Scientists Uncover Possible Explanation for Bizarre ‘Atmospheric Ghosts’ Phenomenon

To be clear, we’re talking about the afterglow from transient luminous events, not the specters of dead people.

by Doris Elín Urrutia

 

Thomas Ashcraft

Four years ago, a green “ghost” appeared over a thunderstorm cloud in the Mediterranean Sea. To the delight of Spanish scientists, this ephemeral sighting finally offered a rare window into a little-known phenomenon playing out high in Earth’s skies.

When lightning strikes, it sometimes triggers the release of a violent optical emission at altitudes between 50 and 90 km above the thunderstorm cloud. These millisecond-long events, called transient luminous events (TLEs), are mysterious.

They can be shaped like jellyfish. These are known as sprites. Other TLE forms exist, boasting playful names like halos and elves. Just a few years ago, thrill seekers and citizen scientists discovered a new TLE, hovering above a sprite, called a ghost. While sprites appear red owing to the nitrogen in Earth’s atmosphere, and blue at more shallow altitudes due to higher atmospheric pressure, ghosts are green. They appear during and after the sprites, like fuzz on top of the jellyfish.

A green ghost, seen here, is a luminous glow that sometimes appears above a jellyfish sprite and lasts briefly after the sprite’s flash. 

Thomas Ashcraft

This puzzling afterglow was the subject of a new paper published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday.

Finding a Good Ghost

Researcher María Passas Varo led a team to use a special instrument called the Granada Sprite Spectrograph and Polarimeter (GRASSP), located outside Barcelona, to make a clear ghost sighting.

She and other atmospheric researchers were intrigued when, in the early half of 2019, storm chaser Hank Schyma noticed something new: in the wake of a sprite over the skies of Oklahoma, there was a greenish afterglow. He called the emerald-colored splotch a ghost, short for Green emissions from excited Oxygen in Sprite Tops. The idea behind the name was that, since oxygen is associated with the verdant tones of auroras, that the gas creates the ghosts.

Passas Varo, a telecommunications engineer, spectroscopist, and surveyor of atmospheric electricity based at the Astrophysics Institute of Andalucía in Spain, searched relentlessly for a new ghost. But finding one that GRASSP could glean a lot of data from was hard.

“We have analyzed more than 2,000 spectra, one by one, with the naked eye. We only found one good spectrum of a ghost. So, it is a lot of work. It is tedious,” she tells Inverse.

A red sprite (circled) appears and just as quickly disappears. This triptych is part of a sequence from an April 2012 video taken onboard the International Space Station. 

NASA Earth Observatory/ISS Expedition 31/Image Science & Analysis

Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center

Then they finally found a science-worthy ghost, radiating from a thunderstorm cloud in the Mediterranean Sea on September 21, 2019. It was their best candidate for spectrographic analysis, in which the team peered into light from the ghost for clues about its composition.

They found a surprise. Oxygen was present, as they expected. But the team also found evidence of iron.

Iron is present in Earth’s upper atmosphere. It comes from the interplanetary dust particles that enter our atmosphere. But according to Passas Varo, it’s usually found at much higher altitudes.

Approximately one in every 100 sprites have ghosts. These events sometimes happen, but aren’t consistent. What makes a ghost appear could be a combination of different phenomena, and iron might provide a special clue.

A Need for Harmony

Cumulonimbus clouds are towers made of water droplets and ice crystals. These tiny particles journey along the updraft from the hot base of the cloud higher and higher until they reach the chilly top. Sometimes, they become larger molecules. If they bang against one another, they produce static electricity. These charged particles create lightning.

What goes down must be balanced in another form, and this need for harmony could be what causes the sprites and jets and all the other TLE oddities.

“When the lightning occurs, when the lightning strikes the ground, then an electric field appears above the cloud because you have to maintain, somehow, the balance of the electric field of the global electrical circuit,” Passas Varo tells Inverse. “Once you have this big discharge in the form of huge lightning downwards, then an electric field develops upwards. And this electric field develops a transient luminous event.”

One possible explanation for ghosts is that the sonic boom we know as thunder is, in one way or another, disrupting the iron from its usual altitude. Gravity waves on Earth, which are vertical, could also be playing a role in producing ghosts.

But what is clear is that a plethora of new observations are necessary. Passas Varo and the team have one good spectrum of a ghost but say it will take 99 more to get a clearer picture of what’s really happening.

{ https://www.inverse.com/ }

2006 Chicago O’Hare UFO Sighting: 22ft Long Alien Craft Witnessed by Many

The UFO event over Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in 2006 is one of the most intriguing UFO sightings in recent history. Despite being unremarkable as far as UFO sightings go, the reaction of the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was anything but ordinary, suggesting some type of cover-up between the implicated authorities.

On November 7, 2006, United Airlines Flight 446 was preparing to depart from O’Hare International to North Carolina when a dozen of airline employees, including mechanics and pilots, spotted a gray and metallic saucer-like object hovering above Gate C17 of the United terminal. The object remained there for several minutes before flying off into the clouds at an unnatural speed. This event was captured in official FAA audio recordings, with a United controller and a colleague discussing the sighting.

The disc was estimated to be at least 22 feet in diameter and hovered around 1,500 feet off the ground, below a heavy cloud cover at 1,900 feet. One grounded pilot announced his sightings over the radio, alerting a taxi mechanic and several other pilots to the presence of the object. At least two grounded pilots were able to lean out of their cockpit windows and see the object in great detail.

The story of the O’Hare UFO incident went almost completely unnoticed until the Chicago Tribune published an article on December 31, 2006, nearly two months after the incident. The story became the highest-hitting article in the website’s history, and other news outlets picked up the story as well.

Jon Hilkevitch, a transportation reporter with the Chicago Tribune, started interviewing the witnesses. Initially, both the FAA and United Airlines denied any knowledge of the event but were forced to admit that this was a lie when an audio tape was leaked to the press that captured a United Airlines radio conversation on the date of the event.

The FAA supervisor identified as “Sue” was asking several controllers at O’Hare if they had seen a flying disc over gate C-17. They initially laughed off the question, but she called back 15 minutes later to confirm that several pilots had seen the disc and that one had captured a photograph of it. Unfortunately, this alleged photograph has never surfaced.

The tape also recorded the control tower operators warning outgoing planes of the UFO and advising them to be cautious. Even in the wake of the tape, United Airlines and the FAA continued to brush off the incident. The airline prohibited any employees from discussing the incident with the media.

However, after the Chicago Tribune article compelled them to address the situation, a spokesperson from the FAA claimed that the alleged disc was nothing but the reflection of airport lights off the low cloud cover. However, this explanation was unconvincing, as the sighting occurred in daylight, before any of the airport’s lights were turned on.

Read also:

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Despite the assertions of several credible witnesses, the airline and the FAA declined to investigate the matter further and wrote it off as a rare weather phenomenon known as a fallstreak or “hole-punch cloud.” However, Mark Rodeghier, the director for the Center for UFO Studies Scientific Director, did not accept this explanation and stated:

“It’s an unknown object over O’Hare, and it’s seen by official personnel and does United or the FAA take it seriously? Of course not, they have zero interest because UFOs can’t exist. But how can you not worry about something hovering over an airport after 9/11? It doesn’t make sense.”

This explanation did not stand up to reason too, as journalist Leslie Kean soon discovered. Hole-punched clouds form, when ice crystals from higher clouds fall down through a lower cloud shelf, punch a hole in it, and evaporate in the warm air below, only forming in below-freezing temperatures. The air at the altitude of the sighting on the day in question was 53 degrees Fahrenheit, which was above freezing.

Despite the FAA’s lack of interest in the O’Hare UFO incident, an independent investigation group called NARC conducted their own research. The team of former NASA scientists, pilots, meteorologists, and aerospace engineers, among others, prepared a 154-page report that confirmed the presence of a physical object over O’Hare. The report stated that the object’s maneuvers could not be explained by conventional means and advised the FAA to launch their own investigation. However, to this day, the FAA has not acted upon this recommendation. (Source)

“There have been documented cases where safety appears to have been implicated, and more and more we are coming to the point of view that we are dealing with an intelligent phenomenon. We must be proactive before an aircraft goes down,” said Richard Haines, a former chief of the Space Human Factors Office at NASA’s Ames Research Center.

The reaction of the airline and the FAA in the aftermath of the incident suggests some type of cover-up between the implicated authorities. The airline prohibited its employees from sharing the details of the incident, and the FAA provided unconvincing explanations for the UFO sighting, such as the reflection of airport lights off low cloud cover or a misidentified weather phenomenon. These explanations were quickly debunked by journalists and independent investigators.

Jon Hilkevitch emphasized how unusual it is for the FAA to ignore such a significant UFO sighting. The FAA has launched investigations for far less extraordinary incidents, such as spilled coffee pots and airport aisles. This lack of interest in the O’Hare UFO incident raises questions about the extent of government involvement in hiding the truth about UFOs from the public.

The taxi mechanic described Chicago’s O’Hare UFO as follows:

“The craft appeared to be hovering right below the ceiling of the cloud cover (about 700 or 800 feet). The cloud ceiling that day was 1900 feet. The top of the craft was clearly outlined as a very dark gray material, but the bottom and the edges of the craft were hazy like when you see the mirage-like surface of the road on a hot day.

The other interesting observation was that after the craft accelerated straight up (observed by other witnesses), there was a hole punched in the clouds. The hole in the clouds was about the same size as the unidentified craft. It looked like a cookie cutter hole stamped out of dough ‘very similar in size’ to the craft. The hole stayed for a little while and then dissipated into the overcast clouds. The sighting lasted about 20 minutes from the time of the first radio call to the time when the mechanic and witness parked the Boeing 777 that he was taxiing across the airport.”

Reddit user Buddy_Felcher describes what he saw during the 2006 O’Hare Airport UFO sighting:

“I was working at American Airlines as a ramp service clerk at O’Hare when that thing came. I saw it, and only one other coworker saw it as well. And nobody believed me even after other airline workers said they saw it too. Until I heard other people saw it everyone had me convinced I was crazy…

Have you ever seen the movie flight of the navigator? That’s what it sort of looked like but also kind of like it was a chrome bubble of air or like the way invisible people in movies look when it’s raining on them. I only saw the latter part of it being there, the guy I worked with said it was solid grey at first and then changed to what I saw.” (Source)

{ https://howandwhys.com/ }

{ https://scientias.nl/}

Scientists pinpoint exactly WHERE the 'city-destroying' asteroid could strike Earth in 2032

• READ MORE: Video shows 'city-killer' asteroid hitting Earth in 2032

By WILIAM HUNTER

The terrifying prediction that a 'city-destroying' asteroid is hurtling towards Earth has set alarm bells ringing at the world's space agencies.

Now, a NASA scientist has predicted exactly where the asteroid 2024 YR4 could strike.

David Rankin, an engineer with the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey Project, has sketched the 'risk corridor' according to the asteroid's current trajectory.

If 2024 YR4 really does hit Earth in 2032, it should fall somewhere in a narrow band stretching from northern South America across the Pacific to sub-Saharan Africa and into Asia.

Worryingly, this path extends over several densely populated regions including Chennai, India and Hainan Island, China.

Currently, NASA estimates that the asteroid has a one in 48, or 2.1 per cent, chance of colliding with the planet on December 22, 2032.

And with a diameter of up to 90 metres (300ft), or roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty, it could cause devastating damage to any populated area along the risk corridor.

If it were to strike, experts suggest it could unleash a blast equal to eight megatons of TNT - more than 500 times the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Scientists have predicted the exact path (shown in red) where the city-destroying asteroid 2024 YR4 could hit Earth. It should fall somewhere in a narrow band stretching from northern South America across the Pacific to sub-Saharan Africa and into Asia 

2024 YR4 was first detected in December last year but has quickly shot to the top of NASA's and the European Space Agency's (ESA) impact risk tables.

The asteroid is currently the only large asteroid with an impact probability greater than one per cent and has been awarded the rare rating of three on the Torino Scale, a scale for measuring the danger posed by asteroids.

The 'God of Chaos' asteroid 99942 Apophis is the only other object in the history of astronomy to be given a rating of three or higher on this scale.

While the odds of 2024 YR4 hitting Earth are still slim, Dr Rankin was able to use data about its orbit to predict where it might hit.

In the scenario where the asteroid does indeed collide with Earth, the 'risk corridor' threatens countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador.

Where it lands will also determine just how powerful the impact is, with regions at the end of the corridor more likely to receive a glancing blow. 

However, there currently isn't enough information to say where along this risk corridor the asteroid is most likely to hit.

Dr Rankin told Space.com: 'Size and are big players in possible damage, along with impact location.

NASA predicts that the asteroid 2024 YR4 currently has a one in 48, or 2.1 per cent, chance of hitting Earth on December 22, 2032 (stock image)

'It's hard to constrain size and composition with the current orbital situation, as it's outbound. Typically, the best way to constrain size is with radar observations and those are not possible right now.'

It is currently estimated that the blast would be similar in size to the Tunguska asteroid which detonated in an air-burst explosion in 1908.

While this blast hit an unpopulated area, the shockwave still flattened an estimated 80 million trees over 830 square miles (2,150 square kilometres) - more than twice the land area of New York.

At the higher end of estimates, scientists suggest this explosion could have been equivalent to 15 megatons of TNT.

A blast this powerful would topple residential buildings and cause fatalities up to 12 miles (18.9 km) in any direction from the epicentre.

In the coming months, NASA and ESA hope to use Earth's most powerful telescopes to further refine their predictions about the asteroid's orbit.

This includes a rare emergency decision to grant an international team of scientists the use of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study 2024 YR4.

This team will use the JWST's infrared sensors to measure the heat radiating from the asteroid to make a better prediction of its size and orbit.

With an estimated size of up to 90 metres (300 ft), or roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty, 2024 YR4 could hit Earth with a blast equal to eight megatons of TNT (artist's impression)

Asteroid 2024 YR4 is about the same size as the Tunguska asteroid, which caused the largest impact event in recorded history when it shot through Earth's atmosphere in 1908, flattening 830 square miles (2,150 square km) of forest (pictured)

Scientists will also have a good opportunity to learn more about the asteroid when it makes its first close pass of Earth in March at a distance of around 5 million miles (8 million kilometres).

The world's space agencies currently predict that the impact probability will drop towards zero as they learn more, but an impact cannot currently be ruled out.

A new simulation of the asteroid's path also presents a slim possibility that it could hit the moon instead of Earth.

Dr Rankin's calculations suggest that there is a one in 333 chance that 2024 YR4 will collide with the lunar surface, creating a brilliant but otherwise harmless explosion that could be seen from Earth with the naked eye. 

However, for the countries along this predicted risk corridor, these predictions raise the chilling possibility that they may face a devastating collision within the next eight years.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

•  READ MORE: Disturbing truth behind 'HELP' signs seen in LA on Google Maps

By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

A mysterious structure in a mountainous region of New Mexico has taken the internet by storm, sparking an investigation to uncover the truth.

Google Map users spotted a large, white disc poking out from the ground at an elevation of 7,400 feet. Its coordinates are 34°24'21.6"N 107°05'44.5"W.

The location, about 34 miles from the Sevilleta National Refuge in La Joay, is nestled in the Sierra Ladrones with no clear roads or homes nearby.

Google Map images of the site show the top of the disc features metallic hardware and part of one side has since been covered by vegetation.

Users speculated it could be 'a UFO that has been lodged in this mountain for centuries' or a 'ceiling hatch of a subterranean hanger for a UAP [Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena].'

Others claimed they saw windows, a fuselage and electrical circuits on the object.

Some Google Map users have looked back at historical images of the area, finding a black, box-shaped structure in the same spot in 1975. A look forward to 2003 showed the disc among the barren landscape.

The images were shared on X where people are calling for someone to send a drone to the mountain and capture images of the scene.

A mysterious structure in a mountainous region of New Mexico has taken the internet by storm, sparking speculations of a UFO crash site

Google Map users spotted a large, white disc poking out from the ground at an elevation of 7,400 feet. Its coordinates are 34°24'21.6"N 107°05'44.5"W

The Google Map images were shared by X user Steph Kent who posted: 'Something in the shape of a disc embedded in a mountain in New Mexico, USA, at an altitude of 2,255 meters.'

Commenters suggested it could be an observatory, old water reservoir or a crash alien craft. 

The earliest Google image, in 1996, revealed a completely barren landscape without a dirt path or the disc. 

YouTuber MrMBB333 shared a video in August while investigating the site on Google Maps.

'This is a very remote location, nothing going on up here,' he said in the clip.

'This looks very much like a disc that is stuck in the top of this mountain. I measured the disc from side to side, it's around 30 feet across.'

He claimed that 'whenever it crash landed in the mountains,' it lunged forward and became buried in the ground. 

While the YouTuber's theory suggested the object was a crash UFO,  a user of Mick West's Metabunk website had a more realistic investigation. 

The post initially claimed the object was a crashed disc when the user started the thread last August, but they later updated it to read: 'The structure has been identified as a rainwater catchment that has since been removed and replaced by a different structure.'

They searched through historical records on the US Geological Survey, uncovering images dating back to 1975 that showed a black dot where the white disc is now. 

There is also a clear path leading from a clear to the site. 

Some users have looked back at historical images of the area, finding a black, box-shaped structure in the same spot in 1975 

A look forward, and the white disc appeared in 2003

An image from 2013 shows the disc has not yet been overgrown by vegetation, but has suffered some damage

'So what is it? A research station of some kind? Something related to the nearby testing range,' they asked in the post dated August 26. 

'Some suggested a wildlife catchment tank (which looks similar if not a bit smaller) or a Frank Lloyd Wright project (it's not). 

Wright was an American architect famous for unusually designed homes, some of which that were circular. 

'From a quick search there appears to have been a structure built on that exact spot from at least the 1975 so it seems unlikely anything coincidentally 'crashed' there,' the MetaBunk user shared. 

Google Map users have come across many strange locations worldwide with a recent one in Los Angeles when people spotted 'HELP' spelled out with various materials on a plot of storage or waste facility in Los Angeles, California.

A 2017 images shows part of the disc had been covered by vegetation. An internet investigation ound the object was a rainwater catchment that has since been removed and replaced by a different structure

Disturbing messages written on the ground in Los Angeles have taken the internet by storm last month

This area is about one mile east of Los Angeles City Hall, situated between the Los Angeles River, North Mission Road and E Cesar E Chavez Avenue. Its coordinates are 34°03'18'N 118°13'30'W. 

The Spanish words 'TRAFFICO' (traffic) and 'TERRORISMO,' (terrorism) also appear, as well as 'LAPD,' 'FEDERAL,' and 'FBI.'

The images went viral on social media over the weekend, sparking fears that someone may be trying to alert the public or law enforcement to a human trafficking operation in the area.

One Reddit user wrote: 'This sounds like someone or a group are being trafficked and used materials available to them to spell out an SOS. I hope if a random person noticed, authorities noticed as well.'

'We have all known for a long time that shipping containers are being used for human trafficking,' one X user posted, referencing the location's close proximity to the shipping yard.

Concerned viewers also pointed out what appears to be holes or tunnel entrances nearby, speculating that nefarious activity may be taking place inside.

One such person, who goes by 'LAguy' on X, spoke with a woman experiencing homelessness who lives near the lot.

She told him the words were written by a man named Jose who has been writing them 'for years.'

'[José's] the one who puts [help] all the time,' she said. 'He writes it everywhere [...] it's been years,' she added, though she made clear she didn't know the reason why he has been writing the messages.

Others claiming to live nearby offered similar explanations.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

DE VLAAMSE UFOLOGEN

Inleiding tot de Vlaamse Ufologie

De belangstelling voor UFO's (ongeïdentificeerde vliegende objecten) en gerelateerde fenomenen is wereldwijd een onderwerp van fascinatie en controverse. In Vlaanderen, zoals in veel andere regio's, zijn er verschillende ufologen die zich hebben toegelegd op het bestuderen van deze mysterieuze verschijnselen. Onder hen zijn enkele opmerkelijke figuren zoals Marc Broux, Wim van Utrecht, Pieter Hendrickx en Ghislain Struys. Dit artikel biedt een overzicht van hun bijdragen aan de ufologie in Vlaanderen, hun onderzoeken, publicaties en de bredere context waarin zij werken.

De Opkomst van de Ufologie in Vlaanderen

De ufologie begon in België en Vlaanderen serieus aandacht te krijgen in de jaren '50 en '60, parallel aan de wereldwijde UFO-hype. De Belgische UFO-golf in de jaren '80, met een aantal gerapporteerde waarnemingen, waaronder de beroemde waarnemingen van "de Belgische driehoek", heeft de interesse in het onderwerp verder aangewakkerd. Dit leidde tot de oprichting van verschillende organisaties en initiatieven die zich bezighouden met het onderzoeken van UFO-waarnemingen en het verspreiden van kennis over het fenomeen.

1. Marc Broux { UFO-BELGIUM, BUFON }

Marc Broux is een prominente figuur binnen de Vlaamse ufologie, een niche die zich bezighoudt met het bestuderen van onverklaarde vliegende objecten en de mogelijke aanwezigheid van buitenaards leven. Zijn bijdrage aan dit vakgebied is veelzijdig en omvat onderzoek, publicaties en het organiseren van evenementen. Broux heeft niet alleen bijgedragen aan de verspreiding van kennis over ufologie in Vlaanderen, maar heeft ook een brug geslagen tussen wetenschappelijk onderzoek en de interesse van het bredere publiek.

Een van de belangrijkste aspecten van Broux' werk is zijn rol als onderzoeker. Hij heeft talloze meldingen van UFO-waarnemingen geanalyseerd en bestudeerd. Door zijn methodische aanpak en kritische blik heeft hij geprobeerd om objectieve gegevens te verzamelen en te interpreteren, wat essentieel is voor het serieus nemen van dit onderwerp. Broux heeft verschillende publicaties op zijn naam staan waarin hij zijn bevindingen deelt, wat bijdraagt aan de academische en populaire literatuur over het onderwerp. Deze publicaties hebben niet alleen de interesse in ufologie aangewakkerd, maar ook de noodzaak benadrukt van een zorgvuldig en kritisch onderzoek naar UFO-verschijnselen.

Daarnaast heeft Marc Broux ook een belangrijke rol gespeeld in het organiseren van evenementen, zoals lezingen en symposia, waarbij hij zowel experts als geïnteresseerden samenbrengt. Deze evenementen bieden een platform voor discussie en kennisuitwisseling, en stimuleren een bredere belangstelling voor het onderwerp. Door het organiseren van deze bijeenkomsten heeft Broux bijgedragen aan de opbouw van een gemeenschap van ufologie-enthousiastelingen in Vlaanderen, wat cruciaal is voor de verdere ontwikkeling van het vakgebied.

Een ander belangrijk aspect van zijn werk is de educatieve component. Broux hecht waarde aan het informeren van het publiek over het fenomeen UFO’s en de verschillende theorieën die daarmee gepaard gaan. Hij heeft geprobeerd om het onderwerp toegankelijk te maken voor een breder publiek, en om mythes en misvattingen te ontkrachten. Dit is bijzonder belangrijk in een tijd waarin de media vaak sensationeel omgaan met UFO-incidenten, wat kan leiden tot desinformatie en wantrouwen.

Broux heeft ook de samenwerking met andere UFO-onderzoekers en organisaties bevorderd, zowel nationaal als internationaal. Deze samenwerkingen hebben geleid tot een uitwisseling van ideeën en methoden, wat de kwaliteit van het onderzoek ten goede komt. Door deze netwerken heeft hij bijgedragen aan een meer gestructureerde en professionele benadering van de ufologie in Vlaanderen.

Samenvattend kan gesteld worden dat Marc Broux een sleutelrol speelt in de Vlaamse ufologie. Zijn onderzoek, publicaties en organisatorische inspanningen hebben niet alleen de kennis over UFO's vergroot, maar ook de interesse van het publiek gestimuleerd en een gemeenschap gecreëerd rondom dit fascinerende onderwerp. Dankzij zijn inzet is de Vlaamse ufologie in staat om een meer serieuze en wetenschappelijke benadering te hanteren, en dit heeft een blijvende impact op hoe het fenomeen UFO’s wordt waargenomen en bestudeerd in Vlaanderen.

2. Wim van Utrecht { SVLT }

Old famous triangular ufo pic, has it been debunked?

Wim van Utrecht is een prominente figuur binnen de Vlaamse ufologie, het bestuderen van onverklaarde vliegende voorwerpen (UFO's) en gerelateerde fenomenen. Zijn bijdrage aan dit veld kan niet worden onderschat, zowel op het gebied van onderzoek als in de popularisering van de ufologie in Vlaanderen. Dit artikel verkent wat Wim van Utrecht betekent voor de Vlaamse ufologie en waarom zijn werk van groot belang is.

Ten eerste heeft Wim van Utrecht zich onderscheiden door zijn gedegen onderzoekswerk. Hij heeft talloze getuigenissen van UFO-waarnemingen verzameld en geanalyseerd, wat heeft geleid tot een beter begrip van de fenomenen die zich in Vlaanderen voordoen. Door zijn methodische aanpak heeft hij bijgedragen aan een serieuze en wetenschappelijke benadering van ufologie, wat vaak wordt geassocieerd met pseudowetenschap en speculatie. Van Utrecht pleit voor een objectieve en kritische benadering van UFO-waarnemingen, waarbij hij het belang van bewijs en documentatie benadrukt.

Daarnaast heeft Van Utrecht een belangrijke rol gespeeld in het creëren van een netwerk van onderzoekers en enthousiastelingen in Vlaanderen. Hij heeft verschillende evenementen en conferenties georganiseerd waar mensen hun ervaringen konden delen en discussiëren over UFO-verschijnselen. Dit heeft niet alleen geleid tot een grotere zichtbaarheid van de ufologie in de regio, maar ook tot de oprichting van samenwerkingsverbanden tussen verschillende onderzoekers en organisaties. Door deze netwerken heeft hij een platform gecreëerd waar serieuze discussies over UFO's kunnen plaatsvinden, wat de legitimiteit van het vakgebied versterkt.

Wim van Utrecht is ook actief geweest in de media, waar hij zijn kennis en ervaring heeft gedeeld met een breder publiek. Door zijn aanwezigheid in kranten, tijdschriften en op televisie heeft hij de interesse in ufologie aangewakkerd bij mensen die anders misschien nooit in contact zouden komen met het onderwerp. Zijn vermogen om complexe onderwerpen toegankelijk te maken voor een breed publiek is een van zijn grootste kwaliteiten. Dit heeft geholpen om de stigma's die vaak aan ufologie kleven te doorbreken en heeft veel mensen aangemoedigd om open te staan voor het verkennen van onverklaarde fenomenen.

Bovendien heeft Van Utrecht aandacht gevestigd op de noodzaak van samenwerking met andere wetenschappelijke disciplines. Hij heeft vaak gepleit voor een interdisciplinaire aanpak van ufologie, waarbij inzichten uit de psychologie, sociologie en natuurkunde kunnen bijdragen aan een beter begrip van waarnemingen en de impact die deze hebben op de samenleving. Door deze benadering heeft hij de ufologie gepositioneerd als een onderwerp dat niet alleen relevant is voor UFO-enthousiastelingen, maar ook voor academici en onderzoekers in andere velden.

In conclusie betekent Wim van Utrecht voor de Vlaamse ufologie een belangrijke schakel in de ontwikkeling van een serieuze en respectabele benadering van het onderwerp. Zijn onderzoeksinspanningen, netwerken, media-activiteit en pleidooien voor interdisciplinaire samenwerking hebben de ufologie in Vlaanderen gestimuleerd en geprofessionaliseerd. Door zijn werk heeft hij niet alleen bijgedragen aan een beter begrip van UFO-verschijnselen, maar ook aan de acceptatie en erkenning van ufologie als een legitiem onderzoeksgebied. Als gevolg daarvan heeft hij een blijvende impact gehad op hoe zowel het publiek als de academische wereld naar dit fascinerende onderwerp kijkt.

3. Pieter Hendrickx

link https://blog.seniorennet.be/peter2011/

Pieter Hendrickx is een expert op het gebied van UFO-onderzoek in België en heeft een significante bijdrage geleverd aan de Vlaamse ufologie. Hij is vooral bekend om zijn gedetailleerde analyses van specifieke UFO-waarnemingen en zijn vermogen om complexe gegevens te interpreteren. Hendrickx heeft een wetenschappelijke achtergrond en benadert het onderwerp vanuit een kritisch en analytisch perspectief.

Pieter Hendrickx is een invloedrijke figuur in de Vlaamse ufologie, een niche binnen de bredere studie van onverklaarde vliegende objecten (UFO's) en gerelateerde fenomenen. Zijn bijdrage aan dit vakgebied is van groot belang, zowel op academisch als op praktisch niveau. Hendrickx heeft zich ingezet om de ufologie in Vlaanderen een serieuze en wetenschappelijke benadering te geven, waardoor het onderwerp niet langer als een marginaal of belachelijk fenomeen wordt gezien.

Een van de belangrijkste aspecten van Hendrickx's werk is zijn focus op het verzamelen en analyseren van getuigenverslagen. Hij heeft talloze getuigen geïnterviewd en hun verhalen gedocumenteerd, wat heeft geleid tot een schat aan gegevens. Deze systematische benadering is cruciaal, omdat het laat zien dat veel meldingen van UFO-waarnemingen serieus genomen moeten worden. Hendrickx pleit voor een wetenschappelijke methode in de ufologie, en zijn werk is een voorbeeld van hoe dit kan worden gedaan.

Daarnaast heeft Hendrickx zich actief ingezet voor de bewustwording van het fenomeen UFO's in Vlaanderen. Hij heeft lezingen gegeven, boeken gepubliceerd en media-interviews gedaan om het publiek te informeren over de verschillende aspecten van ufologie. Zijn educatieve inspanningen hebben geholpen om de stigma's rond het onderwerp te verminderen en meer mensen aan te moedigen om openlijk over hun ervaringen te praten. Dit is van groot belang, omdat het delen van getuigenissen kan leiden tot een beter begrip van het fenomeen en tot verdere onderzoeksinitiatieven.

Een ander belangrijk kenmerk van Hendrickx's benadering is zijn kritische houding ten opzichte van het fenomeen. Hij is zich bewust van de vele pseudowetenschappelijke claims die circuleren binnen de ufologie en kiest ervoor om deze te weerleggen met feiten en logica. Dit maakt zijn werk geloofwaardig en helpt om de ufologie te positioneren als een serieuze tak van onderzoek. Hendrickx benadrukt het belang van kritisch denken en het vermijden van sensatiezucht, wat essentieel is voor de ontwikkeling van een betrouwbare onderzoeksomgeving.

Hendrickx heeft ook samengewerkt met andere onderzoekers en organisaties, zowel nationaal als internationaal. Deze netwerken zijn van groot belang voor de uitwisseling van kennis en ervaringen, en ze versterken de positie van de Vlaamse ufologie op het wereldtoneel. Door samen te werken met andere wetenschappers en onderzoekers, draagt Hendrickx bij aan een bredere discussie over UFO's en aanverwante onderwerpen, wat kan leiden tot nieuwe inzichten en ontdekkingen.

Tot slot is Pieter Hendrickx niet alleen een onderzoeker, maar ook een pleitbezorger voor het recht van mensen om hun ervaringen te delen zonder vooroordelen. Hij heeft een veilige ruimte gecreëerd voor getuigen om hun verhalen te delen, wat leidt tot een grotere diversiteit aan meldingen en inzichten. Dit is cruciaal voor het begrip van het fenomeen UFO's, omdat het de menselijke ervaring centraal stelt in het onderzoek.

In conclusie, Pieter Hendrickx heeft een significante impact gehad op de Vlaamse ufologie door zijn systematische, wetenschappelijke benadering, zijn educatieve inspanningen en zijn pleitbezorging voor getuigen. Zijn werk helpt om de ufologie te legitimeren en te positioneren als een serieus onderzoeksgebied binnen de bredere wetenschappelijke gemeenschap.

4. Ghislain Struys { UROS }

Ghislain Struys is een belangrijke figuur in de Vlaamse ufologie, een studie die zich richt op het onderzoeken van ongeïdentificeerde vliegende objecten (UFO’s) en de mogelijke implicaties daarvan. Zijn bijdrage aan dit veld is veelzijdig en heeft een aanzienlijke impact gehad op zowel de populariteit van het onderwerp als de serieuze benadering ervan binnen de Vlaamse gemeenschap.

Struys is vooral bekend als oprichter van de "Vlaamse Vereniging voor Ruimteonderzoek" (VVRO), een organisatie die zich richt op het verzamelen en analyseren van getuigenissen, het onderzoeken van waarnemingen en het bevorderen van wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar UFO-verschijnselen. Zijn inzet voor de vereniging heeft bijgedragen aan het legitimeren van UFO-onderzoek in Vlaanderen en heeft het mogelijk gemaakt om dit vaak beladen onderwerp in een meer serieuze context te plaatsen.

Een van Struys' belangrijkste bijdragen aan de Vlaamse ufologie is zijn focus op het verzamelen van betrouwbare gegevens en getuigenissen. In tegenstelling tot de vaak sensationele berichtgeving in de media, heeft hij gepleit voor een meer methodische en wetenschappelijke benadering van UFO-waarnemingen. Dit houdt in dat hij de nadruk legt op het documenteren van feiten, het analyseren van gegevens en het onderzoeken van getuigenissen met een kritische blik. Door dit te doen, heeft hij geholpen om een cultuur van ernst en integriteit in de ufologie te bevorderen, wat essentieel is voor de acceptatie van het onderwerp in bredere wetenschappelijke en maatschappelijke kringen.

Struys heeft ook bijgedragen aan de educatie rond UFO-onderzoek. Hij heeft lezingen gegeven, artikelen geschreven en documentaires ondersteund die het publiek informeren over de geschiedenis van UFO-waarnemingen, de verschillende theorieën die erover bestaan, en de relevante wetenschappelijke inzichten. Door deze educatieve inspanningen heeft hij een brug geslagen tussen de ufologie en het bredere publiek, waardoor meer mensen geïnteresseerd raken in en openstaan voor het onderwerp.

Een ander belangrijk aspect van Struys’ werk is zijn betrokkenheid bij de internationale ufologie. Hij heeft samengewerkt met verschillende organisaties en onderzoekers over de hele wereld, wat heeft geleid tot een uitwisseling van ideeën en kennis. Deze internationale samenwerking heeft niet alleen de Vlaamse ufologie verrijkt, maar heeft ook bijgedragen aan een beter begrip van UFO-verschijnselen op globaal niveau.

Bovendien heeft Struys’ werk de aandacht gevestigd op de culturele en sociale impact van UFO-waarnemingen. Hij heeft erop gewezen hoe deze verschijnselen diepgeworteld zijn in de menselijke ervaring en hoe ze de manier waarop we naar onszelf en onze plaats in het universum kijken, kunnen beïnvloeden. Dit heeft geleid tot een bredere discussie over de betekenis van UFO’s in de moderne samenleving en de vragen die zij oproepen over technologie, wetenschap en zelfs spiritualiteit.

In conclusie, Ghislain Struys heeft een fundamentele rol gespeeld in de ontwikkeling van de Vlaamse ufologie. Zijn methodische benadering, educatieve inspanningen en internationale samenwerking hebben niet alleen de legitimiteit van het onderwerp vergroot, maar ook bijgedragen aan een dieper begrip van de sociale en culturele implicaties van UFO-verschijnselen. Hierdoor blijft zijn invloed voelbaar in de hedendaagse discussie over UFO’s en hun betekenis voor de mensheid.

5. Jan Deceuster

Jan Deceuster is een bekende naam in de Belgische ufologie. Hij staat vooral bekend om zijn systematische benadering van UFO-waarnemingen en zijn betrokkenheid bij het documenteren van getuigenissen. Deceuster heeft in de loop der jaren talloze getuigeninterviews afgenomen en veel aandacht besteed aan de verificatie van de feiten rondom UFO-waarnemingen. Zijn werk heeft bijgedragen aan een beter begrip van de fenomenen die vaak als UFO's worden gekarakteriseerd.

Deceuster heeft ook samengewerkt met verschillende organisaties en heeft zijn bevindingen vaak gedeeld in lezingen en publicaties. Hij is van mening dat het belangrijk is om een wetenschappelijke benadering te hanteren bij het bestuderen van UFO's, en hij pleit voor een objectieve evaluatie van de beschikbare gegevens. Dit is essentieel voor het scheiden van serieuze waarnemingen van hoaxes of misverstanden.

6. Julien Weverbergh

Julien Weverbergh is een andere prominente figuur in de Vlaamse ufologie. Hij is vooral bekend om zijn boeken en publicaties die de geschiedenis van UFO-waarnemingen in België en de rest van de wereld onderzoeken. Weverbergh heeft zich intensief beziggehouden met het bestuderen van de verschillende theorieën rondom UFO's, inclusief de mogelijkheid van buitenaardse levensvormen en interdimensionale reizen.

Een van de meest opmerkelijke bijdragen van Weverbergh is zijn focus op de culturele en psychologische aspecten van UFO-waarnemingen. Hij heeft betoogd dat veel waarnemingen niet alleen kunnen worden verklaard door fysieke objecten, maar ook door de manier waarop mensen deze ervaringen interpreteren. Dit maakt zijn werk bijzonder waardevol, omdat het niet alleen de feiten rondom UFO's onderzoekt, maar ook de impact ervan op de menselijke psyche.

Weverbergh heeft ook aandacht besteed aan de rol van de media in de verspreiding van UFO-verhalen. Hij heeft erop gewezen dat de manier waarop UFO-waarnemingen worden gepresenteerd vaak invloed heeft op hoe het publiek deze fenomenen waarneemt en begrijpt. Dit heeft geleid tot een grotere bewustwording van de noodzaak om kritisch te kijken naar de informatie die beschikbaar is.

7. Frederick Delaere { Belgisch UFO-meldpunt }

Frederick Delaere is een opmerkelijke figuur binnen de Vlaamse ufologie, en zijn bijdrage aan het onderzoek naar onverklaarde vliegende objecten in België is van groot belang. Delaere, geboren en getogen in Vlaanderen, heeft zijn leven gewijd aan het bestuderen van UFO-waarnemingen en het verzamelen van gegevens over dit intrigerende fenomeen. Zijn werk heeft niet alleen bijgedragen aan de lokale kennis over UFO's, maar heeft ook een bredere impact gehad op de internationale ufologie.

Een van de belangrijkste aspecten van Delaere's bijdrage is zijn methodische benadering van het onderwerp. In tegenstelling tot veel andere UFO-onderzoekers, die soms worden gekarakteriseerd door speculatie en sensatie, heeft Delaere altijd de nadruk gelegd op een wetenschappelijke en analytische benadering. Hij verzamelt gegevens, analyseert getuigenverklaringen en probeert objectieve feiten van fictie te scheiden. Dit heeft hem geholpen om geloofwaardigheid te verwerven binnen de gemeenschap van onderzoekers en enthousiastelingen, en heeft zijn werk relevant gemaakt voor zowel academici als leken.

Delaere is ook bekend om zijn vermogen om de complexe wereld van UFO-waarnemingen toegankelijk te maken voor een breder publiek. Hij heeft verschillende boeken en artikelen geschreven waarin hij zijn bevindingen op een begrijpelijke manier presenteert. Door deze communicatieve vaardigheden heeft hij de interesse in ufologie in Vlaanderen aangewakkerd en een platform gecreëerd voor discussie en onderzoek. Zijn werk heeft bijgedragen aan het normaliseren van het gesprek over UFO's, wat voorheen vaak als taboe werd beschouwd.

Een ander belangrijk aspect van Delaere's impact is zijn rol als netwerker binnen de ufologische gemeenschap. Hij heeft talloze lezingen en presentaties gegeven, waarbij hij niet alleen zijn eigen onderzoek deelt, maar ook anderen aanmoedigt om hun ervaringen en waarnemingen te delen. Dit heeft geleid tot een sterke gemeenschap van onderzoekers en geïnteresseerden in Vlaanderen, die samenkomen om kennis en ervaringen uit te wisselen. Delaere fungeert vaak als een brug tussen verschillende generaties van ufologen, en zijn invloed heeft geholpen om de volgende generatie onderzoekers te inspireren.

Bovendien heeft Delaere bijgedragen aan het verzamelen van gegevens over de beroemde Belgische UFO-golf van de jaren '80 en '90. Deze golf, gekenmerkt door talloze waarnemingen van onverklaarbare vliegende objecten, heeft wereldwijd aandacht gekregen. Delaere's gedetailleerde documentatie en analyse van deze gebeurtenissen heeft niet alleen de lokale geschiedenis van UFO-waarnemingen rijker gemaakt, maar heeft ook internationale onderzoekers geholpen om deze fenomenen beter te begrijpen.

In het bredere perspectief van de Vlaamse ufologie kan men zeggen dat Frederick Delaere een sleutelfiguur is die de deur heeft geopend voor een serieuzere en meer gestructureerde benadering van het fenomeen UFO's. Zijn toewijding aan feiten, zijn communicatieve vaardigheden en zijn netwerkcapaciteiten hebben een blijvende impact gehad op zowel de lokale als de internationale ufologische gemeenschap. Door zijn inspanningen blijft de interesse in UFO's en de mysteries die ze met zich meebrengen groeien, en daarmee ook de zoektocht naar antwoorden op deze intrigerende vragen. Delaere's werk zal ongetwijfeld nog vele jaren voortleven in de annalen van de Vlaamse ufologie.

8. LEVI BOTERDAEL

Levi Boterdael is een opmerkelijke figuur binnen de Vlaamse ufologie, een discipline die zich bezighoudt met het bestuderen van ongeïdentificeerde vliegende objecten (UFO's) en het fenomeen van buitenaardse leven. Sinds zijn jeugd is Boterdael gefascineerd door de mysteries van de ruimte en de mogelijkheid van leven buiten de aarde. Deze interesse heeft hem ertoe aangezet om zich diepgaand te verdiepen in de verhalen, getuigenissen en wetenschappelijke studies rond UFO's.

Boterdael wordt vaak beschreven als een gedreven en gepassioneerde onderzoeker. Hij heeft talloze boeken en artikelen geschreven over UFO-waarnemingen, zowel in Vlaanderen als internationaal. Zijn werk is niet alleen gericht op het documenteren van getuigenissen, maar ook op het analyseren van de psychologische en sociale aspecten van UFO-verschijnselen. Hij gelooft dat het begrijpen van deze fenomenen niet alleen een kwestie is van het verzamelen van feiten, maar ook van het begrijpen van de menselijke ervaring en de impact die deze ervaringen hebben op individuen en gemeenschappen.

Een belangrijk aspect van Boterdaels werk is zijn inzet voor het bevorderen van serieus onderzoek naar UFO's. Hij pleit voor een wetenschappelijke benadering van het fenomeen, waarbij objectieve gegevens en rigoureuze methodologieën centraal staan. Boterdael heeft verschillende lezingen en seminars gegeven, waarin hij zijn bevindingen deelt met zowel geïnteresseerden als sceptici. Hij moedigt een open dialoog aan, waarbij mensen worden aangemoedigd om vragen te stellen en kritisch na te denken over wat ze horen en zien.

Boterdael is ook actief binnen verschillende organisaties die zich bezighouden met ufologie. Hij werkt samen met andere onderzoekers en enthousiastelingen om informatie uit te wisselen, onderzoek te coördineren en bewustwording te creëren over het fenomeen. Zijn netwerk strekt zich uit over de grenzen van Vlaanderen, en hij is betrokken bij internationale initiatieven die zich richten op het onderzoeken van UFO-verschijnselen.

Naast zijn onderzoek is Levi Boterdael ook een fervent voorstander van het behoud van getuigenverklaringen en het archiveren van gegevens. Hij begrijpt dat persoonlijke verhalen een cruciale rol spelen in het begrijpen van het fenomeen en dat deze verhalen vaak een rijke bron van informatie bieden. Boterdael werkt eraan om een platform te creëren waar mensen hun ervaringen kunnen delen, zonder angst voor oordeel of ridicule.

In de loop der jaren heeft Boterdael verschillende prijswinnende documentaires en publicaties op zijn naam staan, die zowel educatief als verkennend zijn. Hij blijft een invloedrijke stem binnen de Vlaamse ufologie, waarbij hij niet alleen de mysteries van de lucht onderzoekt, maar ook de diepere vragen over ons bestaan en onze plaats in het universum. Door zijn toewijding en passie heeft Levi Boterdael een blijvende impact gehad op de manier waarop UFO's worden waargenomen en bestudeerd in Vlaanderen en daarbuiten.

9. ANDRE SKONDRAS

André Skondras is een belangrijke figuur binnen de Vlaamse ufologie, en zijn bijdragen hebben een aanzienlijke impact gehad op de manier waarop UFO-waarnemingen en het fenomeen in het algemeen worden benaderd in Vlaanderen en daarbuiten. Skondras is vooral bekend om zijn diepgaande analyses van UFO-verschijnselen en zijn vermogen om critici en sceptici te confronteren met wetenschappelijke en logische argumenten.

Een van de belangrijkste bijdragen van Skondras aan de Vlaamse ufologie is zijn kritische benadering van getuigenissen. Vaak worden UFO-waarnemingen gekarakteriseerd door subjectieve ervaringen en emotionele reacties, maar Skondras pleit voor een methodische en objectieve evaluatie van deze getuigenissen. Hij verzamelt gegevens, interviewt getuigen en probeert fenomenen te verklaren vanuit een wetenschappelijk perspectief. Hierdoor heeft hij een brug geslagen tussen de vaak gefragmenteerde wereld van UFO-enthousiastelingen en de wetenschappelijke gemeenschap.

Daarnaast heeft Skondras bijgedragen aan de popularisering van ufologie in Vlaanderen. Hij heeft verschillende lezingen en presentaties gegeven waarin hij de basisprincipes van ufologie uitlegt en het publiek bewust maakt van de verschillende aspecten van het fenomeen. Zijn vermogen om complexe ideeën toegankelijk te maken voor een breed publiek heeft geleid tot een grotere belangstelling voor het onderwerp. Hij heeft ook samengewerkt met andere ufologen en onderzoekers, wat heeft geleid tot een netwerk van mensen die zich inzetten voor serieuze studie van UFO's.

Skondras heeft ook aandacht besteed aan de culturele en maatschappelijke impact van UFO-waarnemingen. Hij onderzoekt hoe deze fenomenen niet alleen wetenschappelijk, maar ook psychologisch en sociologisch van belang zijn. Door UFO's te plaatsen binnen een bredere culturele context, helpt hij om te begrijpen waarom mensen in bepaalde periodes en plaatsen meer UFO-waarnemingen doen en hoe deze waarnemingen hun wereldbeeld kunnen beïnvloeden.

Een ander belangrijk aspect van Skondras' werk is zijn betrokkenheid bij het documenteren van UFO-verschijnselen in Vlaanderen. Hij heeft verschillende rapporten en studies gepubliceerd die zich richten op specifieke waarnemingen en trends in de regio. Deze publicaties zijn niet alleen waardevol voor onderzoekers, maar ook voor beleidsmakers en de bredere gemeenschap die geïnteresseerd is in de UFO-onderwerpen.

Tot slot is Skondras een pleitbezorger voor openheid en transparantie binnen de ufologie. Hij moedigt zowel onderzoekers als getuigen aan om hun bevindingen te delen en samen te werken aan het begrijpen van het fenomeen. Dit heeft geleid tot een meer samenwerkende en minder gefragmenteerde gemeenschap van ufologen in Vlaanderen, wat de kwaliteit van het onderzoek ten goede komt.

In conclusie, André Skondras is een sleutelfiguur in de Vlaamse ufologie. Zijn kritische benadering, zijn inzet voor wetenschappelijke integriteit, en zijn vermogen om het onderwerp toegankelijk te maken voor een breed publiek zijn waardevolle bijdragen aan het vakgebied. Door zijn werk heeft hij niet alleen de studie van UFO's in Vlaanderen bevorderd, maar ook bijgedragen aan een beter begrip van de culturele en maatschappelijke implicaties van deze mysterieuze verschijnselen.

De Vlaamse Ufologie Gemeenschap

De Vlaamse ufologie gemeenschap is een diverse en dynamische groep van onderzoekers, schrijvers en enthusiasts. Naast de bovengenoemde figuren zijn er nog veel andere ufologen actief in Vlaanderen, die bijdragen aan het onderzoek en de verspreiding van kennis over UFO's. Deze gemeenschap organiseert regelmatig lezingen, conferenties en andere evenementen om het onderwerp onder de aandacht te brengen en om ervaringen en kennis te delen.

Kritiek en Controverse

Net als in andere delen van de wereld, is de ufologie in Vlaanderen niet vrij van kritiek en controverse. Veel wetenschappers en sceptici beschouwen het onderzoek naar UFO's als pseudowetenschappelijk en twijfelen aan de validiteit van getuigenverklaringen en de interpretatie van gegevens. Dit heeft geleid tot een spanningsveld tussen ufologen en de wetenschappelijke gemeenschap.

De Vlaamse ufologen, waaronder Broux, Van Utrecht, Hendrickx en Struys, hebben deze kritiek vaak moeten weerleggen. Ze pleiten voor een open en wetenschappelijke benadering van het onderwerp, waarbij ze benadrukken dat het belangrijk is om niet alle waarnemingen onmiddellijk af te doen als onzin. In plaats daarvan moedigen ze een zorgvuldige en kritische evaluatie van gegevens aan.

De Toekomst van de Ufologie in Vlaanderen

De toekomst van de ufologie in Vlaanderen lijkt veelbelovend, met een groeiende interesse in het onderwerp en een toenemende acceptatie van de noodzaak voor serieus onderzoek. De Vlaamse ufologen blijven zich inzetten voor het verzamelen van gegevens, het documenteren van waarnemingen en het delen van kennis met het publiek.

Technologische ontwikkelingen, zoals de opkomst van drones en verbeterde camera's, bieden nieuwe mogelijkheden voor het vastleggen van UFO-waarnemingen. Dit kan leiden tot een beter begrip van het fenomeen en mogelijk zelfs tot de ontdekking van nieuwe inzichten.

Conclusie

De Vlaamse ufologen, zoals Marc Broux, Wim van Utrecht, Pieter Hendrickx en Ghislain Struys, spelen een cruciale rol in het onderzoek naar UFO's en het verspreiden van kennis over dit fascinerende onderwerp. Hun bijdragen zijn essentieel voor het legitimeren van de ufologie als een serieuze tak van onderzoek, en hun inzet voor een kritische en open benadering is van groot belang.

De gemeenschap van Vlaamse ufologen blijft groeien en evolueren, en met de voortdurende belangstelling voor UFO's en het verkennen van het onbekende, blijft de toekomst van de ufologie in Vlaanderen een spannend en onvoorspelbaar avontuur.

• Als je aanpassingen aan dit artikel wilt doen, laat het weten. Dit is een overzicht zoals A1 ChatGPT OF AI de Vlaamse ufologen ziet.

{ PETER2011 MET BEHULP VAN ChatGPT }

Should Astronauts Add Jumping to their Workout Routine?

It’s a familiar sight to see astronauts on board ISS on exercise equipment to minimise muscle and bone loss from weightlessness. A new study suggests that jumping workouts could help astronauts prevent cartilage damage during long missions to the Moon and Mars. They found that the knee cartilage in mice seems to grow stronger after jumping exercises, potentially counteracting the effects of low gravity on joint health. If effective in humans, this approach could be included in pre-flight routines or adapted for space missions.

In space, astronauts experience significant loss of bone and muscle mass due to microgravity. Without Earth’s gravitational pull, bones lose density, increasing fracture risk, while muscles, especially in the lower body and spine, weaken from reduced use. This deterioration can impair mobility when back on Earth and effect overall health. To combat this, astronauts follow rigorous exercise routines, including resistance and cardiovascular training, to maintain strength and bone integrity. 

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst gets a workout on the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED). Credit: NASA

The next obvious step as we reach out into the Solar System is the red planet Mars. Heading that far out into space will demand long periods of time in space since its a 9 month journey there. Permanent bases on the Moon too will test our physiology to its limits so managing the slow degradation is a big challenge to space agencies. A paper published by lead author Marco Chiaberge from the John Hopkins University has explored the knee joints of mice and how their cartilage grows thicker if they jump! They suggest astronauts should embed jumping activities into their exercise regiment. 

Cartilage cushions the joints between bones and decreases friction allowing for pain free movement. Unlike many other tissues in the body, cartilage does not regenerate as quickly so it is important to protect it. Prolonged periods of inactivity, even from bed rest but especially long duration space flight can accelerate the degradation. It’s also been shown that radiation from space can accelerate the effect too. 

To maintain a strong healthy body, astronauts spend a lot of time, up to 2 hours a day running on treadmills. This has previously shown to slow the breakdown of cartilage but the new study has shown that jumping based movements is particularly effective. 

(Credit: Merlin74/Shutterstock)

The team of researchers found that, over a nine week program of reduced movement, mice experienced a 14% reduction in cartilage thickness in joints. Other mice performed jumping movements three times a week and their cartilage was found to be show a 26% increase compared to a control group of mice. Compared to the group that had restricted movement, the jumping mice had 110% thicker cartilage. The study also showed that jumping activities increased bone strength too with the jumping mice having a 15% higher density than the control.

An interesting piece of research but further work is needed to see whether jumping would herald in the same benefits to humans but the study is promising. If so, then jumping exercises are likely to be a part of pre-flight and inflight exercise programs for astronauts. It is likely that for this to be a reality in the micro-gravitational environment, astronauts will be attached to strong elasticated material to simulate the pull of gravity. 

Source : 

• Jumping Workouts Could Help Astronauts on the Moon and Mars, Study in Mice Suggests.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

Curiosity’s Other Important Job: Studying Martian Clouds

via GIPHY

Earth has noctilucent clouds, too. They form in the upper atmosphere and are only visible during twilight when the atmosphere’s lower layers are in the shade and the upper atmosphere is sunlit. They form from water ice crystals between 76 to 85 km altitude and are the highest clouds in the atmosphere.

Mars’ noctilucent clouds are similar, but the main difference is that they contain carbon dioxide ice. They form at an altitude of around 60 to 80 km and are also classified as mesospheric clouds. On Mars, they occur in the Fall over the southern hemisphere. Only Mars’ high-altitude clouds containing carbon dioxide ice display iridescent colours.

This is the fourth year in succession that Curiosity has seen these noctilucent clouds. Its Mastcam instrument has different filters that let it see different wavelengths of light, and some of those filters are used to study the composition and particle size in clouds. It also has stereo vision, which helps scientists determine cloud height, shape, and the speed at which they’re moving. It can also observe the Sun through filters and determine how much sunlight the atmosphere is blocking. That tells scientists how much dust and ice is in the atmosphere and how it changes over time.

A November 2024 paper titled “Iridescence Reveals the Formation and Growth of Ice Aerosols in Martian Noctilucent Clouds” summarized Curiosity’s images and findings. The lead author is Mark Lemmon, an atmospheric scientist with the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

“I’ll always remember the first time I saw those iridescent clouds and was sure at first it was some color artifact,” he said in a press release. “Now it’s become so predictable that we can plan our shots in advance; the clouds show up at exactly the same time of year.”

These clouds form only in early Martian fall and only in the southern hemisphere. Their iridescence is from uniform particle size, which indicates that the clouds had a brief evolution in a uniform environment. When clouds are both noctilucent and iridescent, they’re called nacreous clouds. It’s interesting to note that these colours would be easily seen by an astronaut on the Martian surface.

One of the mysteries behind these clouds concerns their location. They’re only seen in Mars’ southern hemisphere, and the Perseverance rover, which is in the Jezero Crater in the northern hemisphere, has never seen them. It seems pretty clear that they only form in certain locations, but the reasons why are unknown.

Lemmon says that gravity waves, which are atmospheric phenomena separate from astrophysical gravitational waves, could be responsible. They cool the atmosphere and could give rise to clouds of frozen CO2. “Carbon dioxide was not expected to be condensing into ice here, so something is cooling it to the point that it could happen. But Martian gravity waves are not fully understood, and we’re not entirely sure what is causing twilight clouds to form in one place but not another,” Lemmon said.

Scientists need more data to better understand these clouds. Curiosity wasn’t the only one to see them; the InSight lander did, too. But they could only see for a few hundred kilometres around their landing sites and their data is incomplete. “Orbiters capable of sunset and twilight times could constrain the cloud altitude,” Lemmon and his co-authors write in their paper.

There are unanswered questions about these clouds. Scientists would like to understand how quickly particles in these clouds evolve. They’d also like to know what the nature of the corona-forming layer is. A larger data sample could help answer these questions, as could more time-lapse imagery.

• Press Release: A Rainbow-colored “Feather” in the Martian Sky
• Press Release: NASA’s Curiosity Rover Captures Colorful Clouds Drifting Over Mars
• Published Research: Iridescence Reveals the Formation and Growth of Ice Aerosols in Martian Noctilucent Clouds

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

Alien life breakthrough as astronomers detect 'coherent' radio signal from distant planet

Astronomers have detected a 'coherent' radio signal from a distant planet, reigniting hope for the existence of extraterrestrial life.

The signal is thought to originate from a far-off, Earth-sized planet, suggesting it might possess a magnetic field similar to our own.

Scientists regularly monitor exoplanets and their potential to carry life. 85 new exoplanets were discovered outside our solar system, which could unlock secrets of the universe.

American astronomers have christened this rocky exoplanet 'YZ Ceti b,' asserting that it's a prime candidate for an Earth-like magnetic field, which could be crucial in humanity's quest for alien life.

The discovery has been hailed as significant for identifying a planet likely to have a magnetic field and offering a future technique to discover more such planets.

Using a radio telescope, the scientists detected a recurring radio signal from exoplanet YZ Ceti b, located approximately 70.5 trillion miles from Earth.

They speculate that these waves could be produced by interactions between the exoplanet's magnetic field and its host star, a small red dwarf named YZ Ceti.

This finding is essential for pinpointing a planet likely to have a magnetic field and establishing a foundation to discover similar planets in the future.

The researchers further suggested that this could mean witnessing the Northern Lights phenomenon - a result of interactions between magnetic fields and solar weather - on distant planets and stars could be possible.

Magnetic fields are vital in preventing a planet's atmospheric erosion caused by stellar emissions over time.

Drs. Sebastian Pineda and Jackie Villadsen have recently identified a repetitive radio signal from YC Ceti, a red dwarf star located 12 light years away. For context, one light year is nearly 5.88 trillion miles.

The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, a prominent radio telescope managed by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory under the US National Science Foundation, was the instrument that allowed them to gain deeper insights into the magnetic dynamics between distant stars and their planets.

This groundbreaking work, outlined in Nature Astronomy, was also funded by the independent federal agency, the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Joe Pesce from NSF, who works as the program director for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, hails these discoveries as key in the ongoing quest to find life on other worlds, emphasizing, "The search for potentially habitable or life-bearing worlds in other solar systems depends in part on being able to determine if rocky, Earth-like exoplanets actually have magnetic fields."

Recent research marks a significant advancement in exoplanet studies, indicating that some rocky planets beyond our solar system may have magnetic fields. This discovery was achieved through a novel technique that could help identify more of these intriguing worlds.

Dr. Pineda of the University of Colorado, located on America's west coast, expressed the team's elation at detecting planetary radio emissions similar to those Earth emits: "We saw the initial burst, and it looked beautiful," he said enthusiastically.

Moments of scientific triumph followed as Pineda recounted: "When we saw it again, it was very indicative that, OK - maybe we really have something here."

Dr. Pineda noted that a sturdy magnetic field can be pivotal for a planet's ability to retain its atmosphere.

From the other side of the country, Assistant Professor Villadsen of Bucknell University remarked on the distinctiveness of their findings: "I witnessed something that no one has observed before."

Prior detections of exoplanetary magnetic fields were mainly limited to gas giants resembling Jupiter. However, unearthing Earth-sized counterparts calls for different, refined methods.

Since magnetic fields are inherently intangible, detecting their presence around distant planets poses a significant astronomical challenge that Assistant Prof Villadsen and her team are committed to addressing.

She explained their strategy: "We're looking for planets that are really close to their stars and are a similar size to Earth."

"These planets are way too close to their stars to be somewhere you could live, but because they are so close the planet is kind of ploughing through a bunch of stuff coming off the star."

"If the planet has a magnetic field and it ploughs through enough star stuff, it will cause the star to emit bright radio waves."

{ https://www.the-express.com/ }

Strange Rock Found on Mars with Zebra Markings Has NASA Scientists ...

NASA Discovers New Substances on Mars: Implications for Future Exploration and Understanding of the Red Planet

Introduction

The quest to understand Mars has captivated scientists and enthusiasts alike for decades. With its striking similarities to Earth and its potential to harbor life, the Red Planet has been a focal point of exploration for NASA and other space agencies around the globe. Recent discoveries of new substances on Mars have opened up exciting avenues for research and exploration. This article delves into the significance of these findings, the methods used to uncover them, and what they mean for the future of Mars exploration.

The Historical Context of Mars Exploration

Mars, often referred to as the "Red Planet" due to its reddish appearance from iron oxide (rust) on its surface, has been a subject of human fascination for centuries. The first observations of Mars were made through telescopes in the 1600s, but it wasn't until the 20th century that space missions began to provide detailed information about its atmosphere, surface, and potential for life.

NASA's Viking missions in the 1970s were pivotal, providing the first close-up images and data about the Martian surface. Subsequent missions, including the Mars Pathfinder, Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity), and the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity), have progressively advanced our understanding of the planet.

The Curiosity rover, which landed in Gale Crater in 2012, has been a key player in Mars exploration. It has analyzed various rocks and soil samples, providing evidence of past water flows and organic molecules, which are crucial for understanding the planet's potential for life.

NASA Finds Ancient Organic Material, Mysterious Methane on Mars - This low-angle self-portrait of NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle at the site from which it reached down to drill into a rock target called “Buckskin” on lower Mount Sharp. 

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Recent Discoveries: New Substances on Mars

NASA's ongoing missions have recently reported the discovery of new substances on Mars, particularly through the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter. Perseverance, which landed on Mars in February 2021, has been tasked with seeking signs of ancient life and collecting rock and soil samples for future return to Earth.

1. Organic Molecules and Their Significance

One of the most groundbreaking discoveries from Perseverance has been the identification of organic molecules in Martian rocks. Organic molecules are carbon-based compounds that are often associated with life. Their presence does not confirm life on Mars but suggests that the building blocks of life may exist on the planet.

NASA scientists have detected these molecules using the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument, which utilizes advanced spectroscopy techniques to analyze the composition of rock samples. This discovery has revived discussions about the potential for past microbial life on Mars.

2. Salts and Their Geological Implications

Another significant finding from Perseverance is the presence of various salts in the Martian soil. These salts, including perchlorates, are of particular interest because they can provide insights into the planet's past climate and potential for habitability. Salts can indicate the presence of liquid water in the past, as they often form in evaporative environments.

The discovery of salts raises questions about the history of water on Mars. Understanding the distribution and concentration of these salts can help scientists reconstruct the planet's climatic history and assess whether conditions were ever suitable for life.

3. Unusual Rock Formations and Their Composition

Perseverance has also encountered unusual rock formations that suggest a complex geological history. These formations, characterized by unique textures and mineral compositions, may tell a story of past volcanic activity, sedimentation, and erosion.

Researchers are employing a variety of analytical techniques to understand the mineralogy of these rocks. The ChemCam instrument, which uses laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, has been instrumental in identifying the elemental composition of Martian rocks, revealing a diverse geological landscape.

The Role of Ingenuity in Exploration

The Ingenuity helicopter, accompanying Perseverance, has demonstrated the feasibility of powered flight on another planet. Its successful flights have not only provided aerial perspectives of the Martian terrain but have also guided Perseverance to scientifically interesting locations.

Ingenuity's ability to scout the landscape has been invaluable in directing the rover to areas with promising geological features. This synergy between the two missions highlights the potential for innovative technologies in planetary exploration.

A photograph of a "Silver Mountain" rock sample collected by NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover as it explores the rim of Jezero Crater. 

(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Implications for Future Mars Missions

The discoveries made by Perseverance and Ingenuity have profound implications for future Mars exploration. As NASA plans for the Artemis program and aims to return humans to the Moon, the lessons learned from Mars missions will inform the agency's approach to exploring other celestial bodies.

1. Sample Return Missions

One of the most ambitious goals of the current Mars exploration program is the return of samples to Earth. The Mars Sample Return mission, a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to bring back rock and soil samples collected by Perseverance. Analyzing these samples in terrestrial laboratories could yield insights that are currently beyond our reach with remote sensing and in-situ analysis.

2. Search for Life

The discoveries of organic molecules and salts have intensified the search for life on Mars. Future missions will likely focus on identifying biosignatures—chemical indicators of past or present biological activity. This search will involve more sophisticated instruments capable of detecting and analyzing potential life forms, including microbial life.

3. Human Exploration

As NASA prepares for the eventual human exploration of Mars, understanding the planet's geology, climate, and potential hazards will be crucial. The presence of resources, such as water in the form of ice or brines, will play a significant role in sustaining human life on Mars. Future missions will prioritize the identification and assessment of these resources.

Public Interest and International Collaboration

The discoveries on Mars have also sparked renewed public interest in space exploration. NASA's commitment to transparency and engagement with the public has fostered a sense of excitement and curiosity about the Red Planet. Educational outreach programs and interactive platforms have allowed people worldwide to participate in the journey of discovery.

Moreover, international collaboration in space exploration has become increasingly important. As countries like China, the United Arab Emirates, and India launch their Mars missions, the sharing of data and findings can enhance our collective understanding of the planet. Collaborative efforts can also help address the challenges of planetary exploration, including technology development and resource allocation.

Conclusion

The recent discoveries of new substances on Mars mark a significant milestone in our exploration of the Red Planet. The identification of organic molecules, salts, and unique geological formations has profound implications for our understanding of Mars' past and its potential to support life.

As NASA and other space agencies continue their missions, the integration of innovative technologies and international collaboration will be key to unlocking the mysteries of Mars. The quest for knowledge about our neighboring planet is not only a scientific endeavor but also an opportunity to inspire future generations to explore the cosmos.

In the coming years, as we await the return of samples from Mars and prepare for human exploration, the discoveries made today will shape our understanding of life beyond Earth and our place in the universe. The journey to Mars is just beginning, and the excitement of discovery continues to propel us forward into the unknown.

{ PETER2011 }

Astronomers Just Discovered a New Dwarf Planet Beyond Neptune

Scientists think there were once many more of these dwarf planets in our Solar System, but most were destroyed or ejected when the larger planets in our Solar System moved to their current positions. But now RR245 joins the ranks of other survivors from this period – such as Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris, which have all been recognised as dwarf planets by the International Astronomical Union – amidst the tens of thousands of much smaller objects beyond Neptune.

The researchers first spotted the dwarf planet in February, when astronomer JJ Kavelaars from the National Research Council of Canada was sifting through OSSOS data recorded in September 2015.

"There it was on the screen," said Bannister, "this dot of light moving so slowly that it had to be at least twice as far as Neptune from the Sun."

The team suggests it's possible that RR245 may be one of the last large worlds detected beyond Neptune with today's telescopes, as the brightest dwarf planets have already been mapped – although the debut of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope next decade could turn up new discoveries we haven't been able to detect so far.

"OSSOS was designed to map the orbital structure of the outer Solar System to decipher its history," said one of the researchers, Brett Gladman of the University of British Columbia in Canada. "While not designed to efficiently detect dwarf planets, we're delighted to have found one on such an interesting orbit."

But beyond helping us map the outer reaches of our Solar System, the discovery of these dwarf planets – and their unique geological composition – helps us understand more about the cosmic past in our corner of the galaxy.

"They are the closest thing to a time capsule that transports us to the birth of the Solar System," astrophysicist Pedro Lacerda from Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, who wasn't involved with the discovery, told Ian Sample at The Guardian. "You can make an analogy with fossils, which tell us about creatures long gone."

The discovery hasn't been published yet, so we're still waiting on further details from the researchers for now, but RR245 has been formally noted by the International Astronomical Union.

{ https://www.sciencealert.com/ }

Barack Obama shared 'truth' after being asked if he knew about existence of UFOs and Aliens

He said that once he became president he wanted to know the secrets

 Joe Harker

Perhaps that's why Barack Obama was once quizzed about exactly what he knew when it came to the secrets and mysteries of alien life.

In an appearance on The Late, Late Show With James Corden, the former US president was asked about 'dem aliens' by Reggie Watts and UFOs along with any theories he might have on it.

Obama kept things close to the chest as he joked that 'when it comes to aliens there are some things I just can't tell you on air' (that's suspicious) before opening up on his own extra-terrestrial interests.

He said: "The truth is that when I came into office I asked, I was like 'all right, is there a lab somewhere we're keeping the alien specimens and spaceship?'.

"They did a little bit of research and the answer was no."

However, don't be too discouraged all of you true believers out there, because perhaps he's just lying to protect the secrets of aliens and UFOs

Obama also said 'there's footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are', so as far as the official meaning of UFOs goes there are some flying objects which have remained unidentified.

He said that part about things in the sky which we can't figure out was 'true', saying 'we can't explain how they moved, their trajectory'.

The former president then joked that Watts was 'deflecting' and flipped things back on the musician by quipping that he could secretly be an alien to which Watts agreed.

Whether or not we're alone in the universe is an endless fascination for some people and the idea that we've already been visited by extra-terrestrial life which has left evidence behind is an obsession for some people.

If you really want to know what it is Barack Obama 'can't tell you on air' then perhaps you should try becoming president.

{ https://www.ladbible.com/ }

I died for six minutes and saw what happens after death... this is what I experienced

READ MORE: This is why terminally ill people seem to 'recover' before they die

By EMILY STEARN, SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER FOR MAILONLINE

A man who 'died' for six minutes as a child has detailed the haunting scenes he claims he saw in heaven.

The unidentified social media user told how they were just 15 years old when, in 2003, they suddenly collapsed in the road.

Despite feeling 'just fine all day', the boy 'broke out in a cold sweat', became breathless and suffered ventricular fibrillation — a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm and most frequent cause of sudden cardiac death. 

After paramedics arrived, the individual claimed they discovered their heart had stopped beating and it was only after 'working tirelessly to revive me' in an ambulance that their heart began working again after six minutes. 

The person claimed to have miraculously avoided any long-term damage, and said they are one of the handful of people to experience near-death experiences by temporarily 'transcending our world'. 

These phenomena, which have been a source of fascination for medics and the public alike for decades, are believed to occur when people are clinically 'dead', and extremely unlikely to survive. 

Many of those who've had such an experience claim to have seen the afterlife.

But, recalling the experience on a Reddit thread garnering more than 12,000 likes, the user said: 'During my visit, I learned things about our universe that I wish I hadn't. 

In a post shared to a social media thread, the unidentified user told how they were just 15 years old when, in 2003, they suddenly collapsed in the road 

'It began with light. Blinding, white, pervasive. It bathed me, calmed me. It was everything they tell you about. Beatific, welcoming, the stuff of spiritual experiences.

'I had the distinct feeling of ascent, like the light was lifting me skyward. I passed through several sets of gates, which my dizzied consciousness hardly registered.

'I arrived in a place without dimension, a place beyond reality. It only made sense while I occupied it.'

But they also claimed they were faced with several 'cold' and 'mocking' creature-like figures that delivered 'horrifying truths about existence'. 

They added: 'At first, because of my Christian upbringing, I believed them to be angels. 

'In my incorporeal form, I made the spiritually-equivalent gesture of opening my arms, anticipating their embrace.

'Instead, I felt myself shackled by their powers, like a collared dog. 

'Humiliation and terror came over me. These were not the ethereal beings I'd been led to believe await us.

'Six minutes in "heaven" felt like a lifetime.'

Once the minutes came to an abrupt end, they returned to their body 'on Earth'.

However, they also claimed the creature-like figures told them 'not to reveal their existence to the rest of my kind'. 

'I can't imagine anything worse than what I experienced, subsumed beneath an ineffable grief and torment.'

They added: 'For weeks, I tried to explain to anyone who would listen what I experienced. 

'Everyone told me I'd suffered a very serious and traumatic experience for a young man, that the event left scars on my psyche as well as my heart.'

The tale, posted on social media, is based on just one unverified experience. 

But Reddit users have been fascinated by the man's perspective, with the post garnering more than 400 comments from posters sharing their shock and horror.

Amber Cavanagh previously told MailOnline she was 43 when she suffered two strokes and entered the 'meeting point' of heaven.

Mrs Cavanagh, from Canada, said she could see her husband 'weeping over' her body.

Amber Cavanagh previously told MailOnline she was 43 when she suffered two strokes and entered the 'meeting point' of heaven

Mrs Cavanagh, from Canada, said she could see her husband (pictured above) 'weeping over' her body

Experiences of seeing and hearing things whilst clinically dead do have some scientific basis. 

For years studies have shown the human brain still functions normally for a very brief time after the heart stops, although it appears to have ceased activity on regular scans.

Research has also revealed that the brain can still experience sporadic bursts of activity even after an hour without oxygen, during resuscitation.

Such discoveries have led to some medics calling for an overhaul of the standard practice that rules people should be declared dead after three-to-five minutes of oxygen deprivation to the brain, as these patients could still in theory be resuscitated. 

People have previously told MailOnline of out of body experiences such as seeing bright lights at the end of a tunnel or meeting deceased relatives.

Read More

EXCLUSIVE

• These people died and came back to life...what they saw in the afterlife made them rethink everything 

Others, meanwhile, have also recalled seeing a heavenly afterlife.

While evidence on something happening in brains after clinical death is still being explored, exactly why so many people have similar experiences remains an issue of contention among experts.

Some theorise that as the brain is undergoing these changes essentially the 'brakes' come off the system and this opens our perception to incredibly lucid and vivid experiences of stored memories from our lives. 

However, this is only a theory and other experts dispute this. 

Clinical death also differs from brain death.

Brain death is when a person on an artificial life support machine no longer has any brain function, which means they will not regain consciousness.

Such patients have no chance of recovery because their body is unable to survive without artificial life support.

In the UK this means a person who has suffered brain death is legally dead.

This can be difficult to comprehend for families of the deceased as they can see their loved one's chest rise and fall with every breath from the ventilator as well as their heart continuing to beat.

Brain death can be caused by both illness and injury when blood and/or oxygen supplies are cut off to the vital organ.

The condition is different from a vegetative state where a patient's brain function remains.

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Rethinking Death: Exploring What Happens When We Die

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Man Dies & Learns We Have It Completely Backwards! (Powerful NDE)

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

• READ MORE: NASA makes 'emergency' decision as asteroid approaches Earth 

By WILIAM HUNTER

A terrifying new animation has revealed the projected path of the 'city-destroying' asteroid heading towards Earth. 

And it suggests that Earth isn't the only object in the firing line. 

According to Dr David Rankin, operations engineer for the University of Arizona's Catalina Sky Survey, the moon is also at risk of being hit. 

Dr Rankin calculated the route that the asteroid, 2024 YR4, is most likely to take.

His calculations indicate that 2024 YR4 currently has a 2.1 per cent, or one in 48, chance of colliding with Earth on December 22, 2032.

This is actually slightly less than previous estimates, which suggested there was a 2.3 per cent (one in 43) chance of impact.

Meanwhile, the scientist predicts there's a roughly 0.3 per cent (one in 333) chance of 2024 YR4 hitting the moon.

If the asteroid does hit Earth, the impact could release a blast of energy equivalent to 15 megatons of TNT - 100 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.

David Rankin, operations engineer for the University of Arizona's Catalina Sky Survey, calculated the route 2024 YR4 is most likely to take (white line). Showing the precise collision course which could lead to a deadly impact 

A terrifying new simulation reveals the path of the city-killer asteroid 2024 YR4 which has a 2.1 per cent probability of colliding with Earth in 2032

(stock image)

The asteroid was first detected by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) station in December last year.

It soon set alarm bells ringing as NASA almost doubled the probability of an impact with Earth from 1.2 per cent to 2.3 per cent.

Although that probability has now slightly decreased, 2024 YR4 is still the only large asteroid with an impact probability greater than one per cent - making it by far Earth's biggest threat.

However, Dr Rankin's calculations present a chilling new possibility that the asteroid could collide with the moon instead.

In a post on BlueSky, Dr Rankin revealed that there was a roughly 0.3 per cent chance of 2024 YR4 hitting the moon.

Without any atmosphere to slow its approach, the asteroid would slam into the lunar surface at a staggering speed of 31,000 miles per hour (50,000 kilometres per hour).

The collision would unleash an explosion 343 times the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and carve out a crater up to 1.2 miles (2km) across.

Should it hit the moon, it is most likely to land in the region stretching south from the Mare Crisium, a large plain of solidified lava, to the crater Tycho.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 is about the same size as the Tunguska asteroid, which caused the largest impact event in recorded history when it shot through Earth's atmosphere in 1908, flattening 830 square miles (2,150 square km) of forest (pictured)

Analysis of 2024 YR4's orbit indicates that the asteroid will most likely pass by Earth on December 22, 2032. However, new calculations suggest that it could also collide with the moon 

This could be concerning since this would place the impact on the side of the moon facing Earth, potentially exposing us to a shower of lunar shrapnel.

Thankfully, experts say that the Earth likely wouldn't be harmed by any impact which occurs on the moon.

Dr Rankin told New Scientist: 'There is the possibility this would eject some material back out that could hit the Earth, but I highly doubt it would cause any major threat.'

Unlike a large object such as 2024 YR4, these smaller pieces of debris should burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere creating nothing more than a particularly bright meteor shower.

In fact, some experts suggest that the collision between the asteroid and the moon could create a truly spectacular display.

Gareth Collins, a professor of planetary science at Imperial College London, told New Scientist: 'The impact flash of vaporised rock would be visible from Earth, even in the daytime.'

That means any keen stargazers on Earth could see the moment the asteroid detonates on the lunar surface with the naked eye.

However, it is currently seven times more likely to hit Earth rather than the moon. 

Without any atmosphere to slow it down, the asteroid would hit the moon at 31,000 miles per hour (50,000 kilometres per hour), creating an explosion bright enough to see from Earth with the naked eye 

These probabilities are likely to change in the future as scientists gather more information about the asteroid's orbit.

The current estimates for 2024 YR4's orbital path, speed, and size come from hundreds of images taken by powerful telescopes all around the world.

However, over such a short period of time, it is difficult to precisely predict where the asteroid will travel.

While astronomers hope that the probability of an impact will rapidly fall towards zero, a direct collision with Earth cannot be ruled out.  

Recently, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) made the emergency decision to use the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to take more accurate measurements.

The JWST will record the heat emitted by the asteroid using its infrared sensors which will give a more accurate estimate for its size.

A team of ESA scientists will make one observation in March when the asteroid reaches its peak brightness and another in May as it travels away from Earth.

This will be the last chance to observe 2024 YR4 before it becomes too dim to see from Earth until it returns again in 2028.

The European Space Agency has been given emergency access to the James Webb Space Telescope (pictured) to measure the asteroid's size more accurately 

Already, NASA has reached a hugely-important milestone with the DART asteroid deflection mission. In September 2022, the DART spacecraft was intentionally crashed into Dimorphos, an asteroid 6.8 million miles away. A similar method could be used to deflect asteroid 2024 YR4 before it reaches Earth 

Those observations will be critical for determining whether the world's space agencies need to take action to divert its course.

NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission demonstrated how a space rock could potentially be thrown off a collision course with Earth by crashing a spacecraft into it.

Using a similar strategy to knock 2024 YR4 off its predicted orbit is one possible way that planetary defence organisations could protect Earth.  

However, with only eight years until the asteroid arrives, some scientists have cast doubt on the plan to deflect the killer asteroid.

In a post on X, Dr Robin George Andrews, a volcanologist and author based in London, points out that we 'have less than eight years to potentially deal with it'.

'You need 10 years or more to build, plan and execute an asteroid deflection mission,' he said.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

'Stranded' Starliner astronauts finally have a return date — and it's sooner than expected

Related: 

• Boeing Starliner astronauts could spend nearly 300 days stuck in space — is that a new record?

As for the stranded pair, they have made the most of their time in orbit: Williams recently broke the record for the most nonconsecutive hours of spacewalking by a female astronaut.

A long-awaited homecoming

In December 2024, NASA announced that Williams and Wilmore would return on a newly designed SpaceX Dragon capsule in late March 2025 at the earliest. But now, the astronauts and the rest of Crew-9 will come home on a previously flown Dragon capsule, the Endurance. This will allow the swap between Crew-9 and Crew-10 to happen sooner while SpaceX continues to finalize the interior and final integration of the new Dragon capsule, according to NASA.

Along with Wilmore and Williams, astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will leave the ISS in March. They'll be replaced by NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. The precise day of the return will be determined by weather conditions near Florida, where Endurance will splash down.

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

Uranus’s Moon Ariel is Probably Hiding a Vast Ocean

"The size of Ariel's possible ocean and its depth beneath the surface can only be estimated..."

A photograph of Ariel.

Credit: NASA.

Unlike other surface features, these chasms appear to be the only structures facilitating material movement from Ariel’s interior, making them particularly valuable for future study.

Earth-Like Geological Processes at Work?

Scientists analyzing Ariel’s terrain have found striking similarities to a geological process observed on Earth known as spreading. This occurs along volcanic ridges where the seafloor slowly separates, allowing molten material to rise and form new crust.

On Ariel, a similar process could be unfolding as warmer material from the moon’s interior forces its way up, splitting the icy surface before filling the cracks. Researchers tested this theory by digitally aligning the two sides of Ariel’s chasms as if “zipping them back up,” and found a perfect match. The presence of parallel grooves along some chasm floors further supports the idea that material has been accumulating over time through repeated geological activity.

Could a Hidden Ocean Be Driving These Changes?

Another factor influencing Ariel’s surface could be gravitational interactions between Uranus and its moons. These interactions, known as orbital resonance, create internal heating that can melt ice and sustain liquid water beneath the crust.

Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) provide compelling evidence that a hidden ocean may exist beneath Ariel’s surface. If so, this ocean might be responsible for the carbon dioxide deposits seen within the moon’s deep chasms. However, current data is insufficient to determine the exact size and depth of this possible ocean.

“The size of Ariel’s possible ocean and its depth beneath the surface can only be estimated, but it may be too isolated to interact with spreading centers,” Beddingfield explains.

Despite significant advancements in planetary exploration, much about Ariel remains unknown. While the Voyager 2 spacecraft provided valuable data during its 1986 flyby, it lacked the instruments needed to map the precise distribution of ices on the moon’s surface. Future missions with more advanced sensors will be crucial in determining whether Ariel is truly home to a hidden ocean—and what that might mean for our understanding of ocean worlds beyond Earth.

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{ https://curiosmos.com/category/space/ }

An illustration of a planet-killer asteroid.

Depositphotos.

Although further tracking will likely lower the impact probability, 2024 YR4 is a top priority for planetary defense experts.

2. Bennu

• Potential Impact Date: September 24, 2182
• Estimated Size: 490 meters
• Impact Probability: 1 in 2,700 (0.037%)
• Energy Release Upon Impact: Equivalent to 1.4 billion tons of TNT

Bennu is one of the most well-studied potentially hazardous asteroids, thanks to NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, which returned samples in 2023.

Although the impact probability is low, a collision would be catastrophic—releasing enough energy to cause continent-wide destruction and severe climate disruptions. NASA scientists continue to monitor Bennu to determine if future deflection strategies will be necessary.

3. 1950 DA

• Potential Impact Date: March 16, 2880
• Estimated Size: 1,300 meters
• Impact Probability: 1 in 34,500 (0.0029%)
• Energy Release Upon Impact: Equivalent to 75 billion tons of TNT

1950 DA is a massive asteroid that, despite its low impact probability, remains a serious long-term threat. If it were to hit Earth, it would cause global devastation—triggering tsunamis, firestorms, and potentially a planet-wide climate crisis.

Although the impact risk is expected to decrease with further observations, planetary defense programs continue to monitor this colossal object.

4. 2023 VD3

• Potential Impact Date: November 8, 2034
• Estimated Size: 11–24 meters
• Impact Probability: 1 in 387 (0.26%)
• Energy Release Upon Impact: Comparable to the Chelyabinsk meteor event

Although 2023 VD3 is much smaller than the other asteroids on this list, its relatively high impact probability makes it a major concern. With a 1 in 387 chance of impact in 2034, it has one of the highest statistical risks currently known.

While it wouldn’t cause a global disaster, an asteroid of this size could explode in the atmosphere, producing a shockwave strong enough to damage buildings and injure thousands—similar to the Chelyabinsk event in 2013, where a 20-meter asteroid caused widespread damage.

Further observations will determine whether 2023 VD3 will safely pass Earth or require further attention.

5. 1979 XB

• Potential Impact Date: December 14, 2113
• Estimated Size: 400–900 meters
• Impact Probability: 1 in 1.8 million (0.000055%)
• Energy Release Upon Impact: Equivalent to 30 billion tons of TNT

First observed in 1979, 1979 XB is one of the largest asteroids on the risk list. Because of its size, a collision with Earth would have severe global consequences, similar to the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

However, 1979 XB is classified as a lost asteroid, meaning its exact orbit is uncertain. Scientists are working to relocate it and refine its trajectory to confirm whether it poses a real long-term risk.

Can We Stop an Asteroid Impact?

While none of these asteroids pose an imminent danger, scientists are working on planetary defense strategies to ensure Earth’s safety.

• NASA’s DART Mission – Successfully altered an asteroid’s trajectory in 2022, proving that impact deflection is possible.
• Upcoming Space Missions – Future missions will explore gravity tractors, nuclear deflection, and other techniques to steer dangerous asteroids away from Earth.
• Advanced Tracking Systems – Telescopes like ATLAS, Pan-STARRS, and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory are improving our ability to detect threats decades in advance.

The likelihood of a catastrophic asteroid impact remains low, but continuous tracking is critical for ensuring early detection and possible deflection efforts.

Among all the asteroids being monitored, 2024 YR4 is the most immediate concern due to its relatively high impact probability in 2032. While ongoing observations will likely refine its trajectory, planetary defense experts are paying close attention—ensuring that if an asteroid ever truly threatens Earth, we’ll be ready.

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

A Blown-Glass Structure Could House Astronauts on the Moon

Surprisingly, the lack of outside air pressure actually makes it easier to form a sphere than it would be on Earth since less pressure would be necessary to expand the sphere outwards. There are some nuances in the glass as well, with it being more like a glass lattice with embedded titanium or aluminum to make it stronger. Specific kinds of glass, such as borosilicate glass, could potentially add to the strength of the glass itself.

Most of the materials required to create such a structure could already be found on the lunar surface. Lunar regolith is full of the raw building materials required to make the structure work. Some of it has already been blasted into glass-like structures called agglutinates when micrometeoroids hit the lunar surface.

Those micrometeoroid impacts pose another risk to the glass sphere. Dr. Bermudez suggests having multiple layers of glass protecting the habitat, each with a layer of argon between them, like modern-day double-glazed windows. He suggests that spinning the outer layer might also provide some advantage, as will the spherical shape itself, as the impact force will dissipate better into the structure than it would on a flat surface.

Dr. Bermudez’s dreams don’t stop at the Moon, though. He suggests such a glass-blown structure could be useful on Mars or asteroids, where the microgravity would make it even easier to create these structures. On Mars, such a habitat might be limited to the top of Olympus Mons, where the atmosphere is thinner, and there isn’t as much wind and dust that could erode away the outer layers.

Many use cases exist for a structure like this, though many technical challenges remain. NIAC is the place for novel ideas that could potentially impact space exploration, and this one certainly fits that bill. As Dr. Bermudez works through de-risking his design, we get closer than ever to a future of aesthetically pleasing habitats on the Moon and everywhere else in the solar system.

Learn More:

• NASA / Martin Bermudez – Lunar Glass Structure (LUNGS): Enabling Construction of Monolithic Habitats in Low-Gravity
• UT – Glass Fibers in Lunar Regolith Could Help Build Structures on the Moon
• UT – Recreating the Extreme Forces of an Asteroid Impact in the Lab
• UT – Conceptual Design for a Lunar Habitat

Lead Image:

• Artist’s concept of a lunar sphere on the lunar surface.
• Credit – NASA / Martin Bermudez

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

A Lunar Map for the Best Places to Get Samples

The goal of the study is to not only create an improved geologic map of Orientale basin, but to provide a foundation for future missions to potentially obtain surface samples of the impact melt and return them to Earth for analysis. Such analyses would reveal absolute ages of the impact melt through radiometric dating since these samples have been frozen in time for potentially billions of years. These results could help scientists unravel the Earth’s impact history, as both the Earth and Moon were potentially formed around the same period.

Along with the targeted impact melt, the team successfully identified and mapped a myriad of geologic features within Orientale basin as part of the new geologic map, including smaller craters within Orientale, fractures, fault lines, calderas, crater ejecta, and mare (volcanic basalt deposits), while also constructing a top-to-bottom map of Orientale basin, also called a stratigraphic map, that shows the most recent layers on top with the oldest layers on the bottom.

Image of the most recent Orientale basin geologic map at 1:200,000-scale, which improves upon past geologic maps of the region that were 1:5,000,000-scale. The project focused on impact melt (depicted in red), which was created from the extreme heat of the high-speed impact and has been preserved for potentially billions of years. The stars represent potential landing sites for future sample return missions that scientists can analyze back on Earth to determine the absolute age of Oriental basin. (Credit: Runyon et al.)

Unlike Earth, whose surface processes like plate tectonics and multitude of weather processes have erased impacts from billions of years ago, the preserved lunar geologic record could provide incredible insight into not only Earth’s impact history, but both how and when life first emerged on our planet. This is due to Orientale basin’s crater size and age, as such a large impact on Earth billions of years ago could have postponed or reset how and when life first emerged on the Earth.

“Giant impacts – like the one that formed Orientale – can vaporize an ocean and kill any life that had already started,” said Dr. Runyon. “Some recent modeling has shown that we probably never totally sterilized Earth during these big impacts, but we don’t know for sure. At some point our oceans could have been vaporized from impacts, then recondensed and rained out repeatedly. If that happened a number of times, it’s only after the last time that life could have gotten a foothold.”

While Orientale basin is one of the most striking features on the lunar surface, more than approximately 75 percent of it is not visible from Earth due to its location at the lunar nearside and farside boundary on the western limb of the Moon as observed from the Earth. Therefore, studying the Orientale basin is only possible with spacecraft. Despite this, Orientale basin was first suggested to be an impact crater during the 1960s when scientists at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory used groundbreaking techniques to “image” the sides of the Moon not visible to Earth using telescopic images taken from the Earth.

While NASA is focused on returning astronauts to the lunar surface with its Artemis program with the goal of establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon, returning scientific samples from Orientale basin could provide enormous scientific benefits for helping us better understand both the age of the Moon but also how and when life emerged on Earth billions of years ago.

How will the Orientale basin geologic map help us better understand the Moon’s and Earth’s history in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!

As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

PREMIUM

De asteroïde in de afbeelding is ter illustratie en geen echte representatie van de grootte van 2024 YR4 

© PN/GETTY

Kans dat asteroïde aarde raakt in 2032 is bijna verdubbeld: moeten we ons zorgen maken om 2024 YR4?

Er is een kleine kans dat in 2032 een asteroïde zal inslaan op onze planeet. Tot die conclusie kwamen astronomen recent na het bestuderen van de baan van 2024 YR4 rond de zon. Volgens nieuwe berekeningen is die kans inmiddels net niet verdubbeld. Moeten we ons zorgen maken? Waar en hoe hard kan ze inslaan? En kunnen we daar iets tegen ondernemen? HLN-wetenschapsexpert Martijn Peters stelt gerust en licht de situatie toe.

Martijn Peters

Asteroïde 2024 YR4 waargenomen door de Magdalena Ridge 2.4m telescope van het New Mexico Institute of Technology op 27 januari 2025.  © AFP

Hoe bereken je die kans?

De rode lijn bestaat uit 500 punten waarop de asteroïde de aarde zou kunnen passeren op 22 december 2032. Zo’n lijn kan links of rechts van de aarde liggen of onze planeet kruisen. Dat laatste is momenteel het geval. Dan kan je de kans van impact berekenen door de lengte te nemen van de rode lijn en te kijken hoeveel procent daarvan de breedte van de aarde is (zo’n 12.756 km). In dit geval is dat 2,1 procent.

Wetenschappers berekenen met de huidige gegevens op welke punten de asteroïde langs de aarde kan vliegen (rode lijn)  © ESA

De asteroïde 99942 Apophis haalde begin jaren 2000 even een score van 4 op de schaal van Torino. Het hoogste ooit.  © ESA

Over een oppervlakte van 2.000 vierkante kilometer lagen vrijwel alle bomen tegen de grond nadat een asteroïde in de lucht was ontploft in Tunguska.  © Universal Images Group via Getty

Volgens voorlopige berekeningen lopen wij in Europa geen gevaar.  © Daniel Bamberger

{ https://www.hln.be/weer-en-wetenschap/ }

NASA’s Webb Reveals the Ancient Surfaces of Trans-Neptunian Objects

Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are icy bodies ranging in size from Pluto and Eris (dwarf planets with diameters of about 1,500 miles) down to tens of miles (Arrokoth) and even smaller. TNOs are on orbits comparable in size, or even much larger than, that of Neptune. The existence of TNOs was postulated by Kenneth Edgeworth, and later by Gerard Kuiper, in the 1950s; the region of space occupied by TNOs is usually referred to as the Kuiper Belt, and TNOs themselves, sometimes referred to as Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs).

The orbits of TNOs are extremely diverse but fall into groupings that reflect the outward migration of Uranus and Neptune early in the history of the formation of the solar system. As such, TNOs hold the keys to understanding that early history. However, it took NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and its unparalleled ability to study the materials on the surfaces of TNOs to fully begin to grasp what they can tell us about our origins. Here Bryan Holler and John Stansberry from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore describe how Webb is expanding our knowledge of these objects.

Images of the trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) Pluto [left] and Arrokoth [right], the primary flyby targets of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft in 2015 and 2019. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is capable of obtaining observations for in-depth studies of a wide range of TNOs that both complement, and go beyond what was learned by New Horizons. (Image credits: NASA/SwRI/JHU-APL) Pluto was the first TNO discovered, in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory. It wasn’t until 1992 that the second TNO (1992 QB₁, now named Albion) was discovered, by Dave Jewitt at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Jane Luu at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Now over 5,000 TNOs have been identified. The orbits of TNOs reveal an “architecture” that records the history of how the orbits of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune evolved early in solar system history. Computer models indicate that as Uranus and Neptune migrated outward into the primordial disk of TNOs, they ejected many objects and shepherded the remaining TNOs onto the orbits we see today. These present-day orbits are classified based on their orbital distances, eccentricity (ellipticity of the orbit), and inclination (tilt with respect to the plane that the planets orbit in). Of particular interest are objects on dynamically “cold” classical orbits, with very low inclination and eccentricity. The computer models indicate that these cold-classical objects still occupy their primordial orbits, and so represent an undisturbed remnant of the original protoplanetary disk. These TNOs truly represent the pristine building blocks of the planets, and one of them, Arrokoth, was visited and studied up-close by the New Horizons spacecraft in January 2019.

Of the TNOs whose orbits were perturbed during giant-planet migration, it is difficult to trace them back to where they formed. Yet it is only by studying the composition of individual TNOs that we can hope to map out the composition of the primordial outer disk. TNOs are on very distant orbits from the Sun, and are very cold, below minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit (about minus 170 degrees  Celsius), so their surfaces could provide information about the original composition of planetesimals within the disk. Webb is the first observatory able to provide detailed compositional information about typical TNOs (with diameters less than about 500 miles, or 800 kilometers) because of its large primary mirror and highly sensitive instruments. In particular, the Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) has for the first time revealed TNO compositions in exquisite detail.

Spectra for the three TNO spectral classes identified for the first time using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The heavy solid line in each panel is the average of over a dozen TNO spectra within each class. Prominent features in each spectrum are highlighted and/or labeled with the name of the molecule, or class of materials, responsible for absorbing at those wavelengths. Credit: Adapted from Pinilla-Alonso et al. 2024.

Webb’s NIRSpec divides light at wavelengths between about 1 and 5 microns into hundreds or thousands of individual colors. The relative brightness of those colors as a function of wavelength is a spectrum. Different materials exhibit different spectra that help identify the composition of the object observed. Because the TNOs formed in the cold, outer portions of the protoplanetary disk, it has long been expected that they would have surfaces dominated by ices of molecules that are gases or liquids at Earth’s surface, e.g. water (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen (N₂), and methane (CH₄), among others. Further, radiation from the Sun and outside the solar system alters the chemistry, creating new, more complex hydrocarbon (organic) molecules such as methanol (CH₃OH), acetylene (C₂H₂), and ethane (C₂H₆). Webb data has confirmed this, but in unexpected ways, and in unprecedented detail.

Within the first two years of science operations, Webb has taken high-quality spectra of over 75 TNOs and provided the first comprehensive look at what they are made of, including nearly 60 objects from the Large Cycle 1 program called “DiSCo-TNOs” (program ID #2418, PI: Noemí Pinilla-Alonso). The major result from the large dataset from the DiSCo-TNOs program is the identification of three spectral classes, which is the first evidence for distinct surface compositions, that was completely unexpected based on earlier studies. These classifications are named based on the spectral shape in the 2.5–4 micron region, with the deepest band centered at 3.0 microns generated by molecules that contain an oxygen-hydrogen bond, such as water. Bowl-type spectra are dominated by the absorption features of water ice, with some carbon dioxide ice, and indications of silicate-rich dust. Double-dip spectra have absorption features due to complex organic molecules, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide ices. Cliff spectra have even more complex organic materials and carbon dioxide than Double-dips, and also include features due to CH₃OH. Double-dip spectra indicate very abundant and pure carbon dioxide ice, as evidenced by the two reflectance peaks (never observed outside of a laboratory) bounding the 4.27 micron band. The three spectral types are also distinct in their color at the shortest visible wavelengths, with bowls being least red, double-dips intermediate, and cliffs reddest.

The DiSCo-TNOs team hypothesizes in Pinilla-Alonso et al. (2024) that these different spectral types are the result of higher temperatures closer to the Sun, and colder temperatures farther out. Specifically, the Bowl types formed closer to the Sun and were subject to higher temperatures that essentially baked off the carbon dioxide and methane. These compounds were more stable on Double-dips and Cliffs, which formed farther out. An important clue leading to that hypothesis is that all of the objects on undisturbed cold-classical orbits are Cliffs. TNOs on other orbits include objects from all three compositional types, as would be expected due to the dynamical reshuffling as Neptune migrated outward, as described above.

Looking ahead, Webb continues to carry out a robust program of TNO observations each year, with new and exciting programs selected by the community for execution. Cycle 3 will see imaging and spectroscopy of a handful of TNOs and their satellites, including the first-ever spectral observations of the “extreme” TNOs, with orbits that take them well into interstellar space. Another program aims to circle back to targets observed in the first year of science operations to get an even more detailed look at the materials that led to the formation of TNOs in the protosolar nebula. Two other programs focus on imaging and spectroscopy of TNO binary systems to better understand the origins of TNO satellites, either via giant impacts or co-formation via gravitational collapse. Who knows what new ideas and exciting discoveries the next year will bring?

  Editor’s Note: These findings have been published in Nature Astronomy.                        

Related Links:

The full list of team members for General Observers program 2418.

Unveiling New Planets Beyond Neptune: Unknown Worlds Discovered!

3 MINUTES AGO: NASA Revealed Unexpected Discovery on Neptune!

{ https://www.nasa.gov/ }

Area 51 rocked by earthquake as seismic activity around mysterious testing site ramps up

• READ MORE:  UFO swarm filmed over Area 51

By CHRIS MELORE ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

A 2.8 magnitude earthquake that rattled Las Vegas Monday hit just miles from the secretive US Air Force base Area 51.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says the quake struck 32 miles southeast of Beatty that sits about 60 miles from the mysterious military facility.

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

The announcement of a large tremor right on the base's doorstep will likely ramp up the speculation of what might be happening underground at this top secret facility - even if this was just an ordinary earthquake.

The small earthquake was detected at 2:11 a.m. PST Monday.

Although an earthquake above 2.5 in magnitude can often be felt and cause minor damage, there have not been any reports of injuries due to the quake.

Nevada is one of the most seismically active states in the country, according to the National Parks Service.

Officials say it ranks third after California and Alaska because of the state's many faults, found at the base of almost every mountain range.

The USGS reported that a 2.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nevada on February 10, roughly 50 south of the mysterious US Air Force base Area 51.

The 2.8 magnitude quake near Area 51 - and less than 80 miles from Las Vegas - wasn't even the largest seismic event in Nevada in recent months. 

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook northern Nevada on December 9, 2024.

It was the largest quake since May 15, 2020, when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Monte Cristo Range.

Nevada experiences thousands of microearthquakes each year, according to Shakeout.

'Earthquakes in Western Nevada are caused by the extension that is pulling Nevada apart and wrenching created as the Sierra Nevada is pulled to the north because it is caught up in the Pacific-North America plate motion,' the site explains. 

If you're hoping to ask someone at the secretive military base about the earthquake, think again.

Area 51 is not accessible by the public and is even off-limits to regular military air traffic.

In fact, a Google map of the area where Monday's earthquake took place will show you nothing at all - no base or mention of the Air Force's presence in the Nevada desert.

Above, a satellite view of Area 51. The United States Air Force facility is a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base, within the Nevada Test and Training Range.

However, some believe the theories about Area 51 are true and say the details will soon become public.

Jim Goodall, an aviation journalist with firsthand sources who worked at the classified base, gave an interview in the mid-1990s where he discussed top-secret technologies at the site that 'would make George Lucas envious.'

'One gentleman spent 12 of his 30 years in black programs at Groom Lake [as Area 51 is also known],' Goodall explained in a recently unearthed documentary interview.

'I asked him, 'Can you really tell me what's happening out there?'' he continued.

'And he said, 'Well, there's a lot of things going on there that I won't be able to tell you until the year 2025.''

The mention of '2025' could refer to an executive order by then-President Bill Clinton, which established a 25-year timer for the 'automatic declassification' of government secrets.

Recently, secret military testing has been a hot topic throughout the US as countless people have spotted mysterious drone swarms over their neighborhoods.

In November, scores of witnesses revealed footage of eerie 'drone' UFO swarms buzzing key US military sites, including 'a big fireball in a cube' over Area 51.

The Las Vegas-area witness who reported this bizarre cube-shaped object claims to have observed similar strange aerial lights in the area 'over 100 times' since June 2020, adding that these craft always seem to head towards the top secret base. 

'I lived under a commercial flight pattern near the airport, so I'm very familiar with what airplanes and conventional aircraft look and behave like,' one observer to a September 13, 2022 case (above) stated. 'This was not conventional,' they said of the 'very bright light.'

A Google map search of the area where the February 10 earthquake took place shows a blank space where Area 51 should be.

In 2022, former President Bill Clinton told James Cordon he sent federal agents to Area 51 to find out if aliens were hiding there.

'When I was president, and I had a Chief of Staff John Podesta - he loved science fiction - he made every attempt to find out everything about Roswell. And we also sent people to Area 51, we wanted to make sure there were no aliens,' the 42nd president said.

When Cordon excitedly asked the former president who exactly he sent to the coveted area, he grabbed the late-night host's shoulder and said: 'Oh, if I told you that.'

However, Clinton ended up revealing that, while the alien hunt was a disappointment, the base was used as a research and test ground for stealth aircraft.

'I got to find out how we're going to deal with this, because [Area 51] is where we do a lot our invisibility research in terms of technology, like how do we fly airplanes that aren't pick up by radar and all that,' he said. 'So that's why they're so secretive.'

As for the current commander-in-chief, President Donald Trump noted during the 2024 campaign that he isn't really a conspiracy theorist when it comes to the famous base.

Trump said during his interview on the Joe Rogan podcast, 'I have to be honest. I have never been a believer. I have people that Area 51 or whatever it is. I think it's the number one tourist attraction in the whole country or something. Area 51 in Las Vegas.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

Scientist gives chilling update on the 'city-destroying' asteroid heading towards Earth - and warns NASA has left it too late to deflect it

• READ MORE: Map shows what will happen if 2024 YR4 asteroid hits UK in 2032

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

Being wiped out by a massive space rock that hits Earth at thousands of miles an hour may sound like a plot worthy of a Hollywood film. 

But a newly-discovered space rock, called 2024 YR4, really is heading our way. 

Only discovered at the end of last year, 2024 YR4 is somewhere between 130 to 300 ft (40 to 90 metres) in diameter – so likely bigger than the Statue of Liberty. 

Last week, scientists upgraded the risk that 2024 YR4 will hit Earth to 1-in-43 (2.3 per cent), with an impact date of December 22, 2032. 

Now, in a chilling update on X, a scientist says 'we might not be able to stop 2024 YR4' from hitting Earth, even with a deflection mission. 

Dr Robin George Andrews, a volcanologist and author based in London, points out that we 'have less than eight years to potentially deal with it'. 

'You need 10 years or more to build, plan and execute an asteroid deflection mission,' he said.

'We don't have much time.'  

Scientists currently predict that the 90-metre-wide (300 feet) asteroid 2024 YR4 has a one in 43 chance of hitting Earth in 2032. If it does it would cause widespread damage to a populated area 

Dr Robin George Andrews, a volcanologist and author based in London, says 'we might not be able to stop 2024 YR4'

NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, surely one of its greatest feats ever, demonstrated how a space rock could potentially be thrown off a collision course with Earth by crashing a spacecraft into it. 

The DART spacecraft launched from California in November 2021 and completed its 10-month journey when it hit the asteroid Dimorphos on September 26, 2022.

Dimorphos, around 560 feet in diameter, orbits a larger asteroid called Didymos, both of which are around 6.8 million miles away from our planet. 

The collision shortened Dimorphos' orbit by more than half an hour – making it an even greater success than NASA had anticipated. 

However, neither Dimorphos nor its Didymos posed any danger to Earth; instead, DART was rehearsal of what may be required if a space rock does one day threaten our planet. 

Although he acknowledged DART 'worked wonders', Dr Andrews said we 'might not be able to stop 2024 YR4' in a similar way. 

'It doesn't mean we can use kinetic impactors like it to deflect any asteroid whenever we want,' he said. 

'So much could go wrong if we try and hit it with something like DART.' 

On average, Earth is hit by a football pitch-sized rock every 5,000 years, and a civilisation-ending asteroid every one million years, according to NASA's Near-Earth Object Program

Already, NASA has reached a hugely-important milestone with the DART asteroid deflection mission. In September 2022, the DART spacecraft was intentionally crashed into Dimorphos, an asteroid 6.8 million miles away

The Dimorphos space rock is pictured here as seen by the DART spacecraft 11 seconds before impact 

What is 2024 YR4? 

2024 YR4 is a 'city killer' asteroid determined to have a low chance of impacting Earth on December 2, 2032. 

It was first spotted in late December last year by astronomers at the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System station in Chile. 

Since then, this rock has become a growing matter of concern as the probability of an impact rises. 

When first spotted, NASA assigned the asteroid an impact probability of 1.2 per cent that it would hit Earth, but that has since increased to 2.3 per cent. 

Most asteroids are not solid rock but 'rubble piles' – clusters of loose boulders, stones and sand held together by the weak mutual gravity of space. 

At the moment, we don’t know the exact size of 2024 YR4, or even if it's a rubble pile asteroid too – but hitting rubble pile asteroids with a spacecraft like DART could potentially generate a cloud of debris that could head towards Earth anyway.

'Nobody wants to accidentally "disrupt" an asteroid, because those components can still head for Earth,' Dr Andrews said. 

There's also the chance that a mammoth space effort akin to DART wouldn't even sufficiently alter the asteroid's path.  

'With only a few years down the line, we could accidentally deflect it – but not enough to make it avoid the planet,' the expert added. 

'Then, it still hits Earth, just somewhere else that wasn't going to be hit.' 

He added: 'I'm not saying a kinetic impactor mission, or missions, couldn't work.

'But we don't have much time, and we don't have enough info about this rapidly fading asteroid to properly inform our planetary defense decisions yet.'

It's worth remembering that 2024 YR4 has a 1-in-43 (2.3 per cent) chance of impacting Earth on December 2032. 

Dr Andrews stressed 'the odds of an impact remain low', likening the situation to having 43 buttons in front of you and being asked to press one of them. 

'I don’t think you should be concerned,' he said in an accompanying blog post. 

'When more observations come in, it’s probable that the impact odds will plummet to a zero as the orbit of the asteroid is more precisely defined.' 

If its point of impact is in the middle of a desert, or in the ocean, it will 'harm nobody', but if it hits a town or city, it will 'destroy much of it'. 

On average, Earth is hit by a football pitch-sized rock every 5,000 years, and a civilisation-ending asteroid every one million years, according to NASA's Near-Earth Object Program. 

Last year, a NASA report found we're poorly-prepared for an asteroid collision, even if we detected the object 14 years in advance. 

Asteroid 2024 YR4 is thought to be at least the same size as the Tunguska asteroid – which had an estimated diameter of 130 feet, according to NASA. 

Tunguska caused the largest impact event in recorded history when it shot through Earth's atmosphere in 1908, flattening 830 square miles (2,150 square km) of forest. 

Many lost consciousness and at least three people passed away as a direct consequence of the Tunguska event, according to a 2019 study. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

Curiosity Rover Captures Stunning Martian Clouds Unlike Anything Seen Before

Introduction

The exploration of Mars has captivated humanity for decades, and the Curiosity Rover, a flagship mission of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, has played a pivotal role in expanding our understanding of the Red Planet. Launched in 2011 and landing on Mars in August 2012, Curiosity has been equipped with a suite of scientific instruments designed to analyze the Martian environment, geology, and atmosphere. One of its most recent and intriguing discoveries involves the observation of Martian clouds, which have been described as "stunning" and "unlike anything seen before." This analysis will delve into the significance of these cloud formations, the technology behind their capture, and the broader implications for our understanding of Martian weather patterns and atmospheric processes.

The Importance of Studying Martian Clouds

Clouds are a fundamental component of any planetary atmosphere, playing a crucial role in weather systems, climate regulation, and the distribution of heat. On Earth, clouds form from water vapor, but on Mars, the situation is different. Martian clouds are primarily composed of carbon dioxide ice crystals and water ice. Studying these clouds can provide insights into the Martian climate, including temperature fluctuations, seasonal changes, and atmospheric dynamics.

Understanding Martian clouds is also vital for future human exploration. Weather conditions, including cloud formation, can significantly impact landing operations, surface activities, and the sustainability of life-support systems. By analyzing the clouds observed by the Curiosity Rover, scientists can develop more accurate models of Martian weather, thereby enhancing the safety and success of future missions.

Lee waves: Lee waves are a special type of cloud created by the wind encountering obstacles and build up on the ‘leeward‘ or downwind side. The geometries of the lee waves depend on the shape of the obstacles.

Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin.

The Curiosity Rover's Instruments

The Curiosity Rover is equipped with a variety of scientific instruments that allow it to capture high-resolution images and analyze atmospheric components. The most relevant instruments for cloud observation include:

1. MastCam: This camera system captures high-definition images and videos of the Martian landscape and atmosphere. It operates in multiple wavelengths, enabling the examination of clouds in different light conditions.

2. ChemCam: While primarily designed for analyzing the composition of Martian rocks and soil, ChemCam can also provide data on atmospheric elements that contribute to cloud formation.

3. Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS): This instrument continuously monitors atmospheric conditions, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed, which are essential for understanding cloud formation.

4. Dust Sensors: These sensors help to measure the amount of dust in the Martian atmosphere, which can influence cloud formation and behavior.

Through these instruments, Curiosity has been able to capture unique images and data regarding cloud activity on Mars, revealing patterns and phenomena that scientists had previously only theorized.

Capturing the Clouds: A Technical Overview

The recent observations of Martian clouds by the Curiosity Rover have been made possible through a combination of advanced imaging techniques and careful mission planning.

1. Imaging Techniques: The MastCam's capability to capture images in different wavelengths allows scientists to differentiate between various atmospheric components. For instance, using infrared imaging, researchers can identify water ice clouds that are not visible in standard color photography.

2. Timing and Conditions: The Curiosity team carefully plans imaging sessions based on optimal atmospheric conditions. Clouds on Mars are often transient and may only be visible during specific times of day or under particular weather conditions. The team’s understanding of Martian seasons and atmospheric patterns enables them to capture these fleeting moments effectively.

3. Data Transmission: Once the images are captured, they are transmitted back to Earth for analysis. The data is processed and analyzed using sophisticated algorithms, allowing scientists to enhance and interpret the images for further study.

Unique Characteristics of Martian Clouds

The clouds observed by Curiosity exhibit several unique characteristics that set them apart from clouds on Earth. These include:

1. Composition: As previously mentioned, Martian clouds are primarily composed of carbon dioxide ice and water ice. This composition leads to different optical properties and behavior compared to terrestrial clouds.

2. Formation Mechanisms: The formation of clouds on Mars is influenced by its thin atmosphere, which has a surface pressure less than 1% of Earth's. This affects how clouds form and dissipate, with processes such as temperature inversions playing a significant role.

3. Color and Appearance: The images captured by Curiosity show clouds with striking colors and textures. The interaction of sunlight with Martian dust and ice crystals can create vivid displays, often with hues of pink, orange, and blue. These colors can provide clues about the altitude and composition of the clouds.

4. Seasonal Variability: Martian clouds are subject to seasonal changes, influenced by the planet's axial tilt and orbital position. Observations from Curiosity have shown that cloud patterns can vary significantly between seasons, offering insights into the Martian climate.

Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud (AMEC): This elongated cloud has formed as a result of wind encountering the Arsia Mons mountains. It forms almost every day during a specific season, from early morning until noon. 

(Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/A. Cowart)

Seemingly parallel white lines are Martian clouds sculpted by gravity waves, while the splotches of brown are wind-lifted dust clouds left wafting in the air due to seasonally sharp differences in temperatures and pressures. 

(Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin)

Scientific Implications of Cloud Observations

The stunning images of Martian clouds captured by Curiosity have several scientific implications:

1. Understanding Martian Climate: The presence and behavior of clouds are integral to understanding the broader climate on Mars. By studying cloud formations, scientists can gain insights into temperature variations, seasonal cycles, and atmospheric dynamics.

2. Water Cycle on Mars: Clouds are a critical component of the water cycle, even on a planet as dry as Mars. Observations of cloud patterns may help scientists piece together how water moves through the Martian atmosphere, shedding light on the planet's potential to support life.

3. Comparative Planetology: The study of Martian clouds allows for comparisons with Earth's atmospheric processes. Understanding the differences and similarities can enhance our knowledge of planetary atmospheres in general, contributing to the field of comparative planetology.

4. Future Exploration: Insights gained from cloud observations can inform the planning of future Mars missions. Understanding weather patterns and atmospheric conditions will be crucial for ensuring the safety and success of crewed missions to Mars.

Conclusion

The Curiosity Rover's recent observations of Martian clouds provide a stunning glimpse into the complexity of the Martian atmosphere. With advanced imaging techniques and a suite of scientific instruments, Curiosity has captured unique cloud formations that challenge our previous understanding of the Martian climate. These observations are not only beautiful but also scientifically significant, offering insights into the planet's weather patterns, climate variability, and potential for supporting life. As we continue to explore Mars, the data gathered by Curiosity will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping our understanding of this enigmatic planet and preparing for future human exploration.

References

• NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission page
• Scientific journals on planetary atmospheres and Martian geology
• Recent publications on atmospheric observations from the Curiosity Rover

{ PETER2011 }

Are We Alone, or Have Aliens Already Found Us? Scientists Reveal the Signals We’re Sending

The study found that powerful planetary radar transmissions—such as those once sent from the Arecibo Observatory—could be spotted from up to 12,000 light-years away.

For decades, astronomers have searched for signs of alien civilizations, scanning the cosmos for radio signals or other “technosignatures.” But what if the roles were reversed? If an alien civilization had technology similar to ours, would they be able to detect Earth?

A groundbreaking study led by SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) scientists flips the script—analyzing which of humanity’s own signals could be visible from space and at what distances.

Could Aliens See or Hear Us? Here’s What the Science Says

While much of SETI’s work focuses on searching for extraterrestrial signals, this study looked at the issue from an entirely new perspective:

• What Earth-based signals are detectable from space?
• How far would an alien civilization need to be to pick them up?
• Which forms of technology—radio waves, pollution, city lights—would be most visible?

The Most Detectable Technosignature: Radio Signals

Among all human-made emissions, radio signals stand out as the most easily detectable. The study found that powerful planetary radar transmissions—such as those once sent from the Arecibo Observatory—could be spotted from up to 12,000 light-years away.

While this may sound promising for extraterrestrial detection, there’s a catch: Earth’s radio footprint is shrinking. As we move toward fiber-optic communication and less radio-intensive technologies, we’re emitting fewer powerful signals into space.

Could aliens already be listening to our past transmissions? If they exist within that 12,000 light-year range, they might already know we’re here.

Can Pollution in Our Atmosphere Be Detected?

Beyond radio waves, atmospheric pollution is another possible giveaway. Scientists looked at whether alien telescopes could detect Earth’s nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) emissions, a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion and industrial activity.

The results? Detection is difficult, even with the most powerful space telescopes.

The upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a next-generation telescope in development, could potentially spot NO₂ emissions—but only from a maximum of 5.7 light-years away. That’s just slightly farther than Proxima Centauri, our closest stellar neighbor.

This means that if an Earth-like planet had pollution in its atmosphere, we would need to be very close to detect it. The same applies to aliens trying to spot us.

Would City Lights or Satellites Be Visible from Space?

What about artificial light? Could the glowing cities of Earth or our thousands of satellites be visible to alien observers?

The study found that while city lights, lasers, and satellites are obvious signs of technology, they are far too faint to be detected from astronomical distances.

However, if an alien probe were lurking nearby—within 100 million kilometers of Earth (about two-thirds of the way to the Sun)—it could spot artificial lights on our planet’s surface. This raises an interesting question: If we’re looking for alien civilizations, should we also be searching for possible probes in our own solar system?

What This Means for the Search for Alien Life

This study has major implications for SETI research:

• Refining how we search – By understanding what makes Earth detectable, we can better identify similar signals from distant exoplanets.
• A shift in focus – Instead of assuming advanced civilizations, we should also look for planets with technology at our level.
• A fresh perspective on Earth’s place in the cosmos – If an alien world has pollution or radio signals, they might be just like us—wondering if someone else is out there.

Dr. Sofia Sheikh, lead author of the study, explains: “One of the most satisfying aspects of this work was getting to use SETI as a cosmic mirror: what does Earth look like to the rest of the galaxy? And how would our current impacts on our planet be perceived.”

If intelligent life exists elsewhere, should we be actively broadcasting signals to let them know we’re here? Or is that too risky?

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

According to an update that appeared this week on NASA’s blog devoted to solar activity, The Sun Spot, engineers have been attempting to resolve a problem occurring with one of the three computers onboard the Voyager 1 probe.

Since late 1977, Voyager 1 has been carrying out its mission to study the outer Solar System and interstellar space. Presently, the distant space probe remains in communication from its position several billions of miles from Earth through NASA’s Deep Space Network.

However, an issue affecting the probe’s flight data system (FDS) is now impacting its ability to communicate with its telemetry modulation unit (TMU), one of the spacecraft’s subsystems, which is preventing it from relaying any science or engineering data back to Earth.

Voyager 1 is still receiving information NASA engineers are transmitting to it, and the probe does appear to still be attempting to execute commands, wrote Miles Hatfield from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center on December 12

Voyager 1’s FDS is primarily equipped to monitor the spacecraft’s instrumentation and retrieve data from these systems, along with the collection of engineering data that conveys the probe’s overall vitals. Periodically, this information is combined into data packages that the spacecraft’s TMU dispatches back to NASA.

Generated in binary code, these messages normally appear in a standard series of 1s and 0s. However, NASA engineers were perplexed recently when the decoded data packages Voyager 1 was sending appeared to be repetitive, as though some functions of the TMU were “stuck.”

Troubleshooting by NASA engineers revealed that the problem appears to be originating further up the chain from within the FDS, rather than the TMU itself.

Last weekend, Voyager team engineers attempted a restart of the FDS—a feat that, presumably, would be at least mildly complicated for any system that requires communication across a 15 billion-mile distance. However, current attempts to restore the FDS have remained unsuccessful, and they are expected to continue. While NASA remains optimistic that they will be able to reinstate proper communications from the spacecraft, doing so may require days or even as much as several weeks.

One of the problems the Voyager team faces, in addition to working across incredible distances to communicate with an Earthly spacecraft drifting at a solid 38,210 miles per hour on its way through interstellar space, has to do with technology that is now several decades old.

Infographic showing Voyager 1’s progress since it was launched in 1977

(Credit: NASA).

“Finding solutions to challenges the probes encounter often entails consulting original, decades-old documents written by engineers who didn’t anticipate the issues that are arising today,” Hatfield wrote this week. “As a result, it takes time for the team to understand how a new command will affect the spacecraft’s operations to avoid unintended consequences.”

Once commands are finally determined to be safe to send to Voyager 1, engineers have to wait almost a full day for the messages to reach the spacecraft. Add to that the response time for the spacecraft to send its replies, and a total of close to 45 hours are required just to determine whether any single command has successfully initiated a correct response from the spacecraft.

One of the most iconic NASA spacecraft, Voyager 1 crossed into interstellar space in 2012, and its likeness has spawned several pop cultural portrayals, which include the appearance of a fictional Voyager 6 probe enhanced by alien artificial intelligence in the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

• Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. He can be reached by email at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow his work at micahhanks.com and on X: @MicahHanks.

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

Dit is hoe het leven op Mars eruit zou zien!

Je hebt waarschijnlijk wel eens gehoord van Mars als het volgende grote avontuur van de mensheid. Maar hoe zou het leven op de rode planeet er werkelijk uitzien? Vergeet de clichés van sciencefictionfilms waarin iedereen chromen ruimtepakken draagt en tegen groene buitenaardse wezens vecht.

Hier zijn enkele sleutelelementen, gegeven door kunstmatige intelligentie, om je voor te stellen hoe het leven op Mars eruit zou kunnen zien:

1. Onder druk staande en luchtdichte habitats

2. Overlevingssystemen en middelen

3. Lokale voedselproductie

4. Milieu en gezondheid

5. Dagelijks leven en sociale organisatie

6. Sleuteltechnologieën

Over het geheel genomen zou het leven op Mars een combinatie van geavanceerde technologieën, fysiologische en psychologische aanpassingen en ultra-efficiënt beheer van hulpbronnen vereisen. De leefgebieden zouden heel anders zijn dan onze aardse huizen, maar wie weet? Over een paar decennia zal misschien een van onze nakomelingen dit artikel lezen vanuit een koepel op Mars.

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{ The Body Optimist }

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

NASA CubeSat Discovers New Radiation Belts After Intense Solar Storm

In a groundbreaking discovery, a NASA CubeSat has detected new radiation belts around Earth following a powerful solar storm in May 2024. This discovery reshapes our understanding of how solar activity interacts with Earth’s magnetic field, creating new zones of trapped particles. CubeSat, which was designed to study space weather, has captured data that could have major benefits for satellite operations, astronaut safety, and future space missions. As solar activity intensifies in the coming years, this discovery highlights the need for continued monitoring of the interactions between the Earth and Sun.

The radiation belts around Earth, known as the Van Allen Belts, are doughnut-shaped regions of charged particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field. The belts that were discovered in 1958 by the Explorer 1 mission consist mostly of high-energy electrons and protons originating from the Sun. The inner belt, located about 600 to 6,000 kilometres above Earth, contains highly energetic protons, while the outer belt, extending from 13,500 to 60,000 kilometres is mostly made up of electrons. These radiation zones pose risks to satellites, astronauts, and space missions, requiring shielding and careful navigation. 

The Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. Image: NASA

Something largely unexpected happened back in May 2024 when a large solar storm hit Earth. In the days that followed, high energy particles from the Sun bathed the Earth sparking auroral displays and disrupting GPS communications. A NASA satellite has since discovered this storm created two new but temporary radiation belts that circle the Earth. The two belts sit between the other two existing belts and form concentric rings above the equator. 

Ohio’s Aurora 05-10-2024, captured in front of John Chumack’s observatory domes at JBSPO in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Credit: John Chumack, used by permission. Canon 6DDSLR 16mm F2.8 lens, ISO 1250, 10 second Exp.

The discovery was made by the Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment Satellite (bit of a mouthful so it’s shortened to CIRBE) on 6 February this year. The announcement was made in the Journal of Geophysical Research : Space and Physics. The CubeSat had been in space for about a year before it experienced what NASA reported as an anomaly and the satellite went quiet on 15 April. The satellite was out of action during the storm in May last year but it unexpectedly leapt back to life on 15 June. It then resumed taking measurements and it was this that led to the discovery of the new belts. Understanding them is of crucial importance since satellites heading into geostationary orbits have to travel through the radiation belts. 

The CIRBE Cube Sat in the laboratory before launch. CIRBE was designed and built by LASP at the University of Colorado Boulder. Xinlin Li/LASP/CU Boulder

It’s not unusual for temporary belts to be identified following large solar storms but these new belts seem to last much longer. Previously the temporary belts were sustained for around four weeks but the new belts seem to have lasted for more than three months.  They are composed mostly of electrons like the outer belt but with the new innermost belt hosting a substantial quantity of protons too. 

Quite how long the new belts will last will depend on solar storms that follow and how strong they are. Larger storms tend to have more energy and are more likely to destroy the particles in the belts, knocking them out of their orbit. A solar storm in June reduced the size of one of the new belts and another storm in August of last year almost completely destroyed it. 

Source : 

• NASA CubeSat Finds New Radiation Belts After May 2024 Solar Storm

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{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

{ https://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

Trump Administration Pushes for UFO Transparency: Are Secret Recoveries Coming to Light?

The topic of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and potential government transparency has long been a subject of intrigue and speculation. Recently, renowned investigative journalist and NewsNation special correspondent Ross Coulthart revealed that individuals within former President Donald Trump’s orbit are pushing for greater transparency regarding UFO-related findings. This move could potentially lead to the disclosure of classified information about recovered non-human technology.

Growing Interest in UFO Disclosure

According to Coulthart, there is a renewed push behind the scenes in the Trump administration and U.S. Congress to investigate and reveal information about alleged government programs related to UFO retrieval. This follows years of increased public interest and official acknowledgment of unexplained aerial phenomena (UAPs) by various government agencies, including the Pentagon and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

One of the key aspects of this movement is a desire to declassify UFO-related documents and shed light on long-standing allegations that the government has retrieved and studied advanced non-human technology. Some insiders claim that the United States has been engaging with unknown intelligences for a significant period, leading to the recovery of sophisticated technological artifacts.

Underwater UFOs and Military Encounters

Coulthart also addressed reports of underwater UFOs, or unidentified submerged objects (USOs), that have allegedly been recorded moving at extraordinary speeds beneath the ocean’s surface. He cited testimonies from military personnel and tracking data indicating objects moving close to the speed of sound underwater, a phenomenon currently unexplained by modern physics or known propulsion systems.

These revelations suggest that both the U.S. Navy and other international military forces have encountered objects demonstrating technological capabilities far beyond what is publicly acknowledged. Such claims add to the growing body of evidence that suggests UFO phenomena are not confined to the skies but may also extend into the world’s oceans.

Political Influence and Potential Disclosure

Coulthart mentioned that former Senator Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State, has been briefed on UFO retrieval programs. This indicates that high-ranking officials in the government are aware of the issue and may be willing to push for further investigation and possible public disclosure.

Additionally, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna recently hinted at an upcoming major announcement related to government secrecy. Some speculate that this could involve the declassification of sensitive UFO-related information, which would be a significant milestone in the pursuit of transparency.

Private Industry and UFO Technology Secrecy

One of the more controversial aspects of the discussion is the alleged role of private aerospace companies in controlling and concealing UFO-related technology. According to Coulthart, these corporations have a vested interest in protecting proprietary access to advanced materials and potential technological breakthroughs. This raises concerns that key information about UFOs and non-human technology is being withheld not just from the public but also from lawmakers and past administrations.

What Lies Ahead?

If the Trump administration and key government figures follow through on their push for UFO transparency, the world could soon witness unprecedented revelations. While national security concerns may limit full disclosure, there is growing pressure to restore Congressional oversight and ensure that critical information is not improperly hidden from elected officials and the public.

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

Why astronauts swear by a breakfast that's linked to cancer and heart attacks

• READ MORE: NASA gives major update on stranded astronauts' rescue mission

By EMILY JOSHU STERNE HEALTH REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day - especially if you're headed into space. 

However, astronauts have revealed why their Breakfast of Champions is an American classic high in fat, low in fiber, and consistently linked to heart disease. 

In 1961, Alan Shepard made history as the first American in space, orbiting partly around the Earth. 

As the first US astronaut to go into outer space, he was also responsible for starting traditions, even when it came to his breakfast. 

Instead of traditionally healthier options like fruit and whole-grain toast, Shepard chose steak and eggs before launch.

Shortly after, in 1969, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins all followed suit before staking America's claim on the moon. 

But American tradition isn't the main reason astronauts pick steak and eggs. 

NASA picked the meal due because it's high in protein and low in fiber, which helps astronauts stay full longer without needing to go to the bathroom during a flight.

Alan Shepard, pictured here, made history in 1961 as the first American in space. He also pioneered the astronaut tradition of eating steak and eggs for breakfast

Astronauts have historically chosen steak and eggs because the dish is high in protein but low in fiber. This keeps them full for longer but limits bowel movements

Steak and eggs are two of the most protein-rich foods. 

One serving of steak, about three and a half ounces, contains 25 grams of protein, and one large eggs has an extra six grams.

Health officials recommend consuming 0.36 grams of protein per pound of weight. 

This means a person who weighs 140 pounds should eat about 53 grams of protein every day. 

Protein helps reduce levels of ghrelin, a hormone that controls hunger, and boosts levels of peptide YY, a hormone that increases satiety or fullness. 

This means protein-rich foods are more likely to keep people full for longer amounts of time.  

Astronauts have limited storage space for food in their aircrafts, so being able to eat fewer meals to stay full is likely ideal for them.

Additionally, neither steak nor eggs contain any fiber.

Fiber normally adds bulk to stools, making them easier to pass and leading to more frequent bowel movements. 

Not getting enough fiber leads to difficulty passing bowel movements.

This is ideal for astronauts not only because they may need to sit for long periods of time, but bathroom breaks are far from simple in space.

Pictured above are astronauts currently stranded on the International Space Station sharing a meal

On the International Space Station, for example, there are only three specialized toilets, which use a vacuum system to suck waste away. 

The ISS usually has anywhere from three to 13 astronauts on board at any given time, meaning there short and limited bathroom breaks can keep bathrooms from getting backed up. 

Steak and eggs have notoriously been linked to chronic diseases like heart disease due to high saturated fat content potentially blocking arteries. 

One study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for example, found eating red meat every day truples the amount of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in the gut, a chemical thought to increase cholesterol. 

However, astronauts largely rely on rehydrated and pantry foods while in space, so it's unlikely steak and eggs is everyday cuisine. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

• READ MORE: US Navy testing its new laser weapon that NEVER runs out of power

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

He's gained a reputation as the 'real-life Iron Man', thanks to his futuristic jet suit. 

Now British engineer, Richard Browning, is on a mission to bring jet packs to the military.

His futuristic jet suit uses five gas turbines to reach heights of up to 20 feet (six metres) at impressive speeds of up to 85 mph. 

He's struck a deal with two western allies to equip militaries with the gizmo, allowing armed commandos to soar over warzones and land on enemy ships. 

Troops will be able to board hostile ships in the style of James Bond, without having to descend on ropes from a helicopter or climb on a ladder from another vessel. 

'We do something that looks like it should be in a Marvel film and it does look spectacular, but actually it's now a serious international business,' Browning told the Times.

'We are in the process of signing several deals with two western allies, in particular for marine mobility, enabling special forces to rapidly secure maritime targets.'

Marvel fans who fancy taking to the skies can try the jet suit at Goodwood Estate in West Sussex or in California – although the experience costs a whopping £6,600 ($8,200).

Developed by inventor Richard Browning from Gravity Industries, the suit uses five gas turbines that produce over 1,000 brake horsepower to gain flight

Richard Browning, a Royal Marines reservist for six years and Cardiff University graduate, wanted to augment the human body with enough technology to be able to fly

Mr Browning's invention is often compared to the suits worn by Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel comics and films (pictured)

Already, British Royal Navy marines used the jet packs to jump from boat to boat in the English Channel to prepare for future boarding operations. 

Astonishing video shows marines taking off from a rig fixed on to a small boat behind HMS Tamar and flying on to its deck. 

Mr Browning founded Gravity Industries in March 2017 with the mission of augmenting the human body with enough technology to be able to fly. 

Less than a decade later, Gravity Industries has flown the jet suit at more than 300 events in 50 different countries, including Vietnam at the end of last year. 

Mr Browning said: 'The Jet Suit produces up to 144kg of thrust; the thrust to weight ratio works out to be greater than any known Jet Fighter we are aware of.' 

The futuristic contraption is fitted with five downward-facing turbine engines that produce hot exhaust gases, the company explains. 

As the burning gases expand and blast out through the nozzle down towards the ground, the pilot is thrust upwards. 

Because most of the engines are positioned at the end of the user's hands, it's simply a case of moving the arms to be able to fly in the desired direction.

This is not the first time that the Mr Browning's invention has taken to the air for the pleasure of the British Armed Forces. Pictured: Mr Browning above Farnborough International Airport

It can reach impressive speeds of up to 85 mph and heights of up to 20 feet (6 metres), with a total flight time of up to 10 minutes. Pictured, Mr Browning in flight above the Farnborough International airport in November 2021

In Thunderball (1965), James Bond (Sean Connery) used a Bell Textron Rocket Belt to escape the scene after killing French antagonist Jacques Bouvar

It takes off vertically, much like the suit in the James Bond film Thunderball, while a display screen inside the helmet gives updates on fuel consumption. 

Aside from its military applications and allowing members of the public to fly, the suit has potential for mountain rescue charities and emergency response scenarios. 

Eventually, in dangerous situations such as wildfire or remote mountainsides, professional staff wearing the pack could potentially perform life-threatening rescues.

In 2022, a paramedic wearing the suit flew up a hill in winds of over 30 miles per hour and heavy rain as part of a successful proof of concept. 

'The medic response stuff we don't see as a profit centre,' Browning – a Royal Marines reservist for six years and Cardiff University graduate – told the Times. 

'But it is still incredibly important to us and we have plans to launch a separate charity to scale this life-saving capability.'

Gravity Industries, which employs 25 people, recently raised $10 million in funding after being valued at $72 million (£58 million) – up from $36 million (£29 million) two years ago. 

The company was recognized by Guinness World Record for the fastest flight in a body-controlled jet suit in November 2019 at 85 mph (135 kmph). 

Aside from its military applications and allowing members of the public to fly, the suit has potential for mountain rescue charities and emergency response scenarios. Pictured in Lake District

Richard Browning CEO of Gravity Industries and the Chief Test Pilot, wears a Jet Suit and flies with second Test Pilot during a demonstration flight on May 22, 2019 in Belgrade, Serbia

READ MORE

• 'Son of Concorde' supersonic jet breaks sound barrier... here's how long it'll take to travel from NYC to London

At the time, Browning powered the contraption 1,640ft along the length of Brighton Pier in challenging weather conditions with sparks in his wake. 

More recently, Browning flew the device at Army People Conference in Farnborough to demonstrate its potential for application by British soldiers. 

The adventurer took off and landed both on the hood of a nearby jeep and the cabin roof of a truck before flying to a balcony filled with army onlookers. 

And as part of a promo with Domino's in summer 2023, pizzas were flown in to the Glastonbury Festival site. 

An early version of the flight pack was dubbed Daedalus after the father of Icarus – the pair in Greek mythology who flew with wings made from feathers and wax – although the name is no longer used on the company's website. 

According to the legendary tale, Icarus died when he flew too close to the sun and the wax holding the feathers together melted. 

The real-life Jetsons! Flying taxi dubbed 'Blackbird' can spin and move in any direction thanks to a futuristic propulsion system 

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

EXCLUSIVE - Expert: How I know Trump is about to open the floodgates when it comes to UFOs

• Welcome to MAGAland Podcast: Trump vs Taylor, Kendrick vs MAGA, plus what does the President have against Meghan Markle? Listen here.

By ROB WAUGH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Donald Trump could be poised to pull back the curtain on UFOs, according to an expert.

Dr Steven Greer, one of the driving forces behind the UFO disclosure movement, claims the new administration is considering executive orders that would publicize the government's involvement in secret UFO research.

He says a wave of new whistleblowers are set to come forward exposing how they worked on top-secret projects which involved retrieving and back-engineering otherworldly craft.

Dr Greer said: 'With the new president, I've been working with a number of people close to him, encouraging a number of executive orders to launch this sort of investigation, provide whistleblower blower protection, and action.'

He is a retired emergency physician who began working in the 1990s to persuade whistleblowers in the military, government and corporations to come forward.

Dr Greer said: 'The ones I'm working with are waiting to see what the new administration does, what the new Congress does, the way to see if there's lethal or legal push back from these covert operations.

The 'covert operations' Dr Greer refers to are secret groups within the Government which he believes work to prevent the release of information relating to alien technology.

Dr Steven Greer is a retired physician turned UFOlogist and has been the driving forces behind the UFO disclosure movement

Dr Greer founded The Disclosure Project in 1993, and also founded the Centre for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Dr Greer published a video in December, pledging to provide UFO disclosure 'in early January,' which has long passed.

He spoke to NewsNation in December, claiming the mysterious drone sightings were a cover-up to hide the sightings were part of an alien invasion.

Dr Greer said: 'There will be a lot coming forward, but they're doing it in a measured way, and what they're really looking for is either negative pushback from covert interest and corporate or positive support from Congress and in this and from the Pentagon and the intelligence community.'

'We are at an inflection point in my 35 years doing this, there's going to be some significant disclosures, and we hope halfway for amnesty for the whistleblowers.

Greer said that whistleblowers have been involved in not only retrieving alien technology from crash sites, but also testing what he describes as 'man made UFOs', made using alien technology by defense contractors hired by the US government.

However, the Pentagon has, on the record, 'denied the existence' of any top secret UFO crash retrieval programs.

Dr Greer wants to persuade the Trump administration to launch an investigation and provide whistleblower protection, 'but also to do a proper law enforcement investigation'.

He said that he believes that technology, including new energy sources, has been developed from alien craft, and is being kept secret to maintain the military-industrial complex's control over energy supplies.

Greer believes that weapons companies and forces within the U.S. government have been involved in crimes including kidnapping and murder

 'With disclosure of UAPs, will come the disclosure of the fact that we have, in fact, mastered a number of advanced sciences and electromagnetic systems that completely replace nuclear power, lithium ion batteries for electric cars, the wind, solar, you name it,' he said.

Greer said that he has been in contact with a number of people from the Trump administration, but says that as yet they do not seem to have a plan for disclosure.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has publically called on Trump to release UFO documents, but the president has not responded to his request. 

What's more, the NASA claimed it was able to debunk one of the most famous UFO videos that was captured by Navy fighter jets off the coast of Florida.

Known as the so-called 'GOFAST,' infrared video filmed by US Navy fighter pilots off the coast of the Atlantic in January 2015 captured an object speeding through the sky. 

NASA said it was 'most likely' nothing more than a conventional object 'drifting with the wind.'

But that leads to another of Dr Greer's points, he claims there are powerful forces determined to prevent disclosure

'To make matters worse, there are some people who are known counterintelligence and disinformation agents who have been providing well curated disinformation to people in the Trump administration,' he said.

Greer believes that disinformation agents are trying to distort the real picture, and hide the fact that alien technology is being used to create man-made craft by presenting the idea that aliens are 'invaders' and a 'threat'.'

Greer believes that disinformation agents are trying to distort the real picture, and hide the fact that alien technology is being used to create man-made craft

He said, 'In reality, most of the risk to air safety and public safety have to do with man made objects that are doing all manner of things. 

'And so that we can prove through direct testimony and evidence. Because I'm a scientist and a doctor, and I also want to point out that I'm not associated with the US or any other government.'

Greer said that he believes that the idea that aliens or UFOs pose a threat is wrong.

He said, 'Anybody with a scintilla of intelligence would figure out a civilization that advanced, if they wanted us gone, we'd have been gone.'

'I don't think they're hostile. I do think that they're very concerned with human checked aggression. We've had this breakout from, missiles and machine guns and tanks and whatnot, to mass destruction. 

'I think any objective person looking at the condition right now and state of the world would conclude the same. It's not just geopolitical, wars and weapons, also what we're doing to the biosphere at a rate of decay that is not sustainable

Greer believes that alien contact began due to humanity developing nuclear weapons and space travel.

Greer believes that it's possible that 'bad disclosure' happens, and the Government attempts to present aliens as a threat, and unite the world in military totalitarian fear.

He said that intelligence operatives have helped to plant stories of alien abduction and cattle mutilation 'to make people think that there's a threat out there.'

Dr Greer said, 'Does this subject come out in a way that's hopeful and positive, or does it come out in a global panic?'

'I think it will all come out. How does it come out? Does it come out in a way that advances human civilization, or does it come out in a way that's catastrophic?'

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What happened to the men who took 'most spectacular UFO photo ever' and then vanished? Former MoD official gives verdict on 'deep state' assassination theory

• Do YOU know what happened and who took the photo? Email harry.s.howard@mailonline.co.uk 

By HARRY HOWARD, HISTORY EDITOR

It's a UFO story that will make any the heart of any obsessive skip a beat: two young men take an astonishing photograph and then vanish after alerting the media.

That is what happened in August 1990, when chefs who were out walking on the edge of the Cairngorms after a long day at work snapped a diamond-shaped object hovering in the sky, as what looked like a military jet flew in the background.

But then, after they sent their image to Scottish newspaper the Daily Record, the two men vanished without a trace and the photo did not emerge in public until 2022, when it was published by the Mail.

It was an image that the Ministry of Defence and National Archives tried to keep hidden - and many files on the incident are still closed. 

Now, a former MoD official who worked on the department's 'UFO desk' has given his view on what he believes happened to the chefs.

Nick Pope said he believes a 'fairly robust' conversation was held with the pair to keep them quiet, but added to The Guardian: 'The idea that that these people were assassinated by the deep state – that's just nonsense.' 

His comments come after a former colleague of the chefs at Fisher's Hotel, Pitlochry,  previously told the Mail that it was like the two men had 'vanished off the face of the Earth'.

Richard Grieve added that the pair were left 'visibly shaken' after two mysterious figures dressed in black suits arrived during a shift a few days later and spoke to them. 

The image of a UFO and jet aircraft taken by two young chefs at Calvine on the edge of the Cairngorms in Scotland on August 4, 1990. It has been described as one of the most spectacular UFO photos ever taken

He claimed they then vanished four weeks later. 

On August 4, 1990, they had driven 13 miles from their place of work to Calvine, a spot on the edge of the Cairngorms.

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EXCLUSIVE

•  Two British friends took this UFO picture then vanished after a visit from men in dark suits 

They had not walked for long when they saw the object, which was around 100feet long. 

Terrified, the pair hid in the bushes and then heard the sound of a jet aircraft flying north.

At the time, two squadrons of Tornado fighters were based at nearby RAF Leuchars. 

The pair then saw a jet circle the object before continuing on its original path.

Before it and the mysterious craft disappeared, the chefs took six images. They then took the photos to the Daily Record, which passed the images on to the MoD. 

It remains a mystery as to why the Daily Record never ran a story. 

Some suspect that they were handed what is known as a D-Notice - an official request not to publish a story due to national security concerns. 

The newspaper's editor at the time, Endell Laird, was on the MoD's D-Notice committee, along with 13 other members of the media. 

 A comparison of the original Calvine image (left) with the photocopy faxed from RAF Pitreavie to London in August 1990, and the photocopy of the Calvine sighting released by The National Archive in 2009 (right)

It was thanks to the quick thinking of Craig Lindsay, a press officer in the RAF, that the image that emerged in 2022 was released at all. Mr Lindsay was ordered to send the photo the Ministry of Defence, but he kept a copy before doing so. Above: Mr Lindsay holds the image at his home in Scotland 

Mr Pope, who worked on the MoD's UFO desk for three years from 1991 - the year after the Calvine incident - previously confessed that the ministry 'buried' the story.

He told 2024 UFO documentary The Program that the Daily Record's story would have 'blown our standard line out of the water'.

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•  The mystery 'UFO' drones over US airbases in Britain that have baffled witnesses 

He added: 'Therefore, we wanted to bury this – and we did. 

'All the photographs and all the negatives were acquired by the Ministry of Defence and they were never seen again.'

It was thanks to the quick thinking of a press officer in the RAF that the image that emerged in 2022 was released at all.

Craig Lindsay was contacted by the Daily Record shortly after they were sent the images.

He forwarded the standout shot to the MoD, who asked the Record to send the others, along with all the negatives. 

Mr Lindsay had been the first official to speak to one of the young chefs after they took their photos.

The MoD had told him to tell the chefs to leave the case with them. 

Incredibly, Mr Lindsay broke protocol by stashing a copy of the main UFO image in his bookshelf before he sent it, the other images and the negatives to the MoD on their orders.

Nick Pope, a former official on the Ministry of Defence's 'UFO desk', said he believes a 'fairly robust' conversation was held with the chefs to keep them quiet. Above: Mr Pope in 2019

Richard Grieve worked with the mystery chefs at the Fishers Hotel in Pitlochry. He spoke to the Mail in 2024, telling how the pair were left 'visibly shaken' after two mysterious figures dressed in black suits arrived during a shift

Decades later, he was tracked down by investigative journalist and lecturer Professor David Clarke.

When the pair spoke for the first time in 2019, Mr Lindsay said: 'I've been waiting for someone to call me about this for 30 years.'

Mr Lindsay handed over the image - which he had re-discovered in a stash of papers - on condition that it be handed back to either of the chefs if either of them ever came forward.

Professor Clarke then published the image in the Mail in 2022. 

However, one key piece of information he only revealed later was that, written on the back of the image were the words: 'Copyright Kevin Russell c/o Daily Record Glasgow'.

Professor Clarke had exhausted all attempts to find the mystery man. 

The Daily Record said no one by that name had ever worked there, and trawling through 140 people of that name proved fruitless. 

But, wherever the chefs are, dead or alive, Professor Clarke does not believe that what they saw was an alien craft.  

He wrote in the Mail: 'Sadly, I do not think that mysterious aircraft arrived from another galaxy. 

'I believe it was man-made somewhere in a secret hangar — and whatever it was remains on the secret list and highly sensitive. 

This is the exact spot where the hidden photograph was taken by two hotel chefs while hiking in the Scottish glen in 1990

'The witnesses had simply been in that "million to one" chance of being in that particular place at that particular time, and needed to be shut up.

'Remember, this was 1990, the Cold War was still a year away from thawing. 

'The Gulf War started literally days earlier. The world was — as many would argue it still is today — divided along "them and us" battle lines.'

The sighting came two days after Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait, kicking off the first Gulf War.

The futuristic American F117A stealth fighter - which was deployed in the conflit - had been in development for years before that. 

Some of the prototype designs, including one called the Hopeless Diamond, resembled the craft seen in Scotland. 

The Pentagon even admitted to having flown aircraft that had a '"saucer" or triangle-shaped appearance and were capable of hovering aloft.' 

Professor Clarke told The Guardian that the MoD could 'easily clear up' the mystery by releasing conclusions of analysis they carried out on the Calvine photographs in 1990 and 1992.

He said they are 'feeding the conspiracy theories' by refusing to comment. 

The expert also called on the chefs to come forward.  

A spokesman for the MOD said: 'The MOD has no opinion on the existence of extra-terrestrial life and no longer investigates reports of sightings of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena or Unidentified Flying Objects. 

'This is because, in over 50 years no such reporting to the Department indicated the existence of any military threat to the UK, and it was deemed more valuable to prioritise MOD staff resources towards other Defence-related activities.'

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NASA Gets a Firm Grip on the Future of Space Exploration

As part of their ongoing mission to push the boundaries of space exploration, NASA’s cutting-edge robotic hand is bringing us one step closer to a future where machines can grab objects just like humans. The machine which has been designed for dexterity and precision, isn’t just about gripping objects—it’s about revolutionising how astronauts and robots work together in space. With applications ranging from spacecraft maintenance to cleaning up space junk, this high-tech hand is paving the way for a new era of spacecraft operations.

Satellites have revolutionised modern life, bringing us global communication and navigation to weather forecasting and scientific discovery. However, as space becomes increasingly crowded, a growing threat grows above us—space debris. Thousands of decommissioned or unused satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments from past collisions now orbit Earth at high speeds, posing serious risks to spacecraft and future missions. As space agencies and private companies launch more satellites than ever before, finding solutions to manage and mitigate space debris has become a critical challenge for the future of space exploration.

An artist’s conception of ERS-2 in orbit. ESA

Space debris is a particular problem that NASA’s new Astrobee system is ideally placed to address. With over 36,000 pieces of debris larger than 10cm and over 100 million smaller than 1cm, all orbiting Earth at speeds in excess of up to 28,000 km per hour it’s a problem we must start to deal with. 

Astrobee is a free-flying robotic system that has been initially designed to help astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS.) The system is composed of three cube shaped robots that have been named Bumble, Honey and Queen! The system could navigate around the ISS without human intervention using their sensors to see. The system also comprises of an arm that allows it to grab onto handrails on board to stabilise itself and conserve energy. 

The system, that was designed at the NASA’s Ames Research Centre has been on board the ISS since 2019 but it could go much further. It’s certainly been of great help around the ISS but deployed into orbit with a suitable propulsion system and power source, the sensor guided robotic arm could grab onto and manipulate pieces of debris. It could ultimately be used to collect debris like a space based road cleaner. 

Astrobee isn’t the only approach being taken to cleaning up the debris in space. The European Space Agency have also been experimenting with robotic arms and nets in their  ClearSpace-1 programme which aims to capture debris using robotic arms or nets and deorbit it safely. There is also talk of using harpoons to capture debris too but, and whilst I love the idea of harpoons around to grab debris it feels like it could be a dangerous option.

Lasers are another option that has been considered as has ground based tethers, the use of solar sails and other de-orbit technology. Whichever technique works, it’s great to see space agencies around the World taking space debris and its clean up seriously. Hopefully if Astrobee can prove itself it too can join the ranks of growing janitors to our Solar System. 

Source : 

• Robot Gets a Grip

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Artist's impression of Mars billions of years ago when it had water and microbes could have survived.

Credit: ESO/M.Kornmesser

Yet, rover missions and satellite scans have uncovered undeniable evidence of ancient Martian lakes, rivers, and even massive oceans. This contradiction, often called the Mars climate paradox, has left planetary scientists searching for answers.

Earlier theories suggested that hydrogen and carbon dioxide in Mars’ atmosphere created a greenhouse effect strong enough to warm the planet. But hydrogen, a gas with a short atmospheric lifespan, should have vanished too quickly to maintain warmth over millions of years. So how did ancient Mars defy the odds?

A Missing Piece of the Puzzle

A team of researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) may have just cracked the case. Led by NASA Sagan Postdoctoral Fellow Danica Adams, the scientists used advanced atmospheric modeling to simulate how ancient Martian gases interacted with the planet’s crust.

Their findings? A hidden chemical process called crustal hydration may have kept Mars warm for millions of years.

Here’s how it works:

• Mars’ surface rocks absorbed vast amounts of water over time.
• This process locked hydrogen into the planet’s crust, preventing it from escaping into space.
• Later, geological shifts released hydrogen back into the atmosphere, triggering extended warm periods that lasted up to 40 million years at a time.

According to the study, these episodic bursts of warmth occurred multiple times between 4 billion and 3 billion years ago—precisely when Mars showed signs of liquid water.

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Could Prove the Theory—But There’s a Catch

While the Harvard team’s discovery is based on computer simulations, direct proof could soon be within reach. NASA’s Perseverance rover is currently collecting rock samples from the Martian surface, and scientists believe those samples could contain the chemical evidence needed to confirm the study’s predictions.