around the outside of the airplane. It’s movements were quite bizarre to say the least. The dark colored elongated mass, seems to rotate, twist and turn as it soars through the air. No known aircraft that human technology has, can move quite like this.
Image: YouTube
The incredible footage, was taken while flying over the Agean sea. Kerry works as a permaculturalist and he was perplexed at what he was recording. A woman is heard startled, this is his wife, who further commenting about this encounter. She claimed to have seen this UFO, about 30 minutes earlier before Kerry started recording it with his camera.
“It was around 4:30 p.m.,” said Forides, who owns a YouTube channel he refers to as Kerry Cameraworks. “It was flying at right angles from our plane.”
The entire length of the video, lasts for 2 minutes and 46 seconds. The footage captured, was taken with a XDCAM-EX1 video camera. The object seen seems to make miraculous twists and turns even at 180 degrees. The shape and size of this UFO, appears to be quite slim and elongated. This UFO, seems to be following the plane perhaps under some sort of observation.
Image: YouTube
Skeptically, people are saying this is nothing but a chemtrail. But this is mere speculation and nothing more. One viewer commented, mentioning this is a military Greek F4 Phantom II “with the old engine type”. It is unknown if this is true either.
Other speculations include, this being a missile since there is an ongoing war in nearby Syria. The way it moves is peculiar, but some believe a missile moves like this by comparison. Perhaps this is a part of some kind of secretive military operation. However, with drones now being prevalent in the world, they are now being used to discredit many UFO sightings.
Forides didn’t elaborate on the size of the UFO, but as seen in the video, it appears to be rather large. It is unknown if anyone else has any video about this yet. Whatever this is, it has people wondering and worried that something else is happening in our world.
Filmmaker James Cameron and the Godfather of AI Agree: AI Could Destroy Us Soon
Filmmaker James Cameron and the Godfather of AI Agree: AI Could Destroy Us Soon
Paul Seaburn
Artificial intelligence is here and two people who are closely connected to it in very different ways agree that it has the potential to eliminate humanity … and the takeover may already be underway. One is James Cameron – the filmmaker and screenwriter responsible for some of the most futuristic and dystopian films of all time, including The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water. Cameron not only made movies about artificial intelligence – he pioneered is usage in the process of film production. The other is Geoffrey Hinton, a British computer scientist known as the "godfather of artificial intelligence" for his work in training multi-layer neural networks used in artificial intelligence. Both were recently interviewed on the subjects of artificial intelligence and artificial general intelligence and both agree that AI has the ability to take over humanity and the process may have already begun. Are we living in a James Cameron movie? Is it Titanic?
Is this a movie or our destiny?
“I think A.I. can be great, but also it could literally be the end of the world.”
Appearing recently on the SmartLess podcast, James Cameron was pondering whether an uprising of artificially intelligent machines in The Terminator is possible. Not only does he think it can happen, he says the current state of artificial intelligence makes him “'pretty concerned about the potential for misuse of A.I.” For those not familiar with the film (spoiler alert), The Terminator is a cybernetic android sent from the future to kill the person whose not yet born son is responsible for eventually stopping an artificially intelligent defense network called Skynet which will become hostile and self-aware and trigger a global nuclear war to exterminate all humans. Needless to say, the recent revelations of conversations with GPT-4 chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google's PaLM and Microsoft’s Bing AI turning strange, hostile and violent have caused many to equate them to The Terminator and Skynet. Cameron says he understands why.
"You talk to all the AI scientists and every time I put my hand up at one of their seminars they start laughing. The point is that no technology has ever not been weaponized. And do we really want to be fighting something smarter than us that isn't us? On our own world? I don't think so.”
Cameron is, of course, correct in his assessment of the weaponization of technology. However, it is his next comment that is the real cause for concern.
“AI could have taken over the world and already be manipulating it but we just don't know because it would have total control over all the media and everything."
Think about the fears being expressed about ChatGPT and other forms of AI being used to collect news, write news stories and even deliver them in the form of very humanlike – and in this case, ironic – avatars of human newscasters. Could AI have already penetrated the media and be working its way into taking over the world? Is this another Terminator sequel in real life?
"I think it's very reasonable for people to be worrying about these issues now, even though it's not going to happen in the next year or two. People should be thinking about those issues."
In an interview with CBS News, Geoffrey Hinton, the "godfather of artificial intelligence," thinks Cameron is right to be worried about the weaponization of artificial intelligence and a possible takeover of humanity that could lead to its destruction. Hinton knows what he’s talking about. He is the descendent of computer and mathematics royalty – his great-great-grandmother was Mary Everest Boole, who was influential in promoting mathematics education for both boys and girls, and her husband was logician George Boole, whose invention of Boolean algebra and Boolean logic is credited with laying the foundations for modern computer science and the Information Age. Hinton has carried on the tradition of his illustrious ancestors – he was awarded the 2018 Turing Award, with Yoshua Bengio and Yann LeCun, for their work on deep learning. On the subject of the weaponization of AI, Hinton has been speaking out against it for years – he moved from the U.S. to Canada because he was against the military funding of artificial intelligence, and has regularly spoken out against lethal autonomous weapons. One concern he expressed in the CBS interview was the rapidity of AI development.
"Until quite recently, I thought it was going to be like 20 to 50 years before we have general purpose AI. And now I think it may be 20 years or less.”
He is also worried about one of the very things he helped develop – computers coming up with their own ideas for self-improvement, warning that “We have to think hard about how you control that." When asked about the possibility of one of Cameron’s Terminators being developed with artificial general intelligence that takes it beyond human capabilities to the point of acting on its own and potentially threatening the very existence of humanity, he answered cautiously:
"It's not inconceivable, that's all I'll say,"
Not inconceivable? Or already deliverable?
Not inconceivable! This is from the godfather of artificial intelligence! Why are we not panicking? Why is Hinton not panicking? Or moving farther away than Canada? He explains that on the more conceivable side, things aren’t so bad.
“The phrase ‘artificial general intelligence’ carries with it the implication that this sort of single robot is suddenly going to be smarter than you. I don’t think it’s going to be that. I think more and more of the routine things we do are going to be replaced by AI systems — like the Google Assistant.”
What about ChatGPT?
"We're at this transition point now where ChatGPT is this kind of idiot savant, and it also doesn't really understand about truth."
That is a key problem with ChatGPT – its responses are often far from the truth … but presented as facts as it tries to figure out what it is doing and works towards being truthful, factual and consistent. Hinton’s final warning comes straight out of the Wizard of Oz … we need to be worried about who is doing the development and corking the controls behind the curtain.
"You don't want some big for-profit company deciding what's true."
James Cameron and Godfrey … geniuses in different fields who agree on the potential dangers of artificial general intelligence. Are we going to listen to them or the big for-profit companies?
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Space Brothers, Contactees and a Mysterious Death: One of the Weirdest UFO Stories of All
Space Brothers, Contactees and a Mysterious Death: One of the Weirdest UFO Stories of All
Nick Redfern
Born in Poland in 1891, George Adamski – of Flying Saucers Have Landed notoriety - was the ultimate “contactee,”regardless of what you may or may not think of him and his tales. He defined what it meant in the 1950s to have interactions with beings from other worlds; creatures very much like us and who wished us nothing but goodwill. Adamski’s primary visitor from the great beyond was Orthon. Adamski’s forays into the world of the supernatural, however, did not begin when the flying saucer phenomenon was at its height. Adamski had been involved in matters of a metaphysical type for years. For example, in April 1934, the L.A. Times ran a feature on the man himself with a headline that succinctly read as follows: “Shamanistic Order to be Established Here.” In part, it states: “The 10-foot trumpets of faraway Lhasa, perched among perpetual snows in the Himalayan Mountains in Tibet, will shortly have their echo on the sedate hills of Southern California’s Laguna Beach. Already the Royal Order of Tibet has acquired acreage on the placid hills that bathe their Sunkist feet in the purling Pacific and before long, the walls, temples, turrets and dungeons of a Lama monastery will serrate the skyline. It will be the first Tibetan monastery in America and in course of time, the trained disciples of the cult will filter through its glittering gates to spread ‘the ancient truths’ among all who care to listen. The central figure in the new movement is Prof. George Adamski.”
It’s important to note that Adamski was never a professor. Of anything. But, he most certainly didn’t mind the suggestion that he was a professor. He told the L.A. Times, in what was an undeniably pompous fashion: “I learned great truths up there on the roof of the world, or rather the trick of applying age-old knowledge to daily life, to cure the body and the mind, and to win mastery over self and soul. I do not bring to Laguna the weird rites and bestial superstition in which the old Lamaism is steeped, but the scientific portions of the religion.” Adam Gorightly and Greg Bishop say in their “A” is for Adamski book that: “During Prohibition, The Royal Order of Tibet secured a special license to produce wine, which some suggest was Adamski’s main motivation for starting his mystical order to begin with.” Old George was definitely well-known for his particular fondness for the grape. Now, it’s time to head to 1952, when Adamski’s involvement in Ufology really took off. Maybe literally. At least, for those who bought, and still buy, into his stories. It was early on the morning of November 20, 1952. Adamski and his faithful secretary Lucy McGinnis drove to Blythe, California. This was not your average road-trip, however. Adamski, when telling the story to whoever would listen, claimed that the reason for hitting the road to Blythe had an astonishing purpose behind it: aliens dearly wanted to meet with the professor-who-wasn’t. The pair soon met up with other characters in 1950s-era Ufology. They included UFO enthusiasts Al and Betty Bailey, and George Hunt Williamson. The latter was a controversial contactee who crossed paths with the FBI on several occasions, most seriously in 1962. That was when Williamson was suspected by the Bureau of smuggling priceless Mexican artifacts of an historic and archaeological significance into the United States.
(Nick Redfern) The desert areas where Adamski hung out.
After refueling their vehicles and their stomachs, the gang then headed out to Parker, Arizona – where, Adamski said, he was absolutely sure that aliens were soon to put in an appearance. So the tale goes, that’s exactly what happened. A huge, “cigar”-shaped UFO loomed into view, high in the skies above Parker. The amazed crew hit a dirt-road in hot pursuit of the mighty craft. Adamski and co. were, apparently, not the only ones who were looking for a close encounter. Adamski claimed that a squadron of U.S. Air Force planes were also after the aliens. The people from the stars almost effortlessly made a quick escape from the pursuing pilots. It wasn’t long before a much smaller flying saucer made its appearance before the astonished group. In an almost Old Testament-style fashion, the gleaming craft landed on a nearby mountain, awaiting the disciple-like Adamski to come forward and meet his superior. He somehow knew that the aliens had come for him. Adamski approached the craft, while the rest – their mouths no doubt agape – looked on. An extremely-human-looking extraterrestrial exited the futuristic craft, just as Michael Rennie’s character of Klaatu did in the classic 1951 movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still. Unlike Klaatu, though, Adamski’s alien – who announced himself as Orthon – had long hair of the kind that just about any and every 1980s-era “hair-metal” rock band would have been proud to sport.
Orthon announced to Adamski that he came from Venus - and that he came in peace, too. In no time at all, Orthon began lecturing Adamski on why we, the human race, needed to ditch our atomic weapons. If we didn’t, the only outcome would be overwhelming, worldwide destruction. Not only that, Orthon wanted Adamski to be one of the key figures in the plan to save the Earth and its people. In an instant, Adamski was up for the challenge. Orthon, seemingly happy with the outcome, returned to his flying saucer and shot off into the skies. An alien had come and gone, and for Adamski a new life had just begun. I decided to share with you the early days of Adamski, as a means to show how his "career" continued into the 1960s. With that said, let's now look at the really weird story. Today's article is a classic counter-style event that is made all the more controversial by the possibility that it may actually have had nothing to do with UFOs, after all. It might have been a staged event, one in which the witness was led to believe he had a UFO sighting. If that has caught your attention, read on.
(Nick Redfern) From Contactees to Space Brothers. And possibly to a murder.
The story revolves around a man named Ernest Arthur Bryant, a resident of an old village in the English county of Devon called Scoriton. Or, as some prefer to spell it, Scorriton. As for Devon, it's an ancient and mysterious land, and which is made famous by the fact that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle set his classic Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles in Devon's Dartmoor National Park. On April 24, 1965, Bryant (who served with the British Commandos in World War Two) saw something amazing hovering over a field close to his home: a flying saucer. Bryant stared, shocked and amazed for a few moments, and then made his cautious way to the field. As he did so, and seemingly in response to his actions, the circular-shaped craft gently touched to the ground. As Bryant arrived, a group of three, human-like beings attired in shiny, silver suits motioned him not to come any closer. He did as he was told. Bryant looked on, stunned, and noticed that the beings had overly long foreheads, seemed to have problems breathing in the Earth's atmosphere, and, somewhat oddly, had no thumbs. One of the beings then moved towards Bryant and reeled off typical, absurd, Space Brother-themed spiel.
The entity claimed his name was "Yamski" and that he and his comrades hailed from Venus, no less.The alien then made a comment along the lines of, "If only Des were here." Or, suggested Bryant, it may have been "Les," rather than "Des." This, along with the "Yamski" name is all very interesting, since only one day before the encounter, the world's most famous Contactee, George Adamski, died. Plus, Adamski's co-author on his Flying Saucers Have Landed book was Desmond Leslie. As Bryant arrived, a group of three, human-like beings attired in shiny, silver suits motioned him not to come any closer. He did as he was told. Bryant looked on, stunned, and noticed that the beings had overly long foreheads, seemed to have problems breathing in the Earth's atmosphere, and, somewhat oddly, had no thumbs. One of the beings then moved towards Bryant and reeled off typical, absurd, Space Brother-themed spiel. The entity claimed his name was "Yamski" and that he and his comrades hailed from Venus, no less.The alien then made a comment along the lines of, "If only Des were here." Or, suggested Bryant, it may have been "Les," rather than "Des." This, along with the "Yamski" name is all very interesting, since only one day before the encounter, the world's most famous Contactee, George Adamski, died. Plus, Adamski's co-author on his Flying Saucers Have Landed book was Desmond Leslie.
Also in typical Contactee/Space Brother style, Bryant was given a "tour" of the UFO - which was, allegedly, split into three sections. The aliens then made a cryptic statement suggesting they would contact Bryant again. As Bryant watched from a safe distance, the UFO then rose into the sky and vanished from sight. Also in typical Contactee/Space Brother style, Bryant was given a "tour" of the UFO - which was, allegedly, split into three sections. The aliens then made a cryptic statement suggesting they would contact Bryant again. As Bryant watched from a safe distance, the UFO then rose into the sky and vanished from sight. Although Bryant was determined to keep the incident under wraps, it didn't stay like that for long: both the local media and UFO researchers were soon on the case. Flying Saucer investigator Norman Oliver looked into the matter deeply and, in 1967, Eileen Buckle penned an entire book on the affair, The Scoriton Mystery. Bryant's story would, in all likelihood, have remained as just another Contactee case were it not for one, notable and very strange thing. In the late 1970s, UFO researcher Rich Reynolds was contacted by a man named Bosco Nedelcovic, who suggested that Bryant's encounter had very little to do with aliens, and much more to do with secret experimentation of a very down to earth nature. Nedelcovic (who worked for the U.S. Department of State's Agency for International Development, and who also had ties to the CIA) claimed that Bryant was the victim of a form of sophisticated mind-control, somewhat akin to the kind of work undertaken by the CIA's MKUltra program.
(Central Intelligence Agency) This is just one of thousands of MK-Ultra papers. The document was released under the terms of the U.S. government's Freedom of Information Act.
Nedelcovic told Reynolds of a number of bogus "UFO episodes" in both the US and the UK, in which individuals were led to believe they had UFO encounters when, in fact, they experienced something very different. Nedelcovic alluded to how these events involved "visual displays, radar displacement, and atifact droppings." One of those events, said Nedelcovic, was the Bryant case. Nedelcovic also revealed how the operation proceeded, and which involved "experimental drugs used to induce specific hallucinatory material" as well as "microwave transmissions." On this latter point, Reynolds was told by Nedelcovic that "the injudicious use of microwave technology" led to a disastrous outcome for Bryant. As history has shown, Bryant died in 1967, from the effects of a brain tumor. Interestingly, in his 1969 book, UFO: Flying Saucers Over Britain? author Robert Chapman noted: "There remains a possibility" that Bryant "might have had the UFO sighting planted in his mind through hypnotism." Chapman noted that there was "no evidence" to warrant such a belief, yet it is interesting that he even chose to bring up the matter in the first place - given that this was pretty much exactly what Bosco Nedelcovic was asserting a decade or so later. All of the above suggests there is far more to the UFO encounter and tragic death of Bryant than meets the eye. And, with the 50th anniversary of the incident now fast-approaching, it would be the ideal time for someone to (A) readdress the Bryant case and the claims of Bosco Nedelcovic, and (B) undertake a new, in-depth study of this tragic, controversial, and fatal affair. The truth just might be even stranger than an alien visitation.
A unique solar phenomenon will be taking place on Monday and you can be a part of it, provided light pollution doesn’t overwhelm the sky where you are.
Rather unsurprisingly, a five planet alignment occurs when five planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, appear close together in the sky. At least that’s what our position on Earth will give us a perception of.
While these planets do not actually line up in a straight line, they will appear close enough in the sky to create the illusion of a line connecting them. These events are rare, and they typically occur once every few decades. The last such alignment took place on 28 December 2022, but this was just four planets.
Not every planet will be as bright as each other.
“Perhaps the hardest to see with your eye will be the planet Mercury, [which] will be the one closest to the horizon, and right beside it will be a brighter object, planet Jupiter,” said Bill Cooke, who has a PhD in astronomy and heads NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Cooke also said Venus will likely be the brightest.
How to watch the planetary alignment
The best way to watch a five planet alignment is to find a location with an clear view of the horizon and as little light pollution as possible, and to observe the event during the pre-dawn or post-sunset hours.
A pair of binoculars or a telescope might be useful to get a better view.
5 planeten staan op een rij vanavond. Dit is waar en wanneer je ze kan zien.
Vandaag op dinsdag 28 maart kan je iets uitzonderlijks zien aan de hemel. Net na zonsondergang zijn maar liefst 5 planeten zichtbaar. Jouw kans dus om Jupiter, Mercurius, Venus, Uranus en Mars tegelijkertijd te zien. Maar wanneer moet je precies omhoog kijken en in welke richting?
Martijn Peters
Meestal zijn de planeten verspreid over de nachtelijke hemel en zichtbaar op verschillende tijdstippen. Maar af en toe staan ze op hetzelfde moment dicht bij elkaar. Ze lijken dan bijna op een rechte lijn te staan, een planetaire uitlijning. In wezen is dit een optische illusie. Alle planeten draaien in (bijna) hetzelfde vlak rond de zon. Hierdoor volgen ze allemaal het jaarlijkse pad dat onze zon aflegt aan de hemel. Die lijn noemt men de ecliptica. In werkelijkheid bevinden de planeten zich in de ruimte absoluut niet dicht bij elkaar. Momenteel staan Jupiter en Mercurius vlak bij elkaar, maar de gemiddelde afstand tussen die twee planeten is 720 miljoen kilometer.
Vanavond kunnen we zo’n planetaire uitlijning waarnemen. Je kan 5 van de 8 planeten van ons zonnestelsel tegelijkertijd zien. Het zijn Jupiter, Mercurius, Venus, Uranus en Mars die op een denkbeeldige lijn staan. Dat roept veel enthousiasme op bij sterrenkijkers wereldwijd, waaronder voormalig Apollo-astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Hij plaatste de volgende tweet in afwachting van onze planetaire buren: “Ik ben altijd op zoek naar geweldige opportuniteiten om naar de sterren te kijken... en dinsdag zou wel eens een avond kunnen zijn om de verrekijker te pakken en een glimp op te vangen van een vrij zeldzame uitlijning van de vijf planeten Mercurius, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus en Mars. Nu maar hopen dat de lucht helder blijft!”
I’m always on the lookout for some great star-gazing opportunities…and Tuesday might be a night to grab the binoculars and catch a glimpse of a pretty rare five-planet alignment of Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, and Mars. Here’s hoping the skies will remain clear!
Waar en wanneer kan je naar de planetaire uitlijning kijken?
Om de 5 planeten op een rij te zien moet je vlak na de zonsondergang naar het westen kijken. Je hebt maar weinig tijd want al snel verdwijnen Jupiter en Mercurius met de zon mee achter de horizon. Tijdens de schemering staat Jupiter het dichtst bij de horizon. Hij is ook de helderste van de twee en makkelijk zichtbaar met het blote oog. Vlakbij Jupiter staat Mercurius, wat moeilijker zichtbaar met het blote oog (maar niet onmogelijk) en zeker zichtbaar met een verrekijker.
Iets hoger in de lucht kan je Venus spotten. Deze heldere planeet zie je makkelijk zonder hulpmiddelen. Vlakbij staat de 4de planeet, Uranus. Dit is de enige van de 5 die je niet zonder verrekijker of telescoop kan zien. Ook Venus en Uranus verdwijnen enkele uren na zonsondergang achter de horizon. Tot slot is er nog Mars die naast de wassende maan staat. Je zou dus minstens drie van de deelnemers aan de parade (Jupiter, Venus en Mars) en mogelijk zelfs een vierde (Mercurius) met alleen je ogen moeten kunnen zien.
Wil je de vijf planeten spotten, kijk dan met een verrekijker naar het westen vlak na zonsondergang op een plaats waar je duidelijk zicht hebt op de horizon. Ook de komende dagen kan je de planetaire uitlijning nog waarnemen tot Jupiter definitief achter de horizon verdwijnt.
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The Gateway Process: Unraveling the CIA’s Secret Space & Time Travel System
The Gateway Process: Unraveling the CIA’s Secret Space & Time Travel System
The United States military has long been in pursuit of creating super soldiers, employing various methods like performance-enhancing drugs, brain implant technology, and even genetic engineering. However, in 1983, Lieutenant Colonel Wayne McDonnell submitted a groundbreaking report to US Army Intelligence that delved into the world of out-of-body experiences and intelligence gathering. This report, titled “Analysis and Assessment of Gateway Process,” explored the idea of the Gateway Process, a classified system that enables anyone to travel through space and time using their consciousness.
The Gateway Process
According to Colonel McDonnell’s report, the Gateway Process is a step-by-step guide on how to achieve an out-of-body experience for intelligence gathering purposes. Advanced Gateway participants can not only project their consciousness to a different place but also completely remove it from this reality. This allows them to travel anywhere in the universe and at any point in time.
The idea behind the Gateway Process is based on the concept that our universe is a construct created by our minds. By using the Gateway Process, one can exit this construct and see reality for what it truly is. The 30-page Gateway report was classified, primarily because anyone can learn to do it, and its implications have intrigued researchers and conspiracy theorists alike.
The Absolute and the Universal Hologram
In his report, Colonel McDonnell introduces the concept of the Absolute, an omnipotent and omniscient energy field that exists without boundaries, occupying every dimension, including the time-space dimension where our physical existence takes place. The Absolute, which some might consider synonymous with the concept of God, is responsible for creating the universe and the world we perceive as reality. Our reality, in turn, is a layer on top of other dimensions, all residing within the Absolute.
The idea of the Universal Hologram suggests that the Absolute projects a hologram of itself to attain self-consciousness. This hologram serves as the basis of all creation and reality, and understanding it could help individuals comprehend the nature of the universe and themselves. McDonnell’s report also highlights similarities between the concept of the Absolute and various religious beliefs, citing examples from Hebrew mystical philosophy, Christian theology, and Eastern religions.
The CIA’s Involvement and the Missing Page Controversy
The CIA’s involvement in the Gateway Process has sparked curiosity and debate, especially surrounding the controversy of a missing page from the Gateway report. Despite numerous attempts by the public to pressure the CIA into releasing the missing page, the CIA maintained that they never had it. However, in 2021, the Monroe Institute released the complete report, including the missing page, which discusses the value of the Gateway Process as a tool for self-discovery and understanding the nature of the universe.
The Potential Risks and Benefits
While some individuals who have practiced the Gateway Process report increased self-awareness, creativity, and clarity in their daily lives, others have experienced negative outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and, in rare cases, psychosis. Although Colonel McDonnell recommended the military pursue the Gateway Process, the potential risks and benefits of the technique remain debated.
The Gateway Process is a fascinating concept that merges science, consciousness, and the potential for time and space travel. While the CIA’s involvement and the classified nature of the Gateway report have fueled conspiracy theories and speculation, the idea of transcending our perceived reality and exploring the true nature of the universe remains a captivating subject for researchers and enthusiasts alike.
Unmasking the Men in Black: A Journey Through Time and Conspiracy
Unmasking the Men in Black: A Journey Through Time and Conspiracy
Since the dawn of UFO cover-up history, numerous people have reported encounters with the enigmatic Men in Black. These shadowy figures consistently appear in the aftermath of credible UFO sightings, leading many to wonder about their true nature and intentions. In this article, we delve into the history of Men in Black incidents, starting from the 1940s, and explore the theories surrounding their existence with the help of renowned researchers, experiencers, and insiders.
The Men in Black phenomenon can be traced back to the 1940s, with countless witnesses recounting eerily similar encounters. These mysterious individuals, usually dressed in black suits, seem to have a vested interest in ensuring that those who have witnessed UFO events remain silent. Questions about their origins abound – are they part of a clandestine government agency, or are they themselves extraterrestrial beings?
Over the years, the Men in Black have been known to employ various tactics to silence witnesses, from stalking and following them, to using intimidation and harassment. However, it appears that their strategies have evolved with time. Researchers now believe that the military may have even supported prominent UFO debunkers and skeptics in an effort to suppress public interest in the phenomenon.
Moreover, some evidence suggests that the Men in Black have infiltrated the UFO research community in order to spread disinformation and discredit genuine sightings. One such example is the involvement of Richard Doty, who has been implicated in the dissemination of false information within the field.
As we continue to investigate the Men in Black phenomenon, one thing is certain: their presence remains a persistent and enigmatic thread woven throughout the fabric of UFO history. Their motives and true identities remain shrouded in mystery, fueling speculation and intrigue among researchers and experiencers alike. Until we uncover the truth behind these enigmatic figures, their shadow will continue to loom over the world of UFO sightings and encounters, casting doubt on our understanding of what lies beyond our own skies.
De ontdekking onderschrijft het idee dat belangrijke bouwblokken voor leven in de ruimte gecreëerd worden en door ruimtestenen op aarde kunnen zijn afgezet.
Tijdens een analyse van materiaal afkomstig van planetoïde Ryugu zijn wetenschappers onder meer op uracil gestuit. Een bijzondere ontdekking. Uracil is namelijk een bouwblok van ribonucleïnezuur, beter bekend als RNA: een molecuul dat instructies herbergt voor de ‘bouw’ en het functioneren van organismen.
Vitamine B3 Naast uracil stuitten onderzoekers in het materiaal ook op nicotinezuur, dat ook wel bekend staat als vitamine B3. Dit stofje speelt een belangrijke rol in de stofwisseling.
Andere biologische moleculen “We troffen uracil in kleine hoeveelheden in de monsters aan,” vertelt onderzoeker Yasuhiro Oba. Het gaat dan om concentraties van 6-32 ppb (deeltjes per miljard). “Vitamine B3 kwam overvloediger voor, met een concentratie van 49 tot 99 ppb. Daarnaast troffen we ook andere organische moleculen in het monster aan.” Waaronder een selectie van aminozuren die onderdeel uitmaken van eiwitten of een rol spelen in de stofwisseling.
Ryugu De onderzoekers ontdekten de stofjes zoals gezegd in materialen afkomstig van Ryugu. Die materialen zijn verkregen doordat ruimtestonde Hayabusa2 in 2019 naar het oppervlak van de planetoïde afdaalde om deze te bemonsteren. Het verzamelde materiaal werd vervolgens in december 2020 op de aarde afgezet voor analyse.
Waardevolle monsters Het is natuurlijk niet voor het eerst dat onderzoekers de samenstelling van meteorieten onderzoeken. Maar eerder moesten ze het daarbij voornamelijk doen met ruimtestenen die op het aardoppervlak waren geploft. De monsters die nu op een ruimtesteen die nog daadwerkelijk in de ruimte vertoeft, zijn verzameld, zijn in zekere zin echter veel waardevoller, zo legt Oba uit. “Wetenschappers hebben eerder wel nucleobasen en vitamines in bepaalde koolstofrijke meteorieten ontdekt, maar het was dan altijd de vraag of ze door blootstelling aan de aardse omgeving niet (met die stoffen, red.) besmet waren geraakt.” In andere woorden: men kon niet helemaal uitsluiten dat die nucleobasen en vitamines na de landing van meteorieten op die ruimtestenen terecht waren gekomen. “Aangezien Hayabusa2 twee monsters van planetoïde Ryugu heeft gehaald en deze in verzegelde capsules naar de aarde heeft gebracht, kan contaminatie worden uitgesloten.”
Vorig jaar wierpen wetenschappers al een eerste blik op de materialen die op Ryugu werden verzameld. Daaruit bleek dat de monsters het meest ongerepte materiaal uit de jonge jaren van ons zonnestelsel herbergen dat wetenschappers ooit hebben gezien. Een latere analyse wees vervolgens uit dat de planetoïde rijk was aan organische moleculen. In de materialen werden toen reeds onder meer aminozuren aangetroffen. Suikers en nucleobasen konden de onderzoekers toen niet vinden. “Mogelijk zijn ze wel aanwezig, maar in hoeveelheden die te klein zijn om in het relatief kleine beetje materiaal dat we voor deze studie tot onze beschikking hadden, door ons gedetecteerd te worden,” stelde onderzoeker Daniel Glavin, werkzaam bij NASA Goddard, toen. En nu zijn Japanse onderzoekers er dus wel in geslaagd om de aanwezigheid van nucleobasen op de ruimtesteen aan te tonen.
Theorie Met de ontdekking dat de nog in de ruimte vertoevende Ryugu vitamines en nucleobasen herbergt, wint de theorie dat belangrijke bouwstenen voor leven – zoals nucleobasen – in de ruimte gevormd worden, terrein. Aangenomen wordt dat die bouwstenen voor leven vroeger door planetoïden en kometen op aarde zijn afgezet. Daar droegen ze vervolgens bij aan de totstandkoming van leven.
Later dit jaar zal de Amerikaanse ruimtesonde OSIRIS-REx materialen verzameld op planetoïde Bennu op aarde afleveren. Door de samenstelling van die planetoïde aan de hand van die materialen te bestuderen en met die van Ryugu te vergelijken, hopen wetenschappers de hierboven genoemde theorieën te versterken en waar nodig bij te kunnen schaven.
Afbeelding bovenaan dit artikel: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, University of Aizu, AIST
St. Lucia's Flood: The Disaster That Changed the Shape of Europe
St. Lucia's Flood: The Disaster That Changed the Shape of Europe
Water has a destructive nature that is hard to contain - calm and peaceful in one moment, it can turn violent in another. These days, however, many coastal cities and regions have effective, modern protection from flooding. But what of the past? In medieval times, flood protection was crude at best, and did little to stave off the utter destruction of the rising floodwaters. One of the most devastating floods in human history occurred in 1287, in the Netherlands. Known as St. Lucia’s food, it claimed thousands of lives, and is a great insight into the vulnerability of coastal regions in ancient times.
For centuries, the Netherlands had the nasty reputation of being rather low-lying in comparison to the neighboring sea. That is why today, we know it as the land of many canals, and equally as many islets and islands. However, not all is perfectly fine. This seaside nation is losing ground, and if the water levels continue to rise globally, many parts of this country will be forever lost under the sea. The current map of the country was not always so. In the early Middle Ages, there were many more exposed parts of the coast, and many more extant villages near the sea. But one catastrophic event changed that forever. It was a major flood, instigated by a storm tide which happened exactly on the day of St. Lucia.
A storm tide is a big threat in the North Sea. These are coastal floods connected with cyclone winds. And if all the parameters meet together - such as the timing of the tides, the path of the storm, or the depth of the sea - such a storm tide can truly wreak havoc. And in 1287 - it did.
St. Lucia’s flood occurred on 13th December 1287 AD, exactly on the day when the Dutch people celebrated the Feast of St. Lucia. A terrible storm erupted, coinciding with the tides, and creating a catastrophic coastal flood. Immense areas of the coast were quickly swallowed by the water - entire villages and cities were submerged, with great destruction and loss of life. Accurate estimates of the period state that between 50,000 and 80,000 people perished in this flood. Low sandbanks and coastal dunes could not withstand the great wave of water, and were eroded with ease. Entire plains were submerged, and those villages that were not swept away - had to be evacuated.
The flood brought chaos to the Netherlands. Those cities that were not destroyed were now in an entirely new position - as the geography of the coast was totally changed. The water that did not recede now created a number of islands and lakes that remain to this day. Most notable was the emergence of the Zuiderzee (Southern Sea), a shallow bay that extended up to 100 kilometers inland. Before, it was only a small freshwater lake, connected to the sea by the River Vlie. St. Lucia’s flood completely destroyed this river. And this meant that the once-powerful trading ports on the river’s banks were now left to dwindle. This was the fate of the powerful trading port of Stavoren, which now no longer had a river to trade upon.
Following the St. Lucia’s flood, a new focus was shifted on the IJssel River, upon which emerged new trading cities, such as Zwolle, Deventer, Kampen, and Doesburg. It also signaled the rise of a new trading port called Amsterdam, which began from zero almost instantly after the flood’s changes. Today, that city is the Dutch capital!
In neighboring Frisia, destruction was even greater. Many small islands that were inhabited were now gone forever, and loss of life was enormous. The coastline shifted many kilometers inland. For example, Harlingen, before the flood a landlocked city, suddenly found itself on the coast of the sea! From the flood onwards, the city became a port! And the nearby island of Griend, which had many inhabitants, a walled settlement, and a monastery, was entirely devastated, with only 10 houses left standing.
Holland and Frisia were not the only ones affected. Coastal parts of Germany suffered as well, with entire villages in the region of East Frisia disappearing forever. Deaths were numbered in the thousands. Those that survived found the landscape changed, and their traditional way of life was no longer possible. Many survivors fled inland, where they had to begin entirely new lives.
And even those across the North Sea were not spared the effects of the storm. England’s coast suffered greatly, and its map was entirely redrawn. The town of Old Winchelsea, in its time a busy and prosperous port - was now gone for good. In the small village of Hickling, 180 villagers perished, and the water was recorded to have reached a foot above the high altar in their priory. The trading port of New Romney suddenly found itself being a landlocked town: the storm silted up the harbor, diverting the nearby river some 15 miles to the west! The level of the land in the town rose by 5 inches - such was the amount of silt thrown at it.
And in historic Hastings, the storm caused half of the cliff to tumble down, destroying great parts of the extant Norman Castle. The town’s days as a busy port were over ever since, as the protective inlet was wiped away by the storm. One of England’s major ports, Dunwich (once a capital of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of the East Angles ), began its rapid decline around this time. The storm of 1287 was the final nail in its coffin - coastal erosion and flooding ended its days as a leading coastal town. The river which was its lifeline shifted several kilometers to the north. Dunwich was gradually abandoned ever since, and is now a simple village of 180 inhabitants - where once it had over 3,000.
Untamed Wrath of the Nature
Nature is unpredictable. One day all might seem fine, and the next - tragedy erupts. Such is the unpredictable character of mother nature, and those living by the coasts of the North Sea could never know when something so fierce could hit. In 1287, their fears came true.
It can be safely said that St. Lucia’s Flood is one of the biggest catastrophes in the history of Europe. With more than 50,000 people dead and drowned, with dozens of villages erased from the face of the Earth, and geographical maps completely redrawn, we can safely say that this event was one of nature’s fiercest fit of rage. And from it, people learned valuable lessons to defend themselves from future floods.
Top image: A storm tide in the Netherlands caused a devastating flood in 1287.
Triangle UFOs 'from parallel universe' and have own intelligence says aircraft designer
Triangle UFOs 'from parallel universe' and have own intelligence says aircraft designer
EXCLUSIVE: As the US military takes UFO reports ever more seriously, one British man who has encountered a huge unexplained aircraft 'the size of a house' is examining alien encounters here in the UK
Colin thinks the craft could be not just from another planet, but from another universe entirely(Image: Colin Saunders)
A British man who worked for many years as an aircraft designer says he has seen UFOsover the UK that he believes could be piloted by creatures from another dimension.
Colin Saunders had his own encounter with a triangular UFO “about the size of a house “ in 1999, and the experience changed his life. First he saw its lights, and then the mystery craft “de-cloaked” in front of him.
The fact that the mystery craft seem to have some type of invisibility technology raises the possibility that the unexplained black triangles are hovering unseen above us more often than we think.
“I believe they can be flying around the globe totally invisible to us right at this moment,” Colin told the Daily Star.
Based on witnesses' descriptions, Colin has made a scale model of the mystery craft(Image: Colin Saunders)
While Colin’s new book 'Triangular UFOs of the United Kingdom' focuses specifically on wedge-shaped phenomena, he says that other unexplained objects seen in our skies could be representatives from different alien races.
He said: “I think Triangles, Saucers, Cigars and Tic-Tac [UFOs] are all the same or similar phenomena,” Colin said, adding “I'm sure they must be aware of each other.
“Whether different species fly different craft I do not know but small grey aliens seem to feature in many sightings of different craft.
“But,” he added, “they may just be biological robots”.
The strange craft could be flying above us right now, using advanced stealth tech to go undetected(Image: Getty Images)
Colin’s experience has led to a deep fascination with these strange phenomena and their possible explanation, and he has interviewed dozens of people about their own experiences with them.
He’s unconvinced by suggestions that the flying objects seen in the skies over Europe could be experimental stealth aircraft.
“I have worked in the aircraft industry as a designer and I have never witnessed anything like this before,” he says.
He points out that he has researched well over a hundred sightings of these craft and they all appear to be very different from each other.
Colin added: “It’s wouldn’t make sense to build a black budget craft and keep changing the design on each one.
“Plus would the military fly around sometimes over rooftops with a secret aircraft? I think they would probably test in Area 51 rather than the UK countryside."
Colin's new book, due out next month, is already selling well on Amazon(Image: Colin Saunders)
He does concede, though, that some modern military aircraft, such as the USAF’s iconic B2 Spirit stealth bomber, could be in part based on reverse-engineered alien technology.
And, whatever they are, they aren’t simple optical illusions either. For his book, Colin interviewed a few UFO contactees who had actually touched one of the ships:
One of them, Charles Bee describes how the “huge” object blotted out the stars as it glided silently above him.
As he stood transfixed on a hill, the craft came within a “few feet of him,” he said, and he could see black channels etched into its underside, which he speculates may have been some sort of “docking mechanism”.
Some witnesses claim to have even touched the craft(Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)
It seemed to be made of a slate or graphite material,” Charles recalled. “Very dark-grey and a smooth matt texture. I could feel the presence in my whole body and a dental implant was vibrating in my mouth.
“I could see the channels covered the underside of the craft: they are probably six feet across and of a similar depth.
“I raised my hand and touched part of the craft’s body between the channels. I was terrified and even thought it could harm me but did it anyway. I brushed my fingers over it and then put my entire palm on it. It felt like a hard, kitchen worktop with a matte finish, but it was not cold”.
Colin's book covers over 130 first hand UK witness accounts of close encounters with triangular craft, including 'missing time' and men in black(Image: Colin Saunders)
Despite the UFO phenomenon being taken increasingly seriously by the US military, there’s still no definitive explanation for what people across the world are experiencing.
“My own feeling is that these craft are inter-dimensional,” says Colin. “Like a parallel world running alongside our own."
They are crewed by beings from this other universe, Colin claims, but may also have some intelligence of their own.
He added: “I believe the majority of the larger craft will be manned but one suspects the smaller tic tac types may well be remotely controlled.
“I have to say ‘our’ craft looked like it was alive even though it was clearly manufactured, perhaps having an intelligence of its own”.
Triangle UFOs 'from parallel universe' and have own intelligence says aircraft designer
Triangle UFOs 'from parallel universe' and have own intelligence says aircraft designer
EXCLUSIVE: As the US military takes UFO reports ever more seriously, one British man who has encountered a huge unexplained aircraft 'the size of a house' is examining alien encounters here in the UK
Colin thinks the craft could be not just from another planet, but from another universe entirely(Image: Colin Saunders)
A British man who worked for many years as an aircraft designer says he has seen UFOsover the UK that he believes could be piloted by creatures from another dimension.
Colin Saunders had his own encounter with a triangular UFO “about the size of a house “ in 1999, and the experience changed his life. First he saw its lights, and then the mystery craft “de-cloaked” in front of him.
The fact that the mystery craft seem to have some type of invisibility technology raises the possibility that the unexplained black triangles are hovering unseen above us more often than we think.
“I believe they can be flying around the globe totally invisible to us right at this moment,” Colin told the Daily Star.
Based on witnesses' descriptions, Colin has made a scale model of the mystery craft(Image: Colin Saunders)
While Colin’s new book 'Triangular UFOs of the United Kingdom' focuses specifically on wedge-shaped phenomena, he says that other unexplained objects seen in our skies could be representatives from different alien races.
He said: “I think Triangles, Saucers, Cigars and Tic-Tac [UFOs] are all the same or similar phenomena,” Colin said, adding “I'm sure they must be aware of each other.
“Whether different species fly different craft I do not know but small grey aliens seem to feature in many sightings of different craft.
“But,” he added, “they may just be biological robots”.
The strange craft could be flying above us right now, using advanced stealth tech to go undetected(Image: Getty Images)
Colin’s experience has led to a deep fascination with these strange phenomena and their possible explanation, and he has interviewed dozens of people about their own experiences with them.
He’s unconvinced by suggestions that the flying objects seen in the skies over Europe could be experimental stealth aircraft.
“I have worked in the aircraft industry as a designer and I have never witnessed anything like this before,” he says.
He points out that he has researched well over a hundred sightings of these craft and they all appear to be very different from each other.
Colin added: “It’s wouldn’t make sense to build a black budget craft and keep changing the design on each one.
“Plus would the military fly around sometimes over rooftops with a secret aircraft? I think they would probably test in Area 51 rather than the UK countryside."
Colin's new book, due out next month, is already selling well on Amazon(Image: Colin Saunders)
He does concede, though, that some modern military aircraft, such as the USAF’s iconic B2 Spirit stealth bomber, could be in part based on reverse-engineered alien technology.
And, whatever they are, they aren’t simple optical illusions either. For his book, Colin interviewed a few UFO contactees who had actually touched one of the ships:
One of them, Charles Bee describes how the “huge” object blotted out the stars as it glided silently above him.
As he stood transfixed on a hill, the craft came within a “few feet of him,” he said, and he could see black channels etched into its underside, which he speculates may have been some sort of “docking mechanism”.
Some witnesses claim to have even touched the craft(Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)
It seemed to be made of a slate or graphite material,” Charles recalled. “Very dark-grey and a smooth matt texture. I could feel the presence in my whole body and a dental implant was vibrating in my mouth.
“I could see the channels covered the underside of the craft: they are probably six feet across and of a similar depth.
“I raised my hand and touched part of the craft’s body between the channels. I was terrified and even thought it could harm me but did it anyway. I brushed my fingers over it and then put my entire palm on it. It felt like a hard, kitchen worktop with a matte finish, but it was not cold”.
Colin's book covers over 130 first hand UK witness accounts of close encounters with triangular craft, including 'missing time' and men in black(Image: Colin Saunders)
Despite the UFO phenomenon being taken increasingly seriously by the US military, there’s still no definitive explanation for what people across the world are experiencing.
“My own feeling is that these craft are inter-dimensional,” says Colin. “Like a parallel world running alongside our own."
They are crewed by beings from this other universe, Colin claims, but may also have some intelligence of their own.
He added: “I believe the majority of the larger craft will be manned but one suspects the smaller tic tac types may well be remotely controlled.
“I have to say ‘our’ craft looked like it was alive even though it was clearly manufactured, perhaps having an intelligence of its own”.
This 12,000 year old ancient discovery changes our history
This 12,000 year old ancient discovery changes our history
Could our DNA have been altered thousands of years ago? Explore the secrets of one of the oldest religious site known to man, Gobekli Tepe.
Researchers believe the ancient stone carvings tell the story of a progenitor race’s influence on human genetics through agriculture, astronomy and architecture.
The Mysterious UFO Over Chile: Real Life UFO Footage Caught On Camera
The Mysterious UFO Over Chile: Real Life UFO Footage Caught On Camera
Chile is home to an astonishing number of UFO sightings, with more per capita than any other country. So much so that the government founded an official agency, Cifa, to investigate these claims and keep Chile’s vast airspace as clear as possible. In this article, we delve into one of the most intriguing UFO cases in recent years, captured on video by Chile’s own military.
A Glimpse into the Unknown
Josh Gates was invited to Cifa to meet with its director, Hugo Camus, communications chief Karen Navarro, and the director of Chile’s civil aviation agency, Ricardo Gutierrez. They showed him footage of a mysterious object in the sky, captured by a Navy helicopter crew. The object was invisible to radar and appeared to be hovering in place before expelling something and disappearing.
To further investigate this compelling case, Gates met with Alberto Solari, a researcher who has spent almost a decade analyzing UFO reports. Solari devised an ingenious experiment to explain the mysterious Navy footage by attempting to recreate it. He arranged for a hot air balloon to run parallel to a helicopter, allowing them to film it with the same thermal camera used by the Navy pilots.
A Hot Air Balloon, or Something More?
The hot air balloon displayed some similarities to the UFO in the footage, but differences in shape and movement were apparent. When the balloon released bursts of hot gas from its onboard propane system, the gas was barely perceptible on the thermal camera. They then tried using a fire extinguisher to emit a visible, colder gas, but still, the results were inconclusive.
Conclusion: A True UFO
Despite Solari’s best efforts, the experiment failed to provide a sufficient explanation for the mysterious object in the video. This leaves the case open and the object’s origin up for debate. Is it an extraterrestrial craft or an unknown phenomenon? It seems that, for now, the truth behind this captivating UFO sighting remains shrouded in mystery.
Real Life UFO Footage Caught On Camera | Expedition Unknown: Hunt For Extraterrestrials
A towering, conical mountain that compasses cannot understand. Sphinx-shaped megaliths arranged nearby in a pattern. Strange ancient ruins of a forgotten civilisation surrounded by wilderness.
The 1,515ft Senganmori mountain in Fukushima prefecture is shrouded in mystery.
Outside of Japan, Fukushima is best known as the region worst hit by the devastating 2011 Tohoku tsunami, which caused nuclear reactors to go into meltdown and spawned many tall tales of mutant plants and insects across the prefecture.
But for over 30 years, the isolated village of Iino - on the side of Senganmori mountain - has has also been associated with extra-terrestrial mysteries, with tens of thousands of travellers making the pilgrimage each year to see for themselves.
In an ordinary town in rural Japan, enthusiasts claim to have recovered 3,000 items of alien origin, connected to centuries of mythology around an ancient mountain.
MailOnline investigates the secrets of Senganmori.
In 2022 alone, the UFO lab received 452 reports of sightings in and around Japan. They were able to authenticate that evidence had not been doctored in 149 of the cases (pictured: alleged UFO sightings in Japan)
The authority to do this is built up an extensive collection of some 935 declassified CIA documents, gifted from UFO researcher Kinichi Arai, recounting stories of sightings from all over the world through the last century (pictured: alleged UFO sightings in Japan)
When Arai died in 2002, the corpus was transferred from a UFO library to the village's museum, providing a strong backbone for research into alien trends. Steadily, the museum has built a trusted reputation for identifying and validating claims of alien life (pictured: alleged UFO sightings in Japan)
The story starts in the 1972. A large light-emitting cone-shaped object is reported by witnesses near the mysterious Mount Senganmori. At the age of 25, Tsugio Kinoshita is convinced he has seen something otherworldly while hiking with friends.
'This thing stuck out in front of me,' he told VICE World News last year. 'Starting and stopping in the blue sky. Then all of a sudden, it was gone.'
After the sighting, Kinoshita would go on to dedicate his life to the research of unidentified flying objects.
In the years since, the tiny 'town' of Iino (now integrated with the city of Fukushima) has steadily grown into a hotspot for alien sightings and enthusiasts.
Since 1992, the pink, UFO-shaped Fureaikan museum on the side of the mountain has collected and curated 3,000 artefacts - possible evidence of extra-terrestrial life.
These reportedly include classified CIA documents containing records of UFO research.
The museum itself was helped to thrive with government funding, handed out between 1988 and 1989.
These days, some 30,000 people each year make the pilgrimage to the museum, which residents have built their community around.
The stories of an isolated village built around a mountain, itself rumoured to be an artificial pyramid of ancient design, or an underground alien airbase, have helped build a tourism industry from scratch within a generation.
The village even has a mascot - a little grey alien with big, dark eyes - who appears in different statue forms around the town to guide tourists to the summit.
But for many, this is not tourist trap. Iino provides believers with a foundation of research and investigation from which to understand their beliefs.
Speaking to Fukushima residents in 2020, a Japan Forward reporter was told: 'Senganmori is no joke. They (UFOs) really show up in the area...'
Senganmori mountain lies just southeast of the city of Fukushima, famous for the 2011 disaster
The village received funding to set up the first national UFO laboratory in 2021
The villagers take pride in their local heritage, with signs and statues nodding to alien life up and down the mountain
Japan funded the opening of an International UFO Lab in 2021 to bring tourists to the area
The village of Iino is decorated with alien-themed statues leading up the mountain
In 2021 the town became home to the International UFO Lab, a national first set up to collect and share reports of sightings after Japan issued guidelines on the research of 'aerial occurrences'.
As the population has halved from 9,500 in 1955, the new tourism industry has helped put Iino back on the map; the lab was one small step for Japan, but a giant leap for a town left-behind, now welcoming in six times its population in tourists each year.
The revived interest has motivated the lab's staff to maintain records and blogs of the area's extraterrestrial history and mythology.
They reason that the 'mysterious pyramid-like shape of Senganmori and the strong magnetic field in its underground part are related', and the mountain acts as a kind of antennae for space visitors.
Or, they suggest: the strange sphinxes around the mountain all form a 'ley line', supposedly an ancient track used to guide alien travellers.
They note the mountain is dotted with 'direction stones' all joined up with ancient burial mounds and shrines to steer flying visitors in the right direction.
Of course the village profits from its unique industry. But its analysts clearly do believe in the importance of collating and retelling stories of alien encounters from around the world.
The village website published last year, in Japanese: 'Information dissemination is essential, and I believe that it is important to always strive for transparency rather than putting a lid on smelly things.'
And this is what they have done.
In August 2021, the UFO Lab was cited as an authority who 'authenticated' the sighting of a possible flying saucer photographed by an elementary school first-grader.
The photo shows a disk shaped object at Senganmori mountain.
The director of the lab said at a news conference on 25 June last year that the objects in the photos were not aeroplanes or helicopters.
In 2022 alone, they received 452 reports of sightings in and around Japan. They were able to authenticate that evidence had not been doctored in 149 of the cases.
The authority to do this is built up an extensive collection of some 935 declassified CIA documents, gifted from UFO researcher Kinichi Arai, recounting stories of sightings from all over the world through the last century.
When Arai died in 2002, the corpus was transferred from a UFO library to the village's museum, providing a strong backbone for research into alien trends.
Steadily, the museum has built a trusted reputation for identifying and validating claims of alien life.
The International UFO Lab has taken a role in 'authenticating' UFO sightings in the region
Image shows an flying object near Senganmori mountain, identified by the UFO lab
The International UFO lab shares an image of an apparent UFO over Senganmori mountain
For those who claim to have witnessed UFOs in the region, it is a deeply personal experience that lines up with many others. Lab director Toshio Kanno said: 'I'm not one to disregard other people's stories. First and foremost, I listen to what people have to say; then I draw what I can draw, transcribe what I can transcribe, and last, I build a handmade newspaper' (pictured: alleged UFO sightings in Japan)
The town of Iino has been hit hard by falling birth rates and people leaving the prefecture since the devastating 2011 tsunami.
This left the town a shell of itself, with villagers getting steadily older and businesses closing their doors with nobody to buy from them.
But interest in extra-terrestrial life, and backing from the government, has helped Iino make the most of Senganmori's secrets, attracting visitors from far and wide.
Cynics might look at the lab and the museum and the tourist trinkets and laugh off the tales of a mysterious mountain home to alien life.
But Iino's flourishing tourism industry only exists because centuries of stories around Senganmori were already there to make generations wonder what caused so many space oddities to line up in one place.
For those who claim to have witnessed UFOs in the region, it is a deeply personal experience that lines up with many others.
Lab director Toshio Kanno said: 'I'm not one to disregard other people's stories.
'First and foremost, I listen to what people have to say; then I draw what I can draw, transcribe what I can transcribe, and last, I build a handmade newspaper.'
The tourism side does not make much money, Kanno says. But that isn't the point. It is place for those who believe to share their stories and feel heard.
On the side of Senganmori mountain, villagers today pay tribute to its secrets by recording and preserving the rich and unanswerable stories passed down and believed for generations.
While the details of these myths may never be fully understood, the work of a few committed enthusiasts, shaped by their own experiences, brings our world, day by day, a little closer to others.
The Enigmatic Senganmori Mountain: Japan’s UFO Attraction
The Enigmatic Senganmori Mountain: Japan’s UFO Attraction
UFO-Inspired Bus Stop Spotted in Iinomachi District, Fukushima, Japan
Deep within the heart of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, lies the enigmatic Senganmori Mountain. This mysterious 1,515ft mountain has captured the attention of UFO enthusiasts and believers for over four decades, making it a renowned hub for alien sightings.
Senganmori Mountain has long been shrouded in mystery, with its towering, conical peak seemingly defying compasses and the presence of sphinx-shaped megaliths arranged in intricate patterns nearby. Surrounded by the strange ancient ruins of a forgotten civilization, it’s no wonder that this remote location has become synonymous with extraterrestrial encounters.
Senganmori mountain – UFO hotspot
The village of Iino, nestled on the side of Senganmori Mountain, has also been associated with these otherworldly events for over 30 years. Each year, tens of thousands of travelers embark on a pilgrimage to this isolated village to uncover its secrets for themselves. The small town has even amassed a collection of over 3,000 alleged alien artifacts, further fueling its connection to centuries of mythology surrounding the ancient mountain.
In 2022, the UFO lab located within the village received 452 reports of sightings in and around Japan, with 149 of these cases being authenticated as genuine, unaltered evidence. The lab’s authority is bolstered by an extensive collection of 935 declassified CIA documents, gifted by UFO researcher Kinichi Arai. These documents recount stories of sightings from around the world throughout the last century, providing a solid foundation for research into alien trends.
Statue of Alien-Like Figure Captured in Iinomachi, Fukushima, Japan
After Arai’s death in 2002, his collection was transferred to the village’s museum, which has since built a trusted reputation for identifying and validating claims of alien life. The Fureaikan museum, situated on the side of the mountain, has curated a collection of 3,000 possible pieces of evidence for extraterrestrial life, including classified CIA documents containing records of UFO research.
Thanks to government funding between 1988 and 1989, the museum has thrived and now attracts roughly 30,000 visitors annually. The village has embraced its unique heritage, with alien-themed statues and signs decorating the area and guiding tourists up the mountain. The local community has even adopted a mascot – a little grey alien with large, dark eyes.
UFO museum
For many, Iino is not just a tourist attraction but a hub for research and investigation into the existence of UFOs. In 2021, the village received funding to set up the first national UFO laboratory, further solidifying its commitment to the study of extraterrestrial life.
Senganmori Mountain, just southeast of the city of Fukushima, offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of UFO sightings and research. With its rich history, enigmatic landscape, and dedication to the study of otherworldly phenomena, it’s no wonder that this remote Japanese village has become a magnet for UFO enthusiasts and believers alike.
Amazing Mumbai, India UFO sighting – 2023 (Today!)
Amazing Mumbai, India UFO sighting – 2023 (Today!)
Mumbai, India UFO sighting
In the bustling city of Mumbai, a remarkable event occurred earlier today that has left citizens and experts alike in a state of awe and curiosity. A mysterious object was sighted hovering in the sky, exhibiting bizarre flight patterns and an enigmatic appearance. The object’s behavior was unlike any known aircraft or natural phenomena, with witnesses reporting that it moved rapidly and seemingly at random. Alongside this article, a video has been included to provide a visual account of the event.
The unidentified flying object (UFO) was first spotted by a group of onlookers who could not help but notice its peculiar movements. As the object hovered in the sky, it performed rapid, random movements that defied the capabilities of conventional aircraft. Eyewitnesses reported feeling both amazed and baffled by the sight, with many claiming that they had never seen anything quite like it before.
This is not the first time that Mumbai has been the site of UFO sightings. In previous years, there have been several reports of unexplained aerial phenomena in the city, though none as dramatic and widely witnessed as the event that took place today. Some have even drawn connections between these sightings and ancient alien theories, positing that extraterrestrial beings may have visited the region in the distant past.
Mumbai is home to numerous ancient structures and artifacts that have long fascinated historians and archaeologists. Some proponents of the ancient astronaut theory believe that these relics provide evidence of advanced technology and knowledge that could not have been developed by the civilizations of the time. They argue that extraterrestrial visitors may have had a hand in the creation of these enigmatic sites and that their influence can still be seen today.
While no concrete evidence has yet been found to support these theories, the recent UFO sighting has certainly reignited interest in the topic. As experts and enthusiasts continue to analyze the video and gather additional data, many are left to wonder whether today’s sighting could be a sign of something more significant.
As the mystery surrounding this latest UFO sighting unfolds, the event is sure to capture the imaginations of people around the world. Whether the object is eventually identified as a man-made or natural phenomenon, or remains unexplained, it has undoubtedly sparked a renewed interest in the possibility of extraterrestrial life and its potential connections to ancient civilizations in Mumbai and beyond.
The investigation into this enigmatic sighting is ongoing, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, the video accompanying this article offers a glimpse into the extraordinary event that has captivated Mumbai and the world.
Don’t Take Batteries to the Moon or Mars, 3D Print Them When you Get There
Artist's impression of astronauts on the lunar surface, as part of the Artemis Program. How will they store power on the Moon? 3D printed batteries could help.
Don’t Take Batteries to the Moon or Mars, 3D Print Them When you Get There
When the Artemis astronauts and future explorers go to the Moon and Mars, they’ll need power. Lots of it. Of course, they’ll use solar panels to generate the juice they need for habitats, experiments, rovers, and so on. But, they’ll need batteries for power storage. Those things weigh a lot and cost a fortune to send up from Earth. So, why not simply 3D print their own when they get there?
That’s the question a team of researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and Youngstown State University (YSU) are working to answer. They’ve teamed up with several NASA centers in a $2.5 million project to explore the idea of 3D printing batteries using local materials.
“UTEP is a seminal partner in this NASA-led project with our long and deep heritage in additive manufacturing,” said Eric MacDonald, professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering and associate dean in the UTEP College of Engineering. “UTEP’s reputation in 3D printing, material science, and our state-of-the-art facilities were important factors in convincing our NASA partners to pursue this potentially transformative research – for space exploration but for terrestrial applications of batteries as well.”
UTEP has joined a project led by NASA to leverage 3D-printing processes with the aim of manufacturing rechargeable batteries using lunar and Martian regolith. Photo by JR Hernandez / UTEP Marketing and Communications
This NASA-led effort is a big step toward adapting the 3D print process for space use. Another goal is to be able to extrude batteries in about any shape needed. Then, they can be fitted into walls of habitats or inside other equipment to save space. And, if it works out, eventually astronauts will be able to print habitat modules, power generators, and other facilities.
What Kind of 3D Print Process to Use in Space?
The project is looking at two types of 3D print methods. One is called “material extrusion”, where the shapes are pushed out of the printer in their final form. The other is “vat photopolymerization” (VPP). The basic material is a vat of liquid photopolymer resin. The machine then uses this material to construct an object, layer by layer. VPP would allow lunar inhabitants to make shape-conformable batteries to fit wherever they’re needed. That includes smaller spacecraft, robots, portable power units, and large-scale long-term power systems.
Illustration representing materials extraction and manufacturing of rechargeable batteries using lunar and martian materials as material feedstock for 3D printers. This original artwork was conceived, created, and adapted by A. Maurel, with a contribution from P. Garcia to the central diagram that includes the 3D printer. Credit NASA.
Making batteries using local regolith puts an interesting limitation on what type can be printed. Right now, on the International Space Station, the primary power systems rely on lithium-ion power storage units brought up from Earth. Unfortunately, if people are going to manufacture power storage units on the Moon or Mars, they aren’t going to be able to use lithium-ion. That’s because there’s very little lithium available to mine on the Moon and Mars. So, what will they use?
The NASA and university teams are looking at sodium-ion technology. Both the Moon and Mars do have some amounts of sodium accessible. So, the UTEP research team will be studying sodium-ion battery chemistry and possible printing solutions. After that, they’ll test the procedures.
Lunar and Martian Batteries Tech
NASA, UTEP, and YSU will also work on the extraction of battery materials and precursors for these sodium-ion batteries from lunar and Martian regolith. The university teams already developed and used VPP 3D printing to make composite resin feedstocks for each part of the proposed power storage units. Technically, that includes the electrodes, electrolytes, and current collectors. The team at NASA’s Marshall Ames centers developed and ME 3D printed composite inks for the different battery components. UTEP and NASA’s Glenn Research Center will electrochemically test the completed 3D-printed sodium-ion battery components.
“This project with NASA is an opportunity to demonstrate UTEP’s expertise in both energy storage and 3D printing,” said Alexis Maurel of the UTEP Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. “Additive manufacturing appears as a unique approach to manufacture shape-conformable batteries to support human operations in space and on the surface of the moon or Mars, where cargo resupply is not as readily available.”
Astronauts Could Mix and Match Parts to Make the Perfect Robot for Any Job
Building with Legos is a favored pastime for many small children and adults. We’ve even covered some more space-oriented Lego sets here at UT. But, as the Lego movie points out, they constitute “a highly sophisticated interlocking brick system.” So why not take the idea underpinning Legos – that you can make anything you want out of a set of generic pieces and apply it to a much more serious scientific topic…like robots.
That is precisely what a student-led team from MIT has done with the Walking Oligometric Robotic Mobility Systems (WORMS) robot they have developed. Conceived initially as a project in response to NASA’s Breakthrough, Innovative, and Game-changing (BIG) idea challenge, the system is designed to have replaceable parts to achieve various mobility tasks over rugged terrain.
Part of its appeal is its lack of wheels. Despite its name, WORMS looks more like a spider, at least in the configuration that has been the most thoroughly tested. The design team, based out of the Space Resources Workshop, took biological inspiration from several different creatures, including spiders, elephants, and oxen. Each could be used for a specific task – spiders could explore caves, elephants could join together to transport heavy objects, and oxen could drag other equipment up or down steep slopes.
At the heart of the system is a core that could easily snap different parts onto it. If a spider bot is needed to explore a lava tube, six legs could be snapped on, along with a drill to dig for liquid water. Suppose the astronauts programming the robots needed to get a solar panel up to the top of a ridgeline to collect more sunlight. In that case, they could configure the robot with many more legs and even multiple central cores, allowing the WORMS system to expand its payload capacity linearly.
In place of wheels, the WORMS team uses articulated appendages measuring about 1 meter in length and with a part that looks somewhat like Captain America’s shield in place of a foot. However, like much of the rest of the system, those parts can be replaced with differing parts for different use cases. Many could be 3D printed on the Moon itself using one of the various lunar 3D printing technologies we discussed in past articles.
For now, the WORMS remains Earthbound but is still under active development. A paper from the group recently won the Best Paper award at the Institute for Electrical Engineers’ Aerospace Conference. With continued support and a never-ending stream of MIT students interested in continuing development on the project, what started as a student-led project could morph into a fully fleshed-out robotic support system for the Moon’s first long-term inhabitants
UT video on lunar lava tubes, where WORMS or other robotic explorers could potentially be the first to tread.
What is it? Mysterious lights appear in the sky of São Paulo, Brazil, and intrigue residents.
What is it? Mysterious lights appear in the sky of São Paulo, Brazil, and intrigue residents.
In São Paulo, Brazil, residents have been thrown into a fright after a bizarre story emerged regarding peoples being scared at a street location by what has been described as a “strange lights”.
That and more strange events caught on tape. Real or fake? Video here:
Tic-Tac Seen From Jet Over Stratford, California, 3-11-2023, UFO Sighting News.
Tic-Tac Seen From Jet Over Stratford, California, 3-11-2023, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: March 11, 2023
Location of sighting: Stratford, California, USA
Source: MUFON
According to the plane photo data she included, but I didn't post here, the plane was directly over Stratford, CA at that time. California is known for lots of UFO being reported so this is no real surprise to me. The UFO is a tactic because of its odd whiteish color and tactic shape. At first I thought it was a plane so I enlarged it and as you can see in the video, the object has no wings, no contrail, no lights, no windows or tail. This is not a manmade craft. Its is absolutely a real alien UFO. Did you notice how it almost matches speed with the plane, so it will appear as a normal aircraft on radar? Aliens are smart. They know how to mess with us without getting caught.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
Seen from passenger jet, Eyewitness states: On Saturday March 11, 2023, I was flying south over central California on Southwest Airlines 2463 from Sacramento Airport (SMF) to San Diego (SAN). I was seated in the window seating, on the left side in the middle of the plane, right behind the left wing. About halfway through our flight, I was looking out the window and saw a tic tac ufo in the distance traveling perpendicular to us. It was a white cylinder craft, with no wings, windows, markings, or discernible features. It was a smooth white cylinder with no visible means of propulsion or exhaust, plumes. The tic tac ufo was in the distance a few miles from us. It was moving in a constant path. There was nothing remarkable about it - it didn't move fast, or hover, it was just moving at a constant speed and disappeared soon into the clouds. It was a few degrees above our plane, so at a similar altitude.
And was northwest of our plane's orientation (note the plane is heading south). I saw the tic tac's side and it was traveling perpendicular to us towards the plane (so it was traveling west). I recorded it on my phone with a video for about 18 seconds before the tic tac disappeared into a cloudbank. I have included that video and stills. According to the video, the video was taken on March 11, at 5:57:53 pm (Time zone GMT-08:00). I used Flight Aware and converted this time to Sun March 12, 1:58 AM UTC and that put the plane just near Selma in Fresno county.
There were no planes in the immediate vicinity, nor that match the orientation the tic tac was viewed from my window (NW orientation relative to the plane's nose, which was traveling southwards).
Glowing Balls Near Palm Springs, California 3-23, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Glowing Balls Near Palm Springs, California 3-23, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting:March 23, 2023 Location of sighting: Near Palm Springs, California, USA
Source: MUFON
Now they objects look like two spheres but I have to say that they are only spheres for a few seconds, most the time they look like one triangle and one rectangle shaped object. Some people are telling me on comments on Youtube that it looks like flares, however flares don't usually last this long and are not usually shot over the homes of people, but instead are over the desert area. I can clearly see home under these lights. Military would not do that! I do feel that these lights are not man made, but are two alien spacecraft that have appeared from an underground base in the area and are waiting to hyper jump out of the area.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
2 Yellow/Orange lights glowing then combine as one and disappear in the Southeastern Coachella Valley near Palm Springs CA.
Could UFOs over the US be the same as the infamous 'Tic Tac' caught on video? Expert says mysterious objects resemble white oblong spotted by the US Navy in 2004 – as the Pentagon refuses to rule out ALIENS
Could UFOs over the US be the same as the infamous 'Tic Tac' caught on video? Expert says mysterious objects resemble white oblong spotted by the US Navy in 2004 – as the Pentagon refuses to rule out ALIENS
UFOfever is gripping the US after a third mysterious object was shot down using a missile from a F-16 fighter jet yesterday.
The 'octagonal' object with 'potential surveillance capabilities' flew near a sensitive military site in Montana before being taken over the Great Lakes on Sunday.
It follows a further two objects that were shot down over Alaska and Canada in the preceding days and a Chinese 'spy balloon' being eliminated the weekend before.
While China claimed ownership of the spy balloon, the origin and purpose of the three subsequent unidentified flying objects are more mysterious, with the Pentagon refusing to rule out an extraterrestrial origin.
British UFO expert Nick Pope, formerly with the UK's Ministry of Defence, told MailOnline that he 'can't rule out a connection with the Tic Tac sighting' but cautioned that an overall explanation is 'still to be determined'.
Here's all you need to know about what the UFOs could be, and why they are increasingly becoming a major breach of Northern American airspace.
A mysterious object was taken down over the Great Lakes on Sunday after being detected in US airspace. The Pentagon issued a statement saying its path and altitude had 'raised concerns'. It followed two other crafts discovered and destroyed over Alaska and Canada on Friday and Saturday, respectively, and a Chinese balloon taken down on February 4
WHAT HAPPENED?
US authorities were alerted to a flying octagonal object discovered in US airspace on Sunday – the third in as many days.
Three UFOs shot down in three days
- Friday Feb. 10: First UFO shot down (over Alaska)
- Saturday Feb. 11: Second UFO shot down (Yukon, Canada)
- Sunday Feb. 12: Third UFO shot down (Great Lakes)
More unusual activity:
- Saturday Feb. 4: Chinese ‘spy’ balloon shot down (South Carolina coast.
An F-16 fighter jet shot it down from around 20,000 feet over the Great Lakes at 2:42pm local time, following orders from President Biden.
Two other crafts had been discovered and subsequently destroyed over Alaska and Canada on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
China has admitted ownership of the balloon, although it insisted it was an unmanned weather surveillance aircraft that had veered off-course.
In comparison, the three aircraft that followed at the weekend are unidentified and their nature and origin are far less clear.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE THREE UFOs?
The first two UFOs shot down over Alaska and Canada on Friday and Saturday have both been described as 'cylindrical'.
According to ABC News citing an unnamed US official, the first one was described as 'cylindrical and silver-ish gray' and seemed to be floating without any sort of propulsion.
Pictured, the 148th Fighter Wing F-16C that shot down the unidentified object over Lake Huron on Sunday. The missile is circled
Meanwhile, the second was also cylindrical and described as much smaller than the Chinese spy balloon of February 4.
China's surveillance balloon is still shrouded in mystery to some extent, but it's thought to have sensors, radar, and cameras
BOTH were believed to have a payload, either attached or suspended from them, according to the officials.
It's possible the Alaska and Canada UFOs were of the same design.
However, the third one was described as 'octagonal' with strings hanging off, but had no discernible payload.
Officials have said they would not definitively characterise these aircrafts as 'balloons' until the debris is recovered.
It's possible that all the objects are balloons that China has released to bombard North American airspace, either as a threat or a political statement.
WHAT HAS THE PENTAGON SAID?
Following the take-down operation of the third UFO on Sunday, the Pentagon issued a statement saying its path and altitude had 'raised concerns'.
The statement said: 'North American Aerospace Defense Command detected the object Sunday morning and has maintained visual and radar tracking of it.
'Based on its flight path and data we can reasonably connect this object to the radar signal picked up over Montana, which flew in proximity to sensitive DOD [Department of Defense] sites.
'We did not assess it to be a kinetic military threat to anything on the ground, but assess it was a safety flight hazard and a threat due to its potential surveillance capabilities.'
Pictured, the spherical Chinese balloon that was shot down on February 4 over South Carolina
Canada searching for object shot down over Yukon Saturday
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday said teams are looking for the cylindrical object that a US fighter jet shot down over Yukon territory on his orders a day ago so that they can analyze it and learn more about its purpose.
'Recovery teams are on the ground, looking to find and analyze the object,' Trudeau told reporters.
'There's still much to know about it. That's why the analysis of this object is going to be very important.'
Source: Reuters
COULD THEY BE OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL ORIGIN?
The Pentagon has refused to rule out the possibility that the collection of unidentified objects could be linked to extraterrestrials.
US Air Force General Glen VanHerck said intelligence services were exploring all avenues and would not rule out aliens or any other explanation yet.
'I'll let the intel community and the counterintelligence community figure that out. I haven't ruled out anything,' VanHerck said.
'At this point we continue to assess every threat or potential threat, unknown, that approaches North America with an attempt to identify it.'
Mr Pope says everything that's been shot down so far is some kind of surveillance device rather than an extraterrestrial.
'I'm sure there's life out there in the cosmos, and I'm open minded about the idea of visitation – to borrow the general's phrase, I don't rule it out,' Pope told MailOnline.
'But this isn't The War of the Worlds, it's spying, and I'm sure the US is making every effort to assess what damage has been done, and to mitigate the threat.'
According to Pope, VanHerck's statement was a 'generic response' that's used when people don't really have an answer, but it has had the effect of inviting an extraterrestrial hypothesis.
Legendary English physicist Professor Brian Cox has also weighed in with a tweet laced with a good dose of irony.
'I've always suspected that an advanced alien civilisation with the technology to travel at close to light speed across interstellar distances would arrive in Earth orbit unobserved and proceed to dispatch a fleet of small, easily detectable balloons into our atmosphere,' he said.
US Air Force General Glen VanHerck said they are still unsure how the three objects were staying aloft
All the same, the cylindrical shape of the first and second object has suggested a potential link with the famous 'Tic Tac' UFO of 2004.
Department of Defense admitted it is examining 510 reports of UFO sightings and an office dedicated to reviewing UFOs received 247 new reports since June 2021 (artist's depiction)
WHAT WAS TIC TAC?
In November 2004, US Navy pilots were conducting a routine training mission with the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the Southern California coast.
There they noticed the so-called 'Tic Tac' UFO, which was leaked in an official US government video taken aboard the Navy fighter jet.
Aboard was US Navy Lieutenant Commander Alex Dietrich, who first noticed an unusual 'churning' of the ocean surface before seeing the UFO.
The smooth, white oblong object – resembling a large Tic Tac breath mint – flew at high speed over the water, maneuvering and accelerating in ways which seemed to defy the laws of physics.
'It appeared to respond in a way that we didn't recognise', Dietrich told Reuters in 2021, and seemed to lack 'any visible flight control surfaces or means of propulsion'.
'We don't know what it was, but it could have been a natural phenomenon in human activity,' she said. 'But the point was that it was weird, and we couldn't recognise it.'
So could its characteristic shape give it any relation to the recently-downed objects?
Pope said he 'can't rule out a connection with the Tic Tac sighting' but cautioned that an overall explanation is 'still to be determined'.
'I don't have an explanation for the Tic Tac incident, and to the best of my knowledge the DOD and the US Navy are still categorising it as unidentified,' he told MailOnline.
The Pentagon has refused to rule out an extraterrestrial origin, but the shape of two of the objects recalls the famous 'Tic Tac' UFO of 2004
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The hunt is now on by US authorities to find the fragments of the downed objects and analyse them to reveal more about their identity.
The Pentagon has said Department of Defense staff will now work to recover Sunday's object 'in an effort to learn more' about its purpose and origin'.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said analysis of the object that penetrated his country's airspace 'is going to be very important'.
However, intelligence gathered from the investigations could be kept as closely-guarded secrets.
'The fact that this involves the intelligence agencies is one reason for the secrecy, and while more information will emerge, some details will doubtless be kept from the media and the public, for reasons of national security,' Pope told MailOnline.
'That will probably ensure that the conspiracy theories about aliens aren't going to go away just yet.'
Pentagon issues statement following downing of mysterious 'airborne object' at 20,000 feet
Today at 2:42 p.m. ET, at the direction of President Biden, and based on the recommendations of Secretary Austin and military leadership, an F-16 fired an AIM9x to successfully shoot down an airborne object flying at approximately 20,000 feet altitude in US airspace over Lake Huron in the State of Michigan.
Its path and altitude raised concerns, including that it could be a hazard to civil aviation.
The location chosen for this shoot down afforded us the opportunity to avoid impact to people on the ground while improving chances for debris recovery. There are no indications of any civilians hurt or otherwise affected.
North American Aerospace Defense Command detected the object Sunday morning and has maintained visual and radar tracking of it.
Based on its flight path and data we can reasonably connect this object to the radar signal picked up over Montana, which flew in proximity to sensitive DOD sites.
We did not assess it to be a kinetic military threat to anything on the ground, but assess it was a safety flight hazard and a threat due to its potential surveillance capabilities.
Our team will now work to recover the object in an effort to learn more.
Tic Tac UFO Filmed from a Plane Over Central California – A Detailed Account
Tic Tac UFO Filmed from a Plane Over Central California – A Detailed Account
Tic Tac UFO over California
A Southwest Airlines passenger captures a Tic Tac UFO on video, traveling at a steady speed over the skies of California.
On the evening of March 11th, 2023, passengers aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 2463 from Sacramento Airport (SMF) to San Diego (SAN) witnessed an unusual sight. A white, cylinder-shaped object, later described as a Tic Tac UFO, was spotted soaring through the sky over central California, near Selma in Fresno County.
The witness, seated on the left side of the plane in the middle section just behind the left wing, recounted the experience in detail. At approximately 5:57 pm (GMT-08:00), halfway through the flight, the passenger noticed the unidentified flying object moving at a constant speed, traveling westward perpendicular to the plane’s southward trajectory.
The Tic Tac UFO was described as a smooth white cylinder, devoid of any discernible features such as wings, windows, or markings. It appeared to have no visible means of propulsion or exhaust plumes, further adding to the mystery surrounding the object.
Although the object didn’t display any extraordinary capabilities such as rapid acceleration or hovering, its appearance and steady movement were intriguing enough to capture the attention of the witness. They managed to record the UFO on their phone for 18 seconds before it disappeared into a cloud bank.
Witness report
The witness, determined to learn more about the sighting, consulted Flight Aware and converted the time of the recording to Sun March 12, 1:58 AM UTC. This placed the plane’s location just near Selma in Fresno County. Further investigation revealed that there were no other planes in the immediate vicinity, nor any aircraft matching the orientation and position of the Tic Tac UFO.
Mystifying UFO Sighting in Southeastern Coachella Valley Stirs Curiosity
Mystifying UFO Sighting in Southeastern Coachella Valley Stirs Curiosity
UFO sighting over California
A remarkable UFO sighting in the southeastern Coachella Valley, California, has captured the attention of both local residents and enthusiasts of extraterrestrial phenomena. On the evening of March 23, 2023, witnesses reported observing two bright, yellow-orange lights merging together before vanishing into the night sky.
According to the witness report, the mysterious lights first appeared as two distinct, glowing orbs hovering in the sky over the southeastern Coachella Valley. The brilliant yellow-orange hue of the lights was striking, catching the attention of those who happened to be nearby. As they watched, the orbs began to slowly move towards each other, eventually combining into a single, brighter light.
Once the two lights had fully merged, onlookers were stunned to see the now unified, luminous orb suddenly disappear without a trace. The entire event unfolded in a matter of minutes, leaving witnesses in awe and sparking a flurry of speculation as to the nature of the phenomenon.
A video captured by a witness, which will be posted alongside this article, provides visual documentation of the event. The footage clearly shows the two glowing lights as they converge and subsequently vanish, supporting the witness accounts and further deepening the mystery.
The southeastern Coachella Valley, located in the Colorado Desert of Southern California, has a history of UFO sightings, which only adds to the intrigue surrounding this recent event. Many hope that a thorough investigation will ultimately shed light on the mysterious occurrence.
NASA Instrument Bound for Titan Could Reveal Chemistry Leading to Life
NASA Instrument Bound for Titan Could Reveal Chemistry Leading to Life
A new NASA mission to Saturn’s giant moon, Titan, is due to launch in 2027. Whendiscovery that could bring about a new understanding of the development of life in the universe. This mission, called Dragonfly, will carry an instrument called the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS), designed to help scientists hone in on the chemistry at work on Titan. It may also shed light on the kinds of chemical steps that occurred on Earth that ultimately le it arrives in the mid-2030s, it will begin a journey of d to the formation of life, called prebiotic chemistry.
This illustration shows NASA’s Dragonfly rotorcraft-lander approaching a site on Saturn’s exotic moon, Titan. Taking advantage of Titan’s dense atmosphere and low gravity, Dragonfly will explore dozens of locations across the icy world, sampling and measuring the compositions of Titan's organic surface materials to characterize the habitability of Titan’s environment and investigate the progression of prebiotic chemistry.
Credits: NASA/JHU-APL
Titan's abundant complex carbon-rich chemistry, interior ocean, and past presence of liquid water on the surface make it an ideal destination to study prebiotic chemical processes and the potential habitability of an extraterrestrial environment.
DraMS will allow scientists back on Earth to remotely study the chemical makeup of the Titanian surface. “We want to know if the type of chemistry that could be important for early pre-biochemical systems on Earth is taking place on Titan,” explains Dr. Melissa Trainer of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.
The colorful globe of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, passes in front of the planet and its rings in this true color snapshot from NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
Trainer is a planetary scientist and astrobiologist who specializes in Titan and is one of the Dragonfly mission’s deputy principal investigators. She is also lead on the DraMS instrument, which will scan through measurements of samples from Titan’s surface material for evidence of prebiotic chemistry.
To accomplish this, the Dragonfly robotic rotorcraft will capitalize on Titan’s low gravity and dense atmosphere to fly between different points of interest on Titan’s surface, spread as far as several miles apart. This allows Dragonfly to relocate its entire suite of instruments to a new site when the previous one has been fully explored, and provides access to samples in environments with a variety of geologic histories.
At each site, samples less than a gram in size will be drilled out of the surface by the Drill for Acquisition of Complex Organics (DrACO) and brought inside the lander’s main body, to a place called the “attic” that houses the DraMS instrument. There, they will be irradiated by an onboard laser or vaporized in an oven to be measured by DraMS. A mass spectrometer is an instrument that analyzes the various chemical components of a sample by separating these components down into their base molecules and passing them through sensors for identification.
“DraMS is designed to look at the organic molecules that may be present on Titan, at their composition and distribution in different surface environments,” says Trainer. Organic molecules contain carbon and are used by all known forms of life. They are of interest in understanding the formation of life because they can be created by living and non-living processes.
Mass spectrometers determine what’s in a sample by ionizing the material (that is, bombarding it with energy so that the atoms therein become positively or negatively charged) and examining the chemical composition of the various compounds. This involves determining the relationship between the weight of the molecule and its charge, which serves as a signature for the compound.
DraMS was developed in part by the same team at Goddard which developed the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite aboard the Curiosity rover. DraMS is designed to survey samples of Titanian surface material in situ, using techniques tested on Mars with the SAM suite.
Trainer emphasized the benefits of this heritage. Dragonfly’s scientists did not want to “reinvent the wheel” when it came to searching for organic compounds on Titan, and instead built on established methods which have been applied on Mars and elsewhere. “This design has given us an instrument that’s very flexible, that can adapt to the different types of surface samples,” says Trainer.
DraMS and other science instruments on Dragonfly are being designed and built under the direction of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, which manages the mission for NASA and is designing and building the rotorcraft-lander. The team includes key partners at Goddard, the French space agency (CNES, Paris, France), which is providing the Gas Chromatograph Module for DraMS that will provide an additional separation after leaving the oven, Lockheed Martin Space, Littleton, Colorado, NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Federal Airfield in California's Silicon Valley, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania, Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, California, Honeybee Robotics, Brooklyn, New York, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tokyo, Japan.
Dragonfly is the fourth mission in NASA’s New Frontiers program. New Frontiers is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency's Science Mission Directorate Washington.
By: Nick Oakes
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Asteroïde met bijnaam ‘City Killer’ passeert tussen aarde en maan, toch stellen wetenschappers ons gerust
Een asteroïde die groot genoeg is om een hele stad te vernietigen, zal dit weekend tussen de aarde en de maan passeren. Toch is er geen reden tot paniek, want de asteroïde zal geen botsing maken. Voor wetenschappers is het wel heel interessant om het object van dichtbij te bestuderen.
Er komen wel vaker ruimterotsen voorbij, maar volgens NASA is het toch zeldzaam dat een asteroïde van zo’n formaat zo dichtbij komt. Volgens het ruimteagentschap gebeurt dit slechts één keer per tien jaar. Wetenschappers schatten de grootte op een diameter tussen 40 en 90 meter.
De asteroïde die een maand geleden werd ontdekt en bekendstaat als ‘2023 DZ2', zal zaterdag met een snelheid van ongeveer 28.000 kilometer per uur langs de aarde vliegen. Die ontmoeting biedt astronomen de kans om een ruimterots vanop iets meer dan 68.000 km afstand te bestuderen. Op minder dan de helft van de afstand tot de maan zal de asteroïde zichtbaar zijn door verrekijkers en kleine telescopen.
“Er is geen kans dat deze ‘City Killer’ de aarde zal treffen, maar zijn dichte nadering biedt een geweldige kans voor waarnemingen”, zei Richard Moissl van het Europees Ruimteagentschap in een verklaring.
Veel bijleren
NASA ziet het als een goede oefening voor planeetverdediging. “Het kan ons veel leren over wat we moeten doen bij een gevaarlijke asteroïde in de toekomst”, aldus het ruimteagentschap.
De asteroïde komt pas in 2026 weer onze kant op. Aanvankelijk leek er een kleine kans te bestaan dat hij bij terugkeer de aarde zou raken, maar wetenschappers hebben dat inmiddels uitgesloten.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:HLN.be - Het Laatste Nieuws ( NL)
Ringcam Sees UFO Hovering Over Lawn! Pennsylvania, 3-19, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Ringcam Sees UFO Hovering Over Lawn! Pennsylvania, 3-19, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: March 19, 2023
Location of sighting: Pennsylvania, USA Source: MUFON
This was caught by a Ringcam. A glowing disk was seen hovering over a guys front lawn. The UFO was about a foot above the ground and there was a thick beam of light coming from the craft to the ground. Also a myst all around the ground below it. I often say that UFOs are most frequently seen during sunset and sunrise due to the angle of the sun, the person and the UFO, which allows the cloaked UFO to be seen from a few seconds to a few minutes. This UFO is small, so any occupants would be 6-8 inches tall. The same size as the small statues of human like beings I have found on Mars, in NASA photos. 100% proof that aliens exist and may be found in your own front yard.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
Small glowing disc with a beam coming down from the center in yard. This was caught on ring camera in the middle of the night. A purple streak goes around it and it looks like there is a red bush behind it, but there is no bush there.
Mysterious Daytime UFO Sighting: Man and His Dog Encounter a Puzzling Orb in March 2023
Mysterious Daytime UFO Sighting: Man and His Dog Encounter a Puzzling Orb in March 2023
March 2023, somewhere in the United States – In a remarkable daytime UFO sighting, a man walking his dog named Hero stumbled upon a mysterious orb hovering low over a field. The exact location of this strange encounter remains unknown, but the video captured by the man has gone viral, generating considerable buzz and prompting discussions around the nature of the enigmatic object.
The video begins with the man noticing an odd, seemingly metallic orb in the sky. He can be heard exclaiming, “Um, what is that?” The bewildered man loses sight of the object briefly, only to spot it again and continue recording. He notes that he and Hero are alone in the field, emphasizing that there is no one around who could be operating a drone or similar device.
The orb appears to gyrate in a peculiar way, drawing the man’s attention and raising questions about its origin. He speculates that it could be a balloon, but dismisses the idea given its strange movements and the way it appeared out of nowhere. Instead, he wonders if it could be a government-controlled object. He points out a nearby tree, claiming the orb seemed to have “lodged” itself from that spot before taking to the air.
As the video continues, the man struggles to keep the orb in view, finally losing sight of it entirely. He ponders the possibilities, remarking, “I have no clue what this is right now.” The unsettling encounter leaves him, and the thousands who have viewed the video, questioning the nature of the bizarre object.
Theories surrounding the sighting range from the mundane to the fantastical. Some argue that it could be a weather balloon, while others suggest the possibility of advanced military technology. The more outlandish theories propose that the orb is a genuine extraterrestrial craft, citing its enigmatic movements as evidence.
The video’s authenticity and the true identity of the orb remain topics of heated debate. While the footage has captured the imagination of countless individuals, skeptics argue that the video could be an elaborate hoax or the result of digital manipulation. As of now, the orb’s true nature remains an unsolved mystery that continues to baffle and intrigue those who come across this curious daytime UFO sighting.
Check out the video bellow! Also includes a stabilized footage!
Triangular UFOs: A Historical Journey Through Unexplained Phenomena
Triangular UFOs: A Historical Journey Through Unexplained Phenomena
Triangular UFO sightings have been a constant presence in the world of ufology, capturing the interest of researchers and enthusiasts alike. Despite being overshadowed by the more traditional disc-shaped UFOs, these mysterious triangular objects have left their mark throughout history, with reports often displaying remarkable consistency. In the video bellow the article, David Marler explores some of the most intriguing triangular UFO sightings from the past, highlighting the persistence of this enigmatic phenomenon. Here are just few of them:
The Early Days: 1950s and 1960s
Although the heyday of UFO sightings began in the late 1940s, it wasn’t until the 1950s that triangular UFOs started to garner attention. One of the earliest recorded sightings occurred in Amarillo, Texas, in 1965. A police officer and his wife reported observing a silent, triangular object with lights at each corner hovering in the sky. This sighting marked the beginning of many more similar reports, with witnesses describing slow-moving, soundless, and mysterious triangular aircraft.
The Lumberton Wave was a series of sightings that took place in Lumberton, North Carolina, in 1975. Residents reported observing a large, silent, triangular object with bright lights at each corner. This object was known to hover for extended periods before moving away at incredible speeds. Notably, a police officer clocked the object at 200 miles per hour with a speed gun. This wave of sightings attracted the attention of UFO investigator Dr. J. Allen Hynek, who found the testimonies to be credible and unexplainable.
Memphis, Tennessee: 1977
In 1977, multiple police officers from various precincts around Memphis, Tennessee, reported witnessing a large triangular object in the sky. One officer, Lamar Todd, shared his experience of observing the silent, hovering object for several minutes before it disappeared across the horizon in a matter of seconds. Interestingly, this sighting occurred just days before the release of the movie Star Wars, challenging the idea that cultural influences were responsible for these reports.
Consistent Characteristics and the Search for Answers
Throughout the years, triangular UFO sightings have displayed remarkable consistency in their descriptions. Witnesses often report slow, silent flight; hovering capabilities; and unconventional lighting configurations. While some modern sightings might be explained by advanced military aircraft, the historical presence of these objects suggests a more complex explanation.
As researchers continue to investigate and compile data on triangular UFOs, collaboration between official agencies, independent investigators, and organizations like MUFON will be crucial to further our understanding of this enigmatic phenomenon. By preserving historical data and exploring new cases, we may one day unveil the truth behind these mysterious triangular objects.
JAMES WEBB DISCOVERS COLDEST ICE IN KNOWN UNIVERSE, HARBORING MOLECULES ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE
JAMES WEBB DISCOVERS COLDEST ICE IN KNOWN UNIVERSE, HARBORING MOLECULES ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE
"THESE OBSERVATIONS OPEN A NEW WINDOW ON THE FORMATION PATHWAYS FOR THE SIMPLE AND COMPLEX MOLECULES THAT ARE NEEDED TO MAKE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE."
NASA
Catch Em Cold
The James Webb Space Telescope, which at this point can safely be described as an inveterate record breaker, has spotted yet another superlative cosmic curiosity: the coldest ice in the known universe.
According to a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, that interstellar ice got as cold as minus 440 degrees Fahrenheit — just under 11 Kelvin, and spitting distance from absolute zero.
The frigid formations were found as part of a star-forming molecular cloud residing in a region of space called Chamaeleon I, in the southern reaches of the Chamaeleon constellation, approximately 500 light years from Earth. Thanks to the Webb's powerful Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and a healthy, illuminating backdrop of starlight, astronomers were able to spot the frozen molecules that would have hitherto gone unnoticed.
"The ices show up as dips against a continuum of background starlight," said study co-author Klaus Pontoppidan from the Space Telescope Science Institute in a statement. "In regions that are this cold and dense, much of the light from the background star is blocked, and Webb's exquisite sensitivity was necessary to detect the starlight and therefore identify the ices in the molecular cloud."
Ice Spice
Tantalizingly, the ice also includes vital elements to forming a habitable planet, collectively known as CHONS: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Some, the scientists found, came in the form of organic molecules like methanol and possibly ethanol, as well as other compounds essential to life including carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane, and of course, water.
And that could have massive implications on our understanding of the occurrence of life in the universe, the scientists say.
"Our identification of complex organic molecules, like methanol and potentially ethanol, also suggests that the many star and planetary systems developing in this particular cloud will inherit molecules in a fairly advanced chemical state," explained study co-author Will Rocha, an astronomer at Leiden Observatory, in the statement. "This could mean that the presence of precursors to prebiotic molecules in planetary systems is a common result of star formation, rather than a unique feature of our own solar system."
The scientists were also able to measure the amount of sulfur trapped in the icy dust for the first time, and while the amount was less than expected, they believe that indicates that other CHONS are still present but are trapped in more solid materials and thus avoid detection.
Some details to iron out notwithstanding, the findings may prove essential in understanding the formation of organic molecules.
"These observations open a new window on the formation pathways for the simple and complex molecules that are needed to make the building blocks of life," said study lead author and Leiden astronomer Melissa McClure.
The aurora borealis might appear in skies from Washington to New York, lighting up the night with beautiful colors, as a stream of electrically charged particles called "solar wind" hits the poles and reacts with molecules in the atmosphere.
The Northern Lights are typically only visible closer to the Arctic Circle, but a forecast from the Space Weather Prediction Center shows they could creep further south as strong solar winds arrive, lighting up the skies with beautiful colors.
As of Wednesday morning, the aurora forecast predicted a "Kp index" of 6 on Friday. That's a measure for the strength of the Northern Lights. It indicates that the aurora may occur halfway between the green and yellow lines in the below image:
These solar winds are coming from a giant coronal hole on the Sun.
The giant dark spot is not an actual hole in the way you might be thinking. Rather, it's an area of the ultra-hot outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere (the corona) that's cooler in temperature than its surroundings, and therefore not glowing as bright.
The 'hole' in the Sun's atmosphere. (NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory)
This one is very large: the size of about 20-30 Earths lined up back-to-back, Alex Young, the associate director for science at NASA Goddard's Heliophysics Science Division, previously told Insider.
As that giant hole spread across the corona, it blasted strong, high-speed solar winds into space, in the direction of Earth. Those winds don't pose a threat, since the atmosphere shields us and they're not strong enough to cause widespread radio or power blackouts, as some powerful solar storms have in the past.
Because of the approaching eruption of solar particles, the Space Weather Prediction Center issued a watch for a moderate geomagnetic storm on Friday.
That's the magnetic-field chaos that ensues when those high-speed particles hit Earth. Our planet's magnetic field channels them toward the North and South Poles, where they set off a beautiful, ethereal glow. Stronger geomagnetic storms can interfere with GPS, radio, and power grids.
But moderate geomagnetic storms are more benign. They have previously driven the aurora lights as far south as New York and Idaho.
NASA MARS ROVER FINDS METALLIC OBJECT THAT SMASHED DOWN ON SURFACE
NASA MARS ROVER FINDS METALLIC OBJECT THAT SMASHED DOWN ON SURFACE
OKAY, THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME.
NASA
Cacao Nibs
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has stumbled across yet another fascinating discovery while exploring the planet's barren surface.
This time, it appears to be an iron-nickel meteorite dubbed Cacao, which measures roughly a foot across and can be seen in an ultra-high resolution image, stitched together from 19 individual photos taken by the rover on January 28.
The mysterious object's lovely silver metallic hue stands out like a sore thumb in the surrounding, rust-colored landscape, a sulfate-bearing region of the Red Planet's Mount Sharp.
"Rock. Rock. Rock. Rock. Rock. Rock. METEORITE!" the rover's official Twitter account wrote. "It's not uncommon to find meteorites on Mars — in fact, I've done it a few times! But a change in scenery's always nice."
Pet Rock
Unfortunately, Curiosity, which has been roaming the surface for well over a decade now, isn't equipped to take a sample from Cacao and bring it back home. That's one of the main objectives of the rover's cousin Perseverance, the only other active rover currently roaming the surface of Mars, which has been industriously picking up samples of Martian rock and soil.
The meteorite could still allow scientists to glean insights into the Red Planet's ancient past or whether it once hosted life. The scars and indentations on Cacao's surface were likely formed as it made its way through the planet's atmosphere, as Universe Today reports, despite the planet's thin atmosphere.
Iron nickel meteorites are also the rarest kinds of meteorites and stand a very good chance of surviving their journey through either Mars' or Earth's atmosphere.
The Beast
As the Curiosity team points out in its update, the rover has come across several meteorites not unlike Cacao, from the golf ball-sized "egg rock" it found in 2016, to the massive seven-foot iron meteorite "Lebanon" — or "the Beast" — meteorite in 2014.
But there's only so much the scientists will be able to learn about Curiosity's newest find.
"There’s no way to date these," the team admitted in a Twitter reply. "But it could have been here millions of years!"
The ancient Egyptians were masterful innovators when it came to warfare, with a diverse and deadly arsenal of weaponsat their disposal. From the iconic khopesh sword, with its curved blade designed for close-quarters combat, to the powerful composite bow capable of piercing armor at great distances, their weapons were designed to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies.
But it wasn't just the weapons themselves that made the ancient Egyptian military so formidable. They also employed clever tactics and strategies to gain the upper hand in battle, such as the use of chariots and skirmishers to harass enemy troops.
Through a closer examination of the weapons and tactics of ancient Egypt, we can gain a better understanding of their military might and the role they played in shaping the history of the ancient world.
Spherical Shaped UFO witnessed on 3/17/23 114 Ml in Riverview FL & traveling towards the Cape Canaveral FL. Video Source MUFON Case Numbers 129796,129790,129793
UFO Spotted In The Footage Of The Russian Jet Taking Down A American Drone. March 14, 2023
This footage was captured when the MQ-9 Reaper drone was seen pointing backwards as the Russian Sukhoi SU-27 fighter jet began its approach and shows the interaction between the surveillance drone and the Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea but also in the footage we can see this UFO "Orb" fly into view. I feel that on the time of the release of this footage the Pentagon officials might have missed this object but we didn't...
Revolutionary 100-Kilometer Space Telescope [NIAC 2023]
There are radio wavelengths that we can't see from Earth. And to observe them from space, we need a truly huge telescope. Mary Knapp and her team proposed a project that can allow us to build such a telescope and they just recently got a NIAC grant for it.
And exploration of three scientific papers on the UFO Phenomenon, two very recent, in relation to the US government and Harvard's Galileo Project probes into the UFO UAP phenomenon.
Papers:
"Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena", United States Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 2021 https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/docume...
Relativity's 3D-printed rocket launches but fails to reach orbit after 2nd stage anomaly
Relativity's Terran 1 rocket launched from Launch Complex 16 in Cape Canaveral, Florida on March 22, 2023. The rocket successfully made it through Max-Q and completed first stage separation but an anomaly with the second stage resulted in failure to reach orbit.
First 3D Printed Rocket Reaches Space But Engine Fails Before Orbit
Relativity Space have been getting a lot of attention for 3D printing their rockets, some of the largest 3D printed structures ever seen are coming from their custom 3D printing systems. Last night was their Debut launch after 2 previous scrubs, and while the initial launch and ascent worked well the 2nd stage engine failed to generate enough thrust to make orbit, appearing to light and die. So what can we learn?
Rarest Atmospheric Phenomena Ever Caught on Camera
Supralateral arcs, ice pillars and sun pillars. For beautiful meteorite rings and more, check out https://www.thorum.com and use the code "ASTRUM" at checkout to get 20% off a truly unique ring!
Three Lights In Triangle Formation, Sunrise, Florida 3-17-2023, UFO Sighting News.
Three Lights In Triangle Formation, Sunrise, Florida 3-17-2023, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: March 23, 2023
Location of sighting: Sunrise, Florida, USA
Source: MUFON
Hey all, I believe this is not three UFOs, but a single large triangle craft that has its propulsion systems visible. This cloaked craft, could it be a secret military TR3B descendant? I believe so. This is so close to town, so close to the Palm Beach area where I found a secret military testing area for the hypersonic missile at
26°55'42.64"N 80°20'23.97"W on Google Earth map. I believe this UFO may be alien technology in USAF hands, being tested by them. The coordinates I give is a testing are from which it may have come. There are also some rocket part all over the area. Also if you hit time machine (date in lower left corner) you can see the hypersonic missile in different places, parking lot, edge of runway, runway and more. This is US military.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
Sunrise, FLA. 3.17.23. Three UFO’s forming triangle moving in straight line, caught on RING camera. Near the end of the video, two disappear.
Below is a US military TR3B recorded in France back in 2009 and sent to me 14 years ago. US military project Aurora.
Mysterious UFO Sighting in Sunrise, FL: The Triangular Formation – 2 VIDEOS!
Mysterious UFO Sighting in Sunrise, FL: The Triangular Formation – 2 VIDEOS!
Triangle UFO over Sunrise, Florida
On the night of March 17th, 2023, a peculiar UFO sighting took place in Sunrise, Florida, leaving residents and UFO enthusiasts intrigued and seeking answers. Eyewitnesses reported seeing three unidentified flying objects forming a distinct triangular formation in the night sky.
The extraordinary sighting, which occurred around 9:30 PM, was captured on two different recording devices – a home security RING camera and a smartphone. This lends further credibility to the event, as the multiple perspectives provide corroborating evidence of the unusual aerial phenomenon.
The videos show three bright, glowing orbs hovering steadily in the sky, forming what appears to be a perfect triangle. These mysterious objects flew slowly for several minutes, allowing ample time for witnesses to observe and record their presence.
As the event unfolded, two of the three UFOs suddenly vanished from sight, leaving only one remaining in the sky. This unusual occurrence was also captured on both videos, adding to the overall mystique of the sighting.
The triangular formation observed in the videos has become a point of fascination for UFO enthusiasts, as it is reminiscent of past sightings and encounters with alleged unidentified aircraft. Theories range from secret military operations to extraterrestrial visitors; however, no concrete evidence has been provided to support any specific explanation.
The Sunrise, Florida UFO sighting has captured the imagination of many, and as with similar events in the past, it is likely to remain a subject of debate and fascination for years to come.
Theia, perhaps as big as the proto-Earth, would have delivered its densest rocks inside the planet.
HAGAI PERETS
Scientists have long agreed that the Moon formed when a protoplanet, called Theia, struck Earth in its infancy some 4.5 billion years ago. Now, a team of scientists has a provocative new proposal: Theia's remains can be found in two continent-size layers of rock buried deep in Earth's mantle.
For decades, seismologists have puzzled over these two blobs, which sit below West Africa and the Pacific Ocean and straddle the core like a pair of headphones. Up to 1000 kilometers tall and several times that wide, "they are the largest thing in the Earth's mantle," says Qian Yuan, a Ph.D. student in geodynamics at Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe. Seismic waves from earthquakes abruptly slow down when they pass through the layers, which suggests they are denser and chemically different from the surrounding mantle rock.
The large low-shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs), as seismologists call them, might simply have crystallized out of the depths of Earth's primordial magma ocean. Or they might be dense puddles of primitive mantle rock that survived the trauma of the Moon-forming impact. But based on new isotopic evidence and modeling, Yuan believes the LLSVPs are the guts of the alien impactor itself. "This crazy idea is at least possible," says Yuan, who presented the hypothesis last week at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
The idea has rattled around lab corridors and conference halls for years. But Edward Garnero, a seismologist at ASU Tempe who was not involved in the work, says it's the first time anyone has marshaled multiple lines of evidence and mounted a serious case for it. "I think it's completely viable until someone tells me it's not."
Evidence from Iceland and Samoa suggests the LLSVPs have existed since the time of the Moon-forming impact, says Sujoy Mukhopadhyay, a geochemist at the University of California (UC), Davis, who considers Yuan's idea plausible but is open to other explanations. Seismic imaging has traced plumes of magma that feed volcanoes on both islands all the way down to the LLSVPs. Over the past decade, Mukhopadhyay and others have discovered that lavas on the islands contain an isotopic record of radioactive elements that formed only during the first 100 million years of Earth history.
Moreover, a new picture of the Moon-forming impactor suggests it could have delivered a cargo of dense rock deep inside Earth. The impact theory was developed in the 1970s to explain why the Moon is dry and doesn't have much of an iron core: In a cataclysmic impact, volatiles like water would have vaporized and escaped, while a ring of less dense rocks thrown up in the collision would have eventually coalesced into the Moon. The theory invoked an impactor the size of Mars or—in recent variants—much smaller. But recent work from Yuan's co-author, ASU Tempe astrophysicist Steven Desch, suggests Theia was nearly as big as Earth.
In studies of Apollo Moon rocks, Desch and his colleagues measured the ratios of hydrogen to deuterium, a heavier hydrogen isotope. Light hydrogen was far more abundant in some of the Moon samples than in Earth rocks, they found. To capture and hold onto so much light hydrogen, Theia must have been massive, they proposed in a 2019 study in Geochemistry. It must also have been quite dry, as any water, which is naturally enriched in heavy hydrogen during its formation in interstellar space, would have raised the overall deuterium levels. Such a dry, large protoplanet would have separated into layers with an iron-depleted core and an iron-rich mantle, Desch says, some 2% to 3.5% denser than present-day Earth.
Even before Yuan learned of Desch's density estimates, he was modeling Theia's fate. His model suggests that after the collision, Theia's core would have quickly merged with Earth's. He also probed the fate of Theia's mantle, varying Theia's size and density to see what conditions would have allowed the material to persist, rather than mixing in, and sink to the mantle's base. The simulations consistently showed that mantle rocks 1.5% to 3.5% denser than Earth's would survive and end up as piles near the core. The result lined up perfectly with Desch's deuterium evidence. "It's this sweet spot for the density," Desch says.
A massive Theia would also explain the scale of the LLSVPs, which together contain six times more mass than the Moon. If they are extraterrestrial, Yuan says, only an impactor as large as Theia could have delivered them.
There are many caveats, however, including the fuzzy evidence for the LLSVPs themselves. Their pilelike structure could simply be an illusion created by models of the interior that rely on low frequency seismic waves, which blur small differences, Barbara Romanowicz, a seismologist at UC Berkeley, and Anne Davaille, a geophysicist at Paris-Saclay University, suggested in a study in Tectonics last year. Rather than reaching up 1000 kilometers, the piles may rise only a few hundred kilometers before breaking off into branched plumes. "There may be holes in them," Romanowicz says. "They may be a bundle of tubes."
Smaller or less monolithic LLSVPs would also be consistent with a forthcoming analysis that finds the LLSVPs are densest at the bottom, says Harriet Lau, a geophysicist at UC Berkeley. The analysis relies on two ways of imaging the deep Earth: using GPS stations to measure the way the Moon's tidal pull stretches Earth, and seismometers to sense how Earth's natural vibrations pass through the deep mantle. "Perhaps the real story behind the density is the distribution depth," she says.
Less massive LLSVPs could complicate the idea that Theia was nearly the size of a proto-Earth, says Jennifer Jenkins, a seismologist at Durham University. Yuan's picture, she adds, "is not inconsistent with what we know, but I'm not entirely convinced."
Desch says the team could test its idea by looking for geochemical similarities between the island lavas and rocks from the Moon's mantle. None of the Apollo samples capture the unaltered mantle, which is one reason scientists want samples from the Moon's largest impact crater, on its south pole, where such rocks may be exhumed. NASA and China are both planning robotic missions to the south pole this decade, and it is a leading candidate site for NASA's return of astronauts to the Moon.
If Theia's remnants do lie deep in Earth's mantle, they may not be alone. Seismologists are increasingly seeing small, ultradense pockets of material in the deep mantle, only a few hundred kilometers across, often near the edges of the LLSVPs. Maybe they are the sunken remnants of iron-rich cores from other miniature planets that hit early Earth, Jenkins says. Theia, in fact, might be just one grave in a planetary cemetery.
*Correction, 24 March, 1:30 p.m.: An earlier version of this story misstated Qian Yuan's Ph.D. focus.
THE WEBB TELESCOPE IS SO POWERFUL, IT SPOTTED A DUST STORM ON A PLANET IN A DIFFERENT STAR SYSTEM
THE WEBB TELESCOPE IS SO POWERFUL, IT SPOTTED A DUST STORM ON A PLANET IN A DIFFERENT STAR SYSTEM
"EVER HAD HOT SAND WHIP ACROSS YOUR FACE?"
GETTY / FUTURISM
Dark and Stormy
For the first time ever, a dust storm has been observed outside of our Solar System — and naturally, it was the powerful James Webb Space Telescope that made the discovery.
A press release on the Space Telescope Science Institute's Webbite details the JWST-detected storm, which took place on exoplanet VHS 1256 b, a "massive brown dwarf" planet located about 40 lightyears from Earth.*
"Ever had hot sand whip across your face?" the press release quips. "That’s a soothing experience compared to the volatile conditions discovered high in the atmosphere of planet VHS 1256 b."
The JWST was able not only to observe the distant dust storm, but also to determine what its atmosphere is made of: "silicate particles, ranging from fine specks to small grains."
"The team projects that the silicates swirling in these clouds periodically get too heavy and rain into the depths of the planet’s atmosphere," reads the release. "Webb’s observations also show clear signatures of water, methane and carbon monoxide, and provide evidence for carbon dioxide."
So Much Data
Pretty much everything about VHS 1256 b — a name that, honestly, sounds more like something you'd put in a VCR than a planet — seems extreme, per its descriptions on the STScI site.
As the BBC notes in its reporting on the Webb discovery, the planet that was first detected in 2015 by the Vista telescope in Chile is what's known as a "super Jupiter," with an atmosphere similar to our Solar System's gas giant but way bigger, between 12 to 18 times the mass.
While other telescopes have been able to gather in a piecemeal fashion as much information as Webb has about VHS 1256 b, this is the first time one telescope has gotten so much data at once.
"No other telescope has identified so many features at once for a single target," the University of California Santa Cruz's Andrew Skemer, who co-wrote the team's forthcoming paper in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, said. "We’re seeing a lot of molecules in a single spectrum from Webb that detail the planet’s dynamic cloud and weather systems."
The JWST has done it again, folks — and, as always, we simply love to see it.
NASA’s Webb Spots Swirling, Gritty Clouds on Remote Planet
NASA’s Webb Spots Swirling, Gritty Clouds on Remote Planet
Researchers observing with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have pinpointed silicate cloud features in a distant planet’s atmosphere. The atmosphere is constantly rising, mixing, and moving during its 22-hour day, bringing hotter material up and pushing colder material down. The resulting brightness changes are so dramatic that it is the most variable planetary-mass object known to date. The team, led by Brittany Miles of the University of Arizona, also made extraordinarily clear detections of water, methane and carbon monoxide with Webb’s data, and found evidence of carbon dioxide. This is the largest number of molecules ever identified all at once on a planet outside our solar system.
Cataloged as VHS 1256 b, the planet is about 40 light-years away and orbits not one, but two stars over a 10,000-year period. “VHS 1256 b is about four times farther from its stars than Pluto is from our Sun, which makes it a great target for Webb,” Miles said. “That means the planet’s light is not mixed with light from its stars.” Higher up in its atmosphere, where the silicate clouds are churning, temperatures reach a scorching 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit (830 degrees Celsius).
This illustration conceptualizes the swirling clouds identified by the James Webb Space Telescope in the atmosphere of exoplanet VHS 1256 b. The planet is about 40 light-years away and orbits two stars that are locked in their own tight rotation. Its clouds, which are filled with silicate dust, are constantly rising, mixing, and moving during its 22-hour day.
Credits: Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)
Within those clouds, Webb detected both larger and smaller silicate dust grains, which are shown on a spectrum. “The finer silicate grains in its atmosphere may be more like tiny particles in smoke,” noted co-author Beth Biller of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. “The larger grains might be more like very hot, very small sand particles.”
VHS 1256 b has low gravity compared to more massive brown dwarfs, which means that its silicate clouds can appear and remain higher in its atmosphere where Webb can detect them. Another reason its skies are so turbulent is the planet’s age. In astronomical terms, it’s quite young. Only 150 million years have passed since it formed – and it will continue to change and cool over billions of years.
In many ways, the team considers these findings to be the first “coins” pulled out of a spectrum that researchers view as a treasure chest of data. In many ways, they’ve only begun identifying its contents. “We’ve identified silicates, but better understanding which grain sizes and shapes match specific types of clouds is going to take a lot of additional work,” Miles said. “This is not the final word on this planet – it is the beginning of a large-scale modeling effort to fit Webb’s complex data.”
Although all of the features the team observed have been spotted on other planets elsewhere in the Milky Way by other telescopes, other research teams typically identified only one at a time. “No other telescope has identified so many features at once for a single target,” said co-author Andrew Skemer of the University of California, Santa Cruz. “We’re seeing a lot of molecules in a single spectrum from Webb that detail the planet’s dynamic cloud and weather systems.”
A research team led by Brittany Miles of the University of Arizona used two instruments known as spectrographs aboard the James Webb Space Telescope, one on its Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and another on its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to observe a vast section of near- to mid-infrared light emitted by planet VHS 1256 b. They plotted the light on the spectrum, identifying signatures of silicate clouds, water, methane and carbon monoxide. They also found evidence of carbon dioxide.
Credits: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, J. Olmsted (STScI); Science: Brittany Miles (University of Arizona), Sasha Hinkley (University of Exeter), Beth Biller (University of Edinburgh), Andrew Skemer (University of California, Santa Cruz)
The team came to these conclusions by analyzing data known as spectra gathered by two instruments aboard Webb, the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Since the planet orbits at such a great distance from its stars, the researchers were able to observe it directly, rather than using the transit technique or a coronagraph to take this data.
There will be plenty more to learn about VHS 1256 b in the months and years to come as this team – and others – continue to sift through Webb’s high-resolution infrared data. “There’s a huge return on a very modest amount of telescope time,” Biller added. “With only a few hours of observations, we have what feels like unending potential for additional discoveries.”
What might become of this planet billions of years from now? Since it’s so far from its stars, it will become colder over time, and its skies may transition from cloudy to clear.
The researchers observed VHS 1256 b as part of Webb’s Early Release Science program, which is designed to help transform the astronomical community’s ability to characterize planets and the disks where they form.
The team's paper, entitled “The JWST Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems II: A 1 to 20 Micron Spectrum of the Planetary-Mass Companion VHS 1256-1257 b,” will be published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on March 22.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.
Media Contacts:
Laura Betz
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
NASA calls on China to be 'open and transparent' with its lunar missions after revelation that its potential landing sites OVERLAP with US destinations on the moon's south pole
NASA calls on China to be 'open and transparent' with its lunar missions after revelation that its potential landing sites OVERLAP with US destinations on the moon's south pole
NASA identified 13 potential landing sites for Artemis 3, while China's Chang'e-7 also picked three sites near the moon's south pole that overlap with the US
'We encourage transparency and peaceful exploration of space, per the tenets of the Artemis Accords and the Outer Space Treaty,' NASA said
Chang'e-7 is set for 2024 - it will be uncrewed and consist of an orbiter, lander, a mini hopping probe and a rover - while Artemis 3 is set for 2025
'Just as the lunar South Pole is of scientific interest to NASA, it is also of scientific interest to other nations, so overlap ... is to be expected,' NASA said
NASA has called on China to be 'open and transparent' with its lunar missions following a revelation of overlap between the two nations in potential landing sites near the moon's south pole.
'Just as the lunar South Pole is of scientific interest to NASA, it is also of scientific interest to other nations, so overlap in potential landing regions is to be expected,' NASA told DailyMail.com.
The American space agency earlier this month identified 13 potential landing sites for the Artemis 3 crewed mission that's currently scheduled for late 2025 and will be the first time Americans set foot on the lunar surface in a half century.
In a Chinese journal article on possible landing sites authored by Chang'e-4 lunar mission commander Zhang He and others, 10 spots are mentioned. Artemis 3 and Chang’e-7 both identify sites near Shackleton, Haworth and Nobile craters as potential landing zones.
'We’ll continue to share our plans with the world as we are able, and hope that other nations will share their plans with us. We encourage transparency and peaceful exploration of space, per the tenets of the Artemis Accords and the Outer Space Treaty,' the American space agency said.
NASA has called on China to be 'open and transparent' with its manned lunar missions following a revelation of overlap in potential landing sites near the moon's south pole between the two countries
'In exploring the Moon, we will follow what we have spelled out in the Artemis Accords—that we will be transparent about all activities, operate in a safe and responsible manner, and avoid harmful interference,' NASA added.
'We want to be as open with the international community as we can, and as a recent example, we announced 13 candidate landing regions for Artemis III.'
The space agency already discusses its plans at several forums, including the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG), of which China is a member.
Chang'e-7, which is named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e, will be uncrewed and consist of an orbiter, lander, a mini hopping probe and a rover, is set for 2024.
The American space agency earlier this month identified 13 potential landing sites for the Artemis 3 crewed mission that's currently scheduled for late 2025 and will be the first time Americans set foot on the lunar surface in a half century
The overlapping sites are partly the result that region of the moon's higher elevation, good lighting and proximity to shadowed craters that may trap water-ice, according to SpaceNews, which first reported the news
The overlapping sites are partly the result that region of the moon's higher elevation, good lighting and proximity to shadowed craters that may trap water-ice, according to SpaceNews, which first reported the overlap.
It remains to be seen how the rival nations would deal with potential conflicts due to the 2011 Wolf Amendment - which prohibits NASA from using government funds to engage in direct, bilateral cooperation with the Chinese government and China-affiliated organizations without explicit authorization from Congress and the FBI.
However, in 2015 the Obama administration began something called the U.S.-China Civil Space Dialogue, which allowed for discussion of space matters; that was continued into the Trump administration.
A State Department spokesperson told the space outlet on background: 'The last U.S.-China Civil Space Dialogue was in 2017. There are no plans presently for another civil space dialogue. Should a civil space dialogue be scheduled, the United States will announce at the appropriate time.
'We have and will continue to keep the lines of communication open with Beijing, including on issues of spaceflight safety.'
Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead for NASA’s Planetary Science Division, said in a previous statement: ‘Several of the proposed sites within the regions are located among some of the oldest parts of the moon, and together with the permanently shadowed regions, provide the opportunity to learn about the history of the Moon through previously unstudied lunar materials.’
'In exploring the Moon, we will follow what we have spelled out in the Artemis Accords—that we will be transparent about all activities, operate in a safe and responsible manner, and avoid harmful interference,' NASA said
NASA officials have said they will narrow down their list about 18 months before Artemis 3 so they can prepare for potential landings at each site.
There has been a recent war of words between the two countries over space activities.
Last month, NASA administrator Bill Nelson told a German newspaper that China is planning to take over the moon.
'We must be very concerned that China is landing on the moon and saying: 'It's ours now and you stay out',' he said.
China expressed its displeasure quickly.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said in a statement: 'This is not the first time that the head of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has ignored the facts and spoken irresponsibly about China.
'The US side has constantly constructed a smear campaign against China's normal and reasonable outer space endeavors, and China firmly opposes such irresponsible remarks.'
Christopher Newman, professor of space law and policy at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom, told SpaceNews that 'this is a genuine opportunity for collaboration and cooperation between the two giant powers, and would be an opportunity to show all the rhetoric about space exploration being more than geopolitical in nature.'
'However, in reality it is not hard to see why they both want the same spots. It is prime lunar real estate for in-situ resource utilization. This could be the first potential point of conflict over resources beyond Earth,' he added.
A recent article in Beijing's Global Times said: 'Space observers also pointed out that as NASA is trying hard to relive its Apollo glories, China is working on innovative plans to carry out its own crewed moon landing missions.'
Artemis III: NASA’s First Human Mission to the Lunar South Pole
Artemis III: NASA’s First Human Mission to the Lunar South Pole
Humans have always been drawn to explore, discover, and learn as much as we can about the world—and worlds—around us. This isn’t always easy, but it’s in our nature. For the benefit of all humanity, NASA and its partners will land the first woman and first person of color on the surface of the Moon with Artemis.
Following two Artemis test missions, Artemis III, currently planned for 2025, will mark humanity’s first return to the lunar surface in more than 50 years. NASA will make history by sending the first humans to explore the region near the lunar South Pole.
On the way
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches on the Artemis I flight test, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis I mission is the first integrated flight test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and ground systems. SLS and Orion launched at 1:47 a.m. EST, from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center.
Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky
NASA’s Orion spacecraft will be the crew’s ride to and from Earth and into and out of lunar orbit. Orion is the only spacecraft capable of returning crews to Earth at lunar reentry velocities. On the successful Artemis I mission, Orion’s uniquely designed heat shield was recently tested under these extreme reentry conditions. Four astronauts will depart from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop the Space Launch System (SLS), the only rocket powerful enough to send Orion, its crew, and their supplies to the Moon in a single launch. The crew will be selected from among the most diverse astronaut corps in history, each equipped with unique skills and intensively trained.
First the crew will launch to Earth orbit where they will perform systems checks and solar panel adjustments on Orion. Then, a powerful push from SLS’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage will help Orion perform a translunar injection maneuver, setting its course to the Moon.
For several days, the crew will travel toward the Moon and perform corrective engine burns to intercept the Moon’s gravitational field. At the right time and location, Orion will perform a series of two engine burns to place the spacecraft in a lunar Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO). From hundreds of potential orbits, NASA selected NRHO to achieve long-term Artemis goals. NRHO will provide near-constant communications with Earth and access to sites all over the Moon. Because it is gravitationally balanced between Earth and the Moon, this orbit will maximize fuel efficiency. On future missions, NASA and its partners will assemble the Gateway lunar space station in NRHO to serve as a hub for Artemis missions.
NASA has selected SpaceX to provide the human landing system that will transport Artemis III astronauts from Orion in lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back again. SpaceX plans to use a unique concept of operations to increase the overall efficiency of their lander. After a series of tests, SpaceX will fly at least one uncrewed demo mission that lands Starship on the lunar surface. When Starship has met all of NASA’s requirements and high standards for crew safety, it will be ready for its first Artemis mission.
Before the crew launch, SpaceX will launch a storage depot to Earth orbit. A series of reusable tankers will carry propellant to the storage depot to fuel the human landing system. The uncrewed Starship human landing system will then launch to Earth orbit and rendezvous with the storage depot to fill its tanks before executing a translunar injection engine burn and traveling approximately six days to NRHO where it will await the Artemis III crew.
When both spacecraft have arrived in NRHO, Orion will dock with the Starship human landing system in preparation for the first lunar surface expedition of the 21st century. Once the crew and their supplies are ready, two astronauts will board Starship and two will remain in Orion. Orion will undock and back away from Starship to remain in NRHO for roughly one orbit around the Moon, lasting about 6.5 days. This will match the length of the surface expedition, so as Orion completes its orbit, the two person surface crew will finish their work on the surface in time to launch back up to meet the spacecraft.
NASA has its sights set on locations around the South Pole for the Artemis era of human lunar exploration. Extreme, contrasting conditions make it a challenging location for Earthlings to land, live, and work, but the region’s unique characteristics hold promise for unprecedented deep space scientific discoveries. Using advanced technology including autonomous systems, the crew inside of Starship will land at a carefully selected site within a 100-meter radius.
On the Moon
Illustration of SpaceX Starship human landing system design.
Credits: SpaceX
After touchdown, the surface crew’s first task will be to ensure all systems are ready for their lunar surface stay. Then they will rest, eat, and recharge for the first full day of the expedition.
During their time on the Moon, the astronauts will do scientific work inside Starship and conduct a series of moonwalks, exiting Starship to explore the surface. The astronauts will don advanced spacesuits, exit through an airlock, and descend on Starship’s elevator. NASA has selected Axiom Space to provide the Artemis III surface suits and spacewalk systems. These suits will give the astronauts increased range of motion and flexibility to explore more of the landscape than on previous lunar missions.
During their moonwalks, the astronauts will take pictures and video, survey geology, retrieve samples, and collect other data to meet specific scientific objectives. The view from the lunar South Pole region will look very different from the photos taken on Apollo missions in the Moon’s equatorial region. The Sun will hover just above the horizon, casting long, dark shadows across the terrain, which the crew will explore using headlamps and navigational tools. The information and materials collected by Artemis III astronauts will increase our understanding of the mysterious South Pole region, the Moon, and our solar system.
Mission control teams on the ground will be in contact with the crew as they relay what they see, hear, and feel. Through mission coverage and the ability to send high quality images and video to the ground with advanced communication technology, they will be sharing a unique new human experience with the world.
On the journey home
On flight day 25 of the Artemis I mission, Orion captured this photo of the Earth from a camera mounted on one of its solar arrays.
Credits: NASA
When their surface expedition is complete, the two astronauts will lift off the surface of the Moon and head back to NRHO in Starship to reunite with their crewmates in Orion. After docking, the crew will spend up to five days in orbit, transferring samples between the vehicles and preparing for the journey back to Earth.
When they reach the optimal NRHO departure point, with all four astronauts back in Orion, they will undock and ignite Orion’s engines, slinging the spacecraft past the Moon, and allowing it to coast toward Earth. The crew will travel about 24,855 miles (about 40,000 kilometers) per hour during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. Assisted by 11 parachutes, the spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific Ocean where it and the crew will be retrieved with support from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy.
Artemis III will be one of the most complex undertakings of engineering and human ingenuity in the history of deep space exploration to date. The astronauts' observations, samples, and data collected will expand our understanding of our solar system and home planet, while inspiring the next generation.
This mission will usher in a future in which humans consistently access the Moon, and human planetary exploration missions are within reach. Each Artemis mission will increase our knowledge, refine our operations, and prove our technology as we prepare for the first human mission to Mars.
Artemis III Mission Map
Artemis III will be humanity’s return to the lunar surface and NASA will make history by sending the first humans to the lunar South Pole region.
Credits: NASA
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Driven by powerful stellar winds, expanding shrouds of gas and dust frame hot, luminous star Wolf-Rayet 124 in this sharp infrared view. The eye-catching 6-spike star pattern is characteristic of stellar images made with the 18 hexagonal mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope. About 15,000 light-years distant toward the pointed northern constellation Sagitta, WR 124 has over 30 times the mass of the Sun.
Produced in a brief and rarely spotted phase of massive star evolution in the Milky Way, this star's turbulent nebula is nearly 6 light-years across. It heralds WR 124's impending stellar death in a supernova explosion. Formed in the expanding nebula, dusty interstellar debris that survives the supernova will influence the formation of future generations of stars.
7 Amazing Ancient Technologies Too Advanced for Their Time (Video)
7 Amazing Ancient Technologies Too Advanced for Their Time (Video)
Throughout history, there have been many civilizations that have left their mark on the world through their impressive architectural feats, artistic creations, and innovative technologies. While some of these ancient technologies have been lost to time, others continue to mystify and amaze us today.
From the amazing machinery used to build the pyramids, to the advanced weaponry of ancient China and the invention of the Egyptian war chariot , there are countless examples of ancient technologies that were far ahead of their time. But how did these ancient civilizations manage to achieve such remarkable feats without the benefit of modern technology? Join us as we explore some of the most incredible ancient technologies that continue to inspire wonder and admiration today.
Glowing Object Near Aircraft Over Adelaide. South Australia, March 22, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Glowing Object Near Aircraft Over Adelaide. South Australia, March 22, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: March 22, 2023 Location of sighting: Adelaide, South Australia
This UFO was visible for only a few seconds, but the photographer was able to quickly snap a few shots for us. Here we see object in the upper left corner and the aircraft in the lower right. The UFO was so bright it almost looked like a cloud, but no cloud could move that fast or far from the camera in four seconds. The speed, the color and the fact its so close to the plane all indicate its a alien scout ship, data gathering for sending back to a home planet. This UFO is very bright and it is not a drone, but an actual piloted craft.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
On the 22-3-2023 at 11.17 am, I was photographing an airliner flying out of Adelaide South Australia, when an extremely bright object appeared in my view finder. The object appeared at the top of the view finder, coming in from the north-west, and descending rapidly to the bottom of the view finder heading east. It was visible for about four seconds
Fighter jet followed by black cube over Texas, March 21, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Fighter jet followed by black cube over Texas, March 21, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: March 21, 2023
Location of sighting: Texas, USA
Source: MUFON
Guys this is something big. This black craft has many sides, like a diamond of sorts, but black. The eyewitness said it seemed to have an aura, but it didn't come out on camera, however a screenshot quickly confirms that detail. A glowing aura is seen around the UFO above. This means its some sort of energy field from its propulsion. It was following an old military jet, maybe monitoring it, scanning and gathering data to send back to its homeworld. For many alien species, oxygen would be like us breathing propane gas, so they send probes to gather info to learn about us.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
F-111 fighter jet flew west to east over the house. I thought was strange, never see fighter jets in this area. Also I thought they were decommissioned. Seconds later a strange orb like object flew from the area the jet left to the north then turned west out of sight. My wife got me to film it with my iPhone. Zoomed in seems to have a glow about it looks almost like an octagon shaped ball. It seemed to fly fast then slow to almost a stop then turned west till out of view.
Lights Flash And Shoot Off, Pennsylvania March 16, 2023, UFO Sighting News. Video.
Lights Flash And Shoot Off, Pennsylvania March 16, 2023, UFO Sighting News. Video.
Date of sighting: March 16, 2023
Location of sighting: Pennsylvania, USA
The report didn't cite the city, but this glowing light was caught as a guy went onto the back deck having a smoke. The light flashed on and off several times and then suddenly shot off into the distance. The flashing is the UFOs powering up and there are two objects side by side shooting away. The UFOs may have come from an underground base about 5 miles below the surface and materialized in the sky above the neighborhood.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
This video was captured off the deck of my residence. Strange lights that speeded away.
Fast moving underwater UFO/USO caught on film by deep ocean ROV
Fast moving underwater UFO/USO caught on film by deep ocean ROV
On June 29, 2019 a deep ocean ROV (remotely operated vehicle) captured at a depth of 1789 meters a UFO/USO passing the ROV at high speed.
This USO/UFO footage was filmed with a work class ROV at an ocean depth of 5870 Feet (1789 Meters) in the Gulf of Mexico. The USO was untethered and was operating at a depth that prevented any kind of remote operation.
While the footage quality isn't excellent, ROV operators that have seen the footage have no idea what the object may have been but concluded that it is not organic.
The USO demonstrated advanced AI operation, construction, and power management capabilities that are not known in the commercial ROV world.
This footage is further proof that these USOs do exist and have been with us for as long as airborne UFOs have. We only need to recognize and understand this phenomenon whether they are of extraterrestrial origin or military.
Unraveling the Texas UFO Puzzle: Fighter Jet and Glowing Octagonal Object
Unraveling the Texas UFO Puzzle: Fighter Jet and Glowing Octagonal Object
UFO filmed over Texas
On the evening of March 21, 2023, a bizarre UFO sighting took place over the skies of Texas, leaving residents baffled and sparking curiosity across the nation. The witness, who managed to capture the event on video using his iPhone, reported seeing an F-111 fighter jet flying low over his house, followed by a strange orb-like object just seconds later.
The witness described the jet flying from west to east over his home, which he found peculiar, as fighter jets are not commonly seen in the area. Furthermore, he noted that F-111 fighter jets were decommissioned, adding another layer of mystery to the sighting.
UFO sighting report
Just moments after the jet’s appearance, the witness and his wife spotted a round object flying through the sky. Initially thought to be a balloon, the object seemed to have an octagonal shape and emitted a glowing aura. The UFO traveled from the area where the jet had disappeared, first heading north before making a sharp turn westward and vanishing from sight.
The video, shot on an iPhone, clearly shows the unidentified object moving at varying speeds. At times, the object appeared to be flying quickly, while at other moments, it seemed to slow down to an almost complete stop before changing direction.
The mysterious sighting has raised several questions, such as why an F-111 fighter jet, which is no longer in service, would be present in the area. Additionally, the erratic movements and glowing appearance of the unidentified object defy conventional explanations.
As of now, there has been no official comment from the military or aviation authorities on the incident. However, the video evidence and witness account have intrigued UFO enthusiasts and the general public alike, prompting further investigations into the event.
As we await answers, the enigmatic UFO sighting over Texas serves as a reminder that there is still much to learn about our skies and the potential for unexplained phenomena. Whether the object turns out to be a military experiment, an advanced drone, or something more otherworldly, this incident has undoubtedly captured the imagination of people all around the world.
How Metal Artists In India Are Keeping A 4,500-Year-Old Craft Alive (Video)
How Metal Artists In India Are Keeping A 4,500-Year-Old Craft Alive (Video)
Despite the challenges, metal artists in India are working to keep the ancient craft of Dhokra art alive. This traditional craft involves the use of a non-ferrous metal, often brass or bronze, to create intricate and detailed sculptures. The process of creating Dhokra art, which has endured for over four millennia, involves a combination of wax casting and metal casting techniques, resulting in unique and one-of-a-kind pieces.
To ensure the survival of this craft, metal artists are working to adapt and evolve their techniques, while also educating younger generations about the art form. By incorporating modern technologies and experimenting with new materials, these artists are finding new ways to produce Dhokra art and keep the tradition alive for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.
15 of Ancient History’s Most Ingenious Siege Weapons (Video)
15 of Ancient History’s Most Ingenious Siege Weapons (Video)
Warfare has been a constant throughout human history, and with it, the development of increasingly sophisticated weaponry to overcome defensive fortifications. The ancient world was no exception, and siege warfare was a common tactic used to conquer enemy cities and strongholds. To accomplish this, ancient armies employed an array of ingenious siege weapons that varied from simple battering rams to complex machines capable of launching projectiles with deadly accuracy.
From the ballista, a giant crossbow first used by the ancient Greeks, to the trebuchet, which could hurl projectiles weighing over 1,000kg with ease, our ancestors were no slouches when it came to creating devastating weaponry. As technology advanced, so did the sophistication of these ancient siege weapons , with some armies even employing early forms of flamethrowers and chemical weapons. While the brutality of ancient siege warfare may seem barbaric by modern standards, the ingenuity and engineering prowess displayed in these ancient siege weapons are a testament to humanity's endless quest for innovation and advancement.
Experten waarschuwen in nieuw rapport voor “klimaat-tijdbom”: “Nú handelen voor leefbare toekomst”
Zelfs als de uitstoot van broeikasgassen de komende jaren drastisch vermindert, is het “waarschijnlijk” dat de opwarming van de aarde in de nabije toekomst boven de 1,5 graad Celsius uitkomt. Dat blijkt uit een nieuw rapport van het IPCC, het klimaatpanel van de Verenigde Naties. De klimaatwetenschappers zien tal van “uitvoerbare en effectieve” opties om de uitstoot te verlagen. “Als we nú handelen, kunnen we nog steeds een leefbare en duurzame toekomst voor iedereen veiligstellen”, zegt IPCC-voorzitter Hoesung Lee.
In het rapport beschrijven de wetenschappers hoe de klimaatverandering evolueert en wat de gevolgen ervan zijn. De grens van anderhalve graad wordt in de meeste scenario’s al tussen 2030 en 2035 bereikt. Maar als er onmiddellijk wordt ingegrepen, kan de overschrijding nog beperkt blijven, klinkt het.
Volgens de wetenschappers bedraagt de opwarming momenteel al 1,1 graden Celsius en is die zonder twijfel veroorzaakt door de mens. Het IPCC schrijft bovendien dat “elke toename van de opwarming van de aarde de gevaren zal intensiveren”. Het gaat dan onder meer om intensere hittegolven, zwaardere regenval en extreme droogte.
Zowat 3,3 tot 3,6 miljard mensen, voornamelijk in de armste landen, wonen momenteel al in een gebied dat zeer kwetsbaar is voor de klimaatverandering. Dat terwijl zij eigenlijk het minst hebben bijgedragen aan die opwarming.
Volgens onze weervrouw Jill Peeters gaat het veel moeite kosten om ons klimaat te redden. “We weten dit al lang, maar het blijft choquerend”, zegt ze bij HLN LIVE. “Het is een existentiële crisis die sneller gaat dan je je kan voorstellen.” Om de situatie te verbeteren is het volgens Peeters dan ook nodig om “nu meteen in gang te schieten”.
Uitstoot dringend naar beneden
Volgens het rapport stevenen we nog steeds af op een opwarming van zo’n 3 graden aan het einde van deze eeuw, ten opzichte van voor de industrialisatie. Het panel ziet dan ook veel redenen om snel werk te maken van de uitstootverlaging. Als ons energiesysteem snel van fossiele brandstoffen afstapt, zal ook de luchtkwaliteit verbeteren en dat is goed voor de gezondheid van de mensen. Alleen al de economische voordelen daarvan zouden volgens het IPCC “grofweg gelijk, of mogelijk groter” zijn dan de kosten.
Er is nog een kans om een duurzame toekomst voor iedereen te garanderen, maar die slinkt zienderogen.
IPCC-klimaatpanel
Om de doelstelling van 1,5 graad in leven te houden, moet de uitstoot van broeikasgassen tegen 2050 netto-nul bedragen. Dat wil zeggen dat er niet meer broeikasgassen mogen vrijkomen dan dat er kunnen worden opgeslagen of uit de atmosfeer worden weggenomen. “Er is nog een kans om een duurzame toekomst voor iedereen te garanderen, maar die slinkt zienderogen”, waarschuwen de wetenschappers.
Verschillende oplossingen zijn al voorhanden, stelt het IPCC, maar het huidige beleid hinkt achterop. Bovendien zijn ook de geldstromen niet goed afgestemd. Zo vloeit er nog altijd meer geld naar fossiele brandstofprojecten dan naar de aanpak van de klimaatverandering, klinkt het.
De wetenschappers stellen voor om de uitstoot van broeikasgassen op de volgende manieren te verlagen:
Het energiesysteem moet klimaatneutraal worden, bijvoorbeeld door over te gaan op zonne- en windenergie, aardwarmte of waterkracht
Ecosystemen en bossen moeten worden hersteld
De uitstoot van het broeikasgas methaan – afkomstig uit afval, de landbouw en fossiele brandstoffen – moet worden gereduceerd. Methaan houdt op korte tijd immers heel veel warmte in de atmosfeer vast
Mensen moeten minder zuivel en vlees consumeren
“Klimaat-tijdbom ontmantelen”
VN-secretaris-generaal António Guterres roept rijke landen op om sneller klimaatneutraal te worden, liefst al in 2040. Dat is nodig om de “klimaat-tijdbom” te ontmantelen, zei hij in een videoboodschap op de persconferentie van het IPCC. “De mensheid bevindt zich op dun ijs. En dat ijs smelt snel”, aldus de VN-baas.
Guterres benadrukte de rijke landen met hun industrialisatie in het verleden al veel meer broeikasgassen hebben uitgestoten dan arme landen. Verder zei hij dat opkomende economieën rond 2050 klimaatneutraal moeten zijn.
Milieuorganisatie Greenpeace België zoomt ook in op ons land, want in juni moet België een nieuw nationaal energie- en klimaatplan indienen bij de Europese Commissie. Die onderhandelingen zitten echter al even in het slop. Vooral Vlaanderen, verantwoordelijk voor 70 procent van de Belgische uitstoot, zou zich verzetten tegen ambitieuzere doelstellingen. “Rijke landen zoals België, en regio’s zoals Vlaanderen, hebben als historische uitstoters een enorme verantwoordelijkheid”, aldus de organisatie.
Oxfam België noemt het IPCC-rapport “het rapport van de laatste kans”. Volgens Oxfam mag iedereen op aarde nog maar minder dan 2,2 ton CO2 per jaar uitstoten om de uitstoot tegen 2030 wereldwijd te halveren. Een kaap die de rijkste 1 procent in amper twaalf dagen rondt. “We hebben een snelle afbouw van fossiele brandstoffen nodig, anders wachten ons nog catastrofes.”
This USO/UFO footage was filmed with a work class ROV at an ocean depth of 5870 Feet (1789 Meters) in the Gulf of Mexico. While the footage quality isn't excellent, ROV operators that have seen the footage have concluded that it is not organic. The USO was untethered and was operating at a depth that prevented any kind of remote operation. If it was of Russian or Chinese origin, the USO demonstrated advanced AI operation, construction, and power management capabilities that are not known in the commercial ROV world.
USOs have been sighted before by commercial ROV pilots, but this is the first footage (as far as we know) to ever see the light of day.
Peruvian Archaeologists Uncover Two-faced Moche Men with Cosmic Connections
Peruvian Archaeologists Uncover Two-faced Moche Men with Cosmic Connections
Painted on a pillar within a ceremonial hall, archaeologists have found a 1,400-year-old “two faced man”, with cosmic associations.
The Moche culture was a pre-Columbian civilization that thrived between 100 BC and 700 AD, farming and fishing, in the northern coastal region of Peru. Known for their exquisite pottery featuring animals, people, and scenes from everyday life, they were also skilled metalworkers and produced fine gold and silver jewelry.
Now, a team of archaeologists have discovered two 1,400-year-old murals depicting two-faced men within a ceremonial hall. According to a report in Live Science , the two-faced men might refer to sacrifice, and "cosmic realms".
Upper and lower men are visible here on the pillar. Archaeologist Gabriela Cervantes Quequezana examines the imagery of the painted pillar.
Two murals of two-faced men holding unusual treasures were unearthed by archaeologists in August 2022 at the 1,400-year-old archaeological site of Pañamarca. Located in Peru's lower Nepeña Valley province of Huari, in the Ancash region of coastal Peru, the site features a large complex of stone structures including a central plaza, several temples, and residential areas. The murals were drawn between 550 AD and 800 AD, at the height of the Moche people’s rule of northern coastal Peru.
The archaeological work was conducted by the Archaeological Research Project (PIA) “ Paisajes Arqueológicos de Pañamarca ” which is collaboratively led by the international team of Jessica Ortiz Zevallos, Lisa Trever of Columbia University and Michele Koons of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS).
Interpreting The Painted Pillar
The two murals both adorn the same pillar within a large ceremonial hall. One of the murals, located at the top of the pillar, features a man with two faces holding a feather fan in one hand, and in the other hand he holds a goblet with four hummingbirds drinking from it. The second two-faced man is painted on the lower aspect of the pillar and has a moving feather fan in one hand and a stick-like object in the other.
Two images of two-faced men have been discovered at the Moche site of Pañamarca, Peru. Left; The upper figure painted on the pillar holding a goblet feeding hummingbirds, and a feather fan. Right; the lower figure holding a fan and an unidentified stick-like object.
Both of the two-faced men are depicted with headdresses or crowns and wearing colorful clothing held tight with sizable belts. Lisa Trever is an associate professor of pre-Columbian art history and archaeology at Columbia University , who led the discovery team, and she told Live Science that the reason the Moche artists depicted these two men “is a mystery.”
Dr. Trever suspects that the ancient artists may have been “experimenting with how to show movement, and two narrative moments at once." Furthermore, the archaeologist suspects the two men “may be deities,” but she added that this is uncertain because most depictions of deities in Moche art have non-human aspects “like fangs, or the faces or tails or wings of various creatures.” But these two murals, even though they have two faces, “seem entirely human," Trever noted.
Since uncovering the first mural in 1958, archaeologists have been studying the ceremonial hall at Pañamarca, now for over 60 years. Putting the depictions of two headed men in context, other murals within the ceremonial hall depict a priestess, a serpent and a bat. And according to a statement by the team, despite six decades of study, much of the hall is still unexcavated and it is thought that many more murals are awaiting discovery.
Panoramas of the Moche complex under excavation at Pañamarca.
(Aerial drone photography by J. Antonio Ochatoma Cabrera/ Panamarca)
Exploring Cosmic Connections
Trever said one of the interesting things about the hall is the unusual density of paintings within it. This means the team can only excavate selected aspects of the building each archaeological field season. Trever said the team still has a lot of questions about the architecture and its functions and that it's still unknown how the Moche used this ritual space.
What is known about the ceremonial hall, however, is that it was reserved for use only by priests. The narrow passages and interior spaces suggest ritual use, and that “it was not a public space." Trever added it was probably open to “the leaders or elders of the community at Pañamarca." Edward Swenson , director of the Archaeology Centre at the University of Toronto, told Live Science that the two-faced men might have represented “a mortal wearing a mask and thus impersonating or becoming one with [the] supernatural." Furthermore, a connection with the gods might also be indicated in the detail of the hummingbirds drinking from the goblet.
Picking From the Peruvian Pantheon
Swenson said he interprets the hummingbirds drinking from the cup as “a powerful invocation of the centrality of sacrifice in Moche worldview." He added that sacrifice served as “a critical mechanism to ensure the circulation of life-giving fluids between beings and cosmic realms."
Like the Inca of Peru, the Moche people worshipped a wide variety of gods and deities associated with nature, agriculture, and fertility. Their primary gods included “Ai-Apaec,” a god of sacrifice and warfare; the “Decapitator,” who was a god of death and the underworld; and the Moon Goddess, who was associated with fertility, childbirth, and the menstrual cycle. It might be the case that the hummingbird was regarded as a messenger of the gods, transferring sacrificed human souls to the other world/s.
Top image: The two-faced Moche man figure painted on the lower part of the pillar. Two images of two-faced men have been discovered at the Moche site of Pañamarca, Peru.
Is Archaeology Getting it Wrong? ‘Ancient Stone Tools’ Accidentally Made by Modern Monkeys
Is Archaeology Getting it Wrong? ‘Ancient Stone Tools’ Accidentally Made by Modern Monkeys
Archaeologists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have announced their discovery of stone fragments that closely resemble ancient stone tools made by prehistoric humans. What is notable is that these apparently worked stone objects were actually made unintentionally by old world monkeys living in the forests of Thailand. Does this have implications for stone flakes taken to be tools at ancient hominin sites?
These industrious monkeys were not trying to make cutting or scraping tools. Yet they still produced pieces of rock with sharp edges perfect for cutting and scraping, as a side effect of their use of larger chunks of rocks to crack open hard nuts and shellfish. Impressively sharp flakes are sometimes chipped off during this process, and incredibly enough these rock slices look and feel a lot like some objects that have been identified as ancient stone tools purposely made by ancient humans and by ancient human ancestors.
Until now, it had been believed that hominins like Homo sapiens ( modern humans ) and Neanderthals were history’s only toolmakers. But the stunning results of this new study, which has just been published in Science Advances , call into question the identification of at least some ancient stone tools as human cutting or scraping objects.
This wouldn’t be the case for all of the tools identified , since many (if not most) ancient stone tools are found in archaeological contexts that show other indications of human settlement and activity. But isolated stone “tools” supposedly made by ancient toolmaking cultures may now require much more careful analysis than in the past, to be sure that they really are human artifacts.
If Monkeys Can Make ‘Tools’ Too, what Are the Ramifications?
The animals studied in this research were long-tailed macaques living in Phang Nga National Park along Thailand’s southwestern peninsular coast. The clever macaques use heavy stones to break open nuts and shellfish, and over time these stones have a tendency to break into pieces after repeated use. Pieces of these stones can be found all over the park land, and many of them do indeed bear a remarkable resemblance to the sharpened stone tools recovered from various ancient archaeological sites in East Africa.
“The ability to intentionally make sharp stone flakes is seen as a crucial point in the evolution of hominins, and understanding how and when this occurred is a huge question that is typically investigated through the study of past artifacts and fossils,” lead study author Tomos Proffitt stated in a Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology press release .
“Our study shows that stone tool production is not unique to humans and our ancestors.”
Notably, this is not the first study that suggests some ancient stone tools could actually have been made by monkeys. A 2016 University of Oxford study published in the journal Nature revealed that capuchin monkeys living in Brazil’s Serra de Capivara National Park frequently created rock flakes and chips that looked exactly like prehistoric stone tools (these primates use hard quartz and quartzite rock to break open stones that contain mineral dust they like to lick). The authors of that study noted similarities between the shapes of the capuchin “artifacts” and some of the simpler tools associated with the ancient Oldowan culture , which is alleged to have been manufacturing stone tools in East Africa more than two million years ago.
Did Humans Make the First Sharp-Edged Tools by Accident?
Naturally, a lot of the focus on this study will be on the doubts raised about past identifications of stone tools as man-made artifacts. But another important aspect of the research is what it suggests about how ancient humans started using sharp-edged tools in the first place.
Were the earliest modern humans, or human ancestors living millions of years ago, manufacturing all these tools themselves? Or did they start out by experimenting with sharp rock chips and flakes created when they were using larger rocks to break open difficult-to-access food sources?
“Cracking nuts using stone hammers and anvils, similar to what some primates do today, has been suggested by some as a possible precursor to intentional stone tool production,” said Lydia Luncz, the senior study author and the head of the Technological Primates Research Group at the Max Planck Institute. “This discovery shows how living primates can help researchers investigate the origin and evolution of tool use in our own lineage.”
Healthy Skepticism Means Better Science
In order to uncover accurate information about the origin of important cultural practices, archaeologists must interpret ancient artifacts properly and not misidentify natural objects as man-made. In this instance, the situation is interesting because the “natural forces” that can produce objects resembling human tools are still emerging from the intelligent actions of a primate species.
From now on there may be added uncertainty about whether relatively simple sharp-edged stone tools taken from ancient sites were really made by humans as cutting tools. To reach a definitive conclusion researchers will need to rely on more than the presence of sharp edges on stone flakes to identify them as man-made. Such identifications will now require added context to make them fully accepted, meaning they will need to be found mixed in with other man-made objects, collections of animal bones, or other remnants of past human activity that make it obvious that the stone objects were really tools and were being used as such.
In the long run this added scrutiny will be beneficial to the archaeological profession, as its research into prehistoric toolmaking practices will be carried out with a bit more healthy skepticism than was present before.
Top image: Example of a long-tailed macaque using a stone tool to access food.
Is There More to the Mechanics of the Great Pyramid?
Is There More to the Mechanics of the Great Pyramid?
At the beginning of March, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities (MOTA) announced a newly discovered chamber above the main (North) entrance to the Pyramid of Khufu, also known as the Great Pyramid of Giza, outside Cairo. This 9 meter by 2 meter chamber sits directly above the North entrance, and why it was included there currently remains unknown. Could it be part of a long since dismantled locking system?
Another cavity exists between the Grand Gallery and the King’s Chamber, and far more is known about this space, which has a 3 stone blocking mechanism. But it is still somewhat enigmatic. Here, with an analysis of what is known of the construction of the blocking mechanism of this Antechamber, a mystery of the whole of the pyramid’s design is explored.
Current Thinking on the Antechamber to the King’s Chamber
From the time of the early archaeologists, the Antechamber between the Grand Gallery and the King’s chamber of the Pyramid of Khufu has been supposed to be a blocking device with three granite blocks in a row. The empty sarcophagus in the King’s chamber, the majestic Grand Gallery leading to it and this elaborate closing device led everyone to accept blindly that this was Khufu’s burial chamber. Three blocks were obviously meant to seal this chamber off.
The blocking is assumed to have worked this way. Maragioglio & Rinaldi: L’archittura delle piramidi Menfiti, parte 4, tavole (tav. 8 detail).
The vertical protruding “ribs” on the east and west walls looks like guiding lines for blocks. Fair enough. But why three, when one bigger one would be sufficient? Is it symbolic?
This way of blocking the entrance is not used in other pyramids we know of. Cylindrical rollers over the blocks seem to have been used to lower them into sealing-off position. Accurately measured drawings of Maragioglio & Rinaldi show how the blocks, in their view, were simply held up temporarily by wooden logs. So, while others bashed the supporting logs away, the blocks were held back by workers holding ropes, and then slowly lowered into their closing position.
I have calculated the weight of one such stone block to be approximately 1.5 -2 tons, (1.2m x 1.2m x 0.5 m = approx.0.8 m 3 x 2.5 t (average weight of 1 m 3 granite) = approx. 2 t). So it would have taken the weight of 20-30 Egyptians weighing 70 kg each just to hold one block. They must have been standing in the Grand Gallery. But why have nice rollers above the blocks and then a sharp – not even rounded - edge on the corridor’s ceiling. It doesn’t seem well planned.
And what about the open shaft in front of the closing blocks? If the blocks were supposed to be lowered by gradually slacking the ropes over the cylindrical rollers, it leaves this “pre-Antechamber” open to intruders afterwards, who would quickly realize that only the inner of the three blocks would have to be broken to gain access to the supposed burial chamber. Not very smart, though I admit that the damage to the southern wall (repaired) could suggest an attack from above.
But why use rollers at all?
This was a very complicated system for a one-time use. Ropes would easily slide over rounded edges of normally square blocks - the friction would even help the careful lowering, giving an argument against the roller idea - and with just narrow gaps or holes in the masonry, grave-robbers would have had a much harder job.
The rollers led me to conclude that they may have been familiar with pulley systems. Also, because I believe in Australian Paul Hai’s theory: that they rolled big stone blocks, even up the pyramid sides, with the help of convex wooden “sleighs” fastened to the blocks. Models of such sleighs or “rockers” are found.
Imagesfrom Paul Hai’s book, illustrating his wonderful idea. (Author provided)
Gods and Chambers
In an earlier article I have proposed that the closing system was designed to be used time after time and was made as a counterweight opening and closing system. It is the most logical reason for using rollers to eliminate friction.
The idea suits my basic theory that all the chambers in the pyramid were equally important.
I believe that each chamber honored one of the cosmological gods of the area. The Giza pyramids are only 30 km from Heliopolis. The five first listed gods there were gods for nature elements – earth, water (actually rain and mist = water moving vertically), and air, for some, and the three chambers we know were formed to suit one god’s element each. The gods in question were Geb, Tefnut and Shu respectfully.
And yes, I do believe that two other chambers existed: one on top of the pyramid honoring the sky goddess Nut, just covered by the pyramid’s casing stones until they fell off in an earthquake, which also loosened many of the casing stones from the sides; and a hidden chamber honoring the sun- and creator god Re-Atum. These five were the gods who had created the world.
Built vertically into the pyramid the chambers were steps on a ladder helping the deceased king ascend to heaven.
Khufu’s pyramid, including the two missing chambers higher up. I believe the chambers honored local element gods. (Author provided)
All the Chambers Display Symbolism
I believe that Khufu was buried in the subterranean chamber. The chamber was not unfinished and abandoned. This was the earth god Geb’s chamber, and a lot of the bedrock was left, intentionally giving the impression of a quarry. We can imagine how stone masonry was highly respected in ancient Egypt – a divine craft associated with Geb, I presume. Looking carefully you will see that there is a flat level area big enough to house a sarcophagus, wooden, assembled on the spot.
When the Greek historian Herodotus visited Egypt two thousand years after Khufu lived, priests told Herodotus that the king lay buried under the pyramid, on an island surrounded by water coming from an artificial canal.
With a wooden tube and some water, the words of Herodotus are brought to life in a symbolic tableau. (Author provided)
Now watch how much difference a little imagination can result in: All it takes to make us realize that Herodotus’ words may be a rather precise description of an incredible original tableau is a square wooden tube. Placed vertically in the well, with two sides resting on the cut-out ledge and tightened with clay or silt you would have a proper water well (it has been dug out deep enough to conclude that it reached ground water level at least in flooded periods).
Why have they dug the well so deep? Because they needed a lot of water. Pouring water onto the floor would result in a tableau like the one I have drawn. And more water was needed higher in the pyramid.
The Queen’s chamber and the Grand Gallery. Maragioglio tav. 7, partly cleaned for clarity. (Author provided)
Water in Tefnut’s (the Queen’s) chamber. (Author provided)
The Queen’s chamber and the Grand Gallery were wonderful gems too and call for attention, but they are only briefly referred to in this article. The Queen’s chamber had water on the floor and water in the closed canals.
Details reveal that the Grand Gallery is not my missing chamber for the sun god – the sloping Gallery is clearly not a chamber – and anyway his chamber should be closer to the sky/the top chamber. I have come to the conclusion that the Gallery is linked to the sun anyway, in the respect that it represents the sun’s rays, bringing warmth, light, heat, fire and life to the lower world. It represents the fire element on earth, whereas the sun god’s actual chamber is higher up.
Counterweight System Details
After a critical examination of the system I previously proposed for the opening and closing system: a wooden tube, balanced by a stone block in the first shaft, I have realized it was a hasty thought. A wooden tube, even three times the size of one blocking stone, would not balance the weight of a heavy stone counterweight. A wooden tube, even 20 cm (8 inches) thick and having a base area of approx. 1x2 meters – 2 square meters, would only weigh as much as 600 kg, having the average weight of e.g. cedar wood.
The remains of the counterweight stone from the shaft in front may very well be the broken stone block with drilled holes on display outside the pyramid’s entrance. From the looks of it (I haven’t measured) it is as thick as the other assumed stone blocks, therefore possibly weighing 1.5-2 tons.
The wooden tube idea. (Author provided)
I regret having to give up the wooden tube idea. The side walls’ ribs of stone would function as fine guides preventing the tube from getting stuck (from tilting forwards or backwards). I do realize that a tube could be made heavier by putting extra stones on top of it or inside the tube, but a whole extra ton?
Another counterweight possibility: a stone basin, closed and open. The grill (see below) still waits for someone to pull the rope. (Author provided)
A Low Stone Basin
To balance a stone block, “the wooden tube” must instead have been made of stone. A basin almost formed as a sarcophagus, open in both ends, would work. With side wall thicknesses like the sarcophagus inside the chamber, which is c. 15 cm (6 inches), the side walls of a stone basin may have had about the height of the corridor, and contained some water.
Alternately the basin could have had rather low sides and a bottom thickness of about the half of the counterweight, c. 25 cm (because the vertical counterweight area is roughly half that of the floor area under the three rollers). The low side version is shown here, but higher sides would better prevent it from being stuck by tilting.
The vertical grooves with a grill. The grooves continue all up to the ceiling. (Unknown photographer)
Grooves for ropes or a grill?
The interesting vertical grooves on the south wall, over the last bit of corridor leading to the King’s Chamber, could have given room for the ropes holding the inner block, in the popular three-block version. But why, in that case, were the grooves chiseled in all the way up to the ceiling? Even though the big wall stone with the most of the grooves ends a little below the ceiling, the grooves continue on another stone. That would not be necessary, if those grooves were for ropes around the roller.
The grooves could instead have guided a grill, blocking the entrance. It could be lifted with a rope going around the closest roller. It is the best use I can see for these grooves. The grill can be held close to the wall with a wooden beam or two, crossing from wall to wall. An explanation to why it should be there is proposed below.
Temple Functions
Rites were carried out in the grave temple outside the pyramid. Could the pyramid itself be a temple? The later roman writer Apuleius describes in his book The Golden Ass his own initiation into the Isis cult. He wrote that he came to the boundaries of death and then returned, going through all the elements . The Greeks had (re-) invented the elements by then, without gods, but his significant words about elements give meaning to speculations of whether Khufu’s pyramid with its element chambers functioned as an initiation temple as well as grave for a king.
In such a context the Ante-chamber’s layout is very interesting. Coming to this level the initiate would have descended to the bottom chamber, had seen the sarcophagus, had noticed the bedrock linking this chamber to the earth god Geb, had noticed the water seemingly floating in from the square canal on the opposite wall, and seen the hollow upper end of the wooden tube, seemingly a hole to the underworld. To him, this was the boundaries of death.
From here he went up, visited the Queen’s chamber (Tefnut’s watery element), and had passed through the stylized sun beams of the Grand Gallery. Now he stood on the landing in front of the last earthbound element’s chamber, the air god Shu’s chamber. He was the god who had lifted the sky from the earth and was still holding it up by his hands, standing on the earth. The initiate found the entrance closed.
Natural vertical order of elements. Sky goddess Nut held up by air god Shu. Earth god Geb lying on the ground. The sun sailed below the sky. (Author provided)
A Test
Standing in front of a closed entrance must have felt like being tested. Now what? He should probably demonstrate that he mastered manipulation of the elements he had passed on his way.
One of the earth element’s most obvious powers is its weight. Could he overcome that?
The blocking stone didn’t rest perfectly on the floor. A one-centimeter gap gave him no other choice than to try to lift the stone by hands, if he wanted to enter Shu’s chamber. So he tried - and the block moved (due to the low-friction rollers)!
The next thing he saw was glowing and burning charcoal (or dried camel dung) in the next three to four meters (the floor is depressed here, and the air channels in the chamber conveniently ventilated out most of the smoke). Fire… how could he pass this fire without getting grave skin burns? Furthermore, a grill blocked his way, and a much larger stone block was coming down as he lifted the entrance door.
Lifting the door stone all the way up revealed that the descending stone was a stone basin, covering the first half of the burning path. The basin contained water.
Having stood in water in Tefnut’s chamber he would now rely on her help to extinguish (control) the fire in a narrow path. Having wet feet would also help him to a safe passage.
Just the grill remained. Either it had gone up automatically when he lowered the basin, or better, a dangling rope gave him the final opportunity to demonstrate decision and will to enter Shu’s chamber.
In line with later initiation symbolism the sarcophagus in Shu’s chamber implies that the initiate now had to symbolically die by entering the sarcophagus and well, maybe die “the small dead”- go to sleep, or in another way open his mind to the afterlife : he was spoken to by heavenly voices, coming from somewhere (above the ceiling)! This was probably the reason for the narrow-dug tunnel leading from high over the Gallery landing into the lowest of the so-called weight-relieving chambers above the King’s chamber.
This finished his task – now he was reborn, having been dead, having been spoken to by gods. Having realized that the elements and their chambers were steps in the pyramid’s stairway to heaven - he was now initiated.
And we are too, having understood and refurnished the Antechamber.
Unidentified Phenomenon Flies Over Italy: Possible UFO Sighting or Something Else?
Unidentified Phenomenon Flies Over Italy: Possible UFO Sighting or Something Else?
In 2021, a video of strange lights in a triangular formation floating in the air above the horizon went viral on social media. Shot from a train in Italy, the footage shows three orange orbs glowing in the sky. Some viewers linked this light pattern to a typical triangular UFO, making claims that this was an alien spacecraft.
Italy has a rich history of UFO sightings, including an alleged UFO crash in 1933 that spurred a secret program led by Mussolini to investigate and potentially weaponize the technology. The Italian Center for UFO Studies has documented almost 10,000 cases over a 50-year period.
But what do the experts think about this latest sighting? Forensic video analyst Michael Primeau says the footage appears real but admits there is a possibility that CGI was used. Astronomer and video effects designer Marc D’Antonio rules out commercial or military aircraft but believes the mysterious object could be a light fixture reflected in the window.
However, science writer Mick West disagrees, saying that the lights appear to move independently and gradually drift down, which is consistent with military flares. Despite the different opinions, experts cannot provide a conclusive explanation for the phenomenon.
The classic saucer-shaped UFOs of the 1950s and ’60s have become passé, and today, more and more sightings feature bright orbs, cylindrical objects, and even triangles. While this latest sighting remains a mystery, it adds to the growing list of unusual and unexplained phenomena in our skies.
If you’re intrigued by UFO sightings and want to know more about this phenomenon, stay tuned for the latest updates and research. Who knows what we might discover next?
Dust launched from the moon’s surface or from a space station positioned between Earth and the sun could reduce enough solar radiation to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
iMAGE: SIMULATED STREAM OF DUST LAUNCHED BETWEEN EARTH AND THE SUN. THIS DUST CLOUD IS SHOWN AS IT CROSSES THE DISK OF THE SUN, VIEWED FROM EARTH. STREAMS LIKE THIS ONE, INCLUDING THOSE LAUNCHED FROM THE MOON’S SURFACE, CAN ACT AS A TEMPORARY SUNSHADE. view more
CREDIT: BEN BROMLEY/UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
On a cold winter day, the warmth of the sun is welcome. Yet as humanity emits more and more greenhouse gases, the Earth'satmosphere traps more and more of the sun's energy and steadily increases the Earth's temperature. One strategy for reversing this trend is to intercept a fraction of sunlight before it reaches our planet. For decades, scientists have considered using screens, objects or dust particles to block just enough of the sun’s radiation—between 1 or 2%—to mitigate the effects of global warming.
A University of Utah-led study explored the potential of using dust to shield sunlight. They analyzed different properties of dust particles, quantities of dust and the orbits that would be best suited for shading Earth. The authors found that launching dustfrom Earth to a way station at the “Lagrange Point” between Earth and the sun (L1) would be most effective but would require astronomical cost and effort. An alternative is to use moondust. The authors argue that launching lunar dust from the moon instead could be a cheap and effective way to shade the Earth.
The team of astronomers applied a technique used to study planet formation around distant stars, their usual research focus. Planet formation is a messy process that kicks up lots ofastronomical dust that can form rings around the host star. These rings intercept light from the central star and re-radiate it in a way that we can detect it on Earth. One way to discover stars that are forming new planets is to look for these dusty rings.
“That was the seed of the idea; if we took a small amount of material and put it on a special orbit between the Earth and the sun and broke it up, we could block out a lot of sunlight with a little amount of mass,” said Ben Bromley, professor of physics and astronomy and lead author of the study.
"It is amazing to contemplate how moon dust—which took over four billion years to generate—might help slow the rise in Earth’s temperature, a problem that took us less than 300 years to produce,” said Scott Kenyon, co-author of the study from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian.
The paper was published on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, in the journal PLOS Climate.
Casting a shadow
A shield’s overall effectiveness depends on its ability to sustain an orbit that casts a shadow on Earth. Sameer Khan, undergraduate student and the study’s co-author, led the initial exploration into which orbits could hold dust in position long enough to provide adequate shading. Khan’s work demonstrated the difficulty of keeping dust where you need it to be.
“Because we know the positions and masses of the major celestial bodies in our solar system, we can simply use the laws of gravity to track the position of a simulated sunshield over time for several different orbits,” said Khan.
Two scenarios were promising. In the first scenario, the authors positioned a space platform at the L1 Lagrange point, the closest point between Earth and the sun where the gravitational forces are balanced. Objects at Lagrange points tend to stay along a path between the two celestial bodies, which is why the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is located at L2, a Lagrange point on the opposite side of the Earth.
In computer simulations, the researchers shot test particles along the L1 orbit, including the position of Earth, the sun, the moon, and other solar system planets, and tracked where the particles scattered. The authors found that when launched precisely, the dust would follow a path between Earth and the sun, effectively creating shade, at least for a while. Unlike the 13,000-pound JWST, the dust was easily blown off course by the solar winds, radiation, and gravity within the solar system. Any L1 platform would need to create an endless supply of new dust batches to blast into orbit every few days after the initial spray dissipates.
“It was rather difficult to get the shield to stay at L1 long enough to cast a meaningful shadow. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, since L1 is an unstable equilibrium point. Even the slightest deviation in the sunshield’s orbit can cause it to rapidly drift out of place, so our simulations had to be extremely precise,” Khan said.
In the second scenario, the authors shot lunar dust from the surface of the moon towards the sun. They found that the inherent properties of lunar dust were just right to effectively work as a sun shield. The simulations tested how lunar dust scattered along various courses until they found excellent trajectories aimed toward L1 that served as an effective sun shield. These results are welcome news, because much less energy is needed to launch dust from the moon than from Earth. This is important because the amount of dust in a solar shield is large, comparable to the output of a big mining operation here on Earth. Furthermore, the discovery of the new sun-shielding trajectories means delivering the lunar dust to a separate platform at L1 may not be necessary.
Just a moonshot?
The authors stress that this study only explores the potential impact of this strategy, rather than evaluate whether these scenarios are logistically feasible.
“We aren’t experts in climate change, or the rocket science needed to move mass from one place to the other. We’re just exploring different kinds of dust on a variety of orbits to see how effective this approach might be. We do not want to miss a game changer for such a critical problem,” said Bromley.
One of the biggest logistical challenges—replenishing dust streams every few days—also has an advantage. Eventually, the sun’s radiation disperses the dust particles throughout the solar system; the sun shield is temporary and shield particles do not fall onto Earth. The authors assure that their approach would not create a permanently cold, uninhabitable planet, as in the science fiction story, “Snowpiercer.”
“Our strategy could be an option in addressing climate change,” said Bromley, “if what we need is more time.”
Stof lanceren vanaf de maan om zonlicht tegen te houden, het klinkt als toekomstmuziek, maar de mogelijkheid komt dichterbij en het zou zomaar eens serieus kunnen helpen om de opwarming van de Aarde tegen te gaan.
Het lijkt namelijk nu veilig en technisch mogelijk om zo’n zonnescherm te creëren tussen de Aarde en de zon. Daarvoor moet dan wel om de paar dagen stof worden afgeschoten vanaf de maan. Zo bereikt minder zonlicht de Aarde, waardoor de planeet afkoelt.
Minder zonlicht op aarde Het is een futuristisch plan waar al langer in verschillende vormen over wordt nagedacht: een kunstmatige barrière opwerpen tussen de zon en de aarde om klimaatverandering tegen te gaan. In het boek SuperFreakonomics uit 2009 staat bijvoorbeeld al een hoofdstuk over de mogelijkheid om zwaveldioxide (SO2) in de stratosfeer te schieten om de aarde tijdelijk af te koelen. De schrijvers baseren zich hierbij onder andere op de enorme uitbarsting in 1883 van de Krakatau-vulkaan in Indonesië, waarbij 20 miljoen ton SO2 vrijkwam. De wereld was toen vijf jaar lang enkele graden kouder dan normaal, omdat minder zonlicht het aardoppervlak bereikte. Maar critici schoten dit wilde plan vrijwel direct af.
Lagrange Points Maar het idee bleef bestaan. Wetenschappers van de University of Utah gaan nu nog een stap verder en hebben verschillende scenario’s doorgerekend voor een haalbare strategie om zonlicht tegen te houden. Ze overwogen om satellietschermen te plaatsen of andere objecten of stofdeeltjes buiten onze dampkring te brengen. Uiteindelijk kwamen ze tot de conclusie dat de meest efficiënte manier om een of twee procent van het zonlicht te blokkeren – dat is al genoeg om de huidige klimaatopwarming teniet te doen – is om stofdeeltjes te lanceren vanaf de maan. Voor een optimale werking moet het stofspoor precies naar het Lagrange Point worden geschoten. Er zijn twee Lagrange Points rondom de aarde. L1 is het dichtstbijzijnde punt tussen de aarde en de zon waar de zwaartekrachten in evenwicht zijn. De James Webb-ruimtetelescoop bevindt zich op L2, een Lagrange-punt aan de andere kant van de aarde.
Het stofspoor tussen de Aarde en de zon dat het zonlicht moet tegenhouden. Afbeelding: Ben Bromley/University of Utah
“De basis van ons idee is om een beperkte hoeveelheid materiaal te gebruiken om in een speciale baan tussen de aarde en de zon te plaatsen en daar uit elkaar te laten vallen. Op deze manier kunnen we veel zonlicht blokkeren met een kleine hoeveelheid massa”, vertelt hoogleraar natuurkunde en astronomie Ben Bromley tegen Scientias.nl. “Ons onderzoek richtte zich hoofdzakelijk op de conceptvraag. Ik kan alleen maar gissen naar de tijd en de kosten die zo’n gigantisch ruimteproject met zich meebrengen. Het zal in ieder geval een astronomisch bedrag zijn, maar vergeet niet dat de gevolgen van klimaatopwarming ook een enorm kostenplaatje hebben.”
Kan maanstof de opwarming van de aarde helpen tegenhouden? Niet aan beginnen, denkt menig wetenschapper.
Stofkanon op de maan Het is een fascinerend idee om vier miljard jaar oud maanstof te gebruiken om de door de mens in tweehonderd jaar veroorzaakte klimaatopwarming tegen te gaan. Het ruimtegruis werkt in de berekeningen korte tijd heel goed, maar wordt dan al snel uit koers geblazen door de zonnewinden, straling en zwaartekracht in ons zonnestelsel. Elke paar dagen is er een nieuwe lading stof nodig om richting het Lagrange Point te schieten en aangezien het enorm veel kracht kost om het stof iedere keer vanaf de Aarde te lanceren, vanwege de zwaartekracht en de atmosfeer, is het volgens de onderzoeker een beter idee om dit vanaf de maan te gaan doen, ook al moet er daar dan eerst een basis worden gebouwd.
Niet te zien Veel zullen mensen er op het eerste gezicht niet van merken, verwacht Bromley. “Aangezien de stofdeeltjes maar een fractie van het zonlicht tegenhouden, is het verschil vanaf de Aarde met het blote oog nauwelijks te zien. De stofdeeltjes verspreiden zich over de volle breedte van de zonneschijf.” Maar wat gebeurt er eigenlijk met het stofspoor nadat het uit elkaar is gevallen? Gaan we daar in de toekomst geen last mee krijgen? “We weten dat de deeltjes in ieder geval niet neervallen op aarde, op de maan of op onze satellieten. Maar het is onduidelijk of het gruis in de toekomst nog schade kan berokkenen bij ruimtereizen of iets dergelijks. Mocht dit concept echt worden uitgevoerd, dan zal eerst extra onderzoek hiernaar nodig zijn”, legt Bromley uit.
Astronomische parasol Er zijn ook scenario’s doorgerekend, waarbij een meer permanente barrière wordt gevormd. “Sterrenkundige J. Roger Angel kwam met het idee om een vloot met een heleboel kleine bestuurbare satellieten in te zetten. Het probleem is dat bij Lagrange Point 1 het gebied dat je moet bestrijken erg groot is. Het gaat hier om een vlak van honderden bij honderden kilometers”, aldus de professor.
Bromley ziet zijn plan als een noodoplossing. “We zijn geen experts in klimaatverandering of de raketwetenschap die nodig is om massa van de ene plaats naar de andere te verplaatsen, maar we hebben wel onderzocht hoe verschillende soorten stof het zonlicht kunnen tegenhouden op verschillende plekken in ons zonnestelsel. Verder maken we de effectiviteit van deze aanpak overzichtelijk. Het zou doodzonde zijn om een alternatieve oplossing als deze voor het enorme klimaatprobleem op aarde niet door te rekenen. Onze strategie zou een optie kunnen zijn om tijd te kopen in de race tegen de klok, nu de tekenen van de destructieve klimaatverandering steeds duidelijker worden.”
Minder uitstoot Maar ook de professor vindt dat in de eerste plaats de CO2-uitstoot omlaag moet. “Ons concept is een interessant onderdeel van een groter internationaal plan om klimaatverandering tegen te gaan. De belangrijkste stap is echter om de oorzaken van de opwarming van de aarde aan te pakken en de hoeveelheid broeikasgassen in onze eigen atmosfeer drastisch te verminderen”, besluit Bromley.
Future Space Telescopes Could be 100 Meters Across, Constructed in Space, and Then Bent Into a Precise Shape
It is an exciting time for astronomers and cosmologists. Since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have been treated to the most vivid and detailed images of the Universe ever taken. Webb‘s powerful infrared imagers, spectrometers, and coronographs will allow for even more in the near future, including everything from surveys of the early Universe to direct imaging studies of exoplanets. Moreover, several next-generation telescopes will become operational in the coming years with 30-meter (~98.5 feet) primary mirrors, adaptive optics, spectrometers, and coronographs.
Even with these impressive instruments, astronomers and cosmologists look forward to an era when even more sophisticated and powerful telescopes are available. For example, Zachary Cordero of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently proposed a telescope with a 100-meter (328-foot) primary mirror that would be autonomously constructed in space and bent into shape by electrostatic actuators. His proposal was one of several concepts selected this year by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program for Phase I development.
Corder is the Boeing Career Development Professor in Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT and a member of the Aerospace Materials and Structures Lab (AMSL) and Small Satellite Center. His research integrates his expertise in processing science, mechanics, and design to develop novel materials and structures for emerging aerospace applications. His proposal is the result of a collaboration with Prof. Jeffrey Lang (from MIT’s Electronics and the Microsystems Technology Laboratories) and a team of three students with the AMSL, including Ph.D. student Harsh Girishbhai Bhundiya.
Their proposed telescope addresses a key issue with space telescopes and other large payloads that are packaged for launch and then deployed in orbit. In short, size and surface precision tradeoffs limit the diameter of deployable space telescopes to the 10s of meters. Consider the recently-launched James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the largest and most powerful telescope ever sent to space. To fit into its payload fairing (atop an Ariane 5 rocket), the telescope was designed so that it could be folded into a more compact form.
This included its primary mirror, secondary mirror, and sunshield, which all unfolded once the space telescope was in orbit. Meanwhile, the primary mirror (the most complex and powerful ever deployed) measures 6.5 meters (21 feet) in diameter. Its successor, the Large UV/Optical/IR Surveyor (LUVOIR), will have a similar folding assembly and a primary mirror measuring 8 to 15 meters (26.5 to 49 feet) in diameter – depending on the selected design (LUVOIR-A or -B). As Bhundiya explained to Universe Today via email:
“Today, most spacecraft antennas are deployed in orbit (e.g., Northrop Grumman’s Astromesh antenna) and have been optimized to achieve high performance and gain. However, they have limitations: 1) They are passive deployable systems. I.e. once you deploy them you cannot adaptively change the shape of the antenna. 2) They become difficult to slew as their size increases. 3) They exhibit a tradeoff between diameter and precision. I.e. their precision decreases as their size increases, which is a challenge for achieving astronomy and sensing applications that require both large diameters and high precision (e.g. JWST).”
While many in-space construction methods have been proposed to overcome these limitations, detailed analyses of their performance for building precision structures (like large-diameter reflectors) are lacking. For the sake of their proposal, Cordero and his colleagues conducted a quantitative, system-level comparison of materials and processes for in-space manufacturing. Ultimately, they determined that this limitation could be overcome using advanced materials and a novel in-space manufacturing method called Bend-Forming.
This technique, invented by researchers at the AMSL and described in a recent paper co-authored by Bhundiya and Cordero, relies on a combination of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) deformation processing and hierarchical high-performance materials. As Harsh explained it:
“Bend-Forming is a process for fabricating 3D wireframe structures from metal wire feedstock. It works by bending a single strand of wire at specific nodes and with specific angles, and adding joints to the nodes to make a stiff structure. So to fabricate a given structure, you convert it into bending instructions which can be implemented on a machine like a CNC wire bender to fabricate it from a single strand of feedstock. The key application of Bend-Forming is to manufacture the support structure for a large antenna on orbit. The process is well-suited for this application because it is low-power, can fabricate structures with high compaction ratios, and has essentially no size limit.”
In contrast to other in-space assembly and manufacturing approaches, Bend-Forming is low-power and is uniquely enabled by the extremely low-temperature environment of space. In addition, this technique enables smart structures that leverage multifunctional materials to achieve new combinations of size, mass, stiffness, and precision. Additionally, the resulting smart structures leverage multifunctional materials to achieve unprecedented combinations of size, mass, stiffness, and precision, breaking the design paradigms that limit conventional truss or tension-aligned space structures.
In addition to their native precision, Large Bend-Formed structures can use their electrostatic actuators to contour a reflector surface with sub-millimeter precision. This, said Harsh, will increase the precision of their fabricated antenna in orbit:
“The method of active control is called electrostatic actuation and uses forces generated by electrostatic attraction to precisely shape a metallic mesh into a curved shape which acts as the antenna reflector. We do this by applying a voltage between the mesh and a ‘command surface’ which consists of the Bend-Formed support structure and deployable electrodes. By adjusting this voltage, we can precisely shape the reflector surface and achieve a high-gain, parabolic antenna.”
An arrangement of 3 exoplanets to explore how the atmospheres can look different based on the chemistry present and incoming flux. Credit: Jack H. Madden used with permission
Harsh and his colleagues deduce that this technique will allow for a deployable mirror measuring more than 100 meters (328 ft) in diameter that could achieve a surface precision of 100 m/m and a specific area of more than 10 m2/kg. This capability would surpass existing microwave radiometry technology and could lead to significant improvements in storm forecasts and an improved understanding of atmospheric processes like the hydrologic cycle. This would have significant implications for Earth Observation and exoplanet studies.
The team recently demonstrated a 1-meter (3.3 ft) prototype of an electrostatically-actuated reflector with a Bend-Formed support structure at the 2023 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) SciTech Conference, which ran from January 23rd to 27th in National Harbor, Maryland. With this Phase I NIAC grant, the team plans to mature the technology with the ultimate aim of creating a microwave radiometry reflector.
Looking ahead, the team plans to investigate how Bend-Forming can be used in geostationary orbit (GEO) to create a microwave radiometry reflector with a 15km (9.3 mi) field of view, a ground resolution of 35km (21.75 mi) and a proposed frequency span of 50 to 56 GHz – the super-high and extremely-high frequent range (SHF/EHF). This will enable the telescope to retrieve temperature profiles from exoplanet atmospheres, a key characteristic allowing astrobiologists to measure habitability.
“Our goal with the NIAC now is to work towards implementing our technology of Bend-Forming and electrostatic actuation in space,” said Harsh. “We envision fabricating 100-m diameter antennas in geostationary orbit with have Bend-Formed support structure and electrostatically-actuated reflector surfaces. These antennas will enable a new generation of spacecraft with increased sensing, communication, and power capabilities.”
Wetenschappers zien zich genoodzaakt de grote wijzer van de doemdagklok te verschuiven. En niet de goede kant op. De beweging is grotendeels te wijten aan de oorlog in Oekraïne.
Dat heeft het Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists vandaag bekend gemaakt. De klok staat nu op 90 seconden voor middernacht. En daarmee is een droevige mijlpaal bereikt; nog nooit stond de doemdagklok (zie kader) zo dicht bij middernacht als nu.
Over de klok De doemdagklok werd in 1947 in het leven geroepen om in één oogopslag weer te kunnen geven in hoeverre de mensheid erop afstevent de planeet (en misschien zelfs zichzelf) te vernietigen. Daarbij wordt de klok steevast op een aantal minuten voor middernacht gezet, waarbij middernacht dus symbool staat voor de apocalyps. Waar in 1947 de grootste dreiging daarbij nog uitging van kernwapens hebben wetenschappers in de loop der jaren verschillende nieuwe dreigingen in overweging moeten nemen alvorens te besluiten over de stand van de wijzers van de doemdagklok. Zo wordt sinds 2007 bijvoorbeeld ook de dreiging van catastrofale effecten van klimaatverandering meegenomen. Waar de wijzers van de doemdagklok temidden van al het tumult in de wereld op uitkomen wordt met enige regelmaat besproken binnen een speciaal comité – het Bulletin’s Science and Security Board – waarin vooraanstaande wetenschappers zitting hebben.
Kernwapens Dat de wijzers van de klok – die vorig jaar nog op 100 seconden voor middernacht stonden – iets verder zijn opgeschoven, heeft voornamelijk te maken met de oorlog in Oekraïne. Met enige regelmaat dreigt Rusland daarbij met de inzet van kernwapens en dat laat zien dat escalatie – hetzij met opzet of per ongeluk – een reëel gevaar is, zo betogen de wetenschappers.
Daarnaast wijzen de onderzoekers erop dat Rusland erop blijft hameren dat Oekraïne van plan zou zijn om chemische en biologische wapens in te zetten. Het doet vrezen dat Rusland er zelf over denkt dergelijke wapens – die het volgens experts nog altijd ontwikkelt – in te zetten, aldus het comité.
Eerdere tijden De laatste keer dat de doemdagklok verzet werd, was in 2020. Toen werd deze van 2 minuten voor middernacht (in 2019) verzet naar 100 seconden voor middernacht. Dat was al ongeëvenaard: nog nooit stond de klok zo dicht bij middernacht. En in 2021 en 2022 bleef de klok op die tijd staan. En nu is de klok dus nog wat verder vooruitgezet, naar 90 seconden voor middernacht. Een nieuw record in de geschiedenis van de doemdagklok die in 1947 op 7 minuten voor middernacht werd gezet om in 1953 – de Koude Oorlog was in volle gang – voor het eerst gevaarlijk dicht bij middernacht in de buurt te komen: de klok werd in dat jaar op 2 minuten voor 12 gezet. In de eerste jaren erna komt de klok niet meer zo dicht bij middernacht en in 1991 wordt zelfs een tijd van 17 minuten voor 12 genoteerd. In de periode daarna gaat het vrij snel bergafwaarts; van 14 minuten voor 12 in 1995 naar 7 minuten voor 12 in 2002. Nog eens tien jaar later staat de klok op 5 voor 12 en in 2018 komt deze op het niveau van 1953, met een tijd van 2 voor 12, waarna de wijzers vervolgens dus nog iets dichter naar middernacht kruipen.
Kernramp Daarnaast zijn er op dit moment ook grote zorgen over het feit dat Rusland er tijdens deze bloedige oorlog niet voor terugdeinst ook de kerncentrales in Tsjernobyl en Zaporizhzhia te beschieten. Daarmee worden internationale protocollen aan de laars gelapt en is er een kans dat het een keertje misgaat, met het vrijkomen van radioactieve materialen tot gevolg.
New START Ook is er bezorgdheid rond New START, het laatste bestaande kernwapenverdrag tussen Rusland en de VS dat in 2026 afloopt. Nu de relatie tussen beide grootmachten bekoeld is, lijken onderhandelingen over verlenging ver weg. En daarmee kan dit verdrag zomaar aflopen. Daarmee zou ook een einde komen aan wederzijdse inspecties, waardoor het onderling wantrouwen toeneemt en een nieuwe kernwapenwedloop op de loer ligt.
Klimaat Ook voor het klimaat is de oorlog in Oekraïne en de ijzige betrekkingen tussen Rusland en de rest van de wereld slecht nieuws. Landen die eerder afhankelijk waren van Russisch gas en olie zoeken wanhopig naar nieuwe leveranciers, waardoor er in plaats van minder nu juist meer geïnvesteerd wordt in bijvoorbeeld de gaswinning.
“De Russische invasie van Oekraïne heeft de kans op het gebruik van kernwapens en biologische en chemische wapens vergroot, de reactie van de wereld op klimaatverandering verlamd en internationale pogingen om andere wereldproblemen aan te pakken, beperkt,” zo concluderen de onderzoekers. Het is dan ook van het grootste belang dat er gewerkt wordt aan vrede in Oekraïne. “Een manier vinden om serieus te onderhandelen over vrede kan de kans op escalatie flink terugdringen. In deze tijd van ongeëvenaarde wereldwijde dreiging is gecoördineerde actie vereist en elke seconde telt.”
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists annually sets the Doomsday Clock to show how close humanity is to destroying itself.
Moving the clock from 100 seconds to midnight to 90 seconds was a decision brought by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, among other factors.
The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 and has moved over 20 times since its introduction.
When the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists unveiled the world’s first Doomsday Clock in 1947—a symbolic example of how close humanity is to destroying itself—they set the time at 17 minutes until midnight. Well, time’s rapidly running out.
This morning, the Bulletin just updated its Doomsday Clock for 2023, and it’s now just 90 seconds away from midnight—a 10-second march closer than the past few years.
“We are living in a time of unprecedented danger, and the Doomsday Clock time reflects that reality,” Rachel Bronson, president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said in a press release. “Ninety seconds to midnight is the closest the clock has ever been set to midnight, and it's a decision our experts do not take lightly.”
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Eugene Rabinowitch, and other scientists involved in developing the first atomic weapons. They believed their work created man-made threats to human existence. Two years later, they introduced the Doomsday Clock to show the world’s vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, technology, and other factors.
The 2023 Doomsday Clock shift—the clock had been set at 100 seconds to midnight since 2020—is due largely, but not exclusively, thanks to Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation for every month the two countries remain in conflict. The Bulletin says continued threats from climate crisis, and the breakdown of institutions needed to mitigate risks associated with advancing technologies and biological threats, also contributed to the shift.
From the Bulletin’s statement:
“Russia’s war on Ukraine has raised profound questions about how states interact, eroding norms of international conduct that underpin successful responses to a variety of global risks. And worst of all, Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict—by accident, intention, or miscalculation—is a terrible risk. The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyone’s control remains high.”
Along with the Russian aggression, the scientists also warn about a Russian-American treaty covering nuclear weapons that expires in February 2026, as well as the continued expansion of nuclear weapon capabilities in China, North Korea, Iran, and India.
To add to the mix, the Bulletin says the climate crisis is worsening, bio-threats—including laboratory accidents—are greater now than ever before, and disruptive technology has grown in concern.
“The Doomsday Clock is sounding an alarm for the whole of humanity,” said Mary Robinson, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights. “We are on the brink of a precipice.”
Why Was the Book of Enoch Removed from the Bible? Brooks Manley
Why Was the Book of Enoch Removed from the Bible?
Brooks Manley
The Book of Enoch (or I Enoch) wasn’t included in the Biblical canon due to the belief Enoch himself didn’t author most of the book and that I Enoch wasn’t divinely inspired by God.
The Book of Enoch The Book of Enoch is not found in any Christian Bibles (regardless the Bible version)– with the exception of the Ethiopian Orthodox church. I Enoch was at first accepted in the Christian Church, but later left out of the Biblical canon. There remains some hype around it due to the fascination of marginal (and some heretical) Christian groups such as the Manicheans.
Who Was Enoch in the Bible?
Enoch was the son of Jared, making him the great-grandfather of Noah (Genesis 5:18). As we see in Genesis 5:24, Enoch is one of two people in the scriptures not to die – but to be taken up directly by God. He would have been seven generations after Adam and Eve. He likely spoke the same language as them, and might have been just as tall as them.
We also see Enoch praised in the book of Hebrews in what many call the “Hall of Faith:”
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.
The Book of Enoch (or I Enoch) is actually a combination of several separate works written between the time of Enoch and all the way up through 137 BC. The book is full of predictions and messianic prophecies. While some have been proven true, much of the book is proven wrong and historically inaccurate, leading Biblical scholars to refer to it as an Apocryphal writing.
Concerns Over the Book of Enoch
So why was the Book of Enoch left out of Old Testament canon? The biggest reason is that scholars doubt its authenticity. Perhaps Enoch did write portions of it, but most scholars believe different sections were changed and added to by other authors throughout time. In fact, some theorize that one section covering astronomy was written in the 2nd century AD by a Jewish Christian who wished to contribute his own thoughts and speculations with the authority of Enoch.
Because of these concerns, no Biblical scholar believes the book was actually written by the Enoch of the scriptures. There’s far too much evidence it had been tampered with and added to – especially in the years leading up to the birth of Jesus.
Are some portions written by Enoch and valid? Possibly. But our church fathers ultimately made the decision to exclude it from canon.
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena: Insights from Two Experienced Fighter Pilots
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena: Insights from Two Experienced Fighter Pilots
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), commonly known as UFOs, have long been a subject of fascination and debate. Recently, the discussion has gained new momentum, with more former military personnel coming forward to share their experiences. In a candid interview, two retired fighter pilots, Chris Lehto and Ryan Graves, discuss their encounters with UAPs and the need for more investigation into the phenomenon. Both pilots have extensive experience, with Lehto having flown F-16s and Graves piloting F/A-18 Super Hornets during their military careers.
The Americans for Safe Aerospace Initiative
During the interview, Graves talks about his involvement with the Americans for Safe Aerospace (ASA), an organization that aims to raise awareness about UAPs and their potential implications on national security and aerospace safety. ASA collaborates with experts in various fields, including military personnel, scientists, and engineers, to study and analyze these enigmatic objects.
Graves’ Briefing at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
As part of his efforts to raise awareness, Graves presented a briefing at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), discussing his encounters with UAPs and the need for further research. He emphasized that these objects exhibit advanced capabilities, such as high speeds and rapid acceleration, which are beyond the known capabilities of existing aircraft.
A common argument against the existence of UAPs is that they could be balloons or other man-made objects. However, both Lehto and Graves dismiss this notion, stating that they have encountered balloons during their flying careers and can easily distinguish them from UAPs. They believe that the objects they’ve encountered are not balloons, given their unique flight characteristics and the fact that they were detected within close range.
Interesting Radar Contacts
During their time in service, both pilots had encountered radar contacts with unusual characteristics that were later identified as UAPs. These objects displayed advanced flight capabilities, such as rapid acceleration and instant changes in direction, which are not typical of conventional aircraft.
The ‘Gimbal’ Video and Nimitz Radar Data
Graves shares his insights on the famous ‘Gimbal’ video, which shows an object rotating in mid-air. He believes that the object in the video is not a balloon, given its flight characteristics and proximity to the aircraft. He also discusses the Nimitz radar data, which shows unexplained aerial objects moving at incredible speeds. Graves highlights the classification issues surrounding these incidents, as UAP encounters are often classified at a higher level, making it challenging for researchers to access and analyze relevant data.
The interview between Chris Lehto and Ryan Graves sheds light on the experiences of two experienced fighter pilots who have encountered UAPs during their military careers. Their insights underline the need for further investigation into this phenomenon, as the potential implications on national security and aerospace safety cannot be ignored. As more military personnel come forward to share their experiences, the conversation surrounding UAPs is likely to gain more traction and, perhaps, lead to a better understanding of these mysterious objects.
From time immemorial, people had the need to venerate objects of great significance: religious relics, mythical symbols, or depictions of holy figures. And as if answering this need, the religious establishment has provided. Throughout time relics have been widely worshiped throughout the world. Some of them are relics in the true meaning of that term: holy items of ancient times that are a marvel to witness. Then again, some relics are simply strange and bizarre. Reading about them we can easily explore the limits of human belief and analyze the complex anatomies of faith.
The Fairy Flag is one of the MacLeod Clan relics in Scotland, said to have been gifted to the MacLeod chiefs by fairy folk. ( Public domain )
1. The Fairy Flag: Strange Relic of the MacLeod Clan in Scotland
A relic is not necessarily a religious item. Some of them can be important heirlooms and artifacts with a lengthy heritage and history. One such item is the so-called Fairy Flag, a venerated and very old heirloom of the Chiefs of the Scottish Clan MacLeod . Known in Scottish as Am Bratach Sìth, it is kept in the clan’s seat at Dunvegan Castle and is considered an indivisible part of their heritage.
The Fairy Flag is made from silk that originated in the far east, denoting its luxury status on the remote Isle of Skye. Being very old, it is now quite torn and tattered, and covered with tiny red “elf spots.” Shrouded in mystery, this strange relic has attained legendary status and is said to have magical properties and plenty of healing powers . Its origins are somewhat enigmatic, and the legends state that the MacLeod chiefs were presented with the flag by fairy folk . However, scholars suggested that its origins might lie not with the fairies, but in the Crusades, or the Viking invasions, for whom it could have been a raven banner. Nevertheless, it remains as one of the most precious and strangest in Scotland.
The footprints of the Prophet Mohammad is a selection of artifacts that can be visited across the Islamic world. ( epic_images / Adobe Stock)
2. The Footprints of Muhammad: Petrified Relics of the Prophet
The founder of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad is the most venerated figure of this widespread religion. Accordingly, just like in Christianity, religious relics associated with him are aplenty. But one stands out as quite peculiar: the petrified footprint of Muhammad. Some Muslims believe that wherever the prophet stepped, his left foot made an impression that remained fixed in place.
According to numerous written and oral sources, this prophet left numerous such footprints across the Arabic world. One such alleged footprint is located in the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, where it is venerated by thousands of believers every year. Some other notable examples of his preserved footprints are located in the mausoleum of Qaitbey in Cairo, or in the Mosque of the Footprint in Qadam, just south of Damascus and directly on the pilgrimage route to Mecca.
Numerous legends are associated with these peculiar relics. One legend says that a royal eunuch of the Nizam (Muslim Indian sovereign) once discovered an imprint after being guided to it by a dream vision of the prophet himself. Whatever one might believe, a petrified footprint is certainly a strange phenomenon, and also one that is quite difficult to skillfully replicate or fake.
Detail from The Circumcision of Jesus by Friedrich Herlin, an event described in the Gospel of Luke. ( Public domain )
3.The Holy Prepuce of Jesus Christ
Possibly one of the strangest relics in the world, the Holy Prepuce - also known as the Holy Foreskin - is just another in a long line of relics associated with Jesus Christ . This relic allegedly originates from the circumcision of Christ, and became an important religious item in the early periods of Christianity. Numerous healing powers have been attributed to this foreskin, and it was soon claimed as a prized item by several churches in Europe.
Alongside the umbilical cord of Christ, the foreskin had a long and turbulent journey in medieval Europe. In 800 AD, it was given as a present to Pope Leo III by King Charlemagne, who most likely received the relic as a present from the Byzantine Empress Irene. The Pope housed the relic in a lavish jeweled gold cross, which was kept under the altar of the Chapel of Saint Lawrence in Rome.
Alas, with the Sack of Rome in 1527, the jeweled cross with Jesus’ foreskin was looted, and later retrieved in a village north of Rome, Calcata, where it was reportedly kept until 1983, when it was yet again stolen. However, its authenticity at that time was dubious at best, and the actual existence of the Holy Foreskin remains a big enigma. Nevertheless, as far as strange relics go, the veneration of a foreskin is definitely a strange practice.
The discovery of the Antikythera Mechanism in a shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera proves the existence of advanced technology as far back as 100 BC. (Tilemahos Efthimiadis / CC BY 2.0 )
5. The Antikythera Mechanism: The Ancient Analogue Computer
Just like religious relics carry a lot of importance for believers, so do the relics of ancient civilizations bear importance for history enthusiasts all over the world. The Antikythera Mechanism remains one of the strangest and most enigmatic discoveries connected with the ancient Greeks, puzzling the scientists to this very day. It was discovered in 1901 off the coast of the Greek island called Antikythera, within a shipwreck at a depth of 45 meters.
The complex gears and mechanism pieces that comprise it were soon recognized, and since then this item has been recognized as one of the world’s first analogue computers. What makes it so strange is the time in which it was built. Being made in roughly 100 BC, it is surprisingly advanced and seems almost futuristic in many ways.
This device is a complex clockwork mechanism that contains more than 30 delicate bronze gears. Scientists proposed that it was used as an orrery, used by the Ancient Greeks to predict astronomical positions and eclipses. Such knowledge could be used for calendar and astrological purposes and provide them with this information decades in advance. As such it is certainly one of the most enigmatic relics of the ancient world.
Golden Palace Events purchased the bizarre religious relic, a grilled cheese sandwich with a depiction of the face of the Virgin Mary, back in 2004 for a stunning $28,000!
Yup, you read that right. When it comes to religious relics, the options become limitless. Not all religious relics were discovered in ancient history. The old toast and sandwich manifestation of holy figures is the true relic of modern times, as strange as it may seem. A woman from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, USA, named Diana Duyser, sold her 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich in 2004 - with one bite taken out of it - for $28,000 on an online auction! But it was no ordinary grilled cheese sandwich: it allegedly bore the image of the face of the Virgin Mary . Mrs. Duyser kept the sandwich sealed for 10 years before deciding to try and sell it - she never assumed it would fetch such a stellar price.
For the faithful, it could be called a miracle. However, those with a bit more reason will realize that it is simply a curious coincidence: the dark crust formed a pattern that surprisingly accurately depicts a female face. This strange modern-day relic was bought by an online casino, the Golden Palace, whose representatives say that they quickly understood the novelty of such a “recognizable part of modern pop culture.” They did not hesitate to pay $28,000 (£20,113) to own it. This makes it the world’s most expensive grilled cheese sandwich!
Wax effigy of St. Datian at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer in New York. ( Village Preservation Blog )
7.The Remains of St. Datian in New York
The tradition of Catacomb Saints spread like wildfire through the Christian world, when holy relics and preserved skeletons of “saints” began emerging throughout the world. One such holy relic is considerably stranger than the others, and it found its way all the way to New York. This relic is the body of Saint Datian.
This odd relic is housed in a glass sarcophagus in the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer in East Village, New York City. Not much is known about Saint Datian. In fact, this saint is virtually unknown in preserved written sources. It is possible that Datian was a cruel roman leader who persecuted Christians zealously, but later repented, became a monk, and was later martyred.
The remains (bones) of this saint arrived at the church in 1892 and were housed in a lifelike wax effigy. The relics were donated to the church by a wealthy Italian lady, but the earlier origins of the bones remain a mystery. But some people quickly placed the authenticity of these remains into question. As early as 1897 it was suggested that the encased remains are actually those of a police officer shot and killed while defending the church from a burglary. This belief remained widespread until the late 1940’s. The truth about this strange relic remains unknown.
The Lion-Man of the Hohlenstein-Stadel was discovered in a cave in 1939 in Germany and is considered the oldest zoomorphic figurine in the world. (Izquierda: Dagmar Hollmann / CC BY-SA 3.0 . Derecha: Thilo Parg / CC BY-SA 3.0 )
8. The Lion-Man of the Hohlenstein-Stadel: Prehistoric Ivory Relic
Religion - whether monotheistic or polytheistic - has deep and ancient origins. What beliefs did our earliest ancestors have? Have some of their ancient relics survived until today? The Lion-man, known also as Löwenmensch, is an elaborate prehistoric mammoth ivory figurine that quite possibly depicts an ancient mythical being worshipped by the prehistoric man. In 1939 it was discovered in a cave in Germany and is considered the oldest zoomorphic figurine in the world. Dated to the Upper Paleolithic, it is roughly 40,000 years old and was made from mammoth ivory .
Researchers came to a conclusion that the lion-headed figure was an important part of the mythology of the Paleolithic humans inhabiting this region. It also might be one of the earliest connections with shamanism. It deepens the mystery of numerous Paleolithic depictions of “beast-men,” like the bird-headed man from the Lascaux Cave , the lion-woman from Chauvet Cave , or the stag-headed “Sorcerer” from the Trois Frères cave. Prehistory was undoubtedly strange, seen now from our modern point of view, and ancient relics are all that remains of their belief systems.
The Chapel of the Milk Grotto of Our Lady in Bethlehem takes its name from the belief that the Virgin Mary found refuge in a cave with the infant Jesus and a drop of her milk fell on the cave floor, turning it white. ( Renáta Sedmáková / Adobe Stock)
9. Breast Milk of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem
Another in a long line of strange Christian relics is the so-called breast milk of the Virgin Mary . “The Nursing Madonna,” or Maddona Lactans , has been often depicted in Christian religious art, nurturing the baby Jesus at her breast. But did you know that her breast milk is venerated as a relic? It is situated in the Chapel of the Milk Grotto of Our Lady in Bethlehem, some 10km south of Jerusalem. Ever since the Byzantine Era, this site has been frequented as one of the major Christian pilgrimage sites. It is believed that Virgin Mary found refuge in this grotto with infant Jesus, and while she breastfed him a drop of her milk fell on the cave floor and turned it white.
Pilgrims visit this site, especially those couples seeking to conceive a child as the faithful believe that this shrine helps those suffering with infertility. The Catholic officials sought to capitalize on this belief, selling limestone powder made from the stone of the grotto, which ought to be diluted in water and drank. It supposedly helps cure infertility. You thought that veneration of a foreskin is strange? How about drinking powdered cave floor? This strange relic is as strange as can be.
10. The Venus of Hohle Fels: 40,000-Year-Old Ivory Sculpture
Venus figurines are the most iconic relics of the world’s earliest history. These fertility symbols were one of the major cultic items for early humans, and pose a great insight into their cryptic and mysterious beliefs. The Venus Of Hohle Fels is one of the strangest of all ancient relics, and can be interpreted in many ways. Unearthed in the Hohle Fels cave in Germany, this ivory sculpture is dated to the very beginning of the Upper Paleolithic period, some 40,000 years ago. It is the oldest, undisputed depiction of a human being and gives us a crucial glimpse into the earliest origins of Cro-Magnons in Europe.
This relic might look strange to us, but for the early man it might have been a revered mythical concept. It depicts a buxom - perhaps even obese - woman with enormous breasts, a large (pregnant) belly, and a prominent vulva. These are clear connections with fertility. It can be easily understood that life was quite hard in the Upper Paleolithic and infant death rates could have been quite high. People were also probably malnourished and lean, so a depiction of a buxom, hale, and fat woman could have been an ideal of health, fertility, prosperity, and good life. Either way, we will never know the true meaning of the Venus figurines, and this one remains a truly strange ancient relic.
Top image: The relics humans have chosen to worship over the course of human history can often help us understand the extent of belief systems and the anatomies of faith.
Marvels of human creativity and engineering prowess, these top 15 rock sculptures captivate the imagination and inspire awe. Among these awe-inspiring rock sculptures are the towering Colossal Statue of Shapur, the remarkableGopachal Jain monuments , the poignant Lion of Lucerne, the imposing Apennine Colossus , and the serene Avukana Buddha. These extraordinary feats of artistry and craftsmanship have withstood the test of time, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape and serving as a testament to the heights of human achievement. As diverse as the cultures and epochs they represent, these magnificent rock sculptures continue to fascinate and enchant visitors from around the world, offering a glimpse into the boundless potential of human creativity and our enduring connection to the natural world.
University of California, Los Angeles assistant professor Artur Davoyan recently proposed a pellet-beam propulsion concept that could send a large spacecraft into interstellar space.
The concept, which has the potential to allow us to propel a spacecraft to another star system within our lifetime, was recently awarded a $175,000 grant by NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program.
A new space laser propulsion concept
Today's chemical rockets are simply not fast enough to take us far beyond our solar system within any reasonable timeframe. That's why Davoyan proposed a new concept to propel spacecraft using pellet-beam propulsion.
The new concept was partly inspired by Breakthrough Starshot, a $100 million initiative announced by Russian-born philanthropist Yuri Milner in 2016. Breakthrough Starshot proposed using millions of lasers trained on a tiny probe with a light sail to send it to our nearest star, Proxima Centauri, in as little as 20 years.
For Dayovan's pellet-beam propulsion concept, he and his team proposed using two spacecraft. One would set off towards interstellar space, while the other would go into orbit around Earth. From there, the orbital spacecraft would fire thousands of tiny metallic pellets at the interstellar spacecraft every second. It would also either fire a 10-megawatt laser beam at the interstellar probe or align a laser fired from the ground toward the interstellar craft.
That laser would hit the pellets and heat them to the point that a layer is removed and become plasma. That plasma accelerates the pellet remnants, and the pellet beam provides thrust that propels the spacecraft at enormous speeds.
Dayovan also proposed an alternative method where an onboard magnetic field-generating device could deflect the pellets and propel the craft forward.
Traveling into deep space at 480,000 km/h
The Breakthrough Starshot concept aims to propel its probe at 20 percent the speed of light, though it seeks to use a tiny probe only capable of carrying a basic camera.
Dayovan believes the pellet-beam propulsion system could propel a 1-ton probe at speeds of up to roughly 480,000 kilometers per hour (300,000 miles per hour), meaning it would be 10 times faster than chemical propulsion systems for traditional rockets. It would also be fast enough to overtake Voyager 1 — the farthest human-made spacecraft from Earth — in only five years.
Thanks to NASA's NIAC program, Dayovan, and his team now have $175,000 in funding to demonstrate the concept's feasibility. Much like with Breakthrough Starshot, the new concept relies on significant advances in laser design, meaning it will be some time before we see a pellet-beam propulsion system take to the skies.
A NASA-funded team of researchers has identified a lunar pit on the moon that’s always a balmy 63 degrees Fahrenheit — suggesting it could be the perfect place for future astronauts to establish a moon base.
The challenge:
NASA plans to return humans to the moon as soon as 2025, with the goal of establishing a long-term presence on the lunar surface. The hope is that this will give astronauts enough time to conduct the research needed to eventually send people to Mars and beyond.
Finding a safe location for future astronauts to set up a moon base is essential to NASA’s exploration plans, but the moon is not a hospitable place for people.
Surface temperatures on the moon range from -280 F at night to 260 F during the day.
Because the moon doesn’t have an atmosphere or magnetic field, astronauts will be exposed to about 200 times as much radiation as people on Earth. The lack of an atmosphere makes meteorite strikes on the moon harder and faster than on Earth, too, so space rocks and impact debris are another threat.
The moon’s day-night cycle is nearly 30 Earth-days long, so astronauts will also need to get used to 15 straight days of darkness and light. They’ll need to deal with the moon’s extreme temperatures, too, which can range from a frigid -280 F at night to a blistering 260 F during the day.
Underground moon base:
Lava tubes — subterranean tunnels created more than two billion years ago when the moon was volcanically active — could be the answer to astronauts’ housing problem.
Since 2009, astronomers have discovered 16 pits on the moon’s surface that they believe formed when the roof of a lunar lava tube caved in. Future astronauts could potentially access a tube through a lunar pit and build a moon base within the cave.
This would protect astronauts from space radiation and meteorites, while still offering them direct access to the moon’s surface. And now, new research suggests it would help them avoid the moon’s wild temperature fluctuations, too.
Cozy cave: Using computer models and data collected by a thermal camera aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, researchers have determined that temperatures within the shaded part of one lunar pit remain about 63 F during the entire day-night cycle.
They believe this is due to the pit’s overhang preventing the area under it from getting too hot during the day, while also trapping heat from radiating out of the pit at night.
“Humans evolved living in caves, and to caves we might return when we live on the moon.”
DAVID PAIGE
Getting in and out of the pit wouldn’t be easy — the bottom is 328 feet below the moon’s surface, so it’d be like rappelling down a 30-story building. But if NASA can make it work, astronauts wouldn’t have to expend energy on yet-to-be-invented climate control systems for their future moon base.
“Humans evolved living in caves, and to caves we might return when we live on the moon,” said study co-author David Paige.
There's a growing consensus among astronomers that beyond the gas giants of the outer solar system lurks a mysterious object — perhaps a black hole — influencing the massive cloud of small, icy bodies in the Oort cloud.
And it turns out there is some evidence to suggest this hypothesis might be right. No one is sure how a planet massive enough to affect the cloud of icy leftovers from the solar system's birth could form at such a great distance from the sun. "All we know is that there's an object of a certain mass out there," said Theorist Jakub Scholtz of the U.K.'s Durham University, in a New Scientist report. "The observations we have can't tell us what that object is."
And Scholtz suspects it might be a primordial black hole forged during the big bang — when the universe exploded into existence. But how can we know for sure, and what else could this show us about the universe?
Planet nine might be a primordial black hole
The object — generally dubbed Planet Nine — has remained a subject of intense scrutiny and disagreement among scientists for years, and should be between five and 15 times Earth's mass. No one has seen it, but if it's a primordial black hole, it would likely be no larger than a grapefruit, and remain totally undetectable to human observation unless we witnessed a distant object plunging to its doom into the tiny maw of the event horizon.
The closest confirmed black hole to Earth lies in a triple-star system called HR 6819, roughly 1,000 light-years away. It's about four times the mass of the sun — comparatively light in the scope of the universe. But evidence is mounting that tiny, primordial black holes are abundant throughout the universe, the nearest of which might be a quick, 10-year trip away aboard NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. New Horizons made headlines back in 2015 when it made a rapid flyby of Pluto and its moon, Charon — providing scientists (and everybody else) with the first clear pictures of the former ninth planet.
An illustration of the rubble pile asteroid Itokawa.
Credit: Kevin M. Gill
Batting away an asteroid as demonstrated by NASA last year might be the best solution to preventing rogue space rocks hitting Earth.
Defending earth from rogue space rocks roared back into the public consciousness in 2022 with the film Don’t Look Up and NASA’s successful Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) last year, but now Australian researchers at Curtin University have produced research supporting the use of kinetic impacts to alter the course of ‘rubble pile’ asteroids.
Although asteroids might conjure up pictures of gargantuan, solid rocks floating in space, rubble piles are the result of tiny rocks and dust particles coalescing under very weak, gravitational attraction.
“If you want to create your own rubble pile [asteroid], just go into your backyard, take a rock, [hit with] a sledgehammer and smack the rock to oblivion,” says lead researcher Professor Fred Jourdan.
“There’s going to be small pebbles, there’s going to be dust, and a lot of area between, and that’s exactly what a rubble pile is: the difference on Earth is that it just collapses in its own way, in space it’s bound by its own gravity.
“Everything, all those rocks, are attracted by each other.”
But even though this weak gravity might bring all these rocks together in a loose coalition, separating them appears to be decidedly difficult.
Studying dust samples from the Sydney Harbour Bridge sized Itokawa asteroid, Jourdan and his colleagues found these rubble piles can take a beating.
Itokawa probably formed after a massive space impact around 4.2 billion years ago causing its parent asteroid to fragment. That means the asteroid is almost as old as our solar system.
During that time, it’s had countless collisions with other space rocks and remained intact throughout.
That means it’s probably not going to shatter if an object was to be deliberately smashed into it, as NASA did with the asteroid Dimorphos last year.
“What we found is that a rubble pile, despite the constant bombardment, can take a beating, and it has for more than 4.2 billion years,” Jourdan says.
“DART didn’t try to destroy the asteroid, it just tried to push it out of the way, and that’s exactly what we say.
“Because it’s so resistant, you can bombard it with other stuff more aggressive that’s going to be able to push the asteroid out of the way, without completely destroying it.
“We don’t want to destroy these asteroids, if you did, you might get plenty of fragments and this might be, in some cases, even worse than one single fragment.”
Jourdan’s team also suggested going for the nuclear option might be a viable option if kinetic impact was ruled out.
But rather than launching a high-powered warhead into the asteroid to vaporise it, the detonation of such a weapon in close proximity to the asteroid would provide a suitable shockwave to steer the rubble pile out of the way.
The Curtin team will next take samples from the larger asteroid Bennu which was probed by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission for study later this year, and will also take receipt of samples from the Martian moon Phobos at the end of the decade.
Tucker Carlson Relays Strange Account of Soldiers Falling Victim to UFO Encounters
Tucker Carlson Relays Strange Account of Soldiers Falling Victim to UFO Encounters
The enigma of unidentified flying objects has fascinated the public and military for decades. Recently, Fox News host Tucker Carlson reignited the discussion with an intriguing tale of troops dying from UFO-inflicted brain injuries. While the U.S. military denies these allegations, the story raises questions about the extent of our knowledge on UFOs and their potential impact on human lives.
Tucker Carlson’s UFO Brain Injury Claims
On the “Full Send” podcast, Carlson recounted a conversation he had with a Stanford professor who, according to the host, was assigned by the Defense Department 11 years ago to investigate cases of troops dying due to UFO-inflicted brain injuries. The professor allegedly had expertise in traumatic brain injury and examined the brains of over 100 troops who died after encounters with UFOs. Moreover, the professor informed Carlson of numerous open court cases supporting these claims.
Carlson expressed his disbelief that such stories were not making front-page headlines, questioning why such significant information remained under the radar.
In response to these claims, the U.S. military has been quick to deny their validity. Susan Gough, a Defense Department spokesperson, declared the story false and the Pentagon declined to comment further. Despite the military’s dismissal, UFOs continue to be a topic of interest within the defense community.
Recent Developments in UFO Research
In recent months, UFOs have taken center stage in military discussions. Last week, Sean Kirkpatrick, head of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, co-authored a report with Abraham Loeb, chairman of Harvard University’s astronomy department. The report, titled “Physical Constraints on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena,” explores the possibility that alien vessels could be sending out search probes throughout our solar system.
The authors suggest that an interstellar object could be a parent craft releasing multiple small probes during its close passage to Earth, a concept similar to certain NASA missions. This report was published after weeks of heightened attention on unidentified aerial phenomena, sparked by a Chinese spy balloon entering U.S. airspace.
While the U.S. military denies Tucker Carlson’s claims about troops dying from UFO-inflicted brain injuries, the ongoing interest in UFOs highlights our curiosity and thirst for understanding these mysterious phenomena. As researchers continue to investigate the existence and potential implications of unidentified flying objects, the line between fact and fiction remains blurred. The public can only hope that forthcoming studies will shed light on these enigmatic occurrences and their possible impact on human lives.
ALL RELATED VIDEOS, selected and posted by peter2011
'This stuff is real': Sci-fi author details how he saw an 'enormous silver V-shaped UFO' at age 14 as his unsurprised military father gave him a knowing WINK
'This stuff is real': Sci-fi author details how he saw an 'enormous silver V-shaped UFO' at age 14 as his unsurprised military father gave him a knowing WINK
Dan Harary, 66, saw a UFO hovering above his New Jersey neighborhood in 1970
He told DailyMail.com his father, Jack, acted as though he had seen one before
Harary has said that the experience has inspired his new novel, After They Came
It was an ordinary afternoon in 1970 when a 14-year-old Dan Harary looked through the windshield of his father's car and saw a V-shaped UFO hovering above his New Jersey neighborhood in broad daylight.
The Hollywood publicist-turned-sci-fi writer never forgot the incredible moment, but it wasn't until decades later that he became convinced his military dad, Jack, knew more about the flying saucer than he had let on.
Harary's father worked as an electronics engineer with the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1996 and never discussed his top secret projects.
It was not until Jack died in 2017, that his son remembered he had given him a knowing wink after their UFO sighting. 'I thought, "Oh my God, I wonder if my dad knew what that was,"' Harary, 66, told DailyMail.com.
The author's growing conviction that his father knew about UFOs during his 45 years in the military inspired his new alien novel, After They Came, which tells the story of a man who is beamed up by extraterrestrials after trying to drown himself on his 70th birthday.
Hollywood publicist-turned-sci-fi writer Dan Harary, 66, penned a new alien novel, After They Came, that was inspired by the first UFO sighting he had with his military father in 1970
Harary's father, Jack (pictured in New Jersey in 1957), worked as an electronics engineer with the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1996 and never discussed his top secret projects. Harary was in the car with his dad when he spotted an 'enormous V-shaped UFO'
Harary was born and raised outside Asbury Park, New Jersey, where he developed a passion for rock music — not aliens. The existence of extraterrestrial life didn't really cross his mind until his first UFO sighting as a teen.
He recalled how his father had been driving him home from Hebrew school around 4.30pm when he spotted something flying in the air. He yelled for his dad to pull over, and when they got out of the car, they saw an 'enormous silver V-shaped UFO.'
'It was maybe 200 feet in the air, completely silent, and it was just hovering. It just went very, very slowly over my neighborhood, and I could not believe what I was seeing,' he said.
'So I was jumping up and down. "Dad, a UFO! Dad, a UFO! It's so cool!" My father looked at it like he was thinking about what he had to buy at the grocery store the next day. He had no interest. Just the look on my father's face was like he'd seen it a hundred times already.'
Before they left, his father looked at him and gave him a wink, something he had never done before. When they got home, Harary called his local newspaper and was told they were 'getting a lot of phone calls about this sight,' but nothing was ever published.
The writer had asked his father what he thought about aliens and UFOs three or four times over the years, but his reaction was always the same. He would simply chuckle and say, 'Well, I don't know.'
Harary (pictured with his father and brother Bob) recalled how his dad seemed unimpressed by the sight as if it was something he had already seen before giving him a knowing wink
Harary (pictured in 1974) was more interested in rock music than aliens as a teen, but he never forgot that moment with his father. He recalled asking his dad about his thoughts on UFOs and extraterrestrial life over the years, but he would just chuckle and say, "Well, I don't know'
The sci-fi author (pictured with his mother, Joan, and brothers, Bob and Mike, in 2001) said he saw a second UFO that was a 'white light shaped like an egg' in Lancaster, California, in 1994. He saw a third at Gilliland's Ranch, an alleged UFO hotspot in Trout Lake, Washington, in 2008
He noted that his father's 'goal in life was to get his pension' and would never risk losing it by sharing top secret information with anyone, even his family.
Harary said he had a second UFO sighting while visiting his two children at his ex-wife's house in Lancaster, California, in 1994.
Harary's new book tells the story of a man who is beamed up by extraterrestrials and becomes a world hero
After tucking his kids into bed, he went outside and saw a 'white light shaped like an egg' that traveled from one end of the sky to another and suddenly stopped.
It then reversed its course and returned to its original point of origin.
'Nothing manmade can do that,' he thought to himself.
However, Harary didn't start researching UFOs and extraterrestrial life until he wandered into the paranormal section of a Los Angeles bookstore in 2007.
After buying and reading about a dozen books on the topic, he became a believer and joined the Los Angeles chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), an international organization that investigates reported UFO sightings.
'The things I heard and saw absolutely blew my mind,' he said.
'I just could not believe all the history, all the evidence, all the testimony of so many people that have experienced things that I was never aware of... It just completely changed my worldview.'
In 2008, Harary saw his third UFO while spending a long weekend at Gilliland's Ranch, an alleged UFO hotspot in Trout Lake, Washington.
Harary (pictured with his mother and Mel Brooks in 2006) was a longtime Hollywood publicist and worked with dozens of celebrities. Last year, he published his memoir, Flirting with Fame: A Hollywood Publicist Recalls 50 Years of Celebrity Close Encounters
The author (pictured with Steven Spielberg in 2010) started researching UFOs and extraterrestrial life in 2008. He joined the Los Angeles chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), an international organization that investigates reported UFO sightings
Harary (pictured with E.T. star Dee Wallace in 2022) told DailyMail.com that it wasn't until after his father's death that remembered how he had winked at him during their UFO sighting. He is now convinced that his father knew about UFOs through his work in the military
James Gilliland, founder of the Enlightened Contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ECETI), owns the property and has been hosting stargazing events since 1986.
'At night, we could go out into the field just at the base of Mount Adams. People would sing and dance, play guitars and tambourines, and dance around,' Harary recalled. 'We did that for three nights in a row hoping to summon up a UFO. That was the goal.
'I kept thinking, "No way while I'm here that something is gonna happen. There's no chance." First night, nothing. Second night, nothing. The third night, the last night we were there, people are singing and chanting, and then suddenly out of nowhere a bright green emerald-shaped craft appeared right above us.'
Harary said the light flashed on and off a few times before it sped off. They all looked at each other with amazement, and he started to cry. Of the three UFOs he has seen, he noted that 'no two were even close to the same.'
After his father's death, he asked his mother if he had ever mentioned UFOs or aliens. She told him that the first week he worked at Fort Monmouth, a former army installation in Monmouth County, New Jersey, he was taken down into the vaults and shown 'something remarkable.'
'He came home and said, "I saw something that I can never tell you about." My mother said he looked pale and he was scared s******s,' he explained. 'He never discussed it with anyone. She even said he was never the same. We'll never know what he saw.'
Harary (pictured promoting his memoir in 2022) shared that his mother told him that his father had seen 'something remarkable' at one of the vaults at Fort Monmouth, a former army installation in Monmouth County, New Jersey, but couldn't tell her about it
Harary (pictured with his daughter Anjuli) said that he is constantly trying to prove to his friends and family that 'this stuff is real.' He is convinced that if people took the time to read the research UFOs and aliens, they would become believers too
UFOs have been making headlines in recent weeks after three were shot down over U.S. and Canadian airspace in three days. A week prior, a Chinese spy balloon was shot down over South Carolina
Harary believes the focus has been on the Chinese balloon 'because the other three were not manmade.' 'Still to this day, they don't want to reveal it to the public,' he said of the government's alleged knowledge of extraterrestrial life. 'They think there will be a panic. That's the thing'
UFOs, or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) as the U.S. government now calls them, have long been the subject of fascination and skepticism. However, Harary is convinced that if people took the time to research UFOs and aliens, they would become believers too.
He rattled off ancient cave paintings, the Nazca Lines in Peru, the Egyptian pyramids, and the deathbed confessions of military men who allegedly helped cover up the Roswell UFO crash as evidence that extraterrestrials exist.
'The other three objects have never been identified. They've not been recovered. They haven't been shown on television,' Harary noted, saying the focus has been on the Chinese balloon 'because the other three were not manmade.'
'Still to this day, they don't want to reveal it to the public,' he said of the government's alleged knowledge of extraterrestrial life. 'They think there will be a panic. That's the thing.'
Harary knows that some people think he is a 'lunatic,' including his own doctor, who asked if he was going to 'wear a tinfoil hat' as a costume while promoting his book at Aliencon, which took place in Pasadena, California, this month.
'I'm trying to tell my friends and relatives, "Hey, this stuff is real, and when the day comes when it's proven, don't be too surprised because it's all absolutely real,"' he said. 'And my mother goes, "Enough with the aliens!"'
Sci-fi writer recounts witnessing a giant silver V-shaped UFO at 14, while his military dad, seemingly unsurprised, gives him a knowing wink
Sci-fi writer recounts witnessing a giant silver V-shaped UFO at 14, while his military dad, seemingly unsurprised, gives him a knowing wink
Harary’s Novel Chronicles a Man’s Journey from Alien Abduction to Global Hero (Amazon link)
In 1970, Dan Harary, a 14-year-old boy from New Jersey, had an extraordinary encounter that would go on to shape his life and inspire his career as a sci-fi writer. Sitting in his father’s car, Harary spotted a V-shaped UFO hovering above their neighborhood in broad daylight. The experience was unforgettable, but it took decades for Harary to realize that his military father, Jack, might have known more about the incident than he let on.
Jack Harary, an electronics engineer with the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1996, had always remained tight-lipped about his top-secret projects. It wasn’t until Jack’s death in 2017 that Dan remembered the knowing wink his father had given him after their UFO sighting. This revelation sparked Harary’s curiosity and fueled the creation of his new alien novel, After They Came.
Dan Harary’s fascination with extraterrestrial life didn’t emerge until he had multiple UFO sightings throughout his life. In addition to the encounter in 1970, he experienced another sighting in 1994 and a third in 2008. It was after his second sighting that Harary began researching UFOs and extraterrestrial life, which led him to join the Los Angeles chapter of the Mutual UFO Network MUFON in 2008.
Harary’s journey from a casual observer to a firm believer in extraterrestrial life is a testament to the impact that personal experiences and dedicated research can have on one’s worldview. He has since become an advocate for open discussion on the topic of UFOs and extraterrestrial life, arguing that the evidence supporting their existence is too substantial to ignore. His conviction has driven him to share his story and encourage others to explore the subject with an open mind.
Dan Harary
As a sci-fi writer, Harary has used his passion for the topic to create engaging stories that captivate readers and explore the possibilities of life beyond Earth. His novel, After They Came (Amazon link), draws from his own experiences and the belief that his father had knowledge of UFOs through his work in the military. The book tells the story of a man who is beamed up by extraterrestrials after trying to drown himself on his 70th birthday, taking readers on an intriguing journey through the realm of the unknown.
Despite the skepticism he faces from some, including his own doctor, Harary remains committed to proving the existence of extraterrestrial life. He believes that if people took the time to research UFOs and aliens, they too would become believers. With his writing and advocacy, Harary hopes to inspire others to question the limits of our understanding and embrace the possibility of life beyond our planet. As the author himself states, “this stuff is real,” and when the day comes that it’s proven, he wants people to be prepared for the truth.
Artificial intelligence is permeating every sector of society. Systems like ChatGPT have been rolled out for public consumption boasting an interactive dialogue, and an ability to write ‘in your voice.’ But how ‘intelligent’ is this new artificial intelligence? We have a little fun putting it to the test.
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3 UFO Reports of Fire In The Sky Over California, March 17, 2023, Videos, UFO Sighting News.
3 UFO Reports of Fire In The Sky Over California, March 17, 2023, Videos, UFO Sighting News.
Date of all sighting: March 17, 2023
Locations of sighting:
1. Lodi, California, USA
2. Woodland, California, USA
3. Santa Rosa, California, USA
Source: MUFON
Guys check out these three different eyewitness videos below. Each on the same night, each from a different city in California. One eyewitness even scares the kids when he ask if this is the end of the world? What ever is happening here, NASA didn't give us any heads up of this event. So its probably not a passing meteor or comet. They would have known and alerted the public. These are UFOs, they are traveling horizontal across the sky. If they were meteors, gravity would be pulling the downward, but they are not even close to falling. They were much too slow to be meteors. Absolute proof of UFOs over California this week!
Here is a fantastic catch by Youtuber 'Hanging With Spiritual Sal.' He caught not one but two UFOs that created clouds around them so that they could both hide and come low a close to the cities without anyone suspecting a thing. The close UFO is obvious and even he said he had seeing for hours not moving in the sky, but there is also another one in the background that is leaving a trail of clouds behind it which shows there is a wind, the tail is proof of that, but the UFOs hold position. Nevada is home to top secret bases Area 51, Area S4 and also the Extra Terrestrial highway where sightings are abound. This video is 100% proof that aliens are still active in Nevada.
Alien Spacecraft captured by James Webb Space Telescope
Alien Spacecraft captured by James Webb Space Telescope
One of the first observations made by NASA’s James Webb Telescope shows a Wolf-Rayet star, named WR 124. The rare sight of a Wolf-Rayet star – among the most luminous, most massive, and most briefly detectable stars known – was one of the first observations made by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in June 2022. Webb shows the star, WR 124, in unprecedented detail with its powerful infrared instruments. The star is 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius.
But the James Webb Space Telescope has not only captured a remarkable image of the star WR 124, as the same image also shows a mysterious luminous object in space at a considerable distance of the star WR 124.
A closer look reveals that the enormous object resembles what looks like an alien craft in the form of a flying saucer with a rectangular porthole at the front of the craft. Furthermore it looks like there is some kind of rectangular platform underneath the UFO that may have been attached to the craft.
Another detail is the object's unique shape which is symmetrical, (see image below) making it more likely that JWST captured an alien spacecraft rather than a celestial body.
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Filmmaker Jeremy Corbell: I know, for certain, and it has been proved to me, beyond a shadow of a doubt we have full intact craft & machines, not from Earth, built by non-human intelligence
Filmmaker Jeremy Corbell: I know, for certain, and it has been proved to me, beyond a shadow of a doubt we have full intact craft & machines, not from Earth, built by non-human intelligence
FilmmakerJeremy Corbellis a dedicated investigator of extraterrestrial phenomena, convinced that we possess advanced technology not of this Earth. He claims to have indisputable evidence that the US government and military have access to fully functional alien crafts and machines, built by non-human intelligence.
Corbell delves into the enigmatic world of government secrecy and the alleged sightings of the Mosul orb, a mysterious object the Pentagon is determined to keep hidden from the public eye. He ponders the contents of the secret hangars where these unknown crafts may be stored and questions the extent of contact between humans and the beings who built these remarkable machines.
When former US President Ronald Reagan mentioned at the screening of Close Encounters that only a few people in the room knew the reality of extraterrestrial encounters, Corbell wonders just how deep this connection goes. Could these contacts be influencing events on Earth, or is it purely a quest for knowledge?
Watch an interview with Jeremy Corbell by Russell Brand
As a filmmaker, Corbell feels he does not have the luxury of disbelief, as his work requires him to engage with individuals from various levels of government, military, and aviation. His determination to uncover the truth led him to confirm the existence of intact alien technology that has been the subject of reverse engineering efforts.
Corbell is aware that communication with these non-human builders or occupants of the crafts has been limited, but the authenticity of the information exchanged remains uncertain. He emphasizes his role in bringing forth witnesses, both publicly and privately, who have worked on these alien technologies as part of reverse engineering special access programs.
With a steadfast commitment to exposing the reality of extraterrestrial technology, Corbell promises to continue unveiling more verified individuals with firsthand knowledge of these advanced machines, shedding light on one of humanity’s greatest enigmas.
Arthur C. Clarke once said "How inappropriate to call this planet Earth, when it is quite clearly Ocean." How true this is. Our world is mostly comprised of vast, largely unexplored water plunging into an even vaster, even more unexplored perpetual twilight. Just what lies hidden down in this darkness that makes up most of our planet? We have scarcely managed to uncover even a fraction of the myriad organisms that call these abyssal places home. There in this zone of black and amidst the flickering constellations of bioluminescent lights lie ancient mysteries that remain and perhaps always will. The deep, dark seas of our world are a realm of extreme pressure and eternal darkness, abyssal chasms soaring down into a domain that is so inhospitable and unreachable that it may as well be the surface of some alien world, and if some reports are to be believed there are massive alien things lurking about down there that defy understanding.
A curious finding was dredged up from abyssal depths off of South Africa in 1930. The Marine Investigation Expedition was an extensive round the world research expedition led by a Professor Johannes Schmidt aboard the vessel Dana. During the last year of the expedition, the ship fished up a colossal eel larva, or leptocephalus, in water over a thousand feet deep off the Cape of Good Hope. Due to the extreme depths, the animal was dead upon reaching the ship, but nevertheless shocked all those who examined it. The larva was measured as being 184cm long (just over 6 feet), which is large, but all the more so when considering that the larvae of a common eel typically measures only 2 to 4 inches in length, which in turn grows into an eel around 4 feet long. When extrapolating from the typical growth rate of eels, the 6 foot leptocephalus was theorized to become an adult that would measure around 80 to 100 feet in length, although a more conservative estimate would be more like 70 to 80 feet, gigantic no matter which way you cut it. In the freshwater eels of North America and Europe, adults can be a dozen times the size of their larval forms. According to an article in The Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 47, 24 February 1934, Page 24, the South Africa specimen was subsequently preserved and sent to Marine Biological Laboratory in Copenhagen, Denmark where it was put on exhibit.
A similar find would later be made in New Zealand when another large leptocephalus, this time around 3 feet long, was pulled up out of the depths in 1959. In this case the larva was assigned the name Leptocephalus giganteus, and the South African specimen was later also classified under the same name even though it was not clear whether the two were actually of the same species. Since no other specimens of Leptocephalus giganteus have ever been collected, there is little data to go on. However, judging from known growth rates of similar creatures, it would appear that the deep seas could be home to some truly monstrous eels indeed. The giant eel larva fits neatly into the theory postulated by the cryptozoologist Bernard Heuvelmans of giant eels of this sort, what he referred to as "super eels," accounting for many reported sea serpent sightings.
While dredging up something mysterious from the depths is exciting enough, with the advent of new diving technology people were actually able to see such monsters up close. American naturalist, ornithologist, marine biologist, entomologist, explorer, and author Charles William Beebe was one of the driving forces of penetrating into the new frontier of the deep, dark sea. In 1928 he was given permission by the British government to establish a research station on Nonsuch Island, in Bermuda, from which he planned to launch an in-depth study of the animals inhabiting an eight-square-mile (21 km2) area of ocean, from a depth of two miles (3.2 km) to the surface. In order to see the lifeforms down there in their natural habitat, he soon realized that the usual method of using helmet diving and dredging wasn’t going to cut it, as the deepest humans could safely descend in diving helmets in those days was several hundred feet, and normal submarines could only descend to a maximum of 383 feet (117 m) and had no windows. He wanted an up close look at what was down there, and so with the help of American engineer Otis Barton he invented a spherical diving submersible known as the Bathysphere, which could be lowered down into the abyss by cable. Beebe would break several consecutive world records for the deepest dive ever performed by a human in his contraption, the deepest being 3,028 feet (923 m), in the process of these pioneering dives being the first human to ever lay eyes on this dark alien realm. He would find many new species down there, and some of these were stranger, and much larger, than others.
On September 22, 1932 Beebe and Barton were down in their Bathysphere some three miles out from Nonsuch Island at a depth of 2,100 feet (640 m). During the dive, Barton heard Beebe shout out in surprise, and although he didn’t see what all the fuss was about due to being busy maintaining the bathysphere at the time, Beebe would claim that he had seen a pair of mysterious fish measuring at least 6 feet in length, which was far larger than anything they had seen before, and indeed larger than anything that was thought to be able to live at such depths. Beebe would write of the account in his book Half Mile Down:
Several minutes later, at 2100 feet, I had the most exciting experience of the whole dive. Two fish went very slowly by, not more than six or eight feet away, each of which was at least six feet in length. They were of the general shape of large barracudas, but with shorter jaws which were kept wide open all the time I watched them. A single line of strong lights, pale bluish, was strung down the body. The usual second line was quite absent. The eyes were very large, even for the great length of the fish. The undershot jaw was armed with numerous fangs which were illumined either by mucus or indirect internal lights. Vertical fins well back were one of the characters which placed it among the sea-dragons, Melanostomiatids, and were clearly seen when the fish passed through the beam. There were two long tentacles, hanging down from the body, each tipped with a pair of separate, luminous bodies, the upper reddish, the lower one blue. These twitched and jerked along beneath the fish, one undoubtedly arising from the chin, and the other far back near the tail. I could see neither the stem of the tentacles nor any paired fins, although both were certainly present. This is the fish I subsequently named Bathysphaera intacta, the Untouchable Bathysphere Fish.
If his observations were correct, then this would make it not only the largest fish to live at such a depth, but also five times as large as the biggest recorded dragonfish. What did he see down there? Considering that neither man was able to take photographs of the fishes because the Bathysphere's low light was inadequate for photography, we may never know. Another strange account comes to us from 1953, when Australian diver Christopher Loeb was in the South Pacific testing a new deep-sea diving suit when out of the murky darkness came floating up a creature like something out of an HP lovecraft story. He would say of it:
All the way down I was followed by a fifteen-foot shark which circled around full of curiosity but made no attempt to attack. I kept wondering how far down he would go. He was still hanging around some thirty feet from me, and about twenty feet higher, when I reached a ledge below which was a great, black chasm of enormous depth. It being dangerous to venture farther, I stood looking into the chasm while the shark waited for my next move. Suddenly the water became distinctly colder. While the temperature continued to drop with surprising rapidity, I saw a black mass rising from the darkness of the chasm. It floated upwards very slowly. As at last light reached it I could see that it was of dull brown colour and tremendous size, a flat ragged edged thing about one acre in extent. It pulsated sluggishly and I knew that it was alive despite its lack of visible limbs or eyes. Still pulsating, this frightful vision floated past my level, by which time the coldness had become most intense. The shark now hung completely motionless, paralyzed either by cold or fear. While I watched fascinated, the enormous brown thing reached the shark, contacted him with its upper surface. The shark gave a convulsive shiver and was drawn unresisting into the substance of the monster. I stood perfectly still, not daring to move, while the brown thing sank back into the chasm as slowly as it had emerged. Darkness swallowed it and the water started to regain some warmth. God knows what this thing was, but I had no doubt that it had been born of the primeval slime countless fathoms below.
What was going on here and what was this thing? In 1965 there was a bizarre encounter reported by the crew of the deep-ocean research submersible Alvin, owned by the United States Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. In this year engineers Marvin McCamis and Bill Rainnie were engaged in test diving the new submersible off the Bahamas, doing test runs through the “Tongue of the Ocean,” a very deep stretch of water separating the Bahamian islands of Andros and New Providence, when they came across something they could barely fathom. McCamis would later report on the encounter:
We were down about 5000 feet and then I went down into a crevasse about 300 feet deeper under a slight outcrop. We went deeper because the cable we were following spanned the crevasse. It was right there that I spotted it. The first thing I noticed was the movement. I thought we were moving along the cable and checked for drift but found that the sub was stationary and that it was the object that was moving. It then occurred to me that perhaps it was a utility pole, especially because of its thick shape. I swung the sub in an arc to get a better view along the cable or pole or whatever it was, when I was astonished to see a thick body with flippers, a long neck, a snakelike head with two eyes looking right at us. It looked like a big lizard with flippers - it had two sets of them. Then it swam upwards with its back turned before we could get the cameras angled. They were set to photograph 15 to 25 feet in front of the submarine and the thing had already swum out of the camera angle but was still around. I didn't like the way things were happening, so I came up. I couldn't believe what I was seeing but I didn't want to hang around.
McCamis would later explain that the creature looked just like an extinct long-necked ocean going dinosaur known as a plesiosaur. Rather oddly, the log book page with this sighting mysteriously went missing, and without any further evidence or sightings we are left to wonder what they saw down there. The following year there were several large, anomalous deep sea monsters allegedly witnessed by the U.S. Navy/civilian deep-submergence vehicle Deepstar 4000, which was designed by none other than Jacques Cousteau and was able to take a crew of up to three to a staggering depth of 4,000 feet (1,200 m). During a June 1966 research dive in the San Diego Trough, pilot Joe Thompson, marine biologist Gene LaFond, and instrumentation engineer Dale Good were oprating at a depth of around 4,000 ft (1,219 m) in order to lay hydrographical instruments on the seafloor, when they saw something that shocked them.
As they went about their work on the sea floor, something enormous disturbed the silt on the bottom, and when they looked to see what it was, a massive fish bloomed out of the darkness into their submersible’s lights. The fish was described as being 25–40 feet (8–12 m) in length, with enormous eyes, gill plates, huge pectoral fins 2 ft (60 cm) in length, a rounded grouper-like tail fin, dark and mottled gray-black in color, and somewhat resembling a sea bass in body form. Unfortunately, the Deepstar 4000 was not able to photograph the giant fish. The following year the submersible would have another strange sighting when Thompson was on another mission when he spotted what he called a “giant grenadier fish” measuring 10 feet (3 m) in length, far larger than any known grenadier species.
In 1969, Fortean researcher Richard Winer was on a deep dive doing oceanographic work for General Electric off the coast of the Bahamas along with a diver named Pat Boatwright. At some point during their dive, they were startled when what seems to have been a very massive jelly-fish like creature came up through the gloom beneath them. Winer would say of the encounter:
Pat Boatwright, grabbed me by the shoulder and pointed downward. It was late in the afternoon, and the rough seas were distorting the light that penetrated into the depths. What I saw was phenomenal. How deep it was or its size I couldn't tell. It might have been 100 feet beneath us–maybe 150 feet. Its size I could only guess at–maybe a hundred feet across, possibly seventy-five, but no less than fifty feet in diameter. It was perfectly round. Its color was a deep purple. It was moving slowly up toward us. At its outer perimeter there was a form of pulsation, but there was no movement of water. As we started for the surface, it stopped its ascent. Then slowly it began to descend into the blackening depths. Awestricken, we watched until it was no more.
He was unable to take any photos because he had allegedly used up all of his camera film, so there is sadly no way to really know what is going on here. Was this a giant jellyfish, a giant squid, or what? Who knows? In the 1970s there was a similarly hard to classify report given to cryptozoologist Chad Arment, from a person who claimed his friend had encountered a mysterious predator in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico. The witness had been a deep sea welder and reportedly often saw “giant headless glowing living firehoses” that were fed upon by a very bizarre and monstrous creature, indeed. The report reads:
My friend George Hale was unable to describe the predator in detail. It was too big and too close to him. It was as big to him as you are to an ant. As a matter of fact, he had to ascend PDQ because he was in fear of being crushed like a bug. But the predator had a pallor and skin texture like a sea anemone and it might have been built along the lines of a starfish or a freshwater pond hydra. And it was eating the firehose entity by swallowing it. It's method of propulsion is a mystery.
It’s hard to say what this could have possibly been, and it is a pretty damn strange account. In more recent years we have a report from 1992, off southeastern Japan in the Pacific Ocean. During a deep sea surveying expedition in a diving bell by British diver Mike Cleary, at a depth of 1,700 feet (518 m), he was allegedly confronted by an immense “unknown creature.” The bizarre creature was described as being 25 feet (7 m) long, with a single elongated dorsal fin, no neck, and a head “like a seahorse's, with cow-like eyes and barracuda-like teeth.” Strangest of all it was said to possess two webbed limbs protruding from its torso. The outlandish monstrosity circled the diving bell before fading off into the darkness from whence it came. It has been suggested that this might have been an unknown giant species of lobe-finned fish, like the coelacanth, but there is no way to know for sure.
An even more recent oddity also comes from Japan, at the Mariana Trench, a massive undersea canyon stretching around 2,550 km (1,580 mi) along the western Pacific Ocean. Dropping down up to 7 miles into darkness at its deepest point, the yawning chasm of the Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the world’s oceans, and remains mostly unexplored. Along the outer edge of the Mariana Trench lies the extremely deep Suruga Bay, Japan. It was here that in 2008 researchers caught footage of a truly monstrous shark while studying the marine life of the area. Japanese marine biologists studying sea life at the bottom of a deep and little explored part of the bay set up a container filled with potently smelly bait designed to lure in a wide variety of sea life even from great distances away. The container was placed at a depth of 1.5 km (nearly 1 mile), and a camera was attached nearby to capture footage of any sea life in the vicinity. The plan was to take video of and catalog the different types of creatures that showed up.
At first, the bait attracted numerous small fish and some crustaceans, nothing particularly unusual. Things got more exciting when a shoal of rare, deep water sharks measuring around 2 meters (6.5 feet) long moved in and enthusiastically fed on the bait. Researchers were surprised when the shoal of sharks suddenly and inexplicably darted off in all directions as if they were afraid of something. At first, it was unknown what could have caused such large sharks to scatter like that away from such irresistible bait. The reason soon became apparent when a humongous shark dwarfing the others loomed into view from the surrounding murk. The incredibly large shark proceeds to slowly soar in front of the camera and show interest in the bait before gliding off again. The scientists who viewed the mysterious shark were puzzled by its sheer size, and nobody was sure just what exactly they had seen.
It is apparent upon viewing the footage that whatever the shark is, it is gigantic, although it is difficult to say for certain just how gigantic. When trying to ascertain its size, researchers took into account the dimensions of the bait container, as well as the length of other sharks that can be seen in the footage before the monster shows up, which were judged to be around 2 meters (6.5 feet) long. Using these as size comparisons, the mystery shark was estimated as being at least 30 feet long, with more exaggerated estimations putting it at more like 50 or 60 feet long. The footage taken by the underwater camera near the bait station became quite popular in Japan, and it has gained some notoriety in cryptozoological abroad as well. It is unclear just what is seen in the video, and some have jumped on the explanation that the mega shark is a surviving megalodon. The researchers who originally took the video are inclined to believe it to be a very large specimen of the rare Pacific sleeper shark, and other scientists have concurred. Sleeper sharks can get quite large, and are believed to be capable of reaching lengths of up to 7 meters (23 feet) long, yet if the shark in the video is of this species then it would represent by far the largest specimen ever recorded. What was this thing?
Adding to all of these reports are various accounts over the years of exceptionally enormous squid lurking in the depths. We know the seas have big squid. The once legendary Kraken, now known as the giant squid, of the genus Architeuthis, and the even more massive colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) are famous for their enormous sizes. Giant squid, for instance, are estimated to reach total lengths (including tentacles) of up to 13 meters (43 feet) and perhaps even larger, with colossal squid being even more massive. However, is there an even more monstrously huge type of squid lurking in the unexplored depths of our oceans?
The famed cryptozoologist Bernard Heuvelmans, often referred to as the father of modern cryptozoology, certainly thought so. Inspired by reports from outsized specimens of giant squid washed up in Newfoundland, some of the more outrageous reports mentioning squid 80 or 90 feet long, Heuvelmans wondered if there were specimens of giant squid out there, or even a new species that were far larger than the proposed size limits. Another report from 1924 further added fuel to his theory. On October 25, 1924, a Mr. White and Mr. Strachan found what they described as a "record octopus" washed up on near Baven-on-Sea, Natal, South Africa. Pieces of the carcass had been missing, including the mantle and long portions of the tentacles, making size estimations difficult, but judging by illustrations of the animal Heuvelmans estimated that the total length of the animal would have been a monstrous 115 feet long.
A fair amount of sightings reports also fascinated Heuvelmans. One such sighting occurred at night during WWII by an A. G. Starkey off the Maldives. He was allegedly alone on deck and saw a squid laying alongside the 175 foot (53 m) boat that was nearly the same length. He said the arms were 2 feet wide (0.6 m) and that the beak was visible. A canadian by the name of Charles Dudoward also reported spotting a squid washed up on shore in 1922 that had arms 50 feet (15.2 m) long and one tentacle 100 feet (30 m) long. The tentacle apparently ended in a hook 10" (25 cm) wide and 12 in (31 cm) long. Dudoward's own grandfather had also made a sighting in British Columbia of a squid which had arms over 100 feet (30 m) with suckers ranging from the size of saucers to basin plates.
Heuvelmen's also considered as evidence of giant squid the existence of sucker marks on sperm whales far larger than normal which he took to imply truly humongous squid lurking in the depths. Upon hearing of sucker marks 4 inches in diameter, Heuvelman's extrapolated that into a squid with a body length (excluding tentacles) measuring at least 30 feet long. Even larger sucker marks had also been recorded, with the famed cryptozoologist Ivan Sanderson writing of sucker marks measuring 18 inches long. Sanderson had also made mention of sucker marks measuring all the way up to 2 feet in diameter, all of which would imply gigantic squid far, far larger than any known thus far. It was pointed out by skeptics that these extra-large sucker marks may have been marks made by lampreys rather than those of squid, or that they could have been wounds inflicted on young whales that grew to appear larger as the animals matured, but Heuvelmans was not convinced by these arguments. Heuvelmans also took reports of tentacles measuring 45 feet long and speculated that they were short arms rather than the long tentacles, from which he calculated that the creature itself would reach the truly mind boggling total length of 140 to 240 feet if male and up to 300 feet if female.
Based on all of these observations, plus various sightings reports of super-sized squid from around the world, Heuvelmans proposed that there were squid that measured well over 100 feet and in some case up to 300 feet lurking in the world's oceans. This seems perhaps a little farfetched, yet even if they are not hundreds of feet long it is entirely feasible that squid at least larger than any currently known are out there prowling the depths. It is a sobering thought, and makes one wonder just what is lurking out there in those depths that we do not understand. In the end, all such cases as we have looked at here serve to make us wonder just what might be down there in the deep, dark places of the world. It is a realm we have only scratched the surface of, and there is no way of knowing just what our light into that darkness might catch in its beam.
Intelligently Controlled Orb Over Slovakia, 12-30-2022, UFO Sighting News. Video.
Intelligently Controlled Orb Over Slovakia, 12-30-2022, UFO Sighting News. Video.
Date of sighting: Dec 30, 2022
Location of sighting: Slovakia
Source: MUFON
This is a report just in, but happened on New Years Eve. The eyewitness recorded a glowing pinkish sphere passing near the moon. The object suddenly stops and then continues. UFOs are actually frequently seen during celebrations, to both monitor human brain waves...meaning reading our minds to understand whats happening. UFO can detect an individual humans brain waves from almost a mile away, maybe further for larger ships. This one looks to be about the size of a mini van. Its obviously curious from all the fireworks and celebrating going on. Also if its an AI race, meaning a species of only AI entities, then it will be harder for them to understand this celebrating due to them having no nervous systems or bodily chemicals which control our own brain emotions. Thus, understanding humans emotional responses may be near impossible and may become a conundrum to an AI species that prides itself on solving problems.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
On the New Years Eve while Watching the lights over my hometown we have seen a moving object flying in the air, light orb, stopping mid air, hovering as can be seen on the video footage attached, stopping in the mid air, after I stopped the camera, the object shoot up in the clouds very quickly and disappeared.
The fact that UFOs exist is of course just that, a fact. However here we have 100% proof that the US government recorded in a photo a mothership in orbit around Earth with ten orbs that came out of it. Most UFOs have a dozen or more mini spheres which are used for many purposes, like protection making a shield around it, or for exploring the vicinity around it so that the alien pilot knows its safe in that area to move about.
Unveiling the Enigma: Cylindrical UFO Mothership and its Progeny
Unveiling the Enigma: Cylindrical UFO Mothership and its Progeny
A remarkable photograph, recently unearthed from the depths of the once-secret Project Blue Book files, has ignited a resurgence of interest in UFO phenomena. The image, captured on March 20, 1950, depicts a cylindrical UFO hovering over New York City, accompanied by numerous smaller objects believed to be extraterrestrial probes.
For decades, the military attempted to conceal this captivating image, offering dubious explanations such as attributing the sighting to “the moon.” The clumsy cover-up continued with the erasure of the photographer’s name from the project’s files, along with the names of other individuals connected to the case.
The image of the cylindrical UFO and its accompanying probes raises the question: why has the Pentagon chosen to disclose information about these enigmatic ‘motherships’ and their small UFO progeny now? There must be a significant reason behind this decision to bring the subject into the public eye.
The recent revelations have sparked a wave of intrigue and speculation among UFO enthusiasts and the general public alike. As we continue to uncover more information from previously classified sources, the conversation surrounding the existence of alien life and its potential interactions with our planet grows ever more fascinating.
By confronting the mysteries of the past, we may gain valuable insights into the future and our place in the cosmos. The 1950 photograph serves as a reminder that there is still much to learn about the universe around us and the enigmatic visitors that may have graced our skies.
Image of cylindrical mothership releasing small UFOs
Image of cylindrical mothership releasing small UFOs
An alleged photo from the Project Blue Book files shows a cylindrical UFO believed to hover over New York City on March 20, 1950.
It is said that the military tried to cover up the image of the UFO by saying it might have been 'the moon', which of course was a ridiculous statement.
Another attempt to cover-up the image of the UFO, before the material was finally declassified and released, was to delete the name of the person who took this photo from the project's files as were most of the names who were involved in this case.
In our article from March 11, 2023 we wrote that the Pentagon said that alien motherships possibly sending probes to earth. Now, the 1950 image of the cylindrical UFO shows many small probes launched by the UFO believed to be a 'mothership' which is not only proof that the Pentagon already knew years ago about the existence of "alien motherships" that for some reason release small probes into the Earth's atmosphere but also we may wonder why the Pentagon after so many years is starting to talk about these 'motherships' that release small UFOs. They must have a good reason to go public on this subject.
This astonishingly-detailed image captures the rare sight of an enormous star's dying days, before it explodes into a supernova and collapses into a black hole.
The Wolf-Rayet phase – which lasts a few million years at most – is a key stage in the evolution of massive stellar giants.
This one, named WR 124, is 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius and was snapped in unprecedented detail by NASA's new $10 billion (£7.4 billion) super space telescope, James Webb.
t is 30 times bigger than our sun and currently blowing off its outer layers in preparation for its impending death.
As it does this, the star emits a huge cloud of dust and gas which then cools and produces a beautiful halo that glows in infrared in this spectacular new image.
This astonishingly-detailed image captures the rare sight of an enormous star's dying days, before it explodes into a supernova and collapses into a black hole
WR 124 has already ejected 10 suns' worth of material into space and once the star runs out of heavy elements it can fuse, it will explode.
WHAT ARE WOLF-RAYET STARS?
The Wolf-Rayet phase, which lasts a few million years at most, is a key stage in the evolution of massive stellar giants.
Just one in a hundred million stars are classified a Wolf-Rayet – ferociously bright, hot stars doomed to imminent collapse in a supernova explosion leaving a black hole.
They stage sees the massive star blow off its outer layers in preparation for its impending death.
As it does this, the star emits a huge cloud of dust and gas which then cools and produces a beautiful halo that glows in infrared.
Once the star runs out of heavy elements it can fuse, it will explode.
Massive stars race through their lifecycles, with only a few experiencing a brief Wolf-Rayet phase before going supernova.
In fact, just one in a hundred million are classified a Wolf-Rayet — ferociously bright, hot stars doomed to imminent collapse in a supernova explosion leaving a black hole.
The fact that the Wolf-Rayet stage is so rare and brief makes this detection by Webb a key discovery.
It was one of the first observations made by the telescope when it began collecting data back in June 2022.
The image is important because it should help astronomers figure out exactly how dust behaves and whether the dust grains are large and plentiful enough to survive the upcoming supernova.
Dust is a vital component of the universe and how it works.
It comes together to help form planets, protects stars as they form and enables molecules to form and clump together, such as those that led to the building blocks of life on Earth.
Similar dying stars first seeded the young universe with heavy elements forged in their cores – elements that are now common in today, including on our planet.
However, the universe is actually operating with a 'dust budget surplus', and it is this which has mystified astronomers.
They say there is still more dust out there in the enormous void of space than current dust-formation theories can explain.
The Wolf-Rayet phase – which lasts a few million years at most – is a key stage in the evolution of massive stellar giants. This one, named WR 124, is 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius and was snapped in unprecedented detail by NASA's new $10 billion (£7.4 billion) super space telescope, James Webb
The new view of Pandora's Cluster stitches four Webb snapshots together into one panoramic image, displaying roughly 50,000 sources of near-infrared light. Pictured is the new telescope
INSTRUMENTS ON THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE
NIRCam(Near InfraRed Camera) an infrared imager from the edge of the visible through the near infrared
NIRSpec(Near InfraRed Spectrograph) will also perform spectroscopy over the same wavelength range.
MIRI(Mid-InfraRed Instrument) will measure the mid-to-long-infrared wavelength range from 5 to 27 micrometers.
FGS/NIRISS (Fine Guidance Sensor and Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph), is used to stabilise the line-of-sight of the observatory during science observations.
NASA experts therefore hope that determining how dust behaves around Wolf-Rayet stars like WR 124 could help us figure out where all that extra dust came from.
Webb is key to the whole thing because its infrared vision can peer beyond cosmic dust and get a glimpse of the internal workings of stars like WR 124, which are ejecting dust into space.
It is a special trick that other space telescopes such as the iconic Hubble can't do.
NASA's new telescope is capable of using its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) to help observe stars like WR 124, because it balances the brightness of their stellar cores against the intricate details of the fainter gas that surrounds them.
The telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is then able to reveal the gas and dust nebula of the ejected material enveloping the star.
Before Webb came along, astronomers lacked the key detailed information they needed to explore questions of dust production in environments such as WR 124.
Now they hope to be able to see whether dust grains are large enough to survive a supernova and, in turn, become an important contributor to the overall dust budget.
'Webb's detailed image of WR 124 preserves forever a brief, turbulent time of transformation, and promises future discoveries that will reveal the long-shrouded mysteries of cosmic dust,' NASA said.
The James Webb Telescope: NASA's $10 billion telescope is designed to detect light from the earliest stars and galaxies
The James Webb telescope has been described as a 'time machine' that could help unravel the secrets of our universe.
The telescope will be used to look back to the first galaxies born in the early universe more than 13.5 billion years ago, and observe the sources of stars, exoplanets, and even the moons and planets of our solar system.
The vast telescope, which has already cost more than $7 billion (£5 billion), is considered a successor to the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope
The James Webb Telescope and most of its instruments have an operating temperature of roughly 40 Kelvin – about minus 387 Fahrenheit (minus 233 Celsius).
It is the world's biggest and most powerful orbital space telescope, capable of peering back 100-200 million years after the Big Bang.
The orbiting infrared observatory is designed to be about 100 times more powerful than its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA likes to think of James Webb as a successor to Hubble rather than a replacement, as the two will work in tandem for a while.
The Hubble telescope was launched on April 24, 1990, via the space shuttle Discovery from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
It circles the Earth at a speed of about 17,000mph (27,300kph) in low Earth orbit at about 340 miles in altitude.
Uniek beeld van ster vlak voor explosie vastgelegd door James Webb-telescoop
De James Webb-telescoop heeft opnieuw een prachtig en uitzonderlijk verschijnsel vastgelegd op beeld: een stervende ster vlak voordat die explodeert in een supernova. De Wolf-Rayetster, een van de helderste en grootste sterren in het heelal, bevindt zich op zo’n 15.000 lichtjaar van de aarde in het sterrenbeeld Boogschutter.
Grote sterren zoals deze razen door hun levenscyclus, zegt de Amerikaanse ruimtevaartorganisatie NASA. Daardoor maken slechts enkele van hen kort een Wolf-Rayetfase mee. Dat Webb dit heeft kunnen vastleggen op beeld, is dus heel uniek. “De gedetailleerde waarnemingen van deze zeldzame fase zijn waardevol voor astronomen”, aldus NASA.
De ster is volop haar buitenste lagen aan het afstoten. WR 124, zoals het hemellichaam wordt genoemd, is dertig keer zo zwaar als onze zon en heeft tot nu toe voor tien zonnen aan materiaal afgestoten. “Aan het einde van hun leven laten sterren hun buitenste materialen en lagen los in de rest van het universum”, zegt NASA-astrofysicus Amber Straughn. Dat stof zorgt voor prachtige roze wolken rond de ster.
Sterrenstof in ons lichaam
De waarneming van de telescoop helpt wetenschappers te begrijpen wat er in de begindagen van ons heelal is gebeurd. Stervende sterren explodeerden toen, waarna zware elementen vrijkwamen die op aarde en in ons eigen lichaam terechtkwamen. “Ik vind dit een van de mooiste concepten in de hele sterrenkunde”, zegt Straughn aan de Amerikaanse nieuwszender ‘CNN’. “Het ijzer in je bloed en het calcium in je botten is letterlijk gesmeed in een ster die miljarden jaren geleden explodeerde. En dat zien we op deze nieuwe foto. Dat stof verspreidt zich in de kosmos en zal uiteindelijk planeten creëren. En zo zijn we hier eigenlijk gekomen.”
WR124 has hot clumps of gas being ejected at speeds of around 161,000 kilometres per hour. (Supplied: Yves Grosdidier (University of Montreal and Observatoire de Strasbourg), Anthony Moffat (Universitie de Montreal), Gilles Joncas (Universite Laval), Agnes Acker (Observatoire de Strasbourg), and NASA.)
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TR-3B UFO sighting over Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK – March 2023
TR-3B UFO sighting over Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK – March 2023
TR-3B UFO sighting over Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK
In March 2023, a witness in Halifax, West Yorkshire captured some footage of what appears to be a TR-3B UFO. This sighting is particularly interesting because of the clear view of a black triangle between the lights.
The TR-3B is a rumored secret aircraft that is said to be part of a top-secret United States Air Force black project. According to conspiracy theorists, the TR-3B is a triangular aircraft that uses anti-gravity technology and can fly undetected. While the existence of the TR-3B has never been officially confirmed by the US government, many people believe that sightings of this mysterious aircraft are evidence of its existence.
The footage captured by Ryan, the witness in Halifax, shows three lights in a triangular formation. The lights appear to be moving slowly and silently across the night sky. In between the lights, a black triangle can be seen. While it is difficult to determine the exact size and distance of the object, it appears to be relatively large and relatively close to the witness. Ryan submitted this footage to us through our Facebook page!
Some skeptics may dismiss this sighting as a hoax or a misidentification of a known aircraft. However, the witness’s report that the object was seen over several nights and the clear footage of the black triangle suggest that this may indeed be a genuine sighting of a TR-3B.
It is worth noting that there have been numerous other sightings of triangular-shaped UFOs in recent years, both in the UK and around the world. While some of these sightings can be explained as misidentifications of known aircraft or natural phenomena, others remain unexplained.
Regardless of the explanation for this sighting, it serves as a reminder that there is still much that we don’t understand about our world and the universe around us. Whether or not the TR-3B is real, the possibility of advanced technology and extraterrestrial life should continue to inspire curiosity and exploration.
Ross Coulthart | Disinformation, UFO Whistleblowers, Media Failures & Insiders
Ross Coulthart | Disinformation, UFO Whistleblowers, Media Failures & Insiders
For decades, the United States government has been conducting secret programs to study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Recent years have seen a surge of interest in this topic, with former government officials and military personnel coming forward with claims of UAP sightings and government cover-ups.
One notable incident was the 2004 encounter by the USS Nimitz battle group with a Tic Tac-shaped UAP off the coast of California. Pilots reported the object exhibited advanced technology, including the ability to accelerate rapidly and make sudden stops. In 2017, the New York Times published an article detailing the Pentagon’s secret program to study UAPs, called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program.
VIDEO:
Ross Coulthart | Disinformation, UFO Whistleblowers, Media Failures & Insiders
In 2020, the Pentagon officially released videos of UAP sightings by US Navy pilots, further fueling public interest in the topic. While some skeptics argue that these sightings could be explained by natural phenomena or human-made technology, others believe they offer evidence of extraterrestrial visitation.
The government’s history of secrecy and cover-up surrounding UAPs has led to increased scrutiny and calls for transparency. Journalists and researchers have uncovered evidence of secret programs and potential technological breakthroughs being kept hidden from the public. However, the mainstream media has been criticized for not doing enough to investigate these claims and hold the government accountable.
JFK, UFOs, and the Assassination: A New Perspective on the Conspiracy Theory
JFK, UFOs, and the Assassination: A New Perspective on the Conspiracy Theory
On November 22, 1963, the United States was shaken to its core when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Decades later, the JFK assassination remains one of the most intriguing and controversial unsolved mysteries in American history. Conspiracy theories have swirled for years, with some implicating powerful organizations like the CIA in the tragic event. The emergence of a declassified memo in 2010 has only added fuel to the fire, providing a sensational new angle to the conspiracy theories.
The memo, dated just ten days before Kennedy’s assassination, shows the President demanding the CIA share its UFO intelligence with NASA. In this astonishing document, JFK requests access to all UFO-related documents and orders the CIA to assist NASA with its “defensive responsibilities” by sharing information about unidentified flying objects.
The timing of the memo is undeniably intriguing, and it begs the question: is there a connection between Kennedy’s interest in UFOs and his assassination? Some believe that the memo may have ruffled feathers within the CIA, causing alarm and prompting the agency to take drastic measures.
Following the infamous Roswell incident in 1947, the CIA set up a covert group to monitor UFO activity both in the United States and abroad. Over the years, the group documented and cataloged thousands of sightings. Kennedy’s request for access to this trove of information could have been seen as a threat by the agency, which was notoriously secretive about its findings.
Additionally, the memo reveals JFK’s interest in collaborating with the Soviet Union on space exploration projects. This proposal came at a time of extreme tension between the two superpowers, and some historians argue that the CIA may have been concerned about Kennedy’s perceived softness towards the Soviets. Could this have been enough to trigger an assassination plot?
While the declassified memo has sparked intense debate, its authenticity has also been questioned. Some critics argue that the document lacks standard markings typically found on official government correspondence, and only one copy of the letter has been provided for investigation. However, others maintain that these discrepancies do not necessarily mean the memo is a forgery.
In 2017, the CIA released thousands of classified files related to JFK’s assassination, but it remains to be seen whether these documents will shed more light on the connection between the memo and Kennedy’s tragic death. The debate over the events that transpired on November 22, 1963, is far from over, and the search for answers continues.
As we delve deeper into the mysteries of the JFK assassination, the declassified memo offers a compelling new perspective on the conspiracy theories that have captivated the public for decades. With each new piece of evidence, we move closer to understanding the truth behind one of the most shocking events in American history.
Watch:
JFK’s Memo to NASA… Just Ten Days Before Assassination | NASA’s Unexplained Files
Unraveling the Mystery: UFO Sightings Through the Lens of History
Unraveling the Mystery: UFO Sightings Through the Lens of History
UFO sightings have captured the imagination and curiosity of people for centuries. As technology advanced, so did the documentation of these mysterious phenomena, with early photographs serving as crucial evidence in the ongoing search for answers. This article delves into the history of UFO sightings, highlighting some of the most compelling encounters and photographs that continue to mystify researchers and enthusiasts alike. Join us as we explore the enigmatic world of UFO sightings and their lasting impact on our quest for understanding.
Early UFO Sightings and Photographs
The fascination with unidentified flying objects dates back to the early days of photography. In 1907, a tin type photograph taken in Drobak, Norway captured perhaps the first image of a UFO at close range. This photograph was followed by others, such as the one taken by Alfredo Fendrickas in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, and the Japanese invasion of China during the Manchurian operation in the early 1940s.
These early photographs, although limited in quality, provided invaluable evidence for researchers and enthusiasts interested in studying the history of UFO sightings and encounters. As cameras evolved, so did the clarity and detail of images capturing these unexplained aerial phe
The Los Angeles Incident of 1942
Battle of Los Angeles
On February 25, 1942, Los Angeles experienced a UFO event that left both the public and military personnel bewildered. Disc-shaped objects appeared over the city, prompting anti-aircraft batteries to engage in a futile attempt to shoot them down. Despite causing damage to property and loss of life on the ground, no alien craft were harmed, further fueling the curiosity and speculation surrounding these unidentified objects. Find out more about the Battle of Los Angeles at this link.
The Farmington, New Mexico Armada
Farmington, NM flying saucers
In March 1950, Farmington, New Mexico became the site of another significant UFO sighting. A large number of disc-shaped metallic crafts with domes on top flew over the city in an unorganized formation, capturing the attention of the town’s population and military personnel alike. One photograph, published in the Durango newspaper, provided a glimpse of this astounding event and added to the growing interest in UFO sightings.
Close Encounters in Red Bud, Illinois, and McMinnville, Oregon
Flying saucer over Redbud, Illinois, US – April 23, 1950
In April 1950, Dean Morgan captured a clear photograph of a UFO near Red Bud, Illinois. Morgan’s account was corroborated by other witnesses, lending credibility to his story. A few years later, in May 1952, Paul Trent’s iconic photographs of a UFO in McMinnville, Oregon further solidified the significance of these encounters in the annals of UFO history.
VIDEO:
Wendelle C. Stevens Explores the Intriguing World of Early UFO Photography
From the early tin type photographs to the more advanced images of later years, the history of UFO sightings is as rich and varied as the mysterious objects themselves. These encounters and the resulting photographs have left an indelible mark on our collective imagination, fueling the enduring quest for understanding the truth behind these enigmatic aerial phenomena. The journey to unravel the mystery of UFO sightings continues, as researchers and enthusiasts alike strive to uncover the secrets hidden in the skies. You can also find out more UFO photos at our archive at http://old-ufo-photos.latest-ufo-sightings.net/
Gary was born in 1960 in Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire. He served in the Royal Air Force Police (1983-1989) before spending an almost 24 year career in the British Transport Police (1989-2013). Gary was a Home Office trained Detective Constable for 19 years working on all manner of enquiries including murder, manslaughter and rape.
He was an advanced police interviewer of witnesses and suspects and involved in the London Bombings terrorist enquiry as a specialist interviewer of first responding police officers. He is also one of the leading researchers in the Rendlesham Forest incident, Britain's most famous UFO case. He is currently the lead researcher and co-writer of a major independent feature length documentary called Capel Green that is currently in production in the UK and the USA and due for release in 2019. Based on his police experience, Gary has examined the best evidence from around the world and concluded, on a circumstantial evidence basis, that some UFO sightings involve extraterrestrials who are interacting with planet Earth. As a result of this belief, he retired early from the police in 2013 to create and launch UFO Truth magazine, a 96 page bi-monthly e-zine, created especially for those people who believe that some UFO incidents involve ET.£
The e-zine features articles by many of the world's leading researchers, including Stanton Friedman (Can/US), AJ Gevaerd (Brazil), Steve Bassett (US), Grant Cameron (Can), Bill Chalker (Australia), Mary Rodwell (Australia), Suzanne Hansen (New Zealand) and Tim Good (UK). In April 2013, he spoke on behalf of police officers worldwide (who had experienced UFO sightings) at the Citizens Hearings at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. The magazine holds two international conferences per year in London and Holmfirth, West Yorkshire respectively.
The Battle of Los Angeles - The TRUE STORY of the 1942 UFO battle over Los Angeles CA
The Battle of Los Angeles- The TRUE STORY of the 1942 UFO battle over Los Angeles CA
The Battle of Los Angeles - The TRUE STORY of the 1942 UFO incident over LA. That night there was an air battle over the city of Los Angeles that lasted for hours and was witnessed by thousands leaving 10 people dead in the aftermath.
The Battle of Los Angeles incident that unfolded in the early hours of 25th February 1942 continues to fascinate UFO researchers and investigators over 80 years after it happened.
At around 3 am on the night in question, thousands of residents of Los Angeles were awoken by the sound of military gunfire heading into the sky. What many of them saw when they ventured outside, were huge, oval-shaped objects, lit up gloriously by the military searchlights, calmly making their way over the city.
Despite the continued barrage from the anti-aircraft guns on the ground, this seemingly otherworldly object appeared to suffer no damage whatsoever and eventually disappeared into the night.
Just what was witnessed over the City of Angels that night and was it the result of an intelligent alien civilization testing the waters, or indeed the skies of Earth?
Antarctica is one of the isolated regions, away from civilization on Earth, which makes it the most favorable area to conduct a secret research operation or a place where extraterrestrial life would take shelter. UFO whistleblower named “Brian S,” who served in the US navy, testified that he had seen the entrance to a secret alien base and unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the Antarctic while he served in the US Navy.
On January 2, 2015, Earthfiles reporter and editor Linda Moulton Howe received an email from Brian, who introduced himself as a retired U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class flight engineer. Then 61-year-old navy personnel joined the US navy in 1977 and retired 20 years later in 1997. He provided Linda with his DD214 documents and other certificates of service, including an Antarctic Service Medal given to him on November 20, 1984.
Brian told Linda that his C-130 crew encountered high strangeness while they were flying cargo and doing rescues in Antarctica from the period of 1984-1985 to 1997. Several times, he and the C-130 crew watched silver discs darting around in the sky over the Transantarctic Mountains that separate East Antarctica from West Antarctica.
Brian and his crew also saw a huge football field-sized hole in the ice only about five to ten miles from the geographic South Pole that was supposed to be an air sampling station but in a no-fly zone.
Overview map of the flight route.
Credit: southpolestation.com
Linda said that during an emergency medevac crisis, to speed up their trip, the crew flew across that no-fly zone and apparently saw an alleged entrance to what was rumored to be a human and ET science collaboration research base under the ice.
Then, at a camp near Marie Byrd Land, a dozen of scientists disappeared for two weeks and when they reappeared, Brian’s flight crew got the assignment to pick them up. Brian said the scientists would not talk and their faces “looked scared.”
Brian and his flight crew received several orders at different times not to talk and were sternly told, “You did not see the ice hole, you saw nothing.” But Brian was never asked to sign an official non-disclosure statement. He is convinced that non-humans were and probably are now working on this planet.
He said in his email to Linda: “Talk among the flight crews was that there is a UFO base at the South Pole and some of the crew heard talk from some of the scientists working at the pole that EBAs (extraterrestrial biological entities) worked with the scientists beneath that air sampling camp large ice hole near the pole.”
Below is a transcript of the interview that took place between Linda Howe and Brain S at the KGRA radio station on September 11, 2017:
Linda: Let’s start by unfolding chronologically. You were assigned to Antarctica around 84 to 85 and you were in the C-130 crew. Can you tell me about the first high-strangeness event that occurred? You were based out of McMurdo and you got an emergency medevac call. Can you tell me what happened?
Brian: From what I remember, our crew was getting ready that morning. We were preparing to go down to the airfield and preflight the aircraft, loading it for our mission. Our mission that day was not going to the South Pole, but rather a science resupply somewhere on the western side of the continent.
It was a short flight, probably an hour and a half to 45 minutes to the science party that had been deployed. However, we received a change of mission when we went to operations. We were told to take one of our model aircraft, fuel it up to maximum capacity, fly to the South Pole, and then top off the fuel again before flying to Davis [Station] for a medevac of someone who had become injured and needed to be taken off the continent immediately.
U. S. Air Force medevac from Davis Station
We arrived at the South Pole without incident. The flight was normal and no cargo was loaded onto the aircraft. We had an extra couple of people on the crew, one of them being our corpsman, and our flight surgeon was also brought on the aircraft. They would be responsible for taking care of the patient after we picked them up and all the way back to McMurdo.
While I was fueling up the aircraft at the South Pole, our navigator was plotting a course from the South Pole to Davis. I did not know that we were going to deviate from the original plan until we were already deviating. The pilot asked our navigator, “Where are we going now? We’re not going where we thought we were going.”
We were directed to fly a certain course, which happened to be going right over an air sampling station, which was approximately five to ten miles further on from the South Pole. This area was not a normal transit zone for our squadron, and the captain asked the crew or the navigator about the no-fly zone. If we could go through that new flight no-fly zone, we would be able to save time on this medevac issue. That discussion was happening after we took off.
As a crew, we decided to take the direct route to Davis instead of deviating 20 miles around the air sampling station, which is approximately what they required us to do if we were to go in that direction.
So, we decided to fly right over it. We took off from the South Pole and, remember, the altitude at the South Pole is somewhere between 11,000 and 12,000 feet, so we were climbing at full fuel load out of the South Pole.
We were going to be climbing to about 25,000 feet for our first altitude and then, as we burned off fuel, we would become lighter and be able to climb higher, which also allowed us to get better fuel efficiency out of our engines and extend our range a bit. We took off and were climbing, and about five to ten miles out, someone decided to look out the window instead of looking at their instruments and the radar.
The navigator noticed and said, ‘Hey, there’s this big dark spot out here.’ So, we ended up flying not directly over it, but somewhat offset, so that we could look out the left side of the aircraft and it was down at about a 45-degree angle and there was this large opening in the ice where the air sampling station was supposed to be.”
Linda: Just a second, Brian, because I remember asking you in our interview how big you estimated it to be and if it looked somewhat structured.
Brain: I estimated that you could have flown one of our aircraft into it. The wingspan of our aircraft is around 135-138 feet wide, so it would have had to have been large enough to accommodate that wingspan. But it was probably more the size of a football field if you can imagine that…
One thing I want to mention is that when we were flying over there, we could see lines in the ice or snow, as if someone had driven through with a vehicle, such as a snowmobile or one of the tractored vehicles called ice cats. These tracks seemed to be a route back and forth from the South Pole station to an opening that we could clearly see from our altitude.
It was very distinct, and anything that makes a line in the ice is immediately recognizable. However, it was still supposed to be a no-fly zone and it did not make sense to our pilot. The hole was estimated to be at least 300 feet in diameter, about the size of a football field.”
Linda: Can you describe the kind of rumor talk that you were exposed to after sitting down with people and talking? The guy who showed up and told you all to keep your mouth shut, yeah.
Brian: I was going to talk about that. I want to finish what our mission was to Davis and then the trip back to the South Pole to refuel…We ended up getting to Davis about four hours later. We landed and were sitting on the ground with the engine still running. They brought out the person who was injured, we loaded them on the aircraft, got turned around, set power, and took off.
We were on our way back to the South Pole when we started to get near that same opening we had crossed by when we were going to Davis. We got within a certain distance, I think it was within 25 miles or something. The reason I remember that is because our navigator said, ‘okay, we’re coming up on that opening again’ because the navigator tracks our distance and position all the time.
He wasn’t part of the squadron, but he was dressed in the regular green fatigues that everybody wore down there when they weren’t on flight status. He came in, had his parka on and his stocking cap, and sat down. He took off his jacket and looked at all of us and said, “Okay, so you guys went through the no-fly zone north of the pole and violated that airspace restriction.”
Our aircraft commander said, “Yeah, we did. We thought it was prudent that we not waste any time and shave some time off our flight time to get to the medevac that was at Davis. We were told it was important and not to waste any time, so we made the decision to fly over that air sampling station.”
Like we were talking earlier, there was no reason why we couldn’t fly over that area because we were going to be so high up that our exhaust from the engines wouldn’t have mattered. The gentleman basically looked around at all of us sitting at the table and looked at each one of us and said, “Okay, gentlemen, what you saw, you did not see. You were not over that area and you will not ever talk about this again.” There was no repercussions or any threat like, “If you do talk about it, this or that is going to happen.”_
We didn’t think anything of what it might be at that time, but later on, during missions to the south pole, our crew stopped and we had to actually spend some time there because we had some dignitaries and VIPs that wanted to do a tour of the south pole facility. We were told, “Okay, just shut down your engines and leave someone on the airplane to watch it and fuel up again for your return trip to McMurdo.”
We all went into the dome at the south pole. Back then, there was a big, huge geodesic dome that had buildings inside of it that the team and scientists that stayed at the south pole lived in. We all went inside and they had these large mill vans or the SEA vans that you see on container ships, like big containers.
They had made those into buildings, so there were two-story ones all over. One of the two-story ones was a bar or a club, so we went up there and we were sitting around talking, drinking sodas, and trying to get warm. There were some civilians in there, I assume they were scientists.
One of my loadmasters happened to overhear one of them saying something about the operation or what was going on out at the air sampling station. Later, we were talking to other crews and they had heard similar things when they were at the south pole but they heard that there were “visitors” that they were going out to interact with.
So, at this point, we were all confused and trying to piece together what could be happening out at that air sampling station. We started to think that maybe there was some sort of secret government operation or research happening out there involving extraterrestrial life.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:ALIEN LIFE, UFO- CRASHES, ABDUCTIONS, MEN IN BLACK, ed ( FR. , NL; E )
15-03-2023
Uncovering Kentucky’s Unbelievable UFO Sightings: 5 Mind-Blowing Encounters Up Close
Uncovering Kentucky’s Unbelievable UFO Sightings: 5 Mind-Blowing Encounters Up Close
Kentucky is known for many things, such as horse racing and bourbon, but it’s also home to some of the most fascinating UFO sightings in history. From a police UFO showdown to an alleged abduction, these five cases of UFO sightings will leave you wondering about what’s really out there.
Police UFO Showdown
On February 27, 1993, two officers of the Jefferson County air unit were on their routine helicopter patrol when they encountered a glowing pear-shaped object the size of a basketball. The object began flying in circles around the chopper before shooting three baseball-sized fireballs. The officers maneuvered to avoid being hit, momentarily losing control of the helicopter. When they tried to check where the UFO was, it had disappeared. An officer on the ground later confirmed that he too saw the object before it vanished. While some believe it could have been a meteorite or atmospheric conditions, the officers are convinced they encountered a UFO.
Casey County Abduction
On January 6, 1976, three women from Liberty, Kentucky, were driving home when a bright red orb appeared in a clearing ahead of them. The driver lost control of the car, and the UFO almost enveloped them. The women later found themselves at home with two hours missing from their memory. They also had a red irritation mark on the back of their necks and burning eyes. Through hypnosis, they were able to recall seeing shadowy humanoid figures with large heads and wide eyes trying to communicate with them telepathically. The reason for their alleged abduction remains unknown.
On a summer evening in August 1955, Billy Taylor saw a silvery colored flying object cruising through the night sky above a remote farm in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. When he went to tell the Sutton family, who owned the land, they didn’t believe him. Shortly after, their dogs began barking incessantly, and the men went outside armed with a rifle and shotgun. They encountered a small creature with a huge oversized head, arms that extended almost to the ground, and sharp talons on its hands. The creature’s body shimmered in the moonlight, and it had green lizard-like skin. Terrified, the men fired at the creature, but it fled. For the next several hours, more creatures appeared and disappeared. Despite investigations, no one knows exactly what those men saw.
Alien Shootout
The idea of “Little Green Men” comes from what occurred one evening on a remote farm in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on August 21, 1955. Billy Taylor saw a silvery colored flying object cruising through the night sky above the farm. The craft had an exhaust that produced all the colors of the rainbow. Taylor went to tell the Sutton family, but they didn’t believe him. Shortly after, their dogs began barking incessantly, and the men went outside armed with a rifle and shotgun. They encountered a small creature with a huge oversized head, arms that extended almost to the ground, and sharp talons on its hands. The creature’s body shimmered in the moonlight, and it had green lizard-like skin. The men fired at the creature, but it fled. For the next several hours, more creatures appeared and disappeared.
Lee Parish’s Encounter
On January 27, 1977, Lee Parish was driving home from hanging out with his girlfriend when he noticed an object hovering just above the tree line. The object had a perfect rectangular shape and was about 10 feet wide and 40 feet long. Parish felt like he was in a trance and was unable to move throughout the ordeal. After a few minutes, the UFO sped away without making a sound, and Parish found himself at home without a clear recollection of how he got there. Under hypnosis, he described being in a circular white room with three large figures that he instinctively felt were sentient beings but were not human. The figures were a black one, a red one, and a white one. The black one was the tallest and resembled the shape of a shooting target, while the red one was about the same size as Parish. The white one was six-footed and had two appendages and was the leader of the trio. Parish felt like they were trying to tell him telepathically that they were checking his chemical and physiological makeup. Despite some suggesting that Parish could have seen atmospheric conditions, he strongly believes that he was abducted and examined.
These five cases of UFO sightings in Kentucky are fascinating, and while skeptics may dismiss them as make-believe, those who experienced them are convinced that they saw something out of this world. Whether it was a police UFO showdown, an alleged abduction, or a close encounter with sentient beings, these sightings leave us wondering about what’s really out there. Who knows what other stories of UFO sightings may be waiting to be discovered in other states?
Filer’s Files March 15 2023 - Cosmonauts See Angels - PART I
Port Orange, Florida on November 2019
Filer’s Files March 15 2023 - Cosmonauts See Angels - PART I
Major George A. Filer III ret. USAF
New Jersey State Director; V06 2023
MUFON Eastern Region Director
Special reports are: Cosmonauts See Angels in Space, Saturn’s Titan Moon Has Structures, China Spread COVID-19 Around the World, Greska Caron 60, and Strange Craft.
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings were reported over Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky,, Massachusetts, Nevada,, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings were reported over Australia, Canada, Denmark, Eire, South Africa, and England in the United Kingdom.
The Filer Research Institute feels the scientific study of UFOs is for the benefit of humankind and is an important endeavor. The US Air Force and DOD investigated UFOs for more than forty years; and I continue this advanced research. I believe the God of the universe has spread life throughout the cosmos and UFOs are visiting us in ever-increasing numbers.
Forward these files to your friends and neighbors.
Special Projects
Cosmonauts See Angels in Space
Cosmonauts report having seen creatures reminiscent of angels in space. In July 1984, Russian cosmonauts aboard the Soviet space station Salyut 7 were on day 155 of their mission and reported strange lights and beings. According to Commander Oleg Atkov and cosmonauts Vladmir Solovyov and Leonid Kizim, the space station was completely bathed in a mesmerizing orange light. It appeared to enter for a few minutes. The orange light was so bright that it blinded the crew. When their vision returned, each one looked out the portholes for the source of the light, looking specifically for a possible explosion. They knew the saw was more incomprehensible than the orange light Salyut 7 had suffered previous fires, but what the crew
Orange Light and 7 angels
Angels it was only a short while after the arrival of the second crew that the angels revealed themselves again. How could the second crew be suffering from the stress of long term space travel as they had just arrived. No viable explanation has been offered as to why the second sighting occurred.
All of the cosmonauts reported seeing the faces of seven angels who were hovering just outside the space station. They told ground control they were humanoid in appearance (faces and bodies looked human), but they had wings and halos. These beings kept pace with the space station for 10-minutes before vanishing.
Second Appearance
Svetlana Savitskaya, Igor Volk
On day 167, the crew was then joined by another spacecraft: team Svetlana Savitskaya, Igor Volk and Vladimir Dzhanibekov. Shortly after joining then, the Salyut 7 was once again bathed in a warm orange light. Then, like clockwork, they immediately looked out the portholes, and once again, were joined by angelic beings. They were reportedly the size of an “airliner”, according to the cosmonauts. This incident was deemed top secret by the old Soviet Union and the crew was cautioned not to speak of the event publicly. It was only a short while after the arrival of the second crew that the angels revealed themselves again. How could the second crew be suffering from the stress of long term space travel as they had just arrived. No viable explanation has been offered as to why the second sighting occurred.
The Christian Bible, the Book of Revelation 12 describes a past war in heaven between angels led by the Archangel Michael against those led by “the dragon”, identified as the devil or Satan, who was defeated and thrown down to the earth. 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; 8 but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. 9 The huge dragon was thrown out—that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him.
The fallen angels mated with women of earth.
Saturn’s Titan Moon Has Structures
Date of discovery: January 14, 2022 Location of discovery: Saturn Moon Titan Source map:
Scott C. Waring states, “I was going through the Titan moon map, it was hard to see, so I added some sharpening and deepening. Detail soon popped out. I stared at this detail of this maze moving across Titan. Its massive and some compact throughout. Could it be that Titan was not a moon at all, but an ancient space station? The evidence is not enough…I need more first to confirm it. And then it happened, I noticed that this maze was labeled on the Titan map…Ginaz Labyrinths…translated from Latin meaning Ginaz Labyrinth. The Oxford Diction says a labyrinth is a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze. That was the missing piece of evidence I needed. By labeling this Titan area, NASA has actually confessed to these structures existing! Such evidence is undeniable. The radius of Titan is 2,574 km (1600 miles) and that would put the width of this maze at about 70 km (43 miles) and the length to be over 400km long (250). The walls of some parts of the maze vary from .25-.75 km high. (15.5 miles) Now we know why NASA blurs out so much of this moon map. map:
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Energy Department has concluded that the Covid pandemic most likely arose from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report recently provided to the White House and Congress. FBI Director Christopher Wray has said that “the bureau believes Covid-19 most likely originated with moderate confidence by our experts that a Chinese government-controlled the lab. You’re talking about a potential leak from a Chinese government-controlled lab that killed millions of Americans,”
Their report reiterates the same finding in Congressman Chairman McCaul’s Committee of Foreign Affairs report from August 2021, which found a preponderance of the evidence proved the virus was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
On March 3, 2023, The President was asked by reporters about the COVID origin, he turned his back to reporters and jumped on a helicopter to go to Delaware. He previously told all intelligence agencies not to investigate Communist Chinese Covid origin.
Former Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger a who was also a journalist in China from late 1990s and early 2000s for Reuters, told the world that China’s biggest lab, the Wuhan Institute of Virology points to the most credible source of the virus leaking from the lab as an accident or purposely.
“ Mr. Duncan-Smith said: “I was told the US has an ex-scientist whistleblower” from the Wuhan laboratory Institute in America at the moment. “We know COVID is an act of Biological WAR against the world to get rid of Trump and to further Chi Com objective of mass-genocide in USA, UK, and Europe. “We also know that the death rates are not accurate for a variety of reasons and that the Chi Coms and their Quisling Collaborators here in USA and abroad are using COVID HYSTERIA to destroy Liberty.”
There is strong evidenced the Chinese Communist Party’s cover-up of the initial outbreak in Wuhan two years ago and attempts to sabotage the World Health Organization’s inquiry into the origins of the pandemic make the lab-leak theory likely. Lord Ridley, who has co-authored a book on the origin of the virus with Dr. Chan, said the fact that experts have still not found the animal host that would support a natural origin despite two years of research supports claim that COVID came from a lab. Recent revelations of China’s attempted cover-up have forced British and US intelligence officials to take seriously the lab-leak hypothesis.National Institutes of Health
Bio Warfare Major General Chen Wei
China’s official reaction has added fuel to the fires of suspicion. In mid-February, Major General Chen Wei, in the People’s Liberation Army and a leading biological weapons expert at the Academy of Military Science, was appointed to take the helm at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. She directed making the virus into a bio warfare weapon and spreading it around the world.
U.S. intelligence agencies recently increased their knowledge of China’s covert biological weapons program with the help of a second defector from the People’s Liberation Army. The defector escaped from China and traveled to Europe, where he is under the protection of a European Government Security Service’s. The PLA defector believes that Chinese intelligence has penetrated the U.S. Government to a great degree and is therefore wary of cooperating with the CIA and other spy agencies.
The defector has provided some information about China’s biological army’s program that has reached the U.S. government.
The COVID -19 has killed more than a million Americans , so the Chinese plan has been successful. China as of 29 December 2021, there have been 131,315 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 5,699 deaths, reported to WHO.
According to US intelligence sources, the People’s Liberation Military have an offensive biological weapons program since 1984. Biological weapons include viruses and toxins that can be used to kill or disable. Communist mission has always been to destroy democracy and this virus has killed millions worldwide. The Washington Times quoted a senior Trump administration official in May alleging that China is engaged in a covert biological weapons program that includes building arms capable of attacking ethnic groups the pathogens.
India is now the second country to surpass seven million corona virus cases and more than half million deaths after the United States as of May 19, 2020.
Wuhan
The origin of COVID-19—a virus with a death toll surpassing one million Americans and then seven million globally—is a question that must be answered. Discovering the origin is vital to providing accountability and protecting Americans in the future. Mounting evidence points to the virus originating from a leak deliberate spreading from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Eco-Health Alliance, a U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) grantee, awarded taxpayer funds to the WIV to conduct gain of function research on bat coronaviruses – research that may have started the pandemic. The disease was designed to spread quickly faster than a natural disease would spread. The official message from Chiba where the virus started is the “heroic city of Wuhan” is back to normal and back in business, as of May 2020. its schools and tourist sites reopened and its enterprises running at full capacity
Hundreds of Thousands of Chinese leave Wuhan and carry COVID-19 around the world
Once COVID-19 was in the Wuhan population they were forbidden to travel to any place in China. Hundreds of thousands of Wuhan Chinese were sent around the world to spread the virus. Why is COVID-19 not being treated as a bio-weapon when our top generals and admirals know differently, as well as Nobel Prize-winning biologists, intelligence analysts, authoritative academics? The unusually fast spread of the disease suggests the Chinese were spreading the disease with biological warfare aerosol containers, or even spraying from aircraft
Congressional Committee of Foreign Affairs
Republicans on the Congressional Committee of Foreign Affairs have unearthed emails revealing that top virologists warned Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy, and Infectious Diseases, that the virus appeared to be genetically engineered and pointed to a lab leak in Wuhan. The emails reveal that Dr. Fauci and former NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins may have colluded with scientists to downplay the unsecure lab leak theory for their preferred narrative of natural origin in Wuhan. The lab had only security level 2 when level 4 was required for worst geo-engineered virus in the world. We know Eco Health Alliance acted as a middleman, improperly funneling thousands of U.S. taxpayer dollars to the Wuhan lab to conduct risky gain-of-function research on bat corona viruses which likely started the pandemic. Dr. Fauci was alerted early on that COVID-19 had markings of a manipulated virus yet may have chosen to cover it up instead of blowing the whistle. Chinese officials and news outlets have floated that the United States was the source of the virus. While the US claimed the epidemic began with the leak of a Chinese biological weapon.
This announcement suggests that 8,364,977 or over 8 million people in Wuhan and 3 million military personnel had received a vaccination by May of 2020 a year before a vaccine was approved for the U.S. for Covid-19 according to Chinese Government announcements. On December 11, 2020, the U.S. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has been available.
The best medical facilities worldwide took eleven to twelve months additional to develop a similar vaccine proving the Chinese were working on the vaccine a year earlier in May or June of 2019. Prior to taking the virus around the world the key important people were given the vaccine that had been developed at an early date. The Chimes military of almost three million had also received vaccine by May suggesting the vaccine was likely available to key people in China and perhaps in the US since the winter of 2019. It seems odd few major Democrat leaders came down with COVID until President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time on July 22, 2022. On January 9, 2022 China reported 103,000 cases that increased to 503,000 cases and 5, 272 deaths by February 2023 with a new COVID Omicron variation.
President Biden Chairmn Xi
Supreme Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in order to “to strengthen areas of weakness and close the loopholes exposed by the epidemic,” ordered the establishment of a law on bio security to prevent release of any COVID data. (Xinhua News 2020). These remarks were taken by some commentators in the West as a tacit admission of the lab origins of the virus. The People’s Republic of China, yet from the beginning, China has worked to prevent international investigators from accessing it.
China has a surprisingly low level of COVID-19 disease among its people that started in Wuhan lab than has not spread to Shanghai or Beijing its largest cities. I suggest they were prepared with the vaccine indicating there was a plan to release the decease around the world and disrupt Trump being reelected. It is well known the Biden’s were weal liked in China and with the strongest economy in the world Trump was picked to have an easy win. In the 18 months since, more than 14,886 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in China and only four people have died, according to the China National Health Commission. China developed their vaccine a year before the United States showing their preparation for managing the virus. Deaths from COVID-19 seven million 6,808,754 worldwide.
It is COVID-19 was designed to targets most people but making the Chinese immune or showing only minimal or no symptoms, yet it would be fatal to the intended targets. Most of the Chinese population had received billions of vaccinations by July of 2020 and seemed to have a natural immunit.y
General Robert Spalding
Brigadier General Robert Spalding lived in China for several years and shares how China took over while America’s Elite Slept, He was interviewed about his book,” Stealth War” that not all wars are violent. General Spalding told how Chinese Communist Party worked behind the scene to undermine the United States by co-opting our elite people and paying large sums of money to many like Hunter Biden. General Spalding lived in China and spoke Chinese for three years and assumed the duties of Special Assistant to the U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff in February 2018. He states, “Daily the Communist propaganda media reminds the Chinese they are at war with the U.S. and everything should be done to destroy the U.S.”
General and Dr. Robert states, “We have already provided them with our advanced technology in aviation, missiles, nuclear weapons, military, and economic leadership with Confucius Institutes who was a Chinese philosopher. There is shocking success in infiltrating American institutions and compromising our national security. Spalding Shares How China took over while America’s elite and made many billionaires and millionaires. How China expert Spalding fluent in Mandarin. reveals the shocking success China has had infiltrating American institutions and compromising our national security. The Chinese during COVID-19 did not allow travel from Wuhan, China into China, but encouraged over 5 million people to travel from Wuhan to all other parts of the world with Covid killing millions.
The COVID-19is was not the first serious disease from China. A Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS 2) in February 2003.is a viral respiratory illness.. an early version of a COVID-19 geo-engineered to spread rapidly Allegedly it escaped from a military laboratory causing thousands of deaths in China. The mounting death toll exacted by SARS in China has triggered speculation that the virus could ultimately be traced back to a leak from military bio-weapon programmers. The illness spread to more than two dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia before the SARS global outbreak of 2003 was contained. The most recent human cases of SARS-CoV infection were reported in China in April 2004 in an outbreak resulting from laboratory-acquired infections killing 800 people in China
Although most reports favor a natural origin for SARIS as a bio-weapon link should not be ruled out, according to Mr. Richard Fisher, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, a Washington-based think-tank. Antibody (CBL-rAb-1570FY), is effective for treatment of SARs. ‘SARs is likely the basis for the latest COVID-19 virus according to Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng.
Ms. Stephanie Lieggi, an East Asia expert at the California-based Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, said: ‘The new COVID-19 is likely a much stronger version of SARS. But it is exactly the innocuous nature of SARS that could make it militarily useful for someone wanting to sow panic and prompt political instability”
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Chinese General’s Control Most Businesses
China’s State Council Information Office claims that in China, the Communist Government controls everything and most businesses are run by military generals. Few things such as the spread of a major disease around the world are accidental. According to the official discourse, due to the “strong leadership” of the Communis Party-government and the “huge sacrifice” made by Chinese people, China has achieved “great success” in containing COVID-19 . Such success becomes even more remarkable when compared to the inept response of most Western countries that claim to have much better medical personnel and facilities.
The low Chinese deaths are strong evidence of Biological Warfare. It is only way China could keep the cases and deaths so low compared to the rest of the world. Part of the concept of biological warfare is not to kill your own people. I suggest China developed both the virus and its vaccine well before the end of 2019 and deliberately spread it throughout the world.
Here is how the small teams of biological warfare spread the virus around the world using some fifty state run airlines and thousands of planes that fly around the world. Chinas Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines, show significant capacity growth. The airports are also government owned so that airport personnel and airline aircrews could be vaccinated early before the spread o the virus.
The airlines say they fully cooperate with the Central Epidemic Command Center’s that manages corona virus regulations. This includes flight personnel using individual passageways after landing and ferrying them to quarantine hotels with assigned cars (CECC, 中央流行疫情指揮中心), After bringing virus infected people overseas the aircrews are quarantined to make sure they don’t bring the virus back to China.
Comac C919A
China built the Comac C919 features Cfm Leap-1C engines and can seat up to 168 passengers. The jet is targeted at ending the monopoly of Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. The air in the aircraft can be contaminated with the germs carrying the virus to the passengers nose, eyes and mouth in the aircraft. Days later they passed the disease on to various countries personnel after landing.,
The Biological Warfare Organization could have been a small secret group with access to the aircraft heading worldwide with flights of tourists or businessmen. These passengers spread the disease not realizing they were e now carriers.
Six Seats Across for 168 Total Seats
Passengers leaving China going to dozens of world airports could be infected with the corona virus through the aircraft’s air system. Aircrew would likely have received the vaccine in late 20019. Once tourists are aboard the aircraft it would be fairly simple to infect them with the virus through the aircraft air system. Thousands of infected Chinese tourists then spread the disease throughout the world.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness? Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19, fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath ,or difficulty breathing. Fatigue, muscle congestion or runny nose, or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, and Diarrhea.
‘Italy was one of the first countries outside China to report the disease and claimed a Chinese tourist was taken ill in a Rome hospital. Flights into Italy in November and December. 2.6September 2020–October 2020: Arrival of the second wave/ Italy claims 25,603,510 Covid cases and 188,322 deaths:
The virus was first confirmed to have spread to Italy on 31 January 2020, when two Chinese tourists in Rome tested positive for the virus. One week later an Italian man repatriated back to Italy from the city of Wuhan, China, was hospitalized and confirmed as the third case in Italy.[4] On 31 January 2020, the Italian government suspended all flights to and from China and declared a state of emergency. In February, eleven municipalities in northern Italy were identified as the center’s of the two main Italian clusters and placed under quarantine. The majority of positive cases in other regions traced back to these two clusters.[11]
China rejected demands for an international investigation after the Trump administration blamed Beijing for the virus’s spread, and stopped flights from China on January 19, 2020, which plunged the global economy into its deepest slump since the 1930s. After Australia called in April for an independent inquiry, Beijing retaliated by blocking imports of Australian beef, wine, and other goods. It is apparent they were hiding the virus spreading information.
Numerous former U.S. companies are now owned by China such as ANC Movie Theaters, Smithfield Foods, Motorola, GE Appliances, Numerous hotels and chains. Large farms are being purchased thru out the U.S. Many U.S government officials and university professors are spies for the Chinese. The Chinese spread their vaccine over the summer to Arab oil company worker’s to keep the flow of oil intact. The worker knew the vaccine maker was China National Biotech Group .— part of the state-owned pharmaceutical group Sino harm.
The Chinese gave the vaccine to thousands of people in the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Morocco and other countries to protect oil workers and gain favor. It is likely the vaccine was given secretly to high ranking personnel in China before the actual outbreak and the spread of the disease was initiated around the world.
COVID-19 vaccines. All China’s. Medical workers and employees of state-owned companies working abroad were soon included in an “emergency use” program received their vaccinations by June. None of the vaccine has been offered to the West including the United States except for possibly key friends of China. While key leaders in the US, UK, France, Italy, and Spain have gotten sick none of the key leaders in China’s military nor government leaders have gotten sick suggesting they developed a vaccine at least a year before the US. which is the mark of a biological weapon. Vaccines normally take several years to develop.
Dr Li Meng-Yan
Dr Li Meng-Yan, who defected to the US after claiming she was being muzzled by China, She stated, “I need everyone to understand this is very critical for all of us.” She was lucky to escape once she found the weapon system. She published a report alleging the virus was created in a lab. Dr Li Meng-Yan, who defected to the US after claiming she was being muzzled by China, published a report alleging the virus was created in a lab. The virologist claims lives could have been saved if the Chinese government hadn’t censored her work
Dr Yan is formerly a specialist at Hong Kong’s School of Public Health who said her supervisor first asked her to investigate a new “SARIS-like” virus in Wuhan on December 31 — but claims her efforts were later stifled.
After reportedly being told she would “disappear” if she spoke out, she fled to the United States. She wrote that the“COVID-19 could have beenconveniently created” within a lab setting over a period of just six months. She adds: “SARS-CoV-2 shows biological characteristics that are inconsistent with a naturally occurring, zoometric virus.”
Dr Li Meng-Yan has previously claims Beijing tried to silence anyone who attempted to raise the alarm when the virus first broke out and vowed to publish proof the virus was made in a lab in Wuhan. Allegedly she is afraid of the Chinese Police Stations in the U.S. that frequently arrest people.
Editor’s Note As a former intelligence officer who fought Communism, I believe China developed COVID-19 and its vaccine at least a year ahead of us and decided to spread it around the world. The Chinese Weather Control continues has snow storms continue to enter California, Thanks to Experian and the Daily Mail
Strange Craft
The True Story of an Air Force Intelligence Officer’s Life with UFOs
U.S. Air Force Major George Filer belongs to the generation of pilots and aviators who first became aware of the strange aircraft showing up in the Earth’s atmosphere after World War II. These men – military professionals who flew planes, or served as radar operators and air traffic controllers at airfields around the world – began to whisper amongst themselves about encounters with suspected extraterrestrial aircraft.
During secret debriefings at U.S. bases, pilots and air crew told their commanders of seeing UFOs off their plane’s wings. Award-winning investigative author John Guerra spent four years interviewing Filer, a decorated intelligence officer.
From objects in the skies over Cold War Europe to a UFOs during the Cuban Missile Crisis to lights over the DMZ in Vietnam Filer leaves nothing out about his Air Force UFO encounters,
Filer’s most memorable case – the shooting of an alien at Fort Dix Army Base in 1978 – is fully recounted for the first time in this book. As a member of the Disclosure Project, military experts, astronauts, and scientists urge the U.S. government to release all it knows about UFOs to the public.
Filer describes his UFO encounters in this incredible book, by John L. Guerra.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:FILER FILES - overzicht met foto's met dank aan Georges Filer en WWW.nationalUFOCenter.com (ENG)
Filer’s Files March 15 2023 - Cosmonauts See Angels - PART II
Port Orange, Florida on November 2019
Filer’s Files March 15 2023 - Cosmonauts See Angels - PART II
Major George A. Filer III ret. USAF
New Jersey State Director; V06 2023
MUFON Eastern Region Director
Special reports are: Cosmonauts See Angels in Space, Saturn’s Titan Moon Has Structures, China Spread COVID-19 Around the World, Greska Caron 60, and Strange Craft.
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings were reported over Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky,, Massachusetts, Nevada,, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings were reported over Australia, Canada, Denmark, Eire, South Africa, and England in the United Kingdom.
The Filer Research Institute feels the scientific study of UFOs is for the benefit of humankind and is an important endeavor. The US Air Force and DOD investigated UFOs for more than forty years; and I continue this advanced research. I believe the God of the universe has spread life throughout the cosmos and UFOs are visiting us in ever-increasing numbers.
Forward these files to your friends and neighbors.
UFO Sightings in the United States
Sightings are from MUFON CMS
Alabama Light
Hazel green on MAY 1, 2021, 30, 2022, big sighting of changing shape.
Arizona Object
Saw this on Vets Day November 11, 2022, came down like a balloon of sort then changed into a sphere .
California Object
Chula Vistaon 3rd of February, 2023 at 0946 hours, while at work, I, along with two co-workers, observed a black triangular shaped craft with tail slowly ascending about 500 feet above us
Florida Object
Port Orangeon November 20, 2019, numerous triangular and circular objects fill my skies starting the week
Naval Air Station Key West, on January 9, 2023 UFO over water. Similar photo on January , 2023, 7, 2022
Kentucky Light
Russell on March 9 , 2023, looked like a moon impersonation but in the background the moon was captured in photo on my Galaxy 8+ cell phone. In half second it approached reversed and the disappeared
Massachusetts Disc
On March 1, 2023, noiseless circular object above me with amber circle ,see attached sketch
Minnesota Lights
On March 5, 2023, I have pictures and video of objects that I cannot identify.
Nevada Lights
Las Vegas? on March 2, 2023, I witnessed a set of hovering lights that suddenly turned off, followed by a transparent cloud. The next day I recorded then again.
New Jersey Objects
Ocean Cityon September 26, 2022., I noticed a flying object. They are not noticeable by the human eye, only when you go to slow down the video.
Vinelandon February 17, 2023, looking closely at the pictures, I thought it might be rain r on my window. The craft may have gone behind a cloud then emerged. Several photos show the disc,
New York Lights
Ballston Spa on February 1, 2023, one started out slow, sped up, and split into two and three.
North Carolina Light
Charlotte on April 4, 2022, I have captured 300images and videos of UFO space crafts and image of aliens. with craft I’m currently creating a book of just photos.!
Ohio Object
Clevelandon February 26, 2023, at 6:30 PM. near Hopkins airport I observed 5 small streaks of light, Objects at 10 , 11, 12, , 1, and 2 o’clock. The objects at 1 and 2 o’clock flew towards Lake Erie.
Oregon Lights
Myrtle Creekon March 1, 2023, lights moved to left quickly.
My home video camera on February 28, 2023, captured videos of a black orb near clouds. National Guard F 15 was doing maneuvers that day over the ocean.
Pennsylvania Object
Broomall in August 18, 2017, at 9:p.m. I was standing outside and beautifully lighting up the nighttime sky in looking I saw a V shaped object that was stationary become illuminated by the flash.
Worldwide UFO Sightings
Australia Lights
Katoomba on January 14, 2023, at 6:41 pm captured a video, of a bright round glowing UFO above the Blue Mountains moving, and blinking in a straight line, before an extended ‘glow up, and accelerating away.
Canada Light
Port Hope on February 24, 2023, went out to take a photo, went out to take a pic from another direction, it was gone/
Denmark Light
Odense C on March 1, 2023, UAP; looks weird geometrical orb, changing colors. Strobe like light, camera had a hard time focusing on it, Stationary for at least 30 minutes.
Eire Light
Claremore on November 22, 2022, bright discs hovering in the sky.
South Africa Light
Upington, Northern Cape on March 8, 2023, it spins and make short abrupt changes at quick speed as if mapping out something. It was moving from left to right, right to left it seemed to reflect red and blue light and spinning all the time.
UK/England Object
London on March 1, 2023, I was at a construction site and could see a sphere coming from behind a building and flying between two changing shape for a second.
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Filer’s Files salutes our fighting men and women Georgie Filer and Eddie Pedrick my grandsons who both drowned. These files could not be published without the help of my beloved wife who cooks, cleans, washes, etc., and manages the finances. We pray that God will bless those who read these files spiritually.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) participates in a meeting of the House Oversight and Reform Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on January 31, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Recovered UFO technology may be "being reverse-engineered right now," Burchett told Newsweek.
GETTY IMAGES/KEVIN DIETSCH
Recovered UFO technology may be "being reverse-engineered right now," but we "don't understand" how it functions, according to a U.S. congressman.
Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett told Newsweek that he believed "we have recovered a craft at some point, and possible beings."
In early February, four objects were shot down over North America in quick succession. The first was identified by thePentagonas a Chinese surveillance balloon and was shot down off the coast of South Carolina. China has stated it was a civilian airship collecting meteorological data.
The Defense Department has not confirmed the nature of the remaining three objects, which weretargeted by U.S. fighter jet missilesover Alaska, Canada, and Lake Huron, Michigan.
On February 14, the White House said intelligence officials were "considering as a leading explanation that these could be tied to commercial or research entities and benign." President Biden added on February 16 that "these three objects were most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation, or research institutions studying weather or conducting other scientific research."
On February 13, White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, told the media that there was "no indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity," adding she "wanted to make sure that the American people knew that."
The unidentified objects prompted waves of fresh speculation about what UFOs may be, what kind of risk they could pose, and what may come next. This has come not just from political spheres, but also from director Steven Spielberg, who suggested to writer and hostStephen Colbertlast week that "it's mathematically impossible that we are the only intelligent species in the cosmos."
"I think what has been coming out recently is fascinating," Spielberg added.
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy said, following a classified briefing on the objects last month, it was "clear to me this is not a recent phenomenon."
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed on February 13 that President Biden had ordered an "interagency team" to investigate the "broader policy implications for detection, analysis, and disposition of unidentified aerial objects that pose either safety or security risks."
We will likely see a rise in reported UFO sightings going forward, Burchett told Newsweek. In mid-January, the Office for the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) published a report on UFO, or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), sightings.
There had been a total of 510 UAP sightings recorded in the 2022 report, and overall sightings had jumped by 366 since the previously published report. It included new sightings since the previous report, as well as ones that were "either discovered or reported late."
Just over half of the new sightings were deemed "unremarkable," but of the 171 remaining sightings, some "appear to have demonstrated unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities, and require further analysis," according to the report.
Ronald Moultrie, under secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, said on December 16, 2022, that U.S. intelligence had not come across anything "that would lead us to believe that any of the objects that we have seen are of alien origin."
The Department of Defense declined to comment via email.
Analysis Confirms Successful Artemis I Moon Mission, Reviews Continue
Analysis Confirms Successful Artemis I Moon Mission, Reviews Continue
NASA’s uncrewed Artemis I flight test proved the agency’s deep space rocket, spacecraft, and the ground systems needed for launch and recovery are ready to fly astronauts on missions to the Moon. Since the 2022 flight, engineers have extensively reviewed data to confirm initial observations from the successful mission of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on its 1.4 million-mile mission beyond the Moon.
“We’re learning as much as we possibly can from Artemis I to ensure we fully understand every aspect of our systems and feed those lessons learned into how we plan for and fly crewed missions,” said Jim Free, NASA associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. “Safely flying crew is our top priority for Artemis II.”
Space Launch System
Both initial and more comprehensive analysis of the SLS rocket’s debut flight show the rocket flew as designed and with precision, with all of its systems meeting, and in many cases exceeding, performance expectations. Following a near-perfect trans-lunar injection burn, the rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion successfully separated, delivering Orion to its initial target orbit and then on a trajectory toward the Moon.
Exploration Ground Systems
Engineers with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems program completed detailed assessments of the mobile launcher shortly after launch. Although the launcher sustained more damage than initially expected from the 8.8 million pounds of thrust generated at liftoff by the rocket, work already is underway to repair damaged components in tandem with planned upgrades in preparation for Artemis II, the first flight with astronauts that will send the crew.
Mobile launcher damage included corrosion to pneumatic, or air-filled, and cryogenic fueling lines, detached welds on tubing, approximately 60 broken panels and cabinets with instrumentation, and destruction to several elevators and blast shields, which are currently being repaired. Modifications to the mobile launcher to support future Artemis missions are underway and on track, including incorporating elements to support an emergency egress systems at the launch pad.
Orion Spacecraft
Teams also are extensively reviewing more than 155 gigabytes of Orion data to confirm the spacecraft’s successful performance during its journey nearly 270,000 miles beyond the Moon and farther than any spacecraft built for humans has flown.
Orion accomplished 161 test objectives to fully demonstrate every aspect of the spacecraft, including 20 objectives added mid-flight. Data shows the European-built service module generated 20% more power than initial expectations and consumed about 25% less power than predicted. All the spacecraft’s dynamic separation events, such as separation of the launch abort system during ascent and parachute deployment during landing -- which involved 375 pyrotechnic devices total -- were completed without issue. Splashdown, which was moved 300 miles south due to poor weather, occurred 2.4 miles from the target landing spot, well within requirements.
Upon return to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, avionics components earmarked for reuse on Artemis II were removed and refurbished for integration, including phased array antennas, a vision processing unit, GPS receivers, and inertial measurement units. All Artemis I avionics components have been integrated into the Artemis II crew module.
NASA also is more closely examining data for two observations from the flight. Engineers noted variations across the appearance of Orion’s heat shield in which the ablative material that helps protect the capsule from the extreme heat of reentry wore away differently than predicted.
Technicians examine Orion's heat shield as part of post-flight analysis. £
Credit: NASA.
Post-flight inspection shows a significant amount of original Avcoat material remained on Orion. Thermal protection system experts have correlated the timing of descent through the atmosphere with data from hundreds of sensors as well as gathered imagery and video. Teams are assessing this set of data to understand the phenomenon.
Experts also continue to assess an issue seen during the flight where latching current limiters switched open without commanding several times throughout the mission. These switches, which are circuit breaker-like devices that are part of a power conditioning and distribution unit responsible for taking power generated by the solar arrays and preparing it for distribution to systems, help control power to components in the service module. Engineers are reviewing flight data to understand the source of the issue and plan to conduct testing in a flight-like configuration.
Progress Toward Artemis II
While work is underway to understand every issue, NASA is making progress assembling, testing, and processing the elements for Artemis II ahead of the late 2024 mission. The heat shield will be attached to the crew module in May, and the crew module and service module will then be connected ahead of integrated testing. The SLS solid rocket booster motor segments and core stage will be shipped to Kennedy later this year, after the engine section and RS-25 engines are connected to the rest of the already-complete stage. Teams expect to transport the mobile launcher to launch pad 39B this summer for testing, including evaluation of the emergency egress capability needed for Artemis II. The recovery team, along with personnel from the Department of Defense, recently completed rigorous testing of a new crew module test article in support of Artemis II efforts and will conduct open water recovery testing in the coming months to ensure the crew on board are quickly and safely removed from the spacecraft.
Archaeology Enigmas: Four Mystery Doors That Should Never be Opened (Video)
Archaeology Enigmas: Four Mystery Doors That Should Never be Opened (Video)
Archaeology is a field that is constantly searching for new discoveries and secrets buried deep in the past. Some of the most intriguing archaeological mysteries involve doors that have remained sealed for decades or even centuries. These doors hold the potential to reveal hidden treasures and long-lost secrets, but they also pose a challenge to archaeologists who must figure out how to open them without damaging what lies inside.
Take, for example, the Taj Mahal in India. This iconic building is not only a symbol of eternal love but also a place shrouded in mystery. Hidden behind numerous sealed doors are rooms that have remained untouched for centuries. Similarly, the Great Sphinx of Giza , the largest monolith statue in the world, has revealed two rectangular chambers hidden beneath its paws, discovered using a seismograph. These hidden chambers are a testament to the potential secrets that lie beneath the surface of even the most well-known archaeological sites.
The quest to uncover the secrets of these sealed doors continues to fascinate archaeologists and the public alike. As technology improves and new methods of exploration are developed, there is hope that we may one day unlock the mysteries hidden behind these doors and gain a deeper understanding of our past. Until then, the sealed doors of the Taj Mahal, the Great Sphinx, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple , and the tomb of Qin Shi Huang remain tantalizing enigmas for the world of archaeology to unravel.
Top image: Old locked gate closed to a large castle.
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) is the mystery everyone wants to solve. Although it has been 80 years since the UFO sightings began to be recorded, no one has a perfect explanation of what or who is behind them. After the significant contribution of the UFO community, it has finally become the mainstream topic and has been discussed in Congress, which makes the phenomenon a serious problem.
Avi Loeb, an astronomer and professor at Harvard, is among the few greatest minds who have boldly challenged the whole scientific community by presenting his theories on extraterrestrials (or alien probes) that might have visited Earth. Dr. Loeb has recently presented a paper, stating the concept of some UFOs being small probes from an alien mothership (such as Oumuamua).
In the paper “Physical Constraints On Unidentified Aerial Phenomena,” co-authored with Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, Director of All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office Pentagon, Dr. Loeb describes physical constraints on interpretations of “highly maneuverable” UAPs, using known forms of matter and radiation.
According to the study, the friction of UAPs with surrounding air or water is expected to generate a bright optical fireball, ionization shell, and tail, implying radio signatures. The lack of these signatures could indicate inaccurate distance measurements for single-site sensors without range gate capability.
Dr. Leob explains NASA was tasked by the US Congress to find 90% of all Near Earth Objects (NEOs) that are larger than 140 meters, resulting in the creation of the Pan-STARRS telescopes. In 2017, an unusual NEO named “Oumuamua” was discovered, which raised the possibility that it was thin and artificial in origin.
Later, NASA discovered a definitely artificial object, the rocket booster 2020 SO, which exhibited similar behavior with an extreme shape, a push by the Solar radiation pressure and no cometary tail because its thin walls were made of stainless steel. The coincidences between the orbital parameters of “Oumuamua” and an interstellar meteor called “IM2” inspired the possibility that an artificial interstellar object could release many small probes during its close passage to Earth. These probes could reach Earth or other Solar system planets for exploration, and would be undetectable for existing survey telescopes but could be detected by deep space radars and space fences.
“These ‘dandelion seeds’ could be separated from the parent craft by the tidal gravitational force of the Sun or by a maneuvering capability. A small ejection speed far away could lead to a large deviation from the trajectory of the parent craft near the Sun. The changes would manifest both in arrival time and distance of closest approach to Earth.
With proper design, these tiny probes would reach the Earth or other Solar system planets for exploration, as the parent craft passes by within a fraction of the Earth-Sun separation, just like ‘Oumuamua’ did. Astronomers would not be able to notice the spray of mini-probes because they do not reflect enough sunlight for existing survey telescopes to notice them if they are on the 10 cm scale of CubeSats or smaller.”
In an interview with Tim Ventura, Dr. Loeb discusses the possibility of some unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) being probes sent by alien civilizations. He mentions Oumuamua, and another object that came close to Earth with a similar speed and distance, but ultimately did not come from the right direction to be associated with Oumuamua.
He suggests a scenario where a “Mothership” releases small probes to explore habitable planets with liquid water and nutrients for fuel. He proposes that UAP may be such probes, using a parachute to slow down in the Earth’s atmosphere and pursue their goals.
Dr. Loeb suggests his “dandelion seeds” could be “Universal Assemblers,” a species of self-replicating probes in physicist John Von Neumann’s theory. These probes might be the most abundant in interstellar space, as they could multiply exponentially in time by using the raw materials available on habitable planets throughout the galaxy, according to von Neumann.
Dr. Loeb asserted that by the following decade, we could find a functional device from another technological civilization. “We should at the very least search our “backyard” in the Solar system for artifacts from our neighbors. Some of these objects may be intelligent, while others will burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere,” he said.
“It is likely that any functional devices embedded in the Earth’s atmosphere are not carrying biological entities because these would not survive the long journey through interstellar space and its harsh conditions, including bombardment by energetic cosmic-rays, X-rays and gamma-rays.”
The collaboration between the two scientists was the product of an initial conversation with Dr. Kirkpatrick, who wrote to Dr. Loeb asking if they could meet while he was visiting near Harvard. The Debrief notes Dr. Kirkpatrick is privy to classified information collected by the U.S. intelligence community on unidentified aerial objects, but that this information was not referenced in the paper he co-authored with Loeb.
Dr. Loeb is also the head of the Galileo Project, an initiative aimed at searching for signs of extraterrestrial technology and studying UAP. He assures that his Galileo Project would have transparency in sharing its progress with the public and that nothing would be classified. In September 2022, he stated that by 2023, the Galileo Project would publish all its data on natural, artificial, ad extraterrestrial objects.
The announcement of the Galileo Project came shortly after the Pentagon made public its UFO footage in 2021. At the time, Dr. Loeb said: “What we see in our sky is not something that politicians or military personnel should interpret, because they were not trained as scientists, it’s for the science community to figure out.”
Dr. Loeb believed that the discovery of equipment from extraterrestrial civilizations would have a profound impact on humanity. His Galileo Project will search for such relics near Earth.
In his interview with Curt Jaimungal from TOE, Dr. Loeb confirmed that the Galileo Project began testing a suite of instruments that would observe the sky and analyze the data with artificial intelligence algorithms.
He further stated that “hopefully by 2023, we’ll start collecting data at places where there are reports on these [UAP] objects. That’s the third branch of the Galileo projects, we’re already doing this research and we should see it’s a phishing Expedition.”
On November 10, 2021, Dr. Loeb attended The Ignatius Forum at the Washington National Cathedral along with Jeff Bezos, Bill Nelson, and Avril Haines, the Director of National Intelligence. He had an opportunity to ask Haines about her thoughts on the nature of UAPs, to which she unhesitatingly replied that she does not know.
The government’s handling of unidentified aerial phenomena has left the Harvard professor dissatisfied, prompting him to encourage scientists to get involved. According to him, the sky itself is not classified, only the sensors used by the government to collect data, which is why it remains classified. The Galileo Project aims to create an open data stream accessible to everyone, similar to the way science is conducted. The data will be of high quality and available to the public.
The Ancient ‘Computer’ That Simply Shouldn’t Exist (Video)
The Ancient ‘Computer’ That Simply Shouldn’t Exist (Video)
When we think of ancient technology, we often imagine simple tools and primitive machinery. But what if we told you that over 2,000 years ago, the ancient Greeks had built the world’s oldestcomputer? That's right, we're talking about the Antikytheramechanism , a complex device discovered in a shipwreck off the coast of Greece in 1901.
This incredible machine contained a system of gears and cogs that was able to predict astronomical positions and eclipses with incredible accuracy. It's no wonder that some have called it the world's first computer, a marvel of engineering that was centuries ahead of its time. The Antikythera mechanism is a reminder that even in the ancient world, there were minds that were capable of incredible feats of technology and innovation.
Top image: Artistic rendering of the Antikythera mechanism, the oldest analogue computer.
A Distant Galaxy Ate All of its Friends. Now It’s All Alone
Composite image of a lonely galaxy containing a supermassive black hole, two jets, and an X-ray hotspot, all surrounded by hot gas. Credit: NASA MSFC/SAO/Chandra
A Distant Galaxy Ate All of its Friends. Now It’s All Alone
Over 13 billion years ago, the first galaxies in the Universe formed. They were elliptical, with intermediate black holes (IMBHs) at their centers surrounded by a halo of stars, gas, and dust. Over time, these galaxies evolved by flattening out into disks with a large bulge in the middle. They were then drawn together by mutual gravitational attraction to form galaxy clusters, massive collections that comprise the large-scale cosmic structure. This force of attraction also led to mergers, where galaxies and their central black holes came together to create larger spiral galaxies with central supermassive black holes (SMBHs).
This process of mergers and assimilation (and their role in galactic evolution) is still a mystery to astronomers today since much of it took place during the early Universe, which is still very difficult to observe with existing telescopes. Using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the International Gemini Observatory, an international team of astronomers observed a lone distant galaxy that appears to have consumed all of its former companions. Their findings, which recently appeared in The Astrophysical Journal, suggest galaxies in the early Universe grew faster than previously thought.
X-ray data obtained by Chandra (left) and optical data from the Gemini Observatory (right) of galaxy 3C 297. Credit: NASA MSFC/Chandra/SAO
The team reported the unexpected discovery of a solo galaxy (3C 297) about 9.2 billion light-years away. They also noted that it contained a quasar at its center and powerful jets (bright in the radio spectrum) emanating from its poles. The environment of this galaxy appears to have several key features of a galaxy cluster; nevertheless, the galaxy appears to be alone. As Missaglia said in a Harvard-Chandra press release, “It seems that we have a galaxy cluster that is missing almost all of its galaxies,” she said. “We expected to see at least a dozen galaxies about the size of the Milky Way, yet we see only one.”
Missaglia and her colleagues noted three features associated with galaxy clusters based on the Chandra data. First, the X-ray data revealed that 3C 297 is surrounded by large quantities of high-temperature gas (tens of millions of degrees) – something rarely seen outside of galaxy clusters. Second, the relativistic jet streaming from its SMBH created a bright X-ray source about 140,000 light-years away, which implied it had pushed through gas surrounding the galaxy. Third, one of the radio jets appeared bent, indicating it was interacting with its surroundings.
This last finding was previously observed based on data collected by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). But when the team consulted their data from the Gemini Observatory, they noticed that none of the 19 galaxies that appeared close to 3C 297 were actually at the same distance. Said co-author Juan Madrid, an assistant professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley:
“The question is, what happened to all of these galaxies? We think the gravitational pull of the one large galaxy combined with interactions between the galaxies was too strong, and they merged with the large galaxy. For these galaxies, apparently, resistance was futile.”
While the authors cannot rule out the possibility of dwarf galaxies located around 3C 297, their presence would still not explain why no larger galaxies are nearby. In addition, they anticipate that 3C 297 will spend several billion years on its own before it gains any large galactic companions (like M87 and the Virgo Cluster). While it is not clear how 3C 297 ended up on its own in a cluster-like environment, the team theorizes that it could be a “fossil group” – the end stage of a galaxy merging with several others.
While many other fossil groups have been detected before, at 9.2 billion light-years distant, this one is the most distant ever seen. The previous record holders for fossil groups were 4.9 and 7.9 billion light-years away (respectively). “It may be challenging to explain how the universe can create this system only 4.6 billion years after the Big Bang,” said co-author Mischa Schirmer of the MPIA. “This doesn’t break our ideas of cosmology, but it begins to push the limits on how quickly both galaxies and galaxy clusters must have formed.”
Don’t Panic Over the Risk of an Asteroid Smashup in 2046
A visualization from NASA's "Eyes on Asteroids" app shows asteroid 2023 DW's location in space.
(Credit: NASA)
Don’t Panic Over the Risk of an Asteroid Smashup in 2046
A newly discovered asteroid called 2023 DW has generated quite a buzz over the past week, due to an estimated 1-in-670 chance of impact on Valentine’s Day 2046. But despite a NASA advisory and the resulting scary headlines, there’s no need to put an asteroid doomsday on your day planner for that date.
The risk assessment doesn’t have as much to do with the probabilistic roll of the cosmic dice than it does with the uncertainty that’s associated with a limited set of astronomical observations. If the case of 2023 DW plays out the way all previous asteroid scares have gone over the course of nearly 20 years, further observations will reduce the risk to zero.
Nevertheless, the hubbub over a space rock that could be as wide as 165 feet (50 meters) highlights a couple of trends to watch for: We’re likely to get more of these asteroid alerts in the years to come, and NASA is likely to devote more attention to heading off potentially dangerous near-Earth objects, or NEOs.
If a 50-meter-wide asteroid were to plunge through Earth’s atmosphere, it could create an airburst with as much power as a nuclear bomb. Such an blast, known as the Tunguska event, took place over Siberia in 1908, leveling hundreds of thousands of acres of remote forest land. A similar smashup in just the wrong place could destroy a city. It wouldn’t be as deadly as the cosmic impact that killed off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, which is thought to have been caused by an asteroid 6 to 10 miles wide, but it could spark a global emergency.
An asteroid search program that’s based in Chile’s Atacama Desert discovered 2023 DW in February, and some of the projections of its trajectory intersected with Earth’s orbit on Feb. 14, 2046. Its size — described variously as being as big as an Olympic swimming pool, the Leaning Tower of Pisa or 27 pandas — was estimated based on its brightness.
NASA took the sighting seriously enough to give it a 1 on the 1-to-10 Torino scale, which is used to rate the risks of near-Earth objects. 2023 DW is currently the only object to have a non-zero rating. Some went so far as to chart where the asteroid might strike if it hit Earth. (The possibilities range across a line extending from just off the southern tip of India to just off the U.S. East Coast.)
Astronomers emphasized that the risk assessment, which stands at 1-in-670 today, is based on a highly limited amount of data about the asteroid’s orbit around the sun. That uncertainty is visualized as an “error ellipsoid,” with Earth somewhere within the elongated egg-shaped zone of uncertainty.
“Often when new objects are first discovered, it takes several weeks of data to reduce the uncertainties and adequately predict their orbits years into the future,” NASA explained in a series of tweets.
The more observations you accumulate, the smaller the error ellipsoid becomes. And it often turns out that astronomers can identify a newly discovered asteroid in archived observations, providing more data points for refining their orbital projections. What typically happens is that the error ellipsoid eventually shrinks to a size that leaves out Earth.
If the risk assessment changes significantly in the weeks ahead, we’ll update this item to reflect the change. In the longer term, brace yourself for asteroid alerts of this level to become more routine.
When the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile begins a wide-angle survey of the sky in 2024 or so, it’s expected to identify thousands of potentially hazardous asteroids. NASA’s NEO Surveyor mission, planned for launch in 2028, will also add substantially to the asteroid count. A cloud-based data analysis technique pioneered at the University of Washington with support from the Asteroid Institute and the B612 Foundation could streamline the tracking process — and make it easier to distinguish the near-misses from the genuine threats.
What if a genuine threat is detected? NASA and the European Space Agency are already looking into ways to divert a more-than-potentially threatening asteroid. Last year, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test showed that an impacting spacecraft could alter an asteroid’s orbit, and a follow-up ESA mission called Hera will quantify the effect more precisely.
By the time 2023 DW shows up for its Valentine’s Day date in 2046, the world’s space agencies and policymakers should know what to do in case the close encounter threatens to get hot and heavy.
While serving as MSNBC.com’s science editor in 2011, Alan Boyle was part of the Near-Earth Objects Media/Risk Communications Working Group for a report that was prepared by the Secure World Foundation and the Association of Space Explorers and made available to the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
Finding Life in the Solar System Means Crunching a Lot of Data. The Perfect Job for Machine Learning
There are plenty of places for life to hide. Even on our blue planet, where we know there is abundant life, it is sometimes difficult to predict all the different environments it might crop up in. Exploring worlds other than our own for life would make it exponentially more difficult to detect it because, realistically, we don’t really know what we’re looking for. But life will probably present itself with some sort of pattern. And there is one new technology that is exceptional at detecting patterns: machine learning. Researchers at the SETI Institute have started working on a machine-learning-based AI system that will do just that.
The training set is one of the essential requirements in any machine learning algorithm. So the researchers looked at the Salar de Pajonales near the Atacama Desert in Chile. This barren wasteland is very similar to the sun-scorched surface of Mars, with very high UV light penetration, very little water, and plenty of salt. But it’s still home to life as we know it.
So the researchers, led by Kim Warren-Rhodes, decided to start trying to differentiate locations where life existed in the area versus where it did not. To do so, they collected almost 8000 images of the site and took more than 1100 samples around the area they were imaging. Some of the images were taken by drone, and some were taken by satellite, but they meshed together cohesively enough to provide a total picture of the Salar de Pajonales.
Video meshing together some of the data points used in the study. Credit – SETI Institute
In those images, the researchers found a statistically distributed pattern that showed life was clumping together in certain areas rather than distributing itself evenly over the entire area. Unsurprisingly, these patches were directly related to the availability of water. But they also formed a pattern that can be fed into an algorithm.
Integrating the images used to feed that pattern recognition was challenging, but the team used integrations like those done with Perseverance’s different imaging systems as a baseline. After being trained on what to look for, the design, known as a convolutional neural network, detected biosignatures in areas not used for its training set with 87.5% accuracy. It also had the added advantage of decreasing the overall area needed for the search by 97%
Those are some impressive numbers, but they really only represent the types of dry, arid areas currently comprising the network’s data set. They can still be useful for things like directing a rover to a more attractive spot or pointing an orbiting Martian satellite to a promising site. However, there’s still a lot of work to be done before this system can confidently and consistently predict the existence of life in these patterns.
Images from different altitudes provide different insights into biosignatures. Credit – Warren-Rhodes et al.
Some of that work is already the next focal point of the SETI researchers – on their list of places to map are hot springs, permafrost soils, and rocks in Dry Valley. All of these additional locations contain some life on Earth, but it remains to be seen if the same can be said on other planets. But, as we begin to collect more data on potential biosignatures on places like Mars, Venus, and Enceladus, then this new SETI algorithm, or one of its successors, will likely play a key role in determining whether we actually found the holy grail of the search for alien life or not.
What is this entity on the side of the road? March 11, 2023, UFO Sighting News. Video!
What is this entity on the side of the road? March 11, 2023, UFO Sighting News. Video!
Date of sighting: March 3, 2023
Location of sighting: SR 87 highway, between Phoenix and Payson, Arizona, USA
A truck driver named William Church caught this entity on his dash cam while driving on March 11, 2023. He said he was driving down the SR 87 at about 2:30 in the morning when he passed an unusual object on the side of the road. When he got home, he checked his dash cam to see exactly what it was and...he had no idea what it could be. It was ghost-like, transparent from the ground to a round oval body. Very odd indeed and looks to me like a Jellyfish entity. Many reports have seen van size entities in past reports, even one hitting the blade of a wind turbine, breaking it off. This, is a very rare and very important video in the UFO area, and could be a sign of whats to come.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
It was just sanding on the roadway as I passed by looks like you can see the lines through the legs making the figure.
What is this entity on the side of the road? March 11, 2023, UFO Sighting News. Video!
What is this entity on the side of the road? March 11, 2023, UFO Sighting News. Video!
Date of sighting: March 3, 2023
Location of sighting: SR 87 highway, between Phoenix and Payson, Arizona, USA
A truck driver named William Church caught this entity on his dash cam while driving on March 11, 2023. He said he was driving down the SR 87 at about 2:30 in the morning when he passed an unusual object on the side of the road. When he got home, he checked his dash cam to see exactly what it was and...he had no idea what it could be. It was ghost-like, transparent from the ground to a round oval body. Very odd indeed and looks to me like a Jellyfish entity. Many reports have seen van size entities in past reports, even one hitting the blade of a wind turbine, breaking it off. This, is a very rare and very important video in the UFO area, and could be a sign of whats to come.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
It was just sanding on the roadway as I passed by looks like you can see the lines through the legs making the figure.
Arizona trucker shares footage of a ghost caught on his dash cam
Arizona trucker shares footage of a ghost caught on his dash cam
A truck driver passing through Arizona says his dash cam appears to have caught what looks like a ghost.
William Church said he was driving on SR 87 around 2:30 a.m. on March 11 when he passed by a transparent figure standing on the side of the road. Church says he was between Phoenix and Payson with no cars in sight.
He described the figure, which seems to be half materialized, as "just standing in the roadway as I passed by looks like you can see the lines through the legs making the figure."
Some people say that the ghostly human-like figure is a car light reflection or glare but since SR 87 has seen its fair share of deadly car crashes as it's one of the state's main highways to get to and from mountain communities it is suggested that it could be the spirit of someone who died in an accident on this road.
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an important model organism.
Credit: Eye of Science/Science Photo Library
Scientists have generated the first complete map of the brain of a small insect, including all of its neurons and connecting synapses.
The research, published on 9 March in Science1, provides a brain-wiring diagram known as the connectome of a complex animal for the first time — the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The map shows all 3,016 neurons and 548,000 synapses tightly packed in a young Drosophila’s brain, which is smaller than a poppy seed.
The map is a milestone in understanding how the brain processes the flow of sensory information and translates it into action. “Now we have a reference brain,” says Marta Zlatic, a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge, UK, and co-author of the paper. “We can look at what happens to connectivity in models of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and of any degenerative disease.”
Ideal model
Until now, scientists had mapped the connectomes of only the worms Caenorhabditis elegans and Platynereis dumerilii, and the larva of the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis. Drosophila was an ideal model for connectome studies, because scientists have already sequenced its genome, and the larvae have transparent bodies. Fruit flies also exhibit sophisticated behaviours — including learning, navigating landscapes, processing smells and weighing the risks and benefits of an action. “Its size is manageable for current technology,” says Chung-Chuang Lo, a computational neuroscientist at the National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
“If you had asked me in the Eighties, when the C. elegans work was being done, about this project in the fruit fly, it would have been impossible,” says Albert Cardona, a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge and co-author of the paper.
This diagram depicts connectivity in the fruit fly brain. Each point represents a neuron. Neurons with more-similar connectivity are plotted closer together. Lines show the connections between neurons. The border shows examples of different neuron structures and shapes.
Credit: Benjamin Pedigo
The researchers spent a year and a half capturing images of the brain of a single six-hour-old Drosophila larva with a nanometre-resolution electron microscope. Using a computer-assisted programme, they then pinpointed the neurons and synapses and spent months manually checking them.
The authors identified 3,016 neurons, 93% of which were paired with a partner neuron in the opposite brain hemisphere. Most of the unpaired neurons were Kenyon cells, key neurons in the learning and memory centre.
The researchers then traced each neuron’s twisting connections and annotated 548,000 synapses, which could be grouped into four types. “This is really time-consuming and labour-intensive,” says Kei Ito, a neuroscientist at the University of Cologne, Germany.
Most connectome work has included one type of connection — from the axon of one neuron to the dendrites of another — and ignored axon-to-axon or dendrite-to-dendrite connections. “Now we need to reconsider them: we probably need to think about creating a new computational model of the nervous system,” says Lo.
Multiple pathways
The wiring diagram showed that the insect’s brain was multilayered, with pathways of varying lengths connecting brain inputs and brain outputs.
It is “a nice, nested structure”, says Michael Winding, a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge and co-author of the paper. But some of the brain networks have shortcuts, skipping layers. The authors suggest that such shortcuts increase the brain’s computational capacity and compensate for the limited number of neurons.
The team also found that 41% of the brain neurons form ‘recurrent loops’, providing feedback to their upstream partners. These shortcuts and loops resemble state-of-the-art artificial neural networks that are being used in artificial-intelligence research. “It’s interesting that the computer-science field is converging onto what evolution has discovered,” says Cardona.
The current map provides data from a single animal, but the authors say that technological advances will allow mapping of more flies — and eventually of other species. “One can now use it to train machine learning to do it much faster,” says Zlatic.
“It is not the full story,” says Lo. The next step is to map the brain of the adult Drosophila, which is more complex and has more neurons, he adds.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00709-7
UPDATES & CORRECTIONS
Correction 10 March 2023: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the team used machine-learning algorithms to trace each neuron’s connections.
David Wilcock is a professional intuitive consultant who, since reading Richard C. Hoagland’s “The Monuments of Mars” in 1993, has intensively researched ufology, ancient civilizations, consciousness science, and new paradigms of matter and energy. He is the author of a critically acclaimed trilogy of scientific research works, known as the Convergence series, which gives definitive support to the idea that a change in matter, energy and consciousness is now occurring on the Earth and throughout the solar system.
Wilcock has appeared on broadcast television, lectured throughout the United States and Japan, published a variety of magazine articles and appeared on numerous radio talk shows. He is the co-author of the book “The Reincarnation of Edgar Cayce,” now available in bookstores nationwide, and a summary of his latest scientific work appears therein, where a breakthrough case for mass, spontaneous DNA evolution on Earth is unveiled. David is also an accomplished musician and composer within a variety of styles, including jazz-fusion, meditative and world music.
David Wilcock explains on March 19, 2020 during the the World Wide Coronavirus lockdown that it is NOT the end of the world. The lockdowns are to ensure the peoples safety during world wide mass arrests in conjunction with Operation Defender Europe 2020.
Thanks hope you all are staying cool out there. Stay tuned for more updates from BIN News!
US Representative Talks UFO Reverse Engineering, Alien Contacts, Cover-Ups and More
US Representative Talks UFO Reverse Engineering, Alien Contacts, Cover-Ups and More
Paul Seaburn
Ever since the passing of Harry Reid, the United States senator from Nevada, Senate Majority Leader and staunch proponent of the disclosure of secret government files on UFOs and extraterrestrial contact, those interested in the same goals have been waiting patiently for a new vanguard. While Florida Senator Marco Rubio has championed funding for federal and Pentagon organizations to collect the data and make it available on a regular basis, no one has taken to the public airwaves like Harry Reid – who appeared on newscasts, podcasts and in print to talk UFOs. The person to fill Reid’s big space shoes may have finally emerged – he is U.S. Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee. While Burchett has been vocal during and after his appearances at Pentagon UFO briefings, he recently made a statement about the military reverse-engineering crashed UFOs that makes one wonder if he is ready to take the mantle from the late Senator Reid.
Has this already happened?
"Too many people in the know have told me that, and that we had to do something with these multiple craft that have crashed and we do not have the technology ... I just believe it in my heart. I've talked to too many pilots, top, top pilots, our Navy pilots, the best pilots in the world, that have said this is what they've seen."
“That”, according to Burchett, is crashed UFOs of an unknown origin. He made this statement during interviews concerning the recent shooting down of UFOs that were identified as balloons – one from China, others never recovered nor positively identified nor traced to their origin point. While Burchett said at the time that “These objects are likely coming from China or maybe some other country, but probably not extraterrestrial,” he emphasized that all “foreign objects that enter our airspace” need to be dealt with as “potential threats” to the U.S. What about to the entire planet?
“We are not alone. Washington needs to release the un redacted files. Let the people decide.”
“We are not alone.” “Let the people decide.” That tweet from Burchett sounds like something the late Senator Reid would say. While Burchett may be late getting into the UFO game, he is quickly making up for lost time. In an op-ed in the Washington Examiner in late 2022, he criticized the Pentagon’s UFO reports for being far from the “fresh start” on disclosure that the organization had promised. After years of saying nothing about “the many reports of extraordinary UAP sightings from our military personnel” which Burchett says have been “misidentified weather phenomena, aircraft, or balloons,” many more are ”vehicles controlled by an unknown source.” Burchett pointed out that the latest Pentagon briefing revealed that it found 144 unexplained UAP encounters, but only provided data on one.
“Who on Earth wants to read a report that provides information on less than 1% of the encounters it is supposed to address?”
Burchett then starts to reveal what he has found in his own investigations as a U.S. Representative.
“The maddening thing is there are much better witnesses who could, and should, testify before Congress that would be much more helpful. There was a Navy pilot in the hearing room who reported UAP encounters, and he could have personally testified about his experience, but they didn’t let him.”
What kinds of details could that pilot have revealed?
“ … a craft which I believe at some point [...] we have obtained some materials that are not of this world that are being studied by different members of industry I've been told."
In interviews with Newsweek Burchett has alleged that the federal government and the Pentagon are in volved in a "huge cover-up, for whatever reason" which he dismisses as “shenanigans." During on congressional hearing, Burchett was asked specifically if the U.S. has recovered craft "that is not from the planet Earth," and his response was:
"At some point, I believe that has happened."
It is obvious that Representative Burchett is becoming, intentionally or not, the leading political spokesperson for UAP and extraterrestrial disclosure, and strongly states that he has been made aware of evidence of crashed UFOs and extraterrestrials from reliable sources. This past week, he took a big step towards revealing some of that information himself.
"I think that a lot of that's being reverse-engineered right now, but we just don't understand it."
Has a U.S. political representative ever said in public that his country is in possession of materials from extraterrestrial space ships and is in the process of revere-engineering those materials … but is frustrated because our own technology for analysis is too primitive to accomplish the task? Outside of in the movies, this has not been the case. Why doesn’t Representative Burchett take the next step and either force the Pentagon to release the data or gain possession of it and release it himself … becoming the hero of millions, perhaps even billions, of UFO disclosure supporters?
Are there UFOs being reverse-engineered?
“We also need to get rid of the stigma that comes with reporting UAP sightings in our military. Service members who report UAP sightings are patriots who are doing their jobs to the best of their ability, but many of them have not been treated as such. They have been mocked by their colleagues for simply reporting what they saw, and that kind of behavior needs to end.”
A cynical response to this avoidance of personal involvement on Burchett’s part might be that he’s concerned about winning re-election – representatives run every two years, while senators like the late Harry Reid spend six years in office. Burchett could also be concerned about the rights and security of the service members and members of the general public who might be ‘outed’ by these UFO revelations. That could be resolved by getting permission from them, but this is a time-consuming process. However, if Representative Burchett truly believes these are “patriots” doing their jobs, perhaps he should also consider doing his job and push harder for the disclosure of UFO crashes, alien contact and space ship reverse-engineering he so strongly believes is happening and being covered up.
Don’t be a part of the problem, Representative Burchett. As you said, “that kind of behavior needs to end” and you could be the leader of the movement.
This day in UFO history: Phoenix Lights, 26 years ago!
This day in UFO history: Phoenix Lights, 26 years ago!
It has been 26 years since the Phoenix Lights, a mysterious and unexplained phenomenon, captivated Arizonans and the nation. On the evening of March 13, 1997, people across Arizona and in some other states reported seeing a silent, miles-long, V-shaped group of lights gliding quietly overhead. The lights were distinctly red in the northern part of the state.
Dr. Lynne Kitei, a Valley resident who witnessed the lights that evening, has been exploring the phenomenon for decades. She believes that interest in the Phoenix Lights has actually evolved over time rather than fading away. With more information released by the government about UFOs, people are becoming more accustomed to the idea that we are not alone in the universe, and the Phoenix Lights were a sign of that.
The Phoenix Lights remain one of the premier mass sightings of UFOs. Thousands of people saw these massive craft or objects hover right over them, glide right over them, rooftop level. Some people said they could have thrown a stone at it; it was that close.
However, there have been some who sow doubt about the Phoenix Lights. People have come forward to say the lights were more a case of mass hysteria or that they were actually flares or something else entirely. But Dr. Kitei disagrees. It has never been proven to be anything other than mysterious.
Dr. Kitei is not alone in her belief. Many credible people, including PhDs, lawyers, doctors, and engineers, have analyzed the data and are stumped. We don’t know what the Phoenix Lights were. We just know that they were.
The Phoenix Lights continue to fascinate, captivate, and confound us, even after 26 years. While some may doubt their existence, many credible people believe that they were a sign that we are not alone in the universe. The mystery of the Phoenix Lights remains unsolved, and it is a reminder that there are still many unexplained phenomena in our world.
Unveiling the Extraterrestrial Charm of Iinomachi: A Rural Community in Japan Putting Itself on the Intergalactic Map through UFO Sightings
Unveiling the Extraterrestrial Charm of Iinomachi: A Rural Community in Japan Putting Itself on the Intergalactic Map through UFO Sightings
Statue of Alien-Like Figure Captured in Iinomachi, Fukushima, Japan
The small rural community of Iinomachi in northeastern Japan has been making a name for itself as a hotspot for UFO sightings. The town is using its extraterrestrial reputation to boost its local economy and attract visitors interested in the unknown. Once a prosperous town known for its silk production and weaving industries, Iinomachi is now struggling with a dwindling population of only 5,000 people.
According to some local residents, the Senganmori mountain, which is a conical structure that dominates the area, is a suspected UFO hotspot due to the number of sightings of luminous objects in the area over the past four decades.
Senganmori mountain, UFO hotspot
To capitalize on their reputation as a UFO hot spot, Iinomachi has created numerous UFO-themed attractions. Visitors to the town are greeted with UFO-shaped streetlights, bus stops, flags, and even an alien statue. The town’s “UFO Fureaikan” museum, located halfway up the mountain, has been open since 1992 and displays around 3,000 books, photos, and other resources related to aliens and UFOs, some of which were donated by the late UFO researcher Kinichi Arai. Around 30,000 people from in and out of the prefecture visit the museum annually.
In 2021, the International UFO Lab was established in Iinomachi on June 24, which is designated as World UFO Day. The lab collects and disseminates UFO sighting reports to its members around the world. Any UFO believer can become a member of the organization by paying a one-year membership fee of 10,000 yen ($74). Elite members, those who sign on for three years at 20,000 yen or 30,000 yen, are entitled to special T-shirts and locally brewed sake, and all members can attend UFO-related events.
“UFO Fureaikan” museum
In response, the town organized its first UFO festival in December last year. It was held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the UFO museum. During the event, participants dressed up as extraterrestrials for a parade and a contest. After retiring from his job as a chemical manufacturer, Tetsu Konno decided to join the IUFO Lab, a non-profit organization based in Fukushima.
After the local government selected him to help revitalize the area, he said goodbye to his family and moved to Osaka Prefecture.
UFO-Inspired Bus Stop Spotted in Iinomachi District, Fukushima, Japan
Through the use of extraterrestrial resources, the town hopes to breathe new life into the area by attracting more visitors and residents. It also aims to educate the public about the possibility of alien life. Despite the recent geopolitical tensions caused by the reported sightings of airborne objects, a municipal official in Fukushima said the government is still focused on finding out more about the nature of life in the universe.
The town of Iinomachi has become known for its extraterrestrial reputation. Its various attractions and strange sightings have attracted a wide range of visitors.
China has claimed that it may have received a message from an alien civilisation using its $180 million Sky Eye telescope, according to reports.
Sky Eye, a 1,640-foot-diameter telescope based in China's Guizhou province, has detected unusual electromagnetic signals that scientists claim could have alien origins.
The news was revealed in a report by Science and Technology Daily, the official newspaper of China's Ministry of Science and Technology, based in Beijing.
But according to Bloomberg, Science and Technology Daily deleted the report shortly after it was posted, although it's uncertain why.
China claims to have received a message from an alien civilisation, mysterious radio signals suggest (file photo)
Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, also known as FAST or Sky Eye, is based in a natural basin in Guizhou
The FAST telescope
Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, also known as FAST or Sky Eye, is a telescope in Guizhou, China.
With a diameter of 500 meters (1,640 feet), it's the world's largest full dish radio telescope.
It's based in the Dawodang depression, a natural basin in Guizhou.
It was launched in September 2020 specifically to search for alien life and potentially habitable exoplanets – planets outside our solar system.
'Sky Eye telescope may have picked up signs of life beyond Earth, according to a report by the state-backed Science and Technology Daily, which then appeared to have deleted the report and posts about the discovery,' Bloomberg says.
'The news had already started trending on social network Weibo and was picked up by other media outlets, including state-run ones.'
The Science and Technology Daily report cited Zhang Tonjie, chief scientist of an extraterrestrial civilization search team co-founded by Beijing Normal University, the National Astronomical Observatory of China and the University of California, Berkeley.
The team detected two sets of suspicious signals in 2020 while processing data collected in 2019, and found another suspicious signal in 2022 while observing exoplanets – planets outside our solar system.
Zhang said the suspicious signals could also be some kind of radio interference, so further investigation is required.
MailOnline has contacted the National Astronomical Observatory of China for comment.
Currently, no life beyond Earth has ever been found, but this does not mean that the universe is lifeless other than on Earth, according to NASA.
The US space agency says: 'While no clear signs of life have ever been detected, the possibility of extraterrestrial biology – the scientific logic that supports it – has grown increasingly plausible.'
Due to its size, Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, also known as FAST or Sky Eye, has one of the best chances of discovering alien life.
It was launched in September 2020 specifically to search interstellar communication signals that suggest alien life and potentially habitable exoplanets.
As its official name suggests, FAST has a diameter of 500 meters (1,640 feet), making it the world’s largest full dish radio telescope.
The dish-like telescope, as large as 30 football fields, costed 1.2 billion yuan (about $180 million)
Engineers work at the control centre for the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) on February 3, 2021 in Pingtang County, Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province of China
It's able to scan twice the sky area covered by the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, the previous record holder for the largest single-aperture radio telescope in the world.
FAST can deliver readings between three and five times more sensitive than those from Arecibo Observatory, which is why scientists have been hopeful the telescope could lead to a breakthrough in the search for alien life.
A 65-person village was destroyed before construction of FAST began, and more than 9,000 people in the surrounding countryside were forced to relocate to create a three-mile radius around the telescope without any electromagnetic interference.
According to government officials, each person was given the equivalent of $1,800 in compensation for the relocation.
ALIEN LIFE MAY BE TOO SCARED OF 'DANGEROUS' HUMANS, EXPERT CLAIMS
Sci-fi films and TV shows have routinely depicted a brutal race of aliens visiting Earth in their spaceships and enslaving unfortunate Earthlings.
But according to one expert, extraterrestrial life may actually be too scared of 'dangerous' and 'violent' humans to want to come here.
Dr Gordon Gallup, a biopsychologist at the University of Albany, argues that humans are 'dangerous, violent and ceaselessly engage in endless bloody conflicts and war'.
As an example, Dr Gallup cites 'the total destruction of the highly advanced Aztec and Inca civilizations' and the subsequent genocide of the native people, their temples and buildings destroyed and their wealth and natural resources stolen.
For this reason, aliens with the technological capability of making a visit to Earth – if they exist – are likely inclined to stay away for fear of death and genocide, according to Dr Gallup.
Guys I found this like a decade ago, but never made a video of it so here we go. I found these claw-like fingers coming through the left side of the NASA photo. The claw looks like that of fingers from an alien that would have been standing about 2 meters tall. How is such a thing possible? Life is always out there, it doest require our belief to exist, nor our permission. And this is proof that there is an intelligent alien species on Mars and it was inspecting the NASA Mars rover up close. I would bet money that NASA has other photos of this aliens whole body standing nearby. But they would never release those of course. This photo, just happened to slip past them. Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:Ruins, strange artifacts on other planets, moons, ed ( Fr, EN, NL )
12-03-2023
Archeologists Discover Another Secret Corridor Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza
Archeologists Discover Another Secret Corridor Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza
Paul Seaburn
It is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, but that doesn’t mean the Great Pyramid of Giza still can’t surprise us. As archeologists acquire better tools for penetrating the ancient walls, more chambers and corridors appear that may one day be physically explored with drones or robots. The ScanPyramids project is privy to those latest technologies and announced this week details about a recently discovered corridor inside the North face of the pyramid in the mysterious “Chevron zone.”
What other secrets of the Great Pyramid of Giza is the Sphinx guarding?
"This discovery, in my opinion, is the most important discovery of the 21st Century."
That proclamation was made to reporters by Zahi Hawass, Egypt's former minister of antiquities and a leading archeologist, in announcing new revelations, published in the journal Nature Communications, about a corridor-shaped structure first detected in 2016 and 2017 by a ScanPyramids team. ScanPyramids’ mission since its founding in 2015 is to scan Old Kingdom Egyptian Pyramids - The Great Pyramid (Khufu), Khafre (the middle of the three Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza), the early Bent pyramid and the unusual Red pyramid – in hopes of detecting internal spaces and tunnels without any drilling or other forms of destruction. Techniques include Infrared thermography, 3D simulation and cosmic-ray muon radiography imaging. The last tool was the first to find the latest corridor, which the archeologists then confirmed with images taken through a 6mm-thick endoscope feed through a tiny joint in the pyramid's stones. Since then, the ScanPyramids team went on to take new measurements benefiting from the extreme sensitivity of nuclear emulsion films from Nagoya University and gaseous detectors from CEA Instruments.
“In this paper, we report on the first precise analysis of the void found with cosmic-ray muon radiography behind the North Face Chevron and named the ScanPyramids North Face Corridor (NFC). Its shape and location are accurately evaluated by focusing on the 7 following parameters: its 3 dimensions (width W, height H, length L), its position (North-South position X, East-West position Y, altitude Z) and its slope α. While a potential, future exploration will primarily require a precise determination of Y and Z, most of these parameters are also important to understand the role of the Chevron.”
The “Chevron” refers to the huge inverted V-shaped gabled limestone beams which cover the original entrance to the descending corridor (DC) on the North side of Khufu’s Pyramid. The North side has a number of chevrons, some hidden, which have long baffled researchers. The ‘gable’ is the flat triangular end piece under a conventional pitched roof that is made of wood or stone. Its purpose is to support the sloped roof and protect the interior from the elements. These enormous limestone chevron blocks make no sense on the Great Pyramid because there is no need to relieve the weight above them to protect something below them.
“Khufu’s Pyramid is the first pyramid, in the history, that uses a Chevron technique to cover internal structures and prevent them from collapsing. We can find Chevron on the North Face, in the queen’s chamber ceiling and above the king’s chamber. The construction process of the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world is one of the most important archaeological mysteries. Any discovery of previously unknown internal structures could contribute to the knowledge on the construction of this Pyramid.”
The newly discovered corridor may be the space that is doing the protecting, not the chevron, according to the study. It is approximately 9 meters (29 feet) in length, and has a transverse section of about 2 by 2 meters (6.5 by 6.5 feet). There are many large internal structures or rooms inside the Great Pyramid which are connected by narrow corridors laid out in a north-south direction at a distance of about 7 meters (23 feet) east from the center of the pyramid. You may be familiar with some of them – the queen’s chamber, the grand gallery and the king’s chamber. That last chamber contains a broken sarcophagus thought to have once contained the mummy of King Khufu – it is a room said to have been visited by Napoleon, who may have had the proper small stature to fit into the tiny spaces. (Photos and illustrations can be seen in the study.)
a Subterranean chamber, b queen’s chamber, c grand gallery, d king’s chamber, e descending corridor, f ascending corridor, g al-Ma’mun corridor, h north face Chevron area, i ScanPyramids Big Void with horizontal hypothesis (red hatching) and inclined hypothesis (green hatching) as published in November 20176. All these images were obtained from a 3D modelization using dedicated laser surveys and photogrammetry data.
a The Chevron, which consists of huge gabled limestone beams, covering the original entrance to the DC on the North side of Khufu’s Pyramid. b 3D model and positions of the detectors from Nagoya University, indicated by red dots and of the detectors from CEA, indicated by orange dots, in the DC and in the MC. c–h The detectors. c shows EM3, d shows EM2, e shows EM5, f shows Charpak, g shows Joliot and h shows Degennes.
a The left figure shows the 3D model of Chevron and its origin. Center panels show the definition of the coordinate system and the origin of the rectangular cuboid which was defined as its North extremity along x, its center along y, and its bottom along z. Right panels show the set up of the main structure (MS) and sub-structures designated A (SSA), B (SSB). CH denotes the Chevron. b Two-dimensional angular distribution for EM1 to EM4. From left to right: observed muon flux (tracks/cm2/day/sr), 3D model, ratio of muon flux of the observed data to simulation, with MS, with MS and SSA, with MS and SSB, and path length with difference between the data and simulation. The resolution is tanθ = 0.025. c Histograms of path length with difference between the data and simulation in the range of 0.000 ≦tanθx < 0.025 in the axial direction of tanθy corresponding to the North-South direction. d Region of existence of the NFC based on path length. e χ2 analysis for the evaluation of parameters presenting location and shape of the NFC. The horizontal axis shows the values of evaluated parameters. The vertical axis is the value of reduced χ2 obtained by the comparison of the data and simulation. f Histograms of muon flux in the range of −0.250 ≦tanθy < −0.225 for EM1 and EM2, 0.200 ≦tanθy < 0.225 for EM3 and EM4, respectively. The data with statistical error of 1 σ (standard deviation) are shown in red. The gray dashed line is the simulation without the inner structures, the black solid line is the simulation with the DC and MS, and the blue solid line is the simulation with the DC, MS, and SSA. g Results of the χ2 analysis for the case where the MS and sub-structures are added to known structures. A, B, and C denote the case where MS, MS and SSA, MS and SSB are added, respectively.
aTwo-dimensional angular distribution for EM5 to EM7. From left to right: observed muon flux (tracks/cm2/day/sr), 3D model, ratio of muon flux of the data to simulation, with main structure (MS), with MS and sub-structure A (SSA), with MS and sub-structure B (SSB), and path length with difference between the data and simulation. The resolution istanθ= 0.050. CH denotes the Chevron.bThe area used for normalization.cLeft panels show two dimensional angular distribution with enlarged area including NFC of path length difference between the data and simulation with the resolution oftanθ= 0.025. The black dots are the direction to the center of the NFC, obtained by taking a cross section everytanθ= 0.025 and fitting it (Methods). Center panel shows an example of path length difference obtained by EM5, and the coordinate system is rotated to take the cross section for fitting, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (North-South direction) of the NFC. Right panel shows an example of the fitting to a cross section taken attanθy= −0.1625 after rotation, which is indicated by the white line shown in center panel, where the horizontal axis istanθxafter rotation and the vertical axis is the difference in path length.dLocation of the NFC. Left panel shows the intersection of a vertical plane passing through the central axis of the DC and a line extending towards the plane on the direction of the central value of the histogram fitted starting from the detector position. Right panel shows the result of averaging the projection points obtained by all detectors in the height direction with a width of 2 m in thex(North-South) direction. The error bars are the standard deviations of the averaged projection points in thexandydirections. The red dotted line is the approximate line obtained by linear approximation of the projection results in the range of −2 to −8 m.
The location and shape of the NFC are shown in cross-sectional views of the analysis area including Chevron from the North (a) and East (b) sides. Locations of EM1 to EM4 detectors installed in the DC and obtained results are shown in red, and EM5 to EM7 installed in the MC are shown in black, respectively inb. The red dotted line is the projection of the location and shape of the NFC defined as a rectangular cuboid achieved by EM1 to EM4, on planes. Black dots are the projection points in the height obtained by detectors (EM5 to EM7) on planes and error bars, which is the standard deviations of the averaged projection points in thexandzdirections as shown in Fig. 4d.
"This corridor, it’s protecting or reducing the pressure on something beneath it, Might be chamber, might be something else. Very soon, we can figure out what is the main issue of this corridor."
Mostafa Waziri of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities says he thinks the unfinished corridor may have been placed there to relieve the pressure of the weight of the stones around the main entrance seven meters (23 feet) away from it, or it may be reducing the pressure over another as yet undiscovered corridor or chamber. This has already been observed in other areas inside the Great Pyramid – there five rooms above the king's burial chamber which are believed to be redistributing the weight of the massive pyramid to protect the chamber. While many researchers believe the king’s mummy has been looted from this burial chamber, there is hope that the pharaoh had more than one burial chamber.
“To our knowledge, this study is the first characterization of the position and dimensions of a void detected by cosmic-ray muons with a sensitivity of a few centimeters only. On the archaeological side, the discovery of a void located behind the Chevron and having a larger cross-section than the corridors connecting the inner structures of the pyramid may be decisive in approaching the role of this Chevron. Last but not least, the NFC does not seem to connect to the SP-BV, though a smaller corridor of <1.0 m="" between="" these="" two="" structures="" cannot="" be="" completely="" ruled="" out="" from="" measurements="" span="">
A stairway into a tomb in the center of a pyramid at Giza.
This discovery has both past and future implications for ScanPyramids research. While the team could not come to a conclusive agreement on the purpose of North Face Chevron, it went a long way in showing that the many corridors connecting the inner structures are more than just passageways – they are providing the service of relieving the pressure of the massive weight of the pyramid – an unbelievable achievement in construction that rivals the actual act of building the Great Pyramid itself. This will help archeologists studying Khufu’s pyramid and the others determine where similar pressure-reliving corridors might be located. It will also speed up the process of investigating these pyramids and hopefully locate hidden entrances and corridors which will facilitate better inspections using drones, robots and careful human archeologists.
Is this “the most important discovery of the 21st Century" involving the Great Pyramid of Giza? That remains to be seen. It is definitely impressive and it highlights the achievements of these ancient Egyptians who designed and built these great wonders oof the world without Infrared thermography, 3D simulation and cosmic-ray muon radiography imaging.
A hidden corridor inside the Great Pyramid of Giza that was discovered by researches from the the Scan Pyramids project by the Egyptian Tourism Ministry of Antiquities is seen in Giza, Egypt March 2, 2023.
The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities/Handout via REUTER S
An image of a hidden corridor inside the Great Pyramid of Giza that was discovered by researches from the the Scan Pyramids project is displayed during a news conference of the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Eissa in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Giza, Egypt, March 2, 2023.
REUTERS/Sherif Fahmy
Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa talks to the media in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Cairo, Egypt, March 2, 2023.
REUTERS/Sherif Fahmy
Tourists ride camels in front of the Great Pyramids plateau in Giza, Egypt December 11, 2022.
Every once in a while there is a strange case concerning a person who just seems to appear from the ether, only to die and leave behind nothing but cryptic clues. Such people popuklate history, taunting us with their enigmas and never able to be fully understood. One such case is that of a man who appeared one day in the foggy moors of England, springing out of the mist to then turn up dead and leave behind a compelling unsolved mystery.
At around 2 p.m on December 11th, 2015, an unassuming, smartly drtessed elderly man walked out of a cold, misty day into the Clarence Pub in Greenfield, located at a moorland in North West England called Saddleworth Moor, in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park. Something immediately seemed off about him, with his out-of-place appearance, as he was not dressed like the other hikers who frequented the pub, he kept to himself, had no backpack or bag of any kind, and he did not order a drink, not even a glass of water. His eccentric demeanor was made even stranger when he cryptically told the pub landlord, Mel Robinson, that he wanted to “go to the top of the mountain.” Robinson would say of the odd encounter:
It was cold outside, and going dark already. Overcast. It rained all day the day before, and it rained all day the day after. It being the quiet period after lunch, he was sitting at the end of the bar. He got up, but the stranger didn’t want a drink. He wanted to walk to ‘the top of the mountain’. It was unusual, the way he was dressed. He was wearing just a light mac, normal trousers and shirt, and slip-on shoes. The top of the mountain. That was unusual, too. Walkers often come in for directions, but this isn’t mountain country, and the locals don’t use the noun of even the highest escarpments. He didn’t say Indian’s Head, he didn’t say Dovestone reservoir. He just said ‘the top of the mountain’.
Saddleworth Moor
Seeing as it was already getting relatively late in the day and the mysterious stranger was not dressed or equipped for a hike out there in the moorland, Robinson advised against trying that day to go to the summit of the nearby peak at the Chew reservoir, which is what he assumed the man meant. The stranger said nothing to this, merely thanking him and heading out into the cold rain without another word. At the time it was all a bit weird, but Robinson was used to various slightly off-kilter travelers and hikers coming through his doors from all over the place, so at the time he did not think much of it. Little did he know that he would be one of the last people to see the stranger alive. The stranger was seen by two Royal Society for the Protection of Birds staff climbing up the Wimberry Stones, a rock feature known locally as "Indian's Head" overlooking the reservoir, after which he would walk right off into a strange unsolved mystery that has not really been solved to this day.
The next day, at about 10:50 a.m., a passing cyclist stumbled across the man’s dead body near the Chew reservoir, not far from where he had last been seen. The body was lying on its back, with his arms crossed comfortably over his stomach as if he was cloud watching, and by police estimates it seemed he had walked around 2.5 miles (4 km) from the pub, much of it uphill. In his right trouser pocket was £130 in £10 notes, and his coat pocket held three train tickets from the previous morning: a single from Ealing Broadway to London Euston and a return from Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, although it was not clear how he had travelled the 11 miles (17km) from Manchester to Greenfield. Also found in a pocket was a medicine box made of card, and within this was an empty bottle of thyroxine sodium, a drug for the treatment of hypothyroidism, with a label printed in both English and Urdu. There was no ID, no wallet, and no cards, keys, phone, watch or driving license, no way at all to identify who he was. There was no sign of a struggle, the body was in a peaceful state, with no visible injuries, and it seemed almost as if he were just taking a nap. It was all pretty odd, and although police suspected he had died of a heart attack no one could figure out who he was or why he had been climbing around on that moor. It would later be found that he had actually died of a lethal dose of strychnine, which made it even odder still. What was going on here?
Police began trying to find out who the man, who was given the placeholder name “Neil Dovestone,” was, but this would prove to be easier said than done. Cross-referencing the man’s DNA against the national criminal intelligence and missing persons databases failed to provide a match, his fingerprints were not on record, and appeals to the public for information went unanswered. It was as if he were a ghost. Unable to figure out who he was, authorities began trying to track his movements in the days leading up to his death. The train tickets and CCTV footage tracked his journey from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston to Ealing Broadway, and at Piccadilly he went back and forth between the station shops for approximately 53 minutes, bought a sandwich, and spent about four minutes at the station information counter, although it is not clear what he was talking about there for so long. He left the station at around 1 p.m. and after this, there is no more CCTV footage and his movements are unknown. It wasn’t much help in determining what was going on or how he had come to arrive in Greenfield at that pub. Who was this guy and where did he come from? No one had a clue.
CCTV iumage of the mysterious stranger
Another perplexing mystery was why he had gone all the way out into that moor to turn up dead. One theory doing the rounds at the time was that Dovestone was actually a man named Stephen Evans, who was a survivor of an airplane crash on the moor in 1949 that had killed 24 of the passengers and crew on board. The idea was that he had for whatever reason come to that moor to pay his respects and to ultimately kill himself there, possibly over survivor’s guilt, but it would turn out that he was not, in fact, Evans because Evans would turn out to be very much alive and well. It was then thought he might be another of the only eight survivors of the crash, Michael Prestwich, aged two at the time of the disaster, but he was found to have died decades before. Another intriguing idea was that he was a spy who had gotten in over his head and been assassinated with the poison. However, why do that all the way out there on the moor? Why would he go out there? In the end, this was all pure speculation with nothing to back it up.
It was purely by accident that a big lead would be found. It had been discovered during a secondary postmortem that Dovestone had at some point had hip surgery to install a metal plate, but what had been missed at first was that the particular type of plate in this case was only legal in Pakistan. This, plus the bottle with Urdu printed on it, heavily suggested that Dovestone had come to Britain from Pakistan. With this new information, police were able to track the plate down to a hospital in Lahore, and eventually they finally were able to put a name to the body. It was found that “Neil Dovestone” was actually a David Lytton, who was 67-years-old at the time of his death, and was born to Jewish parents as David Lautenberg in London, and in 2006 he had suddenly gone off to live in Pakistan. Now the body had been identified, but this did little to solve the overall mystery, and indeed it offered up even more questions than answers. For one, there could be found no known connection between Lytton and the Saddleworth Moor, no reason at all for him to be there or to want to go there. Then there was his long trip from Pakistan, and when this was added to the other odd clues such as his inappropriate clothing and mysterious death it begged the question- why come all the way from Pakistan to a moor he had no connection with and turn up dead there?
At this point the main police explanation was that Lytton had committed suicide, and this makes sense in a way because he was found to have been prone to bouts of depression, but there are a lot of problems with this. The most obvious is why would he come all that way to climb up a remote peak in a moor he never been to in clothes completely unsuitable for the environment in order to kill himself? There is also the fact that he died of a fatal dose of strychnine, which is a slow and painful way to die, with death coming by asphyxiation as the muscles spasm and contract uncontrollably, so why would he choose that method of suicide? As a matter of fact, if he had really died an agonizing death by strychnine then why was his body in such a peaceful state as if he had been sleeping? It was also found that he had bought a return ticket to Pakistan while in England, so why do that if you want to off yourself? This was starting to get people talking about the spy theory again, with the idea being that a mission had gone south and he had either been assassinated or had killed himself with what is called an “L-pill,” given to agents to avoid torture or information falling into enemy hands. This could be why he carried no identification and also explain the fact that he had bought a return trip to Lahore, meaning perhaps he was trying to run from someone. Still, why that moor? Indeed, why England at all? If he wanted to kill himself, why not just do it in Pakistan?
In the end there are no real answers. Although we know who "Neil Dovestone" really was, he has truly left a mystery in his wake. What brought him out to that remote moor from faraway Pakistan? How did he end up dead and what is the meaning of all of the weird clues? Just what is going on here? We may never know for sure.
The state of Florida has long been considered a hotbed for sightings of UFOs and unidentified submerged objects (USOs), and the Gulf Breeze region is no exception. In 1980, Ed Walters captured some of the most compelling evidence of UFO sightings in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He took several photographs of a glowing object that appeared to be an acorn-shaped spacecraft, surrounded by lights and emitting a bright light from the bottom.
Although some skeptics have claimed that the photographs were hoaxed using double exposure techniques, many researchers believe that Walters’ story was genuine. In fact, there were a dozen other witnesses who reported seeing the same object, and several hundred more who saw something that could have been related.
So, what exactly is a USO? As explained by Bill Birnes, USOs are “unidentified submerged objects” that are essentially the underwater equivalent of UFOs. The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean area are both hot spots for USO activity, and there have been countless reports of sightings over the years.
Interestingly, the acorn shape of the spacecraft that Walters photographed is similar to the craft that was hand-drawn by a witness in Cuba. Both objects have a basic acorn shape, are surrounded by lights, and emit a bright light from the bottom. The acorn shape is also similar to what was seen in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, in 1965.
Despite the overwhelming evidence and numerous sightings in the area, Walters was called a hoaxer by some skeptics. However, he never let the critics get the best of him and remained steadfast in his belief that what he saw was real. He even passed two lie detector tests and eight hours of psychological tests that proved his sanity.
So, what do these mysterious alien spacecraft want? That is the million-dollar question. Although there are no definitive answers, many researchers believe that they could be attracted to something in the water or out in the ocean.
The Gulf Breeze region of Florida remains a hot spot for sightings of unidentified flying and submerged objects. Although skeptics continue to cast doubt on the validity of the evidence, many researchers believe that there is something truly mysterious and otherworldly happening in the area. Only time will tell what the truth really is.
NASA volgt asteroïde die Valentijnsdag in 2046 zou kunnen verpesten
Het Europees Ruimteagentschap ontdekte een grote asteroïde die mogelijks op onze aarde kan botsen. Toch hoeven we ons niet te veel zorgen maken, want de kans dat hij de aarde effectief zal treffen is 1 op 600 volgens NASA. Het agentschap voorspelde ook dat de asteroïde op 14 februari 2046 zou kunnen inslaan.
De asteroïde zou de lengte hebben van een Olympisch zwembad, hoewel er nog grote onzekerheid is over de grootte. De ruimterots verplaatst zich ongeveer 25 kilometer per seconde op een afstand van meer dan 18 miljoen kilometer van de aarde en voltooit elke 271 dagen een lus rond de zon.
Wetenschappers hebben 2023 DW, de naam die de asteroïde kreeg, toegevoegd aan de zogenaamde “risicolijst”. Op die lijst staan alle objecten die door de ruimte zweven en die de aarde kunnen treffen. Ze hebben hem voorlopig een 1 gegeven op de Torino-schaal. Deze schaal werd in 1999 ontwikkeld en geeft het risico weer van botsingen tussen ruimteobjecten en de aarde. Een nul op de schaal betekent dat er geen kans is op een inslag, een 10 betekent honderd procent zekerheid van inslag.
Het lage cijfer 1 betekent dat wetenschappers verwachten dat de asteroïde “geen ongewoon gevaar oplevert” en “de kans op een botsing uiterst onwaarschijnlijk is, zonder reden voor publieke aandacht of bezorgdheid”, aldus NASA. Maar toch onderscheidt 2023 DW zich van de andere 1.448 asteroïden op de lijst. Hij is namelijk de enige met een ranking hoger dan 0.
DART-missie
NASA legde bovendien de nadruk op het succes van de DART-missie, of de Double Asteroid Redirection Test. In september 2022 kon een ruimtevaartuig succesvol botsen tegen een asteroïde om zijn baan te veranderen. “Dit is precies de reden waarom we die missie vlogen”, vertelt NASA, “En die missie was een spectaculair succes”.
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Triangle Formation of Black Spheres: Latest UFO Sighting in El Cajon, California
Triangle Formation of Black Spheres: Latest UFO Sighting in El Cajon, California
Latest UFO Sighting over El Cajon, California
On March 9th, 2023, a UFO sighting was reported in El Cajon, California. According to witness reports, three black spheres appeared overhead an apartment complex in the afternoon. The objects were unlike any known flying objects and were rotating around each other in an odd formation.
The witness, who was filming the objects, noted that they seemed unaffected by the wind and were flickering in the sky. This was not like a metallic reflection of a Mylar balloon, which can often be mistaken for a UFO. The objects disappeared shortly after the witness’s girlfriend made him stop filming to go inside. Suddenly, the spheres whipped around about 90 degrees and vanished.
This latest UFO sighting is just one of many reported in recent years. With the advent of smartphones and social media, it is easier than ever to capture footage of unexplained objects in the sky. However, despite the proliferation of UFO sightings, the phenomenon remains shrouded in mystery.
Pentagon says "Alien motherships in our solar system possibly sending probes to earth"
Pentagon says "Alien motherships in our solar system possibly sending probes to earth"
Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, wrote in a research titled “Physical Constraints on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” and co-authored by Abraham Loeb, chairman of Harvard University’s astronomy department that there is a possibility that extraterrestrial motherships and smaller probes may be visiting Earth and other planets in our solar system.
The Pentagon is literally talking about the existence of alien motherships that release probes to earth.
“An alien mothership could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth. In their research paper they suggest that 'Oumuamua' is possible such a mothership with probe capabilities.
These tiny probes would reach the Earth as the mothership passes by within a fraction of the Earth-Sun separation, just like ‘Oumuamua’ did,” the authors explained. Astronomers would not be able to notice the spray of mini-probes because they do not reflect enough sunlight for existing survey telescopes to notice them. source.
De gefossiliseerde reuzenmier is gevonden in Canada. Al eerder is dezelfde soort in Duitsland opgegraven. Maar hoe heeft dit insect tussen verschillende continenten kunnen reizen?
Dat er in vervlogen tijden gigantische dieren over de aarde struinden, weten we al langer. Ook de uitgestorven mier Titanomyrma kan in dat lijstje worden geschaard. Deze reuzenmier was werkelijk reusachtig; zo was hij net zo groot als een kolibrie! Onderzoekers hebben nu een nieuw gefossiliseerd exemplaar beschreven, gevonden in Canada. Dat de mier op deze plek is aangetroffen is alleen best gek. Het roept interessante vragen op over hoe dieren, en in het bijzonder dit insect, zich zo’n 50 miljoen jaar geleden over het noordelijk halfrond verplaatsten.
Ontdekking Het nieuwe fossiel werd ontdekt door de toevallige voorbijganger Beverley Burlingame, een inwoner van de Canadese stad Princeton, gelegen in het zuiden van British Columbia. Vervolgens werd het via het museum van de stad beschikbaar gesteld aan wetenschappers.
De gigantische fossiele mier Titanomyrma, onlangs ontdekt in de Allenby Formation nabij de Canadese stad Princeton in British Columbia. Afbeelding: Bruce Archibald
De ontdekking van de reuzenmier in Canada is bijzonder, zo valt er te lezen in het vakblad The Canadian Entomologist. Het is namelijk de eerste Titanomyrma die op Canadese bodem is gevonden.
Andere vondsten Het is overigens niet het eerste Titanomyrma-fossiel dat aan de andere kant van de Atlantische Oceaan is aangetroffen. Zo ontdekten wetenschappers ongeveer tien jaar geleden een exemplaar in de Verenigde Staten. De mier leefde zo’n vijftig miljoen jaar geleden in Wyoming.
De uitgestorven reuzenmier Titanomyrma, die meer dan tien jaar geleden gevonden is in Wyoming. Het gefossiliseerde exemplaar wordt op deze foto vergeleken met een kolibrie, wat de enorme omvang van dit gigantische insect benadrukt. Afbeelding: Bruce Archibald
“Deze mier en het nieuwe fossiel gevonden in Canada zijn van een vergelijkbare leeftijd als andere Titanomyrma-fossielen die al langer geleden in Duitsland en Engeland zijn gevonden,” vertelt onderzoeker Bruce Archibald. “Dit roept de vraag op hoe deze insecten tussen continenten reisden – en bijna tegelijkertijd aan beide zijden van de Atlantische Oceaan verschenen.”
Tropisch klimaat Bekend is dat de enorme mieren in een tropisch klimaat leefden. En dus kwamen ze ook in Europa voor, waar de temperatuur tussen 53 en 34 miljoen jaar geleden een stuk hoger lag. De continenten lagen bovendien dichtbij elkaar en de zeespiegel was laag. Dat verklaart dan ook deels hoe de mieren zowel in Europa als in Amerika konden voorkomen: Europa en Noord-Amerika waren destijds door het Noordpoolgebied over land verbonden.
Noordpool Om dus de continenten over te steken, moesten dieren de noordpool trotseren. Toch was dat niet zo gemakkelijk voor de reuzenmier. Hoewel de Noordpool destijds lang niet zo koud was als nu, was het waarschijnlijk toch te koud voor Titanomyrma, die was aangepast aan tropische temperaturen. En dus staan wetenschappers voor een raadsel. Want hoe kan Titanomyrma dan aan beide zijden van de Atlantische Oceaan zijn aangetroffen, terwijl het op de Noordpool lang niet warm genoeg was naar de zin van de reuzenmier?
Korte, warmere periodes Al in 2011 stelden de onderzoekers een mogelijke verklaring voor. Zo is het bekend dat de Noordpool gedurende korte perioden opeens opwarmde, als gevolg van koolstofdioxide dat vrijkwam uit sedimenten. De mieren maakten mogelijk van die warme periodes gebruik om de lange wandeling te maken, zo opperden de onderzoekers. Dit zou alleen wel betekenen dat Titanomyrma niet in de oude, gematigde Canadese hooglanden voorkwam, omdat het daar waarschijnlijk tevens te koud was. Maar de huidige vondst bewijst nu het tegendeel.
Mysterie Het verhaal van Titanomyrma is dus met de ontdekking van het nieuwe fossiel wederom een tikkie mysterieuzer geworden. Wat het ook niet makkelijker maakt, is dat het Canadese fossiel tijdens de fossilisatie door geologische druk vervormd is. Hierdoor is het onmogelijk geworden om de ware levensgrootte vast te stellen. Hoewel dus bekend is dat Titanomyrma een gigantische omvang moet hebben gehad, kan er niet met zekerheid worden gesteld hoe groot het Canadese exemplaar precies was. “Misschien was het een kleinere soort en door zijn geringere omvang aangepast aan koelere klimaten,” oppert Archibald. “Maar het kan ook zijn dat hij wel gigantisch was. In dit geval is misschien onze theorie over hun klimatologische tolerantie – en dus hoe ze het Noordpoolgebied overstaken – verkeerd.”
Het raadsel van Titanomyrma is dus nog lang niet opgelost. Door verschillende fossielen met elkaar te vergelijken, hopen de onderzoekers meer te weten te komen. “We zullen meer fossielen moeten vinden,” zegt Archibald. De vraag is of onze ideeën over de ecologie van Titanomyrma, en dus over hun verspreiding, moeten worden herzien. Voorlopig blijft het een mysterie.”
EXCLUSIVE: 'Our planet is not unique!' UFO experts admit alien 'motherships' could be flying through our solar system with the ability to launch their own smaller probes to visit planets they pass – including Earth
EXCLUSIVE: 'Our planet is not unique!' UFO experts admit alien 'motherships' could be flying through our solar system with the ability to launch their own smaller probes to visit planets they pass – including Earth
Director of the Pentagon's UFO unit and former Harvard Astronomy Department Chair have co-authored paper saying alien 'motherships' could be flying through our solar system
'An artificial interstellar object could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth,' the authors write
They wrote that current sky-scanning telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope would miss such small objects
The head of the government's UFO office says alien 'motherships' could be flying through our solar system and sending probes to Earth in a new science paper.
The draft paper, published last week DailyMail.com has learned, has also sparked a row with the UFO chief's predecessor over the physics of strange craft seen in our skies.
The six-page article, titled 'Physical Constraints on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena', was co-written by Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, the director of the Pentagon's UFO unit called the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), and former Harvard Astronomy Department Chair, Professor Avi Loeb.
Loeb is also the founder of the Galileo Project, which aims to use high-resolution telescopes and artificial intelligence algorithms to spot and photograph UFOs around Earth.
He gained national attention for his theory that an interstellar comet that passed through our solar system in 2017, dubbed 'Oumuamua, could in fact be an alien probe, and has written books on the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
The head of the government's UFO office says alien 'motherships' could be flying through our solar system and sending probes to Earth. Harvard Astronomy Department Chair Professor Avi Loeb believes that an interstellar comet that passed through our solar system in 2017, dubbed 'Oumuamua (pictured in an artist's rendering), could in fact be an alien probe
The six-page article, written by the director of the Pentagon's UFO unit Sean Kirkpatrick (left) and former Harvard Astronomy Department Chair Avi Loeb (right), was released last week
His new paper with Kirkpatrick was published on Loeb's website on March 1.
In the article, the scientist and the top intelligence official hypothesized that aliens may have long ago sent a 'mothership' craft across the galaxy, with the ability to launch its own smaller probes to visit interesting planets it passes – including Earth.
In an exclusive interview, Loeb told DailyMail.com that his team at Harvard is currently using a large campus telescope to scan the skies for such probes or other UFOs
'An artificial interstellar object could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth, an operational construct not too dissimilar from NASA missions,' Loeb and Kirkpatrick wrote.
They wrote that current sky-scanning telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope would miss such small objects, whereas 'our deep space radars and space fence' could pick up meter-long incoming UFOs up to 36,000 km in the air – and we therefore should keep an eye out for them.
'Such objects could also become optically detectable as they get close to Earth, especially if they create a fireball as a result of their friction with air,' they wrote.
In an exclusive interview, Loeb told DailyMail.com that his team at Harvard, where he now serves as Director of the Institute for Theory and Computation, is currently using a large campus telescope to scan the skies for such probes or other UFOs, and are planning to set up a second telescope in the coming months as part of his Galileo Project.
'We are just hypothetically raising possibilities,' he said. 'NASA is now designing things that will land on Mars with a parachute shape. These are things that we are planning, and we should consider them as possibilities for other civilizations.
'Our planet is not unique. There are billions of planets like the Earth in the Milky Way galaxy. So why would we think that this is unusual?
'I have not seen data that supports any of these. It's just a possibility. But with the Galileo Project we are starting to collect data now and we will analyze it, but it's too early to say anything.'
Loeb and Kirkpatrick's draft paper also discusses 'physics-based constraints' for the kind of signs we should look for from UFOs – or as the government prefers to call them, Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).
Kirkpatrick and Loeb's stance is at odds with the famous descriptions given by some Navy pilots of 'tic tac'-shaped objects videoed off the West Coast in 2004. The footage above captured what pilots recorded on their video sensors during training flights in 2004 and 2015
The two men argue that it is impossible for an object to travel faster than the speed of sound in Earth's atmosphere without creating a sonic boom, and that very fast moving objects always create a 'fireball' or a fiery tail in the air as friction with air molecules causes them to burn up.
They say that as a result, any footage that appears to show objects traveling at supersonic speeds without such characteristics, must be a misidentification – and is likely showing a smaller, slower object closer to the camera, or some other explanation.
'If you're claiming very fast moving objects, you'd better verify you can calculate the distance, so that you are sure about it,' Loeb told DailyMail.com.
'If indeed it's moving so fast, it should have left an imprint. You can't just say an object moves fast while at the same time you don't see any of these signatures.
'Someone who has crappy data, fuzzy images, or something without triangulation: you can't claim 'new physics' without actually proving beyond any reasonable doubt that you measured the distances correctly.
'If you're seeing them [UFOs], it means they interact with light, it means they interact with electric and magnetic fields, because that's what light is. And it means they must interact with the atoms and molecules of air, because air molecules interact with the electric and magnetic forces.'
In the article, the scientist and the top intelligence official hypothesized that aliens may have long ago sent a 'mothership' craft across the galaxy, with the ability to launch its own smaller probes to visit interesting planets it passes – including Earth
Kirkpatrick and Loeb's stance is at odds with the famous descriptions given by some Navy pilots of 'tic tac'-shaped objects videoed off the West Coast in 2004, described as flying over the ocean with no visible means of propulsion, then zipping 40 miles in less than a minute – at least three times the speed of sound – with no sonic boom or fiery trail.
The 'tic tac' and another object encountered by Navy pilots in 2015 were videoed on their F-18 jets' infrared camera, called 'FLIR', and the videos leaked to the New York Times in 2017, sending shockwaves around the world and reigniting popular interest in the UFO topic.
But the UFO office chief Kirkpatrick and Loeb appeared to pour cold water on cases of strange objects caught on FLIR, suggesting that alleged supersonic craft may in fact be slower moving objects closer to the camera.
'One of the most common sets of data within the military holdings comes from FLIR (forward looking infrared) pods,' the authors wrote.
'These sensors provide an accurate resolved image of relative thermal measurements across the scene. Typical UAP sightings are too far away to get a highly resolved image of the object and determination of the object's motion is limited by the lack of range data.
'The range is usually estimated using the flight dynamics of the platform and some fixed points in the scene - if either are available. The error in estimating the range gives rise to a significant variation in the calculated velocity and is subject to human bias and error.'
The comments in the paper drew a fiery reaction from Dr. Travis Taylor, a physicist who in 2019 served as the chief scientist for the government's UFO office.
The comments in the paper drew a fiery reaction from Dr. Travis Taylor (left), a physicist who in 2019 served as the chief scientist for the government's UFO office. 'That is so uncreative and typical of a Harvard physicist. That's so ridiculous,' Taylor told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview this weekend
Loeb revealed that he will be going on an expedition in May to salvage a roughly three-foot comet that crashed to Earth on March 9, 2017 – hoping to recover pieces of the 'first interstellar material' on our planet
'That is so uncreative and typical of a Harvard physicist. That's so ridiculous,' Taylor told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview this weekend. 'Two equations does not a science paper make.
Taylor was referring to a theory that some UFOs seen flying in extraordinary ways are using a kind of 'warp drive' that bends space-time around the alleged craft, freeing it from the effects of gravity and allowing it to travel at extreme speeds without interacting with air or water molecules around it.
'There's some sort of physics there that we don't understand,' Taylor said.
'It's either magically frictionless – which would be an amazing technology – or it's in sort of a pocket universe, which fits with the Chris Van Der Broeck paper, being a warp bubble that doesn't interact with the things in this universe.'
Taylor made his comments in an interview with DailyMail.com at AlienCon, a UFO conference in Los Angeles, California this weekend where he was a guest speaker.
The combative comments show a widening divide between the ex heads of the UFO office, formerly called the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, and the current leadership under Kirkpatrick, on how to characterize weird objects seen in the sky, space and under water.
An image obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com of what appears to be a metallic-looking orb flying over Mosul, Iraq in April 2016, was included in a classified briefing video on UFOs shown to multiple US government agencies. The 'Mosul Orb' is an example of objects flying without visible means of propulsion
Loeb also revealed that he will be going on an expedition in May to salvage a roughly three-foot comet that crashed to Earth on March 9, 2017 – hoping to recover pieces of the 'first interstellar material' on our planet.
He told DailyMail.com he wants to retrieve pieces of the comet from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near Papua New Guinea, and look at its material for signs it was artificially made rather than natural.
'Six months before 'Oumuamua's closest approach to Earth, a meter-size interstellar meteor (IM2) collided with Earth,' Kirkpatrick and Loeb's paper said.
'The coincidences between some orbital parameters of 'Oumuamua and IM2 inspires us to consider the possibility that an artificial interstellar object could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth.'
'I will be going in a couple of months to find the fragments of the first interstellar material,' Loeb told DailyMail.com in his interview this weekend. 'The task is to see what the composition was. Is it natural like a rock, or was it artificial in origin, like stainless steel or some alloy?
'It's not a cheap expedition, it will cost $1.5million. We have the boat and an exceptional team with the best people in the expedition game. We will do our best. And I will be on the boat.'
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Pentagon UFO Chief’s Report Suggests Possibility of Alien Mothership in Our Solar System
Pentagon UFO Chief’s Report Suggests Possibility of Alien Mothership in Our Solar System
The possibility of an extraterrestrial mothership and smaller probes visiting planets in our solar system is not a new idea, but it has gained new attention following a report by the head of the Pentagon’s unidentified aerial phenomena research office. Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), and Abraham Loeb, chairman of Harvard University’s astronomy department, co-authored a research report titled “Physical Constraints on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” which suggests that an artificial interstellar object could be a parent craft releasing many small probes during its close passage to Earth.
Kirkpatrick, who previously served as the chief scientist at the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center, was appointed as director of the AARO when it was founded in July 2022. The AARO was established to investigate unidentified “objects of interest” around military installations, according to a Pentagon press release. Loeb gained notoriety when he proposed in October 2017 that our galaxy had been traversed by its first visitor from outer space.
Sean Kirkpatrick
The authors suggest that these tiny probes could reach Earth or other solar system planets for exploration, as the parent craft passes by within a fraction of the Earth-Sun separation, just like the object “Oumuamua” did. “Oumuamua” was detected in October 2017 by the PanSTARRS telescope in Hawaii, and its orbit hinted at other forces besides the sun’s gravitational pull influencing its movement. The object was dubbed “Oumuamua,” the Hawaiian term for “scout.” Find out more at Wikipedia.
The authors further explained that astronomers would not be able to notice the spray of mini-probes because they do not reflect enough sunlight for existing survey telescopes to notice them. This possibility has gained attention following a month of intense scrutiny of unidentified flying objects, a trend ignited when a Chinese spy balloon captivated the nation by drifting across U.S. airspace. Three additional unidentified objects were subsequently found.
On Feb. 16, Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and 12 other senators sent a letter to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Deputy Director of National Intelligence Stacey Dixon calling for full funding for the AARO. The Biden administration’s previous funding request for fiscal year 2023 failed to fund anything beyond the office’s basic operating expenses, the lawmakers argued.
In support of the establishment of the AARO, the senators noted that it could help resolve various threats to the US and reduce the stigma surrounding the subject of alien encounters. The funding for the project will depend on the cooperation between the intelligence community and the Department of Defense.
A report presented by the head of a Pentagon research office that claimed that small alien ships could travel to distant planets has gained widespread attention. According to the report, an artificial object could launch several small probes as it approaches Earth.
According to the authors of the report, the lack of sunlight reflected by the mini-probes could prevent astronomers from detecting the objects. The senators noted that the AARO should be funded to address various hazards and threats to the US.
Recovered UFO Technology May Be “Being Reverse-Engineered Right Now,” According to U.S. Representative
Recovered UFO Technology May Be “Being Reverse-Engineered Right Now,” According to U.S. Representative
Flying saucer
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the possibility of the existence of extraterrestrial life and unidentified flying objects. While some people are skeptical, others believe that these phenomena are real and that we need to take them seriously. In February 2023, four objects were shot down over North America in quick succession, prompting fresh speculation about what UFOs may be, what kind of risk they could pose, and what may come next. Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett told Newsweek that he believed “we have recovered a craft at some point, and possible beings.”
“I think that a lot of that’s being reverse-engineered right now, but we just don’t understand it,” he continued. In other words, Burchett believes that the U.S. government has recovered UFO technology and is trying to understand how it works. However, it is not clear whether this technology is of extraterrestrial origin or if it is the result of advanced technology developed by another country.
The Defense Department has not confirmed the nature of the three remaining objects, which were targeted by U.S. fighter jet missiles over Alaska, Canada, and Lake Huron, Michigan. On February 14, the White House said intelligence officials were “considering as a leading explanation that these could be tied to commercial or research entities and benign.” President Biden added on February 16 that “these three objects were most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation, or research institutions studying weather or conducting other scientific research.”
Despite these statements, there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the nature of UFOs and their potential implications for national security. In fact, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy said, following a classified briefing on the objects last month, it was “clear to me this is not a recent phenomenon.” “Lock your doors tonight,” he then told gathered reporters.
To address these concerns, US President Biden has ordered an “interagency team” to investigate the “broader policy implications for detection, analysis, and disposition of unidentified aerial objects that pose either safety or security risks.” The team will be tasked with coming up with sharper rules for how to deal with unidentified objects moving forward, distinguishing between those that are likely to pose safety and security risks that necessitate action and those that do not.
5 Key Moments From Biden’s UFO Speech
In mid-January, the Office for the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) published a report on UFO, or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), sightings. There had been a total of 510 UAP sightings recorded in the 2022 report, and overall sightings had jumped by 366 since the previously published report. It included new sightings since the previous report, as well as ones that were “either discovered or reported late.” Just over half of the new sightings were deemed “unremarkable,” but of the 171 remaining sightings, some “appear to have demonstrated unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities, and require further analysis,” according to the report.
It is important to note that despite these findings, U.S. intelligence has not come across anything “that would lead us to believe that any of the objects that we have seen are of alien origin,” according to Ronald Moultrie, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. However, the fact that there is a team dedicated to investigating UFOs suggests that the U.S. government is taking this issue seriously and wants to ensure that we are prepared for any potential threat that may arise.
In conclusion, while the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrial life remains a topic of debate, recent events suggest that we need to take this issue seriously. The fact that the U.S. government has recovered UFO technology and is trying to understand how it works highlights the potential threat
Rare Smiling Sphinx Statue Found in Egypt and it May Depict Emperor Claudius
Rare Smiling Sphinx Statue Found in Egypt and it May Depict Emperor Claudius
Archaeologists in southern Egypt have uncovered a remarkable miniature sphinx statue, sporting a rare feature of a smiling face with two dimples. The artifact was found near the Hathor Templein a tomb with two levels and is believed to potentially represent the Roman Emperor Claudius, making it a significant find. The unusual smiling expression on thesphinx is not typically found in ancient Egyptian art, adding to the intrigue and mystery surrounding the discovery.
In addition, researchers also found a Roman stele (stone slab) written in demotic and hieroglyphic scripts next to the sphinx. Once fully deciphered, the stele may reveal the identity of the sculpted ruler, according to a press release by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. They also discovered a two-layer platform and a mud-brick basin from the Byzantine era. Emperor Claudius is a likely option as he extended Rome’s rule into North Africa between 41 and 54 AD, which coincides with the dating of these finds.
The smiling sphinx in situ, near the Temple of Dendera in Egypt.
The Hathor Temple, which is within the Dendera Temple Complex in Qena province, located about 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of Cairo, is one of Egypt's best-preserved ancient sites. The smiling sphinx and artifacts were discovered within the walls of the complex.
The Hathor temple was constructed during the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt from 305 BC to 30 BC. It was an important pilgrimage site in ancient Egypt, and many visitors would come to the temple to seek the goddess's blessings and perform rituals. Hathor was a complex deity, worshipped as the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, music, and dance. She was also associated with motherhood, childbirth, and the sky.
The temple is home to the Dendera Zodiac , a celestial map that has been on display at the Louvre in Paris since 1922. The Dendera Zodiac is one of the earliest known representations of the constellations and is considered to be an important document in the history of astronomy. It shows the twelve zodiac signs, as well as other astronomical features such as the planets, the Milky Way, and the constellations of Orion and Sirius.
Egypt has been unveiling major archaeological finds in recent months, primarily in the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo, but also in Giza and Luxor. Just last week, the antiquities ministry announced the discovery of a hidden nine-meter passage inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, which could lead to the burial chamber of pharaoh Khufu.
In January, archaeologists in Luxor uncovered an 1,800-year-old complete residential city from the Roman era. These discoveries have been seen by some experts as having more political and economic significance than scientific, reports the Associated Press .
Egypt is relying on tourism to revive its vital tourism industry, which has suffered a severe economic crisis, severely dependent on foreign tourism. The government aims to draw in 30 million tourists per year by 2028, up from 13 million before the pandemic.
The discovery of the sphinx statue near the Hathor Temple is another significant find for Egyptian archaeologists. With ongoing excavations in various parts of the country, Egypt's rich history continues to be uncovered. These archaeological finds not only have scientific importance but also economic significance for the country's vital tourism industry.
DR. JENNIFER NUZZO: H5N1 is deadlier than COVID-19 and it's spreading. Humans are not easily infected YET - but the NEXT pandemic may just be a few mutations away
DR. JENNIFER NUZZO: H5N1 is deadlier than COVID-19 and it's spreading. Humans are not easily infected YET - but the NEXT pandemic may just be a few mutations away
What's the cause of all these recent unusual events?
A highly pathogenic virus known as H5N1 - avian influenza.
Thankfully, H5N1 is not yet capable of spreading between people like the flu viruses we're used to battling in North America during the fall and winter.
Though the operable word is 'yet'.
Waterfowl are natural carriers of these dangerous viral strains. And most of the time, they don't pose a threat to humans, unless there is direct contact with infected animals or their waste.
Avian influenza viruses don't bind easily to human respiratory cells. Therefore, the disease is not readily transmitted from one person to another through coughing, sneezing or droplets in the breath.
But the increasing ability of H5N1 to spread among animals and directly infect people is stoking fears that the world may be just a few genetic mutations away from another pandemic.
And there are good reasons to worry.
Since 2022, in the United States alone, a record-breaking 58 million farm birds, like chickens and turkeys, have been killed or culled after exposure to the virus.
Tens of thousands of birds suddenly die in coastal Peru and throughout the Americas. (Above) Municipal workers collect dead pelicans on Santa Maria beach in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2022
Then hundreds of sea lions turn up dead. And tragically, an 11 year old girl in Cambodia loses her life. (Above) Bean Narong died of the bird flu on February 22 after falling sick a week earlier
The virus has also jumped to red foxes, mink, racoons, skunks and other non-human mammals across the northwest, midwest and northeast.
In fact, various forms of H5N1 have been spreading in wildlife populations for more than 20 years and they are nasty.
H5N1 has wiped out entire flocks and devastated wildlife populations. Hundreds of people have gotten sick since the virus was first identified in 1997. And among those known to have gotten the virus, about half have died.
That makes H5N1 far more lethal than COVID-19.
What we don't know is how deadly the virus would be if it were to gain the ability to easily infect and transmit between humans.
Everytime a virus invades a cell, it makes copies of itself. Sometimes in the process it makes a mistake – a mutation. Mutations may not result in any changes in how the virus can infect or sicken. But as we've seen with the Delta and Omicron variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, sometimes these mutations can make the virus more transmissible.
And we do know enough to want to act swiftly to prevent that from happening.
H5N1 is hardly the first zoonotic virus – a pathogen that originates in wildlife and spills over into human populations - to pose a serious threat.
Human immunodeficiency virus or HIV, which has killed upwards of 40 million people and counting, first emerged in wildlife. The virus likely infected human populations multiple times before it gained the ability to spread and move around the world.
Since the emergence of HIV, there have been many more animal viruses that gained the ability to infect humans.
In the last twenty or so years, the list of zoonotic disease outbreaks that have occurred is staggering. The list includes Ebola, West Nile Virus, Mpox, pandemic influenza in 2009, and two new coronaviruses that predate the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Zoonotic diseases are thought to kill more than 2.7 million people across the globe each year.
That's astonishing.
And if that's not concerning enough, we're likely not ready for the next one.
The virus has also jumped to red foxes, mink, racoons, skunks and other non-human mammals across the northwest, midwest and northeast.
The steady drumbeat of these events signals to us that the accelerating emergence of new zoonotic diseases is the new normal.
Since the 1940s and 1950s when HIV may have first jumped from chimpanzees to humans, the frequency of zoonotic disease outbreaks has been steadily increasing.
By the end of the 20th century, the number of outbreaks of new infectious disease was more than five times greater than what was occurring in the 1940s - not all are zoonotic, but most are.
And stunningly, more than two thirds of all human outbreaks of new diseases have been caused by zoonotic pathogens
There are many possible reasons for this.
In North America and around the world, human land use is constantly expanding. We're putting new stresses on wildlife populations, increasing their likelihood of getting sick and becoming infected with new illnesses. Climate change is altering natural environments adding to the strain.
The animals themselves are migrating to new regions, creating new opportunities for them to come in contact with people, thus spreading new viruses. And repeated exposure to humans creates more opportunities for the diseases to mutate.
While all viruses are different, it would be folly to ignore that conditions which may have led to the HIV epidemic are magnified today.
If these viruses do become easily transmissible between humans, our modern behavior aids their spread. We are more mobile than ever before – any destination on the planet is reachable within 48 hours.
Finally, as bad as H5N1 avian influenza is, it may not be the worst zoonotic disease threat that we could face.
The U.S. has been preparing for a possible H5N1 pandemic for about 20 years. It has labs that can detect avian influenza and has stockpiled millions of doses of H5N1 vaccines.
Thanks to a seasonal influenza vaccine market, a global infrastructure to make vaccines for new influenza viruses already exists. The U.S. even has a secret supply of eggs to grow new influenza vaccines, if needed.
But as COVID-19 has shown us, when a completely new virus emerges and spreads, it is much harder to respond to it. If a new zoonotic disease emerges, we would not have ready access to the same tools we now employ to combat influenza or COVID-19.
Without vaccines or medicines to prevent or treat infections, we are left with masks and social distancing to contain the spread.
The U.S. has been preparing for a possible H5N1 pandemic for about 20 years. It has labs that can detect avian influenza and has stockpiled millions of doses of H5N1 vaccines.
Since 2022, in the United States alone, a record-breaking 58 million farm birds, like chickens and turkeys, have been killed or culled after exposure to the virus.
We need new tools and strategies to protect ourselves from contagious, zoonotic pathogens that don't just rely on our willingness to lockdown society and lock ourselves inside our homes. Forcing businesses and schools to close represents a failure to prepare.
We can't let zoonotic diseases like H5N1 spread unchecked or else they could mutate to become a bigger threat to humans.
The Biden Administration is right to consider vaccinating U.S. poultry against H5N1, but it's not enough.
That may protect U.S. agricultural interests, but it won't prevent the virus from infecting wildlife or mutating to more easily infect humans.
We need to do more.
Ensuring our schools and businesses are well-ventilated will not only reduce our vulnerability to future zoonotic threats, but will make us safer from other viruses, like seasonal influenza.
We shouldn't wait until our worst case scenario comes true to jump start research and development of new vaccines, rapid tests and medicines.
The World Health Organization recently called on governments to invest in developing prototype vaccines for every animal influenza strain so that they can be more rapidly evaluated and manufactured.
We need better surveillance of emerging wildlife viruses and of people who have high risk exposure to animals.
After three years of responding to COVID-19, the public and, crucially, politicians may have little willingness to do what it takes to prevent a new virus from upending our lives.
Funding for the response to COVID-19 has lapsed. Millions of healthcare workers have left their positions, leaving our fragmented and weakened pandemic healthcare entities further depleted. Efforts to develop new and improved vaccines for COVID-19 are stalled.
None of this bodes well for our readiness for the next pandemic.
We don't know when it may occur or what disease it will be, but we have lots of reasons to count on it being a zoonotic disease, and possibly one we've not yet seen before.
Smeltend permafrost laat virussen vrij die 50.000 jaar inactief waren: hoe gevaarlijk is dit?
De temperaturen op de arctische gebieden stijgen waardoor het permafrost smelt. In dat permafrost ontdekten wetenschappers al mammoeten en wollige neushoorns, maar er zitten ook oude virussen in die ijslaag. Hoe gevaarlijk is dit voor de mensen en dieren die nu leven? Wetenschapsexpert Martijn Peters geeft uitleg: “Het hangt vooral af van hoe weerbaar de virussen zijn na jaren in het permafrost”.
Het klinkt als een science-fiction verhaal, maar toch waarschuwen heel wat wetenschappers voor de gevolgen van het vrijkomen van eeuwenoude virussen. De reden waarom dieren en virussen zo goed bewaard blijven in het permafrost is niet alleen omdat het koud is, het is ook een zuurstofvrije omgeving waar het licht niet doordringt. De huidige temperaturen op de Noordpool warmen echter zeer snel op waardoor de bovenste laag permafrost in de regio verzwakt.
“Of een virus in die omstandigheden kan overleven hangt af van hoe goed hij bijvoorbeeld tegen extreme kou kan en hoe lang”, zegt wetenschapsexpert Martijn Peters, “Sommige micro-organismen overleven dit niet, andere wel”. Het pokkenvirus kan bijvoorbeeld bij - 20 °C overleven, maar slechts enkele tientallen jaren en geen eeuwen. “Wat ontdooiende permafrost zou kunnen ontketenen, hangt dus af van hoe weerbaar de virussen zijn. Voor onbekende virussen is dat voorlopig moeilijk in te schatten”, zegt Peters.
Wetenschapper Jean-Michel Claverie heeft al meerdere virusfamilies ontdekt in het permafrost en heeft er twee opnieuw tot leven gewekt. De oudste was bijna 48.500 jaar. Het ging hier om virussen die enkel eencellige organismen kunnen besmetten. “Die vormen voor ons geen gevaar”, zegt expert Martijn Peters, “Maar de kans bestaat natuurlijk dat er zich virussen bevinden in de meer dan 23 miljoen km² oppervlakte aan permafrost die het wel op mensen hebben gemunt”.
Een enkele gram permafrost kan duizenden ‘slapende’ micro-organismen bevatten. Zo hebben wetenschappers bijvoorbeeld al fragmenten aangetroffen van het pokken- en influenzavirus. “Waar men vooral voor vreest, is dat er een nieuw virus zou tevoorschijn komen waar ons lichaam nog niet tegen gewapend is, zoals bijvoorbeeld SARS-CoV 2”, zegt Peters.
“Het feit dat de virussen na zo lange tijd nog steeds besmettelijk zijn, wijst op een mogelijk groter probleem”, zegt Claverie. Hij vreest dat mensen zijn onderzoek beschouwen als een wetenschappelijke curiositeit en het niet zien als een ernstige bedreiging voor de volksgezondheid. “Wij zien deze amoebe-infecterende virussen als voorteken voor alle andere mogelijke virussen die zich in de permafrost zouden kunnen bevinden”, zei Claverie aan CNN. “We zien de sporen van vele, vele andere virussen”, voegde hij eraan toe. “Dus we weten dat ze er zijn. We weten niet zeker of ze nog leven. Maar als de amoebevirussen nog leven, kan het zeker zijn dat andere virussen dieren of mensen kunnen infecteren.”
“Het zijn trouwens niet enkel virussen waarvoor we moeten oppassen, maar ook bacteriën”, zegt Peters. In 2016 was er een uitbraak van Bacillus anthracis in Siberië. Zo’n honderd mensen werden opgenomen in het ziekenhuis en 1 jongetje stierf aan de ziekte. De bacterie was vrijgekomen uit de permafrost en had rendieren besmet. Meer dan 2.000 dieren stierven. Je kan miltvuur/antrax oplopen door het eten van besmet vlees. Meer nog, uit wetenschappelijk onderzoek blijkt dat er ook heel wat resistentie tegen antibiotica aanwezig is onder bacteriën die gevonden worden in permafrost, wat ook problematisch kan zijn.
“In het verleden kwamen nieuwe uitbraken van pathogenen meestal door het ontdekken van nieuw onbekend terrein of te dicht contact tussen mens en dier”, zegt Peters, “Maar nu kijken wetenschappers dus ook naar een derde piste: het verdwijnen van ecologische barrières die ons duizenden of zelfs miljoenen jaren beschermd hebben tegen deze micro-organismen”.
Wat kunnen we er tegen doen?
“Naar schatting zou tegen 2.100 bijna alle permafrost verdwenen kunnen zijn door de klimaatverstoring”, laat Peters weten. “De meest impactvolle oplossing is dus het stoppen van de klimaatverstoring en daardoor het massaal ontdooien van de permafrost voorkomen. Dan blijven de micro-organismen zoals v }}irussen mooi op hun plaats zitten”, verduidelijkt Peters.
“Daarnaast kan je natuurlijk ook proberen te voorkomen dat mensen in contact komen met de boosdoeners. Momenteel wonen er slechts ‘enkele miljoenen’ mensen in de permafrostgebieden. Maar als de wereld opwarmt neemt dat aantal misschien wel toe”, vult hij aan. “Tot slot is het ook interessant om meer onderzoek naar de micro-organismen in de permafrost te doen. Hoe meer men weet, hoe beter. Proactief werken is beter dan reactief”, besluit Peters.
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LATEST UFO SIGHTINGS AND VIDEOS - 09-03-2023
LATEST UFO SIGHTINGS AND VIDEOS - 09-03-2023
Frantic Lady Witnesses A UFO in Montreal!
A Frantic Lady almost to tears try's to explain what she is seeing from inside what appears to be an upper story apartment or office building in Montreal Canada.
video SourceMUFON Case # 129464
Large Black & Diamond At Sometimes Shaped UFO
Large Black And At Sometimes Diamond Shaped UFO Over Arizona REC & Witnessed By Mountain Biker. Video SourceMUFON Case # 129525
Asteroid 2023 DW has 'very small chance' of hitting Earth on Valentine's Day 2046
Recently discovered asteroid 2023 DW has been predicted to have a close encounter with Earth on Feb. 14, 2046. See NASA's current odds of impact along with an orbit animation.
The space rock is estimated to be about 50 meters (164 ft) in diameter.
Credit:Space.com | orbit animation: NASA/JPL-Caltech | edited by Steve Spaleta £££
Exploring Venus with NASA's DAVINCI misison, includes descent probe!
NASA Deep Atmosphere of Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging” (DAVINCI) will launch to Venus in 2029 and includes an atmospheric descent probe.
How long can a modern spacecraft last on Venus? How to develop electronics, batteries and other things that can survive these harsh conditions? What could the lifespan of such a mission be? We discuss all that with Dr Tibor Kremic from NASA Glenn Research Center.
Everyone knows that Triton is the largest moon of Neptune’s. But what if it wasn’t always like that? What if I told you that Triton used to be a dwarf planet before? Ever since its discovery, scientists have been really puzzled by this massive moon of Neptune. Triton is really peculiar as it is covered by a thick layer of ice that could even potentially be a host for life in the oceans underneath it! A team of scientists at NASA claims that there’s a very big chance that Triton used to be a dwarf planet before it was captured by Neptune, and turned into the very unique moon it is today. But what made scientists suggest that possibility? How else could they explain its peculiarities, like its weird orbital direction and high reflectivity?
Follow me in this video to get to unveil the incredible secrets of this very distant world and get to know the answers to these questions and more!
Triton is the largest and most massive of Neptune's moons and is among the most mysterious moons of our Solar System. It has a diameter of 2,706 kilometers, so in comparison with our Earth’s Moon, Triton is just a little bit smaller, by around 800 km. Carrying a mass of ten to the power of 22 kilograms, it is the seventh largest moon orbiting our Sun. Neptune and its moon Triton have a very peculiar discovery story. It was observed two centuries before it was discovered as a planet, that’s crazy right? Let’s take a little step back in time into the discovery of Neptune.
FALCON LAKE - FULL HD DOCUMENTARY MOVIE IN ENGLISH
Throughout the evolutionary course of history, extraterrestrials have not only visited our planet but have gone much further! The Falcon Lake UFO incident is one of the most chilling cases of all time. Stephen Michalak, in 1967, is in Manitoba on business when he is burned by a UFO. This is the most documented, disturbing and famous case ever seen where not only verbal evidence is present but also material and visual evidence. Canada therefore, remains one of the most enigmatic places ever because of endless appearances of unidentified flying objects.
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Caught on Camera and Radar | Kaikoura UFO Lights Incident, New Zealand | Short Documentary
Considered one of the most credible UFO sightings ever, The Kaikoura Lights Incident as its known made headlines not only in New Zealand, but right around the world.
Top 20 Alien Encounters: Most Famous UFO Sightings EVER (Part 2)
In this video,we continue with 20 most famous and controversial UFO sightings of all time. We discuss sightings from the United States, Canada, Australia, South America and Middle East.
We'll examine the evidence, the eyewitness accounts, and the various explanations put forth by skeptics and believers alike. Whether you're a seasoned UFO enthusiast or just curious about the subject, this video is sure to provide plenty of intrigue and speculation.
Join us as we explore the mysteries of the unknown and the unexplained, and uncover the truth behind some of the most fascinating and controversial UFO sightings in history.
This video details the following sightings:
11. Westall U.F.O. sighting (1966) 12. Falcon Lake Incident (1967) 13. Coyne Helicopter Incident (1973) 14. The New York Hudson Valley U.F.O. sightings (1982-1986) 15. Tehran U.F.O. Incident (1976) 16. O'Hare International Airport U.F.O. sighting (2006) 17. Phoenix Lights (1997) 18. Stephenville Lights (2008) 19. Chile Navy U.F.O. (2014) 20. Tic Tac U.F.O. (2004)
For your ready reference, in the first part, we explored the following incidents:
1. The Kenneth Arnold (1947) 2. The Roswell Incident (1947) 3. Mantell U.F.O. Incident (1948) 4. Lubbock Lights (1951) 5. Washington D.C. UFO Incident (1952) 6. Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter (1955) 7. Levelland U.F.O. Case (1957) 8. Aurora, Texas U.F.O. incident (1897) 9. Kecksburg U.F.O. incident (1965) 10. Rendlesham Forest Incident (1980)
Strangeness in sky over Menifee, California (No Sound) 3-6-2023, UFO Sighting News.
Strangeness in sky over Menifee, California (No Sound) 3-6-2023, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: March 6, 2023
Location of sighting: Menifee, California, USA
Watch this awesome catch in California. They witness saw these objects appear and unite and then shoot into the clouds and vanish several times. This seems to have no other explanation except possible alien craft flying together.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
Strange lights over Menifee, Ca. Moved slow and appeared and disappeared , they seemed to become one then disappeared and one would reappear and the up to four. This happened about three times before disappearing into the clouds.
Cylindrical UFO emerges from the Popocatépetl volcano
Cylindrical UFO emerges from the Popocatépetl volcano
On March 7, 2023 a webcam captured a cylindrical object seemly emerging from the side of the Popocatépetl volcano in Mexico and rises into the sky until it is no longer visible.
The well-known ufologist Jaime Maussan assumed that the object was a transmedium UFO of non-human origin.
The Popocatépetl volcano is known for its many mysterious UFOs flying in, out or over the volcano over the years but to date, there is no explanation for the presence of these objects, but it is said that a secret alien base is located inside or near the volcano.
The Pyramid-Shaped UAP Over Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine: A Mysterious Encounter Caught on Video by Two Witnesses
The Pyramid-Shaped UAP Over Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine: A Mysterious Encounter Caught on Video by Two Witnesses
Triangle UFO over Ukraine
A recent video has been making rounds on the internet, showing what appears to be a pyramid-shaped UFO hovering over Kryvyi Rih, a city in central Ukraine. The video was allegedly captured in December 2022 by two separate witnesses, both of whom managed to record footage of the strange object. The video has since been shared on various social media platforms, sparking a flurry of discussion and debate around what it could be.
The first witness footage shows a glowing triangular object hovering in the sky, with what appears to be a faint white light emanating from its tip. The second video was captured from a moving vehicle, and shows the same triangular object hovering in the distance, seemingly stationary as the camera shakes slightly from the car’s motion. In the background, the witness can be heard exclaiming in Ukrainian, “It’s not in the clouds, it’s over there!” as she points towards the object.
The video has generated a lot of buzz on Reddit, with users speculating on what the object could be. Some have suggested that it could be a drone, while others have pointed out the triangular shape is often associated with secret military technology. One user even claimed to have seen a similar object in Zacatecas, Mexico in 2018, describing it as yellowish before turning white/light blue, and hovering without making any noise.
However, others have raised doubts about the video’s authenticity. One Reddit user pointed out that the second video appears to show the triangular object as a fixed point around which the camera shakes, which would be difficult to fake convincingly. Another user pointed out that the triangular shape is often associated with American military technology, and questioned why such covert tech would be flown above Ukraine.
This video is a fascinating glimpse into the ongoing mystery of UAP sightings. As more people turn to social media to share their sightings, it’s likely that we will see more videos like this in the future. Whether they represent actual evidence of extraterrestrial visitation, secret military technology, or something else entirely, remains to be seen.
Astronomers have detected enormous shockwaves rattling the cosmic web that connects all galaxies in the universe, offering vital clues on how the largest structures in space were shaped.
A simulation of the cosmic web showing shock waves producing radio waves (pink) as they crash through magnetic fields (blue).
(Image credit: F. Vazza/D. Wittor/J. West)
For the first time, astronomers have spotted enormous, galaxy-scale shock waves rattling the "cosmic web" that connects nearly all known galaxies. These cosmic waves could reveal clues about how the largest objects in the universe were sculpted.
(Photo : Pixabay / Geralt)
The discovery was made by stitching and stacking thousands of radio telescope images together, which revealed the soft "radio glow" produced by shock waves from colliding matter in our universe's biggest structures.
The cosmic web is a gigantic network of crisscrossing celestial superhighways paved with hydrogen gas and dark matter. Galaxies tend to form where multiple strands of the web intersect, often in clusters numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Now a new study, published Feb. 15 in the journal Science(opens in new tab), could provide vital clues into the nature of the mysterious magnetic fields that stretch beside these tendrils.
"Magnetic fields pervade the universe — from planets and stars to the largest spaces in-between galaxies," lead author Tessa Vernstrom(opens in new tab), an astronomer at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Crawley, Australia, said in a statement(opens in new tab). "However, many aspects of cosmic magnetism are not yet fully understood, especially at the scales seen in the cosmic web."
Taking shape in the chaotic aftermath of the Big Bang, the cosmic web's tendrils formed as clumps of matter from the roiling particle-antiparticle broth of the young universe — whose rapid expansion pushed the filaments outwards to form an interconnected soap-sud structure of thin films surrounding countless, mostly empty voids.
Far from being completely frozen in place, the cosmic web's matter can sometimes violently collide. When matter in the web merges, enormous shock waves send charged particles ricocheting through the web's magnetic fields, causing the particles to emit a faint radio wave glow. These shock waves have been spotted around some of the universe's largest galaxy clusters, but until now they were never observed around the web itself.
"These shock waves give off radio emissions which should result in the cosmic web 'glowing' in the radio spectrum, but it had never really been conclusively detected due to how faint the signals are," Vernstrom said.
To search for the faint signals, the researchers used data from the Global Magneto-Ionic Medium Survey, the Planck Legacy Archive, the Owens Valley Long Wavelength Array and the Murchison Widefield Array to stack radio imaging from 612,025 galaxy cluster pairs, grouped together if they were close enough to be directly connected by cosmic web tendrils. This stacking helped boost the faint radio emissions from the shock waves beyond noisy background effects.
Then, by looking only for polarized radio waves — whose rays vibrate at the same angle as each other and were predicted in simulations to be emitted by the shock waves — the researchers found the signal.
"As very few sources emit polarised radio light, our search was less prone to contamination and we have been able to provide much stronger evidence that we are seeing emissions from the shock waves in the largest structures in the universe, which helps to confirm our models for the growth of this large-scale structure," Vernstrom said.
Now that the shock waves' existence has been confirmed, they could be used to probe the nature of the enormous magnetic fields that suffuse the web, which play an unknown role in shaping the universe.
ALIEN-DETECTING AI FINDS EIGHT "SUSPICIOUS" SIGNALS
ALIEN-DETECTING AI FINDS EIGHT "SUSPICIOUS" SIGNALS
WHEN THE SCIENTISTS ARE STUMPED, YOU KNOW THEY'RE ONTO SOMETHING.
GETTY / FUTURISM
Strange Signals
A group that's at the forefront of the search for alien life has found some strange radio signals from space — and they're as confused by their origins as we are.
Speaking to New Atlas, University of Toronto student Peter Ma described the incredible — and "suspicious" — findings from a new machine learning algorithm he developed and brought to Breakthrough Listen, an Australia-based program that's pioneering new frontiers in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
"Eight signals looked very suspicious, but after we took another look at the targets with our telescopes, we didn’t see them again," Ma told New Atlas. "It’s been almost five to six years since we took the data, but we still haven’t seen the signal again. Make of that what you will."
Stumped
As Ma tells the science outlet, the process of identifying potentially intelligent radio signals from deep space is grueling. After training the algorithm on simulated extraterrestrial signals that would be of interest, Breakthrough Listen's researchers then fed the machine a previously-studied dataset of 3 million radio signals, and then manually combed through everything it flagged.
In the case of their most recent study, published last month in the journal Nature Astronomy, the algorithm fed back a whopping 20,515 "signals of interest," and after going through them all, the team narrowed it down to eight truly weird potential "technosignatures."
Tick Tick Boom
Writing in The Conversation following the publication of the Nature paper, Breakthrough Listen astronomer Daniel Price prophesied that humanity is on the verge of an AI "Big Bang" — and that his organization's work is at the forefront of this somewhat-welcome cataclysm.
Price admits in his editorial that it's probable those eight suspicious signals are "rare cases of radio interference" than legitimate signs of extraterrestrial life, but he argued they're nevertheless worthy of study for no other reason than helping humans (and their AI assistants) know what can be explained and what can't.
"If astronomers do manage to detect a technosignature that can’t be explained away as interference, it would strongly suggest humans aren’t the sole creators of technology within the Galaxy," he wrote. "This would be one of the most profound discoveries imaginable."
And honestly, we couldn't put it any better than that.
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Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies are merging
Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies are merging
Posted by Deborah Byrd and Theresa Wiegert
View larger. | Andromeda galaxy actual size? Yes. This image truly depicts what the night sky would look like if the Andromeda galaxy – the galaxy next door – were brighter. Original background shot of the moon by Stephen Rahn. Andromeda galaxy image via NASA. Composite photo by Tom Buckley-Houston. The composite showed up on Reddit a few years ago. Not convinced? Here’s a similar image via APOD. As the Andromeda-Milky Way merger continues, the Andromeda galaxy will appear bigger – and bigger – in our sky.
Milky Way and Andromeda merger has begun
The Andromeda galaxy, the nearest spiral galaxy to our Milky Way, isn’t noticeable in our night sky, unless you look for it. Underdark skies, however, you can see it without optical aid, but only as a barely visible fuzzy patch of light. But one day, far in the future, Andromeda will be bright in our sky, growing larger and larger … as it gets closer and closer to us. And even though the two galaxies are still 2.5 millionlight-years apart, the eventual merger of our two galaxies has, in fact, already begun.
The Andromeda galaxy is currently racing toward our Milky Way at a speed of about 70 miles (113 km) per second. With this in mind, our merger will occur five billion years from now. But, in August 2020, the peer-reviewedAstrophysical Journal published new research revealing that the collision between our galaxies is already underway.
The news about the Andromeda galaxy came from Project AMIGA, which uses the Hubble Space Telescope to look at the deep-space surroundings of the Andromeda galaxy. AMIGA stands for Absorption Map of Ionized Gas in Andromeda. NASA called it:
… the most comprehensive study of a halo surrounding a galaxy.
The Andromeda galaxy, our Milky Way and other galaxies all sit enshrouded in a large envelope – called a galactic halo – which consists of gas, dust and stray stars. The halos of galaxies are faint, so faint, in fact, that detecting them is not an easy feat. These astronomers measured the size of the halo of the Andromeda galaxy by looking at how much it absorbed light from background quasars. They were surprised to find that the Andromeda galaxy’s halo stretches much, much farther beyond its visible boundaries.
Indeed, it extends as far as half the distance to our Milky Way (1.3 million light-years) and even farther in other directions (up to 2 million light-years).
Are the halos touching yet?
So, does this mean the halos of the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies are touching?
It turns out that, from our vantage point inside the Milky Way, we cannot easily measure the characteristics of our galaxy’s halo. However, because the two galaxies are so similar in size and appearance, scientists assume that the halo of the Milky Way would also be similar.
In other words, it’s the faint halos of the galaxies that indeed appear to have started to touch one another. Thus, in a manner of speaking, the collision between our two galaxies has already started.
Visualizing Andromeda’s halo in our sky
Observing 43 background quasars, scientists used the Hubble Space Telescope to map out the halo of the closest spiral galaxy to our Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy. The light from these very distant quasars (emission from very bright galaxies fueled by a central supermassive black hole) is absorbed as it travels through the halo. By studying the change in absorption depending on where in the halo you look, scientists not only see the large extent of the halo but also what it consists of.
Illustration via NASA/ ESA/ E. Wheatley (Space Telescope Science Institute).
This illustration depicts what the Andromeda galaxy’s gaseous halo might look like if it were visible to humans on Earth. At 3 times the size of the Big Dipper, the halo would easily be the biggest feature in the nighttime sky, according to NASA. Recent measurements of the halo show that the collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies has already begun. Image via NASA/ ESA/ J. DePasquale and E. Wheatley (STScI)/ Z. Levay.
So what will the Andromeda merger look like?
NASA released the images below in 2012. They are artist’s concepts of what someone on Earth might see as the Andromeda galaxy hurtles toward us.
The depictions below are based on painstaking Hubble Space Telescope measurements of the motion of the Andromeda galaxy, with computer modeling of the inevitable collision between the two galaxies. Also, a series of studies published in 2012 showed that – rather than glancing off each other, as merging galaxies sometimes do – our Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy will in fact merge to form a single big elliptical, or football-shaped, galaxy.
Whether it’s fully a head-on collision or more of a glancing blow doesn’t really affect the end result.
And that is a new, giant elliptical galaxy.
View larger. | The merger between our Milky Way and neighboring Andromeda. 1st row, left: Present day. 1st row, right: In 2 billion years, the disk of the approaching Andromeda galaxy is noticeably larger. 2nd row, left: In 3.75 billion years, Andromeda fills the field of view. 2nd row, right: In 3.85 billion years, the sky is ablaze with new star formation. 3rd row, left: In 3.9 billion years, star formation continues. 3rd row, right: In 4 billion years, Andromeda is tidally stretched and the Milky Way becomes warped. 4th row, left: In 5.1 billion years, the cores of the Milky Way and Andromeda appear as a pair of bright lobes. 4th row, right: In 7 billion years, the merged galaxies form a huge elliptical galaxy, its bright core dominating the nighttime sky. Image via NASA/ ESA/ Z. Levay and R. van der Marel, STScI/ T. Hallas/ A. Mellinger.
Another video of the Andromeda merger
The Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, however, won’t be the only ones involved in this merger. As shown in the video below, the other large galaxy in our Local Group of galaxies, that is, M33, aka the Triangulum galaxy, will also play a role.
In the video below, you’ll recognize the Triangulum galaxy as the smaller object near the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies. Although the Triangulum galaxy likely won’t join the merger, it may, nevertheless, at some point strike our Milky Way while engaged in a great cosmic dance with the two larger galaxies.
What happens to stars and planets when galaxies merge?
Across the universe, galaxies are colliding with each other. Astronomers observe galactic collisions – or their aftermaths – with the aid of powerful telescopes. In some ways, when a galactic merger takes place, the two galaxies are like ghosts; they simply pass through each other. That’s because stars inside galaxies are separated by such great distances. Thus the stars themselves typically don’t collide when galaxies merge.
That said, the stars in both the Andromeda galaxy and our Milky Way will be affected by the merger. The Andromeda galaxy contains about a trillion stars. Meanwhile, the Milky Way has about 300 billion stars. Stars from both galaxies will be thrown into new orbits around the newly merged galactic center. For example, according to scientists involved in the 2012 studies:
It is likely the sun will be flung into a new region of our galaxy …
And yet, they said,
… our Earth and solar system are in no danger of being destroyed.
Will humanity see the Andromeda merger?
So, how about life on Earth? Will earthly life survive the merger? Well, the sun will eventually become a red giant in about 7.5 billion years, when it will increase in size and consume the Earth. But even before then, the luminosity, or intrinsic brightness, of the sun will increase. This will happen, ultimately, in a timeline of about four billion years.
As solar radiation reaching the Earth increases, Earth’s surface temperature will increase. We may undergo a runaway greenhouse effect, similar to that going on now on the planet next door, Venus. So there’s a good change that earthly life won’t be around when the merger concludes.
But by that time, maybe some earthly inhabitants will have become space-faring. Perhaps we’ll have left Earth, and even our solar system. We may still get the view of Andromeda crashing into the Milky Way, just from a slightly different perspective.
Newborn stars sculpt their galaxies in new James Webb telescope images
Newborn stars sculpt their galaxies in new James Webb telescope images
JWST’s sharp infrared eyes reveal stunning new details invisible to previous observatories
New JWST images of face-on spiral galaxies like NGC 628 (shown) reveal whorls of gas and dust, pockmarked with dark voids. These voids are thought to be bubbles in the gas and dust created by radiation from young, massive stars, and by supernovas.
A gaggle of galaxies crackle with intricate detail in new images from the James Webb Space Telescope. JWST’s sharp infrared eyes are revealing how newborn stars shape their surroundings, giving hints to how stars and galaxies grow up together.
“We were just blown away,” says Janice Lee, an astronomer at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She and more than 100 astronomers reported on scientists’ first look at these galaxies with JWST in a special February issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Before JWST launched in December 2021, Lee and her colleagues selected 19 galaxies that, if observed with the telescope, they thought could reveal new details of the life cycles of stars (SN: 1/24/22). These galaxies are relatively close, within 65 million light-years of the Milky Way, and all have different types of spiral structures. The team had observed the galaxies with many observatories, but parts of the galaxies had always looked flat and featureless.
“With [JWST], we’re seeing structure down to the very smallest scales,” Lee says. “For the first time, we’re seeing the youngest sites of star formation in a lot of these galaxies.”
Astronomers are using JWST to study several galaxies with different types of spiral structures to compare how their stars form. NGC 1365 (shown) has a bright bar in its core that connects its spiral arms. JWST detected glowing dust in this galaxy’s center that had been obscured in previous observations.SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, CSA, JANICE LEE/NOIRLAB; IMAGE PROCESSING: ALYSSA PAGAN/STSCI
In the new images, the galaxies’ faces are pockmarked by dark voids amid glowing filaments of gas and dust. Comparisons to Hubble Space Telescope images reveal that these voids are bubbles carved out of the gas and dust by high-energy radiation from newborn stars in their centers.
Then, when the most massive of those stars reach the end of their life and explode, that gas gets pushed out even more. Some of the larger bubbles have smaller bubbles on their edges, which could indicate spots where the gas pushed by dying stars has started to build new stars.
Comparing these processes in different types of spiral galaxies will help astronomers understand how the galaxies’ shapes and properties influence the life cycles of their stars, and how the galaxies grow and change with their stellar denizens.
“We’ve only studied the first few [of the 19 selected] galaxies,” Lee says. “We need to study these things in the full sample to understand how the environment changes … how stars are born.”
Newborn stars sculpt their galaxies in new James Webb telescope images
Newborn stars sculpt their galaxies in new James Webb telescope images
JWST’s sharp infrared eyes reveal stunning new details invisible to previous observatories
New JWST images of face-on spiral galaxies like NGC 628 (shown) reveal whorls of gas and dust, pockmarked with dark voids. These voids are thought to be bubbles in the gas and dust created by radiation from young, massive stars, and by supernovas.
A gaggle of galaxies crackle with intricate detail in new images from the James Webb Space Telescope. JWST’s sharp infrared eyes are revealing how newborn stars shape their surroundings, giving hints to how stars and galaxies grow up together.
“We were just blown away,” says Janice Lee, an astronomer at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She and more than 100 astronomers reported on scientists’ first look at these galaxies with JWST in a special February issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Before JWST launched in December 2021, Lee and her colleagues selected 19 galaxies that, if observed with the telescope, they thought could reveal new details of the life cycles of stars (SN: 1/24/22). These galaxies are relatively close, within 65 million light-years of the Milky Way, and all have different types of spiral structures. The team had observed the galaxies with many observatories, but parts of the galaxies had always looked flat and featureless.
“With [JWST], we’re seeing structure down to the very smallest scales,” Lee says. “For the first time, we’re seeing the youngest sites of star formation in a lot of these galaxies.”
Astronomers are using JWST to study several galaxies with different types of spiral structures to compare how their stars form. NGC 1365 (shown) has a bright bar in its core that connects its spiral arms. JWST detected glowing dust in this galaxy’s center that had been obscured in previous observations.SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, CSA, JANICE LEE/NOIRLAB; IMAGE PROCESSING: ALYSSA PAGAN/STSCI
In the new images, the galaxies’ faces are pockmarked by dark voids amid glowing filaments of gas and dust. Comparisons to Hubble Space Telescope images reveal that these voids are bubbles carved out of the gas and dust by high-energy radiation from newborn stars in their centers.
Then, when the most massive of those stars reach the end of their life and explode, that gas gets pushed out even more. Some of the larger bubbles have smaller bubbles on their edges, which could indicate spots where the gas pushed by dying stars has started to build new stars.
Comparing these processes in different types of spiral galaxies will help astronomers understand how the galaxies’ shapes and properties influence the life cycles of their stars, and how the galaxies grow and change with their stellar denizens.
“We’ve only studied the first few [of the 19 selected] galaxies,” Lee says. “We need to study these things in the full sample to understand how the environment changes … how stars are born.”
Artist's impression of astronauts on the lunar surface, as part of the Artemis Program. Lunar explorers will need communication and navigation aids while on the surface, including a common time zone. Credit: NASA
Artemis astronauts are returning to the Moon, and they’ll be following in Apollo’s footsteps when they go. But things are different this time. Not only is technology far more advanced, but so is the way we think about technology and how we design it.
A new paper shows how two of modern technology’s offspring— virtual reality (VR) and user-centred design (UCD)—can be brought to bear on the Artemis Program.
The Apollo era was 50 years ago now, and society has changed a lot. Computers are ubiquitous today, whereas, during the Apollo era, computers were confined to the realm of specialists. Those specialists had intimate knowledge of how computers and software worked, and they were the ones who used it.
But in modern times, powerful computer technology is in everyone’s hands. The widespread use of computers triggered a change in how society thinks about computers. Since the vast majority of users know very little about computers, the way they’re designed has changed. Instead of being tied to engineering constraints and built for specialists, computers and computer-reliant technologies are now designed with users in mind. Terms like user-centred design (UCD) and human-computer interface (HCI) encapsulate the change.
The only way to make technology effective for regular people is to make sure the design of the technology is centred on average users. That’s how user-centred design (UCD) came to be. It’s a process where technology designers focus on the users in each stage of the design process. The authors of a new paper think that UCD can be employed more effectively in Artemis, and virtual reality (VR) is the tool that can do it.
Astronauts typically train on prototypes of the actual equipment they’ll use on their missions. At one point, NASA evaluated lunar motorcycles for Apollo 15. NASA tested the motorcycle on a KC135A aircraft in a reduced gravity maneuver to mimic the Moon’s weaker gravity.
NASA tested a lunar motorcycle during reduced gravity maneuvers on a KC135A aircraft. Notice the padded walls. Image Credit: NASA
Astronauts also train in Earthly environments that are analogues of the Moon or the ISS. They head to deep dark caves that mimic the deep darkness in lunar craters or dry, dusty, boulder-strewn regions to mimic the lunar surface. They also train in special facilities like buoyancy pools that mimic the reduced gravity on the ISS.
The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) is an astronaut training facility and neutral buoyancy pool operated by NASA and located at the Sonny Carter Training Facility near the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It holds 23 million litres (6.2 million gallons) of water and contains mock-ups of the ISS modules. Image Credit: By NASA Goddard Photo and Video – https://www.flickr.com/photos/24662369@N07/49565807881/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87326373
This kind of training is expensive and time-consuming, and that limits the amount of training that can be done. Using prototypes of actual mission equipment to train astronauts also adds to mission costs. But for Artemis, astronauts could make use of VR to prepare for their missions to the Moon, and it’s a lot less expensive than testing motorcycles inside aircraft or building massive pools with replica spacecraft in them.
The authors describe how using VR to train astronauts can bring UCD into a planning process that’s dominated by engineering constraints. It can be a more effective use of time and less expensive.
The paper focuses on the European Large Logistics Lander (EL3.) The EL3 will be part of the Heracles mission to the lunar south pole. Heracles also includes a rover and a lunar ascent vehicle.
This illustration shows the EL3, including the lander, the rover, and the ascent vehicle. Image Credit: ESA
Lunar exploration is becoming more and more complex and requires greater levels of preparedness. The lunar environment is challenging to operate in because of weaker gravity, ubiquitous fine lunar dust, the limitations to the field of view and maneuverability inside space suits. Add mental and physical fatigue, lighting extremes, including pitch-black darkness, and thermal and atmospheric conditions. The backdrop for all of these challenges is a general uncertainty that the paper’s authors describe as “… often ambiguous mission criteria and still largely undefined operational scenarios.”
The lunar south pole is a region characterized by lighting extremes. The interiors of deep craters are in perpetual darkness, while higher elevations are bathed in perpetual sunlight. Typically, astronauts train in environments that are analogs of those conditions, like the aforementioned dark caves.
These are considered classical approaches to astronaut training. But they have their limitations. They’re expensive and logistically complex. That means that they can’t be employed as often as they should be and that there are fewer test subjects. This prohibits the implementation of elements of UCD like rapid prototyping and participatory design, where users give feedback and designers respond. UCD is iterative, meaning users try things out and give feedback, designers create new prototypes for users to test, and they give their feedback again. The end result is more strongly aligned with actual use.
The paper shows how VR can be used to introduce UCD into astronaut training and equipment design and bypass some of the expense and time involved with classical approaches. Space missions are notorious for going over budget and for being delayed, and VR can help with that, according to the authors.
This is not a huge stretch. VR is used in other endeavours that involve hazards and specialized equipment, like defence, aerospace, and resource extraction.
But so far, space agencies haven’t made widespread use of VR to train astronauts. The authors wrote their paper to show how that could change and to explain the benefits VR can bring to space missions. “… this paper investigates <the> potential use of Virtual Reality to simulate field studies and thus facilitate rapid and resource-efficient user-centred assessments of early-stage lunar surface prototypes.”
NASA has some experience with using VR to train astronauts. They used VR to train the Hubble space telescope flight team for a repair mission in 1993. They also use both VR and augmented reality (AR) on the ISS.
But VR can play a larger role, just as it does in non-space-related endeavours. VR-centered design methods are already leading the way in things like autonomous vehicles, healthcare, and complex robotic systems.
According to the authors, studies on VR have “… demonstrated the ability of VR simulations to gather a wide range of relevant user feedback on topics including usability, human factors and ergonomics, safety and acceptability. By collecting such feedback in early stages of a project lifecycle, development teams have been able to better anticipate potential problems and lower risks for the overall production processes, resulting in a reduction in development and manufacturing costs.”
VR and UCD can bring those same benefits to Artemis, the authors explain.
To test their idea, the team carried out a simulated field study in a VR-based lunar operations scenario. They created a VR mock-up of the EL3, including cargo containers, a transport cart, an EVA suit, and a ladder to reach the lander. The team also created a virtual lunar landscape matching the lunar south pole and used it as the backdrop. They combined it all into a simulated cargo reception and off-loading scenario in a lunar environment. Then they invited relevant experts to test out their simulation.
This image shows the 3D model of the lander and related elements. Image Credit: Nilsson et al. 2023
The team recruited 20 hand-picked participants, including engineers, scientists, trainers, and two astronauts. All of the participants had some prior experience with VR, and three of the 20 described their experience as limited or very limited. The participants completed the cargo task without any time limits.
This table from the paper lists the job titles and areas of expertise of each participant. Image Credit: Nilsson et al. 2023
Overall, the participants took to the simulation quite well, having no trouble managing the VR controllers or completing the scenario. But some problems emerged in their feedback, and that feedback demonstrates exactly how VR and UCD can strengthen the Artemis missions to the Moon.
The lighting was difficult to work in since the Sun is so near to the horizon at the lunar south pole. Every object cast a long shadow, putting much of the simulation into total darkness. “The unique lighting conditions on the Moon’s south pole and their impact on future crew operations formed perhaps the most persistently recurring theme in our participants’ accounts,” the authors write. The darkness made even basic tasks like walking more difficult. It was particularly difficult when participants walked with the Sun at their backs, as their own deep shadow obscured their foot placement.
Conceptual illustration of permanently shadowed, shallow icy craters near the lunar south pole. Some regions in deeper craters are in perpetual darkness. Credits: UCLA/NASA
Several participants pointed out that their EVA headlamps were not bright enough to illuminate their paths. That kind of feedback is exactly what UCD is all about. The headlamp brightness can be increased during the next simulation, and participants can offer their feedback again.
The participant referred to as Manager 1 gave this feedback: “As you can see, there are these rocks for example. . .if you bump into this, you could fall down, or you could damage your suit. So what I tried to do was to go around in the light. I don’t expect the astronauts to work in complete shadow. Normally, what they would do. . . during EVAs on the space station they have lights on their helmets. This light will need to be more powerful than what I have here.”
This image shows astronaut Robert Behnken during an EVA in 2010. Note the headlamp on the side of the helmet. In order to operate in the lunar south pole’s deep shadows, a much brighter light will be needed. But how bright? Image Credit: NASA.
Some participants also noted that the beam width was too narrow. That can also be changed for the next simulation. The UCD process can repeat until the headlamp meets the user’s needs.
On the other hand, it became clear that when forced to face the Sun directly, the light can be overwhelming. Reflective surfaces on the lander and other equipment were also too bright, leading to problems. Thanks to UCD, the next simulation can change those surfaces to reduce glare.
VR and UCD can help with ergonomics, too. “Having the option to experience prototypes interactively using an immersive 3D technology sparked numerous reflections concerning their dimensions and ergonomic appropriateness,” the authors write.
The handles on the cargo containers were difficult to grasp with EVA gloves. They’re too small, and both of the astronaut participants pointed this out.
Astronaut 1 said: “Everything we do with our hands in spacesuits needs to be big. The gloves are bulky and have very little dexterity. Little to none. It’s actually one of the main concerns of any extravehicular activity, how dexterous you can be. So if you want to help and make a design that is a little more conducive to productivity and speed. . . in this case I’d like to have a handle. A big fat handle that I could use while doing EVA. When I look at these, these are not EVA interfaces.”
This is another opportunity for UCD to play a role. Change the size of the handles in the VR simulation, test again, and then change and test again until it’s optimal.
The true bulkiness of a spacesuit becomes clear when an astronaut removes their helmet, as in this official portrait of Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. Note the bulkiness of the gloves and their lack of dexterity. Image Credit: NASA/ESA
The paper presents other instances where the VR simulation enabled valuable feedback that could lead to improvements. But the authors were also clear about the limitations of their simulation. The simulation lacked what’s called haptic feedback. Most participants said that without that feedback, they couldn’t assess the center of mass of objects like cargo containers, making more detailed feedback difficult.
The simulation also couldn’t accurately mimic the difficulty of moving around in a bulky xEMU (Exploration Extra-Vehicular Mobility Unit.) “… Instructor 4 and Scientist 2 both argued that properly evaluating some procedures, such as climbing a ladder, can only be done once the suit limitations are fully taken into account,” the authors write.
VR isn’t perfect, but this study shows that it can be a powerful tool. Physical prototyping is expensive and time-consuming, as is training in analogue environments or facilities like neutral buoyancy pools. This study shows how some prototyping and training can be off-loaded to VR simulations as it has in other realms like surgery and mining.
“Interactive simulations in VR provide the means for rapid assessment and iterative development of novel design concepts without incurring many of the financial, logistical or temporal costs typically associated with real-world prototype deployments,” the authors write in their conclusion.
VR simulations also allow more participants, and that means more feedback from more users, which strengthens design processes. Designers can’t think of everything, and neither can one set of users. By being available to more participants, the feedback will be broader and deeper.
Testing motorcycles in large aircraft is likely a thing of the past, and so are some of the clumsy design processes from the past. While the Moon hasn’t changed, what we expect from lunar exploration has changed, and how astronauts prepare is also changing. Virtual reality is a powerful tool that can help astronauts be more thoroughly prepared for more demanding missions.
And if Artemis is going to succeed in its ambitious goals, thorough preparation is key.
NASA SURPRISED WHEN SCHOOL CHILDREN DISCOVER THAT EPIPENS BECOME TOXIC IN SPACE
NASA SURPRISED WHEN SCHOOL CHILDREN DISCOVER THAT EPIPENS BECOME TOXIC IN SPACE
HAVING AN ALLERGIC REACTION IN SPACE COULD BE SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS.
IMAGE BY GETTY IMAGES/FUTURISM
A group of gifted elementary school students has discovered that EpiPens, life-saving devices that inject epinephrine in the case of a severe allergic reaction, can turn poisonous after being launched into space — more evidence of the harrowing effects space radiation can have on the health of astronauts.
The students helped researchers at the University of Ottawa in Canada investigate whether the devices could be safely used in space by astronauts.
But there's some bad news: just relatively small amounts of space radiation caused the epinephrine to break down, turning it into a health hazard instead of a lifesaver — something that was previously unknown to NASA, Live Science reports.
The students from St. Brother André Elementary School’s Program for Gifted Learners (PGL) had samples of epinephrine, both by themselves and inside of EpiPens, launched into space as part of NASA's Cubes in Space program.
The University of Ottawa's Faculty of Science then analyzed the returned samples and found that the epinephrine was only 87 percent pure due to cosmic radiation, according to a statement.
The remaining 13 percent turned into benzoic acid derivatives, which are extremely poisonous.
"As part of the Cubes in Space, two cubes were put together by the students, with one going on a rocket and the other on a high-altitude balloon," said University of Ottawa chemistry professor Paul Mayer in the statement. "The ‘after’ samples showed signs that the epinephrine reacted and decomposed."
“In fact, no epinephrine was found in the ‘after’ EpiPen solution samples," he added. "This result raises questions about the efficacy of an EpiPen for outer space applications and these questions are now starting to be addressed by the kids in the PGL program."
The experiment could have lasting effects on how we treat allergic reactions in space.
"This result raises questions about the efficacy of an EpiPen for outer space applications and these questions are now starting to be addressed by the kids in the [Program for Gifted Learners] program," Mayer said.
Fortunately, not all is lost. There may be a way to package EpiPen solutions in a way that doesn't expose them to cosmic radiation — an invention that could save an astronaut's life in the future.
UFO Recorded Entering Mexico Volcano Popocatepetl, 3-2-2023, UFO Sighting News.
UFO Recorded Entering Mexico Volcano Popocatepetl, 3-2-2023, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: March 2, 2023
Location of sighting: Popocatepetl, Mexico
Saw this craft and thought wow, thats something right there. Its huge, the mouth of the volcano is 600 meters across and this is at least 1/6th that at 100 meters wide! The tail of the object is evenly as it comes down, but then suddenly as it enters the volcano the tail becomes super thin! That means the craft suddenly slowed down! 100% proof that this is an intelligently controlled craft.
Na jaar aan boord van ruimtestation ISS komt magnetische veldsensor van studententeam van UHasselt terug thuis
Unieke kwantummagnetometer van UHasselt-studenten klaar voor ruimtevlucht naar ISS
Na jaar aan boord van ruimtestation ISS komt magnetische veldsensor van studententeam van UHasselt terug thuis
De magnetische veldsensor van de UHasselt is terug thuis. Het kleine kubusje dat aan boord van het ISS data heeft verzameld over het magnetisch veld van de aarde, is ontwikkeld door studententeam OSCAR-QUBE.
Radio 2, Lieven Roux
"De magnetische veldsensor is terug op aarde", zegt Boo Carmans, doctoraatsstudente in de Fysica en lid van studententeam OSCAR-QUBE. "Een aantal jaar geleden hebben we een magnetische veldsensor of magnetometer gebouwd", zegt Carmans. "In een jaar heeft ons studententeam dat ontwikkeld. De magnetometer is naar het Internationaal Ruimtestation (ISS) gestuurd, waar het een jaar rond de aarde heeft gevlogen. Vanaf daar hebben we continu data verzameld over het magneetveld van onze planeet. Nu komt hij terug in ons lab te staan, waar we hem verder kunnen onderzoeken."
rechts: Boo Carmans
OSCAR-QUBE is een interdisciplinair team van studenten van de UHasselt. Een aantal jaar geleden deden ze mee aan een wedstrijd van het Europees Ruimteagentschap (ESA). "Dat was een wedstrijd voor studententeams van over heel de Europese Unie", vertelt Carmans. "De winnaar mocht zijn experimenten naar het ISS sturen en wij hebben toen gewonnen."
"Kennis over het magnetisch veld van de aarde is belangrijk omdat we het bijvoorbeeld kunnen gebruiken om vliegtuigen te navigeren of voor nog andere toepassingen zoals een MRI-scanner", legt Carmans uit.
Het studententeam heeft hun succesvolle project vandaag mogen presenteren in de universiteitshal van de UHasselt.
Opnieuw naar de ruimte
"ESA heeft ons de mogelijkheid gegeven om samen met een team van hen een vernieuwde versie te maken van de magnetometer", zegt Remy Vandebosch van OSCAR-QUBE. "De magnetometer is een kubus van 3 keer 10 centimeter. De nieuwe magnetometer zou nog kleiner kunnen worden." De Young Graduate Trainees van ESA (YPSAT) vroegen het team om een nieuwe magnetometer te laten meevliegen aan boord van de Ariane 6 raket. Deze raket zal voor het eerst gelanceerd worden in 2024. Tegen het einde van de maand mei moet het studententeam zijn nieuwe magnetometer aan ESA bezorgen.
OSCAR-QUBE. On the right: the flight model that has been launched to ISS. On the left (exposed): the ground model that resides in the lab for reference.
De OSCAR-QUBE, de diamantgebaseerde kwantummagnetometer van het studententeam van de UHasselt heeft op de campus van Diepenbeek een centrale plek gekregen nadat hij een jaar lang aan boord van ruimtestation ISS was verbleven. De magnetometer werd daar gebruikt om het magnetische veld rond de aarde in beeld te brengen.
Op 29 augustus 2021 bevond de kwantummagnetometer zich aan boord van de SpaceX CRS 23-raket toen die koers zette naar het ruimtestation ISS. Tijdens zijn verblijf in de ruimte zond de magnetometer vanuit de ruimte 231 gigabyte aan data van de metingen van het magnetische veld rond de aarde door naar de UHasselt-campus in Diepenbeek. Op 20 augustus 2022 keerde de magnetometer aan boord van de SpaceX CRS 25-capsule terug naar de aarde.
"Doel van het experiment was om te onderzoeken of onze technologie, waarbij we een synthetische diamant omvormen tot een ultragevoelige sensor met kwantumeigenschappen, stand kon houden in de ruimte", zo legt teamleider Jaroslav Hruby uit. "Daar zijn we mooi in geslaagd. En dat voor een sensor van slechts een paar millimeter groot."
De studenten van OSCAR-QUBE willen nu ook hun mede-studenten inspireren om groots te dromen. Daarom kreeg de magnetometer woensdag een centrale plek op de campus van Universiteit Hasselt in Diepenbeek. "En de magnetometer zal metingen van het magnetische veld blijven uitvoeren", zegt Sebastiaan Vanspauwen, lid van OSCAR-QUBE. "Op een monitor kan je het magnetische veld blijven aflezen."
Bovendien gaat er op vraag van de Young Graduate Trainees van ESA (YPSAT) in 2024 een nieuwe OSCAR-QUBE opnieuw de ruimte in met een Ariane 6-raket. "We zijn nu volop aan het werk om een nieuwe sensor, de OSCAR-QUBE+ genaamd, te ontwikkelen", zegt Yarne Beerden, lid van OSCAR-QUBE. Eind mei moet de nieuwe magnetometer aan de ESA bezorgd worden.
Randall Nickerson says government & military agencies know for a fact that there is another species in the universe and withholding this information has changed our evolutionary path
Randall Nickerson says government & military agencies know for a fact that there is another species in the universe and withholding this information has changed our evolutionary path
For years, people have speculated about the existence of intelligent life beyond Earth. While some may dismiss this as a conspiracy theory, filmmaker and researcher Randall Nickerson believes that the government and military agencies have concrete evidence that extraterrestrial life exists. According to Nickerson, keeping this information from the public has changed the course of human evolution.
Nickerson’s claims are based on various incidents and testimonies, including the famous Ruwa Zimbabwe Alien encounter, where a group of schoolchildren reportedly witnessed a UFO and its occupants. The incident was investigated by BBC journalist Tim Leech and Harvard Psychiatrist John Mack, both of whom concluded that the children’s stories were credible.
Nickerson argues that there is a pattern of government cover-ups and secrecy surrounding the topic of extraterrestrial life. He suggests that the government is hiding the truth about an alien species and their technology, including telepathic communication and private aerospace technology.
Nickerson also highlights the physical evidence of abduction and encounters with “grabby” aliens. He notes that these incidents are not isolated, and there are synchronicities and spirituality that connect them.
In addition to the government’s control over the media narrative on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), Nickerson touches on the secretive nature of Area 51, S4, and Skunk Works (Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs). He believes that these facilities are conducting research on extraterrestrial life and advanced technology, and the government is not ready to disclose this information to the public.
The video raises the question of whether Earth is ready for public disclosure about extraterrestrial life. Nickerson believes that this information could cause a global paradigm shift, and the government is not prepared to deal with the implications.
Randall Nickerson’s claims about the government’s knowledge of extraterrestrial life and their impact on human evolution are certainly intriguing. While skeptics may dismiss them as unfounded, it is worth considering the evidence presented in the video and questioning what the government may be hiding from the public. Regardless of whether extraterrestrial life exists or not, the search for answers and the pursuit of knowledge will continue to captivate people’s imaginations for years to come.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:ALIEN LIFE, UFO- CRASHES, ABDUCTIONS, MEN IN BLACK, ed ( FR. , NL; E )
EXCLUSIVE: The truth is out there! Skinny cylindrical UFO flying near Baghdad is seen in six new thermal images taken by US spy drone last year
EXCLUSIVE: The truth is out there! Skinny cylindrical UFO flying near Baghdad is seen in six new thermal images taken by US spy drone last year
Images of a UFO were taken from a video filmed by a thermal camera in a United States Air Force Reaper drone in May 2022
The six images appear to show a skinny cylindrical-shaped object over North Eastern Iraq, close to Baghdad, moving across the screen from left to right
Spy plane images obtained by DailyMail.com show aUFO flying near Baghdad last year.
The six images appear to show a skinny cylindrical-shaped object over North Eastern Iraq, close to Baghdad, moving across the screen from left to right.
The images were taken from a video filmed by a thermal camera in a United States Air Force (USAF) Reaper drone in May 2022 – and have been dubbed the 'Baghdad Phantom'.
Fast-moving craft are powered by propulsion systems like rockets or engines that create heat, but the thermal camera that filmed the object showed it was colder than its surroundings.
Six images appear to show a skinny cylindrical-shaped object over North Eastern Iraq, close to Baghdad, moving across the screen from left to right
The cylindrical object can be seen to the left of the screen
The images were leaked to journalist and documentary filmmaker Jeremy Corbell (left) and investigative journalist George Knapp (right), and released shortly after midnight on Weaponized, their new podcast
The object also didn't have any visible wings or fins, likely ruling it out as a glider.
A USAF source said the UFO had no visible propulsion and appeared to be under 'intelligent control'.
The images were leaked to journalist and documentary filmmaker Jeremy Corbell and investigative journalist George Knapp, and released shortly after midnight on Weaponized, their new podcast.
'What George and I have uncovered is Reaper drone footage over an active war zone,' Corbell told DailyMail.com.
'It shows an anomalous object which has been designated as UAP by our own air force.
'Like our government, we as journalists are curious about what can be seen in these images. The object appears to have no flight control surfaces, no traditional reactionary propulsion and is cooler than its surrounding environment.
'This isn't your grandma's rocket that we're looking at.'
The six intriguing images show the elongated object at the bottom of the screen moving from left to right. It appeared darker than its background on the thermal camera, indicating it was colder than its surroundings.
The images appear to show some kind of trail or stream left in the 'Baghdad Phantom's wake, though it could be an artifact from the video from which they were taken.
Military coordinates on the bottom right of the images give the location of the Reaper Drone video as North Eastern Iraq, near Baghdad.
DailyMail.com understands the UFO was not shot at by the USAF, because it had no payload – for example a potential bomb – and did not get close to ground troops.
The object was designated as 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena', an official term which has since been replaced with 'Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena' (UAP).
Military coordinates on the bottom right of the images give the location of the Reaper Drone video as North Eastern Iraq, near Baghdad. The cylindrical object is seen right
The cylindrical object is seen above, to the left of the center
The images appear to show some kind of trail or stream left in the object’s wake, though it could be an artifact from the thermal camera video from which they were taken
The images were taken in May 2022
It is still unclear whether the object was innocuous, a foreign military's craft, or something other-worldly.
Corbell told DailyMail.com that the images were leaked by frustrated USAF members who claim that significant numbers of UFO incidents are being 'buried' by the Air Force.
DailyMail.com understands that many of these incidents, including the May 2022 UFO video, were not shared with intelligence agencies or the government's UFO Office, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
Normally data from an incident like this near Baghdad would be sent to United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations against ISIS in Iraq. But it is unclear whether the Command received the video or any other information on the incident.
US legislation requires that AARO collects information on UAP incidents from the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.
But Christopher Mellon, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, recently called out the Air Force for allegedly failing to embrace reporting of strange objects.
'The Navy was notably helpful while the Air Force remained notably unhelpful, if not hostile, to inquiries on the subject,' he wrote in a February 14 blog post.
'The preliminary assessment provided to Congress [about UFOs in 2021] was almost completely devoid of information from the U.S. Air Force despite the fact that the Air Force (as a department which also oversees U.S. Space Force) has far more aircraft and sensor systems than the Navy as well as the responsibility for supporting NORAD.'
Corbell warned the alleged failure to share information is putting servicemen and women at risk.
'This case represents other UAPs filmed by our Air Force, which have been kept hidden from American taxpayers and our intelligence community,' he told DailyMail.com.
'The brave men and women who serve in our nation's Air Force are directly at risk if we cannot identify, process and share this type of UAP imagery in an effective and actionable way.
'Air Force personnel have told me that they are highly concerned that this phenomenon maintains a regretful stigma that inhibits proper reporting and response within the chain of command. The air force is an exemplary branch of our armed services. We should encourage greater UAP transparency, for the good of the country and our participating services.
'As journalists, George and I feel a duty to inform the public in situations like this, where our representatives have failed to provide transparency and have in fact obstructed it.'
Following the shooting of one Chinese balloon and three unidentified objects over North American airspace last month, the topic of UFOs threatening American interests and air traffic has become a hot topic within Congress.
After the 'shoot downs', vice chair of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Marco Rubio, said: 'The last 72 hours revealed to the public what was happening for years, unidentified aircraft routinely operating over restricted US airspace.'
An image obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com of what appears to be a metallic-looking orb flying over Mosul, Iraq in April 2016, was included in a classified briefing video on UFOs shown to multiple US government agencies
An image obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com from Corbell and Knapp in January of what appears to be a metallic-looking orb flying over Mosul, Iraq in April 2016, was included in a classified briefing video on UFOs shown to multiple US government agencies.
In January, AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick gave a presentation at an aviation safety conference warning of 'threats to the immediate safety of US citizens and Government facilities' posed by UAP.
His presentation slides, reported in a DailyMail.com story last month, said that the military is finding unidentified anomalous phenomena 'most often in the vicinity of US military facilities and operating areas' – which would include conflict zones like Iraq.
The Air Force began a 'six-month pilot program' in November 2020 to collect data on UFOs, according to a Pentagon spokeswoman, but ended it the following Spring.
'Lessons learned from the pilot were used to improve support provided to the UAPTF and will be used to contribute to the efforts of AARO. If applicable, data gathered in the pilot was provided through command channels to the UAPTF,' Pentagon spokeswoman Susan Gough said in a statement.
In August 2021, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told Politico: 'I've given a great deal of thought to defending American airspace but not against UFOs. If asked to do that then we will do it. This is a thing that's been around for a great many years.'
The leaked May 2022 images follow the release of the 'Mosul Orb' image, also obtained by Corbell and Knapp, showing a sphere-shaped UFO filmed by a US spy plane over the Northern Iraqi city of Mosul in 2016.
The Pentagon has yet to confirm the authenticity of the Mosul image.
Gough said: 'I'm not going to comment on whether something is or is not part of a classified briefing.'
Corbell called on the public to help analyze and identify the new images he and Knapp obtained.
'It is my hope that by obtaining and releasing imagery like this, the public can help solve this collective mystery and inspire greater transparency by our Department of Defense,' he said. 'This is a solvable problem- so let's do it together.
'The Pentagon's over-classification is corrosive like an acid and has been weaponized against the American public's right and need to know about UFOs.
'It's time that they earn the people's trust back.'
Newly Leaked Thermal Images Show Skinny Cylindrical UFO Flying Near Baghdad
Newly Leaked Thermal Images Show Skinny Cylindrical UFO Flying Near Baghdad
Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) have been a subject of interest for decades, and the topic has recently been receiving renewed attention. A recent report by the DailyMail.com has revealed the existence of new thermal images of a UFO flying near Baghdad, taken by a United States Air Force Reaper drone in May 2022. The images show a skinny cylindrical-shaped object, moving from left to right, without any visible wings or fins. The object was flagged as an ‘Unidentified Aerial Phenomena’ by the Air Force, due to its unusual characteristics.
According to a source with knowledge of the incident, the object appeared to be under ‘intelligent control’ and had no visible propulsion system. The images were leaked by frustrated members of the USAF, who claim that numerous UFO incidents are being ‘buried’ by the Air Force.
Jeremy Corbell, a journalist and documentary filmmaker, obtained the leaked images and released them on his podcast, Weaponized. He highlighted the significance of the images, saying that they showed an anomalous object, which was designated as a UAP by the Air Force. Corbell emphasized that the object did not have any traditional reactionary propulsion, no flight control surfaces, and was cooler than its surrounding environment.
Watch BAGHDAD PHANTOM UAP – Weaponized show in the video bellow!
The leaked images appear to depict a trail or stream left in the object’s wake, although it is unclear whether this is an artifact from the video. The military coordinates on the bottom right of the images place the location of the Reaper Drone video as North Eastern Iraq, near Baghdad.
It looks that the UFO was not shot at by the USAF because it had no payload, and did not pose any immediate threat to ground troops. The object’s origin and purpose remain unknown, and it is still unclear whether it was innocuous, a foreign military’s craft, or something other-worldly.
I have created an animation gif from all five BAGHDAD PHANTOM UAP images
The existence of these images has raised concerns regarding the US Air Force’s failure to embrace the idea of reporting suspected alien objects. According to Christopher Mellon, a former official of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the service did not provide enough information when it presented a report to Congress in 2021.
Corbell expressed his concerns about the alleged failure to share information, saying that it is putting servicemen and women at risk. He argued that UAP imagery should be processed and shared in an effective and actionable way, to ensure the safety of Air Force personnel.
The new thermal images of a UFO flying near Baghdad provide further evidence of the existence of UAPs. The images raise questions about the Air Force’s alleged failure to embrace reporting of strange objects, and the potential risks this poses to Air Force personnel. It remains to be seen whether the UAP was an innocuous object, a foreign military’s craft, or something other-worldly. However, the images are a reminder of the need for greater transparency and effective reporting of UAP incidents.
Mars is a long way from Earth, making it challenging to communicate with. That difficult communication is becoming ever more important as we launch more and more craft to the Red Planet. It will become absolutely critical when we send actual people there. So what can be done to increase the speed of communications between our solar system’s blue and red planets? A paper from researchers primarily based in Spain looks at different networking topologies that could help solve some of the communication problems.
Typically, communication wMars is done through a system known as the Deep Space Network (DSN). Essentially, it is a set of giant ground-based communication satellites spread worldwide. Their primary purpose is to communicate directly with every probe launched beyond Earth’s orbit, including those surrounding Mars. Some systems on the ground on Mars also use satellites in orbit around the planet, such as the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which then broadcasts those signals to the DSN.
There are several problems with this configuration, including the single point of failure, and size of the equipment needed to send signals back, and the fact that the Sun interrupts communications for a significant chunk of the time. If one of the DSN satellites goes down, or, worse yet, MRO stops operating, communications to most of the scientific equipment on the Red planet could get much dicier. Network engineers on Earth build in redundancy paths specifically to avoid this single point of failure problem.
Here’s UT’s vision of a realistic crewed Mars mission.
Some signals do lose their strength, even without the presence of an atmosphere in space, so to effectively send high-speed information over long distances, the antennas on these craft have to be massive. Sometimes they exceed the size of the fairing they are launched in, though there are techniques to unpack an antenna in space itself. But an even more significant communication challenge is the Sun.
It might not seem like it, but about 30% of the time, Earth cannot communicate with Mars directly. This is mainly because they are on opposite sides of the Sun from one another – or nearly so, anyway. The radiation blasts off of our local star scrambles most, if not all, communications, making talking to missions like Spirit and Perseverance near impossible when the planets are thus aligned.
To get around these problems, Paula Betriu and her colleagues at JPL and the Universitat Politècnica de Cataluny designed a software they called SolarCom to analyze the availability, uptime, and speed of different types of network topologies. Two stood out for their significant increase in speed and reliability – a Lagrange point configuration and what they call a “pearl constellation.”
Scott Manley video describing the DSN. Credit – Scott Manley YouTube Channel
Placing relay satellites at various Lagrange points, primarily the ones between the Sun and the Earth, would seem like a pretty obvious solution. It would significantly reduce interference when the planets are opposite each other in the solar system. It could potentially increase that availability to more than 90% – a great increase in capabilities for Mars exploration, but still not as good as a pearl constellation.
That configuration, which mimics a large spherical cloud of satellites in different but complementary orbits, could reach network connection rates of up to 100%. However, it could be significantly more expensive as it would require more satellites overall. With launch costs coming down, that might not be as big of a problem in the near future though.
There are still issues facing increasing the bandwidth to Mars, though, including the networking hardware currently in place on most relay satellites. The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS), which is one of NASA’s primary means of relaying information over large distances around the Earth, was initially launched in the 1990s, and even its latest third-generation satellite is already five years old, which is almost a lifetime by networking equipment standards.
JPL Gave a talk on the DSN and how it works. Credit – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory YouTube Channel
All that means is there’s much more work to do before humanity can download crisp real-time videos from Mars. But as a potential crewed mission starts to draw closer, it’s sure to draw more attention to our ability to communicate with, and software packages like SolarCom will help determine the best way to do so.
Black holes and neutron stars are among the odder denizens of the cosmic zoo. They’re both dense collections of matter and, except for supermassive black holes, are the end states of massive stars. Fundamentally, they’re two different types of objects that are detectable via the activity in the accretion disks that form around them. Astronomers recently observed an object that acted like a black hole but turned out to be a neutron star. The clues lay in the accretion disk surrounding it.
Where do accretion disks come from? And, why do they brighten up with flares and outbursts? In the case of binary systems, that material comes from companion stars that feed them as much (or more) than they can eat. The accretion disks respond in various ways, often forming hotspots and blasting out jets of radiation. Yet, in many respects, understanding some of the disk activities had to wait for extensive, multi-wavelength studies of their outbursts.
Monitoring Odd Behavior in an Accretion Disk
When astronomers first saw a weirdly bright object called J1858.6-0814, they first assumed it was a black hole with a companion star. It gave off a series of flares that extended across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio to x-rays. After a lot of observations and head-scratching, the team members realized that this thing is a neutron star with a solid surface. There’s an accretion disk around it created by a companion star. The bright flares come from instability in that accretion disk and high-speed ejections of material away from the objects.
According to IAC researcher Federico Vincentelli, the lead scientist studying this object, the instabilities affect the behavior of the accretion disk around the neutron star. “Matter from the disk is launched within an outflow or a jet,” he said. “Some may still fall onto the black hole or neutron star. However, the exact fraction of matter which goes either way is still unknown. This dramatic process remains poorly understood and, until now, has only been observed in detail in a system in which the compact object is a black hole.”
Understanding X-ray Binary J1858.6-0814
X-ray binaries are basically pairs of objects—usually a black hole or a neutron star, plus a companion star—that are bright in x-rays. J1858.6-0814 is in a special class called a low-mass x-ray binary. Stars in such pairs have masses below around 1.5 solar masses. The neutron star has a mass somewhere between 10 and 25 solar masses. There’s a great deal of interactivity between the members as the star shares its material with its companion. When that happens at a neutron star, the material doesn’t fall straight onto the surface. It spirals around into the accretion disk. As it does, it undergoes friction heating, loses its potential energy, and eventually contributes to those instabilities Vincentelli describes.
After its 2018 discovery, astronomers noticed that J1858.6-0814 showed a great deal of flaring activity across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It quieted down in 2020, but not before giving off Type-1 X-ray bursts and exhibiting what’s called an x-ray eclipse. Essentially, the system undergoes eclipses as one member of the binary pair eclipses the other. For this system, that implies an almost edge-on viewing angle from our vantage point on Earth. Astronomers also determined that this pair is in an approximately 21.3-hour orbit.
At first, astronomers weren’t sure about the origin of this binary pair’s “cosmic fireworks”. They were so bright that everybody assumed that the compact object must be a black hole since that would be powerful enough to spark such intensely bright flares. However, in 2020, observers discovered thermonuclear explosions that could only have happened if the material were falling onto the surface of a neutron star. That finding spurred the call for new observations.
So, What’s Happening on this Neutron Star?
Although astronomers observed J1858.6-0814 extensively over the years since its discovery, Vincentelli and a team of astronomers put together a new observing campaign aimed at tracking the specifics of the outbursts. They used the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on Hubble Space Telescope, a fast readout wide-field camera called RISE on the Liverpool Telescope on La Palma, Spain, a near-infrared instrument called HAWK on the Very Large Telescope in Chile, and radio observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico. From those observations, they compared the outbursts with another, similar-type object called GRS 1915+105. It’s actually a black hole in a binary pair that astronomers use for comparison studies. What they found is exotic behavior in the accretion disk very much like the one around the neutron star in J1858.6-0814.
A comparison of disk instabilities around a black hole and a neutron star.
The Black Hole and Neutron Star Experience Similar Disk Activities
In essence, these systems are telling astronomers that almost-identical processes are happening at both. “We realized that we could explain the complex phenomenology of both objects with three ingredients: an unstable accretion disk, which produces extremely variable x-ray emission as the inner parts of the disk cyclically empty and fill; repeated ejections of matter (produced after the emptying of the disk), which can be seen in radio waves and infrared; and bright echoes of these internal variations in the outermost areas of the disk, which can be observed from infrared to ultraviolet”, said Vincentelli.
It turns out that instabilities in accretion disks happen as material exits the inner part of the disk. Then, new material flows in at high speed. It may well be a very fundamental process in the weird physics that happen near neutron stars and black holes. That finding now provides astronomers with new facets to the accretion disks around neutron stars and black holes, and how their instabilities happen. “We now plan to extend this type of study to other very luminous systems to shed light on black holes and neutron stars when they incorporate matter at extreme speeds,” said Vincentelli.
A Tadpole-Shaped Cloud of Gas is Whirling Around a Black Hole
In the 1930s, astrophysicists theorized that at the end of their life cycle, particularly massive stars would collapse, leaving behind remnants of infinite mass and density. As a proposed resolution to Einstein’s field equations (for his Theory of General Relativity), these objects came to be known as “black holes” because nothing (even light) could escape them. By the 1960s, astronomers began to infer the existence of these objects based on the observable effects they have on neighboring objects and their surrounding environment.
(Photo : Pixabay/eli007)
'Tadpole' Molecular Cloud Near Milky Way's Center Seems To Be Orbiting a Black Hole Hidden in the Galaxy
Despite improvements in instruments and interferometry (which led to the first images of M87 and Sagittarius A*), the study of black holes still relies on indirect methods. In a recent study, a team of Japanese researchers identified an unusual cloud of gas that appears to have been elongated by a massive, compact object that it orbits. Since there are no massive stars in its vicinity, they theorize that the cloud (nicknamed the “Tadpole” because of its shape) orbits a black hole roughly 27,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius.
Annotatedmap of the Milky Way Galaxy with the constellations that cross the galactic plane in each direction and the known most prominent components.
Credit: Pablo Carlos Budassi
The team used data from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope at the East Asian Observatory and the NAOJ’s Nobeyama 45-meter Radio Telescope to observe the Tadpole molecular gas cloud. They noted that the cloud is unique due to its characteristic head-tail structure, position, and velocity. Based on its kinematics and changes in line intensity along its orbit, the team determined that the best fit was a black hole. They were also able to constrain its mass, which they estimated to be 1 million times the mass of our Sun.
This would make it an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH), placing it between a stellar mass and a supermassive black hole (SMBH). The presence of a black hole roughly one-fourth as massive as Sgr A* and located in the Galactic Bulge not far from where Sgr A* resides (25,640 light-years away) raises many interesting questions. In the near future, the team plans to use the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to search for more evidence of a black hole at the gravitational center of the Tadpole’s orbit.
These examinations could lead to some major discoveries. For example, could this IMBH be destined to merge with Sgr A* someday? Such an event would cause the black hole at the center of the Milky Way to become up to 20% more massive. It would also trigger a huge release of gravitational waves (GWs) that observatories would NOT fail to notice!
Rectangle craft passing over eyewitness, Colorado March 6, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Rectangle craft passing over eyewitness, Colorado March 6, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: March 6, 2023
Location of sighting: Colorado, USA
The eyewitness was in the car when they noticed a metal object flying over them. The object was like a rectangle hangin long ways, but made no sounds. He watched as it moved away into the distance and fortunately for us, he captured it all on video. Denver, Colorado is famous for its UFO sightings and since this was in that area, I would say the probibility of this being a real UFO is at 100%.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
Rectangular object was observed moving in a southwesterly direction. The object was rotating slowly and gliding through the sky. It did not change shape.
Really fast UFO filmed over Southern California – March 2023
Really fast UFO filmed over Southern California – March 2023
Fast UFO sighting over Southern California
A mysterious and fast-moving object was spotted in the skies above Southern California earlier this month. The footage of the sighting was shared in ourLatest UFO Sightings Facebook group, leaving many people puzzled and intrigued. The witness who captured the footage expressed disbelief at the object’s speed and wondered if it could have been a drone. However, the distance it covered in just a few seconds seemed too great for drone technology. The incident adds to the growing number of unexplained aerial phenomena observed around the world, leaving many to wonder what secrets the skies hold.
Latest UFO Sighting in Ohio: Oval-Shaped Object Merges with Massive Ball of Light
Latest UFO Sighting in Ohio: Oval-Shaped Object Merges with Massive Ball of Light
Latest UFO sighting from Ohio
In a stunning development, a group of witnesses in Ohio have reported seeing a UFO that changed shapes and flew at lightning speeds before ultimately merging with a massive ball of light. The sighting occurred on March 3, 2023, and has left many people in the area stunned and fascinated.
According to witness reports, the object was initially oval-shaped and was spinning and changing shape rapidly. It then proceeded to fly towards a large ball of light that was so bright it appeared to be daytime outside. The ball of light was also round and appeared to be emitting a tremendous amount of energy.
As the oval-shaped object approached the ball of light, witnesses reported seeing a massive metallic object hovering above the houses. It was so large that it was difficult to define its exact shape, but witnesses described it as oval-shaped as well. There was a beam of light that shot through the huge ball of white light on the bottom of the large craft just hovering above the houses.
In an incredible turn of events, witnesses reported seeing two more objects like the first one fly onto the large UFO and disappear. The witnesses were able to capture video and pictures of the sighting, which are sure to be of great interest to UFO enthusiasts and researchers.
The witnesses described the entire experience as surreal and said they had never seen anything like it before. They also noted that there was no sound associated with the UFO, which seemed to defy the laws of physics as it changed shape and direction at lightning speeds.
While skeptics may try to explain away the sighting as a natural phenomenon or a man-made object, the witnesses are adamant that what they saw was not of this world. Their account of the latest UFO sighting in Ohio is sure to generate significant interest and may even lead to more sightings in the future.
In conclusion, the latest UFO sighting in Ohio is a fascinating and mysterious event that has left witnesses and researchers alike eager to learn more. The eyewitness reports, video, and pictures of the incident are sure to generate significant interest among those interested in UFO sightings and paranormal phenomena. Stay tuned for updates on this incredible event.
GLOBAL WARMING IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT, AI TELLS SCIENTISTS
GLOBAL WARMING IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT, AI TELLS SCIENTISTS
WELL, THAT'S NOT GOOD.
GETTY IMAGES/FUTURISM
AI Assessment
Scientists enlisted the help of an AI to estimate how long it would take until global warming gets really bad. The AI's assessment? We might be screwed.
The resulting study, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that global temperatures could reach the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius in just a decade. Exceed that, and scientists warn of increased drought, widescale die-offs of wildlife species and ecosystems, and famines, to name just a few drastic ramifications.
The legally bindingParis Agreementaims to not exceed this threshold by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and so far, we're already sitting at 1.1 to 1.2 degrees of warming.
The Paris Agreement maintains that, in the worst case scenario, the nations of the world ought to keep warming well below 2 degrees Celsius. But the AI found we have a "substantial probability" of crossing even that threshold, at which scientists believe the effects of climate change will be irreversible and far more catastrophic, by 2050.
Moved-Up Timeline
To produce these portentous predictions, the scientists trained a machine learning system on climate model outputs. During its training and testing, it was able to independently and accurately predict the timing of global warming temperatures in the past while only using maps of historical annual temperatures, according to the scientists.
Even in the best-case scenario, the scientists found, the 1.5 degree threshold would be reached between 2033 to 2035, which isn't a lot of time.
As CNN notes, this projected timeline is largely in line with the predictions of other significant reports. But the AI study has a far grimmer idea of when the 2 degree threshold will be reached, estimating close to an 80 percent chance that the world will hit that mark by 2065 — and that's assuming we maintain net zero carbon emissions. Noah Diffenbaugh, co-author of the study and a climate scientist at Stanford University, told CNN that there's a 50 percent chance that 2 degrees will be reached even sooner — by 2050, if emissions stay high.
"[There is] is clear evidence that a half degree of global warming poses substantial risks for people and ecosystems," he added. "Hence, the greater the global warming, the greater the challenges for adaptation."
Animals, especially those on land, can't grow indefinitely. The reason has to do with the square-cube law.
An illustration of Argentinosaurus, possibly the most massive dinosaur that ever existed. (Image credit: Warpaintcobra via Getty Images)
The largest animal ever to walk on Earth was likely the dinosaur Argentinosaurus, a hulking 77-ton (70 metric tons) titanosaur that lived about 90 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous. For comparison, the heaviest animal on land today is the African elephant(Loxodonta), which weighs less than 7 tons (6 metric tons). And both look positively dainty next to the blue whale(Balaenoptera musculus), which, at an average of 165 tons (150 metric tons), may be the heaviest animal ever to have lived.
But could any animal ever top that? Is there a limit to how large an animal can get?
"We look at blue whales, and the question is whether we could get anything bigger," Geerat Vermeij(opens in new tab), a professor of geobiology and paleobiology at the University of California, Davis, told Live Science. "I'm not sure I'd be willing to say no to that question. Size depends on many factors, and I take a relativistic point of view."
At least in theory, though, there may be a hard limit — enforced by the laws of physics — of about 120 tons (109 metric tons) for land animals, according to Felisa Smith(opens in new tab), a professor of paleoecology at the University of New Mexico. "To be bigger than that, on land, your legs would have to be so wide to support your body that you couldn't efficiently walk," she told Live Science in an email.
Smith is referring to the square-cube law(opens in new tab), a mathematical principle first described by Galileo Galilei as "the ratio of two volumes is greater than the ratio of their surfaces." In other words, as an animal increases in size, its volume will grow faster than its surface area, so larger animals need much larger limbs to support their weight. If we were to merely scale up an elephant by several orders of magnitude, the square-cube law holds that it would collapse — its mass would increase by a power of three, while its limbs would increase in size by a power of two.
Elephants are the biggest land animals alive today. (Image credit: Shutterstock)
The only way our imaginary mega-elephant could overcome this limitation would be to have disproportionately large and thick legs. But even then, at around the 120-ton mark, the limbs necessary to keep the mega-elephant on its feet would become improbably bulky. "The largest animals in the fossil record are just under 100 tons [90 metric tons], which supports this theoretical maximum," Smith said, adding that "it's not clear that bigger ones couldn't have evolved."
But physics is not the only constraint on animal size. If it were, we would live in a world packed with 100-ton land animals, carefully toeing Galileo's square-cube line. Resource availability is also a significant factor — megafauna have to eat. "Animals that live in more productive environments with high quality foods are generally able to harbor larger maximum body sizes," said Jordan Okie(opens in new tab), a quantitative biologist at Arizona State University. "Whales, elephants, and other megabiota tend to live in productive, nutrient rich environments."
Nutrient requirements also explain why reptiles, like titanosaurs, grew much larger than even the largest land mammals, according to Smith. Because warm-blooded mammals have faster metabolisms, they require about 10 times the amount of food to support a given body size than reptiles do, Smith explained. Reptiles, on the other hand, have lower body temperatures and slower metabolisms, so they can afford to eat less and can grow on a calorie budget that would starve a mammal.
"Not surprisingly, the largest dinosaurs in terrestrial areas were about 10x bigger than the largest mammals," Smith said.
Blue whales, which can weigh about 165 tons and are warm-blooded mammals, are glaring exceptions to several of these rules. But their unique environment explains their success(opens in new tab). Marine megafauna can take advantage of their buoyancy to scale up in size without straining their muscles and bones, growing in ways that would make the limbs of land animals crumble. And whales have miles of open ocean at their disposal, which they travel to pursue meals.
Blue whale skeleton in the Natural History Museum (2018). (Image credit: Laura Geggel)
"Animals in water are expected to be less limited by biomechanical constraints," Okie told Live Science in an email. "The oceans also provide abundant, nutrient-dense resources for those animals that are mobile and resourceful." In particular, the evolution of baleen plates allowed whales to consume zooplankton efficiently enough to support their enormous sizes, Okie added.
Various constraints aside, the planet can clearly support megafauna. For hundreds of millions of years, megafauna were pervasive. Yet, throughout the past 20,000 years or so(opens in new tab), a mere blink in evolutionary time, megafauna have all but vanished. Large land mammals such as elephants and rhinos are in decline, existing in only specific parts of the world; several groups of marine megafauna, such as whales, are perpetually tottering on the brink of extinction. So where did all of the giants go?
"Humans eliminated most of them," Vermeij said. "Mammoths, elephants, bison, large carnivores — we've eliminated 90% of large animals, maybe more, and certainly all of the largest ones."
Humans are also the chief obstacle to the revival of these large species.
"You'd have to have no humans before megafauna could make a comeback," Vermeij said. "We're the dominant species, by far, and no animal is going to get large under our hegemony. The chances of getting anything as big as a Cretaceous dinosaur again are unlikely."
A Strange Object Orbits The Milky Way’s Black Hole Every 70 Minutes
A Strange Object Orbits The Milky Way’s Black Hole Every 70 Minutes
Astronomers have discovered a mysterious object, which they believe is a giant hot bubble of gas around the Milky Way's black hole every seventy minutes. This means that the object is moving at a mind-boggling 30% of the speed of light.
Observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have revealed something unusual near the Milky Way's supermassive black hole. Astronomers believe there is a mystery object, a hot spot, that circles around Sagittarius A*. According to the researchers, the discovery will aid in our comprehension of the bizarre yet dynamic ecosystem.
The object that circles the black hole is most likely a hot bubble of gas that swirled around Sagittarius A* in an orbit comparable to that of the planet Mercury, according to the experts. The only difference is that it completes one orbit in around seventy minutes.
Orbits of the G objects at the center of our galaxy, with the supermassive black hole indicated with a white cross. Stars, gas and dust are in the background.
(Credit: Anna Ciurlo, Tuan Do/UCLA Galactic Center Group)
In other words, according to Maciek Wielgus of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, this puzzling object requires a mind-boggling velocity of nearly 30% of the speed of light to complete its orbit in seventy minutes. Wielgus conducted the study that described the hot gas bubble orbiting the black hole, which was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
ALMA, a radio telescope co-owned by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), was utilised to perform observations during the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration's attempt to picture black holes. In April 2017, the EHT joined eight existing radio telescopes across the world, including ALMA, and photographed Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy, for the first time. To calibrate the EHT data, a team of EHT Collaboration members, including Wielgus, used ALMA data taken concurrently with the EHT observations of Sagittarius A. The scientists discovered further information about the black hole's nature using solely ALMA observations.
The observations were made just after NASA's Chandra Space Telescope detected an X-ray flare produced from our galaxy's centre. There is a suggestion that these flares are caused by hot spots, which are hot gas bubbles that orbit exceedingly quickly and near to black holes. Previously, they were observed using X-ray and infrared telescopes.
"This is particularly intriguing because flares of this type were previously recorded solely in X-rays and infrared. "For the first time, we detect a very strong hint that orbiting hot spots are also present in radio data,"Wielgus explains.
According to Jesse Vos, a Radboud University Ph.D. student who was also involved in this study, these hot spots detected at infrared wavelengths are most likely manifestations of the same physical phenomenon: as hot spots emitting infrared cool, they become visible at longer wavelengths, similar to those observed by ALMA and the EHT.
Recent discoveries lend credence to the notion that flares are created by magnetic interactions in the highly hot plasma circling the black hole. These flares appear to have a magnetic origin, and scientific findings shed light on their geometry. We now have the possibility to build a theoretical interpretation of these events as a result of the additional data," explains Radboud University co-author Monika Mocibrodzka.
Scientists can use ALMA to analyse polarized radio emissions from Sagittarius A* and thereby establish the magnetic field of the black hole. In addition to these findings, the scientists investigated the hot spot's genesis and environment, particularly the magnetic field encircling Sagittarius A*, using theoretical models. Their finding places more limitations on the form of this magnetic field than prior observations in the process of discovering the nature of our black hole and its environs.
The GRAVITY instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), which looks into the cosmos in infrared, has validated some of the prior discoveries. Both GRAVITY and ALMA data indicate that the flare originates in a cluster of gas revolving clockwise around the black hole at around 30% the speed of light. The hot spot's orbit is also practically face-on, according to scientists.
"To be able to track hot spots at multiple wavelengths using GRAVITY and ALMA coordinated multiwavelength observations in the future would be a true milestone for our understanding of the physics of flares in the Galactic centre,"says Ivan Marti-Vidal of the University of Valencia, a study co-author.
Furthermore, the EHT team wants to directly examine the gas clumps around the black hole, allowing them to delve closer and obtain a better knowledge of the object.
What happens near Sagittarius Acosmic *'s environment is a mystery to researchers. Wielgus, on the other hand, thinks that one day we may ultimately learn more about it and be able to construct a clearer picture of what happens at the centre of our galaxy.
Astronomers spotted shock waves shaking the web of the universe for the first time
Astronomers spotted shock waves shaking the web of the universe for the first time
The observation could offer an indirect look at large-scale magnetic fields in the universe
In this simulation of the cosmic web, shock waves along filaments and around clusters emit radio light (pink) as they ripple through magnetic fields (cyan).
For the first time, astronomers have caught a glimpse of shock waves rippling along strands of the cosmic web — the enormous tangle of galaxies, gas and dark matter that fills the observable universe.
Combining hundreds of thousands of radio telescope images revealed the faint glow cast as shock waves send charged particles flying through the magnetic fields that run along the cosmic web. Spotting these shock waves could give astronomers a better look at these large-scale magnetic fields, whose properties and origins are largely mysterious, researchers report in the Feb. 17 Science Advances.
Finally, astronomers “can confirm what so far has only been predicted by simulations — that these shock waves exist,” says astrophysicist Marcus Brüggen of the University of Hamburg in Germany, who was not involved in the new study.
At its grandest scale, our universe looks something like Swiss cheese. Galaxies aren’t distributed evenly through space but rather are clumped together in enormous clusters connected by ropy filaments of dilute gas, galaxies and dark matter and separated by not-quite-empty voids (SN: 10/3/19).
Tugged by gravity, galaxy clusters merge, filaments collide, and gas from the voids falls onto filaments and clusters. In simulations of the cosmic web, all that action consistently sets off enormous shock waves in and along filaments.
Filaments make up most of the cosmic web but are much harder to spot than galaxies (SN: 1/20/14). While scientists have observed shock waves around galaxy clusters before, shocks in filaments “have never been really seen,” says astronomer Reinout van Weeren of Leiden University in the Netherlands, who was not involved in the study. “But they should be basically all around the cosmic web.”
Shock waves around filaments would accelerate charged particles through the magnetic fields that suffuse the cosmic web (SN: 6/6/19). When that happens, the particles emit light at wavelengths that radio telescopes can detect — though the signals are very weak.
Simulations of the cosmic web and its magnetic field (cyan), like the one pictured here, predict that shockwaves along filaments and around galaxy clusters should emit weak radio signals (pink). The inset shows what combining many radio images of galaxy cluster pairs in the simulated web might look like, with colors representing gas temperature and density (high values are yellow, low values are purple and black).F. VAZZA, D. WITTOR AND J. WEST
A single shock wave in a filament “would look like nothing, it’d look like noise,” says radio astronomer Tessa Vernstrom of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Crawley, Australia.
Instead of looking for individual shock waves, Vernstrom and her colleagues combined radio images of more than 600,000 pairs of galaxy clusters close enough to be connected by filaments to create a single “stacked” image. This amplified weak signals and revealed that, on average, there is a faint radio glow from the filaments between clusters.
“When you can dig below the noise and still actually get a result — to me, that’s personally exciting,” Vernstrom says.
The faint signal is highly polarized, meaning that the radio waves are mostly aligned with one another. Highly polarized light is unusual in the cosmos, but it is expected from radio light cast by shock waves, van Weeren says. “So that’s really, I think, very good evidence for the fact that the shocks are likely indeed present.”
In this computer simulation, gas falling onto the cosmic web (blue) heats and expands, setting off shockwaves that ripple through the hot, expanded gas (red) and throughout the vast network of galaxy clusters and filaments that fills our universe. These shockwaves interact with magnetic fields (green) in the cosmic web to create radio signals that astronomers can observe.
The discovery goes beyond confirming the predictions of cosmic web simulations. The polarized radio emissions also offer a rare peek at the magnetic fields that permeate the cosmic web, if only indirectly.
“These shocks,” Brüggen says, “are really able to show that there are large-scale magnetic fields that form [something] like a sheath around these filaments.”
He, van Weeren and Vernstrom all note that it’s still an open question how cosmic magnetic fields arose in the first place. The role these fields play in shaping the cosmic web is equally mysterious.
“It’s one of the four fundamental forces of nature, right? Magnetism,” Vernstrom says. “But at least on these large scales, we don’t really know how important it is.”
The recent podcast “Weaponized,” starring filmmaker Jeremy Corebll and investigative journalist George Knapp, has ignited a long debate on Area 51 holding secrets of UFOs and non-human beings. Mr. Knapp explained a lot of the corroborating evidence regarding people that confirmBob Lazar’s claims, as well as the S4 base he worked at Nevada desert and the company that vetted him, EG&G.
Lazar’s identity as an Area 51 scientist has always been discussed by other people in the UFOlogy. Lately, Dr. Travis Scott has also been seen discrediting Bob Lazar and said he did work at Area 51 but as a janitor. Many users find it a direct attack on Lazar’s credentials as he failed to show his qualifications. However, there are credible experts that have confirmed Lazar’s work at Area 51.
Mr. Knapp revealed to Corbell that while working on the follow-up series “UFOs: The Best Evidence” in 1990, he came to know about a man named Alfred O’Donnell, who was the general manager at EG&G in Nevada that managed Area 51. According to Knapp, O’Donnell claimed that “they did have a flying saucer that had been recovered from New Mexico,” and a “live being.”
EG&G was created by three scientists, Harold Edgerton, Kenneth Germeshausen, and Herbert Grier. The company specialized in the measurement of energy created by nuclear weapon explosions. EG&G was involved in the development of a complex little gadget that could arm an atomic bomb, start an automated countdown, set it off, and collect data on how it behaved. The company played a role in the migration of well-educated professionals to Las Vegas in the early 1950s, including Alfred O’Donnell, a technician who worked for the company.
Alfred O’Donnell
O’Donnell was the prominent figure in Area 51, who had all clearance to walk anywhere in the facility. Moreover, his background is good enough to add credibility to Bob Lazar’s claims. Mr. Knapp shared his story of meeting O’Donnell who told him about the recovered craft that was stored at the Indian Springs (Creech US Air Force Base), but later it was transferred to the newly built Area 51 in 1955.
“They moved it to an adjacent facility he didn’t say it was S4 he didn’t say it was Papoose but I think that’s what he’s talking about Papoose lake is where Bob Lazar said he worked and where they had built hangers underground disguised it to look like the desert and where they had other recovered craft,” Mr. Knapp said.
O’Donnell told Knapp all the secret information about UFOs at a coffee shop. He said that they were trying to reverse-engineer the recovered crafts and duplicate the technology to build more crafts like that. Further, O’Donnell revealed that they were worried that “IT” could get out. He said they were holding it in a cage as they did not understand it.
“We didn’t know what it was… To tell you the truth, we couldn’t communicate with it. In the beginning, we didn’t know what it was, we didn’t know where it was from. And we didn’t know what to do with it…”
“Eventually, they figured out a way to communicate with it and so I asked him well what did it look like… he said well kind of looks like a certain political candidate… at the time Ross Perot was running for president, he said it looks like Ross Perot, a little skinny guy with big ears and a tiny head, not a classic gray looking alien but a very odd looking creature.”
Mr. Knapp further shared a story about a former female employee of defense contractor Holmes & Narver, who allegedly had knowledge about “crashed saucers, recovered materials, and what sounded like a Roswell-type incident.” The woman had been intimidated by unknown agents before she was scheduled to speak with Knapp, causing her to cancel the meeting.
Knapp also mentioned that former Congressional staffer Richard D’Amato investigated claims about crashed saucers and visited Area 51, but was unable to verify the statements. Knapp later scheduled a meeting between D’Amato and EG&G employee O’Donnell, which was allowed by EG&G co-founder Herbert Grier. However, O’Donnell refused to tell D’Amato anything.
Knapp stated that O’Donnell made a deathbed confession, confirming the existence of a crashed flying saucer and a living being. However, no recording of O’Donnell’s confession has surfaced. If the recording was made public, it would lend credibility to the assertions made by Bob Lazar, who claimed to have worked on recovered saucers in Area 51.
Years after his initial conversation with Knapp, O’Donnell changed his story and shared a different version of the flying saucer incident with journalist and author Annie Jacobsen, which regarded the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) incident at Roswell in 1947.
Journalist Christoper Sharp writes that Jacobsen mentioned different version of O’Donnell’s story in the book “Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base,” according to which “Roswell incident was not the result of non-human intelligence, but in fact a Russian craft with ‘grotesque, child-size aviators’ developed in human experiments by Nazi doctor and war criminal Josef Mengele.”
But Mr. Knapp debunked this story as he discovered the Russians were just as mystified about the Roswell incident as the Americans.
Bob Lazar claimed in 1989 that the US government was conducting a project to reverse engineer alien technology from nine different UFOs collected over decades and hidden in hangars at a location called S-4 near Papoose Lake.
Jeremy Corbell shared a video of Mr. Knapp discussing am LakeFreeman also reported seeing a door opening in space with a bluish light, and then disappearing. George Knapp confirmed that Freeman did not know who Bob Lazar and John Lear were, and that former employees who worked with Bob verified that he was a physicist, but those claims were made informally and off the record.
Medium user SignalsIntelUFO has done great work by transcribing over 50 interviews of Bob Lazar with in-depth information. Bob claimed to have been hired as a physicist at Los Alamos in May 1982. For evidence about his employment, there is an article written by Terry England on June 30, 1982. “To Lazar, a physicist at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility, the important thing is the jet engine. It’s something he’s been working on for years,” England wrote.
Terry England article on Bob Lazar
In July 2020, during Joe Rogan’s podcast with Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp, Corbell said he asked Terry England about Bob Lazar’s occupation as a physicist at Los Alamos. Corbell said: “Look, here’s the point, you said Bob Lazar was a physicist at Los Alamos. So how did you base that? You’re writing a paper…” and he [England] goes “yeah,” — and it got picked up by AP news — he goes “if I [England] had misrepresented that he was a physicist at Los Alamos I would have been blackballed by everybody at Los Alamos. They take that very seriously. He was a physicist. I reported it. AP News picked it up, they repeated it. Not word one from anybody saying he wasn’t a physicist at Los Alamos.”
Sacred Marvels: 17 Cathedrals That Will Take Your Breath Away, In Pictures
Sacred Marvels: 17 Cathedrals That Will Take Your Breath Away, In Pictures
Cathedrals are some of the most awe-inspiring structures in the world, with their grandeur and intricate details captivating visitors for centuries. These religious buildings are often the most iconic landmarks of a city or region, featuring unique architectural styles and intricate works of art. Cathedrals can be found all around the world, from the towering spires of the Gothic cathedrals of Europe to the colorful domes of the Orthodox cathedrals in Eastern Europe and beyond. Many of these cathedrals have played significant roles in the history of their respective regions and continue to be important cultural and religious centers today.
St. Basil's Cathedral is an iconic symbol of Moscow and one of the most famous landmarks of Russia. It was built in the 16th century under the reign of Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the capture of the city of Kazan. The cathedral is known for its colorful onion-shaped domes and intricate patterns, and is considered a masterpiece of Russian architecture.
The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is located in the city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, and is considered to be one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the world. The cathedral is believed to be the burial place of Saint James, one of the apostles of Jesus, and has been a place of pilgrimage for over a thousand years. The cathedral's impressive Romanesque architecture and its baroque façade make it a popular tourist destination in Spain.
Milan Cathedral, also known as the Duomo di Milano, is one of the most famous landmarks of Milan and one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. The cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete and features over 3,400 statues, 135 gargoyles and stunning stained-glass windows. The cathedral's roof also offers breathtaking views of the city of Milan.
The Zipaquira Salt Cathedral is an underground Roman Catholic church located in the town of Zipaquira, Colombia, about an hour's drive from Bogota. The cathedral is built inside an abandoned salt mine, which was transformed into a religious sanctuary in the 1950s. The cathedral is a popular tourist attraction, known for its impressive architecture, including its cross-shaped layout, and the numerous salt sculptures that decorate its interior.
Sainte Chapelle is a Gothic-style royal chapel located in the heart of Paris, France. It was built in the 13th century by King Louis IX and is known for its stunning stained-glass windows, which cover a total area of over 600 square meters. The chapel's lower-level features intricate murals and sculptures, while the upper level is reserved for the spectacular stained glass windows, which depict scenes from the Bible.
The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower is a cathedral located in the heart of Florence, Italy. The cathedral is famous for its iconic dome, which was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and is considered a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. The interior of the cathedral is also notable for its stunning frescoes, including the Last Judgment by Giorgio Vasari.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is one of the most impressive and iconic landmarks of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. It was built in the early 20th century and named after the Russian prince and national hero Alexander Nevsky. The cathedral's neo-Byzantine architecture, intricate frescoes, and beautiful gold-plated domes make it a must-see attraction for visitors to Sofia.
Notre Dame Cathedral is a historic Catholic cathedral located on the Île de la Cité in Paris, France. It was built in the 12th century and is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world. The cathedral is known for its impressive rose windows, soaring ceilings, and intricate sculptures, and attracts millions of visitors every year. In April 2019, a devastating fire broke out at Notre Dame Cathedral, causing significant damage to its roof and spire, and prompting a major restoration effort that is still ongoing.
Saint Sophia Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most significant landmarks of Kiev, Ukraine. The cathedral was built in the 11th century and is renowned for its Byzantine architecture, including its stunning mosaics and frescoes. It was named in honor of the ancient Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and played a crucial role in the history of Kievan Rus.
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is a prominent landmark in Lyon, France, situated atop Fourvière Hill overlooking the city. The basilica was constructed in the late 19th century in a neo-Byzantine style and is known for its ornate design, including intricate mosaics, stained glass windows, and a beautiful golden statue of the Virgin Mary.
St. Stephen's Cathedral is a stunning Gothic-style cathedral located on Stephansplatz square in the heart of Vienna, Austria. The cathedral's construction began in the 12th century and continued for over 400 years, resulting in a fascinating blend of architectural styles. The cathedral's towering spire, intricate carvings, and stunning stained-glass windows make it one of Vienna's most beloved and iconic landmarks.
Cologne Cathedral, also known as Kölner Dom, is a stunning Gothic-style cathedral located in the city of Cologne, Germany. The cathedral's construction began in the 13th century and took over 600 years to complete, resulting in a fascinating blend of architectural styles. The cathedral is known for its impressive size, with two spires standing over 150 meters tall, as well as its stunning stained glass windows and intricate carvings.
The Notre-Dame Basilica is a stunning Gothic-style church located in the heart of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was constructed in the mid-19th century and is known for its impressive size, intricate carvings, and stunning stained-glass windows.
The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is a Catholic church located in the city of Zaragoza, in northeastern Spain. The cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of the Pillar, and is considered one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Spain. The cathedral's architecture is a mix of styles, including Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic, and is known for its impressive dome and stunning frescoes.
St John's Co-Cathedral is a stunning Baroque-style cathedral located in the heart of Valletta, the capital city of Malta. The cathedral was built by the Knights of Malta in the 16th century and is known for its ornate interior, including intricate marble floors, gilded columns, and stunning frescoes. The cathedral is also home to several important works of art, including paintings by Caravaggio and other prominent Baroque artists.
The Sagrada Familia is a world-famous cathedral located in the city of Barcelona, Spain, and is one of the most iconic landmarks of the city. Designed by the renowned architect Antoni Gaudí, the cathedral's construction began in the late 19th century and is still ongoing. The cathedral is known for its unique architectural style, including its towering spires, intricate sculptures, and stunning stained-glass windows.
Cathedrals continue to inspire visitors with their beauty and spiritual significance, and many have become beloved landmarks of the cities and regions in which they are located. Despite the challenges of time and natural disasters, these architectural wonders have endured for centuries, serving as a testament to the skill and creativity of their builders. Whether you are admiring the soaring spires of a Gothic cathedral or the colorful mosaics of an Orthodox basilica, cathedrals offer a unique glimpse into the art, architecture, and religious traditions of cultures around the world.
Top image: The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, St. Petersburg, Russia. The 18th century cathedral is the final resting place of many members of the Russian royal family, including Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.
By Bob Spearing, Director of International Investigations
How many times over the decades did MUFON and other UFO Organizations receive a description concerning the underbelly of a Black triangle? The witnesses not only described the three round white, blue or orange lights on the triangular vertices and a central red twirling beacon dead on in the bottom’s ?center but also mentioned how the triangle underside was of a deep matte finish and often tubular orB intricate latices were visible on the craft’s bottom. Circuit boards or various other unusual descriptions suggesting a complex tapestry of possible mechanics were described on the craft bottoms.These examples are not one-offs but a serious pattern seen over and over again in dozens, if not more, triangle reports.
Surely, with such a consistent pattern concerning the architecture of unknown aerial vehicles in ourskies, serious investigators should consider this essential circumstantial evidence that these are real and recurring vehicles in our skies of similar manufacture.
Now we have yet another report from a witness who most likely has no knowledge or connection to prior similar reports! It is a disc now and not a triangle.
MUFON Report #122240 originates out of Alameda County, California on or around July 20, 1985 at 8 P.M. This is what the witness, a child at the time, saw:
The UFO Investigator has a lot to work with here. First, the intricacy of the witness’s drawing absolutely suggests he has seen something incredibly similar to other UFO witnesses. There is a definite pattern to tubular or pipe-like structures on the bottom of these UFOs.
Why tubular structures? Is their purpose connected to propulsion? Cooling Systems? Life support systems? Optical Illusion? Implanted thought? Or, does this lattice of tubes constitute a necessity in a?technology that we do not understand by a visiting agent, extraterrestrial or otherwise, that we have noframe of reference for.
A second excellent drawing by the witness has overtones of the Ezekiel’s vision when he sees a wheel within a wheel. It is also suggestive of the common disc sightings where multi-colored lights ar observed rotating in certain ways, sometimes clockwise and counter-clockwise at the same time.
Having established that the witness creates coherent drawings similar to many other cases, let us delv further into the narrative of the child witness in this historical case. It is a “high strangeness” account and may, at first, seem bizarre.
It reads: “2 years prior woke up to a 4-foot waitress wearing an old-fashioned waitress uniform walking towards me as I watched from my bed. I could hear all the sounds of what a busy old-fashioned diner would sound like (customers eating and mumbling, silverware clanging on plates.) This was all static, “snow” in which it appeared to me almost like a holograph ..waitress was walking in middle section of seated guests towards me holding a platter of food with both of her hands, she did not look directly at me but kind of through my {me}. Very detailed even though it was all in a static type media in which I observed it. I yelled out to my Mom if I could sleep with her and I heard her say “sure c-mon honey”..then I replied “but I don’t want to step on this lady”….then I blacked out and did not discuss the event until years later with my Mom….also had multiple visions soon after the UFO experience including a wheel within a wheel hovering and rotating in opposite directions over my childhood home, walking on a beach of dead whales and running from a crashing flood and climbing atop of Stonehenge for safety as the flood waters resided just before the tips of the larger stones”.
An analysis of this episode by a viable witness capable of drawing highly complex illustrations must make us consider the possibility that his story is true no matter how unbelievable. There is also much symbolism in the child’s vision. Was the waitress a “Screen Memory?” Additionally, sufficient reports of possible alien agents offering Contactees and experiencers food and drink is common and Jacque Valle often cites reports of Faire abductions back to the Middle Ages where food and drink are offered.
An especially intriguing part of the witness’s visions is that whales are seen dying along a beach. Coincidentally (perhaps not!!!), whales are currently washing ashore in New Jersey in droves due to their sonar being disrupted by windmill farms in the ocean near the coast. Was the witness having some sort of prescient event? Could it be within the realm of possibility that this witness saw into the future?
MUFON would love reaction to this “high strangeness” account! Please send your hypotheses to DOII@MUFON.COM and we may follow up on this case in a future newsletter article.
Never discount the unbelievable because you do not believe it! Investigate it first!
John Lear, a former CIA pilot, passed away on March 29, 2022, leaving behind a legacy in the world of aviation and conspiracy theories. He was widely known for his claims about the unidentified aerial phenomenon and Area 51, but also for a lifetime of daring exploits in everything that could fly. He was the son of American inventor Bill Lear, who created the Lear jet and invented the 8-Track tape system.
Determined to carve out his own path, Lear delved into aviation, becoming an accomplished pilot at a young age, setting multiple world records in various planes. Despite his accomplishments, his daredevil lifestyle resulted in serious injuries from plane crashes that he should not have survived.
During the Vietnam era, Lear flew cargo planes for the CIA and continued to seek out danger by flying in and out of other hotspots. He had numerous contacts in the aerospace industry and became interested in secret planes and projects.
In the 1980s, Lear and a few friends began investigating obscure bases in the Nevada desert, which later became famous. His claims about UFOs and Area 51 and his lifetime of daredevil exploits in the skies will forever be remembered.
Lear’s appearance in “On the Record,” which aired on January 28, 1988, on KLAS TV in Las Vegas, startled the UFO discussion and told investigative journalist George Knapp that the government even housed aliens at two U.S. sites. Lear said the government was engaged in a program to gradually inform the public of encounters that had already happened.
George Knapp interviews John Lear on a 1987 broadcast of “On the Record.”
Image credit: KLAS-TV
According to Lear, there are at least 70 different species of aliens. He specifically mentioned the existence of “little green men” as well as “little grey ones,” who are about 4 and a half feet tall. He also talked about the existence of “Nordics,” which are similar in appearance to humans, but are taller and have blond hair and blue eyes. He stated that one of those species was recovered from a crash and was stored on ice.
Lear claimed that there are good and bad aliens and they have all kinds of ways to interact with humans. “And what are some of the reasons? Why would they be here?” Knapp asked. Lear replied: “Genetic experiments.” He further said that “movies such as E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind were carefully guided by representatives from MJ-12, who is this organization that is in charge of the coverup, in order to get us ready for the release of the information that there are indeed, aliens.”
Lear believed that everything started with the Roswell crash in 1947. He claimed that in September 1945, President Truman established MJ-12, and the purpose of that was to study the saucers and cover up the existence of UFOs. He told Knapp that four alien bodies were recovered from a crash and were autopsied by Dr. Detlev Bronk.
They were named “EBEs” (Extraterrestrial Biological Entities) and three live EBEs were captured in different crashes. EBE1 lived with an Air Force Colonel between 1949 and 1952. The EBEs were kept in an electromagnetic facility called a YY-2, which was designed by Dr. Eric Wang who worked under Dr. Kissinger and was involved in the coverup of the incident since the beginning.
Lear said: “The reason they have to create an electromagnetic facility is the fact that the EBEs are so advanced, they’re there at least a half a billion years advanced from us, and probably more… And they can also disappear. But they can’t move by thought through an electromagnetic facility, so they built this facility. There was two, one in Los Alamos and one either Edwards (AFB) or at the Test Site.
Lear discussed the existence of extraterrestrial beings at Groom Lake, Nevada, also known as Area 51. He stated that there was still a living extraterrestrial biological entity (EBE) known as EBE3 and that there was a tape of an interview with this being. However, Lear did not see the tape and was unaware of what language was used in the interviewers. He also mentioned that he had been given 25 secret CIA memos on his trip to gather information, and one of the memos mentioned that EBE3 wanted to see the ocean and that arrangements needed to be made or the EBE would “disappear again.”
Knapp asked if these beings can exist among us and if they need a special environment. Lear stated that they have a special environment, special air, and can only last about 20 minutes in Earth’s air.
Lear also claimed that the grey EBEs are the ones that are most commonly seen and that there are different motives for their presence on Earth. He suggested that a deal was made with them, as they are trying to regenerate their own race. This is because their digestive system is atrophied and they could no longer eat through their mouths. Instead, they obtain hormones and enzymes from cattle and spread it on their skin for nutrients, excreting the waste back to their skin.
On March 29, 1989, Lear and his friends including Bob Lazar recorded a video of the object, a glowing disc that rose from a facility on the outskirts of Area 51 that officially did not exist. Ironically, March 29 was the same date Lear died at his Las Vegas home, though many years later. (Source)
During the interview, Lear discussed his knowledge of two incidents involving UFOs. The first incident occurred in July 1987, when an enormous UFO is said to have followed a cargo plane over Anchorage, Alaska. The second incident took place in 1975, where UFOs were reportedly seen hovering over Strategic Air Command bases.
Knapp: You’ve said before you thought that a lot of their intentions were hostile and you’ve mentioned before that a lot of the sightings around the military bases. Why don’t we see them here? Las Vegas, we’ve got a lot of military bases here.
Lear: Well, the in fact there have been a lot of a lot of reports of UFOs in around Las Vegas, not specifically over the Air Force bases. We have the Test Site and of course, we don’t know what’s going on there, and we have Nellis Air Force Base. But there have not really been a lot of sightings over there. The main Air Force sightings were in 1975. And the UFOs descended on every Strategic Air Command base guarding the perimeter of the northern United States. They hovered over the nuclear weapons storage area and they stayed there with impunity for up to two and three hours over a period of three days.
“The problem is not only just the fact that there are five and as many as 10 different civilizations visiting us. Apparently, and this is from the research that I’ve done, at least 90% of them are hostile. And when I say hostile, if not hostile, they have a completely different set of morals than we do,” he added.
The following statement by the ex-CIA pilot is also worth noting: “The moon is an artificial body that was dragged to our planet, as a result of which an ice age broke out on Earth that killed all living things.” In fact, the circumstances of the appearance of the moon in outer space are not exactly known, and no one has seen the back of the moon.
Lear also explained in his interview how Moon had been created in Jupiter and brought to Earth’s orbit about 15,000 years ago, which was nearly around the last Ice Age. Besides, he said that the Greys are on the moon as well, but mainly remain underground within huge laboratories.
John Lear claimed that NASA sent astronauts to Mars in 1966, and that the astronauts had undergone extensive preparation for the mission, including taking drugs to adapt to the Martian climate. He also alleged that those astronauts were able to breathe the thin atmosphere on Mars, allowing for longer missions on the planet.
Lear mentioned that there are several notable figures from various fields, such as military, espionage, and aeronautics who corroborated these claims, including Colonel Philip Corso, David Wilcock, Glen Steckling, Henry Deacon, Barr Digregorio and Gilbert Levin, and they are not considered as madmen but are the key figures in space research.
The far side of the Moon is protected from radio-frequency interference from Earth.
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
For radioastronomers, the far side of the Moon could be the last unspoilt refuge in the Solar System. Planet Earth — and all the human-made electromagnetic noise it spews out into space — stays permanently below the horizon, so that any radio observatories positioned there would be free to observe the cosmos without interference.
But an upcoming boom in lunar exploration could put that at risk. In the next ten years or so, the Moon will be the target of hundreds of orbiters and landers, each of which could create radio noise. Researchers voiced their concerns last month at a conference called Astronomy from the Moon: The Next Decades, which took place at the Royal Society in London.
“This is probably the most radio-quiet place in the Solar System, and we need to preserve that,” said Marc Klein Wolt, an astronomer at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands.
“Will the far side remain dark? You should already be nervous that I’m asking the question,” Joseph Lazio, a researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, told the conference.
Quiet zone
The lunar far side has enormous potential for many fields, but it holds unique promise for cosmology. Astronomers have mapped the sky using much of the spectrum of electromagnetic waves, from microwaves to visible light and γ-rays. But cosmic radio waves at frequencies below about 100 megahertz are extremely challenging to measure from Earth, because of the planet’s noise. And anything below 30 megahertz is completely off-limits because it is absorbed in the ionosphere — the zone where Earth’s atmosphere meets space. These low-frequency waves, however, carry a treasure trove of information about the first billion years or so of the Universe’s history.
The lunar far side is protected from radio emissions from Earth, and with almost no atmosphere and long, cold nights, it offers a nearly ideal spot from which to explore these epochs.
If all goes according to plan, a small US lander called the Lunar Surface Electromagnetic Experiment (LuSee) Night in 2026 will be the first dedicated cosmology mission to take advantage of those conditions — and it is being designed with that goal in mind. (Chang’e-4, the historic Chinese mission that landed on the far side in 2019, carried a simple radioastronomy antenna. But the mission was not optimized for cosmological observations, so the experiment was marred by radio-frequency interference from the lander itself.)
With funding from both NASA and the US Department of Energy, LuSee-Night will be carried to the far side by a private contractor as part of NASA’s nascent Commercial Lunar Payload Services programme. Its four 3-metre-long antennas, arranged in a cross shape, will attempt to measure the ‘cosmic dawn’, a feature thought to be detectable in the radio spectrum that would reveal the appearance of the Universe’s very first stars.
Noise limitation
Even from the peaceful solitude of the lunar far side, however, LuSee’s cosmic-dawn measurement will be a challenge: the early-Universe signature is 100,000 times weaker than the noise produced by the Galaxy in the same range of frequencies. It will be crucial to limit noise from the spacecraft itself. “The only way to do it is to turn off the lander completely” and pack enough batteries to last the radio receiver through the two-week-long nights, says Stuart Bale, an astrophysicist at the University of California (UC), Berkeley who is the mission’s principal investigator for NASA. The receiver’s electronics, including the clocks that keep computers running, must be designed to ‘fence’ any emissions to a limited part of the spectrum, Bale says. “We require that all oscillators operate at known frequencies, and with certified frequency stability.” A known, predictable source of noise is easier for experimenters to remove during data processing.
These are relatively simple precautions that all lunar missions could take, including commercial ones, says Bale. If spacecraft are designed to contain any radio-frequency interference, it could greatly reduce the chances of harming future scientific experiments.
The Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in Australia has established a radio-quiet zone more than 500 kilometres across.
Credit: Xinhua/Shutterstock
Melanie Johnston-Hollitt, former director of the Murchison Widefield Array radio observatory in Western Australia, agrees. At Murchison, which is to be the Australian site of the giant Square Kilometre Array radio telescope, she helped to establish what is probably the world’s largest radio-quiet zone, at more than 500 kilometres across.
Permits are required to carry electronic devices into the site, and “all equipment you take into that area goes through an additional electromagnetic testing process”, to check for unwanted radio emissions, says Johnston-Hollitt, currently a radioastronomer at Curtin University in Perth, Australia. “I can tell you with confidence that you can do that with a cubesat,” she says, referring to the tiny satellites that researchers fear could swarm around the Moon, creating a source of noise.
Even so, “to suppress interference to the level necessary to do precision radioastronomy is incredibly difficult”, says astronomer Andrew Siemion, who leads the Breakthrough Listen search for extraterrestrial intelligence project at UC Berkeley. That work involves looking for signals across a broad range of radio waves — including the gigahertz frequencies at which satellites communicate.
Lunar economy
Astronomers face an uphill struggle. The same technological advances that promise to make the Moon more accessible for their experiments will also make the environment more crowded. More than 250 Moon missions are expected over the coming decade from the space agencies of the United States, Europe, Russia, South Korea, China, Japan, India, Canada and the United Arab Emirates — as well as a host of private companies. That will add up to a US$100-billion ‘lunar economy’, according to Northern Sky Research, a consulting firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There are also plans to install a lunar satellite navigation system, which could be a source of noise.
Alanna Krolikowski, a political scientist at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, thinks that researchers should push for international treaties to protect the Moon. “There is now widespread recognition that we need governance for this forthcoming lunar renaissance,” she told last month’s conference.
The Artemis Accords, an international agreement led by NASA, attempts to provide some guidance to help the agencies involved avoid disrupting each other’s missions. But it is designed mainly to serve the needs of its signatory countries; a better way to regulate the Moon could be to have rules drafted by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Krolikowski said. “The window in which to do that is small — and shrinking.”
Sinkholes have received a lot of media attention. They serve as a powerful reminder of how quickly nature can take away what it has given. Sinkholes are natural wonders that may be found all over the world. You will encounter many sinkholes as an explorer, each with its peculiarities. Some have subterranean water features or entire forests, while others are dirt-filled basins. Although impressive, sinkholes can be dangerous and result in significant damage if they occur in populated regions.
Diamond Craft Over Arizona Feb 8, 2023, UFO Sighting News. Video!
Diamond Craft Over Arizona Feb 8, 2023,UFO Sighting News.Video!
Date of sighting: Feb 8, 2023
Location of sighting: Arizona, looks like outskirts of Phoenix
Guys this just in. An eyewitness was out in hills mountain biking when he noticed a dark diamond craft moving across the sky and planes all around. The object can be seen moving over the city and has no tail, wings or anything that would indicate it was a plane, helicopter. It's also very big, car size or van size. So it's unlikely it's a drone since most drones are very small. The area looks like the outskirts of Phoenix, however the eyewitness didn't' put the city in the report so it's still unknown at the moment.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
I was out mountain biking when I saw the object. I could see planes all around and hear them, but I could not ID this object.
Hey, I found this last night and it really excited me. This object is smack dab in the middle of the crater as if it were there for the purpose of mining rare or useful elements from the impact area. Its just my opinion, but this seems like clear evidence that intelligent aliens existed on our moon. Even the area to the right of my discovery is blurred out for miles, which is indication that NASA found lots of structures and just covered them up. Tell me your thought, please share on social media to get the word out or use this video and link back to here please. Thanks, Scott C. Waring in Taiwan.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:Ruins, strange artifacts on other planets, moons, ed ( Fr, EN, NL )
What did Alex Dietrich, the witness of the Tic Tac UFO sighting, discover
What did Alex Dietrich, the witness of the Tic Tac UFO sighting, discover
Alex Dietrich is a former United States Navy fighter pilot who was involved in the 2004 Nimitz UFO incident. She was one of the pilots who encountered a mysterious flying object during a training exercise off the coast of California. The incident gained worldwide attention when it was revealed by The New York Times in 2017. Dietrich, along with other pilots and crew members, reported seeing an object that appeared to defy the laws of physics, with no visible means of propulsion or flight control surfaces. The object also reportedly outmaneuvered the pilots’ fighter jets with ease. Dietrich has since spoken publicly about the incident and has advocated for more transparency and research into UFOs.
Steven Spielberg speculates that UFOs could be time-traveling humans from 500,000 years in the future
Steven Spielberg speculates that UFOs could be time-traveling humans from 500,000 years in the future
In recent weeks, American skies have been filled with various balloons and other unidentified flying objects that the U.S. military has been forced to shoot down. The lack of information provided has led many curious Americans to draw their own conclusions about the mysterious objects — including Steven Spielberg.
The famous director, known for his movies such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “E.T.”, has been asked about the recent surge in UFO sightings during a career-spanning interview on “The Late Show with Steven Colbert”. While Spielberg is not ready to endorse the theory that we are being visited by aliens, he finds the saga fascinating.
Spielberg said, “I don’t believe we’re alone in the universe. I think it’s mathematically impossible that we are the only intelligent species in the cosmos. I think that’s totally impossible.” However, he is skeptical about the idea that someone would visit us from 400 million lightyears away, unless they figured out a way to jump through wormholes.
While Spielberg is not convinced about aliens traveling millions of lightyears to visit us, he’s more open to the idea that humans may have figured out time travel. He presented Colbert with his own theory that the UFOs we’re seeing are actually humans visiting us from the future.
“What if it’s us, 500,000 years in the future, that is coming back to document the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century because they’re anthropologists? And they know something we don’t quite know yet that has occurred, and they’re trying to track the last hundred years of our history.”
Spielberg’s theory raises an interesting question about the future of humanity. If people are indeed visiting us from the future, what does that say about our survival as a species? It’s an optimistic view, suggesting that humans will not only survive but thrive for the next half-million years.
While there is no concrete evidence to support Spielberg’s theory, it’s a fascinating idea to ponder. It’s impossible to know for sure what these UFOs really are, but Spielberg’s perspective provides a new and unique way of looking at the phenomenon. Regardless of what the UFOs turn out to be, the discussion surrounding them is a testament to our innate curiosity about the world and the universe we live in.
Echo, echo… Hubble captured a “light echo” from the star V838 Mon. A sequence of images shows how a pulse of light from this star illuminated its surrounding clouds of material!
The Hubble Space Telescope has taken over 1.5 million observations over the years. One of them is the breathtaking image sequence of V838 Monocerotis (V838 Mon).
Called a light echo, the expanding illumination of interstellar dust around the star has been revealing remarkable structures in the dusty cloud ever since the star suddenly brightened in January 2002. V838 Mon temporarily became 600,000 times brighter than our Sun, until it faded in April 2002. It was one of the brightest stars in the entire Milky Way. The reason for the eruption is still unclear.
In this video, Dr. Padi Boyd explains this fascinating piece of history, teaching us some of the interesting science behind this famous Hubble image.
The Fukang Meteorite is the name given to a meteorite that was discovered in China. The Fukang Meteorite belongs to a class of stony-iron meteorite known as Pallasite, which may be recognized by the fragments of olivine crystals embedded in an iron-nickel matrix. According to one source, the stunning slices of such a meteorite, when illuminated from the back, are “reminiscent of stained glass windows crafted in the ancient solar system.”
Was the Fukang Meteorite Up For Sale?
Part of the Fukang Meteorite was recently sold at auction. In February 2021 Christie’s reports that it sold an “end wedge of the most beautiful extraterrestrial substance known.” Just that portion of the meteorite alone fetched a whopping 30,000 USD for the seller – well over the 3,500-4,500 USD estimate. So what makes the Fukang Meteorite so special?
For one thing, it’s not a “common meteorite.” Pallasites are an extremely rare type of meteorite. This is due to the fact that most Pallasites do not survive their descent through the Earth’s atmosphere. It has been estimated that less than 1 % of all meteorites are Pallasites. Therefore, the Fukang Meteorite has often been hailed as one of the greatest meteorite discoveries of the 21st century.
Out of this world, quite literally: The beautiful and mysterious Fukang meteorite.
The Fukang Meteorite was discovered near the town of Fukang inXinjiang,an autonomous region in the northwestern part of China. The meteorite was discovered in 2000 by an anonymous hiker. This hiker is said to have often stopped on a giant rock to have his lunch. He became curious about the type of rock, which seemed metallic and had crystals in it, that he had been resting on. The man decided to break some pieces of the rock off, and had them send to the United States, whereit was confirmed that the sample he had sent was from a meteorite.
This is the main mass of the Fukang meteorite, on display in the Michael J. Drake building at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Note the large olivine nodules.
In February 2005, this specimen made an appearance at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, where it was seen by D. S. Lauretta, a Professor of Planetary Science and Cosmochemistry at the University of Arizona (and also the principal investigator of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission). Subsequently, the rest of the Fukang Meteorite (which has a mass of 983 kg (2167 lbs.), excluding the 20 kg (44 lbs.) removed by the anonymous hiker) was studied by the University of Arizona.
Fukang meteorite slice, pallasite. Exhibit at the Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
The Fukang Meteorite was found to be of a type of stony-iron meteorite known as Pallasite. Stony-iron meteorites are meteorites that are made up of meteoric iron and silicates in an almost equal proportion. Pallasites may be distinguished by a matrix of meteoric iron, in which silicates, mostly olivine (which is a type of yellow to yellowish-green crystal), are embedded. This type of meteorite, incidentally, is named after Simon Peter Pallas, a German doctor and naturalist who first described the Krasnojarsk Pallasite in Russia in 1772.
Unknown Origins
The exact origins of the Fukang Meteorite, as well as other Pallasites are not entirely clear. Nevertheless, it has been speculated that they originated from the boundary of a melted and differentiated asteroid and its surrounding olivine mantle. The Fukang Meteorite is thought to have been formed at the birth of the solar system approximately 4.5 billion years ago, when the olivine fragments from its mantle mixed with the molten metal from its core upon impact on earth.
Unrivaled Beauty
Apart from its rarity, the Fukang Meteorite, like other Pallasites, is a very beautiful object to behold. When light is shone on slices of the Fukang Meteorite, it passes through the olivine crystals, giving the meteorite a breath-taking glow.
Natural History Museum, Vienna. Part of a pallasite meteorite from Fukang
Due to this spectacular beauty, there has been a demand amongst collectors for slices of the Fukang Meteorite. The largest chunk of this meteorite, which weighs 419.5 kg (924.8 lbs.), is currently held by an anonymous collector / group of collectors. In 2008, an attempt was made to sell this portion of the Fukang Meteorite at an auction in Bonham’s in New York for about 2 million USD.
The object, however, did not receive any bidders. Other smaller slices of the meteorite, such as the aforementioned end wedge, have been sold at auctions and have been distributed around the world. The University of Arizona’s Southwest Meteorite Laboratory, for example, has a total of 31 kg (68 lbs.) of the Fukang Meteorite in its deposit.
Filer’s Files March 1 2023 - Soviet UFO Museum - PART I
Adelaide, Australia on February 22 , 2023
Filer’s Files March 1 2023 - Soviet UFO Museum - PART I
Major George A. Filer III ret. USAF
New Jersey State Director
MUFON Eastern Region Director
Special reports are: General Marshall Saw Crashed UFO, Soviet UFO Museum, Remote Viewing, Life-indicating Methane Gas on Mars., Soviet Union beat us to the Moon but their Cosmonauts were Dead, Strange Craft, and Carbon 60.
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings were reported over California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings were reported over Australia, France, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, and England in the United Kingdom.
The Filer Research Institute feels the scientific study of UFOs is for the benefit of humankind and is an important endeavor. The US Air Force and DOD investigated UFOs for more than forty years; and I continue this advanced research. I believe the God of the universe has spread life throughout the cosmos and UFOs are visiting us in ever-increasing numbers.
Forward these files to your friends and neighbors
Special Projects
General Marshall Saw Crashed UFO
Crashed UFO in Iceland
I had recalled that Commander Graham Bethune (US Navy – VIP Plane Commander in the Flag Division with Top Secret Clearance) who while piloting a group of (31) had a UFO sighting (of a 300 foot′ craft) on the 10th, Feb. 1951 which was written up in Project Blue Book.
Commander Graham Bethune
Commander Graham Bethune had shared with me that on two separate occasions he flew General Marshall (as well as other VIP’s) to two saucer retrieval sites. One was outside Reykjavik Iceland and the craft was about 100 feet in diameter and saucer shaped. The other event was in the American SW, I believe Commander Bethune had mentioned Utah – this craft was also about 100′ in diameter and slightly oval. Both events had high ranking US Army and Navy officers in attendance as well as scientists from various stateside universities. Both discs were retrieved and brought back to Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
Commander Bethune was quite insistent that US Air Force was getting the focus of UFO attention from the public but the real player in this and always behind the scenes was the US Navy.
Graham was informed of that from Admiral Forney himself and Graham never doubted that a ploy was set-up to divert attention away from the Navy. Commander Bethune also flew Secretary of the Navy Kimball who discussed with him seeing a craft come up out of the Pacific Ocean, pacing two Navy aircraft basically doing barrel rolls around them. Graham had also spoken with Admiral Radford – who became the first Joint Chiefs of Staff – about the discs as well as aides to Admiral McCormick, who had relieved Eisenhower, as the NATO Commander, the Supreme Allied Commander. It all seemed to be common knowledge at that level. Admiral Forney had given Commander Bethune some Navy photos of discs taken during the ’50’s which were quite astounding. I attempted to retrieve some information on-line about Gen. Marshall regarding the subject and found these two brief statements – both are indeed fascinating! From: frankchille@hotmail.com
General George C. Marshall stated, “The United States has recovered UFOs and their occupants. The UFOs were from a different planet and they were friendly. They have been hovering over defense facilities and airports. The U.S. authorities were convinced they had nothing to fear from them. The U.S. wanted people to concentrate on the real menace, communism, and not be distracted by the visitors from space. There has actually been contact with the men in the UFOs and there have been landings” (as told to Dr. Rolf Alexander)
George Catlett Marshall, Jr.(December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959), was an American military leader, Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense. Once noted as the “organizer of victory” by Winston Churchill in World War II. Marshall served as the U. S. Army Chief of Staff during the war and as adviser to PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt. As Secretary of State, his name was given to the Marshall Plan, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. In 1955, Dr. Rolf Alexander, a prominent British ufologist, had a remarkable conversation with his old friend General George C. Marshall. Marshall told him,
‘Visitors from outer space are trying to work out a method of breathing and staying alive in our atmosphere before landing and establishing contact.”
Apparently the General had secret reports that by the 1960s the aliens had fixed their breathing problem.”
Soviet UFO Museum
Juan Mari Bras a friend of Fidel Castro was told in confidence that the Soviets had captured several alien vehicles. Castro was taken to a Cosmodrome and shown several vehicles of various shapes. Juan is a person of great integrity, and would not say something like this if it not was true. Castro also told us, “The Soviets told him they knew Americans had a similar lab and research center with crafts and alien bodies.”
Alleged crashed Cylinder in Russia
It is likely Castro was taken to the Plesetsk Cosmodrome where the Soyuz Rocket Cosmos=3M, and Tsykon are launched and is under persistent surveillance by alien crafts. The other possible missile center where the alien craft could be stored is the Kapustin Yar base. Here there are several large hangars and an underground facility with several floors, in which Russian scientists could study alien technology of captured and crashed alien spacecrafts.
UFO Cosmodrome Museum
A sketch with data on some of the extraterrestrial spacecrafts that the Russian Government keeps at this research center, made by a confidential Russian source, which was delivered to Italian journalist and UFO researcher Constantino Paglialunga in 1997.
KGB officers sold secret Soviet UFO film to several countries. I saw some amazing footage used in the film “Secret KGB UFO Files.” Directed by Dan Goldman. With Roger Moore, Tiurin Avinsky, and, George Filer. It is very possible that Fidel Castro saw the alien spaceships and the alien corpse at Kapustin Yar. Thanks to Jorge Martin jorgemartin87@yahoo.com
Remote Viewing
David D. Elliott was the Vice President of the Research and Analysis Division that worked on remote viewing with Dr. Puthoff and Ingo Swan. TRW was working to back engineer the UFOs phenomenon.
Ingo Swan
As I mention in my new book, Strange Craft, Ingo Swan was also a friend of mine and stayed at my home several times. He was a famous guest and remote viewer who worked for the CIA and often spotted UFOs during remote viewing sessions.
Ingo Swann with his cigar was our teacher and was probably the western hemisphere’s greatest natural psychic. He’s been the subject of American Society of Psychial Research and British Parapsychologieal Association investigations for years. Several of us led by Ingo, and Bob Durant a Navy fighter pilot and a commercial airline pilot remote viewed the moon. Our group determined an alien race was on the moon, had given warnings against the U.S. building a base on the moon, and was conducting deep mining of a black mineral. When viewing the moon, Ingo could determine the aliens had spotted our intrusion and warned all of us to stop. The remote viewers frequently spotted UFOs and USOs under the sea, operating in ways that appeared to help the Earth.
We viewed the future and there is a good chance Washington D.C will be hit by a nuclear missile probably from China. However, my prediction is based on our remote vision, so if we pray, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles.
This of course includes if we stop killing sixty five million babies in Planned Parenthood since Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision. So you can look forward to a great future for our country if we pray..
Lt. Colonel Phillip Corso
Lt. Colonel Phillip Corso’s book, “The Day After Roswell”,especially in regard to his claims that the laser, the transistor, Kevlar, etc were reverse-engineered from captured UFOs leaked by U.S. Army Intelligence to various companies in the early 1960’s when Corso was in charge of the Foreign Technology Division. According to his book UFO debris and parts were given to various Aviation and Research Corporations to back engineer key components.
In 2013, during a “Citizen’s Hearing on Disclosure”, former Congressman, Senator Mike Gravel confirmed that the U.S. had an operational Secret Space Fleet that had been in operation for decades.
Methane Gas on Mars indicating-Life
Mars Turning Green each Spring
The Mar’s Rover has sniffed out another surge of the potentially life-indicating methane gas on Mars, and this one is the biggest yet. The six-wheeled robot detected methane levels around 21 parts per billion per unit volume (ppbv) last week inside the 96-mile-wide (154 kilometers) Gale Crater, NASA officials announced on June 23, 2019. That’s far higher than the normal background concentration at Gale, which Curiosity has determined ranges seasonally from about 0.24 ppbv to 0.65 ppbv.
The new result is exciting, because the vast majority of methane in Earth’s air is generated by microbes and other organisms. Methane can also be produced abiotically — via the reaction of hot water with certain types of rock, for example.“With our current measurements, we have no way of telling if the methane source is biology or geology, or even ancient or modern.,” Paul Mahaffy, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement.
Note: Methand levels increase each summer on Mars indicating plant or microbe growth..
Odd flashes on Mars indicate something is generating light.
European Space Agency Finds Huge Water Supply
The European Space Agency using Mars Express Radar Satellite has discovered underground water and lakes all over Mars.
ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft has discovered several ponds of liquid water buried under the ice in the south polar region of Mars. The spacecraft’s radar instrument, MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding), revealed one underground reservoir in 2018, buried about 1.5 km below the ice. Now, taking into account more data and analyzing it in a different way, three new ponds have been discovered. The largest underground lake measures about 20 x 30 km, (12.4 X 20 miles) and is surrounded by several smaller ponds. The water is thought to be salty in order for it to remain liquid at cold temperatures.
Mars was once warmer and wetter with water flowing across the surface, much like early Earth. It is possibly that an entire system of ancient lakes and rivers might exist underground, perhaps millions of years old. They would be ideal locations to search for evidence of life on Mars. It is generally believed water means life on Mars.
The European Space Agency has shared an incredible composite image showing a 50-mile wide crater on Mars that is filled with water ice all year long. Some ice may melt when ground temperatures reach 90 degrees Fare height in the summer according to seldom released NASA data.
The Korolev crater is, in fact, a thick block of water ice, not snow. The enormous, 82-kilometer-wide, 2-kilometer-deep “ice trap” could still be good for ice skating though.
On June 7, 2018, NASA announced Mars could have building blocks of life, Curiosity rover has revealed the latest results from its Curiosity rover gathering samples from the surface of Mars. NASA the US space agency announced Mars has the building blocks of life, in a discovery that could suggest the planet was once inhabited – or even still is today. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists noted that the molecules provide fresh insight into Mars.
Jennifer Eigenbrode
“We found organic molecules in rocks from an ancient lake bed,” explained Jen Eigenbrode, research scientist at Goddard. A variety of molecules were identified in rocks billions years old, she added.
“Organic compounds are fundamental to our search for life,”said Paul Mahaffy, director of the Solar System Exploration Division at Goddard. . Thanks to NASA
Green Lichen on Mars Rock in 1976
Similar Landers reached Mars in 1976, with Labeled Release (LR) experiments developed for NASA’s Viking Landers 1 & 2, by Dr. Gilbert Levin who states, “The scientific process forces me to my conclusion, the Viking LR experiment detected living microorganisms in the soil on Mars”.
1976 Mars Viking Lander’s Labeled release microbial life signs detectors … the two devices which BOTH gave positive signs for Martian Life, back in 1976.
Note: The discovery of life is classified Secret anywhere except Earth.
The LR test was one of three performed by the Lander. JPL used the results of another test, the gas chroma/to/graph which was designed to test for the presence of organic chemicals. The LR test was designed to look for life. NASA has claimed these experiments approved by them were in error when they actually found life.
Summer Photo of Mars with Lichen Growing Every Year
Watch photos of Mars each Summer when it turns green proving tremendous amounts of lichen is growing/
All of the multiple rationales attempting to explain the Mars LR results of life on Mars as chemical or physical in origin have now been effectively refuted, but their impact remains
I spoke with Dr. Levin a NASA scientist who is convinced life exists on Mars and his experiments and Mars Photographs of Moss or lichen of many of the rocks are proof. The color film coming back from Mars showed blue skies and only some red soil and grey rocks. The red color was increased to delete the blue sky.
Today’s knowledge makes it very difficult to conceive of a sterile Mars. Indeed, it now seems that Earth and Mars form one biosphere. This sheds new light on the results of the Viking LR experiment on Mars.
While the case for life on Mars has strengthened in recent years, many will require additional proof before accepting such a major change in paradigm. It has been proposed that this important confirmation can be obtained by a simple modification of a miniaturized version of the original LR experiment[34].
Meteorites from Mars arriving on Earth contain microorganisms. Earth and Mars were hospitable over epochs that would have permitted infection of Mars by Earth microorganisms—and from other sources.
It is now more difficult to propose a sterile Mars than a live one.
Tubes or Canals on Mars. Key Terminal with Tube Going two Directions
Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, who in 1877 reported the appearance of certain long, thin lines he called canali, meaning channels in Italian. He was followed by Percival Lowell an wealthy American astronomer who ‘claimed he discovered civilization’ on Mars.. His widely read books included “Mars” (1895), “Mars and Its Canals” (1906), and “Mars As the Abode of Life” (1908).’
Lowell ‘s Map of Mars tubes about 1898
To pursue his obsession, Lowell founded and funded one of the world’s great observatories on a 7,200-foot (2,195-meter) mountain peak he named Mars Hill, near Flagstaff, Arizona. There he scrutinized Mars, with, his own custom-built 24-inch refracting telescope, built in 1894, which became a marvel of the age.
Captivated by these observed Mars tubes Lowell spent many years attempting to elucidate and theorize about them. The lines, he thought, must “run for thousands of miles as far actually as from Boston to San Francisco.” What Lowell was likely seeing were a series of tubes under construction a hundred years ago. A large network of huge tubes actually exists today on Mars. On Mars there are a series of tubes several miles wide that show up within several craters and natural low valleys where they are exposed. They are similar in size to Manhattan, New York and could actually contain skyscrapers as shown below. According to the MSSS supplied statistics, the strip below is 2.98 km wide or 1.85 miles wide and as tall, that makes them much too large for lava tubes.
Tubes with Manhattan inserted for size
As NASA suggests these tubes extend from one edge of the craters to the other side of a crater with no signs of diminishment in size. These tubes within the craters are 8.92 km or 5.54 miles of tube length. However, we can also reasonably assume that there is still plenty of tube system unseen off the left or west edge of the E12-03186 strip and off the right or east edge of the E11-03408 strip that appear to go underground in equal size.
Note that the dark area spread on the crater floor that is mostly the tube mass tends to confirm a much greater mass size beyond the limitations of the strip views and therefore probably substantial more tube length. So, we’re talking about a colossal tube system substantially longer than 5.5 miles and in fact many kilometers or miles longer than that. Smaller tubes are found in Tubes exposed in valleys where the soil has been blown away.
Besides the giant tubes that have been found in the Mars crater photographs, there are much smaller “tubes” often referred to as glass or Plexiglas tubes because they are translucent or even transparent. There are miles and miles of them … mostly buried …a few completely exposed as in these photos probably by the winds. The diameter of the smaller tube is 20-50 meters (66 to 164 feet) in general. That’s about big enough to put two interstate highways through. Supposedly, they are exposed through the mechanism of geological weathering of the surface soil. It does not appear that these tunnels or tubes are geologic or natural construction. This leaves us with the awesome conclusion that they have another origin of which there are only two possibilities … they are organic … or … they are artificial.
Possible Split in Tube
I should point out NASA claims these tubes are actually sand dunes. While the European Space Agency feels many of the tubes are lava flows. I spoke with NASA scientists who claim much information on Mars is highly classified and covered up to the public. I flew over sand dunes in Saudi Arabia for three months, Prevailing winds form sand dunes in one direction, while the tubes run in many directions.
We can speculate a Mars civilization may have decided to go underground due to being hit repeatedly by meteorites or radiation from space. The tubing appears somewhat transparent and likely allows some light to penetrate while stopping the radiation. Underground water appears to seep in on the sides of the craters and dams collect the water. There is oxygen, water, and the building blocks of life found on Mars indicating life likely exists. There’s no magnetic field on Mars so the ceaseless hazard of ionizing radiation could result in shortened lifespan for Martians, Using absorber materials such as Plexiglas for beta particles and lead for X-rays and gamma rays is an effective way to reduce radiation exposure.
I have seen too much evidence of tampering of photographs on such a fine level and small scale to convince me that this could have been done daily only with much larger closer in views.
Defense of the Moon and Mars Star Wars
Star Trek Symbol found on the Mars by Space.com
President Trump tweeted from Air Force One while returning from a visit to Europe:
“For all the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon – We did that 50 years ago,” They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!” Trump said.
Note: President Trump may have slipped mentioning that there is a possible defense system in place for the Moon and Mars called Solar Warden. Trump started a new military service called the Space Force. Stating, “Under my administration, we are restoring NASA to greatness and we are going back to the Moon, then Mars,” The single most significant action in the Missile Defense Review is the endorsement of a program to build a new network of early warning and tracking satellites, which the Pentagon calls a Space Sensor Layer. The nation will have advanced missile defense capabilities, he said, “with the Space Force leading the way.” Space is “going to be a very big part of our defense and offense,” Trump said.
Michael Salla, PH.D. writes, Captain USMC R.C. Randy Cramer claims he went to Mars in 1987, and help defend bases formed by several nations. In the interview, Cramer’s described his training as a child super soldier to serve as a member of an elite Marine Corps unit that provides personnel for a secret space program with military bases on the Moon, Mars and other parts of the solar system. Cramer describes how he traveled to a secret Moon base to sign papers committing him to a 20 year tour of duty.
Alleged Mars Base
Captain Kramer claims the Mars Defense Force (MDF) protects five civilian Mars Colony Corporation settlements from indigenous Martians. He flew to Forward Station Zebra and spent the next 17 plus years of his life as a member of the special tactical operations division. The Mars Colony Corporations mission is to extract minerals and his job was to defend the operation from Martians. He fought a native Reptoid species and a native Insectoid species that don’t necessarily live in the same areas, but have their own nests and hives.
There is evidence of mining on Mars and possible bases. The Martians have bases and cities hundreds of feet underground.. There was an invasive Reptoid species; they were, Alpha Draconians. He was promoted all the way up to Major after 17 years.
Mining on Mars with YHWH sign
Mars mining with the mining area marked by huge signs probably showing ownership. The symbol ý, like the Latin Y and possibly an H can be made out on the mining sign. A wild guess is that this could mean YHWH, “to create or Yahweh the national God of Israel.” these images were taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft, show the depression of Juventae Chasma and the open pit mine with an apparent sign, cut into the plains of Lunae Planum on Mars. Located 5° South and 297° East. ExoNews.TV athttps://youtu.be/YCTYkYcYuI0
Note: Navy hospitals have numerous personnel claiming they were part of Solar Warden.
Mars Face
Scott C. Waring in Taiwan found a face carved in a huge stone, but the face carved shows us what the face looked like. It almost looked human, but with two eyes, a mouth and a nose, but the resemblance stops there. The face has a pig like snout but its long hanging down in front of its mouth. I also found a cross in a round stone which measures about 1.5 meters across.
National Security Council spokesperson as saying, “These objects did not closely resemble and were much smaller than the PRC balloon and we will not definitively characterize them until we can recover the debris, which we are working on.” Politico reported the object shot down on Friday was ‘cylindrical in shape and roughly the size of a small car’, ‘not maneuverable’, and appeared to lack surveillance equipment. Canada’s Defense Minister said the one shot down over the Yukon was also small & cylindrical, and the one over Lake Huron was Octagonal in structure, with strings hanging off it but no payload. Reuters reports that General Glen VanHerck at NORAD hasn’t ruled out extraterrestrial origin for three airborne objects that were shot down, saying “I’ll let the intel community and the counterintelligence community figure that out. I haven’t ruled out anything.” Fox News reports that NORAD gave notice of an upcoming air defense exercise scheduled between for Tuesday between midnight and 2:30 a.m. EST around Washington, DC. This is a night exercise scheduled after the 4th object was shot down. Sean Cahill, an investigative filmmaker and retired U.S. Navy Chief Master-at-Arms. He served on various vessels and duty stations abroad; most notably he was part of the bridge crew onboard the USS Princeton during the infamous Tic-Tac UAP incident with the USS Nimitz in 2004. LINKS & RESOURCES: Sean Cahill on Twitter https://twitter.com/mintyhyperspace Sean Cahill on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-cahi… STORY REFERENCES: Here is what we know about the unidentified objects shot down over North America
Soviet Union beat us to the Moon but their Cosmonaut were Dead upon landing and they chose not to announce their failure.
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05-03-2023
Filer’s Files March 1 2023 - Soviet UFO Museum - PART II
Adelaide, Australia on February 22 , 2023
Filer’s Files March 1 2023 - Soviet UFO Museum - PART II
Major George A. Filer III ret. USAF
New Jersey State Director
MUFON Eastern Region Director
Special reports are: General Marshall Saw Crashed UFO, Soviet UFO Museum, Remote Viewing, Life-indicating Methane Gas on Mars., Soviet Union beat us to the Moon but their Cosmonauts were Dead, Strange Craft, and Carbon 60.
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings were reported over California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings were reported over Australia, France, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, and England in the United Kingdom.
The Filer Research Institute feels the scientific study of UFOs is for the benefit of humankind and is an important endeavor. The US Air Force and DOD investigated UFOs for more than forty years; and I continue this advanced research. I believe the God of the universe has spread life throughout the cosmos and UFOs are visiting us in ever-increasing numbers.
Forward these files to your friends and neighbors
Pentagon ADMITS that it has been testing wreckage from UFO crashes.
Bill Mc Donald’s Roswell Craft
Pentagon admits testing possible ‘memory metal’ that experts claim may have been recovered during the 1947 Roswell crash
Researcher Anthony Bragalia secured more than 150 pages from the US Defense Intelligence Agency after the agency responded to a three-year FOIA request
‘Although much of the reports’ details are redacted, what can be gleaned is that these technologies represent a literal quantum leap beyond the properties of all existing material known to man,’ Bragalia wrote
Included in the pages were the repeated mention of ‘advanced technology reports’ surrounding Nitinol, described as a shape recovery alloy
Bragalia shared that the Nitinol had similar properties to the ‘memory metal’ found near the Roswell, New Mexico, UFO crash site of 1947
Pages from the FOIA reply indicate that the Pentagon was exploring whether Nitinol could be integrated into the human body for the improvement of health. By Matthew Wright For Dailymail.com
The Pentagon has admitted to possessing and testing out wreckage from ufo crashes, with the researcher who found the startling news hypothesizing that the debris may be from the famous Roswell, New Mexico, crash in 1947.
Researcher Anthony Bragalia made the revelation on his blog UFO Explorations, sharing that he secured more than 150 pages from the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) after the agency responded to a three-year Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request he submitted.
‘Although much of the reports’ details are redacted, what can be gleaned is that these technologies represent a literal quantum leap beyond the properties of all existing material known to man,’ Bragalia wrote in his blog.
Researcher Anthony Bragalia secured more than 150 pages from the US Defense Intelligence Agency after the agency responded to a three-year FOIA request
Roswell Sign
Included in the pages were the repeated mention of ‘advanced technology reports’ surrounding Nitinol, described as a shape recovery alloy. Bragalia shared that the Nitinol had similar properties to the ‘memory metal’ found near the Roswell, New Mexico, UFO crash site of 1947
Bragalia’s FOIA request was ‘unambiguous in its meaning,’ according to the researcher who prided himself in finding the loophole for information that is normally confidential and secret. Thanks to Daily Mail Article, London, England
Evidence Communist China Continues to Control Our Weather
The jet streamin January 2023 has stretched all the way from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico over the eastern U.S., helping to trigger the intense over 100 tornados …
Jet Stream Radical Movement
In late February using modern equipment China is controlling the jet stream and pushing it north into Alaska then south into Pacific Ocean off the coast of Sothern California creating blizzards and record low temperatures. A powerful arctic blast swept into the Northeastern U.S. on Friday, February 3, pushing temperatures to a record lowest ever- with New Hampshire‘s Mount Washington recording a wind chill of -104 degrees Fahrenheit (-75 Celsius). California is now hit with record breaking low temperatures, Three storms one after another in hit California bringing blizzard conditions, up to 4 inches of snow and flash flood warnings to Los Angeles area.
Rare and dangerous: Southern California Faces Floods and Blizzard Conditions. Snow is hitting places where it virtually never snows. Record high temperatures in East before California billiards crosses U.S. Coldest weather ever recorded in California and billiards across the country. A new theory claims ‘traffic jams‘ in jet stream cause abnormal weather patterns. I suggest the crazy jams in the jet stream are being caused by Chinese weaponry just like CoVID.
Strange Craft
The True Story of an Air Force Intelligence Officer’s Life with UFOs
U.S. Air Force Major George Filer belongs to the generation of pilots and aviators who first became aware of the strange aircraft showing up in the Earth’s atmosphere after World War II. These men – military professionals who flew planes, served as radar operators and air traffic controllers at airfields around the world – began to whisper amongst themselves about encounters with suspected extraterrestrial aircraft.
During secret debriefings at U.S. bases, pilots and air crew told their commanders of seeing UFOs off their plane’s wings. Award-winning investigative author John Guerra spent four years interviewing Filer, a decorated intelligence officer.
From objects in the skies over Cold War Europe to a UFOs over during the Cuban Missile Crisis to lights over the DMZ in Vietnam Filer leaves nothing out about his Air Force UFO encounters,
Filer’s most memorable case – the shooting of an alien at Fort Dix Army Base in 1978 – is fully recounted for the first time in this book. As a member of the Disclosure Project, military experts, astronauts, and scientists urge the U.S. government to release all it knows about UFOs to the public.
Filer describes his UFO encounters in this incredible book, by John L. Guerra.
Lakeside on January 2, 2023, at 10:26 am, coming home on Route 711 I saw a UFO hovering near the clouds at 500 feet. It was a black Mylar balloon? Examining the photos, I found a black cigar shaped object right next to it.
Florida Burned Grass
The Villages on February 16, 2023, woke up to observe a large “burn” mark in our back yard 7 feet across. I have never seen a UFO before or the result of one landing, but it looked very odd.
Frost Proofon February 6, 2023, we live very remote in central Florida.. I raised my iPad up and started recording, After slowing it down some sort of craft that seem to own cloak and re-cloak.
Hawaii Light
Honaunau on February 27, 2023, observed a silent cigar shaped object while night fishing.
Illinois Light
Chicagoon September 2, 2021, short silent white tic tac shaped object. aft that seem to own cloak and re-cloak.
Louisiana Lights
Baton Rouge on February 17, 2023, the string of lights that are very strange. moving slow and changing colors.
Missouri Light
Owings on November 27, 2022, I was walking my dogs and took a picture of the sunrise. I looked at the picture I saw what appeared to be a floating Angel in the sky.
Nevada Object
Las Vegas on February 18, 2023, it stared t to form over Lake Mead and flow north when I snapped pictures of engines, then it began to take other shapes like a square and at some point like a ship.
New Jersey Disc
Waterford Works on June 23, 2009, I saw it so I took a photo of it. It was over the NJ Pine Barrens 24 miles from joint base of Fort DIX-McGuire. I saw a similar one in on a UFO TV show, that was shape shifting 2014 UFO..
New York Lights
Lindenhurst on December 20, 2021, driving home I noticed several small lights over the shoreline. There were others in the sky further inland. Some disappeared and others appeared at will. The cigar object changed to a bar shape and didn’t move.
North Carolina Orbs
Charlotteon March 6, 2022, we were e letting our dogs run, when I saw a cruising object and I told my wife and she also saw it. I took a picture as it faded when 2 jet appeared to be flying to catch it.
Oklahoma Light
Stringtownon June 12, 2022, I saw 2 hovering objects while driving down highway before the sunrise. The objects were at the same elevation maybe a quarter of a mile apart.
Pennsylvania Light
Philadelphia on February 2 , 2023, I happened to take four photos of the sun because it was mentioned on TV that a comet had a chance of striking the sun. I had one photo with two triangles next to the sun.
Texas Lights
Mansfield on February 3, 2023, weird object, just look and see for yourself.
Utah Triangle
Salt Lake on January 20, 2023, a triangle shaped craft flew over the city at a very high altitude
Virginia Object
Virginia Beach on September 14, 2021, I was walking on 6th Street shoreline at 3:36 PM, I took photos of a F-18 jet from Oceana Navy Base. I also got a seven-sided object with a, greenish hue, hovering 200 feet, above the Doubletree Hotel.
Washington Object
Renton on August 18 , 2022, I was in my backyard and took a few pictures of the moon when I went back and viewed them I noticed that there’s a craft in one photo. It is not a plane. I hope it’s really a UFO.
Wisconsin Lights
Almenaon February 12, 2023, I was outside with another person at 7:10 pm as my 2 dogs started barking. As the craft passed overhead, another triangle followed and we felt, a low deep hum.
Worldwide UFO Sightings
Australia Disc
Adelaideon February 22, 2023, 12.34 pm I witnessed for about 6 seconds, a metallic silver hub cap shaped object ascending and following a
France Light
Ascainon February 12, 2023, object pass above me at 7:35 p.m. The object looks like a silent train.
Mexico Light
River is Maya on February 27 , 2023, fast moving silent object with a cloud in front of it for 90-120 seconds.
Norway Orbs
Jevnaker on January 20, 2019, I was reviewing my pictures and noticed that there are strange lights depicted on one shows that shows six lights, but if you zoom in there are actual more..
Pakistan Triangle
Islamabadon February 2, 202 3, a dark triangle UFO was there for several hours over two cities. The UFO is very similar to the triangle over Salt Lake City, Utah,. Aliens are coming close, revealing their craft and plan. Source:
San Sebastian on February 24 , 2023, I took a picture of the Moon and looking at the picture, I saw four steady lights in the upper right of the picture.
UK/England Light
Birmingham on January 6, 2023, just saw it and found it strange
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Filer’s Files salutes our fighting men and women Georgie Filer and Eddie Pedrick my grandsons who both drowned. These files could not be published without the help of my beloved wife who cooks, cleans, washes, etc., and manages the finances. We pray that God will bless those who read these files spiritually.
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Uncovering the Truth About Crashed UFOs and Alien Beings: Compelling Evidence From the 1950s
Uncovering the Truth About Crashed UFOs and Alien Beings: Compelling Evidence From the 1950s
It seems that 1950s were a busy years for crashed UFOs and military retrievals.
The UFO phenomenon has been the subject of much debate and controversy for decades. While many people remain skeptical about the existence of extraterrestrial life and the possibility of UFO sightings and encounters, there is a wealth of evidence that suggests otherwise.
One of the most compelling pieces of evidence comes from a series of reports published in the Flying Saucer Review (FSR) in the 1950s. These reports included accounts of UFO sightings, as well as alleged encounters with extraterrestrial beings and even crashed UFOs.
In one particularly interesting report from FSR Vol. 2, No. 1 (January/February 1956), a special correspondent visited Mexico and spoke with a top-ranking American V.I.P. who claimed that the United States government had established that flying saucers were manned by visitors from outer space. The V.I.P. stated that the visitors were trying to work out a method of breathing and staying alive in our atmosphere before landing and establishing contact.
Flying Saucer Review – Vol. 2, N. 1: Jan-Feb 1956 (FSR). Kindle edition available at this link.
The report goes on to describe a specific incident in which three saucers were spotted hovering over the airport in Mexico City in the summer of 1951. News reporters, photographers, and movie camera crews were gathered to meet a V.I.P. from the United States when someone noticed the saucers. Many photographs and movies were taken of the saucers before they darted off at high speed in a southerly direction. The following day, the newspapers of Mexico City broke the story on their front pages, but no pictures were released. It was reported that the pictures had all been taken by the authorities and that they would be released for publication after a study had been made by the Mexican and United States authorities. However, so far, the pictures have not appeared.
Later that summer, the American V.I.P. admitted to the FSR correspondent that it had been established that the saucers were visitors from another planet and that they were completely friendly. The U.S. Air Force had been ordered to take no action against their craft. The V.I.P. also revealed that there had been contact with the men in the saucers and that on three occasions, there had been landings which had proved disastrous for the occupants. The visitors had apparently been trying to work out a method of remaining alive in our atmosphere before landing and establishing friendly communications.
Another interesting report comes from Frank Scully’s book Behind the Flying Saucers (Amazon link), which was first published in the United States in 1950. The book is one of the first ever written on the UFO phenomenon and describes an electrifying lecture delivered at the University of Denver in Colorado in March 1950. The lecturer, a famous businessman and personality named Silas M. Newton, claimed that there had been three crashed saucers found in the USA, with their dead crews. Newton told his audience that he was currently associated with scientists who had inspected all three machines and their crews. He said that the three machines had contained a total of 34 little men measuring between 36 inches and 40 inches in height. The first saucer was found “less than a year ago” at a place “within 500 miles of Denver.” It was 99.99 feet in diameter, and its cabin was 18 feet wide and 6 feet high. The second machine, 72 feet wide, also contained 16 little dead men who, however, had seemingly not suffered from burns like the crew of the first disc. The third disc, measuring 36 feet in diameter, contained only two little corpses. The little men had apparently been alive when it landed, but had died as they tried to emerge from the cabin.
Alien humanoid based on witness descriptions – allegedly held in cryogenic preservation at Wright-Patterson AFB
There have been long-standing rumors and speculations about the existence of extraterrestrial life forms and their involvement with the United States military, specifically at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. It is believed by some that the base is home to an area known as “Hangar 18,” where the remains of crashed UFOs and even the bodies of extraterrestrial beings are stored and studied. While there is no concrete evidence to support these claims, the rumors persist and continue to fuel the fascination and intrigue surrounding the possibility of alien life and government cover-ups.
Despite the compelling nature of these reports, there has been a great deal of skepticism and controversy surrounding the UFO phenomenon. Many people remain unconvinced, and there have been numerous attempts to discredit those who have come forward with stories of sightings and encounters. One example of this is the case of Frank Scully, whose book Behind the Flying Saucers was met with a powerful campaign to discredit him after it was published in 1950. Scully’s story about the crashed saucers and little dead crews created a sensation, but the campaign against him was 100% successful, and today, it is difficult to find anyone who has a good word to say about him. Nevertheless, researchers have begun to wonder if the exposure was not contrived, given the wealth of evidence that has since emerged about the UFO phenomenon.
One of the most interesting aspects of the UFO phenomenon is the way that it has evolved over time. In the 1950s and 1960s, there was a great deal of excitement and speculation about the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the potential for contact with other civilizations. However, as the years went by, the focus shifted away from this idea, and there was a growing sense of disillusionment with the whole UFO phenomenon. Some researchers began to argue that the UFOs were not extraterrestrial in origin, but rather were some sort of secret military project. Others suggested that they were simply misidentified natural phenomena, such as clouds or planets.
Despite these attempts to explain away the UFO phenomenon, there have been numerous sightings and encounters that remain unexplained to this day. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the subject, with a growing number of researchers investigating the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the potential for contact with other civilizations. Advances in technology and scientific knowledge have made it possible to explore the universe in ways that were once impossible, and there is a sense that we may be on the verge of a breakthrough in our understanding of the cosmos.
In conclusion, the reports of crashed saucers, little dead aliens, and UFO sightings and encounters are among the most compelling pieces of evidence in the debate over the existence of extraterrestrial life and the possibility of contact with other civilizations. While there is still a great deal of skepticism and controversy surrounding the subject, it is clear that there is a wealth of evidence that suggests that we are not alone in the universe. As we continue to explore the cosmos and learn more about the mysteries of the universe, it is likely that we will uncover more evidence that will shed light on this fascinating and complex subject.
Caught on Camera and Radar | Kaikoura UFO Lights Incident, New Zealand
Caught on Camera and Radar | Kaikoura UFO Lights Incident, New Zealand
In December of 1978, a series of unexplainable events took place off the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. These events, collectively known as the Kaikoura lights incident, have been considered some of the best and most credible footage ever captured of an unidentified flying object. The film, taken by a national network news team from the cockpit window of an Argosy cargo plane, made headlines all around the world.
What made the sightings even more bizarre was that they were captured on air traffic control radar too. The story of the Kaikoura lights incident starts in Blenheim, New Zealand, where a warrant officer in ufandel of the Royal New Zealand Air Force was completing final security checks before signing off at Woodburn Air Force base. At 11:30 pm, he noticed what he initially thought to be the landing lights of an aircraft coming in to land, which struck him as odd since there should have been no aircraft in the area at that time of night. He contacted the local air traffic controller, who was equally bewildered but suggested it could be the landing lights of an airplane approaching Wellington, around 80 miles to the north.
Upon contacting the New Zealand central air traffic control tower in Wellington, radar operator John Cordy reported that he had unidentified blips showing on his air traffic control radar. Meanwhile, in Blenheim, police were being inundated with calls from locals reporting strange lights in the night sky out east towards the coast.
At around 2:30 am, an Argosy freighter was on a routine newspaper delivery run from Wellington to Christchurch when Captain Vern Powell and First Officer Ian Perry reported a series of large flashing lights following alongside their aircraft. The lights followed the aircraft for 40 miles before the plane made its eventual touchdown at Christchurch.
The next time the lights appeared, a major network news film crew was on hand to capture it. A Channel Zero news team led by renowned Australian television reporter Quinton Fogerty was sent to Wellington to cover the event. Although it would be the same route but different pilots, Network bosses in Australia had arranged for Fogerty and his team to go up in the Argosy on a nighttime mail run to film the location with the sightings had happened.
Around half an hour into the flight, as the plane tracked along the Kaikoura coast towards Christchurch, Fogerty and his crew heard an urgent call to get up onto the flight deck. They witnessed walls of light that would appear in the sky, pulsating and growing from small pinpricks into great globes of light. Like the earlier incident, the objects appeared on air traffic control radar, and the lights followed the aircraft for around 15 minutes.
The event and subsequent footage taken on board that night made world headlines. To this day, many consider the footage and the events of that night to be one of the best and hardest to explain unidentified flying object sightings ever. The Royal New Zealand Air Force and the New Zealand Police were tasked with investigating the event. The New Zealand Ministry of Defense attributed the events to lights from a squid boat reflecting off the clouds or another natural but unusual phenomenon like Venus atmospheric conditions, a meteor, or even lights from cars or trains.
Declassified military documents from 1978 released under the official information’s act in 2010 stated that the sightings were unique because of a large amount of documented evidence which included countless eyewitnesses, two tape recordings, and the detection of unusual ground and aircraft radar targets. Whether its origins are a rational Earthly explanation or something more difficult to explain, the Kaikoura lights incident remains one of the most intriguing and unexplainable unidentified flying object encounters ever.
The Afterlife: The human experience continues beyond the grave!
The Afterlife: The human experience continues beyond the grave!
Powerful and profound stories on death and the afterlife, and NDE by Dr. Eben Alexander
"My experience showed me that the death of the body and the brain are not the end of consciousness, that human experience continues beyond the grave.” - Dr. Eben Alexander.
The afterlife or life after death is a purported existence in which the essential part of their stream of consciousness or an individual's identity continues to live after the death of their physical body.
In some views, this continued existence takes place in a spiritual realm, while in others, the individual may be reborn into this world and begin the life cycle over again, likely with no memory of what they have done in the past. In this latter view, such rebirths and deaths may take place over and over again continuously until the individual gains entry to a spiritual realm or otherworld.
The memory erasure is not just for one life or one body. It wipes out the all of the accumulated experiences of a nearly infinite past, as well as the identity of the ‘Spirit’.
The shock is intended to make it impossible for the ‘Spirit’ to remember who they are, where they came from, their knowledge or skills, their memory of the past, and ability to function as a spiritual entity.
But sometimes the memory erasure is not 100% and when a ‘Spirit’ inhabit a new body, the ‘Spirit’ still can have past life memories.
When a ‘Spirit’ with past life memories returns to Earth and inhabit the new body, for example of a young child, the child can have verifiable past life memories that can be independently corroborated. They can present specific names, places and events that they never can had a chance to know about. These specifics can be confirmed by going back years in the public records. Birth marks and birth defects can show up in situ of weapons wounds that caused their often violent or traumatic death.
The Falcon Lake Incident is a UFO sighting that occurred in 1967 in Manitoba, Canada. The event was investigated by various Canadian and American authorities, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Royal Canadian Air Force, and the United States Air Force, as well as organizations such as the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization.
The incident involved Stefan Michalak, an industrial mechanic and amateur geologist who was prospecting for precious metals in the Falcon Lake area. Michalak claimed to have seen two objects emitting a reddish glow hovering near him before one of them landed on a nearby platform. He approached the craft and observed its smooth metallic surface, lack of seams, and changing colors. After attempting to communicate with the craft’s occupants, Michalak was hit by a blast of heated gas that burned his chest and stomach.
Michalak suffered from prolonged bouts of diarrhea, headaches, blackouts, and weight loss after the incident. He experienced physical effects consistent with radiation poisoning, but tests administered at Pinawa, Manitoba, came up negative.
Michalak’s account of the incident has been met with skepticism, with some suggesting that his burns were a result of an accident stemming from alcohol use, and that he fabricated the encounter to dissuade competitors from prospecting in his site. However, investigations at the site revealed unusual results, including a circle of burned vegetation and highly radioactive elements within soil samples and clothing.
Regardless of the skeptical opinions, the Falcon Lake Incident remains a fascinating case in the history of UFO sightings. The incident has been the subject of books, a film, and even a commemorative coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint. Michalak’s son has continued to work with individuals interested in the sighting, and a ranch operating nearby now offers a “UFO Tour” for those wishing to visit the area.
Lights Over Montreal, Quebec Building, Canada 3-2-2023, UFO Sighting News
Lights Over Montreal, Quebec Building, Canada3-2-2023, UFO Sighting News
Date of sighting: March 2, 2023 Location of sighting: Montreal, quebec, Canada
Source: MUFON
Now this one is very intriguing to me. The craft is almost like Phoenix lights just not as long and shorter time span. What I thought was a plane at first, clearly was something much, much bigger. For this to be a plane, it would have to be 3-4 side by side maneuvering perfectly synchronized together. It's not, it's a UFO.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
I felt my room vibrate and this low vibration in my stomach before looking outside and seeing this absolutely massive object passing by my window. I scrambled to grab my phone and record it within the next 12 minutes I saw another massive object, this time it wasn't boomerang shaped, but instead a straight diagonal line going the same direction with the same vibrations and low humming and rumbling sound. Afterwards I saw a star like object moving and got a good recording of it moving.
Two glowing Objects, Myrtle Creek, Oregon March 1, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Two glowing Objects, Myrtle Creek, Oregon March 1, 2023, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: March 1, 2023
Location of sighting:Myrtle Creek, Oregon, USA
This seems similar to the UFO lights seen over Florida and Mexico yesterday. This is the same craft or crafts. The lights were visible in several countries and even as far as Oregon, on the west coast of the US, where Florida is on the southern east side of US.
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
Eyewitness states:
I noticed them at 7pm and took a photo. I took a film then went and got my husband. I took another film before I had to go tend to my son. My husband said they left after about an hour. Right before I took my first picture I heard a moo.
On September 9, 2021 ChuckAstrophotography captured something through his telescope and said that it was the first time that he captured something he can't explain.
Are these objects geosynchronous satellites? But then why are there two of them in the same spot? And if they are locked in place, why aren't they stretched from my 15 second exposure or could it be that these objects are two UFOS flying at high speed through space, he ask himself.
In the past, other sky-watchers have also photographed enormous alien spacecraft that fly through space at high speed, especially near Orion Nebula. The images of these two UFOs captured by ChuckAstrophotography, is again proof that these alien craft exist.
MUST SEE! Massive UFOs Spotted in Montreal: Witness Captures Viral Video
MUST SEE! Massive UFOs Spotted in Montreal: Witness Captures Viral Video
Massive UFOs filmed over Montreal, QB, Canada
Montreal has been a hub of UFO sightings for years, but the latest sighting on March 2nd, 2023, has left witnesses and experts baffled. The witness, whose video recording of the UFOs went viral, reported seeing not one but two massive objects hovering above the city, and a star-like object moving in the sky.
The witness was in their room when they felt a low vibration in their stomach and heard a deep humming and rumbling sound. When they looked outside, they were startled to see a massive boomerang-shaped object passing by their window. The witness quickly grabbed their phone and recorded the object as it continued to move in the same direction.
What is even more surprising is that within the next 12 minutes, the witness spotted another massive object, but this time it was a straight diagonal line going in the same direction as the first object. The witness reported that the second object also had the same vibrations and low humming sound as the first object.
The witness was understandably shaken and could not believe what they were seeing. They recorded the objects and even tried to zoom in on them to get a better view. The witness also noticed that there were airplanes in the sky, but the objects they saw were much larger than any airplane they had ever seen.
The witness’s account of feeling a low vibration in their stomach is also intriguing. Some experts speculate that this could be evidence of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the UFOs. Others suggest that the low vibration could be a physical reaction to the sudden appearance of the objects.
The location of the sighting is also worth noting. Montreal has a long history of UFO sightings, with many reports dating back to the 1960s. Some experts believe that there may be an extraterrestrial base or portal in the area that attracts UFOs.
While there is no conclusive evidence to prove the witness’s sighting as an extraterrestrial encounter, it is undoubtedly a unique and fascinating account that adds to the growing body of evidence of UFO sightings in Montreal. The witness’s video recording has sparked further investigation into the sighting, and we may one day discover the true nature of the objects seen in the sky above Montreal.
For decades, people all over the world have reported seeing UFOs. While many sightings can be easily explained, there are still those that defy explanation. Despite official government denials, the topic of UFOs has remained a source of fascination and speculation for many.
One of the most famous incidents occurred in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. A rancher discovered strange silver debris on his property, and after the military was called to investigate, the story quickly changed from a reported “flying saucer” to a weather balloon. But witnesses and even some military personnel have come forward over the years claiming that it was in fact an extraterrestrial craft that crashed, complete with alien bodies.
While Roswell remains a hot topic, there have been numerous other sightings and encounters reported over the years. In 1952, multiple UFOs were detected on radar over Washington D.C., causing jets to be scrambled to intercept them. But each time the jets arrived, the objects disappeared, leaving officials baffled.
In more recent years, the U.S. Navy announced formal guidelines for pilots and servicemen to report UFO sightings, promising that each account would be taken seriously and investigated. In 2021, a long-awaited government report on UFOs revealed that out of 144 reported encounters, only one was identified as a large deflating balloon, leaving the rest unexplained.
Despite the government’s official stance of denying extraterrestrial contact, some experts and former government officials have suggested that there may be more to the story. Former British Ministry of Defense employee Nick Pope spent 21 years researching and investigating UFO sightings, and even ran the Ministry’s small UFO program from 1991-1994. He believes that there is an “irreducible core” of cases that cannot be explained and that officials should be more open about the phenomenon.
So, what are these mysterious objects in the sky? Are they advanced technology from foreign governments, secret military projects, or could they truly be evidence of extraterrestrial life? While the government may continue to deny the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrial contact, the fascination and speculation surrounding the topic shows no signs of slowing down.
Watch Top 5 Alien Cover-Ups by the US Government from the Ancient Aliens in the video bellow!
A Mysterious Blob Near the Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole Might Finally Have an Explanation
At the center of the Milky Way, there is a massive persistent radio source known as Sagittarius A*. Since the 1970s, astronomers have known that this source is a supermassive black hole (SMBH) roughly 4 million times the mass of our Sun. Thanks to advancements in optics, spectrometers, and interferometry, astronomers have been able to peer into Galactic Center. In addition, thanks to the international consortium known as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), the world got to see the first image of Sagittarius A*(Sgr A*) in May 2022.
These efforts have allowed astronomers and astrophysicists to characterize the environment at the center of our galaxy and see how the laws of physics work under the most extreme conditions. For instance, scientists have been observing a mysterious elongated object around the Sgr A* (named X7) and wondered what it was. In a new study based on two decades’ worth of data, an international team of astronomers with the UCLA Galactic Center Group (GCG) and the Keck Observatory have proposed that it could be a debris cloud created by a stellar collision.
Using the Keck Observatory’s 10-meter (32.8 ft) Telescopes on Mauna Kea, the GCG team has been measuring the star closest to Sgr A* (S0-2) for more than twenty years (since 1995). They are one of only two groups in the world to have observed S0-2 make a full orbit of Sgr A* – a process that takes 16 years – for the sake of testing Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. The team has spent that same time monitoring the object known as X7, a dust and gas cloud of about 50 Earth masses that takes 170 years to orbit the SMBH.
As they report in their study, X7 has become elongated and stretched by tidal forces as it has been pulled closer to Sag A*. Within the next few decades, they anticipate that X7 will disintegrate as the dust and gas that make it up are accreted onto the face of the SMBH. As Anna Ciurlo, a UCLA assistant researcher and the paper’s lead author, said in a UCLA press release:
“No other object in this region has shown such an extreme evolution. It started off comet-shaped and people thought maybe it got that shape from stellar winds or jets of particles from the black hole. But as we followed it for 20 years, we saw it becoming more elongated. Something must have put this cloud on its particular path with its particular orientation.”
The team also notes that X7 has similar properties to other strange dusty objects orbiting Sag A* (aka. G objects). These objects look like dust clouds but behave like stars and were identified using 12 years of spectroscopic measurements made using Keck’s OH-Suppressing Infrared Imaging Spectrograph (OSIRIS). The results of this study (also led by Ciurlo) were presented in 2018 at the 232nd American Astronomical Society Meeting. However, X7’s shape and velocity have changed more dramatically than Gobjects, reaching speeds of up to 1,126.5 km/s (700 mps).
The twin Keck telescopes shoot their laser guide stars into the heart of the Milky Way on a beautifully clear night on the summit of Mauna Kea. Credit: keckobservatory.org/Ethan Tweedie
These results are the most robust analysis to date of X7’s changes in appearance, shape, and behavior and the first estimate of X7’s slightly elliptical orbit. While the origins of X7 are still the subject of debate, the team’s finding suggests that it resulted from a collision between two stars orbiting Sgr A*. Such mergers are very common, especially in the vicinity of black holes. This merger is likely to have ejected gas and dust, which could have formed a shell that is concealing the merged star while the rest became the X7 object.
“The stars circle each other, get closer, merge, and the new star is hidden within a cloud of dust and gas,” said Ciurlo. “X7 could be the dust and gas ejected from a merged star that’s still out there somewhere.”Said Randy Campbell, the science operations lead at the Keck Observatory and a co-author of the paper:
“It’s exciting to see significant changes of X7’s shape and dynamics in such great detail over a relatively short time scale as the gravitational forces of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way influences this object. It’s a privilege to be able to study the extreme environment at the center of our galaxy. This study can only be done using Keck’s superb capabilities, and performed at the very special and revered Maunakea, with honor and respect to the mauna.”
Based on its trajectory, the team estimates that X7 will make its closest approach to Sgr A* sometime in 2036 and then spiral inward to be devoured. In the meantime, the research team will continue to monitor X7 using the Keck Observatory and watch as the powerful gravity of Sgr A* pulls it apart.
Cam Footage: Entity arrives through a portal in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cam Footage: Entity arrives through a portal in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Veteran paranormal investigator Scott Carpenter walks a trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and, as always, he films everything with a bodycam during his walks in the woods.
Since the recordings often showed nothing out of the ordinary, he came up with the idea to strap the cam at his backpack but pointing it backwards to see if anything was happening behind him during his walk.
After reviewing the video he noticed that something really strange had happened behind him during his walk and after analyzing the footage frame by frame it appears that some kind of vortex is coming up and an entity manifesting in that portal, in that opening. You can clearly see the creature in the center of the sphere, recognizable by its head, shoulders, arms and legs.
Note: Since Scott is unaware of what is happening behind him, he continues walking until the path curves and the orb and creature are out of sight, resulting in the camera only capturing the unnatural event for a few seconds.
Watch the stunning footage analyzed frame by frame by Scott Carpenter and L.A. Marzulli.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:ALIEN LIFE, UFO- CRASHES, ABDUCTIONS, MEN IN BLACK, ed ( FR. , NL; E )
Jupiter and Venus “Kiss” in the Sky, Sparking UFO Sightings Reports and Celestial Excitement
Jupiter and Venus “Kiss” in the Sky, Sparking UFO Sightings Reports and Celestial Excitement
On the night of March 1st, 2023, a fascinating celestial event took place, leaving skywatchers mesmerized. Jupiter and Venus appeared to “kiss” in the night sky, as the two planets passed each other in what astronomers call a conjunction.
A conjunction happens when celestial bodies orbit around the sun in a similar plane as one another and trace similar paths across our sky. Jupiter appeared to shift westward, while Venus seemed to move slowly in the opposite direction. The two planets were just half a degree apart, about the diameter of a full moon, at their closest point.
The event occurred in the western sky just above the horizon around 6:58 pm ET, as evening twilight ended on the East Coast of the United States. While conjunctions have no particular astronomical significance, they are still a striking spectacle to view.
However, this event also caused a flurry of UFO sighting reports, with many people reporting unidentified flying objects in the sky – the Jupiter-Venus conjunction was to blame for a lot of confusion and excitement.
Despite the confusion and excitement generated by the event, there is much to enjoy in the night sky. Other exciting celestial events will also be on the horizon this year, including two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses, as well as a series of meteor showers.
The first of these solar eclipses is set to occur on April 20, visible to those in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and Antarctica. This kind of event happens when the moon moves between the sun and Earth, blocking out the sun. Those in Indonesia, parts of Australia, and Papua New Guinea could expect to witness a hybrid solar eclipse, where the curvature of the earth’s surface causes the eclipse to shift between total and annular as the moon’s shadow moves across the globe.
A Western Hemisphere-sweeping annular solar eclipse is also set to occur on October 14 and will be visible across the Americas. As with all solar eclipses, it is essential to wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view the event, as the sun’s light can be damaging to the eye.
A penumbral lunar eclipse will occur on May 5th for those in Africa, Asia, and Australia. This less dramatic version of a lunar eclipse happens when the moon moves through the penumbra, or the faint, outer part of Earth’s shadow.
A partial lunar eclipse of the hunter’s moon on October 28th was set to be visible to those in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, parts of North America, and much of South America. Partial eclipses occur when the sun, Earth, and moon don’t completely align, so only part of the moon passes into shadow.
Additionally, there were several meteor showers to look forward to, including the Lyrids, Eta Aquariids, Southern delta Aquariids, Alpha Capricornids, Perseids, Orionids, Southern Taurids, Northern Taurids, Leonids, Geminids, and Ursids. Skywatchers were encouraged to mark their calendars with the peak dates of these meteor showers to ensure they didn’t miss out on the stunning displays.
Despite the frenzy of UFO sightings generated by the Jupiter-Venus conjunction, it remains essential to approach all sightings with a critical eye. However, there is no denying that there is always something to marvel at in the vast expanse above us, whether it be a rare conjunction between planets or a meteor shower lighting up the night sky.
“We Have a Real UFO Problem, and It’s Not Balloons”: A Navy Pilot’s Perspective on Unidentified Flying Objects in Our Airspace
“We Have a Real UFO Problem, and It’s Not Balloons”: A Navy Pilot’s Perspective on Unidentified Flying Objects in Our Airspace
Former Navy pilot Brian Graves recently wrote an article titled “We Have a Real UFO Problem, and It’s Not Balloons” in Politico. The article sheds light on a growing concern among pilots and aviators about unidentified flying objects that have been spotted in our airspace.
Graves has personally witnessed such objects while on duty. In 2015, he recorded an object while aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. The object was operating in their vicinity on a regular basis, and Graves and his crew were unable to explain its behavior.
Graves is part of a growing number of pilots who are pushing for legislative action to ensure proper reporting policies are in place for such sightings. He believes that it is critical to understand what is above our heads, both for national security and scientific reasons.
He was not aware of the strange lights until he heard the beat and looked through his binoculars. As the object hovered, he took a couple of photos. Then, a few minutes later, the object disappeared. He wondered if he scared it away with the flashes from his camera.
The All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office within the Department of Defense is currently looking into the matter from the angle of national security. The recent shootdowns of such objects have highlighted the seriousness of the issue, even if they are just balloons.
What makes these objects particularly concerning is their ability to perform behaviors that are beyond our current understanding of technology. These objects can stay stationary in high winds with no visible means of lift and can maintain speeds of up to 350 knots for many hours on end.
Ex-Navy pilot says he saw UFOs that did things his plane could not do – Interview with Brian Graves
Graves and his crew have used a multitude of sensors on their aircraft to detect these objects within a sensor network. When they correlate the radar tracks with their infrared camera systems and move in closer to detect them with their eyeballs, they have high confidence in what they’re experiencing. The objects are performing a number of behaviors that they don’t recognize.
Despite the seriousness of the issue, there are still pilots and aviators who do not feel comfortable reporting these sightings. Graves hopes to change that by pushing for legislative action that would encourage reporting and ensure that pilots and aviators feel comfortable coming forward.
In conclusion, the issue of unidentified flying objects in our airspace is a growing concern among pilots and aviators. Graves and others are pushing for legislative action to ensure that proper reporting policies are in place and that pilots and aviators feel comfortable reporting such sightings. The fact that these objects can perform behaviors beyond our current understanding of technology is particularly concerning and highlights the need for further investigation.
Buddhist Monks Self-Mummified Their Bodies While Still Alive
Buddhist Monks Self-Mummified Their Bodies While Still Alive
Over 1,000 years ago, an esoteric sect known as Shingon – which combined elements from Buddhism, Old Shinto, Taoism, and other religions – developed a horrifying practice of self-mummification of the living body. The goal was to demonstrate the ultimate act of religious discipline and dedication.
The practice, known as Sokushinbutsu, was pioneered by a Japanese priest named Kukai, and involved drying out the body over a number of years through a gruelling process, which inevitably resulted in death and preservation of the body.
The steps involved in mummifying one’s own body were extremely rigorous and painful. For the first 1,000 days, the monks ceased all food except nuts, seeds, fruits and berries and they engaged in extensive physical activity to strip themselves of all body fat.
For the next one thousand days, their diet was restricted to just bark and roots. Near the end of this period, they would drink poisonous tea made from the sap of the Urushi tree , which caused vomiting and a rapid loss of body fluids. It also acted as a preservative and killed off maggots and bacteria that would cause the body to decay after death.
In the final stage, after more than six years of torturous preparation, the monk would lock himself in a stone tomb barely larger than his body, where he would go into a state of meditation. He was seated in the lotus position, a position he would not move from until he died. A small air tube provided oxygen to the tomb. Each day, the monk rang a bell to let the outside world know he was still alive. When the bell stopped ringing, the tube was removed, and the tomb sealed for the final thousand day period of the ritual.
At the end of this period, the tomb would be opened to see if the monk was successful in mummifying himself. If the body was found in a preserved state, the monk was raised to the status of Buddha, his body was removed from the tomb, and he was placed in a temple where he was worshiped and revered.
The practice of self-mummification continued until the 19th century, when it was banned by the Japanese government. It is believed that many hundreds of monks attempted sokushinbutsu, but only 28 are known to have achieved mummification, many of whom can be visited in various temples in Japan.
Top image: The body of the Thai Buddhist monk Luang Pho Daeng at Wat Khunaram, Ko Samui, Thailand (Source: escape.com.au)
There are several theories about the origin of UFOs. For years, it has been considered that they might be part of secret government programs. The US blamed the Russians for the phenomena but later, that theory was rejected by the experts, as the Soviets themselves were dealing with the same strangeness. Out of all outlandish theories, English writer, and broadcaster Andrew Collins stated that UFOs are the “Transdimensional Entities” capable of light travel.
Who is Andrew Collins?
Andrew Collins has been investigating the true origins of humanity for decades. He was born on January 25, 1957, in Bedford, England. He authored books that challenge the past of humankind. They include “the Ashes of Angels,” “Gods of Eden,” “Gateway to Atlantis,” “Tutankhuman: The Exodus Conspiracy (co-authored with Chris Ogilvie Herald),” “The Cygnus Mystery,” “Göbekli Tepe: Genesis of the Gods,” “The Cygnus Key: The Denisovan Legacy,” and “Göbekli Tepe and the Birth of Egypt.”
In his book “Origins of the Gods,” he suggested the possibility that aliens are transdimensional entities. His intention was to understand exactly who the ancient aliens and UFOs really were. He assured that during his research, something seemed to escape current human understanding, which is not to say that they are not physical spacecraft. But there is something more complex.
Andrew Collins is an English writer, and broadcaster and is also known for his appearances in Ancient Aliens. Image credit: IMDB
Transdimensional Entities
Collins has brought a new understanding to the UFO subject through his years of research on ancient history and understanding of theoretical and quantum physics. He set forward a theory according to which there is some kind of connection between UFOs and human consciousness in the sense that the people who witnessed this phenomenon had a particular bond or close connection with it.
“My own impetus for writing this book was to try and understand exactly who the original ancient aliens were — UFOs have always been seen to be alien spaceships. I realized at a very early age when I was investigating the subject that something was not quite right. That’s not to say that we’re not dealing with nuts and bolts spacecraft, but that there was something else going on as well,” Collins said.
Astronomer Jacques Vallée stated that the UFO phenomenon had been noticed since ancient times. If that gets the case, then how did the ancient civilizations deal with it?
Gaia News reported Andrew Collins and his UFO understanding combining both quantum science and the history of millennia. He said: “Many UFOs are quite simply constructs of light, whether soft or quite solid in nature, and the main constituent of them is something known as plasma. Plasma is the full state of matter. Plasma actually makes up 99 percent of the universe. Plasma itself is essentially the splitting up of atoms — the freed-up electrons release photons of light. So, everything becomes illuminated. What was discovered a little while ago was it seemed to act in an intelligent manner.”
Physicists have created blobs of gaseous plasma that can grow, replicate and communicate, fulfilling most of the traditional requirements for biological cells. Without inherited material, they cannot be described as alive, but the researchers believe these curious spheres may offer a radical new explanation for how life began.
“We see the intelligences associated with plasma as transdimensional in nature because they would seem to have an influence in our 3D space-time, but also they seem to exist outside of that as well in a multidimensional environment — they go between the two,” Colin explained.
He proposed that the telepathic communication that often happened between contactees and these transdimensional intelligences could be the result of quantum entanglement which states that particles can be interconnected despite the distance between them.
Collins further explained: “The connection with UFOs is that if these plasma environments — these plasma constructs — in what we call UFOs, for the most part, do have some kind of mental, sympathetic link with human consciousness, then this can only work through entanglement.”
A similar theory was proposed by Jacques Vallée, which states UFOs are part of a mechanism for controlling mankind. Published in 1975, “The Invisible College: What a Group of Scientists has Discovered About UFO Influences on the Human Race” was Jacques Vallee’s fourth work on the puzzling UFO/contactee phenomena. That time, he first put forward his idea that these phenomena were some kind of “control system” on human consciousness. (Click here to read the full article)
According to Dr. Vallée, the basic idea is that UFOs are essentially a “show” put on for people to generate some sort of reaction, and have been operating on human culture for all of recorded history. This hypothesis was also somewhat pushed by Dr. Travis Taylor in his recent interview with George Knapp.
In his opinion, this unexplained phenomenon can be different for people in regards to their brain activity. Hypothetically speaking, Dr. Taylor said that the phenomenon can be connected with different planes in the universe. He added that he could go along with the idea of a portal but was not sure. He finds it bizarre but is sure that there is some truth to it.
Believe it or not, there is an authentic document (memo 6751) in the FBI vault that acknowledges the existence of an alien presence. According to the report, among other species, we are visited by creatures not only from other planets but from other dimensions as well. In particular, they are from the etheric plane coexisting with our physical Universe, materialized entities appeared as translucent giants. (Click here to read the full article)
The UFO community has never been more active than it is now. The phenomenon has always been around us but due to the lack of transparency, it never became so open to discussion. Since the last decade, the number of UFO sightings has increased. And now, we are shooting these objects in the air, leaving the whole world to watch them.
Even after thousands of UFO cases including photos and videos, we have no clue who is behind it. China, Russia, the United States have their experts to investigate the UAPs but surprisingly, they do not blame each other. Perhaps, it is non-human technology and no one has any idea from where it came as filmmaker Jeremy Corbell claims.
It is really shocking and weird that nobody paid attention to former AATIP head Luis Elizondo’s statement about “UFO Occupancy and biological samples.” With Curt Jaimungal on his Theories of Everything (TOE) podcast in 2021, Elizondo carefully hinted that “potentially” the U.S. government has acquired otherworldly biological samples. He also suggested that the government has images of UAPs that appear to show beings inside them.
Elizondo spent 20 years as a military intelligence officer in the Pentagon and during his career, he ran the most secretive UFO program Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). In 2017, after the expose of this secret program, Elizondo whistleblew many things he had learned about UFOs and possible non-human intelligence.
“Have there potentially been biological samples recovered?” Curt asked. ELizondo replied: “Yes. I’m not going to expound on that… and be careful when I say that. I’m being purposely very open and vague at the same time, right? What does that mean? Well, it means what it means.”
Besides, when asked if there are photos that show occupants inside “craft,” Elizondo said: “There are some very compelling photos out there that seem to show something inside, some sort of occupancy, And I’ll leave it at that, because it gets really murky, much beyond that.
And there’s a lot that can be speculated. And so I try to avoid speculation as much as possible. But yes, I’ve spoken to enough people with firsthand knowledge that not only report the crafts that we know exists, but potentially some sort of intelligence inside these vehicles.”
Why isn’t this topic being discussed by everyone on the planet? Is it feasible that the majority of people are disregarding this news, even if they are aware of it? At what point does the truth and its mind-boggling consequences become too conspicuous to overlook?
UFO Occupancy Case
Keeping Elizondo’s words in mind, there is a UFO crash incident outside of Edwards Air Force Base involving a contactee survivor with at least one other witness. It happened to a young woman named Lorraine Dvorak Cordini in 1971. This case is mentioned in different books with minor changes.
According to the eyewitnesses, one summer evening in 1971, the calm Californian night was suddenly broken by a sharp unearthly roar, which ended with an equally frightening rumble. When people ran out of their houses, a large cloud and signs of flames were visible near Edwards Air Force Base in California. Several people stated that they had allegedly seen “three gray humanoids,” as well as a human woman in a strange, tight-fitting pink suit, among the ruins of some wrecked vehicle.
However, before anyone knew what had happened, a lot of military trucks and other vehicles arrived and quickly isolated the area. In addition, they removed the debris and any signs of the incident and took the humanoids and the woman with them. Some residents assumed they were taken to Edwards Military Base.
A witness named Debbie Clayton reported that she had heard a loud crashing noise. There was a cloud of dust outside her home. Ufologist Albert Rosales tracked down that mysterious woman in a pink bodysuit, and she agreed to undergo a hypnotherapy session to remember the events of that night.
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Here Lorraine is in a local 1996 newspaper article: “Group prepares for first contact as UFO’s gain more credibility”. In light of current events, these were prophetic words.
Lorraine claimed that she had been abducted from her home, dressed in pink clothes, and taken to a large ship in Earth orbit for an inspection.
She was then put in a smaller ship – the one that crashed – and sent back to Earth with several strange creatures. She woke up already in the military hangar. Even stranger, at least according to the hypnosis sessions, while being there, she saw not only military personnel but also strange creatures with large heads, different from those that took her out of her room.
Needless to say, this whole story seems very strange and raises doubts about its veracity. Clayton was baffled when she found no newspaper written about the story and there was no news about it on TV as well.
It was the first case of the only human survivor found at a Crash Retrieval. Researcher Richard Geldreich Jr. has written details on this case and found the identity of the witness and contactee. Lorraine or Lori was working on her autobiography in 2009 but it never came out, perhaps she passed away before bringing it to the world.
Elizondo is certain about UFO occupancy and recovered alien biological samples. He even gave his candid take on the 1947 Roswell crash in New Mexico and more in an interview with the Roswell Daily Record.
He said he had conversations with so-called “graybeards” at the Pentagon who had been involved with UAPs since Project Blue Book. It was from these individuals that Elizondo learned what probably occurred at Roswell in 1947.
Elizondo said: ”These individuals were convinced that the events in New Mexico were not fiction. In fact that it was a, very much a real event and that some very exotic material was recovered… And then there was a subsequent effort to try to be very dismissive about what occurred in New Mexico.”
On UAP Phenomenon, Elizondo noted: “This is something we’ve been dealing with for a long time. Imagine the first person to get on a boat and sail over the horizon. There’s stories of sea monsters and Krakens that will devour you and destroy your boat. Yet, we did it anyways. We did sail, and we explored the world. It turns out, 500 years later, there really are sea monsters. We call them the Great Squid of the Pacific, and great white sharks and whales.
Now they’re just part of nature and have a scientific name, but those sea monsters still exist. They’re there, we just learned to understand them. Maybe this is the same thing. Maybe this is just another expedition over the horizon where we’re going to realize what we thought were monsters are really just neighbors.”
The Canadian government's top scientist has launched a study into unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP: a term that is replacing "UFO" and "unidentified flying object" in official circles.
Known as the "Sky Canada Project," the study, being conducted by the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, is the first known official Canadian UFO research effort in nearly 30 years.
According to a February 2023 PowerPoint presentation obtained by CTVNews.ca, the study seeks to understand how UAP reports are handled in Canada, and to offer recommendations for improvements if needed.
The project plans to collect information this winter and spring before preparing an internal draft report in the fall, and a final public report in the winter or spring of 2024.
"Who is compiling and analyzing UAP observations made by Canadians?" the first page of the slide deck asks. Public records and declassified documents show the answer may involve federal transportation officials, the Canadian air force and more.
The nine-page presentation is currently circulating within federal organizations that have been approached for input, including Transport Canada, the Canadian Space Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. A government source with knowledge of the project provided the document to CTVNews.ca on condition of anonymity. In an email to CTVNews.ca, the Office of the Chief Science Advisor confirmed its authenticity.
"Any emerging technology or unexplained phenomenon that is reported in the media is of interest to our office," a spokesperson told CTVNews.ca.
Page 4 of the presentation outlines motivations behind the Sky Canada Project, which include supporting science to "document rare natural phenomena," encouraging transparency and information access to "prevent conspiracy theories," and aiding national security to "prevent undetected intrusions."
It also lists preparing for collaboration with U.S. officials, where both the Pentagon and NASA are studying UAP, as well as responding to "an official request" to "undertake a comprehensive study on UAPs in Canada" from Larry Maguire, the Conservative member of parliament for Brandon-Souris in Manitoba.
"The Chief Science Advisor’s project is a signal to the government, the scientific community, the media, and Parliament that they can no longer ignore this," Maguire told CTVNews.ca. Maguire has been publicly advocating for a program like this since May 2022. "The vast majority of reports should be explainable and that’s where we need the Sky Canada Project to lay out a scientific plan to do that. The government needs to quickly and accurately determine what is in our skies with a high degree of confidence."
A UFO Study Is Now Underway In Canada & It Comes As Residents Are Reporting More Sightings
Provided by Narcity Canada
'WE NEED A WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT APPROACH'
News of the project comes amid heightened interest in so-called unidentified aerial phenomena following the February 2023 downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon and three unidentified objects in North American airspace.
Canada's Chief Science Advisor post was created in 2017 to promote scientific independence and provide impartial advice to the prime minister and cabinet. Led by cardiovascular scientist and former University of Ottawa vice-president of research Mona Nemer, the office has published reports on topics such as COVID-19, aquaculture and open science. It currently has a team of about 20 people and an annual budget of nearly $4 million. Operating at arm's length from the government, Nemer reports to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne.
"My motivation for specifically asking the Chief Science Advisor to undertake this initiative is that we need a fresh set of eyes to investigate this issue and I wanted her office to outline specific recommendations the government can implement," Maguire said. "We need a whole-of-government approach, which should include open data. It’s long past time to involve academics, researchers and experts to bear down with the aim of investigating the origin and intent of UAP."
The presentation makes it clear that Sky Canada does not intend to transform the Office of the Chief Science Advisor into "the main point of contact for Canadians wanting to report observations."
"(Sky Canada) is not meant to access and collect first-hand data," the slides explain. "It is not meant to prove or deny the existence of extraterrestrial life or extraterrestrial visitors."
The presentation also includes questions for organizations Sky Canada reaches out to about their experiences, expertise and suggestions for improvements: "Do you have equipment that collects information on activities in the sky?" and "Is there a follow-up with individuals reporting observations?"
Transport Canada cautions such "reports contain preliminary, unconfirmed data which can be subject to change." A spokesperson from Transport Canada previously told CTVNews.ca that UAP-related reports "often fall outside the department’s mandate" and are "rarely" followed up on.
Aviation-related UAP reports can also be forwarded to a Norad-linked Royal Canadian Air Force squadron. For its part, the Canadian military routinely states that it does "not typically investigate sightings of unknown or unexplained phenomena outside the context of investigating credible threats, potential threats, or potential distress in the case of search and rescue." Before the downing of the three unidentified objects in February 2023, at least four cases appear to have met that criteria since 2016.
Documents viewed by CTVNews.ca show Canadians have also reported UFO sightings to the Canadian Space Agency and the RCMP.
As CTV reports, federal organizations have been contacted for their input, including the Canadian Space Agency, Transport Canada, and the RCMP.
'WE ARE YEARS BEHIND THE AMERICANS'
With the Sky Canada Project, Canada will be following the lead of the U.S., where the subject is being studied by both the Pentagon and NASA. A headline-grabbing June 2021 report from U.S. intelligence officials described recent military sightings, including UAP that appeared to "manoeuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernable means of propulsion." NASA is expected to publish its own UAP report in mid-2023.
"We are years behind the Americans," Maguire said. "It is abundantly clear there is no co-ordination among government departments to analyze or investigate UAP reports. As of right now, there is very little being done.”
Winnipeg-based UFO researcher and science writer Chris Rutkowski says the last known official Canadian involvement in the subject ended in 1995, when the National Research Council of Canada stopped collecting reports.
"Working with a group of scientists focused on gathering instrumented UAP observations… would be desirable as a way of studying the UAP problem objectively and with sound methodology," Rutkowski previously told CTVNews.ca.
Records reviewed by CTVNews.ca show the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada has been looking into the topic since at least mid-2021, around the same time then-Canadian defence minister Harjit Sajjan received a UAP briefing from his staff, according to a CTVNews.ca investigation. CTVNews.ca also previously reported that members of the Pentagon's UAP Task Force briefed Canadian military personnel nearly a year ago, in February 2022, and that Transport Minister Omar Alghabra's staff held their own internal UAP briefing in May 2022.
Maguire hopes developments like these will help break the stigma of reporting and studying UAP in Canada.
"The Chief Science Advisor’s team has the appropriate clearances to dig deep into the existing data and must be given access to everything," Maguire told CTVNews.ca. "If the Chief Science Advisor’s office is given complete access to all the information and intelligence our government currently possesses, and her report can publicly reveal it, we will be having a much different conversation. Canadians have a right to know what their tax dollars are being spent on."
Paul Delaney is an emeritus professor of physics and astronomy at York University in Toronto. Delaney doubts UAP represent extraterrestrial technology, and thinks the vast majority of sightings can be attributed to balloons, drones, celestial objects like Venus, and both known and experimental aircraft. Delaney nonetheless acknowledges that a small percentage of cases remain unexplained and believes it's a subject worthy of further scientific investigation.
"The more insight and fact finding that can be brought to bear on this subject the better," Delaney told CTVNews.ca. "Credible observations can only improve our understanding of UFO/UAPs."
A nine-page presentation on the Sky Canada Project was provided to CTVNews.ca by a government source on condition of anonymity. The study into unidentified aerial phenomena by the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada will culminate in the release of a public report by mid-2024.
RELATED IMAGES
The Canadian government's top scientist has launched a study into UFOs and will release a public report by mid-2024.
Canadian UFO stufy takes off with several goals, including prevention of conspiracy theories
Canadian UFO stufy takes off with several goals, including prevention of conspiracy theories
Top scientist conducting Sky Canada Project
Barry Ellsworth
TRENTON, Canada
Canada's top scientist will conduct a study of UFOs with several goals, including the prevention of "conspiracy theories," according to a report published Wednesday.
The Sky Canada Project will compile information on UFOs -- now referred to as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) in scientific jargon -- and release the findings in 2024.
The information will "identify the key Canadian players and how they deal with UAP observations" as well as "compare the Canadian approach with some G7 countries' systems." It will also be used to "prepare for collaboration" with US initiatives on UAPs.
With those goals in mind, a nine-point presentation produced by the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada is making the rounds in various federal agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Space Agency. It is an information-gathering exercise on UFOs.
The science office also wants reports from journalists to "collect observations to document rare natural phenomena," according to the Sky Canada Project presentation.
"Any emerging technology or unexplained phenomenon that is reported in the media is of interest to our office," a spokesperson for the government science office told CTV News.
The presentation lists several instances that are connected with unexplained objects in the sky, including "three videos declassified by the (US) Pentagon in 2020 (and) four unauthorized flying objects (shot) down by NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command)" in February.
The hope is that the report will serve to nip conspiracy theories in the bud by "giving access to collected information" and enhance national security by the prevention of "undetected intrusions" into Canadian territory.
The presentation is emphatic about what it is not intended to do.
"It is not meant to prove or deny the existence of extraterrestrial life or extraterrestrial visitors," said the presentation.
As far back as 2019, Navy officials briefed certain members of the Congressional Armed Services and Intelligence committees that some strange UFOs had strong potential to be conventional counterintelligence-related security threats, the Washington Examiner has learned. Congress was also told repeatedly that the primary purpose of Navy investigations was not to look for UFOs but to address flight safety concerns.
A number of personnel speaking to the Washington Examiner on the condition of anonymity say that they believe that the leadership of the now-defunct Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force co-opted reports of what were likely foreign espionage tools involving small balloons or drones in order to characterize them as extraordinary for purposes of personal bias. They believe that military flight crews were sometimes ill-served by the manner in which their witness reporting was later presented by the UAP Task Force as evidence of truly extraordinary, rather than more conventionally explainable, UFOs belonging to a foreign government.
These reports created tension among the Defense Department, other government officials, and the UAP Task Force. That task force was established to investigate reports of "unidentified aerial phenomena," otherwise known as unidentified flying objects, in deference to growing flight safety concerns. The government's UFO investigation is now supervised by, but not wholly dependent upon, the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. This office is attempting to identify the origin, capability, and mission of UFOs feasibly affecting U.S. interests.
A suspected Chinese spy balloon in the sky over Billings, Mont., on Feb. 1.
Chase Doak / AFP - Getty Images file
Relevant to the now-public activity of Chinese surveillance balloons, there have been tensions over whether some recently militarily recorded UFOs were truly extraordinary or whether they were suspected Chinese intelligence devices.
To be clear, a 2022 intelligence community report identifies a small subset of UFOs recorded by the U.S. military as exhibiting "unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities." Indicative of intelligent control, some of these UFOs evince exceptionally advanced technologies beyond anything in the possession of any nation. They fit with a historic range of witness and data recordings reaching back decades.
A particularly striking UFO incident involving the Navy occurred in 2004. Other notable reports include incidents in 1957, 1968, and others involving nuclear weapons facilities. Congress almost certainly would not have legislated the improved analysis of these UFOs without the efforts of officials such as Luis Elizondo, who formerly headed the Pentagon's UFO investigations effort. The White House recently underlined the stigma attached to UFOs by making jokes about the movie E.T.
Yet China is the U.S. intelligence community's primary concern across a range of areas and the U.S. military's top priority amid escalating tensions over Taiwan. China's balloon program has been a known U.S. intelligence concern for a number of years, with the People's Liberation Army itself identifying its balloon intelligence activities in 2021. The operational security characterizing China's aerial intelligence efforts proximate to U.S. airspace has been impressive. The Washington Examiner understands that U.S. government searches of civilian freighters and domestic locations both turned up only limited evidence of where suspected surveillance devices are being operated from.
As reported by the Drive and others, China's intelligence efforts off U.S. coasts have been bold. But officials say the Chinese balloons have been a well-known foreign intelligence concern for a number of years. They say that the UAP Task Force, then led by Jay Stratton, was reluctant to confront the balloon UFO consideration. Stratton's relationship with Tom DeLonge, a musician who established a UFO research group, and his association with research at Skinwalker Ranch (where anomalous phenomena have been reported) also raised concerns with the Navy.
Stratton adamantly resists this characterization and rejects the aforementioned claim of other officials that the UFO task force was primarily focused on air safety. In a statement to the Washington Examiner, he asserted,"No one involved with the Pentagon’s UAP Task Force ever labeled something a UAP, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, if it was identified as anything known or if it performed in a similar manner to known conventional technology, obviously including balloons. Anyone suggesting otherwise is simply trying to mislead the public into thinking very real UAP are balloons."
Regardless, one key contention was whether radar returns indicating some UFOs traveling at very high speed (multi-Mach) were truly unconventional UFOs or simply balloons producing bad data returns due to their particular physical profile. Directly knowledgeable personnel convinced of the latter scenario felt ignored by leaders in Congress and the Pentagon when they offered their concerns. They say they believed that the UAP Task Force was diverting government resources to researching truly unconventional UFOs at the expense of addressing Chinese balloons. It bears noting, however, that some UFO reports include military eyewitness sightings of apparently sizable vehicles performing extraordinary maneuvers (with apparently corroborating radar/other sensor recordings of the same object). This type of UFO is not what the complainant sources are referring to.
China has taken advantage of the stigma associated with the UFO subject for its espionage efforts. The PLA explicitly notes that "balloons are emerging as viable, capable alternatives to aerial weapons that are less likely to be detected by enemy air defenses or often mistaken for UFOs." This assessment reflects the difficulty of even advanced radar systems to sustain accurate tracks on balloons. Active electronically scanned array radar systems deployed on fighter jets often struggle to produce accurate data returns onballoons and helicopters.
The outstanding question: whether a willingness by senior Pentagon and congressional leaders to allow foreign intelligence devices to be cataloged or otherwise ignored as unexplained UFOs has granted China freedom to conduct aggressive intelligence collection activities. Top line: The U.S. has an interest in understanding truly extraordinary UFOs, but also effectively assessing and responding to more conventional foreign threats.
It is this newfound interest in UFOs that has led to a proliferation of podcasts and YouTube shows covering the topic.
One of those shows, That UFO Podcast, had Bryce Zabel, TV writer, producer, author and co-host of the Need to Know podcast, on to talk about the past few weeks’ UFO news
During their discussion, Zabel shared a story about a Reagan administration cabinet member (some speculate, based on the positions and timeline that the person is John Herrington) crying himself to sleep after being briefed on the truth about UFOs.
“Prior to creating Dark Skies, I met with my partner Brent Friedman, and I didn’t know him at the time, and he told me a story about when he was an 18 year-old and he had been hired to drive a car across the United States to deliver it to someone who was in Reagan’s cabinet who lived in the neighborhood he was at and was a family friend,” Zabel begins the story.
“And that this person was the Undersecretary of the Navy in the first term, and Secretary of Energy in the second term, and that he told Brent some harrowing things which I’m just not going to get into right now. It’s too long of a story, but suffice it to say this person felt that his very basis of reality had been challenged. That he had been briefed and the briefing wasn’t so good and I’ll just give you the one quote.
“He said he cried himself to sleep every night during the briefing period. Which apparently was six to eight weeks and Brett asked him why. And he said because I have daughters and this is the world they’re going to live in.
“And that is kind of existentially disquieting, right?
“So, I actually believe that story to be true. I mean, I’ve looked into it and I know Brent’s truthfulness.
“So I think there is a darker side to this. It doesn’t mean there isn’t a lighter side. I have not heard the lighter side in the same kind of graphic relief that I heard about the darker side.”
“I believe this to be true. And I have compassion for those in Gov that carry this weight on their shoulders,” blink-182 guitarist and UFO expertTom DeLongewrote on Twitter in response to Zabel’s story.
“I believe also, there is a lighter side that will force a change upon humanity (biologically) that will give us abilities beyond what we can even imagine possible.”
Listen to the full conversation with Bryce Zabel below
EXCLUSIVE: Metallic-looking orb is seen flying over Iraqi city of Mosul in 2016 - first ever publicly revealed UFO footage taken by US spy plane in a conflict zone - as expert warns of 'significant risk' to troops overseas
EXCLUSIVE: Metallic-looking orb is seen flying over Iraqi city of Mosul in 2016 - first ever publicly revealed UFO footage taken by US spy plane in a conflict zone - as expert warns of 'significant risk' to troops overseas
DailyMail.com has exclusively obtained an image of a 'metallic' orb flying over Mosul, Iraq in April 2016, from footage taken by a US intelligence-recon plane
It was obtained by journalists Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp, who have released the image on their new UFO podcast, 'Weaponized'
The sighting in a conflict zone where the US military is operating has sparked security and safety concerns at the Department of Defense
DailyMail.com obtained an exclusive image of a metallic-looking orb flying over an Iraqi city, caught on video by a US spy plane.
The image, captured in April 2016 by an intelligence-reconnaissance plane, was included in a classified briefing video on UFOs shown to multiple US government agencies.
The briefing video describes it as a 'short clip of an unidentified flying orb that appears to have a metallic shine on its surface', and shows the strange object flying over the city of Mosul in northern Iraq with the background of the shot showing the streets below.
It is the first publicly revealed image from the US government's ongoing UFO investigation showing an unidentified craft over a conflict zone.
A UFO flying around where the US military is operating has sparked security and safety concerns at the Department of Defense, with military officials worried it could endanger pilots and ground troops.
An image obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com of what appears to be a metallic-looking orb flying over Mosul, Iraq in April 2016, was included in a classified briefing video on UFOs shown to multiple US government agencies
(image credit: DoD/Jeremy Corbell)
One intelligence source said the video was sent to the Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, where imagery and electronic signals intelligence experts studied it for United States Central Command (CENTCOM)
Although the image itself is not classified, footage from which the image was captured was part of a classified briefing produced by the Pentagon's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), a unit tasked with investigating UFO incidents, which has now been replaced by another office in the Department of Defense.
The briefing describes and shows the UFO as moving from south to north, adding that it does not appear to descend.
In a four-second video titled 'Mosul Orb' included in the briefing, the UFO appears for one second as it flies alongside the MC-12 spy plane.
The photo was obtained by documentary filmmaker and investigative journalist Jeremy Corbell (pictured) and journalist George Knapp
Intriguingly, the object appears to have no apparent flight surfaces like wings, or discernible propulsion.
An intelligence source with operational knowledge of the footage said it was filmed using 'FMV [full motion video] by DGS-1' – implying that the plane sensors captured infra-red and other data when it filmed the UFO.
DailyMail.com understands that officials who assembled the briefing video believe the 'orb' was under intelligent control.
One intelligence source said the video was sent to the Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, where imagery and electronic signals intelligence experts studied it for United States Central Command (CENTCOM).
Despite being analyzed and studied by intelligence experts for over six years, the incident remains unexplained.
DailyMail.com can now reveal that the case formed part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Preliminary Assessment on UFOs, a report published in May 2021 which analyzed 144 cases and found an explanation for just one.
It comes a few months after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) published a second UFO report this month, which said it has analyzed 510 cases up to August 30, 2022
The ODNI published a second report this month, which said it has analyzed 510 cases up to August 30, 2022.
One source who had seen the report described dozens of videos on classified servers showing metallic-looking orbs captured by US spy planes or drones in the Middle East – similar to the image released today.
'These drones operate 20-25,000 feet up in the air and they're flying around. We're keeping an eye on bad guys all over the world,' the source said.
'An operator will be zoomed in looking at a town in Syria. And all of a sudden, a little orb will go flying through the viewfinder.
'The operator's like, ''What the hell?'' And so he starts focusing on it and he just watches the orb for a while. We might get it for 30 seconds, we might watch it for 10 minutes. And then it will do something remarkable, like suddenly bolt off the screen.'
The image obtained by DailyMail.com was taken at 9:47am Coordinated Universal Time on April 16, 2016, according to its timestamp.
There were also precise coordinates of where the image was taken in northern Iraq, but Corbell told DailyMail.com he removed them out of an abundance of caution to avoid the release of sensitive information.
CENTCOM forces have been deployed in the Middle East since 2014 to conduct military operations against ISIS.
DailyMail.com understands that Congressional intelligence and defense committees have seen the image and footage, as part of a briefing given by the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), a previous incarnation of the government's UFO office.
In May 2021, Corbell published videos from the warship incidents that set social media ablaze
Still images and briefing slides from a video show a spherical object diving into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California in 2019. Jeremy Corbell told DailyMail.com last June that the video shows 'FLIR [forward looking infrared] data' that is complimented by the radar footage
Corbell and Knapp said they will be releasing information, photos and videos in the podcast that they have been holding for 'years'
Corbell said that the briefing presentation was updated on shared classified intelligence servers on November 4, 2021, to encourage and inform reporting of UFOs by armed forces personnel – and that it has been shared with the wider intelligence community to keep them updated about UFO incursions into sensitive airspace.
He said the spherical shape of the object captured in Iraq is reminiscent of similar UFOs encountered by naval aviators operating on the US east and west coast every day, but is more complicated since it is occurring in an active conflict zone.
'For the first time, we are releasing a military-filmed image of a UAP over an active conflict zone,' Corbell said. 'This is an entirely different scenario to the east and west Coast incursions over training ranges.
'UAP [unidentified anomalous phenomena] pose significant risk to our service men and women, and this case highlights this – and is unfortunately not unique.
'This is not just about safety concerns to pilots and ground troops. Its potential consequences are far deeper. And the scope is now proven to be global.'
A source close to the military's current UFO investigations office, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), said there are 'more cases like this one'.
'We have investigated a lot of UAP cases over the years and there are many more cases like this one. And this one was indeed part of the official UAP investigations by the UAPTF and now DoD's AARO. And it is still unresolved.'
Corbell added: 'No matter where UFOs are from, it is now openly admitted by our Department of Defense that they are appearing with an increased frequency worldwide.
'UAP, at minimum, pose a fundamental intelligence and combat identification problem that must be addressed.
'It's time to acknowledge the UFO problem, and I am hopeful that ARRO and its stakeholders will dedicate robust resources to this enduring mystery on behalf of the American and global public.'
This case has emerged following the approval by President Joe Biden of the Fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which contains provisions relating to UFOs.
The House Intelligence Committee held its first public hearing on UFOs in 54 years where panel members grilled Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray (left) and Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie (right)
One clip shown at the historic congressional hearing was taken from a Navy cockpit in a training area and shows a spherical object floating by the aircraft
This file video grab image obtained April 28, 2020 courtesy of the US Department of Defense shows part of an unclassified video taken by Navy pilots that have circulated for years showing interactions with 'unidentified anomalous phenomena'
One clause in the new law offers protections for any whistleblowers coming forward to congress in classified briefings to disclose any previously hidden programs on 'unidentified anomalous phenomena' involving 'material retrieval, material analysis' and even 'reverse engineering' and 'developmental or operational testing'.
In May last year Congress held its first hearing on UFOs in 50 years.
He gained notoriety after producing a popular Netflix documentary on Bob Lazar, who claims to have worked at the infamous Area 51 in Nevada on recovered alien spacecraft.
George Knapp, who reports for Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS-TV, became a noted figure among UFO enthusiasts after his first interview with Lazar in 1989, and has written books on the government's UFO programs. He has won two Peabody awards and other gongs for his reporting.
Corbell and Knapp said they will be releasing information, photos and videos in the podcast that they have been holding for 'years'.
The first episode, released today, includes audio of an interview with a naval officer from the USS Paul Hamilton who witnessed alleged UFOs swarming the ship in July 2019.
'It was actually coming from the west,' the officer told Corbell in the recording. 'Over water away from land, I mean like, the only thing we have over there is Hawaii, which is probably the closest thing west of us.'
Other witnesses say the alleged UFOs 'shot down beams of light', and swarmed several other ships that were also conducting exercises in the Pacific Ocean off the US west coast that month.
Last year the Pentagon said they had identified the craft as drones, but could not confirm where they came from or who operated them. Corbell's witness was skeptical of the drone theory.
'They would depart on different bearings that they would come in from,' the officer said.
'Pretty constantly, it would be a different bearing, which is weird right, like so if you deploy a drone to check something out, it would come. So that was something significant enough for us.'
Jeremy Corbell talks about the origins of the "Mosul Orb," which was recorded by a military reconnaissance plane flying over Mosul, Iraq in 2016.
Ryan Graves, a former Navy pilot who testified that he witnessed Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) with his own eyes, called on President Joe Biden to investigate the mysterious objects spotted in American airspace.
Graves, a former fighter pilot, explained that after 2014, when "upgrades were made to our radar system, our squadron made a startling discovery: There were unknown objects in our airspace."
And these were not "mere balloons," like the Chinese spy balloon that dominated the country’s attention in February.
"These were no mere balloons. The unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) accelerated at speeds up to Mach 1, the speed of sound. They could hold their position, appearing motionless, despite Category 4 hurricane-force winds of 120 knots. They did not have any visible means of lift, control surfaces or propulsion — in other words nothing that resembled normal aircraft with wings, flaps or engines."
These are not isolated incidents, Graves argued in an article headlined, "We have a real UFO problem. And it’s not balloons."
(REUTERS/Randall Hill TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
These are not isolated incidents, Graves argued in an article headlined, "We have a real UFO problem. And it’s not balloons."
"The point is that we don't have as clear an understanding of what's above our heads as we thought we did," Graves told Fox News Digital.
"There are uncertainties up there that we have to deal with. If we don't with it our adversaries are going to take advantage of that uncertainty, that weakness, to spy on us with various means, as we've seen," he added.
"It's pretty clear. If there are things over our head [that] we're not sure what they are, well we need to figure it out. If they're adversarial, it's a national security issue, we have mechanisms for that. If it's not a national security issue, if it's not an adversarial platform, then it's a matter for scientific inquiry."
Graves echoed that sentiment in his Politico article, writing that if "the phenomena I witnessed with my own eyes turns out to be foreign drones," he continued, "they pose an urgent threat to national security and airspace safety."
"I am a formally trained engineer, but the technology they demonstrated defied my understanding," Graves said of UAPs.
(FOX News)
Graves wrote that UAPs were unlike anything he had ever seen before.
"I am a formally trained engineer, but the technology they demonstrated defied my understanding."
It was an experience that convinced the Navy pilot that the U.S. government had a responsibility to acknowledge UAPs.
"Our government needs to admit that it is possible another country has developed game-changing technology."
Graves also shared a quote from deputy director of the Office of Naval Intelligence, Scott Bray.
"We were quite confident that was not the explanation," Bray reportedly told Congress when asked if the UAPs were part of a US military classified project.
"We were quite confident that was not the explanation," Bray reportedly told Congress when asked if the UAPs were part of a US military classified project.
(Fox News)
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, R, also confirmed that the origin of these UAPs is not the U.S. military.
"We have things flying over our military bases and places where we’re conducting military exercises and we don’t know what it is and it isn’t ours," said Rubio, who is vice chair of the Intelligence Committee.
Rubio said that UAPs were a risk to national security on Twitter.
"Advanced objects demonstrating advanced technology are routinely flying over our restricted or sensitive airspace posing a risk to both flight safety & national security," he tweeted.
"The Navy has officially acknowledged 11 near misses with Unidentified Aerial Phenomena that required evasive action and triggered mandatory safety reports between 2004 and 2021," Graves shared in the bombshell report for Politico.
Fox News’ Chris Eberhart contributed to this report.
For years now, scientists have been raising ethical concerns about the creation and use of lab-grown mini brains.
At the same time, other scientists are plowing full steam ahead, creating these brain organoids and trying to find ways to put them to good use.
Now, a group of scientists that fall into the latter category are trying to develop something called “organoid intelligence.”
They shared their research in a recent edition of the journalFrontiers in Science.
Essentially, they want to use these lab-grown mini brains as biological hardware for new biocomputers, LiveScience reports.
“While silicon-based computers are certainly better with numbers, brains are better at learning,” said one of the scientists, Thomas Hartung of Johns Hopkins University. “For example, AlphaGo [the AI that beat the world’s number one Go player in 2017] was trained on data from 160,000 games. A person would have to play five hours a day for more than 175 years to experience these many games.”
But… brains? In a computer? Why?
Fluorescent images illustrating cell types in brain organoids.
In apress releaseabout their research, the scientists wrote, “Brains are not only superior learners, they are also more energy efficient. For instance, the amount of energy spent training AlphaGo is more than is needed to sustain an active adult for a decade.”
Hartung added. “We’re reaching the physical limits of silicon computers because we cannot pack more transistors into a tiny chip. But the brain is wired completely differently. It has about 100bn neurons linked through over 1015 connection points. It’s an enormous power difference compared to our current technology.”
In parallel, the authors are also developing technologies to communicate with the organoids: in other words, to send them information and read out what they’re ‘thinking’. The authors plan to adapt tools from various scientific disciplines, such as bioengineering and machine learning, as well as engineer new stimulation and recording devices.
“We developed a brain-computer interface device that is a kind of an EEG cap for organoids, which we presented in an article published last August. It is a flexible shell that is densely covered with tiny electrodes that can both pick up signals from the organoid, and transmit signals to it,” said Hartung.
But what about all those sticky ethical questions about creating mini-brains just to do tasks for us humans?
Creating human brain organoids that can learn, remember, and interact with their environment raises complex ethical questions. For example, could they develop consciousness, even in a rudimentary form? Could they experience pain or suffering? And what rights would people have concerning brain organoids made from their cells?
The authors are acutely aware of these issues.
“A key part of our vision is to develop OI in an ethical and socially responsible manner,” Hartung said. “For this reason, we have partnered with ethicists from the very beginning to establish an ‘embedded ethics’ approach. All ethical issues will be continuously assessed by teams made up of scientists, ethicists, and the public, as the research evolves.”
A couple of years prior to that, scientists worried that the mini brains they grew in a lab may be sentient and feel pain.
Is hooking these mini brains up to a computer really a great idea? What if they get access to the internet and start secretly communicating with self-healingsuperhuman robots?
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What are 'minibrains'? Everything to know about brain organoids
Nicoletta Lanese
In the past decade, lab-grown blobs of human brain tissue began making news headlines, as they ushered in a new era of scientific discovery and raised a slew of ethical questions.
These blobs — scientifically known as brain organoids, but often called "minibrains" in the news — serve as miniature, simplified models of full-size human brains. These organoids can potentially be useful in basic research, drug development and even computer science.
However, as scientists make these models more sophisticated, there's a question as to whether they could ever become too similar to human brains and thus gain consciousness, in some form or another.
How are minibrains made?
Scientists grow brain organoids from stem cells, a type of immature cell that can give rise to any cell type, whether blood, skin, bowel or brain.
The stem cells used to grow organoids can either come from adult human cells, or more rarely, human embryonic tissue, according to a 2021 review in the Journal of Biomedical Science. In the former case, scientists collect adult cells and then expose them to chemicals in order to revert them into a stem cell-like state. The resulting stem cells are called "induced pluripotent stem cells" (iPSC), which can be made to grow into any kind of tissue.
To give rise to a minibrain, scientists embed these stem cells in a protein-rich matrix, a substance that supports the cells as they divide and form a 3D shape. Alternatively, the cells may be grown atop a physical, 3D scaffold, according to a 2020 review in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology.
To coax the stem cells to form different tissues, scientists introduce specific molecules and growth factors — substances that spur cell growth and replication — into the cell culture system at precise points in their development. In addition, scientists often place the stem cells in spinning bioreactors as they grow into minibrains. These devices keep the growing organoids suspended, rather than smooshed against a flat surface; this helps the organoids absorb nutrients and oxygen from the well-stirred solution surrounding them.
Brain organoids grow more complex as they develop, similar to how human embryos grow more and more complex in the womb. Over time, the organoids come to contain multiple kinds of cells found in full-size human brains; mimic specific functions of human brain tissue; and show similar spatial organization to isolated regions of the brain, though both their structure and function are simpler than that of a real human brain, according to the Journal of Biomedical Science review.
Why are scientists growing minibrains?
Minibrains can be used in a variety of applications. For example, scientists are using the blobs of tissue to study early human development.
To this end, scientists have grown brain organoids with a set of eye-like structures called "optic cups;" in human embryos in the womb, the optic cup eventually gives rise to the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye. Another group grew organoids that generate brain waves similar to those seen in preterm babies, and another used minibrains to help explain why a common drug can cause birth defects and developmental disorders if taken during pregnancy. Models like these allow researchers to glimpse the brain as it appears in early pregnancy, a feat that would be both difficult and unethical in humans.
Minibrains can also be used to model conditions that affect adults, including infectious diseases that affect the brain, brain tumors and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, according to the Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology review. In addition, some groups are developing minibrains for drug screening, to see if a given medication could be toxic to human patients' brains, according to a 2021 review in the journal Frontiers in Genetics.
Such models could complement or eventually replace research conducted with cells in lab dishes and in animals; even studies in primates, whose brains closely resemble humans', can't reliably capture exactly what happens in human disease. For now, though, experts agree that brain organoids are not advanced enough to partially or fully replace established cell and animal models of disease. But someday, scientists hope these models will lead to the development of new drugs and reduce the need for animal research; some researchers are even testing whether it could be feasible to repair the brain by "plugging" injuries with lab-grown human minibrains.
histological image shows a cross section of a rat's brain, depicted in red, with a glowing green blob on the top right side; the blob is a clump of cells called an organoid that's been derived from human stem cells and transplanted into the rat's brain
Beyond medicine and the study of human development, minibrains can also be used to study human evolution. Recently, scientists used brain organoids to study which genes allowed the human brain to grow so large, and others have used organoids to study how human brains differ from those of apes and Neanderthals.
Finally, some scientists want to use brain organoids to power computer systems. In an early test of this technology, one group recently crafted a minibrain out of human and mouse brain cells that successfully played "Pong" after being hooked up to a computer-controlled electrode array.
And in a recent proposal published in the journal Frontiers in Science, scientists announced their plans to grow large brain organoids, containing tens of thousands to millions of cells, and link them together to create complex networks that can serve as the basis for future biocomputers.
Could minibrains ever be sentient?
Although sometimes called "minibrains," brain organoids aren't truly miniaturized human brains. Rather, they are roughly spherical balls of brain tissue that mimic some features of the full-size human brain. For example, cerebral organoids, which contain cell types found in the cerebral cortex, the wrinkled outer surface of the brain, contain several layers of tissue, as a real cortex would.
Similarly, brain organoids can generate chemical messages and brain waves similar to what's seen in a full-size brain, but that doesn't mean they can "think," experts say. That said, one sticking point in this discussion is the fact that neuroscientists don't have an agreed-upon definition of consciousness, nor do they have standardized ways to measure the phenomenon, Nature reported in 2020.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine assembled a committee to tackle these quandaries and released a report in 2021, outlining some of the potential ethical issues of working with brain organoids.
At the time, the authors concluded that "In the foreseeable future, it is extremely unlikely that [brain organoids] would possess capabilities that, given current understanding, would be recognized as awareness, consciousness, emotion, or the experience of pain. From a moral perspective, neural organoids do not differ at present from other in vitro human neural tissues or cultures. However, as scientists develop significantly more complex organoids, the possible need to make this distinction should be revisited regularly."
One of the mysteries that refuses to go away in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico is the persistent belief of the farmers in “little men” called aluxes (ah-loosh-es) who are said to burrow inside the hills near the ancient ruins, and haunt the forests, farmlands and cenotes. These dwarf beings are generally invisible to us, but they can make their presence known, particularly after sunset, by making whistling noises or by playing tricks on us. They are generally not feared, though, because their personality is like that of a child. They love playing tricks on humans and passers-by, and for most part they are harmless. But, if they are offended they can become vindictive.
During the sowing season, the farmers of the Yucatan make offerings of food to the aluxes, near the hills that dot the farmlands and at specially designated shrines. This ensures that the aluxes will protect the cornfields at night from animals and thieves. But if they are not propitiated in accordance with tradition, thay can throw tantrums. Aluxes are blamed for all kinds of mischief; stealing tools, throwing belongings on the floor of houses, keeping people up all night by screeching, or even sending diseases through a “bad wind”.
An alux shrine below a tree. Local farmers have left offerings. Merida, Mexico. Source: TopYucatan.com
The aluxes seem to have a special affinity for the sacred ruins of the Maya, and have taken it upon themselves the protect the sites from intruders. Judith Storniolo, Professor of Anthropology at Drexel University, who has worked with the Maya for many decades, recalls that the aluxes, “summon strong winds, emit piercing whistling sounds, and propel stones at intruders. The aluxo’b (aluxes) who guard the ruins may also call their dogs to chase looters and archaeologists away if they are at the site at night. I have been told stories of workers being pummeled with stones and bothered by loud noises in the night if they sleep at an archaeological site. A guard at Dzibanche told me that a dwarf and a pack of wild dogs chased him when he fell asleep on night duty.”[1]
I had discussed in an earlier article that the present day aluxes of the Yucatan region are a continuation of the Maya beliefs about the primeval dwarfs who are depicted on the stelae and ceramic vessels. The dwarfs hobnobbed with the Maya kings and nobles, and acted as counselors and protectors of the Maya kings. They were scribes and diviners who were highly esteemed for their prophetic abilities. As per legends, the dwarfs used their magical prowess to miraculously propel massive stone blocks through the air to build the Maya cities. After the collapse of the Maya civilization, they retreated to the rainforests and to their subterannean homes.
Two Maya dwarfs look towards the King playing ball, from their cave. Yaxchilan, Chiapas, Mexico. Credit: Jami Dwyer, Public Domain
It seems that the aluxes are also associated with the UFO phenomenon. Many startling stories of alien contact in Mexico have been documented by Ardy Sixkiller Clarke in her book, Sky People: Untold Stories Of Alien Encounters in Mesoamerica.[2] Dr. Ardy Sixkiller Clarke is Professor Emeritus at Montana State University. Over a period of seven years from 2003 to 2010 she made fourteen trips covering eighty-nine archaeological sites in Mesomerica, with the express purpose of collecting stories about the Sky People and UFO’s from the indigenous people.
One of her interactions took place in a restaurant near Uxmal, where she spoke with a Yucatec Maya waitress called Maria. Maria recounted a weird, and somewhat scary incident, in which she had seen some aluxes. In her opinion, they were not the aluxes who interacted with her Mayan ancestors, but a new bunch. She said that she had gone out looking for wood in the evening, when she saw six aluxes in a clump of tress. “They were standing around this round ball of light,” she said. “It was bluish-white. Very bright. They linked arms and stood very still. Like small monuments.” Maria thought they might have been praying. They wore glowing uniforms and their heads were too big for their bodies. She got scared that they might see her, and ran as fast as she could to the highway.
She found a ride in the truck of a neighbour, but as they were going along, a UFO came out of the trees where she had been standing earlier. It came over the truck and started hovering. Maria was sure it was the same aluxes in that craft. She was scared to her bones that they were going to do something to her. But the craft flew upward and went away. “It was round and big and metal,” she told Ardy. “There was a strange smell and when they flew over us, I felt a mist. The next day I was sick and stayed in bed. For a long time, I was weak. I am stronger now.”
The reason why Maria thought that the aluxes she had seen were not the ones who had interacted with her Maya ancestors is because, the ancient aluxes were supposedly knee-high, while the ones she had seen came upto her waist - which Ardy estimated was 2.5 feet to 3 feet high. However, if we look at the depictions of the dwarfs on Maya ceramic vessels and stelae, it becomes apparent that the aluxes came up to the level of the thighs of the kings and the nobles, which could make them around 2.5 to 3 feet tall. Which means Maria’s assumption was incorrect, and she may have seen the same dwarfs who are depicted in the Maya carvings and murals. However, now they were dressed in “glowing uniforms” while during the time of the Maya they dressed in a manner similar to the Maya.
A Maya Dwarf, standing in the midst of warriors and court nobles. Source: latinamericanstudies.org
One can only wonder what was that round ball of light around which the aluxes stood with their arms linked? Was it some kind of energy source? Were they healing themselves? Or was it one of the aluxes who had transformed into an orb of light? There are stories from Palenque and other ancient Maya sites where the tour guides and security guards had seen the bright orbs of light transform into alien beings. Very stange indeed!
In a village close to Uxmal, Ardy had interacted with a Maya elder named Choc. Choc told her that the Sky People used to come near his house when he was a boy, but they stopped coming in the mid-seventies. “The Sky People don’t like tourists,” he said. He recounted a spacecraft that came many years ago and hovered over his house. “A strange space man, unlike those of long ago days, appeared in my yard and tried to steal one of my hogs. She was my prized mama. I fought him for her. When he released her, he ran underneath the craft and was sucked up. The craft immediately sped away, and I never saw it again.” The next morning, Choc had red spots and blisters on his hands and on the right side of his face. He felt sick for some days after the encounter.
Choc clarified that there were a couple of aliens. “There was the one that tried to steal my hog and there was another one who stood and watched, and when I fought, the other one came forward and motioned through hand signals that the thief should give up and leave my hogs alone. They looked like identical twins. There was no difference in their height, weight, or appearance.” They did not dress in the manner of the Sky People of their ancestors. “They were short and wore strange suits. They were skin-tight and bright and glossy.” Choc could not see any mouth or ears. “Their heads were covered. They covered their eyes with strange, round, black goggles.”
Short aliens wearing glossy clothes and round black goggles! That's not the first time we have heard this. Why do they always cover their eyes with these round black goggles? Do the goggles enhance their vision or protect them from sunlight? If the dwarf aliens are actually coming out of subterranean caverns, then they would need to cover their eyes since their retina will not be used to the harsh glare of the Sun. But there shouldn’t be any need for them to wear the shades at night – unless they are underworld movie stars.
It is a bit of a mystery that some people who see UFO’s or interact with alien beings feel sick afterwards, and sometimes have blisters on their body. It is known that humans can get sick from coming into contact with animals since animals, particularly the wild ones, carry different types of pathogens for which we may not have the necessary immunity. Is the same thing happening in case of human-alien interactions? Or is it possible that the aliens release toxic gases as a byproduct of their natural metabolic activites?
Choc believes that the Sky People may return to his area once the tourists stop coming. That day, he reckons, is not very far away. “It is coming. The day will come when the world is too dangerous for travel, and people will stay home. Cancun will be replaced by jungle again,” he told Ardy. “There will be diseases at first. People will be afraid to leave their homes. Food will become scarce because there will be no one to produce it. Then the wars will come.”
As I read through these words, a sense of déjà vu came over me. Didn’t we just live through a similar situation during the pandemic? Global travel was shut down and diseases were rampant. And now the wars have started again, and food scarcity is growing in many parts of the world. Is this the time Choc was talking about? Or is there more of the same in store for us?
Maya archaeological site of Sayil. Credit: Juan Jose Acevedo Gongora CC BY-SA 2.5
At an ancient site called Sayil, around 30km south of Uxmal, Ardy met an artist named Jorge who made various types of Maya artwork and sold them near the site. He told Ardy of an alien encounter he had, along with his brother, when he was a child. Jorge, at the time, was harvesting corn with his brother. It was a hot sunny day. A round silver object, big enough to block out the sun, landed in the field near them. They hid behind a rock. Jorge said that he does not remember what happened after the craft had landed, but his brother later told him that he saw two men come out of the craft who were around one meter (3.3 feet) tall, and had skin the colour of blue squash.
Jorge said, his brother believed he had been abducted by the aliens. “He was in some strange place that smelled evil. It made him sick instead of feeling good… They stuck needles in his head and belly like they were doctors. But he said they were no doctors. They just acted like doctors.” Jorge’s brother had never been strong since that encounter.
This is not the first time that blue-colored aliens have been reported. It is known that people who have low oxygen levels in their blood tend to have a bluish tinge to their skin – a condition called cyanosis. Perhaps the dwarf aliens live in a place with a low oxygen content? If their home is inside hills and underground chambers, then that would perfectly fit the bill. Oxygen levels within deep mountain caves or subterranean caverns that can be reached by humans can drop to dangerously low levels, close to 11%, as opposed to the 21% oxygen level in the air we breathe.
At the archaeological site of Tonina, Ardy spoke to a maintenance worker of the site, while sitting on top of the Acropolis – the highest pyramid at the site – which reached to a height of almost 300 meters and included seven platforms. When Ardy brought up the topic of the Sky People and UFOs’, the worker told her that he had seen UFOs many times at Tonina when he was a night secutiry officer. “There are many stories told by the elders. Some say the direct descendants of the Sky People, whose blood remains pure live underground. Some say they serve as ambassadors to the Sky People who live in the heavens. That is the reason why the UFOs come back to Toniná. It is to meet with the ambassadors and to learn about the condition of the Earth and its people.”
Figure 5: The Acropolis of Tonina, occupying seven terraces upon a hillside. Credit: Simon Burchell CC BY-SA 3.0
On further questioning, the worker revealed that the descendants of the Sky People who live underground have preserved the knowledge of the earth.
“As I said the people from the sky come back to meet with the ancients who live underground. That is where the knowledge of the Earth is stored. It is protected there in case the people above ground destroy the world; the survivors will not have to start all over again. It happened before. The Earth was destroyed and the survivors had to start over again. This time, when the next world begins, the knowledge will be saved, and the people will not have to begin again.”
The association of the UFO’s with a race of alien being who live in a subterannean world, as well as an impending apocalypse, were themes that kept coming up in course of Ardy’s discussions with the Maya people.
At Chinkultic - a moderate-sized archeological ruin in Chiapas, Mexico – Ardy spoke to a young indigenous boy named Diego, who was giving her a tour of the site. Diego said that UFO’s often visit the site. “Sometimes they are invisible and then appear from nowhere…When my grandfather was a boy, about my age [Diego was twelve], he told me that UFOs often descended into the cenote. This cenote is the only one in the Chiapas,” he said. We need to ask, why UFO’s would descend into cenotes - which are basically natural pools or reservoirs, formed when a limestone bedrock collapses, exposing groundwater underneath – unless they were familiar with the territory under the surface of the Earth, and probably had built bases there?
Diego added that when the Sky People used to interact with the elders, they left grave messages for our time. “My grandfather said they sometimes gave warnings about things to come. They said we are living in a very dangerous time when the Earth will change.”
Bonampak archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico. Credit: Dbannasch CC BY-SA 4.0
At Bonampak - another Maya archaeological site in Chiapas - Ardy spoke to a Lacandon elder named Canek, who knew the old stories about the Maya. The Lacandon Maya are possibly the only Maya ethnic group which managed to escape Spanish control by living in small isolated settlements in the jugles of Chiapas and Guatemala. As a result, their appearance, dress, rituals and customs still resemble those of their ancient Maya ancestors, as depicted on the murals and carvings. The Lacandon Maya believe that the Maya sites are places where their gods i.e. the Sky People once dwelled, before moving to new domains in the sky and below the earth.
Canek told Ardy that the Sky People and the ancient Maya are the same, for the Sky People were the ancestors of the Maya. “We also believe that when the time comes and the Earth is cleansed, the Sky People will come for us and take us away,” Canek said. Canek clained that he had been taken away by the Sky People in their spacecraft, who gave him these apocalyptic messages. The cleansings, he insisted, are going to happen very soon.
“They tell us to practice our old knowledge and pass our knowledge to those who will listen. They tell us many sad things are about to happen to this Earth. They tell us to be ready with our prayers and the Sky People will remember us and come for us. We need to say our prayers and they will hear.”
These stories of UFOs’ and alient contacts in Mexico collected by Ardy make us wonder about the real nature of this phenomenon, and if there could really be underground bases in various parts of the world from where these dwarf entities operate. As per Maya beliefs, the dwarfs are primeval beings with immeasurably long lives, and are blessed with prophetic abilities. They would know of the past history of our planet and the periodic apocalyptic events that occur in course of the Great Year, which forces humanity to begin from scratch all over again. Are we at the threshold of enormous Earth changes? Do the recent spikes in UFO sightings have anything to do with this? These are questions which need answers very soon.
References
[1] Judith A. Storniolo, "Ancient Mythical Dwarfs in Modern Yucatan", Expedition magazine of Penn Museum, Vol 51 , No 1, www.museum.upenn.edu/expedition 17
[2] Ardy Sixkiller Clarke, Sky People: Untold Stories Of Alien Encounters in Mesoamerica, The Career Press, 2015
Humanity has Never Seen the sky in the Longest Wavelengths. That Could Change With a new Space Telescope
Technological revolutions can bring about dramatic changes in various fields, some of which are only tangentially related to the field being disrupted. Occasionally, a few technological revolutions happen simultaneously, enabling concepts that would have been impossible without any of them. Such revolutions are currently happening in the space industry. With rockets more massive than ever coming online, and mega-constellations of satellites roaming our skies, there is plenty of disruption going on. Now a team from MIT hopes to use those technologies to look at an area of astronomy that has never been seen before – low-frequency radio astronomy.
Giant radio telescopes, such as the now-defunct Arecibo, have one major disadvantage – they are located on Earth. Our ionosphere neatly blocks the very low-frequency radio spectrum, from frequencies of 100 kHz to around 15 MHz. So while those massive telescopes are theoretically capable of detecting those signals, none of them make it through the ionosphere for them to detect.
Alternatively, telescopes in space would be perfectly capable of detecting these low frequencies. But they would have to be absolutely massive to do so – on the order of hundreds of meters in diameter, which is currently far beyond the capability of even the most powerful rockets proposed. So far, building a radio telescope for detecting low-frequency signals in space has been a non-starter.
There are other places in the solar system that could support a interferometer – like the far side of the Moon.
But there may be an alternative. Newer radio telescopes, such as MeerKAT, use a technique called interferometry. Instead of requiring one colossal telescope, interferometry telescopes use a series of small ones bound together by the laws of physics and mathematics to detect low-frequency radio waves that would usually be seen only by giant detectors.
What Mary Krupp and her team at MIT have suggested seems like a logical next step – why not build an interferometric telescope in space? Their project, known as the Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths, or, since astronomers are so fond of acronyms, Go-LoW, was recently funded by NASA’s Institute for Advanced Concepts, and its premise is relatively simple.
Take an interferometric system similar to MeerKAT and launch it to the L5 Lagrange point. The idea takes ideas from a few current technological advances and combines them. The first would be how to make hundreds of thousands of satellites inexpensively.
Discussion of the MeerKAT telescope, a interferometer that is currently in use here on Earth. Credit – CreamerMedia YouTube Channel
For that, they rely on the technologies developed by SpaceX for their Starlink mega constellation. Its 40000+ planned satellites have significantly decreased the cost of small satellite components, making it economically feasible to build that many satellites without breaking the bank.
The second technological development is the advent of heavy-launch rockets. With the power of Starship or the SLS, thousands of satellites can be launched to Earth-Sun L5 Lagrange point about 1.5 million kilometers away. While it might not necessarily be cheap to do so, it certainly wouldn’t be as expensive as it had been in past generations.
Now seems like an ideal time for such an idea, though NIAC is known for backing projects in the very early stages. The MIT team will work on conceptual aspects of the mission in this Phase I grant, which lasts for nine months. Ultimately, they hope to have a road map to making the project a reality in the next 10-20 years. They might just be able to catch that technological wave at the right time and change our understanding of radio astronomy forever.
Russia scrambles fighter jets after UFO entered St. Petersburg
Russia scrambles fighter jets after UFO entered St. Petersburg
After an unidentified flying object (UFO) was sighted over the Russian city of Saint Petersburg on February 28, Russia scrambled its fighter jets to intercept the unknown mystery object which was allegedly seen flying in the direction of the gulf of Finland.
200 square kilometers of airspace were blocked, and the neighboring Pulkovo Airport stopped admitting flights for landing. According to Russian News agencies, the Kover plan was activated in Saint Petersburg due to an unidentified object in the sky. Aircraft were banned from entering Pulkovo Airport. The limitations were later lifted. (The Kover plan is used in illegal border crossings or imaging.)
Although some Russian media reports suggest that the UFO was possibly a drone in the area, you may wonder whether it was a drone or an unidentified flying object similar to the unknown objects flying over the US.
Passengers Spot Unidentified Objects During Approach to Boston Landing
Passengers Spot Unidentified Objects During Approach to Boston Landing
UFOs filmed from a plane over Boston
A recent UFO sighting has left passengers and aviation enthusiasts alike scratching their heads. On February 9th, 2023, passengers aboard Jet Blue flight B6 178 witnessed a series of strange glowing orbs while approaching Boston for landing. One passenger, who captured the footage on their iPhone 12 Pro Max, shared their experience on Reddit.
The witness reported that they were unsure of the exact location of the flight at the time of the sighting, but believed it occurred approximately 30-45 minutes prior to landing. The video timestamp indicated that it was 7:53 PM, although this was likely in Vegas time as the phone had not yet switched back to east coast time due to being in airplane mode. The orbs were first spotted by the passenger’s friend who was seated in the window seat, and they appeared to be unusually close together, causing concern for the safety of the plane.
Upon reviewing the footage, the orbs appeared to be glowing orange with a yellow or white outer layer. The objects also seemed to change shape, almost like a liquid. The witness noted that they wished they had zoomed in more at the time of filming, but had forgotten about the sighting until they recently stumbled upon the footage on their phone.
The witness was eager for someone to enhance the video to see if more detail could be pulled from the footage. While the format of the video is unknown, the witness offered to send the footage to anyone willing to assist in analyzing it.
UFO sightings are not uncommon, and often there are explanations for what witnesses report as strange objects in the sky. However, in this instance, the orbs’ behavior and the proximity to the plane have raised questions and sparked curiosity among those interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
It’s worth noting that aviation authorities take UFO sightings seriously, and they investigate any sightings that may pose a potential threat to air traffic safety. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) even has a protocol for pilots to follow when encountering UFOs, and they encourage pilots to report any sightings they have.
While this particular sighting may remain a mystery, it serves as a reminder that there is still so much we do not understand about our world and the universe beyond it. Perhaps further analysis of the footage will provide some answers, or maybe it will leave us with even more questions. Either way, the curiosity and wonder that comes with sightings like this are part of what makes life on this planet so fascinating.
Fighter Jets Scrambled and Airspace Closed as Unidentified Flying Object Spotted over Russia
Fighter Jets Scrambled and Airspace Closed as Unidentified Flying Object Spotted over Russia
Pulkovo Airport, St Petersburg
Russian airspace was closed temporarily after reports of an unidentified flying object spotted in the skies over St. Petersburg. The closure of airspace within a 120-mile radius of Russia’s Pulkovo airport caused several domestic flights headed for St. Petersburg to be diverted or sent back to their original point of departure. The incident saw Russian interceptor jets scrambled to search for the unknown object. According to various media reports, the object could have been a large drone.
The incident happened at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with Russia building up its military forces near the Ukrainian border. The closure of airspace came just weeks after reports of Russia test-firing a missile, leading to concerns about a possible war between the two countries.
The closure of airspace over Russia highlights the increasing threat posed by drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles to air travel. The proliferation of drones in recent years has led to numerous incidents involving near misses with commercial aircraft. In 2018, Gatwick airport in the UK was closed for 33 hours after drones were spotted flying over the airport, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and disrupting the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers.
While most drones are used for harmless recreational activities, they can pose a serious threat to air travel if they fly too close to commercial aircraft. As drones become more sophisticated, with longer flight times and higher speeds, the risk to air travel is likely to increase. Air traffic controllers and aviation authorities are taking steps to mitigate the risks posed by drones, including introducing stricter regulations and developing new technology to detect and intercept rogue drones.
It is important to note that while the incident over Russia was initially reported as an unidentified flying object, there is currently no evidence to suggest that it was of extraterrestrial origin. However, the incident has reignited interest in UFOs and aliens, with many people speculating about the possibility of a government cover-up or conspiracy.
Strange, ‘Triangle Shaped’ Flying Object Spotted in Utah Skies!
Strange, ‘Triangle Shaped’ Flying Object Spotted in Utah Skies!
UFO sightings and alien visitations have captured the imagination of people around the world for decades, if not centuries. From the first modern UFO sighting in 1952 to the recent release of the Pentagon’s 2022 UFO report, we have seen numerous instances of mysterious objects in the sky that defy conventional explanation. However, the question remains: are these sightings evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life, or merely misidentified natural or human-made phenomena?
The history of UFO sightings is full of interesting anecdotes and controversies. For example, the term “flying saucer” originated from a misinterpretation of a pilot’s description of the motion of UFOs in 1947, and quickly became a popular meme in the media and the public. The famous Roswell incident in 1947, where an alleged crashed UFO and alien bodies were recovered by the military, has been a subject of heated debate and conspiracy theories ever since. The so-called “Men in Black”, mysterious figures who allegedly intimidate or silence UFO witnesses, have become a pop culture icon. These and other stories have contributed to the cultural fascination with UFOs and aliens.
However, the scientific community has generally been skeptical of UFO sightings as evidence of alien visitations. While many scientists acknowledge the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the vast universe, they also emphasize the lack of conclusive evidence that UFOs are of alien origin. Instead, they argue that most UFO sightings can be explained as natural phenomena (such as meteorites, weather balloons, or optical illusions), or human-made technologies (such as experimental aircraft, drones, or hoaxes). Moreover, they note that the burden of proof for extraordinary claims such as alien visitations is very high, and requires rigorous scientific investigation and verification.
Despite the skepticism of the scientific community, UFO sightings continue to occur and attract public attention. The recent release of the Pentagon’s 2022 UFO report, which cataloged hundreds of UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) observed by military personnel and surveillance systems, has renewed interest in the subject. The report did not confirm or deny the existence of alien technology behind the UAPs, but called for more research and collaboration among government agencies and scientists. Some experts speculate that the UAPs could be new forms of advanced technology from other countries, or even from non-human sources. Others caution that the UAPs may be misperceived or misinterpreted by human observers or sensors, and that we need more data and analysis to draw any conclusions.
Watch
Strange, ‘Triangle Shaped’ Flying Object Spotted in Utah Skies! Youtube video bellow!
One of the most intriguing recent sightings of a UFO is the “semi-transparent black triangle” spotted over Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2022. The witness recorded several videos of the object, which appeared to be a large and motionless triangular shape hovering in the sky at a high altitude. The object did not resemble any known aircraft or natural phenomenon, and remained a mystery to investigators. While some speculated that it could be a secret military craft or a TR3B, a triangular-shaped aircraft rumored to have been developed by the US Air Force, others dismissed such theories as unlikely or unsupported by evidence. The sighting remains a fascinating example of the ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Meteor shower in the night sky over Ben Bulben, Sligo £(Image: Twitter: Corey Whyte - @CoreyWhyte_ and @BestOfSligo)
One of Ireland's UFO hotspots has been revealed with a credible source explaining that Kingsland Observatory in Roscommon has confirmed 40 UFO sightings since 2000.
Dr Eamonn Ansbro runs the Kingsland Observatory and revealed to Dermot and Dave on Today FM and he said that he has recorded around 40 UFO sightings over the last 22 years at the observatory.
Dr Ansbro tells Dermot and Dave that his specific area of interest emerge in the 1990s with widespread reports of 'light ball' activity around Lough Key.
The esteemed astronomer says: "One of the things I have been particularly interested in was light ball activity, specifically in the Lough Key area. So we are set up to study that. We have a camera system composed of 11 cameras pointed towards the sky in two tracking platforms.
"And we have been able to observe and study over the course of two decades this round or cylindrical types of light."
Dermot and Dave point out that these are technically UFOs - in that, they are objects that fly and they haven't been identified. To which the good doctor can't argue.
Dr Ansbro outlines: "If you want to use that definition, it's in the context that it isn't aliens. It's something in our atmosphere that we're trying to understand."
Dr Ansbro says that others have been studying the local phenomenon for the last four or five years as research into 'UAP' intensifies around the globe.
The US government has conducted research into 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena', a more neutral term for such objects or aberrations while very sober and very credible studies are made as they arise.
Eamonn Ansbro at his observatory in Boyle
Dr Ansbro explains: "The old term everyone used and is aware of is UFOs, it's been common for the last 70 years."
But he elaborates that the new term is more often used because some of their areas of study don't fly - and bear with it us on this one - they use a different 'space-time' to us.
The astronomer blows the hosts minds as he explains: "People often say, 'Well, why don't they have clear photos of UFOs, how come they are always blurry?'
"That's because we are dealing with a new type of phenomena - it's seems we have discovered a new space-time situation within the objects as they are casting their light.
"The whole time dilation is different, the space its in and so forth, that's why we get the fuzzy images."
When asked how long it would take to get to the bottom of this mystery, Dr Ansbro said that for 70 years, research funding into this area was prioritised.
And some of this attitude was down to the stigma of improbably 'little green men' tainting proper research into the field. Something which has only changed, according to Ansbro, in the last three years or so.
Eamonn Ansbro at his observatory in Boyle
Dr Ansbro say the US government has had a sea-change in their attitude to funding the research after years of objects appearing over their skies.
Kingsland Observatory was specifically located at Kingsland near Lough Key and it's 'Dark Skies' national park for its low light pollution and has probed the skies relentlessly since the observatory opened there in 2000.
The telescope lens of Kingsland dates back from 1974 and found its way to north Dublin when the light pollution reduced its effectiveness.
It then moved to north Co Dublin to be used in the Super Schmidt but again needed a move in the 1990s when it found its way to Kingsland.
The group continues to expand and recently relocated some of their high-tech observation equipment to a mountain top in south-eastern Spain as even Lough Key has seen some light leaking in from settlements in the area.
Chris Rutkowski, with Ufology Research in Winnipeg, has been collecting and analyzing Canadian data on unidentified flying objects, or unidentified aerial phenomena as they are being called more recently, for nearly 35 years.
(John Woods/The Canadian Press )
Canada's preeminent UFO researcher has seen an uptick in reported sightings of unidentified flying objects in recent days suggesting more Canadians are turning their eyes to the sky after U.S. fighter jets shot down three objects over the weekend.
Chris Rutkowski, with Ufology Research in Winnipeg, has been collecting and analyzing Canadian data on unidentified flying objects, or unidentified aerial phenomena as it's more recently been referred to as, for nearly 35 years.
Following the U.S. and Canadian governments "unprecedented" decision to take action against the objects, Rutkowski has received a number of sighting descriptions, including one on an Ontario highway near Cambridge where someone said they saw a "black rectangle" move across the highway.
"People are keeping a closer eye to the skies and, thankfully, are reporting them so that we can get some data on what people are seeing," Rutkowski said.
Reported sightings of UFOs reached an all-time high in Canada in the 2010s but have been on a steady decline since then.
Ufology Research's most recent study, released earlier this month, suggests there were 768 UFO sightings in the country last year — an increase of about six per cent from the previous year.
Rutkowski found one person in Quebec reported nearly 40 separate sightings, which accounted for the higher number. The number of reported sightings in Canada last year was the fourth-lowest over the past 20 years.
In this image from a 2015 video provided by the U.S. Department of Defense labelled Gimbal, an unexplained object is seen at centre as it soars high along the clouds, travelling against the wind. “There's a whole fleet of them,” one naval aviator tells another, though only one indistinct object is shown. “It's rotating." (U.S. Department of Defense/The Associated Press)
The study says these numbers likely don't show the full picture as individuals are reluctant to report sightings out of fear of being ridiculed or concern for their reputation.
But Rutkowski stresses times have changed in the field.
While the mere mention of the term UFO used to conjure images of alien invasions, tin hat-wearing conspiracy theorists and pop culture extraterrestrial icons Alf and E.T., research around the phenomenon has evolved in government and academic circles.
Canadians are in "good company" if they believe they've seen a UFO as polls conducted suggest that 10 per cent of people in the country believe they've seen an unidentified object in the sky, Rutkowski says.
"When a person reports seeing a UFO — whether you're a pilot or just an average person on the street — you may be seeing something that is quite significant and potentially of value to researchers," he said.
Chris Styles says it's not uncommon to see an increase in reports when events such as this are in the news, but cautions it doesn't mean there has been an increase in the number of flying objects, only that more people are paying attention.
"Sightings breed sightings," the renowned UFO researcher said from Halifax.
Objects shot down
Recent events might have Canadians changing their tune.
American fighter jets took down an unidentified object over the northern coast of Alaska on Friday, one over central Yukon on Saturday and another over Lake Huron on Sunday.
The flurry of close encounters followed what officials said was a Chinese surveillance balloon that floated across the continent two weeks ago and was shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4. (Randall Hill/Reuters)
While it's not clear where the more recent objects came from or who might have dispatched them, the prevailing theory at the moment is that they were "benign," posing only a threat to passing civilian aircraft, the White House said this week.
Search efforts are underway in a remote stretch of central Yukon to locate the remnants of the object, which Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre said is a "suspected balloon" in a tweet Wednesday.
Government officials on both sides of the border have stated there is no indication the objects were the work of aliens or "extraterrestrial activity."
Recent data from Google Trends points to peoples' innate curiosity about interplanetary visitors and the world beyond Earth.
Map shows the locations of unidentified objects shot down during the past two weeks. (Graphic design by Philip Street/CBC)
On Saturday, UFOs were the third most searched topic in Canada with more than 100,000 searches.
The following day it dropped down to 13th place, while the term aliens has been trending steadily in Canada's North since Sunday.
Rutkowski said every year there are well-documented cases from "good observers" that go unexplained, but it would be, "presumptuous to say those are from outer space and extraterrestrials."
"There probably is life out there somewhere, and somewhere out there they might have developed the ability to travel between the stars … we don't have any proof of that, but the probability is never zero."
In academic circles the notion of studying this phenomenon has been taken more seriously after details about the Pentagon's UFO program were discovered in 2017, says Paul Kingsbury, a professor in the department of geography at Simon Fraser University.
While the U.S. has made co-ordinated efforts to document this issue, there is a disconnect on the Canadian side, Kingsbury says.
He says it's important for the Biden administration and Canada to work transparently with the scientific community so that academics can access information and data that will help identify these objects.
"It would allow the public to more fully understand what these objects are, their nature, what is causing them and the consequences of the many reports of these anomalous objects in our skies," he said.
As Canadians continue to navigate global unrest associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, climate disasters and wars overseas, messaging shrouded in "mixed messages and mystery" can leave people feeling anxious.
"Being transparent wherever possible is also important for peoples' peace of mind," Kingsbury said.
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Over mijzelf
Ik ben Pieter, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam Peter2011.
Ik ben een man en woon in Linter (België) en mijn beroep is Ik ben op rust..
Ik ben geboren op 18/10/1950 en ben nu dus 73 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: Ufologie en andere esoterische onderwerpen.
Op deze blog vind je onder artikels, werk van mezelf. Mijn dank gaat ook naar André, Ingrid, Oliver, Paul, Vincent, Georges Filer en MUFON voor de bijdragen voor de verschillende categorieën...
Veel leesplezier en geef je mening over deze blog.
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