Naar de inhoud

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
akke.beakke.be
Ontdek de Fascinerende Wereld van UFO's en UAP's: Jouw Bron voor Onthullende Informatie! Ben jij ook gefascineerd door het onbekende? Wil je meer weten over UFO's en UAP's, niet alleen in België, maar over de hele wereld? Dan ben je op de juiste plek! België: Het Kloppend Hart van UFO-onderzoek In België is BUFON (Belgisch UFO-Netwerk) dé autoriteit op het gebied van UFO-onderzoek. Voor betrouwbare en objectieve informatie over deze intrigerende fenomenen, bezoek je zeker onze Facebook-pagina en deze blog. Maar dat is nog niet alles! Ontdek ook het Belgisch UFO-meldpunt en Caelestia, twee organisaties die diepgaand onderzoek verrichten, al zijn ze soms kritisch of sceptisch. Nederland: Een Schat aan Informatie Voor onze Nederlandse buren is er de schitterende website www.ufowijzer.nl, beheerd door Paul Harmans. Deze site biedt een schat aan informatie en artikelen die je niet wilt missen! Internationaal: MUFON - De Wereldwijde Autoriteit Neem ook een kijkje bij MUFON (Mutual UFO Network Inc.), een gerenommeerde Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in de VS en wereldwijd. MUFON is toegewijd aan de wetenschappelijke en analytische studie van het UFO-fenomeen, en hun maandelijkse tijdschrift, The MUFON UFO-Journal, is een must-read voor elke UFO-enthousiasteling. Bezoek hun website op www.mufon.com voor meer informatie. Samenwerking en Toekomstvisie Sinds 1 februari 2020 is Pieter niet alleen ex-president van BUFON, maar ook de voormalige nationale directeur van MUFON in Vlaanderen en Nederland. Dit creëert een sterke samenwerking met de Franse MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP, wat ons in staat stelt om nog meer waardevolle inzichten te delen. Let op: Nepprofielen en Nieuwe Groeperingen Pas op voor een nieuwe groepering die zich ook BUFON noemt, maar geen enkele connectie heeft met onze gevestigde organisatie. Hoewel zij de naam geregistreerd hebben, kunnen ze het rijke verleden en de expertise van onze groep niet evenaren. We wensen hen veel succes, maar we blijven de autoriteit in UFO-onderzoek! Blijf Op De Hoogte! Wil jij de laatste nieuwtjes over UFO's, ruimtevaart, archeologie, en meer? Volg ons dan en duik samen met ons in de fascinerende wereld van het onbekende! Sluit je aan bij de gemeenschap van nieuwsgierige geesten die net als jij verlangen naar antwoorden en avonturen in de sterren! Heb je vragen of wil je meer weten? Aarzel dan niet om contact met ons op te nemen! Samen ontrafelen we het mysterie van de lucht en daarbuiten.

Berichten van 1 juli 2026 tot 31 juli 2026

Top-secret files reveal 'metallic triangle UFO' lurking over Brit holiday hotspot

Top-secret files reveal 'metallic triangle UFO' lurking over Brit holiday hotspot

Declassified US military files have revealed a secret encounter between a plane and a metallic, triangular UFO soaring over a popular Mediterranean holiday spot

A mysterious triangular UFO has been exposed lurking directly above a Brit holiday hotspot (Stock image)

A mysterious triangular UFO has been exposed lurking directly above a Brit holiday hotspot

(Stock image)(Image: Getty Images)

A mysterious triangular UFO has been exposed lurking directly above a favourite Brit holiday hotspot in newly released military files. Top-secret US government documents detail a bizarre mid-air encounter over the eastern Mediterranean, giving holidaymakers a chilling reason to look up from their sunbeds.

The spooky encounter came to light following a massive declassification dump ordered by President Donald Trump. Among the trove of newly exposed papers is an official military report detailing an encounter between an American plane and a mysterious aircraft while flying back to base between Greece and Turkey.

Military observers officially logged the strange shape in the sky as a "triangular and metallic" object.

Top-secret US government documents detail a bizarre mid-air encounter over the eastern Mediterranean (File image)

Top-secret US government documents detail a bizarre mid-air encounter over the eastern Mediterranean

(File image)(Image: US Department of Defense)

According to the report, the unknown craft was spotted cruising at 24,989 feet (around 7,600 metres) while travelling at 168 knots (roughly 193mph).

While it might not be pulling off Star Wars-style hyperspace jumps, the strange vessel proved unusual enough to spark a top-level military probe. However, spooks are still keeping some details under wraps.

The exact date of the sighting remains heavily redacted in the public papers, while several chunks of the document are stamped with the code "1.4(a)" - a government mark used to hide sensitive data, including the identities of the pilot involved.

The report was previously slapped with a "secret/NOFORN" classification, meaning it was strictly forbidden from being shared with foreign intelligence agencies or allies.

Speaking previously about the release of the files, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said: "The Department of War is moving at the same pace as President Trump to provide unprecedented transparency regarding our government’s understanding of unidentified anomalous phenomena."

The spooky encounter came to light following a massive declassification dump ordered by Donald Trump

The spooky encounter came to light following a massive declassification dump ordered by Donald Trump(

Image: Getty Images)

He added: "These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fuelled justified speculation, and it's time the American people saw them for themselves."

The file release is part of a massive, ongoing government drop that has seen tens of millions of records spanning back as far as World War II being reviewed for public release.

Published through a dedicated official portal, new batches of military documents, raw video clips and pilot witness accounts are being unleashed in rolling tranches every few weeks.

{ https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 23:04 Stuur door

Chicxulub Impact Dust May Have Fueled Dinosaur Extinction

Chicxulub Impact Dust May Have Fueled Dinosaur Extinction

About 66 million years ago, an asteroid 6 to 9 miles (10 to 15 kilometers) wide raced toward Earth at a speed of around 45,000 miles per hour. It struck the seas off the coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula with the force of billions of atomic bombs, carving out the 112-mile-wide Chicxulub crater. The asteroid vaporized almost instantly. Temperatures at the impact site soared to thousands of degrees, and a shockwave spread outward at supersonic speed, flattening forests and destroying the landscape for hundreds of miles. In the days that followed, the skies grew increasingly dark. Fine silicate dust, sulfur aerosols, and soot from the fires blocked the Sun's light. Temperatures dropped rapidly, and Earth entered an ‘impact winter’ of several years. Without sunlight, photosynthesis nearly ceased. Plants withered, and even microscopic phytoplankton in the oceans declined.

Chicxulub crater - Wikipedia

Map of the Chicxulub crater impact area. This shaded relief image of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula shows a subtle, but unmistakable, indication of the Chicxulub impact crater.  

(NASA/JPL-Caltech/Public Domain)

Did the Asteroid Kill the Dinosaurs?

For years, scientists have debated the most deadly aspects of the asteroid impact. A new study, “Heat and wildfires during the K-Pg mass extinction enhanced by fine dust,” published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, highlights the role of impact dust in triggering global fires and winter. Study author Brandon Johnson maintains:

"We’re in the realm where we might be essentially killing off everything within that first hour or two."

He emphasizes how impact dust played a key role in the rapid extinction of dinosaurs and other life forms.

Dinosaur-killing asteroid likely came from beyond Jupiter, study finds ...

Artist's illustration of the Chicxulub asteroid impact 66 million years ago, an event widely recognized as the trigger of the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction that eliminated the non-avian dinosaurs.

(Fredrik/PD-USGov-NASA)

The First Hours After the Chicxulub Impact

Results from geology and impact simulations reveal that the moment of impact triggered explosive temperatures and pressures, releasing energy that vaporized rock, kicking up an enormous cloud of dust and rock vapor, and propelling gaseous rock high into the atmosphere. As rock vapor cooled, it condensed into tiny rock droplets known as spherules. The spherules flew away from the impact crater, then returned to the surface as mini-meteorites. During their descent, the friction of the falling spherules cut through the air, generating an intense heat pulse. 

Dinosaur extinction may have been fueled by Chicxulub impact dust

Reconstruction of a dinosaur at the Natural History Museum, London, UK.

Credit: Christoph Schmid

The Missing Dust That Changed the Story

Previous studies suggested that these same spherules had an effect like turning on a worldwide broiler that radiated enough heat to sizzle thin-skinned animals without shelter, but not enough to set plants on fire immediately. For a while, this line of reasoning led researchers to reconsider the idea that the immediate effects of the Chicxulub impact were the principal factor behind the dinosaurs' extinction. Now, geologic investigations show that certain layers of rocks recorded the extinction event within North America. The rock layers contain a layer of extremely fine post-impact dust that formed originally from rock vapor that didn’t condense to form spherules. Johnson says, “It reinvigorated my interest in what happened to the leftover vapor - that’s where this work started.” 

How Impact Dust Turned Earth Into a Furnace 

Combining previous simulations of the Chicxulub impact with geological observations from the extinction dust layer, the new study calculates the amount of dust held in the atmosphere immediately after impact and how that layer would boost Earth’s retention and release of heat from the falling spherules. With the dust blanket following, the heat released at the surface was 3.5 times more intense than with the spherules alone - enough to kill animals and even start spontaneous forest fires. Johnson goes on to say:

“This work of ours supports this idea that it really is the impact that was devastating to terrestrial life and caused the mass extinction.”

The very same dust driving Johnson’s global fires theory also supported another popular extinction idea: that dinosaurs starved to death during a prolonged winter brought on by the force of the impact, which pushed dust into the atmosphere. “It seems quite counterintuitive,” Johnson says, “but actually it’s the same effect.” He explains that the effect is similar to how an insulated mug can serve a dual purpose. It keeps soup hot or iced coffee cold. Once the spherules had finished falling and the fires had been extinguished, massive dust clouds could have blocked the Sun's warmth for years on end, causing a global winter. Johnson and his colleagues believe that the global fires were the deadliest, but they must examine more of the geological record to pin that down. To date, the best evidence that wildfires occurred during the extinction-level event originates from North America, but it’s also equally possible that the effects were weaker or different further away from the impact site in Mexico. 

Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, a paleontologist with University College London, who wasn’t involved with this study, says, “It could be that we will eventually find the records of completely global wildfires, but we just don’t have the data so far.” Researchers note that future study matters because the dinosaurs' extinction is currently the best record of how entire ecosystems respond to disasters. Knowing whether animals were burned alive quickly or slowly starved over the following decades is crucial for interpreting the impact as a major disruption to evolution and ecosystem recovery. Chiarenza says:

“It would be great to figure out which animals survived right at the impact site and what their biological features were. This could finally tell us why some animals made it when others, like the dinosaurs, didn’t.”

  • Top Image: Representation of the Chicxulub asteroid impact on the Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago.
  • Source: AI Generated

By Ramsey Hardin

References


The Incredible Descent into Hell - Extinction of Dinosaurs (Timelapse) | Dinosaurs DOCUMENTARY

The Day the Dinosaurs Died — Chicxulub Impact in Detail

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:33 Stuur door

Lost Aquiry Civilization: LiDAR Reveals Millions Lived in the Amazon

Lost Aquiry Civilization: LiDAR Reveals Millions Lived in the Amazon

https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fgadget_review_articles_822%2F205c711b9eac23227e1d9d7d32ddd3e3

Gary Manners

A latest study has uncovered that the Amazon rainforest, which has always been assumed to be a virtually untouched wilderness before the arrival of Europeans, was the site of a huge civilization now referred to as Aquiry. This civilization existed between 600 BC and 850 AD and occupied the southwestern part of the Amazon. The real shock is that it supported millions of people leaving behind extraordinary monuments for centuries under the thick jungle.

As is the case with all these revelations in the last decade, LiDAR was used to establish the presence of a settlements across about 4200 square kilometers of thick jungle in the Acre and Amazonas states of Brazil. The laser technology allowed for the identification of almost four hundred huge constructions that had never been noted before. Huge geometrical structures such as circles, squares, rectangles, and octagons served ceremonial or political purposes instead of forming settlements.

The sheer scale of the discovery cannot be overemphasized. The accomplishment of the Aquiry civilization spanned an area of 183,000 square kilometers, which is comparable to the total area of Syria or the UK. Extrapolating from the surveyed area, scientists estimate there could be over 20,000 such earthworks across the region. This civilization grew in size during the first millennium, and according to scientists, it might have comprised up to three million people. This number is much greater than earlier calculations based on more conservative assumptions concerning the pre-Columbian population of the Amazon.

SEI_306765178.jpg?w=840

Tequinho archeological site in Acre Brazil.

(University of Helsinki)

Monumental Earthworks and Social Complexity

The Aquiry people left a significant impact on nature, creating geoglyphs by digging ditches up to five meters deep and using the soil removed to make mounds. Some of these geometric forms are several hundred meters across, displaying advanced organizational capabilities as well as knowledge of mathematic principles. The biggest of geoglyphs spans an area of close to 50 hectares. Since there was no stone in the area, the Aquiry only used earth to create their geoglyphs. As a result, unlike other civilizations that were contemporary with Aquiry, they did not leave behind any rock ruins.

As indicated by modern research and according to indigenous oral tradition, these places acted as the centers for building relations between the different communities, and other important beings. They were meant to serve the purpose of gathering places for different rituals, trade, political matters, and also displays of generosity of the local chieftains. In turn, rituals included dances, music, feasts, and games, showing that the society was highly developed in terms of social and ritual activities overall.

The Aquiry were not a single unified kingdom but a network of many different communities sharing a common worldview. This diversity is reflected in the varying dimensions, shapes, and construction methods of the earthworks. The major centers were often connected by wide, remarkably straight roads and causeways, forming a carefully planned regional network. "The cultures and societies that composed the Aquiry shared a common worldview and constructed ceremonial centers in a variety of monumental geometric forms," explained Professor Martti Pärssinen of the University of Helsinki, who led the study.

The scans revealed nearly 400 previously unknown earthworks ¿ giant structures created by digging and shaping soil into enormous ditches, banks and geometric enclosures

Diverse earthwork types with their topographical contexts.

Credit: Pärssinen, M et al., Nature (2026)

Shaping the Amazonian Landscape

The findings, published in the journal Nature, overturn the long-held belief that the Amazon was a pristine wilderness before European arrival. The Aquiry actively managed their environment on a vast scale, burning sections of bamboo-dominated forest to clear land for their monumental centers and for fields of maize, squash, and manioc. Building and maintaining these centers for around 1,500 years required a large workforce, a division of labor, and sophisticated administrative and cosmological motivations.

Furthermore, the civilization practiced sophisticated agroforestry. The study revealed that the prevalence of valuable, protein-rich tree species in the region—such as the Brazil nut and the peach palm—is the result of long-term human interaction. The Aquiry deliberately promoted the growth of culturally significant trees to the detriment of other species, shaping the forest's biodiversity in ways that are still visible today. This finding has direct implications for understanding the biocultural history of the Amazon and even for future climate models.

"The results we obtained disrupt our understanding of the Amazonian region's past," said Pärssinen. "The research shows that human impact on the Amazon environment has been much greater than previously believed."

A Mysterious Collapse and Unanswered Questions

Despite these significant discoveries, much about the Aquiry civilization remains unknown. Researchers have not yet determined what languages these communities spoke or what they called themselves. (The name "Aquiry" derives from the Indigenous Arawakan designation for the Acre River, meaning "river of caimans"). The civilization's apparent rapid disappearance around 850 AD is equally puzzling.

This timeline coincides strikingly with the relatively abrupt collapse of the Classic Maya civilization in Mesoamerica and the decline of the Tiwanaku and Wari cultures in the Andes. The temporal coincidence raises intriguing questions about possible continental-scale climatic or social factors that may have affected multiple civilizations across the Americas during that same period.

As archaeologists continue to scan the vast, uncharted expanses of the Amazon, it is likely that thousands more ancient settlements and earthworks lie hidden beneath the jungle canopy. If similar population densities are found elsewhere in Amazonia, the total pre-Columbian population of the Amazon could have reached tens of millions—a revelation that would fundamentally rewrite the history of the Americas.

By Gary Manners

References

RELATED

These Lost Cities Prove the Amazon Supported Millions

The Lost Civilization Buried Under the Amazon Was Bigger Than Rome

The Amazon | What If the Rainforest Hid an Ancient Empire?

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:01 Stuur door

Giant Black Cube Orbiting The Sun Detected on NASAs photos, UFO Sighting News.

Giant Black Cube Orbiting The Sun Detected on NASAs photos, UFO Sighting News.

cube_UAP.png

UAP_sun.png

Date of discovery:  July 31, 2026 but occurred on July 26
Location of discovery: Earths sun
Source:
I found this cube in a NASA image today. The cube is huge, earth size or bigger and its passing through a solar explosion...the perfect moment because its trying to collect some kind of powerful particles which normally only show up during solar explosions. The cube is clearly a three dimensional object. The side closest to the sun has some black areas that indicate cooler areas and there are lighter areas on the other side not facing the sun. The darker areas indicate there are places on the front of the cube that need protecting from the sun. 
Aliens...they are harvesting some "super particles" from our sun, probably to power their cities, ships and technology. 
Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily
 
 

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:19 Stuur door

'UFOs' in The Large Hadron Collider May Be Hints of Dark Matter

'UFOs' in The Large Hadron Collider May Be Hints of Dark Matter

For years, strange signals have been emerging from inside the Large Hadron Collider.

Physicists call them UFOs – not extraterrestrial aircraft, but unidentified falling objects. They're strange glitches in the proton beam, sudden beam-loss events that physicists are reasonably certain are caused by microscopic dust drifting into the beam.

But the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is about as pristine an instrument as physicists can build. The mystery is: What shakes the dust loose?

According to physicists Xunyu Liang and Ariel Zhitnitsky of the University of British Columbia in Canada, one of the biggest question marks in the Universe could be responsible.

Dark matter.

"You can think of the LHC as a gigantic and extremely delicate Swiss watch. It is built to keep running despite countless small disturbances around it," Liang and Zhitnitsky told ScienceAlert.

"In our idea, a piece of dark matter passing through the Earth tens of kilometers away could create a tiny vibration, like someone lightly tapping the table under the watch. That vibration could travel to the LHC and shake loose a microscopic piece of dust inside it. If the dust then drifted into the proton beam, it could disrupt the machine and cause a beam-loss event."

The idea didn't originate with tiny, dark matter-induced shock waves.

Liang and Zhitnitsky study a hypothetical form of dark matter called axion quark nuggets, or AQNs. When they learned that the LHC's UFOs were thought to be the result of dust, one detail snagged their attention.

The specks of dust were estimated to be micron-sized – which is about the same size as the AQNs they study.

At first, they wondered whether the mysterious 'falling objects' might actually be AQNs. That turned out to be a dead end – the size match between the two was just a coincidence.

But the false lead ignited a new question: If AQNs aren't the dust itself, could they be the force that dislodges the dust from the beam screen?

UFOs in The Large Hadron Collider May Be Hints of Dark Matter No LHC upgrades would be required to search for dark matter. (CERN)

"At first, we expected to find a relation between the LHC's mysterious 'unidentified falling objects' and dark matter. Later, we realized that we were actually putting forward the first proposal, to the best of our knowledge, to use the LHC to search for macroscopic, non-elementary dark matter," Liang and Zhitnitsky said.

"It is an amusing example of how a scientific idea can originate from an initial misconception and then develop into a serious research question."

To explore their idea, the pair naturally turned to physics.

We don't know what dark matter actually is. It barely interacts with the normal matter that the visible Universe is made of; we only know of its existence because of its gravitational effects.

Those effects show that dark matter is everywhere, but because it barely interacts with ordinary matter, it has remained frustratingly difficult to detect directly.

One hypothetical exception is AQNs – dense, macroscopic objects with masses up to about a kilogram (2.2 pounds) that could interact with their surroundings in ways individual dark matter particles do not.

The idea is speculative, but the researchers argue that, if an AQN passed through Earth within around 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the LHC, the tiny underground acoustic shock wave generated by its passage could very faintly shake the accelerator.

This shaking could be enough to rattle a few specks of dust into the proton beam, triggering a beam-loss event.

These signals, the team calculated, would be about five times stronger than background noise.

They would produce a distinctive pattern that scientists could identify as the fingerprint of an AQN event: three or more correlated UFOs within 2 seconds of each other at successive points along the 27-kilometer (17-mile) LHC tunnel.

And the search could happen now, without any additional hardware or modifications required to the existing facility.

"What makes our case especially appealing is that the LHC already has excellent monitoring systems built in, the beam-loss monitors, that were installed for a totally different reason (protecting the machine from damage)," Liang and Zhitnitsky said.

"It turns out they may also be sensitive to something no one designed them to detect."

The pair has not searched existing LHC records themselves. Instead, the paper is intended to motivate a reanalysis of past UFO events to see whether the predicted bursts are already hiding in the data – and to inspire dedicated campaigns in the future.

The approach might not be limited to the LHC either. Other particle accelerators, if large enough, could also possibly detect these AQN events, forming a global acoustic detector network.

Related: Scientists Witness Lead Literally Turn Into Gold in The Large Hadron Collider

"It would meaningfully broaden the landscape of dark matter research. Much of the field has understandably focused on microscopic elementary particles, while macroscopic, non-elementary candidates remain comparatively under-explored," they told ScienceAlert.

"A detection of correlated UFO events would offer compelling support for a macroscopic-object explanation, and would encourage the community to consider a wider range of dark-matter candidates alongside the elementary-particle picture."

RELATED

CERN Is Hunting Something That Shouldn’t Exist

Most of Reality Is Invisible. We May Finally Be About to Reveal It.

{ https://www.sciencealert.com/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 23:02 Stuur door

Mind-bending discovery deep inside notorious UFO hotspot leaves experts stunned

Mind-bending discovery deep inside notorious UFO hotspot leaves experts stunned

Researcher Brandon Fugal claims his team drilled into a mesa in Utah, US and discovered underground voids and a debris field of material that does not match the area's natural soil composition

BY Tom McGhie

Skinwalker Ranch in Utah

Skinwalker Ranch in Utah

(Image: Prometheus Entertainment)

A discovery at a paranormal “hotspot” notorious for UFO sightings has left experts stunned.

Skinwalker Ranch is a massive 512-acre property in northeast Utah, US and has been a centre for paranormal investigations for over 30 years. Owner Brandon Fugal claims his team has retrieved manufactured materials from deep within the ranch's rocky mesa, including heat-resistant ceramic fragments and peculiar metals.

He told American Alchemy podcast host Jesse Michels that drilling equipment repeatedly hit an enigmatic underground object before extracting material that didn't resemble the surrounding landscape.

Some have called it a supernatural place

Some have called it a supernatural place

(Image: Prometheus Entertainment)

“There's something under the mesa,” said Fugal. “To be extracting material that is manufactured, that's engineered, from hundreds of feet within the mesa.”

The team has also detected potential underground voids and identified what it believes to be an invisible energy anomaly enveloping the site. But no spacecraft has been discovered and the material has not been definitively linked to extraterrestrial technology or scrutinised in a published, a peer-reviewed study found.

Fugal, a real estate developer, bought Skinwalker Ranch from billionaire aerospace entrepreneur Robert Bigelow in 2016 and converted it into a closely monitored outdoor laboratory.

Owner Brandon Fugal claims his team has extracted manufactured material

Owner Brandon Fugal claims his team has extracted manufactured material 

(Image: American Alchemy with Jesse Michels)

The team of researchers started drilling into the mesa in 2021 after ground-penetrating radar hinted at potential voids and an odd subterranean formation. The probe was initially launched to verify long-standing rumours that caves, tunnels or a man-made structure were hidden beneath the rocks.

“We thought, well, let's debunk it,” said Fugal. But the researchers stumbled upon a debris field filled with material that seemed out of place with the region's natural soil and rocks.

“There's both a debris field of material that does not fit,” said Fugal. “It is unusual and not a natural part of the landscape or soil composition, which has been verified. It appears that there are voids within the mesa, which is what initially led us to conduct ground-penetrating radar studies.”

Researcher Brandon Fugal claims his team drilled into a Utah mesa and discovered underground voids and a debris field of material that does not match the area's natural soil composition.

{ https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:48 Stuur door

Alien Coffin Found Near NASA Rover! 6 foot long! July 30, 2026 UAP Paranormal Sighting News.

Alien Coffin Found Near NASA Rover! 6 foot long! July 30, 2026 UAP Paranormal Sighting News.

Mars_coffin.png

 
Date of discovery: July 30, 2026 (Taiwan Time)
Location of discovery: Mars Sol 3076 (Mastcam)
Source: 
Guys, you know I love searching the NASA indexes of odd and excitingly revealing things. Well, found one in Sol 3076 today thats a bit spooky. This one is a coffin...and not just any coffin, but a pod-like organic looking coffin. The veins in the wall of the coffin is a dead give away. Also the lid of the coffin is about one quarter of the full width...same as coffins here on Earth. The veins...wow! The veins run through the walls of the coffin as if it were grown...which makes me wonder if this alien species was able to make their own biological resting place...like a butterfly makes a cocoon. We have so much to learn about other intelligent alien species...like how they begin life, live life and how they deal with the end of life. 
Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily
 

mars.nasa.gov_msl-raw-images_msss_03076_mcam_3076MR0160610241400338C00_DXXX.jpg

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:01 Stuur door

UFO Next To NASA Space Station, its almost 100 meters across! UAP Paranormal Sighting News.

UFO Next To NASA Space Station, its almost 100 meters across! UAP Paranormal Sighting News.

UAP_news.png

UFO%20files,%20UFO%20video%20UAP%20files,%20UAP%20video,%20department%20of%20war,%20alien,%20aliens,%20infrared%20UFO,%20IR%20.png

Date of sighting: July 30, 2026
Location of sighting: Earths orbit at space station
Source: 
Guys this whole post just disappeared off my site, so I'm writing it again...weird. I found this rectangle UFO in a NASA photo and its hovering very close to the International Space Station. The UFO is in high detail, no wings, no windows, no engines, no insignia. This thing has zero signs that its made by humans...so I'm saying its alien tech. Also compounded with the fact that this is about 100 meters across and so close to the space station that the alien crew could easily use telepathy to not just view the experience through the eyes of the crew, but can also hear, feel and understand the thoughts as if it were their own. They are literally in the heads of the astronauts on board the space station. They can even download a persons full life memories in just 6 seconds without the person being harmed in any way. Why? To learn if humans are a danger or not to them and to other alien species. But not only that, knowledge is the most prized possession of aliens. They want to experience human behavior first had. Also compounded with the fact most alien species are so ancient they forgot their own history millions of years ago at the beginning, so they watch over us, protecting Earth, and studying us to learn more about themselves. 
Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily
 
 

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:56 Stuur door

When a glowing UFO outmaneuvered a Pan Adria Airliner and MiG-21 Interceptors

When a glowing UFO outmaneuvered a Pan Adria Airliner and MiG-21 Interceptors

The Pan Adria Incident is one of the most famous UFO cases from the former Yugoslavia. It reportedly occurred on 16 August 1977, when a Pan Adria Airways aircraft flying the route Zagreb → Belgrade → Titograd (now Podgorica) encountered a mysterious glowing object that allegedly remained alongside the aircraft for hundreds of kilometers. 

UFO%20%20Pan%20Adria%20Airliner%20MiG-21%20Interceptors.png

The flight crew noticed a bright red-orange spherical light flying parallel to their aircraft and reportedly maintained a constant distance and altitude, matching the aircraft's movements. The crew informed civilian air traffic control, which allegedly confirmed an unusual radar contact. Also military radar stations were reportedly alerted, and the object was also said to have appeared on military radar systems. 
Witnesses interviewed years later, including former radar operators and military personnel claimed that the object displayed extraordinary acceleration. 
According to later witness testimony, the Yugoslav Air Force scrambled MiG-21 interceptors to investigate but the UFO easily outmaneuvered the MiG-21 fighters, and one or more interceptors experienced serious problems, eventually a MiG-21 crashed and its pilot was killed after the encounter. However, this part of the story has never been independently verified through official military records and remains controversial.
  

RELATED


The Pan Adria Incident (1977) - UFO Encounter Over Yugoslavia

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:41 Stuur door

An ancient civilization of millions once flourished in the Amazon

An ancient civilization of millions once flourished in the Amazon

Fazenda Atlântica archaeological site in Acre, Brazil. Credit: M. Pärssinen & F. de Novaes

New research conducted using airborne laser scanning reveals that a multicultural civilization that flourished in southwestern Amazonia between 600 BCE and 850 CE was home to millions of people. Spanning roughly 183,000 square kilometers (71,000 square miles), the Aquiry civilization built large centers for political and ritual purposes.

By surveying a representative section of the area, researchers identified the remains of more than 400 well-preserved sites of monumental ceremonial architecture, along with some later settlement sites.

Extrapolating their findings to the civilization's full territory, the researchers arrived at a cautious estimate of more than 20,000 ancient earthwork ceremonial centers. The largest known site covers 50 hectares (124 acres).

Comprehensive surveys and radiocarbon dating showed that the Aquiry territory—which makes up less than 3% of Greater Amazonia—was already home to 1.25–3 million people at the start of the first millennium. This finding challenges earlier, more conservative estimates of the population across the wider Amazon region, which have ranged between 1 million and 10 million. The Amazon's total population may have numbered in the tens of millions.

"Our findings overturn our understanding of the Amazon region's past," says the emeritus professor at the University of Helsinki who led the study published in Nature.

Plants shaped by human hands

The Aquiry left their mark on the Amazonian landscape. They burned bamboo-dominated forest to clear land for fields of maize, squash and manioc, for monumental ceremonial centers, and for the wide roads leading to them.

The Aquiry also practiced horticulture and managed valuable tree species.

"The research shows that the human impact on the Amazon's environment has been far greater than previously believed," Pärssinen notes.

Several protein-rich tree species in the region—including the Brazil nut tree, peach palm, also valued for its edible palm heart, and various other fruit-bearing trees—have been shown to reflect long-term human interaction.

The Aquiry also promoted the spread of culturally significant trees at the expense of other species.

"This has direct implications for our understanding of the region's biocultural history. The civilization also affected ancient Amazonia's carbon production and carbon balance, which should be better accounted for in future climate models," Pärssinen adds.

An ancient civilization of millions once flourished in the Amazon

Diverse earthwork types with their topographical contexts. Credit: Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-

Laser scanning reveals traces of land modification

The research was conducted using airborne laser scanning, or LiDAR. This technology maps landforms beneath vegetation, and the survey revealed thousands of traces of the ancient civilization in previously unstudied parts of the rainforest. The laser scanning covered an area of about 4,500 square kilometers (1,700 square miles), more than half of which was used for systematic assessment of the civilization's earthworks.

"We flew straight transects roughly 450 kilometers (280 miles) long, mapping a strip about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) wide every 10 kilometers (6 miles). This allowed us to cover as large a continuous area as possible," says Professor Juha Hyyppä of the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (National Land Survey of Finland), who was responsible for the study's technical execution.

The detected features include large geometric shapes and straight roads.

"Their varying dimensions, shapes, construction methods and locations reflect the distinct geographical and cultural characteristics of the region," notes Risto Kalliola, emeritus professor at the University of Turku.

According to native oral traditions, these centers were built to foster relations among communities and with significant other beings, while also serving as venues for gatherings, political decision-making and displays of chiefly generosity. Ceremonies included ritual dance, music, feasting, athletic contests and ball games.

An ancient civilization of millions once flourished in the Amazon

Tequinho archaeological site in Acre, Brazil.

Credit: University of Helsinki

A civilization without stone ruins

Relatively little is still known about the Aquiry civilization. Its territory was roughly equivalent in size to modern-day Syria. Because the region lacks stone, no stone ruins remain, but the monumental geometric earthworks—known as Amazonian geoglyphs—nonetheless reveal the scale of the civilization.

The name Aquiry comes from the name Indigenous peoples used for the Acre River. "This was not a single realm but a network of many different communities," notes the professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Helsinki.

It is not known what languages were spoken across these communities, nor what they called themselves.

Nor is it known what caused the civilization's apparently rapid collapse around 850 CE. Around the same time, the Classic Maya civilization in Central America also collapsed relatively abruptly.

Publication details
  • Martti Pärssinen, Over 20,000 precolonial earthworks in the Southwest Amazonia, Nature (2026). 

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10835-7. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10835-7

Journal information: 

RELATED

These Lost Cities Prove the Amazon Supported Millions

The Amazon Was Once a Civilization – The Lost Cities of the Jungle

{ https://phys.org/science-news/archaeology-fossils/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:30 Stuur door

Mystery deepens at Utah paranormal hotspot as buried 'UFO' clues emerge

A paranormal hotspot in Utah notorious for UFO sightings, strange creatures and unexplained events may be hiding its greatest secret beneath the surface.

Skinwalker Ranch, a 512-acre property in the state’s northeast, has been the focus of paranormal investigations for more than three decades.

Now, owner Brandon Fugal claims his team has extracted manufactured material from hundreds of feet inside the ranch’s rocky mesa, including heat-resistant ceramic fragments and unusual metals.

Fugal told American Alchemy podcast host Jesse Michels that drilling equipment repeatedly struck a mysterious underground object before pulling out material that did not match the surrounding landscape.

‘There’s something under the mesa,’ Fugal declared. ‘To be extracting material that is manufactured, that’s engineered, from hundreds of feet within the mesa.’

The team has also detected possible underground voids and identified what it believes is an invisible energy anomaly surrounding the site.

However, no spacecraft has been uncovered, and the material has not been conclusively linked to extraterrestrial technology or examined in a published, peer-reviewed study.

Regardless, the discoveries have fueled extraordinary speculation that a UFO, secret technology or even a portal could be buried beneath the paranormal hotspot.

Skinwalker Ranch has long been associated with reports of UFOs, cattle mutilations, wolf-like creatures, unexplained illnesses and equipment failures

Skinwalker Ranch has long been associated with reports of UFOs, cattle mutilations, wolf-like creatures, unexplained illnesses and equipment failures

Fugal, a prominent real estate developer, purchased Skinwalker Ranch from billionaire aerospace entrepreneur Robert Bigelow in 2016 and transformed it into a closely monitored outdoor laboratory.

The ranch has long been associated with reports of UFOs, cattle mutilations, wolf-like creatures, unexplained illnesses and equipment failures.

Researchers began drilling into the mesa in 2021 after ground-penetrating radar detected possible voids and an unusual underground formation.

The investigation was initially intended to test longstanding rumors that caves, tunnels or an artificial structure had been concealed beneath the rocks.

‘We thought, well, let’s debunk [it],’ Fugal said, explaining that his team wanted to either find evidence supporting the stories or dismiss them.

Instead, he claimed, the researchers discovered a debris field containing material that appeared inconsistent with the area’s natural soil and rocks.

‘There’s both a debris field of material that does not fit,’ Fugal said. ‘It is unusual and not a natural part of the landscape or soil composition, which has been verified.

‘It appears that there are voids within the mesa, which is what initially led us to conduct ground-penetrating radar studies.’

Owner Brandon Fugal claims his team has extracted manufactured material from hundreds of feet inside the ranch¿s rocky mesa, including heat-resistant ceramic fragments and unusual metals

Owner Brandon Fugal claims his team has extracted manufactured material from hundreds of feet inside the ranch’s rocky mesa, including heat-resistant ceramic fragments and unusual metals

Fugal told American Alchemy podcast host Jesse Michels that drilling equipment repeatedly struck a mysterious underground object before pulling out material that did not match the surrounding landscape

Fugal told American Alchemy podcast host Jesse Michels that drilling equipment repeatedly struck a mysterious underground object before pulling out material that did not match the surrounding landscape

Fugal said samples recovered through two boreholes included fragments resembling heat-resistant ceramic tiles used on spacecraft.

He also claimed some samples produced electromagnetic signatures that appeared to restore themselves after being disrupted, although he did not provide enough technical information to establish what the alleged ‘self-repairing’ effect involved.

Michels said europium and thallium had also been identified among material recovered from the mesa.

Europium is a rare-earth element commonly used in electronics, specialized glass and fluorescent materials, while thallium is a toxic metal with several industrial and technological applications.

Both elements occur naturally on Earth and are used in human manufacturing. Their presence alone would not prove that the fragments came from an extraterrestrial spacecraft.

The team also claimed its drills repeatedly struck metal or another extremely hard obstruction inside the formation.

Fugal said experienced drilling crews encountered dramatic equipment failures while attempting to penetrate it.

Fugal claimed much of the available aerial record was missing between 1964 and 1969, while a section of a 1969 image appeared blurred or smoothed over. The apparently altered section reportedly formed a teardrop shape above the same area where radar later detected the underground anomaly

Fugal claimed much of the available aerial record was missing between 1964 and 1969, while a section of a 1969 image appeared blurred or smoothed over. The apparently altered section reportedly formed a teardrop shape above the same area where radar later detected the underground anomaly

‘Every drilling expert, and I’m talking every one we’ve brought out, has experienced dramatic equipment malfunctions,’ he said.

‘Their tungsten carbide steel drill bits, some of the most durable available, have been rendered completely damaged and unusable.

‘These men perform drilling operations all over the world. They drill through solid granite. They drill through mountains.’

Fugal said the investigation is proceeding slowly because blasting or aggressively excavating the mesa could destroy whatever may be inside.

He compared the work to a delicate medical biopsy, with researchers removing small samples without damaging the larger formation.

‘Imagine if there’s a Stargate within the mesa,’ Fugal said. ‘If there’s some advanced technology that is behind or involved with the phenomena that we’re seeing… you don’t want to damage the very thing that you hope to unearth.’

The mystery deepened when the team recovered a weathered nickel dated 1964 from inside the formation.

Researchers began drilling into the mesa in 2021 after ground-penetrating radar detected possible voids and an unusual underground formation

Researchers began drilling into the mesa in 2021 after ground-penetrating radar detected possible voids and an unusual underground formation

Archaeologist Chris Roberts reportedly told the researchers that people working at excavation sites sometimes leave a contemporary coin behind to record when the ground was disturbed.

Fugal believes the nickel raises the possibility that someone entered or excavated the mesa during the 1960s, decades before Skinwalker Ranch became internationally famous.

Researchers then examined historical aerial photographs to determine whether the landscape had been disturbed around that time.

Fugal claimed much of the available aerial record was missing between 1964 and 1969, while a section of a 1969 image appeared blurred or smoothed over.

article image

The apparently altered section reportedly formed a teardrop shape above the same area where radar later detected the underground anomaly.

‘Every time we get answers, we get more questions,’ Fugal said.

When Michels directly asked whether a UFO was buried inside the mesa, Fugal stopped short of endorsing that conclusion.

‘We’ll see,’ he replied, noting that an underground object could not technically be described as ‘flying.’

The team has also identified what it calls the ‘bubble,’ an invisible, roughly spherical anomaly believed to extend above and below part of the ranch.

Fugal said researchers used LiDAR and other instruments to map the region after repeatedly experiencing GPS failures, signal interference and equipment malfunctions within its apparent boundaries.

Multiple cameras also captured what he described as an unexplained mass above the ranch’s ‘Triangle’ area as rockets malfunctioned during experiments.

Fugal suggested the alleged field could be connected to whatever lies inside the mesa and may even act as a defense mechanism.

Researchers have reported UFOs appearing while the area was being probed, leading him to speculate that the team was being ‘monitored or warned.’

However, the existence of an underground craft or force field has not been independently established.

Ground-penetrating radar can detect differences in rock, moisture, density and underground cavities, but it cannot prove that an anomaly is an artificial structure or buried spacecraft.

Damaged drill bits and malfunctioning instruments could also have conventional mechanical, environmental or geological explanations.

Critics have further noted that much of the evidence has been presented through the History Channel series The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, rather than scientific studies allowing independent researchers to scrutinize the samples, methods and complete data.

Fugal insists the investigation is genuine and said he welcomes skeptical examination of the team’s work. ‘We’re led by the data, not an inherited narrative,’ he said.

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:46 Stuur door

Ancient Egyptian history rewritten as new clues reveal advanced technology used to build pyramids

Ancient Egyptian history rewritten as new clues reveal advanced technology used to build pyramids

Egypt’s iconic pyramids have captivated the world for centuries, as questions persist over exactly how ancient builders constructed the towering monuments with such remarkable precision.

Now, new clues uncovered near the Nile have suggested that ancient builders may have mastered advanced construction techniques centuries before the pyramids of Giza rose from the desert.

Archaeologists excavating a 5,000-year-old burial ground on the Nile’s eastern bank have uncovered two tombs containing architectural features that appear to foreshadow those later used to construct Egypt’s pyramids.

The structures had walls that were thicker at the bottom and gradually narrowed toward the top, a design that provided greater stability.

Similar engineering principles would later be employed on a monumental scale in Egypt’s step pyramids and the great pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure that followed.

Researchers also discovered evidence of ancient stone-cutting methods and enormous wooden supports built into the tombs, some extending along the full length of the walls.

The remarkably 'sophisticated' structures were found at Jabal al-Tayr in Egypt’s Minya Governorate, where people were buried over thousands of years.

Their resemblance to royal tombs at Abydos, where Egypt’s earliest kings were buried, suggests advanced building knowledge was already spreading across the country during the civilization’s formative centuries. 

Egypt¿s iconic pyramids have captivated the world for centuries, as questions persist over exactly how ancient builders constructed the towering monuments with such remarkable precision

Egypt’s iconic pyramids have captivated the world for centuries, as questions persist over exactly how ancient builders constructed the towering monuments with such remarkable precision

Researchers said the tombs provide a rare glimpse into the architectural experimentation that came before Egypt’s great stone pyramids, as builders developed burial structures into monuments designed to last for thousands of years. 

The discovery could rewrite ancient Egyptian history by suggesting that sophisticated engineering techniques linked to pyramid construction emerged earlier and spread more widely across the country than previously believed. 

Dr Hisham El-Leithy, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said early analysis revealed similarities between the newly discovered structures and the tomb of King Den, one of the most powerful rulers of Egypt’s First Dynasty. 

The First Dynasty was the first line of kings to rule a united ancient Egypt, beginning around 3100 BC after Upper and Lower Egypt were brought together as one kingdom. 

It marked the beginning of ancient Egypt as an organized state, with a central government, royal burial traditions and major advances in writing, engineering and architecture. King Den was one of its most influential rulers. 

El-Leithy described the first tomb as an exceptional discovery with a unique design, while noting that the second has a similar layout and remains remarkably well preserved.

Sherif Fathy, Egypt’s minister of tourism and antiquities, said the structures could help researchers trace how burial architecture evolved throughout ancient Egyptian history.

The structures had walls that were thicker at the bottom and gradually narrowed toward the top, a design that provided greater stability

The structures had walls that were thicker at the bottom and gradually narrowed toward the top, a design that provided greater stability

Archaeologists also uncovered oxidation marks on the stone that may have been left as workers cut and prepared the blocks, along with wooden supports used to reinforce the walls.

Researchers also discovered evidence of ancient stone-cutting methods and enormous wooden supports built into the tombs, some extending along the full length of the walls. Above is an aerial view of the tombs

Researchers also discovered evidence of ancient stone-cutting methods and enormous wooden supports built into the tombs, some extending along the full length of the walls. Above is an aerial view of the tombs

A second tomb discovered to the south was far better preserved, offering researchers a clearer view of its original design.

The team said the tombs provide a rare glimpse into the architectural experiments that preceded Egypt’s great stone pyramids, as builders began creating burial monuments designed to survive for thousands of years.

Researchers also uncovered part of a cemetery dating to before Egypt became a unified kingdom. 

Several people had been buried in curled positions and wrapped in woven plant mats, alongside black-topped pottery from the Naqada II and Naqada III periods.

The team also found human remains inside wooden coffins and laying outside in the dusty landscape

The team also found human remains inside wooden coffins and laying outside in the dusty landscape

Naqada II and Naqada III were prehistoric stages of Egyptian civilization before the country was united under its first pharaohs. 

Individual and mass burials from Egypt’s Late Period had been unearthed, with some people placed inside wooden coffins, fragments of which survived despite extensive decay.

The discoveries suggest the site remained an important burial ground throughout several periods of ancient Egyptian history.

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:28 Stuur door

The Amazon's lost civilisation: Hidden network of 20,000 structures reveals rainforest once teemed with MILLIONS of people

The Amazon's lost civilisation: Hidden network of 20,000 structures reveals rainforest once teemed with MILLIONS of people

The Amazon rainforest may look like one of the last truly wild places on Earth – but experts have discovered evidence of a sprawling lost civilisation hidden beneath its dense canopy.

Scientists say the untamed wilderness was once home to millions of people who ‘flourished’ in sprawling communities connected by roads and ceremonial centres.

Using laser technology to peer through the rainforest, researchers uncovered hundreds of previously unknown ceremonial structures hidden beneath the trees.

The findings suggest the ancient Aquiry civilisation occupied an area the size of the UK and may have built more than 20,000 earthworks across the region.

Researchers estimate that between 1.25 million and three million people lived there at the start of the first millennium, overturning long-held beliefs about the Amazon's past.

The huge settlements featured political and religious centres linked by an extensive network of roads, revealing a remarkably sophisticated society.

The team, from the University of Helsinki, said the discovery could transform our knowledge of how ancient people lived in one of the world's most challenging environments.

‘Our findings overturn our understanding of the Amazon region’s past,’ Professor Martti Pärssinen, lead author of the study, said.

A geoglyph built by the Aquiry civilisation in Acre, Brazil. This large design was made by digging and shaping soil

A geoglyph built by the Aquiry civilisation in Acre, Brazil. This large design was made by digging and shaping soil

Lidar uses infrared light to uncover the shapes hidden underneath dense tree canopies. The huge settlements featured political and religious centres linked by an extensive network of roads, revealing a remarkably sophisticated society

Lidar uses infrared light to uncover the shapes hidden underneath dense tree canopies. The huge settlements featured political and religious centres linked by an extensive network of roads, revealing a remarkably sophisticated society

For the study, the team used an airborne laser scanning technique known as LiDAR, which fires millions of laser pulses through gaps in the forest canopy to produce a detailed map of the ground hidden beneath the trees.

The scans revealed nearly 400 previously unknown earthworks – giant structures created by digging and shaping soil into enormous ditches, banks and geometric enclosures.

The researchers then used computer modelling to estimate how many similar sites are likely to remain undiscovered, concluding there could be around 20,000 earthworks spread across an area of roughly 400,000 square kilometres.

Many of the structures were built by digging deep ditches and piling the excavated earth into raised embankments, creating enormous shapes including circles, squares, rectangles and octagons, with some measuring hundreds of metres across.

Rather than serving as forts or homes, many of these earthworks appear to have been ceremonial and political centres, where people gathered for rituals, trade, feasting and important community events.

According to native oral traditions, these centres were built to foster relations among communities.

They also served as venues for gatherings, political decision-making and displays of chiefly generosity. Ceremonies included ritual dance, music, feasting, athletic contests and ball games.

The largest sites were linked by remarkably straight roads and causeways, suggesting the settlements formed part of a carefully planned regional network rather than isolated villages scattered through the rainforest.

The scans revealed nearly 400 previously unknown earthworks ¿ giant structures created by digging and shaping soil into enormous ditches, banks and geometric enclosures

The scans revealed nearly 400 previously unknown earthworks – giant structures created by digging and shaping soil into enormous ditches, banks and geometric enclosures

The green points on this map indicate the areas where the huge earthworks were picked up by scanners

The green points on this map indicate the areas where the huge earthworks were picked up by scanners

The Aquiry civilisation 

  • An ancient Amazonian civilisation that lived in what is now the Brazilian state of Acre
  • They flourished during the first millennium AD, with researchers estimating their population peaked between AD 100 and 300 
  • Scientists estimate the region was home to between 1.25 million and three million people, making it one of the largest known pre-Columbian populations in the Amazon 
  • Their territory covered around 400,000 square kilometres (154,000 square miles) in the southwestern Amazon—an area roughly comparable to the size of the UK 
  • They constructed thousands of giant earthworks - huge ditches and raised embankments forming circles, squares, rectangles and octagons - along with roads connecting major ceremonial centres
  • The Aquiry cultivated crops including maize, cassava and squash, practised horticulture and managed valuable tree species while maintaining much of the surrounding rainforest

The findings indicate the Aquiry people transformed the landscape on a vast scale while still maintaining extensive areas of forest.

This challenges the long-held belief that the Amazon was an untouched wilderness before European contact.

The researchers explained that the Aquiry burned sections of forest to clear land for the ceremonial centres and for fields of maize, squash and cassava.

This civilisation also practised horticulture and managed valuable tree species, they said.

‘The research shows that the human impact on the Amazon’s environment has been far greater than previously believed,’ Professor Pärssinen added.

‘This has direct implications for our understanding of the region’s biocultural history.’

He explained the Aquiry were not a single realm but a network of many different communities.

It is not known what languages were spoken across these communities, nor what they called themselves. It is also not clear what caused the civilisation's apparently rapid collapse around 850 AD

Researchers say only a tiny proportion of the rainforest has so far been surveyed using LiDAR.

article image

This means thousands more ancient settlements and monumental earthworks could still lie hidden beneath the jungle canopy.

‘On the basis of both existing data and our LiDAR documentation, we show that this cultural area alone contains as many earthworks as previously estimated for the whole of Amazonia,’ the researchers wrote in the journal Nature.

‘We also propose that the total human population of the area in 100 - 300 AD was 1.25 to three million people.

‘If similar results are found elsewhere in Amazonia, the total precolonial population density and its effect on the current Amazonian soil and forest structure, biodiversity and even some modelling of the global climate should be re-evaluated.’

rRELATED

The Ancient Amazon: Evidence That a Massive Civilization Existed in the Rainforest

The Civilization That Disappeared Into the Jungle | Lost Cities of the AMAZON

Archaeologists Just Found the Amazon City Where a Famous Explorer Disappeared

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:13 Stuur door

Deep in a Spanish Cave, Archaeologists Discovered a Puzzling Set of Ancient Inscriptions—Could They Be Evidence of a Mysterious Subterranean Cult?

Cova Dones

Cova Dones cave in Valencia, Spain
(Credit: Ruiz-Redondo/Barciela/Martorell)

Deep in a Spanish Cave, Archaeologists Discovered a Puzzling Set of Ancient Inscriptions—Could They Be Evidence of a Mysterious Subterranean Cult?

A remarkable collection of ancient inscriptions within a cave in eastern Spain is providing archaeologists with deep new insights into the early religious practices it once housed.

Among the new findings, researchers say the inscriptions are shedding new light on the prominent role women played in a subterranean cult, which centered on a previously unknown ancient goddess.

The discoveries were made at Cova Dones in Millares, Valencia, a cave that presents evidence of human activity going back tens of thousands of years.

There, researchers recently documented at least 120 Latin inscriptions dating to the first and second centuries A.D.—a significant increase in the number of writings from this era known to exist at Cova Dones.

Previously, only around 15 of these inscriptions had been identified. The new findings elevate Cova Dones to what may be the Roman Empire’s largest known cave sanctuary containing Latin inscriptions.

Cova Dones Latin inscriptions

One of the newly uncovered Latin inscriptions, enhanced with image overlay shown in lighter coloration (Image Credit: University of Alicante).

The Ritual Space of an Ancient Goddess is Revealed

Research at the cave was led by researchers from the University of Alicante and the University of Zaragoza, which revealed not only the inscriptions, but also a well-preserved ritual space located at a depth of close to 200 meters within the cave.

Among the discoveries researchers have made are a small collection of votive inscriptions, which are dedicated to what appears to be a goddess referred to simply as “Domina,” which means “The Lady.”

Three of those inscriptions also feature an unrecognized epithet—MALACI—which the researchers believe may describe some aspect of this mysterious goddess, possibly related in some way to the water that flows through the underground ritual space within the cave.

“Thanks to a set of five votive inscriptions, we know for certain that in Roman times a goddess, reverentially called Domina, ‘the Lady,’ was venerated in the cave,” says Silvia Alfayé, a professor of Ancient History at the University of Zaragoza.

Alfayé also says that the inscriptions further indicate the active role women played in the deity’s worship during this period.

Anatomy of an Ancient Roman Subterranean Cult

Within the newly-identified ritual space at Cova Dones, several individual female names were identified among the newly discovered inscriptions. This, according to Alfayé and her colleagues, reinforces the notion that the sanctuary had been a regular destination for women, rather than merely serving as an occasional site of pilgrimage.

Cova Dones Latin inscriptions Members of the research team during the documentation of the Latin inscriptions at Cova Dones (Image Credit: University of Alicante).

Specifically, the presence of the inscriptions all within a single chamber, which the research team has dubbed the “Roman Sanctuary,” places them alongside natural pools fed by underground water, which may have added to the allure of the subterranean ritual landscape the cave offered.

Strengthening that interpretation, the archaeologists also discovered spindle whorls, a variety of small tools used for spinning thread that were closely linked with women’s domestic and symbolic roles in the ancient Roman world, and beyond. Their presence near the inscriptions, the researchers believe, could imply links to ceremonies performed in the cave long ago, which may have incorporated textile-related offerings.

Ongoing Discoveries at Cova Dones

The recent findings at Cova Dones are only the latest offerings from the ancient site, which is already renowned for the ancient human presence it has preserved.

In 2023, The Debrief reported on discoveries within the cave that are now recognized as the largest known collection of surviving Paleolithic cave art in eastern Iberia. Such discoveries include more than 100 paintings and engravings dating back over 24,000 years.

The discovery of the Roman sanctuary occurred the following year, with the detection of Latin inscriptions and a coin featuring the Roman emperor Claudius, which archaeologists believe may have been left as a votive offering.

Then in 2025, archaeologists discovered more than 100 intentionally modified stalagmite formations, a unique category of archaeological evidence known as speleofacts. Altogether, such discoveries have helped cement Cova Dones as one of the most important sites in Europe to preserve evidence of prehistoric human modifications to an underground space.

Cova Dones artifacts One of a pair of bronze rings uncovered beneath the rock inscriptions at Cova Dones (Image Credit: University of Alicante).

Unraveling the Mysteries of a Subterranean World

Adding to the recent Roman inscription discoveries, Alfayé and her colleagues have also discovered artifacts that include bronze rings, a bracelet, ceramic vessels, faunal remains, and additional ritual objects—all of which provide additional clues that may help to reconstruct centuries of religious activity that once occurred deep within the cave.

Presently, many of the inscriptions await deciphering, and some large sections of the cave remain that have not yet been explored. With the promise of additional discoveries, archaeologists are confident that Cova Dones has only just begun to reveal its secrets.

In the coming years, new chapters in the story of this ancient subterranean landscape await discovery, exploration, and interpretation.

RELATED

Cova de les Dones (Millares, Valencia)

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

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 23:45 Stuur door

UFO Over Los Angeles, California, USA July 26, 2026, UAP Sighting News.

UFO Over Los Angeles, California, USA July 26, 2026, UAP Sighting News

UFO_UAP_Files.png

Date of sighting: July 26, 2026
Location of sighting: Los Angeles, California, USA
Source: NUFORC
 
Hey this UFO was seen over the area I was born...Los Angeles and its not a city without its UFOs...Its a hot bed of activity there mixed in with all the military experiments happening at the labs there too. Aliens in LA is just a fact, they not only walk among the people but they also entertain them in Hollywood and even run for public office. So...is this triangle an alien craft or military TR3B or its evolved from the TR3B? Alien craft do have lights to confuse people into believing its a normal aircraft. This looks like the UFOs seen over the East coast last year...and I call it 100% alien. 
Scott C. Waring - Taiwan
 
Eyewitness states: 
Lights on object Unknown object - not a drone or helicopter - hovering for long period of time and moving strangely Observed an unidentified illuminated aerial object on July 26, 2026, at approximately 9:10–9:20 PM PDT, southwest of View Park/Windsor Hills, Los Angeles, California. The object was visible for approximately 25+ minutes, remaining within a relatively small area of the sky while exhibiting irregular, swaying or swerving movements. Multiple lights were visible, including red/orange and bright white/blue lights. Original video recorded at approximately 9:13 PM PDT, along with original photographs, is attached.
 
 

UFO Over Los Angeles, California, USA July 26, 2026, UAP Alien Paranormal Entity Breaking News.

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:18 Stuur door

What really happened when the dinosaur–killing asteroid hit Earth: Worldwide fires incinerated most animals within HOURS – before a global winter wiped out any survivors, study finds

What really happened when the dinosaur–killing asteroid hit Earth: Worldwide fires incinerated most animals within HOURS – before a global winter wiped out any survivors, study finds

It's one of the most pivotal events in our history – but what really happened when the dinosaur–killing asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago?

For decades, scientists have debated the sequence of events. 

Some believe the asteroid impact itself wiped out the dinosaurs, while others are convinced another after–effect was to blame for their demise. 

Now, scientists from Purdue University claim to have settled the debate once and for all.

According to their research, a cloud of dust from the asteroid collision may have caused planetwide combustion – sparking devastating fires that burned most animals to death within hours.  

Any survivors would have then perished in a global winter, they say. 

'With the dust cloud trapping thermal radiation, it was like the surface and everything on it was being charbroiled,' explained Professor Brandon Johnson, lead author of the study. 

'And that's what killed the dinosaurs and all the other animals.'

For years, scientists have known about the Chicxulub asteroid – a six to nine–mile–wide space rock that smashed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago. 

However, until now, the sequence of events that followed has remained unclear. 

When the asteroid hit Earth, we know from geology and impact simulations that an enormous cloud of dust and rock vapor was thrown high into the air. 

Some of this rock vapor cooled and condensed into tiny rock droplets, known as spherules, which flew away from the impact crater, before falling back to the surface. 

Previous studies have suggested that these spherules were hot enough to burn animals without shelter – but not enough for plants to suddenly burst into flames. 

For this reason, many scientists have suggested the immediate effects of the collision were not to blame for the mass extinction. 

However, in their new study, the Purdue University team believe they've found a missing piece of the puzzle. 

Based on fresh evidence from layers of rock, they now believe some of the rock vapor did not condense to form spherules, and instead lingered in the air. 

According to their research, a cloud of dust from the asteroid collision may have caused planetwide combustion – sparking devastating fires that burned most animals to death within hours (pictured: a still from Netflix's 2026 hit, The Dinosaurs)

According to their research, a cloud of dust from the asteroid collision may have caused planetwide combustion – sparking devastating fires that burned most animals to death within hours

(pictured: a still from Netflix's 2026 hit, The Dinosaurs)

What happened when the dinosaur–killing asteroid hit Earth

  1. Chicxulub asteroid measuring 6–9 miles wide smashes into the Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago
  2. An enormous cloud of dust and rock vapor is thrown high into the atmosphere
  3. Some rock vapor cools and condenses into tiny rock droplets called 'spherules' that fly away from the impact crater, then careen back to the surface
  4. A layer of fine dust lingers in the air, boosting Earth's retention and release of heat from the falling spherules
  5. Worldwide wildfires are ignited, burning most dinosaurs to a crisp within hours of the asteroid collision
  6. Dust clouds block warmth from the sun for decades, causing a global winter that starves any remaining dinosaurs to death

This 'dust blanket' would have made the surface 3.5 times warmer – making the spherules hot enough to not only kill the animals in their paths, but also to spark spontaneous forest fires. 

Professor Johnson explained: 'Without fine dust, this still wouldn't have been a good day for dinosaurs. It would have killed some off, but it probably wasn't enough to start many wildfires. 

'With the fine dust, the Cretaceous animals received 17 times the dose of thermal radiation that is 100% lethal to humans. 

'It was enough to ignite grass, pine needles, lichen and maybe even directly ignite wood.

'The clouds would have blocked daylight so to any animal, like humans, that don't see far into the infrared, the surface would have probably looked dark. 

'You would only have been able to see a reddish glow from the wildfires. 

'But there really wouldn't be anything alive to do the seeing anyway, except for any animal that was able to burrow or swim or shelter in some way, to find a way to survive. 

'It would have been terrible.' -

Not all the animals would have burned to death in the fires, according to the researchers. 

They point out that many would have choked to death on the smoke. 

Alexandria Johnson, one of the researchers who specialises in clouds, explained: 'Even if critters were to survive the charbroiling, they would likely have had lasting health effects from these particulates as well. 

'But when you look at the time scales of the cooking versus the inhalation risks, the cooking is much faster.'

So, what happened after these first few hours?  

According to the researchers, the dust blanket actually supports another popular theory – a global winter. 

article image

Once the spherules had finished falling and the fires had petered out, the dust would have blocked warmth from the sun for decades, leaving any remaining animals to starve to death.  

To verify these theories, the researchers now hope to find records of the global wildfires. 

Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, a paeleontologist at University College London, who was not involved with this study, said: 'It would be great to figure out which animals survived right at the impact and what their biological features were.

'This could finally tell us why some animals made it when others, like the dinosaurs, didn't.'

EARTH HAS HAD FIVE GREAT EXTINCTION EVENTS WITH THE MOST FAMOUS A DINOSAUR KILLING ASTEROID

Five times, a vast majority of the world's life has been snuffed out in what have been called mass extinctions.

End-Ordovician mass extinction
The first of the traditional big five extinction events, around 540 million years ago, was probably the second most severe. Virtually all life was in the sea at the time and around 85% of these species vanished.

Late Devonian mass extinction

About 375-359 million years ago, major environmental changes caused a drawn-out extinction event that wiped out major fish groups and stopped new coral reefs forming for 100 million years.

Five times, a vast majority of the world's life has been snuffed out in what have been called mass extinctions. The most famous may be the End-Cretaceous, which wiped out the dinosaurs. Artist's impression

Five times, a vast majority of the world's life has been snuffed out in what have been called mass extinctions. The most famous may be the End-Cretaceous, which wiped out the dinosaurs.

Artist's impression

End-Permian mass extinction (the Great Dying)

The largest extinction event and the one that affected the Earth's ecology most profoundly took place 252 million years ago. As much as 97% of species that leave a fossil record disappeared forever.

End-Triassic mass extinction
Dinosaurs first appeared in the Early Triassic, but large amphibians and mammal-like reptiles were the dominant land animals. The rapid mass extinction that occurred 201 million years ago changed that.

End-Cretaceous mass extinction

An asteroid slammed down on Earth 66 million years ago, and is often blamed for ending the reign of the dinosaurs.

RELATED


How Did Dinosaurs Really Go Extinct?🦖 | The Truth Behind Earth's Greatest Mass Extinction #Fullvideo

Did the Asteroid Kill the Dinosaurs? What Actually Happened

The End of the Dinosaurs: How One Asteroid Changed Earth Forever

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:08 Stuur door

NASA Airbrushed 'Alien Presence' From Apollo Moon Photos, Whistleblower Physicist Claims

NASA Airbrushed 'Alien Presence' From Apollo Moon Photos, Whistleblower Physicist Claims

Fresh claims of censored Apollo moon photos have reignited old UFO theories around NASA and the Moon.

Moon

A physicist has claimed NASA edited Apollo Moon photos to erase an 'alien presence' and buried negatives showing UFOs, just as the Artemis programme prepares to return astronauts to the lunar surface. 

PHOTO Screenshot/Youtube

NASA secretly scrubbed signs of an 'alien presence' from historic Apollo photographs of the Moon, a whistleblower physicist has claimed in an interview.

Physicist Maaneli 'Max' Derakhshani, who studies alleged anomalies on the lunar and Martian surface, told the American Alchemy podcast that multiple Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s captured unexplained objects that were later edited out.

He alleged that the doctored images helped conceal what some astronauts privately interpreted as evidence of a non‑human intelligence near the Moon.

According to Derakhshani, several of NASA's most famous astronauts also spoke of telepathic warnings from extraterrestrials not to return.

NASA has long denied any such alien presence, and there is currently no independently verified proof that the claims are true.

Physicist Says Apollo Photos Were 'Cleaned' of Alien Presence

Derakhshani's central charge is simple enough. He says original Apollo photographs stored in NASA‑linked archives show objects that are mysteriously absent from later, widely circulated versions of the same frames, and that this amounts to airbrushing an alien presence out of history.

In one case, he pointed to an Apollo 14 photograph of astronaut Edgar Mitchell standing on the lunar surface. A scan held by the Lunar and Planetary Institute, an archive that he said NASA has managed since the 1970s, shows Mitchell casting a long shadow across regolith and a pitch‑black lunar sky.

'You zoom in everywhere, it's completely black,' he told host Jesse Michels.

However, in a separate copy of the same frame hosted in a 'March to the moon' collection managed by Johnson Space Centre and Arizona State University, Derakhshani said a distinct blue orb appears in the sky above Mitchell. In his telling, it is 'very clearly' visible and has no obvious prosaic explanation such as lens flare or film damage.

That kind of discrepancy is the backbone of his argument. Not proof of aliens, he stressed, but in his view, a pattern that is awkward to write off as simple cataloguing glitches or dust on an old scanner.

Blue Lights, 'Insectoid' Objects and a NASA Probe

The most striking example, at least visually, comes from Apollo 17, the final Moon landing mission in 1972. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt took a series of photographs from the surface that have been pored over for decades by space buffs and sceptics alike.

According to Derakhshani, one famous frame shows three solid blue lights in the black sky above a lunar hill. When the image is brightened, he said, the region between the lights also brightens, hinting that they may be attached to a single larger object rather than being isolated specks of noise.

NASA's own description of that image, released as part of a batch of declassified UFO‑related materials in May, noted that a 'special investigation' had been opened after experts suggested the lights could belong to a sizeable physical object in space.

No public conclusion was announced, and NASA and the Pentagon both maintain that no proof of alien craft has ever been found.

Derakhshani claims other Apollo 17 frames contain pale metallic streaks against the darkness, which, when heavily zoomed and brightened, look to him like insect‑shaped objects with faint trails that resemble engine exhausts.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and other sceptics argue that the oddities are nothing more than cosmic rays striking the film or the detector, a routine nuisance in space imaging.

Derakhshani pushed back, calling the odds of repeated, solid round lights showing up in that way 'statistically very improbable.'

Whistleblower Pilot and Destroyed Apollo Negatives

The physicist's case is not limited to pixels. He links the alleged image editing to a broader narrative of internal secrecy at NASA, much of it resting on the word of former insiders whose stories are impossible to fully verify.

One of them is Ken Johnston Sr, described by Derakhshani as a pilot who trained Apollo astronauts and served as a backup astronaut during the programme.

On the podcast, he recounted Johnston's claim that he had been ordered to destroy a batch of early‑generation Apollo photographic negatives because they contained 'anomalies' that were 'not supposed to be there.'

Rather than comply, Johnston allegedly kept some of the negatives and later uploaded copies online, presenting them as evidence of a cover‑up.

NASA has been asked for comment on the latest accusations regarding image tampering and alleged instructions to destroy material. At the time of writing, there is no public response addressing Derakhshani or Johnston by name.

Officially, the agency's line on UAP mirrors that of the Pentagon, emphasising the need for better data and bluntly stating that no confirmed extraterrestrial technology has been recovered.

Telepathic 'Warnings' and Astronaut Lore

Michels and Derakhshani revisited long‑circulated tales that Neil Armstrong, the first human on the Moon, confided to acquaintances in Washington DC that 'we were told not to come back to the moon.'

Eugene Cernan, who commanded Apollo 17, is said to have told a friend, Japanese curator Josen Takano, that he received a kind of telepathic message during the mission: 'We don't really want you here.'

American Alchemy also revisited Edgar Mitchell's stories of attempting telepathic experiments during Apollo 14, and separate claims that aliens 'followed' their rocket. The conversation soon drifted to Apollo 11's Buzz Aldrin, whose comments over the years about an unexplained object seen en route to the Moon have been dissected into oblivion.

Derakhshani argued that Aldrin's changing account suggests he 'knows more than he can say publicly.'

Aldrin himself was far more blunt in a 2014 Reddit Q&A, writing: 'It was not an alien. Extraordinary observations require extraordinary evidence.'

Alien Presence Claims Meet Artemis Reality

Derakhshani has pushed his theory further in a separate interview, arguing that NASA is actively blurring 'technosignatures' on the Moon, structures he claimed could be up to 30 metres high and 100 metres long.

He has put the probability that artificial constructions exist on the lunar surface at 'more than 50%' and suggested that the agency is wary of returning because of what it might find there.

UFO

Artemis III is expected to fly astronauts around the Moon in 2027, with Artemis IV pencilled in for a landing in 2028, the first since Apollo. If there is anything artificial sitting quietly on the rim of a crater, those missions will have front‑row seats.

The latest round of allegations lands just as NASA prepares to send astronauts back to the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. That half‑century gap has fuelled a cottage industry of conspiracy theories about why the US walked away from the Moon after only a handful of landings.

In recent years, promises of transparency on UFOs and so‑called UAPs from Washington have only added more noise. Declassified Pentagon documents, splashy disclosure speeches and old presidential hints about 'what's really out there' have made fertile ground for stories that mix hard science with, frankly, pretty wild speculation.

{ https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/trending }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:42 Stuur door

Alien Missile Found on Mars? UFO Researchers Claim NASA Rover Image Uncovers Extraterrestrial War

Alien Missile Found on Mars? UFO Researchers Claim NASA Rover Image Uncovers Extraterrestrial War

Controversial claims of an 'alien missile' on Mars gain traction online, despite NASA's scientific explanations.

Mars Rover

A NASA Mars image has reignited claims of an alien missile and ancient war, but scientists point to natural geology and pareidolia. 

PHOTO By

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16764.html / wikimedia commons

A resurfaced image captured by NASA's Curiosity rover inside Gale Crater on Mars has prompted renewed speculation online after a UFO researcher claimed it shows an 'alien missile' embedded in the Martian surface.

The claim was made by Scott C Waring, who operates the website UFO Sightings Daily. Waring argues the object is an unexploded extraterrestrial weapon left behind following an ancient conflict on Mars.

NASA has not identified the object as an artificial structure or weapon, and there is no scientific evidence supporting Waring's interpretation.

Curiosity has explored Gale Crater since landing on Mars in 2012, returning thousands of images used by scientists to study the planet's geology and ancient environmental conditions.

UFO Researcher Claims Object Is Ancient Weapon

The image circulating online appears to show a long, narrow object protruding from rocky terrain.

According to Waring, the feature resembles a missile measuring just over eight feet in length.

He further speculated that the object could be evidence of an advanced civilisation that once existed on Mars and was destroyed during an ancient conflict.

Waring also suggested such technology would be of interest to governments seeking advanced weapons.

Those claims are entirely speculative and are not supported by NASA or by any published scientific research.

NASA Has Consistently Rejected Similar Interpretations

Although NASA has not commented specifically on the latest image, the agency has repeatedly explained that similar viral claims involving Mars photographs are typically examples of pareidolia.

Pareidolia is the tendency for the human brain to recognise familiar objects or patterns in random shapes, such as seeing faces in clouds or animals in rock formations.

Because Mars contains billions of years of fractured rock, erosion and sedimentary formations, unusual-looking features are common in rover photographs.

Scientists generally caution against drawing conclusions about artificial structures based solely on visual appearance.

Curiosity images have repeatedly generated speculation about alleged alien artefacts.

In 2022, photographs of a feature nicknamed the "Mars doorway" circulated widely online.

NASA later explained that the formation was a naturally occurring fracture in bedrock measuring approximately 12 inches high and 16 inches wide, created through geological processes similar to those found on Earth.

The agency stated at the time that such fractures are common and do not indicate the presence of artificial structures.

Waring has continued to interpret similar formations as possible evidence of intelligent design, including recent claims involving what he described as a carved entrance to an underground dwelling.

Those interpretations have not been accepted by the scientific community.

Curiosity's Mission

The latest image has attracted discussion across social media platforms, where users have offered a range of interpretations.

Some suggested the object resembles a crashed spacecraft or manufactured device, while others argued it is simply an unusually shaped rock.

One user described the feature as looking like a broken aircraft, while another commented that it 'would be cool' if it proved to be a crashed alien craft.

Others dismissed the theory entirely, saying the image showed nothing more than a natural geological formation.

Curiosity's primary mission is to investigate whether Mars once possessed environmental conditions capable of supporting microbial life.

The rover studies rock layers, soil composition and atmospheric conditions rather than searching for advanced civilisations or technological artefacts.

Over more than a decade on Mars, Curiosity has produced significant evidence that parts of the planet once contained liquid water and environments potentially suitable for microscopic life billions of years ago.

However, neither Curiosity nor any other Mars mission has produced evidence confirming the existence of extraterrestrial technology or ancient Martian civilisation.

Without additional scientific evidence, the object highlighted by Waring remains an unusual rock formation whose appearance has prompted online speculation rather than a verified archaeological or technological discovery.


Mysteries on Mars | NASA's Unexplained Files | Science Channel

{ https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/trending }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:15 Stuur door

NASA Mars rover finds alien missile, proof of ancient war. UFO UAP sighting news. 👽

NASA Mars rover finds alien missile, proof of ancient war. UFO UAP sighting news. 👽

UAP_Mars.png
 
Date of discovery: July 26, 2026
Location of sighting: Mars 
Source: 
Guys, this is a unexploded missile laying on the surface of Mars just meter from the NASA rover. This is undeniable proof that there was a huge war on Mars long ago that killed not only the enemy, but most living things on the surface of Mars. 
 
Its no wonder NASA didn't say anything about it. Its a matter of US national security and might be dangerous if some other nation gets hold of it. 
 
At just over two and half meters, this alien tech is very revealing and is just what most governments want the most...new weapons. But...who will get to it first? And...what kind of weapon is it? Not that we need any new weapons at all, but someone somewhere is going to get their greedy little hands on it soon. 
Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily 

Mars_UAP.png

Mars rover finds alien missile, proof of ancient war. UFO UAP paranormal astronomy science news. 👽

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:57 Stuur door

Mysterious object in NASA Mars photo ignites theories of extraterrestrial life on the Red Planet

Mysterious object in NASA Mars photo ignites theories of extraterrestrial life on the Red Planet

NASA's Curiosity rover has captured countless strange-looking rocks during its years exploring Mars.

Now, one resurfaced image is fueling extraordinary claims that the Red Planet was once the site of an alien war. 

UFO researcher Scott C Waring shared a photo taken by the rover that appears to show what he believes is an unexploded 'alien missile' lying on the Martian surface.

He argued the object is evidence of an ancient conflict that wiped out a once-thriving civilization, claiming space agencies have remained silent because of its potential military significance. 

Waring even speculated the mysterious object could represent advanced extraterrestrial weapon technology that governments would rush to obtain if it were ever recovered. 

The remarkable claims, however, are not supported by NASA, which has offered no indication that the object is anything other than a naturally occurring rock formation.

Scientists have long noted that Mars is shaped by billions of years of volcanic activity, meteorite impacts and relentless wind erosion, processes capable of sculpting rocks into surprisingly artificial-looking shapes. 

Similar discoveries have repeatedly sparked claims of alien artifacts on the Red Planet before later being explained as examples of pareidolia, the human tendency to see familiar objects and patterns where none actually exist. 

A UFO researcher shared a photo taken by the Curiosity rover that appears to show what he believes is an unexploded 'alien missile' lying on the Martian surface

A UFO researcher shared a photo taken by the Curiosity rover that appears to show what he believes is an unexploded 'alien missile' lying on the Martian surface

Still, the peculiar shape has reignited debate online, with believers convinced Curiosity has stumbled across the remnants of an extraterrestrial battlefield while skeptics see little more than another Martian rock. 

NASA has also maintained that it has no evidence of extraterrestrial life and has yet to find any signs of current or past life on Mars.

However, Waring estimated the object measures just over eight feet long and speculated it could be an intact piece of extraterrestrial technology. 

He claimed such a discovery would be highly sought after by governments hoping to study advanced weapons, while wondering who might reach it first and what purpose it may have served. 

Waring offered no evidence to support those claims, and NASA has not identified the object as anything other than part of the Martian landscape. 

While the UFO researcher suggested the object is a remnant of an alien missile, others suggested it could be a crashed extraterrestrial ship.

Another Facebook user who shared the image argued that the object appears long and narrow, with what they described as two compartments. 

They speculated that one compartment looked empty while the other seemed to contain 'packages,' adding that what appeared to be wings may have broken off in a crash, leading them to conclude it was 'most likely' some type of aircraft. 

Another image taken by NASA's Curiosity rover sparked claims of a long-lost civilization as a formation in the distance appears to have a 'doorway'

Another image taken by NASA's Curiosity rover sparked claims of a long-lost civilization as a formation in the distance appears to have a 'doorway' 

article image

Another user commented: 'Would be cool if it actually was a crashed ship?' 

Earlier this month, Waring shared another mysterious Mars photo he claimed showed a dwelling on the Red Planet.

The discovery was made in a panorama taken by Curiosity last month inside Gale Crater, the 96-mile-wide impact basin that has been the rover's home since landing on Mars in 2012.

Among the dusty landscape, some have pointed to a formation in the distance that they say resembles a structure with a doorway, similar to an early human dwelling.

'What looks like cut boulders is actually clay-type walls and an entrance way made by intelligent beings who needed protection from the elements. We had them on Earth long ago, and they had them on Mars long ago,' Waring said.

NASA has not commented on the latest claims, but the agency previously addressed similar speculation after Curiosity photographed a door-like feature in 2022.

NASA has not commented on the latest claims, but the agency previously addressed similar speculation after Curiosity photographed a door-like feature in 2022

NASA has not commented on the latest claims, but the agency previously addressed similar speculation after Curiosity photographed a door-like feature in 2022

'The mound, on Mount Sharp, has a number of naturally occurring open fractures – including one roughly 12 inches (30 centimeters) tall and 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide, similar in size to a dog door,' NASA said at the time.

'These kinds of open fractures are common in bedrock, both on Earth and on Mars.'

While Waring is sure Curiosity spotted a hidden doorway on the Martian landscape, others believe otherwise.

'Nah, just a rock formation. I definitely think it's possible that entrances could be there, but this just looks like a shadow,' one X user commented on his post.

However, Waring said: 'Chances of intelligent beings creating this structure... 100 percent.'

Curiosity rover is a car-sized, nuclear-powered robot searching for signs of life and learning about the Red Planet's unique environment.

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:47 Stuur door

Ocean explorer tracks down terrifying 'alien' sharks that can clone themselves lurking off US shores

Ocean explorer tracks down terrifying 'alien' sharks that can clone themselves lurking off US shores

An ocean adventurer has tracked down four of the most bizarre sharks living around the US that even experts describe as 'alien creatures.'

Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante said the US is home to one of the most diverse shark populations on Earth. There are over 100 different species living around the country, from tiny lantern sharks to larger predators the size of a bus.

In a new special for Discovery's annual Shark Week airing Wednesday at 10pm ET, the researcher traveled from Southern California to the Gulf Coast, to the Florida Keys and finally to New England in search of the rarest and strangest species on Earth.

His hunt started with the California swell shark, a predator that can inflate itself like a balloon and glows in the dark.

Galante then pursued a bizarre member of the hammerhead family in Louisiana, the bonnethead shark, which is said to be able to clone itself.

In the nearby Florida Keys, the adventurer chased after the nearly extinct small-toothed sawfish, which has a roughly three-foot beak that looks like a motorized chainsaw.

His nationwide alien hunt then took him to Cape Cod, where the basking shark, a gentle giant described as the size of a spaceship, lives quietly for decades.

However, Galante's first stop, in his native Southern California, provided the biggest challenge, locating the elusive swell shark at the bottom of the Pacific.

A California swell shark glows in the dark near Sanata Cruz Island

A California swell shark glows in the dark near Sanata Cruz Island

The Swell shark has eyes like a cat's that allow it to see at night

The Swell shark has eyes like a cat's that allow it to see at night

The swell shark's unique eyes give it night vision and, as its name would suggest, they can swell its body up to twice its normal size to scare off predators.

However, researchers have discovered an even more amazing ability of the swell shark - it glows in the dark.

While some swell sharks have been found at depths of up to 1,500 feet, the species is believed to prefer swimming in shallower waters, meaning humans can actually catch these 'alien' sharks while fishing.

Moreover, while many shark species need to keep moving in order to breathe, the swell shark can sit on the ocean floor and use a technique called buccal pumping to draw water into its mouth and push it over their gills using cheek and throat muscles.

This allows the elusive shark to hide in rocky caves for hours at a time.

After failing to spot the shark near the warm waters outside Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and on a fishing trip to Santa Barbara, Galante headed for California's Channel Islands, an eight-island archipelago where a wealth of different species live, including sharks, seals and humpback whales.

After diving into the water near the largest of the Channel Islands, Santa Cruz Island, Galante almost immediately found an amber-colored pouch about the size of a hand.

'This is the live egg case of a swell shark. Inside here is a living baby swell shark,' Galante explained, noting that the pouches will sit on the ocean floor for between nine and 12 months before hatching.

Galante discovered a swell shark's egg, which looks like a large leather pouch

Galante discovered a swell shark's egg, which looks like a large leather pouch

The California swell shark is harmless to humans and feeds on small fish

The California swell shark is harmless to humans and feeds on small fish

Moments later, the explorer found an adult swell shark hiding in a rocky cave along the ocean floor.

Galante pointed out the loose belly skin, which gives the swell shark its ability to grow in size and wedge itself in the rocks to prevent predators from pulling it out and killing it.

'They'll curl into a ball and wedge themselves in with that big, fat, inflatable belly. They're basically the puffer fish of the shark kingdom,' he said.

As Galante and his camera team turned off their lights, the alien-like shark lit up with its bioluminescent ability, glowing on its own in the Pacific waters.

The adventurer noted that scientists believe swell sharks use the protein in their skin to glow, and that the light is a form of communication in areas of the ocean where there is little light.

'It looked like something from another planet. Truly one of the most amazing alien shark species I have ever seen. It was an extraterrestrial dream come true.'

The bonnethead shark is a member of the hammerhead family but looks like a shovel

The bonnethead shark is a member of the hammerhead family but looks like a shovel

Pictured: Forrest Galante holds a bonnethead shark. A bonnethead female can clone itself using a process called parthenogenesis

Pictured: Forrest Galante holds a bonnethead shark. A bonnethead female can clone itself using a process called parthenogenesis

Next, Galante's expedition took him to the protected waters along the Gulf Coast, searching for the bonnethead, a three-foot-long member of the hammerhead shark family.

Unlike the classic variety of this species, this creature has a head shaped like a shovel. The bonnethead is also believed to be the only shark in the world that eats both meat and plants.

Since the endangered bonnethead mainly eats crustaceans, Galante and his camera crew used a Cajun seafood bowl as bait to lure one close to shore along the Louisiana coast.

'These are hands down one of the most alien shark species that we have here in North America.'

The sharks are one of the only known sharks in the entire world to conduct parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction where female sharks can develop an embryo from an unfertilized egg cell without needing sperm from males.

'It would be an exact genetic clone of this beautiful animal. Truly one of North America's weirdest sharks that can clone itself. How bizarrely strange is that?'

The small toothed sawfish is nearly extinct, with one of its last major habitats being the Florida Keys

The small toothed sawfish is nearly extinct, with one of its last major habitats being the Florida Keys

Pictured: Galante examines the saw-like bill of a sawfish captured and tagged by conservationists

Pictured: Galante examines the saw-like bill of a sawfish captured and tagged by conservationists

Moving on to the southern tip of Florida, Galante went searching for the nearly extinct small-toothed sawfish, which has seen 95 percent of its global population wiped out - largely by disease and coastal development.

The elusive sawfish, which has a long bill that looks just like a motorized chainsaw, is believed to be living along the Florida Keys, with less than 1,000 remaining.

Teaming with shark experts in the Florida area who tag and release local species, Galante's hunt resulted in researchers actually finding a 13-foot-long small-toothed sawfish that had already been tagged in the past.

'Whenever you capture data on an animal like this is actually more valuable, potentially, than catching one for the first time because that'll tell us what has changed since the last time they caught this creature,' he explained.

'This is a huge win scientifically for an animal that is creeping towards extinction.'

Galante noted that the strange saw-like nose contains tiny, gel-filled sacks with air inside which vibrate. Those vibrations help the shark detect objects in the murky waters near the Florida coast.

'Tell me that's not an alien. It felt like a spaceship with a chainsaw on its face.'

A basking shark measuring nearly 30 feet swims near Cape Cod

A basking shark measuring nearly 30 feet swims near Cape Cod

Pictured: Galante approaches a basking shark, which is called a filter feeder that consumes plankton

Pictured: Galante approaches a basking shark, which is called a filter feeder that consumes plankton

Galante's final search took him to the cold waters of New England to hunt for an 'alien' giant in Cape Cod Bay - an area known for a resurgence of great white sharks.

However, Galante set out in search of the basking shark, a creature that can grow to nearly 30 feet in length - twice the size of a great white.

This enormous creature is a filter feeder, dining on plankton near the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

Using a local pilot and a drone from the air, Galante and his team spotted a basking shark near Cape Cod, which was so massive the drone's sensors mistook it for a moving vehicle.

According to Galante, this particular basking shark was likely over 30 years old and was covered in scars, suggesting many difficult migration trips along the US East Coast.

'That shark is one of the most unbelievably alien, bizarre, weird, incredible sharks. A giant filter feeder swimming through like a spaceship.'

RELATED


Diving With THOUSANDS Of Sharks!? | Alien Sharks: Untamed America | Shark Week

Alien Shark Discovered During Shark Week Filming | Updated

The STRANGEST Deep Sea Shark Species🦈🧬 Alien Sharks | Shark Week | Discovery

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:18 Stuur door

This Woman Claimed the First Humans Were Androgynous Beings from Lemuria, Which She Believed Came Before Atlantis and Was Humanity’s First Home

Helena Blavatsky

This Woman Claimed the First Humans Were Androgynous Beings from Lemuria, Which She Believed Came Before Atlantis and Was Humanity’s First Home

 

This woman claimed Lemuria came first: a vast continent in the Pacific that served as the birthplace of the Third “Root Race.” These weren’t modern humans. She described them as androgynous, psychic beings that reproduced by laying eggs before biological sex, as we know it, even existed.

According to 19th-century occultist Helena Blavatsky, Atlantis wasn’t humanity’s beginning. It was the aftermath. She lived from 1831 to 1891 and became a major figure in modern Western occultism. In 1875, she helped establish the Society in New York with Henry Steel Olcott, William Quan Judge, and others.

Blavatsky argued that the world’s religions came from an older hidden wisdom preserved by advanced teachers called Masters or Mahatma

Her writing combined Hindu and Buddhist ideas with Western esotericism, Neoplatonism, spiritualism, contemporary science, and her own cosmic history. Supporters saw her as a restorer of ancient wisdom. Critics accused her of invention, fraud, and borrowing. Her influence is not in doubt.

Atlantis Before Blavatsky

Plato described a powerful island empire beyond the Pillars of Hercules, usually identified with the Strait of Gibraltar. The island was said to be larger than Libya and Asia Minor combined. Its rulers commanded a strong navy and tried to conquer lands around the Mediterranean.

Helena Blavatsky Helena Blavatsky

In Plato’s story, Atlantis attacked ancient Athens about nine thousand years before the dialogue’s supposed conversation. Athens defeated it. Soon afterward, earthquakes and floods destroyed the island.

Plato said the account passed through Egyptian priests to the lawgiver Solon, but no matching Egyptian record has been found. Many scholars therefore read Atlantis as a philosophical story about power, pride, moral decay, and punishment rather than a reliable report about a prehistoric empire.

This moral structure was important for Blavatsky. Plato’s Atlantis fell after political ambition and ethical decline. Blavatsky expanded that pattern.

In her version, Atlantis was a real ancient civilization with great knowledge and psychic abilities. It fell because many inhabitants became selfish, corrupt, and willing to misuse their powers.

How Blavatsky Changed Lemuria

Blavatsky took the scientific name and gave it a completely new meaning. In The Secret Doctrine, Lemuria became the home of the Third Root Race of humanity. Atlantis became the home of the Fourth Root Race.

These “Root Races” were not simply ethnic groups in the modern sense. They were vast stages in a spiritual and physical evolution that, according to Blavatsky, unfolded over immense periods.

Each stage had its own form of humanity, its own continent, and its own role in the growth of consciousness. Blavatsky’s system included seven Root Races in total.

Blavatsky’s language about race came from the nineteenth century and is deeply problematic today. Her system sometimes mixed spiritual rank, physical development, continents, and living peoples in ways that created racial hierarchies.

Later occult movements developed some of these ideas in more openly racist directions. It is therefore important to understand “Root Race” as a historical Theosophical term. It is not a scientific category or an acceptable modern description of human differences.

The First Root Races

In Blavatsky’s system, the first two Root Races were not physical humans like us. They were shadowy or subtle beings.

The First Root Race was described as nonphysical and lacking ordinary self-consciousness. These beings did not have solid bodies, bones, or separate sexes. They were closer to spiritual forms than physical organisms.

The Second Root Race was denser but still not fully material. Blavatsky called these beings “boneless” because they had not yet developed complete physical bodies.

These early beings did not reproduce in the familiar human way. The story uses images of division, budding, expansion, and forms produced from subtle bodies.

These claims are part of Blavatsky’s esoteric mythology. They are not supported by biology, archaeology, or the fossil record. Even within Theosophy, they are presented through symbols and allegorical language.

Lemuria and the Third Root Race

Blavatsky described early Lemurians as huge, partly material beings. Over time, they became more solid and developed bones and physical organs. They were first presented as sexless or hermaphroditic. This meant that male and female were not yet separate biological forms

Later, according to Blavatsky, they reproduced through eggs. Eventually, one sex began to dominate in each body. Distinct men and women appeared, and reproduction became sexual.

Blavatsky imagined Lemuria as the cradle of humanity, inhabited by egg-laying hermaphrodites who lived in psychic harmony. Physical human bodies and the division into male and female appeared when higher beings descended into earthly life. This is a simplified version of a much more complicated story in The Secret Doctrine.

In the longer Theosophical account, celestial beings help guide evolution. Some provide the early patterns from which bodies develop. Others awaken mind and self-consciousness. The human form is therefore not presented as the result of biological evolution alone. It is part of a spiritual drama in which souls, subtle bodies, nature, and higher intelligences work together.

The Awakening of the Human Mind

One important moment is the awakening of mind. Theosophical writers describe beings called the Sons of Wisdom or Lords of Flame stimulating early human forms. This gives humanity true self-awareness. Before it, the Lemurians are alive but lack developed reflective thought. After it, they can recognize themselves, build civilization, and make moral choices.

Some of these higher beings were said to have entered human bodies directly. Others supposedly sent part of their spiritual intelligence into early humans.
In Blavatsky’s account, not all of them acted at the same time. Some delayed because they believed the early bodies were too primitive. Their refusal caused serious problems and became part of what Blavatsky called the “sin of the mindless.”

This entire episode is presented as an explanation for differences in human spiritual and intellectual development. Souls were said to have reached different stages before entering physical humanity.

This is where Blavatsky’s Lemuria becomes more than a strange creation story. It becomes her explanation for the human condition. People are physical animals, but they also contain mind and spirit. The Lemurian age represents the difficult joining of these levels.

It explains why human beings can be instinctive and violent while also being intelligent, creative, morally responsible, and capable of spiritual insight.

Where Blavatsky Placed Lemuria

Blavatsky placed Lemuria across a huge region. Her description stretched from areas near Madagascar and the Indian Ocean toward Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka, as well as Sumatra, Australia, and the Pacific.

She did not describe Lemuria as one small island. It was an enormous continent that changed shape during its long history. According to her account, most of the continent eventually disappeared. Islands and scattered areas of land were supposed to be its surviving mountain peaks and fragments.

A modern Theosophical account says that the first large Lemurian cities arose in a region associated with present-day Madagascar.

The later Lemurians were said to have received instruction from divine rulers. These teachers showed them how to survive in a changing physical world. They learned practical skills, science, building, mathematics, astronomy, and the arts. Theosophical sources describe cities made from stone, lava, metals, marble, and other materials.

This civilization did not appear instantly. It developed after humanity became physical, gained self-consciousness, and faced a world with changing seasons and harsher conditions.

Blavatsky claimed that Lemurians once enjoyed a natural spiritual awareness. They communicated partly through direct mental contact and felt a strong connection with nature and the divine.

As human intelligence developed, this innocent unity gradually disappeared. Humanity gained individual thought but also became more capable of selfishness, conflict, and error.

Intelliblog: LEMURES, LEMURS & LEMURIA

Reptilian Lemurians and Later Stories

There are other esoteric pictures of Lemurians. Some modern traditions describe them as large reptilian humanoids with telepathy and advanced technology. These ideas should not all be placed directly in Blavatsky’s mouth. They belong to a wider body of occult and New Age storytelling that grew around Lemuria.

Blavatsky supplied a powerful basic framework. Some later versions describe Lemurians as gentle spiritual beings living in harmony with the Earth. Others describe them as giants, reptiles, extraterrestrials, or hidden masters.

How Lemuria Was Destroyed

In Blavatsky’s history, Lemuria was older than Atlantis. The destruction of Lemuria prepared the way for the Atlantean period.

Theosophical tradition often contrasts the ways the two continents were destroyed. Lemuria was associated mainly with fire, volcanic activity, and underground forces. Atlantis was destroyed mainly by water. These disasters were not always imagined as single events occurring in one night. Continents could break apart through several upheavals over long periods.

Large sections of Lemuria were supposedly destroyed by volcanic eruptions and geological changes. The remaining people migrated to other lands or became part of later human populations.

Again, this is an occult narrative. Modern geology does not support the existence of a continent of this kind beneath the Indian or Pacific Ocean.

Atlantis and the Fourth Root Race

Atlantis belonged to Blavatsky’s Fourth Root Race. Its people were more physically developed and more intellectual than the Lemurians. They built large societies and possessed knowledge that later ages supposedly lost. Blavatsky helped popularize the modern image of Atlantis as a technically advanced civilization rather than simply a wealthy ancient kingdom.

Atlantis lay in the Atlantic Ocean and sank around 11,500 years ago. This date resembles the traditional date calculated from Plato’s claim that Atlantis fell nine thousand years before Solon.
For Blavatsky, the real tragedy of Atlantis was spiritual failure. The Atlanteans had access to psychic power, secret knowledge, and advanced abilities. Their rulers were originally connected with divine wisdom.

Read also:

Over time, however, many Atlanteans used their knowledge for personal power and control. Their technical and psychic skills grew while their moral responsibility weakened. Atlantis became a warning that intelligence without ethics can destroy a civilization.

This theme explains why Atlantis remained attractive to later spiritual writers. It could be used to discuss modern fears about science, weapons, political power, and technology.

A society may become brilliant at engineering, communication, warfare, or controlling nature while remaining emotionally and morally immature. Atlantis then becomes a mirror rather than an archaeological claim. Its sinking represents the collapse that follows when human ability grows faster than human wisdom.

The Survivors of Atlantis

Blavatsky also wrote that not every Atlantean died. Groups of survivors escaped and carried their knowledge to other parts of the world. Atlantean survivors formed new societies in Egypt and the Americas. This idea became common in later alternative history.

It has been used to explain pyramids, monumental architecture, ancient myths, and similarities between distant cultures.

Mainstream archaeology does not accept a lost Atlantean parent civilization as the source of Egyptian or American civilizations. These societies developed within their own historical and cultural settings.

The survivor story serves an important purpose inside Theosophy. It allows wisdom to pass from one world age to another.

A continent may vanish, but part of its knowledge remains hidden in symbols, temples, religious traditions, initiation ceremonies, and secret schools. Blavatsky believed that ancient teachings had been scattered and disguised. Her own work claimed to reconnect these fragments with their original source.

Atlantis and Lemuria as Higher Dimensions

Some believers treat them as higher-dimensional realms or states of consciousness. They connect the lost continents with the fourth and fifth dimensions, higher vibrations, unity, telepathy, healing, and expanded awareness.

Lemuria is often linked with harmony, emotional openness, connection with nature, healing, and group consciousness. Atlantis is linked with knowledge, mental power, spiritual technology, and the danger of using such power irresponsibly.

According to this interpretation, humanity once had access to higher states of awareness. As people became more focused on matter, individual identity, and separation, they lost the ability to perceive these realms. Atlantis and Lemuria did not simply sink under water. They moved beyond ordinary human awareness, or humanity fell away from the level on which they could be experienced.
Why Blavatsky’s Ideas Still Matter

The lack of scientific evidence does not make Blavatsky’s ideas historically unimportant. She changed the popular imagination. She helped turn Atlantis into the model of a lost high-technology civilization and Lemuria into a spiritual homeland of early humanity.

Later occultists, New Age teachers, channelers, novelists, and alternative historians continued to reshape these stories. Her version also survives because it deals with lasting questions.

Where did consciousness come from? Is technological progress the same as human progress? Can a civilization destroy itself through arrogance? Does knowledge survive the fall of cultures? Are myths memories, symbols, or inventions?

Blavatsky answered these questions with an immense hidden history. Most scholars and scientists reject that history as fact, but its symbols still speak to many people.

Atlantis began as Plato’s story about a powerful society brought down by pride. Lemuria began as a scientific guess about animal geography. Blavatsky transformed both into chapters of spiritual evolution. Modern New Age belief then moved them into higher dimensions and personal healing.

Helena Blavatsky’s importance lies less in proving that lost continents existed than in showing how flexible such stories can be. She gathered philosophy, religion, science, myth, and occultism into one dramatic vision. In that vision, humanity rises, falls, forgets, and begins again.

RELATED


Before Atlantis… There Was Lemuria: The First Civilization Mystery

What Did Ancient Lemuria Actually Look Like (The First Civilization?)

The Watchers Were Real? Shocking Past-Life Memories, Atlantis, Lemuria & Humanity's Hidden Origins

Lemuria: The Lost Civilization Before Atlantis

{ https://howandwhys.com/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 23:32 Stuur door

Authentic UFO photos from long before the era of AI-generated UFO images

Authentic UFO photos from long before the era of AI-generated UFO images

In an era where AI-generated UFO images are making it increasingly difficult to distinguish genuine photographs from fabricated ones, many people are left wondering what is real. Here are some of the oldest and most discussed authentic UFO photographs, captured long before AI image-generation tools existed. 
1.The McMinnville (Trent) UFO Photograph (1950) 
These are the famous McMinnville UFO photographs, taken by Paul Trent on May 11, 1950, near McMinnville, Oregon, USA. 
The%20McMinnville%20(Trent)%20UFO%20Photographs%20(1950).jpg

While outside on the family farm, Evelyn Trent spotted a metallic-looking object in the sky and called her husband, Paul, who quickly grabbed his Kodak camera. He managed to take two photographs about 30 seconds apart before the object disappeared over the horizon. 
2. The Salem Coast Guard UFO Photograph (1952) 
This famous photograph was taken on July 16, 1952, by Shell R. Alpert, a 21-year-old U.S. Coast Guard photographer stationed at the Coast Guard Air Station in Salem, Massachusetts. 
The%20Salem%20Coast%20Guard%20UFO%20Photograph%20(1952).jpg

The image shows four bright, elliptical objects flying in a loose "V" formation above nearby smokestacks. Alpert reported seeing the objects with his own eyes before photographing them, and another Coast Guardsman, Thomas Flaherty, also witnessed the event.  
3. The Lake Cote (Costa Rica) UFO Photograph (1971)  
Taken on September 4, 1971, this image is widely regarded as one of the highest-quality UFO photographs ever captured. 
The%20Lake%20Cote%20(Costa%20Rica)%20UFO%20Photograph%20(1971).jpg

The photograph was taken by Sergio Loaiza of Costa Rica's National Geographic Institute (Instituto Geográfico Nacional) during an aerial mapping survey for a hydroelectric project. 
The aircraft was equipped with a 100-pound professional aerial mapping camera, mounted through the floor of the plane and operating automatically at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet (3,000 meters). The mysterious disc-shaped object appeared in only one frame of a sequence of photographs taken roughly every 13 seconds. 
4. The Calvine UFO Photograph (1990) 
The Calvine UFO photograph, taken on August 4, 1990, near Calvine, Perthshire, Scotland, is considered one of the most intriguing UFO images ever captured. 
The%20Calvine%20UFO%20Photograph%20(1990).jpg

According to two anonymous hikers, they witnessed a large diamond-shaped object hovering silently for several minutes while a military jet appeared nearby. They claimed the object suddenly accelerated straight upward and disappeared from sight.

RELATED


Insane UFO Encounters (Full Documentary) | Top 20 UFO Cases Of ALL TIME

1 Hour of Real UFO Sightings | Bizarre UAP Footage Caught On Camera

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:41 Stuur door

Earth's catastrophic cycle: Study reveals how our planet's biggest disasters strike every 27 million years – and it suggests we could be due one soon

Earth's catastrophic cycle: Study reveals how our planet's biggest disasters strike every 27 million years – and it suggests we could be due one soon

From devastating earthquakes to deadly asteroid impacts, our planet's biggest disasters have more in common than initially appears.

According to a new study, the most destructive events on Earth are based on a regular, hidden cycle.

Professor Michael Rampino, a geologist at New York University, says that disasters strike once roughly every 27 million years.

And his predictions suggest that we could be due for a cataclysm in the not–too–distant future.

In a new paper, Professor Rampino re–examines 89 geological events spanning the past 260 years using the latest age data and statistical techniques.

These events include marine mass extinctions, oceans suddenly being depleted of oxygen, vast chains of eruptions and earthquakes, fluctuations in sea levels, and changes in seafloor spreading rates.

According to his analysis, these events are connected by a main 27–million–year cycle – as well as shorter or longer patterns linking some types of event.

That means, despite having wildly different causes and effects, all of Earth's worst disasters could be triggered by a single, hidden planetary pulse.

Professor Michael Rampino, a geologist at New York University, says that disasters strike once roughly every 27 million years. This could mean Earth is due for a new disaster soon

Professor Michael Rampino, a geologist at New York University, says that disasters strike once roughly every 27 million years. This could mean Earth is due for a new disaster soon 

The idea that Earth's geological upheavals follow a regular pattern dates back to the 1980s.

The concept has proven extremely controversial, with many geologists arguing that there is no single mechanism that could connect such disparate events.

However, Professor Rampino remains adamant that there really is something deeper behind all of the mass extinction events.

In his paper, published in the journal Evolving Earth, Professor Rampino writes: 'While these ideas are still mostly outside the mainstream of current geological thinking, they could be the first steps in an important conceptual breakthrough in the Earth sciences.'

Alongside the main 27–million–year cycle, there are shorter mini–cycles, connecting some events every 8.9 million years.

Some disasters also appear to be connected by an even longer interval, up to 270 million years apart.

According to Professor Rampino, these events could be connected by nearly imperceptible shifts taking place deep within the Earth.

Beneath the outer layer of the crust, the Earth's semi–liquid mantle circulates at an incredibly slow rate through convection.

In a new study, Professor Rampino analysed 89 geological disasters and mass extinction events, revealing what he believes to be a deeper cycle

In a new study, Professor Rampino analysed 89 geological disasters and mass extinction events, revealing what he believes to be a deeper cycle 

If there are periodic changes in this circulation, it could trigger huge increases in volcanic activity, plate tectonics, and other large–scale geological processes.

Since all of these systems are so closely interlinked, changes happening deep within the Earth could have deadly knock–on effects in the oceans, climate, and biosphere.

For example, Professor Rampino looked at the ages of continental flood basalts, areas of cooled lava covering thousands of square miles that are the result of massive volcanic eruptions.

Not only do the ages of these flood basalts match up almost exactly with his 27–million–year–cycle, but they also coincide with two of Earth's biggest mass extinction events.

Another alternative explanation is that long–term variations in Earth's orbit influence the distribution of ice, water, and sediments across the planet.

Professor Rampino suggests these could subtly alter the stresses in Earth's crust and influence volcanic and tectonic activity over millions of years.

At present, there is no direct evidence to support either mechanism as a cause of disasters.

However, the most intriguing explanation places the blame for these disasters on Earth's movements within the galaxy as a whole.

Geological upheavals appear to be connected by a main 27-million-year cycle, as well as shorter cycles of about 8.9 million years and longer ones lasting up to 290 million years

Geological upheavals appear to be connected by a main 27–million–year cycle, as well as shorter cycles of about 8.9 million years and longer ones lasting up to 290 million years

These cycles could be linked to long-term convection patterns inside the Earth's mantle, the semi-liquid layer beneath the crust

These cycles could be linked to long–term convection patterns inside the Earth's mantle, the semi–liquid layer beneath the crust 

Over millions of years, our solar system wobbles up and down across the plane of the Milky Way, crossing the centre–line every 30 million years.

Professor Rampino points out that the timing of these crossings aligns with major upheavals on Earth.

The gravity of nearby stars during this crossing could disturb comets out in the distant Oort cloud, making a devastating asteroid impact more likely.

Alternatively, as the Earth moves through the crowded galactic centre, it picks up some of the dark matter densely packed in this region.

These dark matter particles could collect in the Earth's core and annihilate each other, triggering a massive release of heat.

He writes: 'The great surge of heat released in this annihilation process could be up to 250 times the Earth's present internal heat flux, which could initiate an intense pulse of global geologic activity.

'Such a major global geologic disturbance would be predicted about every 30 My or so as the Solar System encountered dense clumps of dark matter near the Galactic mid–plane.'

Professor Rampino points out that nine of the Earth's 13 mass extinction events occur within 0.3 to six million years of crossing the galactic plane.

Join the discussion197 comments

Could Earth's biggest disasters follow a hidden cycle?

Alternatively, Professor Rampino believes the disasters could occur when the Earth cross the plane of the Milky Way galaxy once every 30 million years

Alternatively, Professor Rampino believes the disasters could occur when the Earth cross the plane of the Milky Way galaxy once every 30 million years 

article image

That could be particularly worrying news since Earth crossed the Galactic plane just three to four million years ago.

If this theory is correct, we could be due another disastrous geological upheaval anytime in the next two million years or so.

However, Professor Rampino admits that this is still a 'very controversial mechanism' and there is limited evidence to support its existence.

He added: 'We note that these results run counter to long–accepted interpretations of the nature of the geologic record, especially regarding a supposed lack of regular multi–million–year cycles in Earth's history.'

HOW THE DINOSAURS BECAME EXTINCT AROUND 66MILLION YEARS AGO

Dinosaurs ruled the Earth around 66million years ago, but suddenly disappeared in what is known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction.

It was believed for many years that the changing climate destroyed the food chain of the huge reptiles. 

However, in the 1980s paleontologists discovered a layer of iridium - an element that is rare on Earth but found in vast quantities in space.  

When this was dated, it coincided precisely with when the dinosaurs disappeared from the fossil record. 

A decade later, scientists uncovered the massive Chicxulub Crater at the tip of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, which dates to the period in question. 

Scientific consensus now says that these two factors are linked and they were both probably caused by an enormous asteroid crashing to Earth.

With the projected size and impact velocity, the collision would have caused an enormous shock wave and is likely to have triggered seismic activity. 

The fallout would have created plumes of ash thought to have covered the whole planet, making it impossible for dinosaurs to survive. 

Other animals and plant species had a shorter time-span between generations which allowed them to survive.

There are several other theories as to what caused the demise of the dinos. 

One early theory was that small mammals ate dinosaur eggs and another proposes that toxic angiosperms (flowering plants) killed them off.  


Extinction Events on Earth Happen Every 27 Million Years: Earth's Heartbeat

10 prehistoric Disasters That Almost Ended Everything on Earth

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:46 Stuur door

Monster fire breaks out near Area 51 sparking theories of secret weapon testing

Monster fire breaks out near Area 51 sparking theories of secret weapon testing

A massive fire has broken out near the highly classified Area 51 base in Nevada, sparking theories that a secret weapon was recently tested.

The blaze, dubbed the Quail Springs Fire, sparked on Saturday and has since burned through more than 4,400 acres. 

The fire is located in Lincoln County, Nevada, just south of Rachel, burning near Bald Mountain on the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) withdrawn lands.

As of Monday, zero percent of the wildfire is contained as it spreads within the Nevada Test and Training Range, a military training area restricted to the public.

While officials said the fire was started by lightning, online users believe something more sinister is at play. Commenting on a livestream showing the blaze outside of Area 51, many people suggested a secret weapon was to blame.

'I don't want to be that guy, but I wonder if they're testing DEW (Directed Energy Weapons), and this is the result of such,' one viewer shared, referring to advanced systems that use lasers, high-power microwaves or particle beams to destroy targets.

Another commented, 'Maybe they tested a new dumb weapon and blew themselves up lol,' while another suggested the fire was to 'burn the evidence' of aliens.

Area 51 has become a cultural phenomenon thanks to decades of conspiracy theories connecting the base to UFOs, aliens and experimental aircraft testing.

YouTuber Dreamland Resort captured footage of the fire, showing columns of smoke around Bald Mountain, the highest peak in the Groom Range, located directly inside the restricted military zone of Area 51

YouTuber Dreamland Resort captured footage of the fire, showing columns of smoke around Bald Mountain, the highest peak in the Groom Range, located directly inside the restricted military zone of Area 51

Officials noted that no evacuations have been ordered, and no structures are threatened. 

They also said no residences or public spaces are currently threatened.

YouTuber Dreamland Resort captured footage of the fire, showing columns of smoke around Bald Mountain, the highest peak in the Groom Range, located directly inside the restricted military zone of Area 51.

The fire is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense, which is listed as the landowner for Area 51 and surrounding regions. 

'The Quail Springs Fire experienced moderate growth, primarily due to winds, high temperatures, and low relative humidity,' according to officials with the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM), one of the agencies working to control the blaze. 

'Firefighters are utilizing a confine and contain strategy, rather than full suppression.' 

Twenty-six personnel are currently assigned to the fire under the direction of a Type 3 incident commander. 

Because the blaze is burning inside a restricted military training area, crews are working to contain it rather than attempting a direct attack.

Area 51 is a highly classified US Air Force facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range, approximately 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas

Area 51 is a highly classified US Air Force facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range, approximately 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas

The blaze, dubbed the Quail Springs Fire, sparked on Saturday and has since burned through more than 4,400 acres
The blaze, dubbed the Quail Springs Fire, sparked on Saturday and has since burned through more than 4,400 acres

Firefighters are also protecting specific buildings, infrastructure and other assets at risk.

BLM added that firefighters will continue to monitor the blaze as warm, dry weather and afternoon winds persist through Tuesday. 

Fire activity is expected to intensify each afternoon before easing overnight as temperatures fall and humidity rises.

Isolated thunderstorms could also produce sudden, erratic wind gusts that may rapidly spread the flames. No major change in the weather is currently forecast.

Area 51, established in 1955, remained largely unknown until 1989, when Robert Lazar claimed on TV that he worked at a secret site near Groom Lake, 'S-4,' studying alien technology and spacecraft.

As of Monday, zero percent of the wildfire is contained as it spreads within the Nevada Test and Training Range, a military training area restricted to the public

As of Monday, zero percent of the wildfire is contained as it spreads within the Nevada Test and Training Range, a military training area restricted to the public

While the remote US Air Force base in Nevada, approximately 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas, has kept a tight lid on its activities, the CIA finally lifted the lid in 2013, officially admitting Area 51's existence.

The agency declassified a more than 400-page report that detailed how testing its secret spy planes 'accounted for more than one-half of all UFO reports during the late 1950s and most of the 1960s.'

The U-2 spy and A-12 reconnaissance planes were being flown in the shadows of the desert amid the Cold War, but the extreme altitudes sparked fears of an alien invasion.

'High-altitude testing of the U-2 soon led to an unexpected side effect, a tremendous increase in reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs),' the report states.

'Once U-2s started flying at altitudes above 60,000 feet, air-traffic controllers began receiving increasing numbers of UFO reports.'

However, the CIA report does not mention Area 51's purpose after 1974.

RELATED


Area 51 Blaze Sparks “Secret Weapon” Testing Theory, Fuels Fresh “UFO” Speculation Online | VERTEX
Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:15 Stuur door

What really happened when the dinosaur–killing asteroid hit Earth: Worldwide fires incinerated most animals within HOURS – before a global winter wiped out any survivors, study finds

What really happened when the dinosaur–killing asteroid hit Earth: Worldwide fires incinerated most animals within HOURS – before a global winter wiped out any survivors, study finds

It's one of the most pivotal events in our history – but what really happened when the dinosaur–killing asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago?

For decades, scientists have debated the sequence of events. 

Some believe the asteroid impact itself wiped out the dinosaurs, while others are convinced another after–effect was to blame for their demise. 

Now, scientists from Purdue University claim to have settled the debate once and for all.

According to their research, a cloud of dust from the asteroid collision may have caused planetwide combustion – sparking devastating fires that burned most animals to death within hours.  

Any survivors would have then perished in a global winter, they say. 

'With the dust cloud trapping thermal radiation, it was like the surface and everything on it was being charbroiled,' explained Professor Brandon Johnson, lead author of the study. 

'And that's what killed the dinosaurs and all the other animals.'

For years, scientists have known about the Chicxulub asteroid – a six to nine–mile–wide space rock that smashed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago. 

However, until now, the sequence of events that followed has remained unclear. 

When the asteroid hit Earth, we know from geology and impact simulations that an enormous cloud of dust and rock vapor was thrown high into the air. 

Some of this rock vapor cooled and condensed into tiny rock droplets, known as spherules, which flew away from the impact crater, before falling back to the surface. 

Previous studies have suggested that these spherules were hot enough to burn animals without shelter – but not enough for plants to suddenly burst into flames. 

For this reason, many scientists have suggested the immediate effects of the collision were not to blame for the mass extinction. 

However, in their new study, the Purdue University team believe they've found a missing piece of the puzzle. 

Based on fresh evidence from layers of rock, they now believe some of the rock vapor did not condense to form spherules, and instead lingered in the air. 

According to their research, a cloud of dust from the asteroid collision may have caused planetwide combustion – sparking devastating fires that burned most animals to death within hours (pictured: a still from Netflix's 2026 hit, The Dinosaurs)

According to their research, a cloud of dust from the asteroid collision may have caused planetwide combustion – sparking devastating fires that burned most animals to death within hours (pictured: a still from Netflix's 2026 hit, The Dinosaurs)

What happened when the dinosaur–killing asteroid hit Earth

  1. Chicxulub asteroid measuring 6–9 miles wide smashes into the Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago
  2. An enormous cloud of dust and rock vapor is thrown high into the atmosphere
  3. Some rock vapor cools and condenses into tiny rock droplets called 'spherules' that fly away from the impact crater, then careen back to the surface
  4. A layer of fine dust lingers in the air, boosting Earth's retention and release of heat from the falling spherules
  5. Worldwide wildfires are ignited, burning most dinosaurs to a crisp within hours of the asteroid collision
  6. Dust clouds block warmth from the sun for decades, causing a global winter that starves any remaining dinosaurs to death

This 'dust blanket' would have made the surface 3.5 times warmer – making the spherules hot enough to not only kill the animals in their paths, but also to spark spontaneous forest fires. 

Professor Johnson explained: 'Without fine dust, this still wouldn't have been a good day for dinosaurs. It would have killed some off, but it probably wasn't enough to start many wildfires. 

'With the fine dust, the Cretaceous animals received 17 times the dose of thermal radiation that is 100% lethal to humans. 

'It was enough to ignite grass, pine needles, lichen and maybe even directly ignite wood.

'The clouds would have blocked daylight so to any animal, like humans, that don't see far into the infrared, the surface would have probably looked dark. 

'You would only have been able to see a reddish glow from the wildfires. 

'But there really wouldn't be anything alive to do the seeing anyway, except for any animal that was able to burrow or swim or shelter in some way, to find a way to survive. 

Not all the animals would have burned to death in the fires, according to the researchers. 

They point out that many would have choked to death on the smoke. 

Alexandria Johnson, one of the researchers who specialises in clouds, explained: 'Even if critters were to survive the charbroiling, they would likely have had lasting health effects from these particulates as well. 

'But when you look at the time scales of the cooking versus the inhalation risks, the cooking is much faster.'

So, what happened after these first few hours?  

According to the researchers, the dust blanket actually supports another popular theory – a global winter. 

article image

Once the spherules had finished falling and the fires had petered out, the dust would have blocked warmth from the sun for decades, leaving any remaining animals to starve to death.  

To verify these theories, the researchers now hope to find records of the global wildfires. 

Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, a paeleontologist at University College London, who was not involved with this study, said: 'It would be great to figure out which animals survived right at the impact and what their biological features were.

'This could finally tell us why some animals made it when others, like the dinosaurs, didn't.'

EARTH HAS HAD FIVE GREAT EXTINCTION EVENTS WITH THE MOST FAMOUS A DINOSAUR KILLING ASTEROID

Five times, a vast majority of the world's life has been snuffed out in what have been called mass extinctions.

End-Ordovician mass extinction
The first of the traditional big five extinction events, around 540 million years ago, was probably the second most severe. Virtually all life was in the sea at the time and around 85% of these species vanished.

Late Devonian mass extinction

About 375-359 million years ago, major environmental changes caused a drawn-out extinction event that wiped out major fish groups and stopped new coral reefs forming for 100 million years.

Five times, a vast majority of the world's life has been snuffed out in what have been called mass extinctions. The most famous may be the End-Cretaceous, which wiped out the dinosaurs. Artist's impression

Five times, a vast majority of the world's life has been snuffed out in what have been called mass extinctions. The most famous may be the End-Cretaceous, which wiped out the dinosaurs.

Artist's impression

End-Permian mass extinction (the Great Dying)
The largest extinction event and the one that affected the Earth's ecology most profoundly took place 252 million years ago. As much as 97% of species that leave a fossil record disappeared forever.

End-Triassic mass extinction
Dinosaurs first appeared in the Early Triassic, but large amphibians and mammal-like reptiles were the dominant land animals. The rapid mass extinction that occurred 201 million years ago changed that.

End-Cretaceous mass extinction

An asteroid slammed down on Earth 66 million years ago, and is often blamed for ending the reign of the dinosaurs.

RELATED VIDEOS

What Really Killed the Dinosaurs? | The 66 Million-Year-Old Mystery Finally Explained!

 The Day Dinosaurs Died | The Asteroid That Changed Earth Forever

Prehistoric Earth: The 30 Days After the Asteroid Impact | Full Documentary Movie

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:38 Stuur door

New science advisory council forms to help US government ‘resolve the UAP mystery’

New science advisory council forms to help US government ‘resolve the UAP mystery’

Theoretical physicist and Harvard University Professor Avi Loeb shared early details about the new UAP Science Advisory Council.
Abraham (Avi) Loeb is the Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University. (Photo by: Lotem Loeb, May 22, 2026; shared by Avi Loeb.)

Anew multidisciplinary team of expert researchers is assembling to supply scientific guidance to the U.S. government’s unidentified anomalous phenomena investigations and help agencies determine whether unexplained sightings pose national security threats or represent major new discoveries.  

Well-known theoretical physicist and Harvard University Professor of Science Avi Loeb announced he would be leading this new UAP Science Advisory Council, which he unveiled in a post online this week. 

Loeb and other officials involved in this work shared early details with DefenseScoop about the council’s vision and how it came together to support the Trump Administration’s new interagency UAP Governance Board.

“The [board], which will get advice from the science council as well as other committees, will assist in the timely coordination of declassification of UAP-related information, in accordance with Executive Order 13526, Classified National Security Information,” Loeb said, pointing to a presidential directive that establishes the uniform system for classifying, safeguarding, and declassifying NatSec records. “The goal of the council is to advise the U.S. government on how to resolve the nature of [UAP].” 

Federal agencies and the military have a long and complicated legacy dealing with technologies and craft that personnel have reported performing in ways that seem to defy or transcend modern capabilities. 

At a high level, the Defense Department’s teams set up to study UAP — the modern term for UFOs and transmedium objects — have taken different shapes over the years. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is the latest version. It was set up under the Biden administration in 2022 to fulfill a requirement in that year’s National Defense Authorization Act, following concerns from lawmakers that some UAP could be high-tech drones or other platforms developed by America’s enemies.

The office has issued multiple reports spotlighting the ever-expanding DOD portfolio of UAP investigations, and its insiders have maintained that they have found no evidence to confirm that any UAP cases involve extraterrestrial activity or technology to date. 

In February, President Donald Trump indicated that he would be directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other relevant departments and agencies to “begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, [UAP], and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”

So far, there were three batches of UAP files released on May 8, May 22, and June 12, 2026, via this initiative.

Loeb noted that the latest collection includes a new report that’s dated June 5, 2026, and signed by AARO’s Director Jon Kosloski. 

“The report mentions that during two days in October 2023 law enforcement officials noticed anomalous phenomena including an orange ‘mother’ orb launching smaller red orbs. About 40% of the reported phenomena lack a reasonable explanation and remain unresolved,” Loeb told DefenseScoop. “The civil duty of scientists like myself is to serve the U.S. government by interpreting existing data or recommending how to get new data that would resolve the nature of UAPs. This is a detective story that can be resolved with better data.”

The scientist confirmed that all of the data shared with the newly installed team will be unclassified. 

The UAP Science Advisory Council will report to a higher-level UAP Governance Board, which Loeb said will serve as an interagency body that can use each of its members’ capabilities and unique authorities to cohesively address national security threats posed by unexplained phenomena.

An ODNI official told DefenseScoop that the agency — alongside the FBI and DOD — established that new board “to provide guidance, recommendations and coordination at the interagency level, bringing together military, law enforcement, the intelligence community, and other civilian agencies,” in support of Trump’s recent directive on UAP transparency.

“The UAP Governance Board met for the first time yesterday,” the ODNI official said on Wednesday, without sharing the identities of the original participants.

The board’s mission statement includes that members will “integrate and optimize interagency processes involved in the investigation of UAP incidents and collection procedures used to analyze UAP data to ensure more effective support to” AARO. 

The ODNI official also confirmed that the board is supported by several advisory groups with expertise and work outside the U.S. government, including the UAP Science Advisory Council. 

Loeb supplied a list of other experts joining him on the new science council in its earliest days, as well as their focus areas in this forthcoming work to, as he put it, “help AARO resolve the UAP mystery.” 

He said they are: Prof. Carol Cleland, anomaly identification; Dr. Richard Cloete, data analysis and AI tools; Dr. Omer Eldadi, data management, AI, and human psychology; Dr. Tim Gallaudet, oceanography; Ross Howard, communication; Ben Lamm, oceanography and biology; Dr. Devesh Nandal, numerical analysis and astrophysics; Prof. Garry Nolan, molecular biology and materials science; Dr. Michael Shermer, the study of anomalies; Dr. Peter Skafish, anthropology; Prof. Matthew Szydagis, instrumentation and data collection; and Dr. Jennice Vilhauer, quantitative psychology. 

“Since UAPs are physical objects that interact with humans, the council includes members with expertise in physical sciences as well as psychology and biology,” Loeb explained. “All members had an intense interest in the scientific study of UAPs for many years.” 

Among them is Tim Gallaudet, a retired U.S. Navy admiral who previously served as commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, assistant secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and in other senior roles. 

Gallaudet told DefenseScoop that he hopes to apply his expertise and experience in ocean science, as well as government leadership, to help the council “most effectively accomplish its mission and support the new UAP Governance Board.”

During his own decades-long career, Loeb has advised lawmakers and U.S. government leaders on science and space matters, and also held many leadership positions in academia.

Over the past five years, he’s led the Galileo Project at Harvard University in search for extraterrestrial technological artifacts near Earth. At this point, the research team operates three observatories that collect and analyze data on millions of objects as they hustle to discover outliers that fall outside the performance envelope of human-made technologies.

“My leadership style promotes transparency and trust. This is why I was the longest serving chair, for three terms of 3 years, in the history of Harvard’s Astronomy department,” Loeb said.

In his view, if the orbs in AARO’s recent report represent unknown technologies employed by adversarial nations, then they would mark a serious breach of national security. 

That’s why he believes that resolving their nature should be a high priority for the U.S. government, requiring the development of better sensors and AI algorithms to collect and interpret new data. 

“The down-to-Earth interpretation of UAP is that we are dealing with human-made technologies. In this case, the defense system of the U.S. against espionage on strategic assets is being compromised,” Loeb told DefenseScoop. “We know about the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down in 2023. When finding an ant on the kitchen cabinet, we get alarmed because we realize that there must be many more ants hiding elsewhere in the kitchen.” 

The frequency of the new science council’s meeting cadence has not been decided.

“We will make the best lemonade out of the lemons we are given,” Loeb said. “The best is yet to come. Stay tuned to future updates.”

RELATED


Avi Loeb: The New UAP Board Could Change Everything

Harvard's Avi Loeb Confirms New Government UAP Science Council | Good Trouble Show

{ https://defensescoop.com/2026/06/17/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:57 Stuur door

Pentagon investigating mysterious UAP event reported by the Navy near Virginia’s coast

Pentagon investigating mysterious UAP event reported by the Navy near Virginia’s coast

The department’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office released its latest, annual UAP caseload analysis this week.
Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:32 Stuur door

Latest Pentagon report on aerial phenomena has sighting off Virginia Beach coast

Latest Pentagon report on aerial phenomena has sighting off Virginia Beach coast

Chris Horne

Pentagon report on UAPs has sighting off VB coast

526ba0fa-e192-4469-bf9a-d31bd05c8e1b.jpg

WASHINGTON (WAVY) — A report released this week from the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office cites an extensive sighting of unexplained aerial phenomena off the coast of Virginia Beach.

The AARO is the agency within the Defense Department that investigates unidentified anomalous phenomena. Its report mentions more than 300 sightings nationwide in the 12 months ending May 31, 2025.

The only sighting classified as maritime “involved a report from U.S. Navy assets operating off the coast of Virginia. The report described approximately 100 airborne UAP and two, likely uncrewed, surface systems.” No further detail on this or any other sightings was included in the 14-page report.

“We’re doing better on the protection against aerial unmanned systems that we are with systems that could be deployed by land or water,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, in a Thursday call with reporters.

The report of unidentified phenomena over the water calls to mind congressional testimony three years ago from a Navy pilot attached to NAS Oceana. He described phenomena observed and detected by instruments flying about 10 miles off Virginia Beach.

Later in 2023, repeated drone sightings came from neighbors for more than two weeks over Langley Air Force Base.

Those sightings were never fully explained.

“We still don’t have good answers about where they came from, whose drones they were, and this was night after night after night,” Kaine said.

The Pentagon said in this week’s report that if the recent claims of unidentified phenomena are real — they’d represent an unmitigated threat.

Kaine had no further details on the claims of aerial phenomena off the coast. Of the more than 300 cases nationwide, the Pentagon has only been able to explain fewer than half.

{ https://www.aol.com/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:18 Stuur door

Mokulele passenger claims ‘white something’ approached plane mid-flight

Mokulele passenger claims ‘white something’ approached plane mid-flight


Mokulele passenger claims ‘white something’ approached plane mid-flight

On a recent Mokulele Airlines flight from Molokai to Maui, a passenger said she saw “a white something,” approach the aircraft that she believed was not a bird, nor another plane.

On a recent Mokulele Airlines flight from Molokai to Maui, a passenger said she saw “a white something,” approach the aircraft that she believed was not a bird, nor another plane.
© Hawaii News Now

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - On a recent Mokulele Airlines flight from Molokai to Maui, a passenger said she saw “a white something” approach the aircraft that she believed was not a bird, nor another plane.

Molokai resident Tami Dixon said the sight “scared that out of me. Literally scared the **** out of me.”

Already anxious in the air while traveling to the Valley Isle for eye surgery, Dixon said last Thursday’s turbulent flight added to her nerves.

“When you’re in the clouds, you see nothing,” Dixon said.

But when the plane approached Kahului Airport, Dixon saw the “white something” she described after the aircraft “popped through the cloud.”

Because of how the object looked to her, Dixon believes it was a drone.

Mokulele told Hawaii News Now it has no record of any near misses in this case, but Dixon said its pilots acted quickly.

“Both pilots looked at each other and veered to the right,” Dixon described, commending the pilot’s immediate reaction. “Oh, fabulous. They both looked at each other and boom, instantly they just turned.”

While a drone is not confirmed as the cause of the scare, the encounter has experienced operators urging others to fly responsibly.

“The FAA establishes very clear guidelines of where aircraft can fly. Kind of like on a highway, you have your own driving lane, right? So if everyone follows the rules and it’s pono, they should never actually interact or you should never have one car or aircraft entering another car’s lane,” said Timo Sullivan of Aloha Aina Drones.

Gabe Hanohano of Hawaii Pacific Drone Solutions echoed Sullivan’s sentiment: “We are very fortunate to fly in Hawaii, considering how unique our airspace is with military bases and airports. We’re lucky that I believe our people here are very cognizant of our environment and surroundings... I feel like our flyers are a bit different in the sense.”

{ https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:51 Stuur door

The 364-day Qumran calendar may solve an ancient Dead Sea Scrolls mystery

The 364-day Qumran calendar may solve an ancient Dead Sea Scrolls mystery

A new reconstruction explains how Qumran’s sacred calendar shifted from a working system into a lasting religious ideal.

Written By: Rebecca Shavit - Edited By: Joseph Shavit

The Qumran 364-day calendar may have divided the sect from Jerusalem before seasonal drift and political change ended its use.

The Qumran 364-day calendar may have divided the sect from Jerusalem before seasonal drift and political change ended its use.

(CREDIT: Wikimedia / AI-Generated / CC BY-SA 4.0)

The calendar at the center of Qumran life offered something rare: a year that never changed its weekly rhythm. Every festival returned on the same weekday, every priestly cycle followed a fixed order, and the entire system appeared to reflect divine precision.

But the same design carried a serious flaw.

A 364-day year falls about one day and a quarter short of the astronomical year. Over time, that gap would push spring festivals into winter and agricultural observances away from the seasons they were meant to mark.

A study from Tel Aviv University now proposes that this contradiction explains one of the most persistent questions surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls. The calendar was probably used during the Qumran community’s early period, then gradually abandoned as its seasonal drift worsened and relations with Hasmonean King Alexander Jannaeus improved.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient manuscripts that were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves near Khirbet Qumran, on the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient manuscripts that were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves near Khirbet Qumran, on the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea. (CREDIT: Jewish National and University Library)

Prof. Eshbal Ratzon of Tel Aviv University developed the historical reconstruction. She works in the Department of Jewish Philosophy and the Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas. The paper appeared in the Tarbiz Quarterly for Jewish Studies.

A calendar built around sacred order

Jewish life during the Second Temple period generally followed a lunisolar calendar. The Qumran system instead contained exactly 364 days, divided into 52 complete weeks.

Because 364 is divisible by seven, holidays always fell on the same weekday. That regularity reflected more than convenience. For the Qumran sect, it represented a perfect order established by God at Creation.

The calendar also challenged the political and religious leadership in Jerusalem. Temple authorities determined the dates governing Jewish worship and communal life.

The Qumran community rejected that authority. Its members believed God had already fixed those dates and that humans should not interfere.

Nearly 20 scrolls found at Qumran discuss calendars and astronomy. That unusually large collection shows how deeply the subject shaped the community’s religious identity.

Prof. Eshbal Ratzon of Tel Aviv University developed the historical reconstruction.

Prof. Eshbal Ratzon of Tel Aviv University developed the historical reconstruction. (CREDIT: Tel Aviv University)

The Book of Jubilees, a central work in the Qumran library, fiercely criticizes the prevailing lunar calendar. It presents the 364-day system as the original calendar received by Moses on Mount Sinai.

Other writings, including MMT, the Community Rule and Pesher Habakkuk, place calendrical ideas within broader disputes over religious law, worship and Temple authority.

Mathematical perfection meets the seasons

The calendar’s neat structure could not solve its astronomical problem. A solar year lasts roughly 365 and one-quarter days, leaving the Qumran year about 30 hours short.

After 20 years, festivals would shift by almost four weeks relative to the seasons. After several decades, a spring celebration could occur in winter or fall.

That drift mattered because many festivals were tied to harvests, first fruits and agricultural cycles. A calendar separating those observances from the natural year would become increasingly difficult to use.

The problem resembles a clock that loses one minute every day. Its error seems minor at first, but eventually the clock no longer reflects the actual time.

Pesher Habakkuk Scroll. Other writings, including the Pesher Habakkuk, place calendrical ideas within broader disputes over religious law, worship and Temple authority.

Pesher Habakkuk Scroll. Other writings, including the Pesher Habakkuk, place calendrical ideas within broader disputes over religious law, worship and Temple authority. (CREDIT: Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Researchers have long debated how the Qumran community handled this growing discrepancy. Some proposed that the sect periodically added days or weeks to keep the system aligned.

Others argued that the calendar never functioned in daily life and existed only as a theoretical model.

Ratzon contends that neither explanation fits the available writings. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide no compelling evidence that the community regularly inserted additional time into the calendar.

At the same time, the system appears too central and too controversial to dismiss as an abstract idea. It structured festivals, priestly rotations and long chronological schemes throughout the Qumran library.

A dispute that helped shape the sect

The reconstruction places the calendar within the political struggles of the second century BCE. Ratzon proposes that it emerged in pre-sectarian intellectual circles and became a working system during the Qumran movement’s formative years.

In that period, disagreements over the calendar may have deepened the community’s conflict with Jerusalem’s religious leadership.

Control over festival dates also meant control over Temple worship, priestly service and communal practice. The disagreement concerned not only how people counted days, but who possessed the authority to define sacred time.

The calendar therefore served two connected purposes. It organized religious life while marking the community’s separation from the authorities it opposed.

That practical role may not have lasted. As the seasonal error accumulated, the calendar became harder to reconcile with the agricultural year.

Political conditions also changed.

Alexander Jannaeus altered the equation

Alexander Jannaeus ruled from 103 to 76 BCE. According to the study, his religious legal positions resembled some of the Qumran sect’s own views, while he opposed the Pharisaic leadership.

That alignment may have eased hostility between the sect and the Hasmonean state. A calendar that had symbolized resistance to Jerusalem may have become less necessary as relations improved.

The community could then adopt the more practical calendar used at the Temple without entirely surrendering its older beliefs.

Under this reconstruction, the 364-day system remained authoritative in Qumran literature after losing its everyday function. It still represented the ideal calendar established during Creation and one that might return in the End of Days.

This shift could explain why the system occupies such a prominent place in the scrolls yet gradually disappeared from historical practice.

“The Qumran calendar has long been regarded as one of the Qumran sect's defining features, but also as one of the most baffling mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls,” Ratzon said. “This study proposes an alternative for the seeming contradiction between a functional calendar and a theoretical one.”

“It is quite possible that the calendar was in fact used for a certain period of time, but then, losing its practical role due to both inherent problems and political changes, became a religious ideal and a symbol of identity. This would explain both its centrality in the Qumran scrolls and its gradual disappearance from historical reality.”

Practical implications of the research

The reconstruction offers scholars a way to reconcile two interpretations that have often seemed incompatible. The calendar could have been both practical and theoretical, but at different stages of Qumran history.

That approach may help researchers understand how religious communities respond when sacred ideals collide with astronomy, agriculture and political change.

It also provides a framework for reading calendrical writings alongside legal and historical evidence. Rather than treating the calendar as an unchanging feature, the study presents it as part of a developing community.

Its adoption and abandonment may clarify how the Qumran movement negotiated Temple authority, group identity and political survival during a turbulent period of Jewish history.

Related Stories

RELATED


If the Qumran Sect's 364-Day Calendar Was a Divine Ideal, Why Did They Actually Use It for Decades

Chapter 9: Qumran, the Zadokite Calendar, and True Israel's Biblical Year of 364 days.

{ https://www.thebrighterside.news/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:35 Stuur door

Deciphering the 364-Day Calendar: New Study Solves a Dead Sea Scrolls Mystery

Deciphering the 364-Day Calendar: New Study Solves a Dead Sea Scrolls Mystery

dss-war-scroll

Gary Manners

A decades-long enigma about the Dead Sea Scrolls has been solved by a new study, which finally explains the strange 364-day calendar found among these ancient texts. The academic community has long debated whether or not the Qumran sect used this flawed (i.e., one-quarter day short per year relative to the solar cycle) as their actual calendar or if it served only as a theoretical model. The new study indicates that, in fact, the Qumran sect used this unique calendar during its early period of development and that this very difference is probably the basis for the Qumran sect's break with the Jerusalem religious establishment.

According to the study conducted by Professor Eshbal Ratzon in the Department of Jewish Philosophy at Tel Aviv University, the 364-day calendar was not simply an abstract concept; it was a viable system that had been part of the ongoing dispute between Qumran and mainstream Pharisaic leadership. The findings of Professor Ratzon's study, published in Tarbiz Quarterly for Jewish Studies, show that the 364-day calendar was eventually abandoned both because of its inherent mathematical flaws and because of the ever-changing socio-political landscape during the time of the development of the Qumran community.

The Perfection of the 364-Day Year

In terms of structural differences, the calendar of the Qumran sect differed significantly from the lunisolar calendar which governed all aspects of Jewish life during the Second Temple Period. Like the Julian/Gregorian Calendar, the Qumran sect used a calendar that was precisely 364 days long and capable of being divided by seven without losing a remainder. Therefore, there would be exactly 52 weeks in every year, and the holidays of the Qumran sect would always fall upon the same days of the week every year. For the Qumran community, this mathematical precision reflected a perfect divine order established by God during Creation.

Additionally, the Qumran sect viewed their use of the 364-day calendar as an important act of rebellion against the Temple leadership in Jerusalem — the group which determined the exact dates upon which festivals should occur and, thus, infringed upon the divine privilege of God. The significance of the 364-day calendar can be demonstrated by the large volume of the scrolls that address the topic of astronomy and calendar systems. Almost twenty of the Dead Sea Scrolls discuss astronomy and calendar systems, and this number is quite extraordinary and indicates the topic of calendars would have held great importance for the Qumran community.

One of the most central works located within the Qumran Library is the Book of Jubilees. This book strongly attacks the common use of the lunar calendar, proclaiming the 364-day calendar as the original calendar received by Moses on Mt. Sinai. A representation of the strong animosity between the Qumran sect and the Temple authorities is demonstrated with an episode from the Pesher Habakkuk Scroll, which reveals that a "wicked priest" from the Temple attempted to arrange for the early leader of the Qumran sect to be exiled from the Qumran community because he observed Yom Kippur on a date that differed from the commonly accepted date within the Temple establishment.

The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls – Compassionate Spirit

The cave at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.

(Effi Schweizer/Public domain)

The Flaw in the Divine Order

Despite its conceptual perfection, the 364-day calendar contained a fatal flaw: it diverged from the actual astronomical year by 1.25 days annually. While this might seem insignificant initially, the difference accumulates rapidly. As Professor Ratzon explains, within twenty years, festivals would shift by almost four weeks relative to the seasons. After a few decades, agricultural festivals like the spring harvest would end up being celebrated in the winter or even in the autumn. For an ancient agricultural society whose religious life was intimately tied to the seasons, first fruits, and harvest cycles, this drift would eventually make the calendar entirely impracticable.

Over the past decades, researchers had proposed two main theories to explain this enigma. The first, advanced by Hebrew University professor Shemaryahu Talmon, argued that the calendar was a radical and intentional rejection of the Jerusalem Temple's timetable, giving the sect's leaders immense political and theological power. The second, put forward by University College London professor Sacha Stern, suggested that the 364-day year served purely as a theoretical framework and was never actually used. Professor Ratzon argues that neither approach is fully supported by the evidence in the scrolls, and instead proposes a third path: the calendar was used, but then abandoned.

Political Shifts and the Abandonment of the Calendar

The study hypothesizes that the Qumran sect did use this calendar during their formative years in the second century BC, exacerbating their conflict with Jerusalem. However, as the years passed and the seasonal drift became impossible to ignore, a political shift provided an opportunity for change. During the reign of the Hasmonean King Alexander Jannaeus (103 to 76 BC), relations between the sect and the ruling dynasty warmed considerably. Jannaeus opposed the Pharisaic leadership and supported religious laws closer to those of the Qumran community, and there is even a Qumran hymn that praises the king.

This rapprochement likely enabled the sect to quietly relinquish their flawed calendar and adopt the more practical one used at the Temple, while retaining the 364-day version as a theoretical ideal meant for the "End of Days." As Professor Ratzon concludes:

"The Qumran calendar has long been regarded as one of the Qumran sect's defining features, but also as one of the most baffling mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls. This study proposes an alternative for the seeming contradiction between a functional calendar and a theoretical one. It is quite possible that the calendar was in fact used for a certain period of time, but then, losing its practical role due to both inherent problems and political changes, became a religious ideal and a symbol of identity."

Professor Ratzon also notes that her research has broader implications. She points out that two different approaches to the calendar seem to have evolved in the period after the 364-day calendar was abandoned: one based on a lunar calendar resembling the biblical one, and another using a solar calendar with additional new festivals. The study thus sheds light not only on the Qumran community's internal evolution, but on the wider diversity of ancient Jewish religious practice during the Second Temple period.

  • Top image: A fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
  • Source: Ken and Nyetta / CC BY 2.0 Source

By Gary Manners

References

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:09 Stuur door

The Man Who Inspired Steven Spielberg’s UFO Obsession

The Man Who Inspired Steven Spielberg’s UFO Obsession

 J. Allen Hynek was the government’s real UFO chaser who changed alien investigation, and Steven Spielberg, forever…

J Allen Hynek in Den of Geek Magazine

Photo: Getty Images / Universal

What if I told you that one man might be (technically) responsible for the existence of both Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial… and it is not Steven Spielberg? While the Disclosure Day filmmaker has had a yen for UFOs since his dad first took him to a New Jersey meteor shower as a child, astronomer J. Allen Hynek had already been examining the phenomenon for the government since 1948… the year after the term “flying saucer” was coined by pilot Kenneth Arnold. 

In my upcoming book Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, I trace the evolution of how Spielberg’s 1982 classic came to be. And it truly begins with Professor Hynek, a civilian scientist who, after aiding the U.S. Navy during the Second World War, would see his life changed forever by the government and questions about inexplicable lights in the sky.

Following the war, Hynek found himself teaching in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Ohio State University when the Air Force first approached him about Project Sign, a new study tasked with examining various sightings of unidentified flying objects. While the stated intent was to use the scientific method to determine whether or not there was a known/mundane explanation for any given case, his real job was to debunk first and ask questions later. 

“Dr. J. Allen Hynek was initially a UFO skeptic when they enlisted him,” says Dan Harary, a co-founder of Hollywood Disclosure Alliance. “He’s like, ‘Oh, this is silly. This is nonsense.’ Then the more he researched it, the more he spoke to people on the ground who had remarkable encounters, he realized it was a real phenomenon, not people who are batshit crazy.” 

Although he did not prefer the term “believer,” the logical astronomer certainly expanded his horizons as to what he accepted was within the realm of possibility. 

Explains Harley Peyton, a writer and executive producer on History Channel’s fictional Project Blue Book series, “Hynek was bringing a scientific method to something that not a lot of people believed in, but when you read those stories it’s hard to ignore it. That’s clearly what happened to him. Over time, it was just impossible for him to not enter into certain belief systems based on what you’re seeing with your eyes and hearing with your ears.”

For Hynek, the line between scientific truth and convenient theories began to blur. As he became a more prominent mouthpiece for the Air Force in debunking sightings for Sign—which evolved into Project Grudge, then the infamous Project Blue Book—the explanations got more far-fetched. When Air National Guard pilot Thomas F. Mantell died chasing down an unidentified object above the Franklin, Kentucky skies in 1948, Hynek chalked it up to Mantell seeing light from Venus. In 1957, a bright hovering craft reportedly shut down the engines of at least 10 vehicles in Levelland, Texas, and Hynek told the press it was “ball lightning.” He was mocked in political cartoons by explaining away a 1966 mass sighting in Dexter, Michigan as resulting from will-o-the-wisp, or “swamp gas.” 

“The turning point was when he had to tell the world a UFO sighting was swamp gas,” says Harary. “He got incredibly criticized for it. He knew it wasn’t swamp gas, but the Air Force told him, ‘You have to debunk it, that’s your job.’ He became very, very conflicted.”

“For my father, I think there was an accumulated frustration at his role of tamping down hysteria as a PR exercise,” son Paul Hynek says. “In 1952, they started the Air Intelligence Service Squadrons. They would have been the ones dispatched to crash retrieval sites; that was their charter. It wasn’t originally for UFOs, but for any kind of crash landing. They had Russian speakers and all that, probably got the pick of the litter for cases, and Project Blue Book got the ones they thought they could explain easily enough.”

Even by 1958, over a decade before Blue Book was finally shut down, Hynek expressed his resentment at the “completely negative and unyielding attitude of the Air Force. They wouldn’t give UFOs the chance of existing, even if they were flying up and down the street in broad daylight. Everything had to have an explanation.” He also was startled by “the caliber of the witnesses… quite a few instances were reported by military pilots.” He began to think maybe there was something to all this.

A few years after Blue Book was officially shuttered, all while the space program was in full swing, Hynek would publish his 1972 tome The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry. This was a Divine Comedy-esque settling of scores with the Air Force’s bad faith endeavor to rubber-stamp dismissals of any experiencer’s possible close encounter. Deriding government efforts as “totally inadequate,” Hynek founded his own investigative group in 1973 called the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) in Evanston, Illinois. It was intended as a place where people could report their sightings without fear. Hynek became a beacon for destigmatizing the phenomenon.

As journalist Leslie Kean says in the documentary UFOs: Investigating the Unknown, “He would go on lots of TV shows and radio interviews. He was a public figure advocating for official recognition and study of UFOs.” And as luck would have it, CUFOS came about at the same time a hot young filmmaker named Steven Spielberg was hatching a big screen take on UFOs at Columbia Pictures.

Produced by the Oscar-winning team behind The Sting, Michael and Julia Phillips, the film was initially scripted by Taxi Driver’s Paul Schrader from Spielberg’s own story. It was about a government debunker not unlike Hynek. In the first draft, the fictional government coat was named J. Paul VanOwen, a skeptic who becomes a true believer in the UFO phenomenon. After this dark and unwieldy take, Schrader was shown the door, and focus shifted to the everyman Roy Neary, played by Richard Dreyfuss in the finished film. 

The project was at various times titled Watch the Skies, Kingdom Come, and eventually Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The final title is derived from The UFO Experience, where what became known as the Hynek Scale was introduced to classify the intensity of any given report. It goes as follows:

1. Nocturnal lights
2. Daylight discs
3. Radar-visual
4. Close encounters of the first kind (CE1, aka “Sightings”)
5. Close encounters of the second kind (CE2, aka “Physical Evidence”)
6. Close encounters of the third kind (CE3, aka “Contact”)

After adopting that latter name, Spielberg bought the rights to use it from Hynek for $1,000. He then brought the scientist on board as the project’s official UFO consultant. Hynek also had a cameo as a pipe-smoking scientist during the 1977 movie’s finale. 

Explains son Paul Hynek, “He had a lot of calls with Spielberg, met several times, and my father gave him accounts of real reports. A lot of things in the movie came from reports, like that toll booth on the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania, or the sunburned face.”

As Dr. Hynek himself explained in 1978’s Starlog #12, “Anyone who has investigated the UFO phenomenon will realize that Steve Spielberg did his homework, indeed very well. There isn’t anything in the picture that isn’t rooted or based on actual reports. The public is going to look at this as a science fiction movie, and it really is not. The various effects, the sunburn, the physical effects of the vibrations and so forth, the precognition, have all been reported. At the Center for UFO Studies, we have a computerized data bank with over 60,000 reports… going on 2,000 reports of encounters of the third kind.” 

Nearly half a century later, the impact of the film is still tangible. Pointing to Contact in the Desert, an annual conference for UAP enthusiasts, Harary tells us, “If you asked 3,000 people there, most of them would say Close Encounters was their favorite movie, including myself.”

While many of the case files in The UFO Experience were translated directly to the screen, a few did not match up to CE3K’s depiction of the extraterrestrials as essentially benign. One such case in August 1955 involved a group of hostile aliens reportedly attacking the Sutton family at their Kentucky farm. The clan apparently huddled in fear throughout one long night as they warded off the invaders with shotguns and rifles. Known as the “Kelly-Hopkinsville” or “Hopkinsville Goblins” incident, Hynek described the event in The UFO Experience as “another classic Close Encounter of the Third Kind.”

Though his boots were not on the ground at the Kelly farm, Hynek coordinated a Blue Book investigation with two associates, a local Kentucky radio man named Bud Ledwith and New York-based UFO investigator Isabel Davis. Both conducted extensive interviews with the witnesses, primarily the Sutton family, and found their sketched descriptions and testimonies did not waver. 

Spielberg contemplated including a terrifying alien invasion scene at a remote farmhouse for a CE3K scene involving Melinda Dillon and Cary Guffey, then decided the dramatic encounter at Kelly-Hopkinsville would make an ideal follow-up to his 1977 hit. A script was developed with writer John Sayles, initially titled Watch the Skies. 

As Spielberg told Entertainment Weekly in 2011, “It’s a story that’s well-known in the world of ufology, and we based our script on that story, and Rick Baker actually started developing some of the grays.”

The project, later called Night Skies, took the essential elements of the Kelly Goblins while modernizing the family, as well as making the aliens more active and terrifying. They invade the outside and inside of the home, all while perpetrating several animal mutilations. Even with renowned production designer Ron Cobb set to direct, a young Kathleen Kennedy coordinating, and Baker already building the creatures with incredible detail, Spielberg eventually got cold feet. He cherrypicked elements of Sayles’ script, including a nice alien’s friendship with a small boy, and wildly reimagined it from a horror movie to a kid flick called A Boy’s Life, then E.T. and Me, and finally E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. In 1982 it became the most financially successful movie ever made up to that point. 

In 2009, Paul Hynek was working for Giant Studios as it did motion capture on The Adventures of Tintin when he was summoned by Spielberg to come by and reminisce about his father:

“Kathy Kennedy said it was Close Encounters that got her into movies, and then they both told me that Spielberg had been working with her for a year trying to do a movie about Kelly-Hopkinsville. He was very friendly, very complimentary about my dad.”

Night Skies remains one of Hollywood’s most enticing unmade films, and the myriad ways it influenced E.T., along with other projects, makes for a fascinating story. If not for the efforts of J. Allen Hynek to legitimize the study of UFOs, we might never have had Close Encounters, E.T., or even Disclosure Day—a movie where Spielberg plays with famous cases like the crash in Roswell, the fireball in Kecksburg, and the abduction of Betty Andreasson.

Building off the public’s awareness of the work of Hynek, the Hollywood Disclosure Alliance seeks these days to provide “a more unified voice in the media leading up to, and following, the impending revelation of the presence of extraterrestrial life—disclosure—through storytelling in feature films, documentaries, and TV programming.” It was founded by Harary, alongside Washington D.C.-based disclosure advocate Stephen Bassett.

Says Harary, “In May 2023, Stephen came to L.A., and we had lunch. At the end he said, ‘Dan, I’m a disclosure guy. You’re a Hollywood guy. What can we do together?’ Now we are a 501(c)(3)  nonprofit with 250 members around the world, including some famous people. It’s a group where UAP and ET experiencers, researchers, and disclosure advocates can network with Hollywood writers, producers, directors, and performers to share ideas and story pitches.”

One of the founding members was writer/producer David O’Leary, who in 2018 created the two-season TV drama Project Blue Book. The original pitch was “Ufology meets Mad Men.” It centered on a highly fictionalized version of J. Allen Hynek played by Game of Thrones’ Aidan Gillen. It is appropriate that Hynek was transformed from the full-time professor/part-time UFO guy he was in real life into a Carl Kolchak-type paranoid supernatural investigator. After all, executive producer Robert Zemeckis got his start writing Kolchak: The Night Stalker. 

“Kolchak is a great reference, one we talked about in the writer’s room,” says Harley Peyton, a Twin Peaks vet who served as a writer on the show. “Aidan’s such a good actor and he did the usual research one does when you’re portraying a real person, whether that’s certain habits or the pipe he smokes. Aidan’s bringing some of himself to that as well, particularly when the character is a little more active in the world than the real person was, so you try to find a good middle ground. You’ve got family members looking at your work. Paul would sometimes say, ‘Yeah, my dad would never do that.’”

Paul looks back fondly on the experience of consulting on the series, along with his brother Joel.

“We talked with our family and said, ‘Look, this is going to be most likely a positive portrayal of our parents,’” Paul says. “We got all the scripts and had a good relationship. Both actors who played my mom and dad talked to us quite a lot about what they were like so they could get a sense of their real emotional core. I think my dad would have thought, ‘Oh, it’s a damn good yarn.’ My mom would have said something like, ‘Oh, it’s a waste of time.’”

The TV version of Hynek’s adventuring even extended to a Project Blue Book episode in which he is actually in Kentucky uncovering Kelly-Hopkinsville conspiracies, while wife Mimi Hynek (Laura Mennell) does her own investigation, standing in for real-life Isabel Davis. As the episode’s writer Peyton says, “Close Encounters was fairly benign, even beautiful, but the fun thing about Hopkinsville was you were doing a horror story. That was one of the things I brought to the episode, looking for that tension.” He adds that Hopkinsville and all the other real cases explored in the show exist within the sphere of folklore that “has become a consistent part of our culture.”

While folks like Harary speak adoringly of Hynek, framing him as a pioneer in ufology, Paul views his father as a scientist first and foremost. Now a professor in his own right at Pepperdine University, Paul has been developing an offshoot of the Hynek Scale, a classification system to characterize evidence from close encounters.

“Our father was an astronomer; that’s how we thought of him,” Paul says. “He had a side gig of UFOs. He wasn’t a UFO guy to us, so I’m very comfortable with the scientific method. I’m a grant reviewer for the National Science Foundation, and I’m very comfortable with scientists. To me, it is an effort to help experiencers have better conversations with scientists so we don’t have to worry about the table scraps the government gives us.”

J. Allen Hynek’s ultimate legacy was to show that not only does science have a place in ufology, but it is also unscientific to dismiss the possibility of other life in the universe so long as there is a fragment left for us to explore. 

  • Max Evry’s Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial publishes in October. 

{ https://www.denofgeek.com/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:21 Stuur door

Scientists develop a 'ghost font' that only humans can read – and it leaves even the most advanced AI bots baffled

Scientists develop a 'ghost font' that only humans can read – and it leaves even the most advanced AI bots baffled

With AI now ingrained in everything from fitness trackers to dating apps, knowing who – or what – can access your private messages is becoming increasingly difficult. 

But help is at hand, as scientists have developed a new anti–AI font. 

Dubbed the 'Ghost Font', the font writes messages using motion.

'Using a combination of motion, video, noise, and decoys, it's a unique way to share a message with other real humans,' explained its developer, Eric Lu.

'I suppose technically, it's not a font in the traditional sense of a TTF font file. 

'But, Ghost Font is an experiment of a way to graphically communicate in writing in a format that AI cannot easily understand. 

'While it's not as legible as regular text, the letters are still immediately readable to a human eye, but even leading AI models can't decipher it easily.'

To put it to the test, Mr Lu fed leading AI models videos of the font – and found that even the most recent agents struggled to decode the moving messages. 

Scientists have developed a new anti¿AI font. Dubbed the 'Ghost Font', the font writes messages using motion

Scientists have developed a new anti–AI font. Dubbed the 'Ghost Font', the font writes messages using motion

Mr Lu says his inspiration for the font was ZXX – a typeface created back in 2013 by designer Sang Mun. 

ZXX included four fonts that were designed to be readable by humans, but not by optical character recognition software. 

'At the time, this font was deemed "surveillance–proof" – but fast forward to today, and modern AI agents can easily read text rendered in ZXX,' Mr Lu explained in a blog. 

To get around modern AI bots however, Mr Lu had to use motion. 

To try it yourself, you can visit his blog here, and write your own personalised message. 

'Type a few words and the letters appear but only because the motion of the dots is visible to a human eye,' he said.

'When the video is paused, the static dots blend together, and it becomes impossible to tell just from looking at a single frame what message is embedded in the image. 

'That means that screenshotting the page won't reveal the message.'

Mr Lu says his inspiration for the font was ZXX - a typeface created back in 2013 by designer Sang Mun. ZXX included four fonts that were designed to be readable by humans, but not by optical character recognition software

Mr Lu says his inspiration for the font was ZXX – a typeface created back in 2013 by designer Sang Mun. ZXX included four fonts that were designed to be readable by humans, but not by optical character recognition software

To add an extra layer of protection, the Ghost Font even features a sneaky decoy message, which throws most AI bots off the scent. 

Mr Lu explained: 'The decoy message serves as a final trick for a determined agent. 

'When looking for a hidden message, it might first find the decoy message and think that that is the real embedded message in the video. 

'That's how Ghost Font is able to hide a message even from the strongest thinking models like Fable and GPT Sol 5.6 Ultra.'

Beyond being fun to play with, Mr Lu believes the Ghost Font could have import applications – including in CAPTCHA systems. 

He said: 'It would be interesting to incorporate Ghost Font into CAPTCHA systems, as most systems are easily solved by AI today. 

'Using motion in a video would be a way to make it much more difficult for an automated bot to decipher but still relatively easy for a human to read.'

However, as AI bots receive more technical updates, it's likely only a matter of time before they can crack the code. 

Mr Lu concluded: 'AI is certainly getting really good. 

'While Ghost Font is hard for AI to read, it's also pretty hard for humans to read! The gap continues to close. 

article image

'It will be interesting to see what the future holds when it comes to AI perception and multimodal models.'

Several social media users tested the font out this week – with mixed reviews. 

Taking to X, one asked: 'Is this the ultimate CAPTCHA?'

Another added: 'I don't see the point of such efforts, even in the short run before AIs catch up.'

And one joked: 'The only downside is that it drives all who look upon it INSANE.' 

RELATED 


Someone created a font that AI can’t read.It’s called Ghost Font, an experimental project by Eri

Did you know there's a font that only humans can read?

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 19:39 Stuur door

I found a UFO In a NASA photo of Comet Tempel 1, its half as big as Manhattan, NY, UAP Sighting News.

I found a UFO In a NASA photo of Comet Tempel 1, its half as big as Manhattan, NY, UAP Sighting News.

Comet_UFO.png
Date of discovery: July 27, 2026
Location of discovery: In orbit between Jupiter and Mars
Source: 
 
I found a comet in the NASA index and I wanted to take a better look at it so I adjusted its contrast, deepening and clarity. I didn't use ai, I did it by hand using Photoscape X on mac. When it was finished I could clearly see an round ship with two bands going around the top and the bottom area. The side is orange and reveals a whole section from top to bottom that is cylinder shaped. A UFO this big could house thousands of people. The comet is now in an elliptical (figure 8) orbit with Jupiter and Mars. Probably to study those planets and visit some alien bases there. NASA says the UFO is 6km across or 3.73 miles...thats half the physical size of the city of Manhattan, New York, USA. 
Scott C Waring - UFO Sightings Daily 
UAP_Comet.jpg

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 19:19 Stuur door

I found a black hole that destroyed a supernova...a scientific first in the world! NASA didn't see it! So you see it here first! UFO Sighting News.

I found a black hole that destroyed a supernova...a scientific first in the world! NASA didn't see it! So you see it here first! UFO Sighting News.

Black_hole_supernova.png

Date of discovery: July 26, 2026
Location of discovery: Constellation Cassiopeia
Source photo: 
Hey all, I was searching through some NASA photos and came across a scientifically significant anomaly that is a first in the scientific world. I added light to the photo and a black hole appeared in the lower right corner of the photo. 
 
NASA posted a photo of a supernova in constellation Cassiopeia taken back in Nov 13, 1978 and said the photo was an X-ray image. But something perplexed the astronomers. NASA states, "no central pulsar or other collapsed object can be seen." Thats not correct. I found several UFOs...which fly in unusual patterns turning right and left, some making hard right turns since this was a timed exposure photo. But more importantly I found I found the exact ripple effect which reveals the exact location of the collapsed object NASA didn't see. Now it appears to me to be a black hole...that broke apart and swallowed much of the super nova, and even possibly causing the nova by swallowing a sun, spreading out some sun debris in a circular wave pattern. The waves of a black hole are invisible, however they are visible because of the debris within them. Thats another thing never recorded by science before this. If I am correct, then its a scientific first...in many ways. 
 
I asked AI...if I am correct what...what scientific firsts would I have discovered? 
 
AI stated: Assuming your interpretation were ultimately proven correct—that the feature is a previously unknown black hole at the center of Tycho's Supernova Remnant that consumed much of the supernova debris—then the scientific implications could be profound. Under that assumption, possible "firsts" might include: 
 
1. First discovery of a central black hole in Tycho's Supernova Remnant. 
2. First evidence that Tycho's 1572 supernova left behind a black hole, contrary to the standard Type Ia interpretation. 
3. First observation of a black hole consuming or significantly altering a supernova remnant centuries after the explosion. 
4. First identification of a circular X-ray structure interpreted as the gravitational imprint of a central black hole within Tycho's remnant. 5. First evidence that at least some objects classified as Type Ia supernovae may produce compact remnants, requiring revisions to some explosion models. 
6. First recognition that archival Einstein Observatory data contained evidence of a compact central object that was not identified in the original analysis. 
7. First demonstration that modern image-analysis techniques applied to historical X-ray observations revealed a previously unrecognized astrophysical object. 
8. First observational evidence suggesting that black-hole interactions can substantially reshape the interior morphology of a supernova remnant over time. 
9. First case prompting a re-evaluation of decades of observations of Tycho's remnant because of a newly identified central source. 
10. First discovery leading to targeted follow-up observations specifically designed to test whether Tycho contains an active or dormant black hole.
 
Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily
 
Screenshot%202026-07-26%20at%2010.09.06%E2%80%AFPM.png

Screenshot%202026-07-26%20at%2010.09.36%E2%80%AFPM.png

Screenshot%202026-07-26%20at%2010.09.20%E2%80%AFPM.png

Black%20Hole,%20Astronomy.jpg

supernova_black_hole.jpg

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 19:14 Stuur door

Lyra & Vega Starseeds, The Origins of Galactic Civilization, Feline, Avian, & Human Star Families

Lyra & Vega Starseeds, The Origins of Galactic Civilization, Feline, Avian, & Human Star Families

1ed86af-2a50-41a8-62e-6245d5e275_LYRA_youtube.jpg


Lyra & Vega Starseeds, The Origins of Galactic Civilization, Feline, Avian, & Human Star Families

Our Lyran Origins? The Truth About Humanity | Extraterrestrial Documentaries

The Lyrans Alien Race: Origins, Agenda & Hidden Mysteries Explained

LYRA Galactic History pt 1: Our True Ancestry #lyra

LYRA Galactic History Part 2: Draco Wars #galacticfederation

{ https://thestarseedsanctuary.mykajabi.com/  }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:59 Stuur door

Dr. Phil claims Trump recruited him to review UFO files and found government cover-up

Dr. Phil claims Trump recruited him to review UFO files and found government cover-up

Dr. Phil said the White House recruited him to analyze how people might react to learning humans are "somewhere different in the food chain."

By Jerry Lawton

Two individuals dressed in formal attire are engaged in a conversation, possibly at a formal event. The person on the left is we

Dr. Phil says he was recruited by the White House to assess how Americans would respond to the existence of UFOs 
(Image: AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

TV personality Dr. Phil said the Trump administration enlisted him to examine classified UFO files before their public release and claims that he discovered evidence of a "cover up."

The 75-year-old talk show host explained the White House sought his expertise to assess how people might respond to discovering that humans are "somewhere different in the food chain" within the universe.

After examining the materials, the clinical psychologist said he became convinced they expose a government "cover-up" regarding the reality behind UFO encounters.

He claimed government officials had treated President Donald Trump like a "temp employee" and withheld their complete knowledge from him.

"That infuriates me," he said, reports the Daily Star.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (C) speaks alongside Dr. Ben Carson (L) and Dr. Phil McGraw during an event

Dr. Phil said officials have treated Trump like a "temp employee 

(Image: Anna Moneymaker, Getty Images)

"How dare they do that? I don't think that's right and I think we deserve better."

He expressed worry about the ethical and psychological consequences of disclosing UFO information to the public, which could trigger everything from spiritual crises to doomsday scams.

"I think it needs to be provided with context and I think that the American public is prepared to handle that," he said.

"I think we as a government need to be prepared to help those that have a difficult time with it."

Dr Phil, a presidential ally and member of the administration's religious liberty committee, suggested he was selected due to his "independence."

DON'T MISS...

During Trump's administration, the U.S. government has disclosed four batches of UFO material. The documents, obtained from organizations including the Pentagon, NASA and the CIA, chronicle incidents spanning several decades.

They encompassed puzzling observations ranging from the Apollo astronauts' experiences on the Moon to a 2025 incident in which a military sensor detected "an area of contrast resembling a six-pointed star" over the Yellow Sea near China.

The most recent disclosure showed defense officials are investigating allegations that U.S. Navy vessels were approached by 100 UFOs.

UFO investigators have argued the X-File disclosures thus far have fallen short of complete transparency.

Donald Schmitt, an investigator at Roswell, New Mexico's International UFO Museum and Research Center, said "It's nothing new."

"It's the same game that they have played all these years. Once again, we're getting the carrot dangled in front of us," he said.

RELATED VIDEOS

Dr. Phil STUNS Piers Morgan With Explosive UFO Government Cover-Up Claims

Dr. Phil read the UAP files before the public, here's what he found | Reality Check

UFO Files: All of the videos from latest Defense Department release

{ https://www.the-express.com/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:19 Stuur door

New UFO files describe spinning discs, glowing orbs and one object shaped like a potato

New UFO files describe spinning discs, glowing orbs and one object shaped like a potato

WASHINGTON (AP) — One was a rotating disc that sent out beams of light. Another was a shining red orb of a hue the observer had never seen before. Then there was the one compared to a potato, and also a bean, but with a coat of shimmering, fish-like scales.

Harvard professor with polarizing alien theories is picked to lead new White House UFO council

FILE - A patron passes a painting inside the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, N.M., on June 10, 1997. (AP Photo/Eric Draper, File)

DVR KSD ED

WASHINGTON (AP) — One was a rotating disc that sent out beams of light. Another was a shining red orb of a hue the observer had never seen before. Then there was the one compared to a potato, and also a bean, but with a coat of shimmering, fish-like scales.

Those were some of the UFOs described in documents released Friday by the Pentagon, the third release since President Donald Trump directed his administration to give the public full disclosure around what it knows about alien life and mysterious objects in the sky.

The 72 files released on Friday don’t include the kind of blockbuster revelation that Trump has teased. There’s no conclusive evidence of alien life or government cover-ups. But the files reveal new details about some recent sightings, along with the government’s efforts to explain what many find inexplicable.


New UFO files describe spinning discs, glowing orbs and one object shaped like a potato

Take, for instance, the potato.

It happened in 2022, on a brisk February morning in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Five U.S. Army members at Fort Carson walked out of an office building and saw something strange hovering over Cheyenne Mountain, a few miles to the west.

“The object was ‘potato’ shaped with distinct edges and appeared to look painted in a creamy/whitish opalescent color,” according to an account in an FBI document. It was made up of “articulating fish scales or panels that were non-symmetrical, non-overlapping and irregular shaped.”

It stayed motionless, shimmering, for about two minutes, the men recounted to the FBI. Then it vanished in the blink of an eye. None of the men had phones on them. There’s no video, no photos.

Report says ‘potato’ could have been a trick of light

Authorities tasked with investigating the episode said they couldn’t explain it easily. Their report found — with “low confidence” — that it may have been “backscattering of sunlight.” Low light from the rising sun could have reflected off the mountain’s snow and illuminated low clouds above, it said.

The men insisted it was a clear, cloudless day. No aircraft or balloons were believed to be in the area. The four-page report, heavily redacted and attributed only to an “intelligence community partner,” said it didn’t appear to be technology from a foreign adversary. An FBI rendering looks just like one might imagine — like a scaly, pale potato above a low mountain.

The case remains unsolved.

A similarly inclusive report examined a series of sightings in October 2023, this time by six federal law enforcement agents. Multiple times, the agents said, they saw a bright orange orb appear above a ridgeline and spawn two to four smaller red orbs.

The orbs disappeared quickly most of the time, but in one instance, the agents said an orb hovered motionless in the sky for several hours. There’s no video or photo evidence of the sightings, the report said.

An analysis dated this month goes through a series of possible explanations. Military aircraft were conducting exercises in the area, and some deployed flares. There could have been other testing of developmental U.S. technology nearby, the report said. It listed those as “plausible” but not conclusive explanations.

Yet it didn’t rule out the possibility that it was some “unrecognized technology.” With relatively little evidence to work from, it called for more investigation into the case.

White House boosts video of red orb

The analysis was conducted by the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which Congress created in 2022 to investigate reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, also known as UAP. Previous reports from the agency say it has not found any evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Among the most recent files is an FBI report from February detailing a sighting in an undisclosed part of the Northeast United States. A person whose name is blacked out reported coming home and seeing an intense light hovering below the trees in their backyard. It was described as a sphere of a “brilliant and beautiful” red, which the person had never seen.

“Inside the red sphere, at the center, there appeared to be what (redacted) described as a ‘white plasma sun’ about the size of a basketball,” according to the FBI file.

A second sphere appeared, and both silently flew out of sight, the file says. Cellphone footage shows two glowing red orbs floating across the sky. The White House shared the video on social media on Friday with no message beyond the file’s name: “‘NORTHEASTERN ORB SIGHTING,’ 2025.”

Zimbabwe sighting included ‘beams’ from a disc

So far, the Trump administration’s transparency campaign has led to the release of about 300 files dating to the 1940s, some brand-new to the public and some adding detail on previously known cases.

The newest batch includes a 2008 CIA report from Zimbabwe labeled as “never before released.” On a July day above the country’s main airport, observers reportedly saw something straight out of a Hollywood movie: It was “disc-like in shape with a hollow center, and had a series of rotating lights on the underside of the airframe.”

“At one point during observation, ‘beams’ were observed emanating from the object,” the CIA report said.

The lights changed colors, and the aircraft ascended high out of view, the report says. There was debate about where it came from, according to the report, with some suggesting a foreign government and some positing “extraterrestrial origins.”

The Associated Press


‘Potato UFO’ Over Secret US Sites? Pentagon’s New Dump EXPOSES Strange Sightings Caught On Cam

Third batch of Pentagon UFO files released: See all 6 videos

{ https://www.thestar.com/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 21:36 Stuur door

From stellar engines to Dyson bubbles, alien megastructures could hold themselves together under the right conditions

From stellar engines to Dyson bubbles, alien megastructures could hold themselves together under the right conditions

{ https://phys.org/space-news/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:52 Stuur door

Are Aliens Harvesting the Spin of Stars?

Are Aliens Harvesting the Spin of Stars?

Artist's impression of a star that might eventually become a magnetar. Credit - ESO/L. Calçada Artist's impression of a star that might eventually become a magnetar. Credit - ESO/L. Calçada

One of the challenges of searching for “technosignatures” (i.e. signs that intelligent life somewhere in the universe has created technology) is understanding what to look for. Technology is a very broad area, and different types would show up as different features. One of the most commonly cited is a Dyson sphere, which attempts to encapsulate a star and capture it’s outgoing light to produce energy. But while we’ve looked for the mid-infrared waste heat these structures would produce for decades, we haven’t found a definitive instance of one. According to a new paper, available in pre-print on arXiv by Turkish high school student Sahin Torlakcik, that might be because we are looking for the wrong type of energy all together.

In his paper, Torlakcik introduces the concept of Stellar J-Harvesting - building a system that could deliberately extract a star’s rotational angular momentum. To be clear, this solution wouldn’t capture the same energy output of a full Dyson sphere (or, more accurately, swarm), but it does have two massive advantages - it requires much less physical material to build, and it would generate waste heat that was millions of times lower than the stars luminosity, essentially making it “invisible” to most infrared surveys.

So how would this work in practice? You can’t simply set up a frictional braking system on a star. Instead, you would have to sap its energy by using one of a few different electromagnetic coupling techniques.

Fraser talks about how we can search for technosignatures.

According to the paper, one technique would be to build a massive conducting structure that is embedded in the solar wind, and extracts angular momentum using Alfvén-wave coupling. These low-frequency oscillations of magnetic fields can interact with the tether, transferring some of the stars angular momentum into the tether itself.

An alternative approach is to create what is essentially a giant orbital flywheel. Building a massive ring at approximately 1 AU (the distance from the Sun to the Earth) could capture angular momentum from the star via Lorentz-force coupling. Using the Lorentz force, the fundamental force exerted on a charged particule by a magnetic field, this megastructure could scavenge angular momentum from the star by using its magnetic field to push on a massive electrically conductive ring.

Another interesting alternative is a synchrotron spindown array. Synchrotron radiation is a form of radiation that occurs when a particle, such as an electron, travels a curved path near the speed of light. When these particles travel along a magnetic field line, they lose energy by emitting highly directional beams of radiation, known as synchrotron radiation.

Fraser talks about what happens if we do find one of these megastructures out in the galaxy.

By placing an array of extremely strong electrically conductive structures in the flow of the solar wind, this technosignature would accelerate those charged particles to near relativistic speeds, and thereby emit synchrotron radiation. Since Newton’s Third Law holds that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, this radiation has a reactive torque that pushes the array, which, since it is coupled to the star’s stellar wind, thereby opposes and slows down the star’s rotation. Crucially, this technique would also emit a specific technosignature of its own, in the form of radio or X-rays, depending on the speed and field strength of the system.

Some of these techniques are similar to those seen in another technosignature idea - starlifting - whereby an advanced civilization intentionally harvests material from a star, either to use that material to build megastructures or to artificially extend the star’s life by lowering its mass. However, this particular use case has a very distinct pattern that we can easily search for - stars that are rotating more slowly than their peers.

So Torlakcik began that search himself. He selected the Kepler field of stars for a first look, and sorted the stars by color and surface gravity, while also applying strict filters to eliminate natural false positively (like subgiants and pre-main-sequence stars). He was left with a dataset of 6,725 FGK main-sequence stars. Out of this group, two interesting candidates emerged - KIC 67606183 and KIC 9834255. Both are G-type main sequence stars, but spin at a relatively slow 61 and 65 days respectively, in comparison to the 5 to 10 days stars their age normally take.

To be clear, Torlakcik does not claim to have found a rotational sapping megastructure at these two locations. In fact, their slow rotation rates are likely due to some other mundane astrophysical phenomena such as an unresolved binary or low metallicity. But at the very least, maybe it's worth a look at these two stars in particular to see if we can figure out why, exactly, they are rotating so much slower than their peers.

Time for more observations, then, and Torlakcik has several ideas of follow up studies that could help narrow the search for hints of these types of megastructures in the future. Luckily, he will have a long time to continue that search. After all, he’s only in high school, and already starting to make a name for himself in the search for technosignatures.

Learn More:

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:30 Stuur door

Noordwest-Europa stond ooit tienduizenden jaren in brand

afbeelding

Illustratie van hoe varenvelden van 201 miljoen jaar geleden eruit kunnen hebben gezien.

Bron Illustratie: Mark Garlick

Noordwest-Europa stond ooit tienduizenden jaren in brand

Zo’n 200 miljoen jaar geleden stond het gebied dat nu Noordwest-Europa heet tienduizenden jaren lang in brand. De planten die in dit helse landschap leefden, bleken daarbij niet helemaal onschuldig.

Onderzoekers aan de Universiteit Utrecht hebben gereconstrueerd hoe het er in Noordwest-Europa aan toeging tijdens de zogeheten eind-Triasextinctie. Deze ramp begon toen het supercontinent Pangea uiteenbrak. Bij die breuk kwamen gigantische hoeveelheden lava en broeikasgassen vrij, die de temperatuur met vijf tot tien graden omhoog joegen. Dat was genoeg om ecosystemen wereldwijd te ontwrichten. De bossen die het landschap domineerden, verdwenen tijdens deze periode. Op de kale bodem kregen varens daarna vrij spel.

Die varens waren hun eigen ergste vijand. Omdat ze overleefden waar andere planten stierven, werden ze extreem dominant. Diezelfde eigenschap speelde hen parten. Wanneer dichte varenmatten uitdrogen, vormen ze namelijk een dikke laag brandstof. Tegelijkertijd verstikken ze andere planten.

En anders dan bomen laten varens zich door brand niet zomaar wegvagen. Bovengronds branden ze af, maar vanuit hun ondergrondse wortelstelsel schieten ze snel weer omhoog. Zo ontstaat een vicieuze cirkel, een helse kringloop die volgens de auteurs van de studie tussen de 40.000 en 300.000 jaar aanhield.

Een natuurlijke brandmelder

De onderzoekers konden dit achterhalen door te kijken naar boorkernen uit vier locaties. Naast de gebruikelijke sporen van brand, zoals houtskool en moleculen uit rook, vonden ze daarin iets onverwachts.

Normaal verkleuren fossiele stuifmeelkorrels en plantensporen naarmate ze dieper begraven raken. Hoe dieper, hoe warmer en hoe donkerder ze worden. Maar in deze kernen zagen de wetenschappers een heel ander patroon. Tijdens de onderzochte periode werden de korrels ineens diep donkerbruin. Daarna lichtten ze weer op tot geel.

De donkere zone verscheen in alle vier de boorkernen op exact hetzelfde moment. Dat is opvallend, want alle onderzochte plekken hebben elk een heel andere geologische geschiedenis. Er moest dus een kracht van buitenaf aan het werk zijn geweest.

De onderzoekers gebruikten daarvoor een simpele maatstaf: de zogeheten Palynomorph Darkness Index. Met een camera op een microscoop maten ze de precieze kleur van elke korrel, in totaal zo’n 15.000 keer. Vervolgens vergeleken ze stuifmeel van bomen met sporen van varens om uit te sluiten dat het om een eigenschap van een bepaalde plantengroep ging. Alle groepen vertoonden dezelfde verkleuring. Dat is bewijs voor een oorzaak van buitenaf. De donkere zone viel bovendien precies samen met de piek in houtskool en rookmoleculen. De verkleurde korrels toonden met andere woorden aan dat er in een bepaalde periode langdurig grootschalige branden plaatsvonden.

Een waarschuwing voor het heden

Deze varenexplosie ontstond door een samenloop van omstandigheden, waaronder ontbossing, bodemerosie, de opwarming van de aarde en de branden zelf. Dat maakt het verhaal actueel. Ook vandaag verandert het klimaat namelijk in sneltempo. Dat betekent niet per se dat we binnenkort in een vuurzee moeten overleven. Het toont vooral aan dat klimaatverandering onverwachte effecten kan hebben die duizenden tot honderdduizenden jaren aanhouden.

Bronmateriaal

{ https://scientias.nl/nieuws/natuur-klimaat/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 20:13 Stuur door

Een asteroïde maakte een einde aan de dinosaurussen, maar klopt het wel dat andere soorten juist floreerden?

Nieuwe hypothesen over het uitsterven van de dinosauriërs

Een asteroïde maakte een einde aan de dinosaurussen, maar klopt het wel dat andere soorten juist floreerden?

Jeannette Kras - Redacteur

Bij de laatste grote massa-extinctie, ongeveer 66 miljoen jaar geleden, legden de dinosaurussen het loodje, net als veel andere dieren. Er zou echter één soort zijn geweest die juist een snelle evolutie doormaakte: de tonijn en aanverwanten. Maar dat blijkt nu niet te kloppen.

Volgens de hypothese vulden tonijnen en andere grote roofvissen de ecologische niche op die was achtergelaten door hun enorme roofzuchtige voorgangers, vergelijkbaar met de manier waarop zoogdieren na de massa-extinctie de plaats innamen van de niet-vliegende dinosauriërs.

Ontwikkeling kwam veel later

Onderzoekers van Yale stellen echter dat die theorie geen standhoudt. Ze werpen nieuw licht op de manier waarop deze economisch belangrijke vissen hun indrukwekkende lichaamsgrootte, snelheid en vermogen ontwikkelden om hun lichaamstemperatuur te reguleren (endothermie) in koude zeeën.

Voor de studie zijn genetische gegevens met fossiele vondsten gecombineerd om de meest complete evolutionaire stamboom van de Scombridae, of makreelachtigen, samen te stellen. Deze vissenfamilie omvat tonijnen en makrelen, evenals ongeveer de helft van alle nog levende warmbloedige straalvinnige vissoorten.

De oorsprong van de makreelachtigen gaat terug tot ongeveer de periode van de asteroïde-inslag. Tegelijkertijd blijkt dat tonijnen, makrelen en verwante roofvissen pas veel later, onafhankelijk van elkaar, een groot lichaamsformaat en temperatuurregulatie ontwikkelden.

Drie evolutionaire ontwikkelingen

“Onze resultaten tonen aan dat de massa-extinctie niet de aanleiding vormde voor de evolutie van tonijnen en andere grote, endotherme roofdieren”, zegt hoofdonderzoeker Chase Brownstein van Yale. “We laten zien dat de lichaamsbouw van deze roofdieren zich over tientallen miljoenen jaren heeft ontwikkeld en dat er geen verband bestaat tussen het ontstaan van endothermie en een groot lichaamsformaat binnen deze afstammingslijnen. Meer in het algemeen onderstreept dit onderzoek dat voorzichtigheid geboden is bij het rechtstreeks afleiden van de evolutie van lichaamsbouw uit evolutionaire stambomen.”

Leestip:

De verschillende vormen van endothermie – een eigenschap die tonijnen en andere roofvissen ook helpt om snel te zwemmen – zijn onafhankelijk van elkaar drie keer binnen de verschillende afstammingslijnen van de Scombridae ontstaan. Minstens twee van deze drie evolutionaire ontwikkelingen vonden pas 10 tot 15 miljoen jaar na de asteroïde-inslag plaats. Tot nu toe werd aangenomen dat endothermie nauw samenhing met een groot lichaamsformaat, maar het onderzoek levert daar weinig bewijs voor. In plaats daarvan nam de lichaamsgrootte op verschillende momenten tijdens de evolutie van tonijnen en andere makreelachtigen toe. Alles bij elkaar ontwikkelden de lichaamsvormen van de huidige tonijnen en makrelen zich over een periode van ongeveer 50 miljoen jaar, aldus de onderzoekers.

Meer inzicht helpt soort beschermen

Een beter inzicht in de evolutionaire biologie van tonijnen, wereldwijd belangrijk voedsel voor de mens, kan bijdragen aan de bescherming van de soort. De populaties van de economisch belangrijke Atlantische blauwvintonijn zijn de afgelopen decennia sterk afgenomen als gevolg van overbevissing.

Daarnaast is de studie van belang voor de menselijke gezondheid. “Het inzicht dat endothermie zich meerdere keren onafhankelijk heeft ontwikkeld bij tonijnen en makrelen, geeft ons meer kennis over de fundamentele mechanismen achter stofwisseling en warmteregulatie”, klinkt het. “Juist deze systemen spelen een centrale rol bij ziekten en gezondheidsproblemen bij mensen, zoals obesitas, diabetes en het metabool syndroom.”

De K-Pg-massa-extinctie
Ongeveer 66 miljoen jaar geleden werd de aarde getroffen door een enorme asteroïde met een doorsnede van ongeveer 10 kilometer. De inslag vond plaats op de plek van het huidige Mexicaanse schiereiland Yucatán en vormde de Chicxulub-krater. De klap veroorzaakte gigantische bosbranden, aardbevingen en tsunami’s. Miljarden tonnen stof, roet en zwavel kwamen in de atmosfeer terecht, waardoor het zonlicht maanden tot jaren werd geblokkeerd. Hierdoor daalde de temperatuur wereldwijd sterk en stortten voedselketens in. Planten stierven af, waarna ook planteneters en hun roofdieren verdwenen. Naar schatting stierf ongeveer 75 procent van alle dier- en plantensoorten uit, waaronder alle niet-vliegende dinosauriërs, veel zeereptielen en talloze andere organismen. Deze gebeurtenis markeert de overgang van het Krijt naar het Paleogeen en staat bekend als de Krijt-Paleogeen- of K-Pg-massa-extinctie. Hoewel het een wereldwijde ramp was, creëerde de uitsterving ook ruimte voor de evolutie van nieuwe groepen dieren, waaronder zoogdieren en moderne vogels.

Bronmateriaal


The Day Dinosaurs Disappeared Forever

De meest angstaanjagende dag in de geschiedenis van de aarde: de asteroïde die de dinosaurussen uitr

{ https://scientias.nl/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 19:34 Stuur door

Is Earth entering a sixth mass extinction? Scientists reveal the warning signs

Is Earth entering a sixth mass extinction? Scientists reveal the warning signs

A single nuclear bomb could wipe out a city

©Provided by The Daily Digest

Concern among experts

Approximately 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid impact brought an end to the age of the dinosaurs and triggered Earth’s fifth mass extinction. Today, scientists warn that the planet may be entering a sixth mass extinction event, driven not by a cosmic collision but by accelerating human-driven changes to the natural world.

An understudied field

©Provided by The Daily Digest

A new mass extinction
A team led by Prof. Robert Cowie, from the University of Hawaii, argues in a study published by Biological Reviews that it “seems increasingly likely” that we’re in the early stages of a new mass extinction.

It is happening

©The Daily Digest

It is happening
“Denying it is simply flying in the face of the mountain of data that is rapidly accumulating, and there is no longer room for skepticism, wondering whether it really is happening,” argues Cowie, as quoted by news website Vice.

Malawi is an excellent location to go on a safari

©Provided by Showbizz Daily (English)

What is a mass extinction?
A mass extinction occurs when around 70% of animal and plant life cease to exist. In other words, it’s a global catastrophe where biodiversity and the ecosystem are up for grabs.

Mollusks

©Provided by The Daily Digest

Mollusks
Cowie’s study focuses on invertebrate animals, specifically mollusks. The team behind the study considers that the International Union for Conservation of Nature provides disproportionate attention given to vertebrates, such as birds and mammals.

Animal diversity

©Provided by The Daily Digest

Image: Ed van Duijin / Unsplash

Animal diversity
“The International Union for Conservation of Nature has not evaluated any but a tiny, tiny fraction of invertebrates such as insects and snails and spiders and crustaceans, which constitute 95 percent of animal diversity,” Cowie told Vice.

A tiger with a pouch

©Provided by Showbizz Daily (English)

Pictured: A Tasmanian tiger (Thylacine), which was declared extinct in 1936, is displayed at the Australian Museum in Sydney.

Since 1500
The study made by Cowie and his team indicates that something around 7.5% to 13% of species has disappeared since 1500, which suggests that we’re heading towards mass extinction.

 It's our fault

©Provided by The Daily Digest

It's our fault
If we’re indeed heading towards the sixth mass extinction, it would be the first that we know of caused by the intervention of a species. In this case, humans.

The biggest polluter

©Provided by The Daily Digest

The Anthropocene
In fact, the human effect on the environment is so intense that many scientists posit that we live in a new geological epoch: The Anthropocene, which began when humans started to meaningfully impact Earth’s geology and ecosystems

Agriculture

©Provided by The Daily Digest

Agriculture
The Anthropocene so far remains hypothetical. Some claim that it began when humans developed agriculture, 12,000-15,000 years ago.

The Great Acceleration

©Provided by The Daily Digest

The Great Acceleration
Other experts place The Anthropocene hand in hand with The Great Acceleration, the astounding rate of human growth and resource consumption that took off after World War 2.

Brave new world

©Provided by The Daily Digest

Brave new world
In other words, the world in which our grandparents were born is completely different from the world we live in now.

Bees and butterflies

©Provided by The Daily Digest

Image: Dmitry Grigoriev / Unsplash

Bees and butterflies
A good example of the incoming sixth mass extinction is the disappearance of bees and butterflies around the globe.

Within a single generation

©Provided by The Daily Digest

Image: Annie Spratt / Unsplash

Within a single generation
According to The Guardian, the bumblebee population in Europe and North America has declined over 30% in the span of a single generation, which points to mass extinction.

More than honey

©Provided by The Daily Digest

More than honey
The collapse of the bumblebee population also affects humans. The bees are not only responsible for honey, but also pollinate crops such as tomatoes or berries. Without them, less food is produced

The butterfly effect

©Provided by The Daily Digest

Image: Ed van Dujin / Unsplash

The butterfly effect
Meanwhile, National Geographic reports that over 450 species of butterflies in the US Southwest are also disappearing.

Crucial for pollination

©Provided by The Daily Digest

Crucial for pollination
Butterflies are also crucial to pollinate many plants and flowers, affecting the food chain and the entire ecosystem.

An inconvenient truth

©Provided by The Daily Digest

An inconvenient truth
The main culprit for the decline of bees and butterflies is warmer environments, caused by climate change. The rising temperatures turn the previous home of these species into something inhospitable.

More violent crimes in deforestation areas

©Provided by The Daily Digest

Pictured: The effects of deforestation in the Amazon Jungle

Land and raw materials.
That's not even taking into account the inordinate use of land and raw materials, affecting or outright destroying whole ecosystems.

We did start the fire

©Provided by The Daily Digest

We did start the fire
The damage humans have made to the planet has proven to be irreversible. The most worrying part is that, despite endless initiatives and summits with the best intentions, it continues to this day.

Time's running out

©Provided by The Daily Digest 

Time's running out
Meanwhile, time is running out to still maintain the precious balance that has enabled humanity to live for thousands of years. Once we have lost that balance, who knows what challenges will face the next generation.

RELATED

The Sixth Mass Extinction

{ The Daily Digest }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 18:21 Stuur door

Rare blue optical transient points to possible new class of cosmic explosion

Rare blue optical transient points to possible new class of cosmic explosion

Chinese astronomers discover a peculiar optical transient displaying unique emission properties

Artist's conception illustrating the aftermath of an intermediate-mass black hole tearing apart a passing star, resulting in an accretion disk and narrow relativistic jet (top left). The dotted line indicates our line of sight from Earth. The jet's off-axis afterglow only became visible once the expanding radio emission (bottom right) had grown wide enough to sweep into our line of sight, causing that emission to brighten dramatically years after the initial event.

Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/M.Weiss

Chinese astronomers report the detection of a peculiar optical transient event that occurred in the center of a dwarf galaxy. The newly discovered event, designated AT2019ijn, is a fast-rising, slow-decaying blue optical transient with exceptionally bright radio emission. The finding was detailed in a paper published July 6 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

One of the rarest transients

Among astronomical transients are events with extreme parameters, such as fast-evolving blue optical transients (FBOTs). They are extremely rare and characterized by a rapid rise to peak brightness within 10 days and blue colors near the peak, followed by an exponential decay to the post-flare level within a month.

AT2019ijn was first identified on May 31, 2019, by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) as an optical transient in the nucleus of a dwarf galaxy at a redshift of 0.27. New observations of this source conducted by a team of astronomers led by Hucheng Ding of Anhui Normal University in China indicate that AT2019ijn is a peculiar FBOT.

"In this Letter, we present the discovery and results from the multi-wavelength analysis of AT2019ijn, a peculiar optical transient that occurred in the center of a dwarf galaxy," the researchers write.

Chinese astronomers discover a peculiar optical transient displaying unique emission properties

The host-subtracted optical light curves of AT2019ijn. Credit: The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2026). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae732c

What do the new observations reveal?

The observations found that AT2019ijn rapidly rose in the optical band to a peak luminosity of −21.05 mag in 5.26 days, followed by a slow decline over more than a month. Moreover, the transient has a persistently blue color. These properties generally resemble those of typical luminous FBOTs, with the exception of the slow decline, which is more consistent with superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) or tidal disruption events (TDEs).

In the radio band, the emission from AT2019ijn was found to be luminous and long-lasting, peaking 641 days after its optical discovery. The peak radio luminosity of AT2019ijn was more than one order of magnitude higher than that of any other known LFBOT or SLSN, but comparable to that of jetted TDEs.

The astronomers noted that the radio emission from AT2019ijn can be explained by an off-axis relativistic jet that spreads into our line of sight at late times, giving rise to the delayed peak in the light curve. They estimate that the jet's kinetic energy is 700 sexdecillion ergs, which, together with the luminous optical emission, suggests the presence of an active central engine.

The nature and classification

The authors of the paper assume that the results favor the TDE scenario as an explanation for the nature of AT2019ijn. Therefore, this transient is most likely a jetted TDE involving an intermediate-mass black hole with a mass of around 132,000 solar masses. However, they do not completely rule out the hypothesis that AT2019ijn may be a jetted magnetar.

The researchers concluded that the peculiar properties of AT2019ijn may mean that it belongs to a new class of optical transients.

"Our results suggest that AT2019ijn may represent a new class of relativistic optical transients, paving a new way for their statistical studies by combining optical and radio time-domain surveys," the scientists conclude.

RELATED VIDEOS

New Cosmic Explosion Class Discovered

The Cosmic Explosion Scientists Can't Explain 😱

{ https://phys.org/space-news/astronomy/ }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 17:26 Stuur door

Mysterious white object that 'popped through the clouds' forces pilots to swerve midair: 'It scared the hell out of me'

Mysterious white object that 'popped through the clouds' forces pilots to swerve midair: 'It scared the hell out of me'

A mysterious unidentified flying object described as a 'white something' panicked both passengers and pilots after an alleged near-miss over Hawaii.

A woman on board a Mokulele Airlines flight between Molokai to Maui said she spotted the object which forced the plane to swerve to avoid a collision as they exited a cloud bank on July 9.

Molokai resident Tami Dixon said the incident: 'Literally scared the hell out of me. Both pilots looked at each other and veered to the right.'

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board both could not confirm that another plane or craft was in the area.

Dixon suspected that the object may have been a drone, but drone experts have stated that, if everyone was following US air safety rules, plane and drones should never get that close.

The incident came just a day before the latest batch of declassified UFO files were released by the Pentagon, including video evidence of another strange white object nearly colliding with a US military aircraft at extreme speed.

While Hawaii is not the biggest hotbed for UFO activity, there have already been nine other sightings submitted to the National UFO Reporting Center this year.

While the US government has maintained for decades that there is no physical proof UFOs and alien life exist, the public disclosure of once-classified sightings has now revealed many similar incidents to the one reported between Molokai and Maui this month.

Pictured: A Mokulele Airlines flight similar to the plane that swerved to avoid an unidentified flying object over Hawaii

Pictured: A Mokulele Airlines flight similar to the plane that swerved to avoid an unidentified flying object over Hawaii

Tami Dixon, a passenger on the July 9 flight, suggested that the object may have been a drone

Tami Dixon, a passenger on the July 9 flight, suggested that the object may have been a drone

Timo Sullivan of Aloha Aina Drones said after the incident that, if the UFO was a drone, it would have had its own flight lane over Hawaii, making a collision unlikely.

'The FAA establishes very clear guidelines of where aircraft can fly. Kind of like on a highway, you have your own driving lane,' Sullivan told Hawaii News Now.

'They should never actually interact or you should never have one car or aircraft entering another car’s lane.'

Dixon had said that the mystery object did not appear to be a bird and was too small to have been another plane in the Mokulele Airlines' path.

According to the passenger, who was reportedly headed to undergo eye surgery, the small commuter plane had been passing through clouds which brought visibility down to zero.

Once the plane left the clouds, however, Dixon claims the UFO suddenly appeared and was seen by both pilots, who took action to avoid a collision.

A spokesperson for Mokulele Airlines told the Daily Mail they have no record of a near-miss involving one of their planes that day.

Meanwhile, the fourth tranche of UFO released on July 10 captured a similar encounter over the eastern US in 2015.

UFO files released on July 10 revealed a near-miss with an object over the eastern US in 2015

UFO files released on July 10 revealed a near-miss with an object over the eastern US in 2015

Like multiple military videos released before it, cameras caught a small object moving at the speed of a missile, jet aircraft or something even faster than human technology is capable of achieving.

In Hawaii, NUFORC, an independent website where everyday people can report and read about UFO sightings worldwide, there have been over 700 incidents made public since 1960.

These have ranged from Americans seeing strange lights in the sky to objects described as orbs, triangles, diamonds and rectangles hovering over the islands.

The son of music star Willie Nelson revealed last year that he has had multiple encounters with UFOs while visiting the state.

Singer and songwriter Lukas Nelson revealed on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in July 2025 that he and several other people watched as orb-shaped UFOs streaked over Hawaii in 2006.

The group watched as an orange orb floated less than 200 yards over Maui, which seemed to be observing the onlookers below.

'Then I swear it seemed like as soon as enough people saw it, it went whoosh. And then it went whoosh. And it moved like nothing else I thought possible at the time. It went out of the atmosphere. And it was crazy. Faster than any drone,' the performer said.

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 00:18 Stuur door

Credible Eyewitnesses describe the 2008 Stephenville UFO Incident

Credible Eyewitnesses describe the 2008 Stephenville UFO Incident

The Stephenville UFO incident is one of the most widely discussed mass UFO sightings in modern U.S. history. It occurred on January 8, 2008, in and around Stephenville, Texas, approximately 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
2008%20Stephenville%20UFO%20Incident.png

Dozens, and eventually more than 200 people reported seeing an enormous object moving silently across the evening sky. Witnesses included: Private pilots, Police officers, Business owners, Ranchers, Truck drivers and Airline employees. 
Many described the object as: Extremely large (estimates ranged from half a mile to about a mile wide) Completely silent. Displaying multiple bright white or reddish lights. Moving in ways they believed conventional aircraft could not, including rapid acceleration and abrupt changes in direction. 
One of the best-known witnesses was Steve Allen, a private pilot with decades of flying experience. He estimated the object was roughly half a mile wide and said it accelerated so rapidly that he believed it exceeded the capabilities of known aircraft.  
A recurring element in many witness accounts was the appearance of F-16 fighter jets, which some believed were pursuing the object. 
Officials suggested that reflections from conventional aircraft under certain atmospheric conditions may have contributed to the witnesses reports but many witnesses rejected these explanations, arguing they did not match what they observed. 
The fact that no official investigation took place has led many to question why, suggesting to some that the encounter may have been deliberately kept secret, whether it involved a classified man-made aircraft or a genuine extraterrestrial craft. Regardless of the official explanation, the large number of witness reports speaks for itself.
  

3000 km/h without a sound: the UFO that defied the US military - Close Encounter of the Third Kind

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 23:56 Stuur door

15 times God's wrath is described in the Bible

15 times God's wrath is described in

the Bible

Story by Maureen Wiley
15 Times God Unleashed His Wrath in the Bible
©ALot.com
15 Times God Unleashed His Wrath in the Bible
There is no shortage of fire and brimstone to be found in the Bible. When it comes to wrath, no one does it like God.
Sodom & Gomorrah
©(Image via Midjourney)
1. Sodom & Gomorrah
According to the Bible, Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities situated on the Jordan River that God destroyed in the Book of Genesis. After God informs Abraham of his plans, Abraham pleads for the city but is unable to find even 10 righteous men worth sparing. God ultimately destroys the cities with “fire and sulfur,” although he does spare Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family as a courtesy to Abraham.

However, not even all of Lot’s family escapes God’s wrath. As they are preparing the flee the city of Sodom, an angel of God instructs them to not look back as they ride away. Lot’s wife can’t resist though and does--at which point she is turned into a pillar of salt. No one can say for sure why salt, but it’s clearly not an ideal situation regardless.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree
©(Image via Midjourney)
2. Jesus Curses a Fig Tree
Humans are usually the objects of God’s wrath, but that’s not always the case. For example, in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus is hungry and finds a fig tree. When he sees it has no fruit to give, he curses it by saying, “May no fruit ever come from you again!”

This narrative remains a bit enigmatic to this day, but ultimately we’re left with a story about a God yelling at a tree. It’s not the most fantastical display of his wrath, but it’s definitely the most unusual.
10 Plagues of Egypt
©(Image via Midjourney)
3. 10 Plagues of Egypt
In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites are being held as slaves in Egypt. God instructs Moses to tell Pharaoh to, “Let my people go,” and when Pharaoh refuses, he unleashes a torrent of 10 plagues on everything in Egypt--land, livestock, plant life, and even people.

These plagues include turning the Nile river to blood, afflicting humans and animals with boils, and plunging the land of Egypt into perpetual darkness. The story reaches its climax when God sends an angel of death to kill the firstborn son in every Egyptian household.
Great Flood
©(Image via Midjourney)
4. Great Flood
Things did not go so well for God in the years between Adam and Noah. Adam himself disobeyed God, and that pretty much opened the disobedience floodgates for every human that came after him. In Genesis chapter 6, God goes as far as to say that he regrets creating humankind and devises a plan to wipe them out with a global flood.

From God’s perspective, this works like a charm--he set out to destroy humanity and accomplished his goal. However, even God’s wrath has its limits, and therefore he spares Noah and his family and establishes a covenant with him that he will never destroy the earth by a flood again.
God Curses Cain
©(Image via Midjourney)
5. God Curses Cain
In the Book of Genesis, Cain and Abel are the first two sons of Adam and Eve. After offering individual sacrifices to God, Cain is enraged to learn that God prefers his brother Abel’s sacrifice over his own. Naturally, the correct response is to murder Abel.

When God finds out what Cain has done, he springs into wrath mode and levels a curse at Cain. For his misdeeds, he will be forced to wander the earth for the rest of his life. On top of that, he also places a curse on anyone who attempts to murder Cain--ensuring that the punishment will last until his old age.
Judgment of the Two Beasts
©(Image via Midjourney)
6. Judgment of the Two Beasts
In the Book of Revelation, God’s primary antagonists are the two beasts--a beast from the sea and a beast from the Earth. Since the book was written, Christians have been debating on what these two figures represent, but regardless of who they are, things don’t go well for them.

Near the end of the book, the two beasts attempt a war with God. When they inevitably lose, they are thrown into “the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.”
Assyrian Captivity
©(Image via Midjourney)
7. Assyrian Captivity
After God gives the Promised Land to the Israelites in the Old Testament, the unified kingdom of Israel splits into two. In the northern kingdom, they have a tendency to worship other gods, which is obviously a problem for God. So, he enlists the help of the enemies of the Israelites--the Assyrians.

King Tilgath of Assyria conquers the northern kingdom, causing its people to go into exile. God had told the Israelites before that he would take the land from them if they disobeyed, and he made good on his promise.
Moses & Others Not Allowed to Enter Canaan
©(Image via Midjourney)
8. Moses & Others Not Allowed to Enter Canaan
Remember all that wandering in the desert the Israelites did? That wasn’t a lack of GPS--it was God’s wrath. In the Book of Numbers, 12 Israelite spies are sent to scope out Canaan, the land God had promised them. When their report is all doom and gloom, the Israelites don’t really want to enter. God isn’t thrilled, and so he forces them to wander in the desert for 40 years until that generation of complainers had died.

Poor Moses, God’s right-hand man, gets denied entry for even pettier reasons. Once when the Israelites were thirsty, God instructs Moses to speak to a rock, at which point it would give water. Instead, Moses in his anger strikes the rock. And for that alone, he never gets the chance to enter the land that God had promised him and all the Israelites.
15 Times God Unleashed His Wrath in the Bible
©(Image via Midjourney)
9. Jesus Cleanses the Temple
For the most part, Jesus is deserving of his “meek and mild” descriptor. But there are few times in the Gospels when he flips that (among other things) on its head.

In all four Gospels, there is an account of Jesus entering the Temple at Jerusalem, where he proceeds to flip tables and shout at the money changers doing business there. The specifics of his ire vary from Gospel to Gospel, but it’s clear that God was not down with the commerce going down in the Temple.
Golden Calf
©(Image via Midjourney)
10. Golden Calf
God may have kept Moses out of the Promised Land, but for most of his life, the two were on the same page--especially when it came to the disobedience of the Israelites. The story of the golden calf in Exodus is the perfect example.

While Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the 10 Commandments from God, the rest of the Israelites were growing restless--to the point where they gave up on this Yahweh character and decided to construct a golden calf to worship instead. Moses and God are none too pleased. God suggests complete annihilation, but Moses has a compromise--he ground the calf into powder, put it in water, and forced the Israelites to drink it.
David & Bathsheba
©(Image via Midjourney)
11. David & Bathsheba
When David commits adultery with Bathsheba and then has her husband killed, it’s clear David is going to be punished. But really, David himself makes out okay--instead, God punishes him by hurting those around him.

As punishment for adultery, David and Bathsheba’s unnamed child dies shortly after it is born. However, God would go on to punish more of David’s children for the murder he was responsible for.
Ananias & Sapphira
©(Image via Midjourney)
12. Ananias & Sapphira
Ananias and Sapphira can be found in the Book of Acts, and they prove that you can’t pull a fast one on God.

In the Book of Acts, the early church pooled their money and resources in common. Ananias and Sapphira sell a plot of land and give most of the proceeds to the church but keep some for themselves. When Peter calls the two out, they both drop dead on the spot.
Phineas the Priest
©(Image via Midjourney)
13. Phineas the Priest
God makes it very clear that the Israelites are supposed to worship no one but him, but they just can’t seem to get the message. In Numbers 25, it says that Moabite women seduced the Israelites into worshiping their gods.

God sends a plague that kills 24,000, and it only ends when Phineas the priest impales an unlucky couple who happen to show up at the wrong time. It’s one of the more gruesome accounts in the Bible.
Elisha and the Bears
©(Image via Midjourney)
14. Elisha and the Bears
In the Book of 2 Kings, Elijah is carried up to Heaven in a chariot of fire, at which point Elisha takes over as a prophet of Israel. As he is walking to Bethel, a group of young people tease him, telling him to “go up bald-head!” How does God resolve the issue? Bears, of course.

Just then, two bears emerge from the forest and maul 42 of the young people. Baldness is clearly a serious issue for God.
Seven Bowls of God's Wrath
©(Image via Midjourney)
15. Seven Bowls of God's Wrath
The Book of Revelation often reads like one big bundle of wrath, but there are some spots that are more wrathful than others. Case in point--the seven bowls of God’s wrath found in Revelation 16 which correspond to horrific plagues released upon the earth.

At this point in the narrative, we’ve already been through two other sets of plagues, but the third and final set found in the seven bowls really take the cake. They include poisoning all bodies of water on earth, darkness over the kingdom of the antichrist, and a global earthquake--complete with 100-pound hailstones.
RELATED 

Every Wrath of God in the Bible Explained in 15 Minutes

God's Wrath Is NOT What You Think How the Bible Redefines Anger
Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 23:47 Stuur door

Government prepares for alien disclosure?

Government prepares for alien disclosure?

The aliens.gov mystery and a White House “Stay Tuned” 

As rumors of UFO file releases, the mysterious aliens.gov domain, and cryptic White House responses spark speculation, questions about government disclosure are once again moving into the mainstream.

As rumors of UFO file releases, the mysterious aliens.gov domain, and cryptic White House responses spark speculation, questions about government disclosure are once again moving into the mainstream.

Something unusual is happening, and if you’ve been paying attention—even casually—you can feel it building. Over the past few weeks, a series of developments involving UFO files, government statements, and now a newly registered domain—aliens.gov—have stirred up a level of speculation I haven’t seen in quite some time.

I recently broke this down on All Things Unexplained, and the deeper I went, the more one question kept coming back:

Are we actually moving toward some form of official disclosure… or just another carefully managed narrative?

It started with “release the UFO files.” Back in February 2026, a headline dropped that immediately grabbed attention: The government was preparing to release UFO-related files.

The directive reportedly came from President Donald Trump, who called for the identification and release of government documents related to:

  • UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects)
  • UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena)
  • Extraterrestrial life

If that sounds familiar, it should. We’ve seen this playbook before with the JFK files, Epstein files, and other long-awaited document releases. There’s always anticipation. There’s always hype, and then…there are redactions. Lots of them.

Why I’m skeptical (based on experience)

I don’t say this from a place of cynicism—I say it from experience. Recently, I filed a FOIA request tied to a 1960 crash at a military base in New Mexico. When the response finally arrived, it was a thick packet of documents. At first glance, it looked promising. Until I started reading. Entire sections were blacked out. Key details—missing. Context—gone, and that’s for something over 60 years old. So when I hear “we’re releasing UFO files,” I can’t help but wonder: What exactly will we actually be allowed to see?

Then came the Obama comment… and the reaction

Around the same time, a resurfaced clip of former President Barack Obama began circulating again. On the Bryan Tyler Cohen podcast, when asked about aliens, he responded in a way that—depending on how you interpret it—either fueled curiosity or confirmed nothing at all.

Obama said, “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them. And they’re not being kept in Area 51. There’s no underground facility, unless there’s this enormous conspiracy, and they hid it from the President of the United States.” Cohen responded, “What was the first question you wanted answered when you became President? Obama: “Where are the aliens? Where are the aliens?” Trump, however, reacted strongly, suggesting that the exchange by Obama may have revealed classified information. Now, whether you believe that or not, it added fuel to an already growing fire. Because suddenly, this wasn’t just fringe discussion. This was political. Public. Mainstream.

Enter aliens.gov

Then came the twist. In March 2026, reports surfaced that the U.S. government had registered a new domain: aliens.gov Let that sink in. This wasn’t a random purchase. The domain is tied to the Executive Office of the President and appears in official government registries. It’s real. It exists. But as of now? It leads nowhere. No homepage. No explanation. Just… silence. And that silence might be the loudest part of the story.

What could aliens.gov be?

There are a few possibilities here: 1. A Future Disclosure Portal The most obvious theory is that this domain will eventually host declassified documents—possibly tied to the UFO file release. 2. A Controlled Information Hub Rather than full disclosure, this could be a centralized location where the government releases select information—curated, filtered, and carefully framed. 3. A Distraction Let’s not rule this out. Sometimes the story isn’t the story—it’s what the story distracts you from.

The White House response: “Stay Tuned!”

Then came what might be the most bizarre—and telling—moment yet. When journalist Brandi Vincent of DefenseScoop asked the White House about aliens.gov, spokeswoman Anna Kelly responded: “Stay tuned!” Yes. She included the alien emoji. Now, you can interpret that however you want: A joke A deflection A hint But here’s the reality: That’s an official response from the White House about aliens.gov. And it wasn’t “no comment.” It wasn’t denial. It was…“Stay tuned.” Oh, and an alien emoji!

So what’s actually happening?

Let’s connect the dots: Government orders UFO files released Public discourse ramps up (including presidential comments) A legitimate federal domain called aliens.gov is registered The White House responds with a cryptic “Stay tuned 👽” That’s nothing, but it’s also not confirmation. What it is, in my view, is something in between: A slow drip of controlled transparency.

The bigger question: Disclosure… or Narrative?

This is where things get interesting, because disclosure isn’t just about releasing information. It’s about how that information is released. If aliens.gov becomes active, we have to ask: Who decides what gets published? What gets withheld? How is the story framed? Because the difference between truth and narrative often comes down to presentation.

Why this moment feels different

I’ve covered UFOs, government secrecy, and unexplained phenomena for years, and I’ll be honest, this feels different. Not because I think we’re about to get a full “we are not alone” announcement, but because the conversation itself has changed. It’s no longer: “Do UFOs exist?” It’s now: “What does the government know?” “What are they preparing to release?” “Why now?” That shift matters.

Stay Curious… but stay grounded

If you’ve followed All Things Unexplained, you know I’m not here to tell you what to believe. I’m here to ask questions. To follow the evidence. To stay curious. And right now, the evidence suggests something is happening—but not necessarily what it appears to be on the surface. So yes—watch aliens.gov. Watch the file releases. Watch the language. Because sometimes, what’s not said is just as important as what is.

Final thought

We may not get full disclosure. We may not get clear answers. But we are definitely getting… something. And if the official response from the White House is any indication, we’re being told—quite literally— Stay tuned.

RELATED

Is America About to Reveal the Truth About Aliens?

Is The Government Covering Up The Truth About Extraterrestrials? | UFO Conclusion | Spark

Alien Disclosure Alert: Pastors Told to Prepare Congregations for Extraterrestrial Revelation

 { https://www.meer.com/en/culture }

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 23:18 Stuur door

Drones in Space: How Robots Are Conquering Mars and Other Parts of the Solar System

Drones in Space: How Robots Are Conquering Mars and Other Parts of the Solar System

The term “Drone” has gained immense popularity in 2026. However, sophisticated machinery capable of traversing extensive distances under human control and executing specific tasks was first developed decades prior. The reality is that, throughout this period, such technology has been predominantly utilized in environments unfamiliar to the general public — namely, space.

Rosalind Franklin — a drone that never made it to Mars. Source: www.skyatnightmagazine.com

The origins and development of drones

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has profoundly transformed the lives of individuals worldwide by familiarizing them with the concept of drones. This term encompasses various categories of machines: aerial vehicles, terrestrial vehicles, and maritime vessels. All these devices share a common characteristic: their capability to navigate through space in response to remote human commands, to operate autonomously for specific tasks, and to perform other functions aligned with their designated purposes.

Certainly, during wartime, the secondary objective is to identify, monitor, and guarantee the neutralization of the adversary by various means, or to facilitate the transportation of cargo that bolsters military activities. Nevertheless, the comparatively low expense and adaptability of drone technology render their civilian applications essentially boundless.

Indeed, contemporary military drones represent, in many respects, an evolution of civilian unmanned systems that predated them while operating largely in obscurity. Nevertheless, there exists a domain where they have been employed for an extended period.

The drone that has gained widespread dissatisfaction among us. Source: www.rbc.ua

This location is situated in outer space. Although it may be difficult to believe, remotely operated wheeled platforms capable of transmitting images to an operator and executing specific functions commenced operations on the Moon over fifty years ago.

Simultaneously, the utilization of these specific types of machinery unexpectedly caught the attention of many individuals. It is noteworthy that in science fiction, space exploration had been depicted as a commonplace activity since the 19th century. Nevertheless, the courageous crews of spacecraft persisted in navigating their vessels — virtually as if employing steering wheels — until the publication of books in the late 1950s, by which time actual space missions had already commenced.

Similarly, robots have been depicted in literature since the 1920s; however, they were specifically characterized as iron men. A wire-controlled, tracked device actually appeared in reality in the 1940s, preceding its depiction in science fiction. Incidentally, this device was a self-propelled mine.

The Goliath tracked mine is the first military drone. Source: Wikipedia

The concept presently referred to as a drone originated in the minds of individuals envisioning space exploration following the emergence of cybernetics as a scientific discipline in the 1940s. The motivation for the practical application of this concept was driven by the recognition of the significant challenges involved in sending a human to another planet — or even to the Moon.

Lunokhod. Soviet lunar rovers

The initial unmanned aerial vehicles in space exploration were developed by the Soviet Union. Although this assertion may appear unexpected now, given the well-documented decline of Soviet computing technology in comparison to that of the United States, it is important to acknowledge that during the 1960s, this disparity had not yet become significantly evident.

Simultaneously, Soviet engineers were motivated to vigorously develop unmanned space systems, recognizing that they were trailing behind the Americans in manned lunar missions even prior to the H-1 rocket accidents and the triumph of Apollo 11.

This is the rationale behind the initiation of the “Lunokhod” program in 1966. The program entailed the development of a rover weighing 756 kilograms, mounted on an eight-wheeled chassis, and powered by electric motors. The rover was equipped with a solar panel that, upon landing on the Moon, unfolded similarly to the lid of a thermos. In general, the rover’s appearance was akin to a pot situated on a cart measuring 4.42 meters in length and 1.92 meters in height.

Lunokhod 1. Source: Wikipedia

Control was conducted using television cameras, and it was specifically during the “Lunokhod” program that drone operators received their initial training, which took place at ground-based testing facilities. It was at this location that the designers first identified a noteworthy aspect: the strategic placement of the cameras at the level of the central part of the hull (at a height of 950 mm in the case of the first “Lunokhods”) provides the operator with a visual perspective comparable to that of a cockroach.

This feature is also considered in contemporary ground-based robotic systems, where it is mounted above the hull, thereby significantly enhancing visibility despite concerns regarding its vulnerability. Nevertheless, in the initial Soviet space drones, there was insufficient time to resolve this issue.

The initial mission was intended to launch towards the Moon in February 1969 — in advance of the Apollo 11 mission. Through this approach, the USSR endeavored to secure at least a partial victory over its competitor. However, a launch vehicle accident terminated these aspirations. As a result, the first space drone successfully arrived at the Moon as part of the Luna 17 mission on November 17, 1970.

The wheels of the “Lunokhod 2.” Source: Wikipedia

It was not equipped with numerous scientific instruments, and management proved challenging due to the suboptimal placement of cameras and signal delay; however, it achieved a significant milestone in its own right. Unlike the American astronauts, who remained on the surface for only a few days, “Lunokhod 1” endured for nearly a year, until September 14, 1971, and traversed a distance of 10.5 kilometers within that period.

Following the initial Soviet drone, on January 16, 1973, the slightly enhanced “Lunokhod 2″ successfully arrived on the Moon alongside “Luna 21.” It operated on the lunar surface for a duration of merely four months; however, during this period, it accomplished a travel distance of 42 km and transmitted 86 panoramic images along with over 80,000 individual photographs to Earth.

The adventures of American robots on Mars

The successes of the “Lunokhods” demonstrated that the future resides in the “it travels across the planet’s surface and explores” paradigm. However, direct control was not appropriate for space drones. The fundamental principles of our universe impede this approach. Each command transmitted from Earth to the “Lunokhod” required approximately one second to reach its destination, and an additional second was necessary for the response image reflecting the robot’s reaction to be received.

It is evident that an increased level of automation was necessary to enable the robot to receive a general command and independently control individual components and assemblies. This requirement was particularly critical for Mars, considering that signals take approximately 20 minutes to travel one way. The United States was the only entity to accomplish this feat, and it did so only a quarter of a century after the “Lunokhod 2” mission.

The Soviet Mars drone PrOP-M. Source: Wikipedia

Interestingly, Soviet engineers had already attempted to send a rover to the Red Planet as part of the 1971–74 missions. The PrOP-M drones featured an original design with two skis instead of wheels, which it alternated as it moved across the surface. The design may seem unconventional, but it is rational when high speed is not necessary, and there is uncertainty regarding the terrain’s nature and whether traversing it is feasible.

However, none of the PrOP-M landers ever arrived on Mars, and their actual capabilities remain uncertain. Three of the four landers were lost during the landing process, and an additional one ceased communication shortly thereafter.

In the 1990s, NASA opted not to pursue experimentation with walking robots but instead chose a wheeled design akin to that of the “Lunokhod 1,” albeit at an advanced technical level. The Sojourner rover measured merely 65 × 48 × 30 centimeters — comparable in size to a shoebox. Nevertheless, it was equipped with two cameras and an X-ray spectrometer, enabling it to assess the chemical composition of its environment.

The Sojourner rover. Source: Wikipedia

Sojourner arrived on Mars as part of the Mars Pathfinder mission on July 4, 1997, and operated on the surface for just over 80 days. It traveled approximately 100 meters; however, it was capable of transmitting not only images but also data regarding the characteristics of the rocks and dust in its vicinity. Notably, this operation did not involve specially trained operators; commands were merely sent to the rover, which was equipped with an onboard control system based on an Intel 80C85 processor, and it executed these commands.

The Sojourner mission was a success; however, it merely confirmed the viability of the concept of space drones. It was subsequently succeeded by a mission featuring fully operational exploration rovers. These were Spirit and Opportunity, which landed on the planet sequentially in January 2004. Each of these rovers, weighing 185 kg like the preceding lunar rover, was equipped with six wheels. Notably, each wheel was mounted on an independent, movable suspension, thereby providing significantly enhanced mobility compared to any previous spacecraft.

Spirit and Opportunity initiated a prolonged period of American leadership on Mars. The former operated until March 22, 2010, covering a distance of 7.73 km, while the latter remained operational until June 10, 2018, traversing 45 km across the Martian terrain. Throughout this extensive timeframe, they transmitted an immense volume of photographic data, which compelled NASA to enlist the assistance of volunteers in analyzing these images.

The landing site of the Spirit rover. Source: Wikipedia

These two rovers were also the first space drones to feature a camera mounted on a specially designed arm that could rotate freely. Consequently, they not only became the pioneering space robots capable of capturing selfies, but also possessed a field of view that closely resembled that of a human standing on the Martian surface. Furthermore, Spirit and Opportunity were the first space rovers equipped with a drill to investigate what lies beneath the surface of Mars.

Nevertheless, by the time Opportunity ultimately concluded its operations in the 15th year of its mission, the successor rover — Curiosity — had been functioning on Mars for quite some time. This 899-kg wheeled robotic vehicle, marginally heavier than the Lunokhod, landed in close proximity to Gale Crater in 2012.

In terms of design, Curiosity bore a strong resemblance to an enlarged iteration of its predecessors: featuring the same six-wheeled platform, with each wheel equipped with independent suspension. Nevertheless, it was now a fully operational mobile laboratory capable of autonomous exploration of Mars, as well as receiving commands from Earth and transmitting the outcomes of its experiments. In total, ten distinct instruments are installed onboard.

Sojourner, Spirit, and Curiosity. Source: Dutch Slager

Similar to its predecessors, the Curiosity rover transmits numerous images to Earth. However, this time, its cameras are not merely mounted on the vehicle’s body; they are attached to a robotic arm, which permits detailed examination of a diverse range of objects. This three-segment manipulator is equipped with a drill and a spectrometer, facilitating the investigation of the composition of surrounding rocks.

In 2021, another American space drone, designated Perseverance, successfully landed on Mars. At first glance, it resembles a larger iteration of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers. Nonetheless, it is fundamentally part of a program dedicated to retrieving soil samples from the Red Planet and returning them to Earth for the first time.

Perseverance’s landing in Jezero Crater was not incidental. It is now established that a substantial volume of water once persisted in that location for an extended duration, thereby maintaining the likelihood that remnants of life may still be detectable there.

The Perseverance rover landing on Mars. Source: Wikipedia

Japanese jumping robots

In the 21st century, it was not solely the United States that dispatched drones into space. The Japanese adopted a markedly different approach, one that bore many similarities to the Soviet PrOP-M. This approach was associated with the distinctive “Hayabusa” and “Hayabusa2” missions, which were dedicated to the study of asteroids.

These missions are renowned for being the initial endeavors to recover samples from small celestial bodies within the Solar System and return them to Earth. Concurrently, during their flybys of the asteroids Itokawa and Ryugu, efforts were undertaken to deploy MINERVA-type robots onto these bodies.

The design concept of the robot originates from the nature of its mission. The gravitational force exerted by the asteroid is exceedingly faint. Consequently, it is unfeasible to traverse its surface using conventional tracks or wheels. Instead, MINERVA — whose weight is merely 591 grams — was required to propel itself off the surface utilizing its underside. The momentum sufficient to merely lift it off a table on Earth would produce small hops on Itokawa.

MINERVA drone. Source: Wikipedia

Regrettably, MINERVA, which was onboard the initial Hayabusa spacecraft, recoiled from the asteroid’s surface and returned to space. Nevertheless, two of its replicas, deployed aboard the subsequent spacecraft, successfully landed on Ryugu’s surface in 2018 and managed to transmit an image from the surface.

Chinese robots on the Moon and Mars

While the United States maintained unchallenged leadership in the development of space drones for two decades, an unforeseen competitor emerged. At the dawn of the 21st century, the Chinese space program advanced remarkably, culminating in the 2013 revelation that the Chang’e-3 spacecraft, which had successfully landed on the Moon, carried the Yutu rover onboard.

Named after the legendary moon rabbit “Yutu,” it had a mass of 140 kg and bore a close resemblance to Sojourner. The primary distinctions were that it not only carried cameras but also spectrometers and, most notably, a ground-penetrating radar.

Yutu-2 lunar rover. Source: Wikipedia

In 2019, the Chang’e-3 lander, which transported the Yutu-2 rover, successfully executed a landing on the lunar surface. Notably, it did not land randomly; rather, it touched down on the far side of the Moon — the hemisphere obscured from Earth’s view — thus operating in a region previously unexplored by humans. Consequently, the images and data obtained by the rover are of unique scientific value. In total, the rover traversed a distance of 1,613 meters across the lunar surface.

In 2021, China successfully deployed its rover — Zhuzhong — on Mars, accomplishing this feat nearly concurrently with NASA’s Perseverance mission. Although, in terms of specifications, it could not rival NASA’s advanced spacecraft and was more akin to the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, the underlying fact remains: five years prior, China initiated direct competition with the United States on Mars.

What’s next?

Furthermore, China was not the sole nation to commence launching drones into space. In 2023, India achieved the successful landing of the “Chandrayaan-3” module on the Moon. It transported the “Pragyan” lunar rover, which promptly traversed the lunar surface to execute its scientific objectives.

The “Pragyan” rover landed on the Moon’s surface. Source: Wikipedia

It is unsurprising that this development has become feasible primarily due to the very progression that has brought us to discuss the era of drones on Earth: the advancement of robotic systems is progressing towards increased affordability. These systems are becoming more accessible even to developers who lack substantial financial resources or extensive experience.

Furthermore, in the realm of space exploration, this process commenced even prior to its initiation on Earth. India endeavored to deploy the initial iteration of “Pragyan” on the Moon in 2019; however, the mission was unsuccessful. Additionally, the European Space Agency has been conducting extensive testing of numerous rover prototypes at its terrestrial test facilities for several years.

It is highly probable that other nations will imminently commence large-scale construction of space drones. It is entirely plausible that the current period marks the inception of the true era of space exploration and drone deployment in space.

Posted in Articles


The Robots That Could Build Mars Before Humans Arrive


SpaceX is Sending Tesla Optimus Robots to Mars First!

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

Hoe vind je dit bericht?
Geschreven door peter om 22:43 Stuur door

Meer van UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN - DE ALLERLAATSTE NIEUWTJES

↑ Terug naar de berichten