Yale Professor John Coleman Darnell, the expedition’s leader and the co-director of the Elkab Desert Survey Project, said the newly discovered inscriptions, which were not recorded by any previous scientific expedition, include samples as far back as 4,000 BCE.

Although the team concedes that these are not the first examples of this specific style of rock art, they are the first of this ancient age and “monumental” scale, making them of great significance in the history of ancient Egyptian writing systems.

“This was not what I was expecting to find when I set out on this period of work on the expedition,” Professor Darnell said of the historic find. “It was completely shocking to me.”

The expedition, which was directed by Darnell and Dirk Huyge, was undertaken in cooperation with the Ministry of Antiquities and the Aswan and Edfu inspectorates.

After photographing the newly discovered inscription, Darnell and Alberto Urcia, a digital archaeologist and associate research scientist in the University’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, created a series of three-dimensional (3D) images. Darnell said the new technology allows archaeologists to record ancient sites and artworks “at a level of accuracy and detail that was absolutely impossible before.”

“It also means that we can record the site as a place, or a location, and not just as a series of inscriptions,” the professor added.

One of the more noteworthy examples of ancient monumental hieroglyphs, carved sometime between 4,000 and 3,500 BCE, depicted a herd of elephants. A closer examination also revealed that one of the elephants had an image of a smaller elephant inside of it, which Professor Darnell described as “an incredibly rare way of representing a pregnant female animal.”

A second discovery detailed by the joint expedition, which consists of four separate panels, was likely created sometime around 3,250 BCE. Written right to left, which ultimately became the dominant writing form in later Egyptian hieroglyphic languages, the panels show animal images of a bull’s head on a short pole, followed by two back-to-back saddlebill storks with a bald ‘ibis’ bird above and between them.

The research team said this arrangement of symbols is common in Egyptian representations created centuries after the newly discovered panels depicting the solar cycle. These same depictions typically include imagery of luminosity. Darnell suggested that the images may also express “the concept of royal authority over the ordered cosmos.”

“This is the First Time That Anyone Has Seen Them on Such a Massive Scale”

When discussing the importance of the new find, Professor Darnell noted the immense size of the individual tableaus and their elements. For example, each individual hieroglyph identified by the Yale-led team measures over half a meter in height. The professor also noted that the entire tableau “is about 70 centimeters (27.5 inches) in height,” whereas previously discovered signs of early Egyptian hieroglyphs were “only one or two centimeters in size.”

“This discovery isn’t new in the sense that this is the first time that anyone has seen these hieroglyphs,” Darnell explained, “this is the first time that anyone has seen them on such a massive scale.”

To offer a perspective on the discovery’s significance, the professor said a modern-world equivalent would be seeing smaller text displayed on your computer screen, “and then suddenly seeing very large ones made the same way,” only displayed up on a highway billboard.

When discussing the site’s location in the northeastern desert hinterland of Elkab, Darnell noted that it was a “very important” center in ancient Egypt, which demonstrates that the area’s budding communicative system “is not limited to the more commonly found small tokens or labels.”

The professor also said the study shows that ancient writing did not develop slowly “for bureaucratic use,” as researchers had previously believed. Instead, Darnell suggested that the discovery shows hieroglyphic-style writing “was more geographically widespread and topically diverse at the time of or shortly after its development.”

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

Where is the 3I/ATLAS Now? Harvard Physicist Claims 12-Billion-Year-Old Relic Is an Alien Probe

A frozen wanderer older than the Sun has slipped through our skies, leaving behind data, debate and a reminder of how little we know about the galaxy we live in.

By Briane Nebria

3I/ATLAS

PHOTO International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/B. Bolin/NSF NOIRLab

An interstellar comet known as 3I/ATLAS, which swept past the Sun in 2024, could be a 12‑billion‑year‑old relic from deep space and has even been described by a Harvard physicist as a possible alien probe, according to new research and long-running controversy over its origins. The object, only the third confirmed interstellar visitor ever seen in our solar system, was tracked as it brightened dramatically before heading back out towards the dark between the stars.

3I/ATLAS first appeared in telescopes in July 2024, immediately drawing attention because its orbit made clear it did not originate in our own planetary system. Its steep, hyperbolic trajectory marked it out as a true interstellar interloper, following in the footsteps of 1I/ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. Those earlier objects were too faint and fleeting to yield much detail. This time, astronomers had a rare opportunity: a comparatively bright comet, passing close enough to the Sun for the world's most powerful observatories to pick it apart.

3I/ATLAS, Alien Probe Claims And Nasa's Firm Rebuttal

The attention on 3I/ATLAS did not come only from astronomers quietly poring over data. Almost as soon as it was announced, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb began speculating publicly that the object might be artificial, suggesting it could be some form of alien spacecraft or probe. Loeb has spent years arguing that ʻOumuamua might have been engineered technology rather than a natural rock or comet, and he saw echoes of that debate in 3I/ATLAS.

NASA, though, moved quickly to shut that line of thought down. The space agency rejected the alien spacecraft suggestion, pointing instead to the emerging science that painted 3I/ATLAS as an unusually old, but natural, fragment of ice and dust. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute, better known as Seti, later backed that assessment, saying it had found 'no evidence of extraterrestrial technology' associated with the comet.

Nothing in the publicly released data confirms Loeb's more provocative claims and, at this stage, any talk of alien probes remains firmly in the realm of speculation. Without direct signatures of technology, the balance of evidence lies heavily on the side of an exotic but natural object, and all such suggestions should be taken with a grain of salt.

3I/ATLAS as seen from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter  PHOTO NASA/X

What The Telescopes Saw In 3I/ATLAS

Behind the headlines, the real story of 3I/ATLAS lies in the painstaking work done with the James Webb Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (Alma) in Chile. These instruments allowed scientists to analyse the comet's chemical make-up in unprecedented detail.

In a study published in Nature, a team led by Martin Cordiner of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center reported that 3I/ATLAS contains around ten times more deuterium a heavy form of hydrogen than is typically found in comets and other icy bodies in our own solar system. That excess deuterium shows up in 'heavy water,' where deuterium replaces normal hydrogen.

Cordiner said this chemical fingerprint could only be explained if 3I/ATLAS formed in an environment that was extraordinarily cold. According to the team's interpretation of astrochemical models, the comet's building blocks must have condensed at temperatures close to absolute zero, around –243C. That places its birth in some frigid region of a long‑vanished protoplanetary cloud, far from the warming influence of any young star.

Taken together with its inferred age of up to 12 billion years, the object looks less like a curiosity and more like a fossil. Cordiner described 3I/ATLAS as 'maybe the oldest object to have been observed in our solar system' and suggested it could be a relic from 'cosmic noon', the era when star formation across the universe was near its peak.

If that age estimate holds, 3I/ATLAS predates our own solar system by more than seven billion years. For billions of those years, it may have drifted on 'vast unimaginable trajectories around our galaxy', as Cordiner put it, slowly circling the Milky Way before a chance gravitational nudge flung it through our neighbourhood.

NASA is studying interstellar object 3I/ATLAS to refine its planetary defence systems, using the comet’s rare trajectory as a real-time test for Earth impact prevention strategies. N ASA/Science.nasa.gov

A Once‑Only Visitor, And The Future Of Interstellar Hunts

The scientific community is treating 3I/ATLAS as a one‑off opportunity. Astronomer Peter Veres, who helped confirm the comet's interstellar status at the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, called the research 'exciting' but cautioned that the clock is ticking. The comet is already receding, moving back out of the solar system and onto an escape path that means it 'will never return.' As its distance grows, fresh observations will become steadily harder, then effectively impossible.

It is precisely that sense of fleeting contact that makes 3I/ATLAS feel both mundane and profound. On one hand, the data points towards a perfectly natural explanation anchored in chemistry, not science fiction. On the other, this is tangible material from a different stellar nursery, older than the Sun, briefly lighting our skies before vanishing into the dark.

Astronomers expect that 3I/ATLAS will not be the last such messenger. New survey telescopes, particularly the Vera C Rubin Observatory in Chile, are designed to sweep the sky repeatedly and pick up fast‑moving, faint objects that older surveys would have missed. Cordiner believes this is 'just the beginning of an exciting new field,' arguing that each new interstellar comet or asteroid will carry a different piece of the story of how planets and stars formed across the galaxy.

Key points about 3I/ATLAS can be summed up simply. It is only the third confirmed interstellar object ever observed. Its isotopic make‑up suggests an origin in ultra‑cold conditions, and its age may reach back three times further than that of our solar system.

3I/ATLAS Unsplash

Claims that it might be an alien probe remain unproven and are contradicted by current observational evidence. For now, 3I/ATLAS looks like what the data says it is: an ancient, icy fragment from somewhere else in the Milky Way, glimpsed once and then lost to interstellar space again.

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5 real UFO coverups you missed in 'Disclosure Day'

Steven Spielberg has captivated audiences for decades with cinematic masterpieces like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., but his film Disclosure Day marks a sharp turn toward historical reality. Inspired by the groundbreaking 2017 New York Times exposé on the Pentagon's secret UAP task force, the film blurs the lines between Hollywood entertainment and genuine ufology. This comprehensive breakdown explores the five real-world historical pillars anchoring the plot, evaluating the actual declassified documents, congressional testimonies, and folklore that Spielberg used to piece together his narrative.

{ https://mashable.com/entertainment?_}

Two plasmoid orbs over guys neighborhood, June 5, 2026, UFO UAP Sighting News.

Date of sighting: June 5, 2026

Location of sighting: Boise, Idaho, USA

Source: NUFORC

 

These are cloud orbs, at night they glow when they want to be seen. Often mistaken for angelic beings at night, they glow and flux as a sphere in the sky. I wonder...were they testing the guys reaction to them, recording his behavior, thoughts and more, because these energy entities can read your mind from a long ways away. 

Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily

 

Eyewitness states: 

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

Scientists propose radical new theory of consciousness – and claim it doesn't depend on flesh and blood

• READ MORE: Start–up using disembodied human BRAINS for drug testing

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

Human consciousness is one of the strangest and most stubbornly elusive phenomena in nature.

Now, researchers have proposed a radical theory that suggests consciousness doesn't depend on flesh and blood.

According to their 'Copernican Principle', consciousness isn't some special property that is only found in humans and a handful of creatures with similar biology.

That means brains and bodies radically different from our own should be able to experience the universe just like we do.

This has huge implications for our search for life amongst the stars, since conscious beings might be nothing like life as we know it.

This bold theory opens the door to conscious aliens with entirely different biological chemistry from our own, like 'Rocky' from Project Hail Mary.

And it might mean that there's nothing preventing an artificial intelligence from becoming conscious.

Co–author Professor Eric Schwitzgebel, of the University of California, says: 'The universe may contain minds stranger than we can imagine.'

Researchers have proposed a bold new theory of consciousness, which says that it doesn't rely on flesh and blood 

Very roughly, we can define consciousness as the 'what it is like' aspect of existence.

The big question scientists and philosophers have spent years debating is whether this property is 'substrate flexible'.

This means that it can be 'realised' by lots of different types of things, just like the property of 'being a cup' can be realised by something made of glass or plastic.

Recently, some researchers have made the case that consciousness isn't substrate–flexible at all, meaning it can only arise in very specific types of biological systems.

This essentially narrows down the range of creatures that could be conscious to a very small slice of possible life that includes creatures on Earth and those with Earth–like biology.

That might seem like a harmless assumption until we start to think about the baffling variety of life that could exist out in the wider universe.

Professor Schwitzgebel and his co–author Dr Jeremy Pober, from the University of Lisbon, suggest that if advanced civilisations arise in just one galaxy in every billion, there would still be over 1,000 scattered over time and space.

The authors say that consciousness shouldn't be unique to things with human–like biology. This means that silicon–based life, like Rocky from Project Hail Mary, could also be conscious

Given the wide variety of possible environments in which they might flourish, it should be no surprise that many of these creatures would be very different to us.

Dr Pober told the Daily Mail that aliens could have 'high level' differences in terms of their functional architecture, but could also differ at the 'much lower level' of basic biochemistry.

'Astrobiologists and biochemists have shown that carbon–based life, which is nonetheless significantly different in biochemical composition from ours, is possible,' says Dr Pober.

For example, life that evolved in the sulphuric acid clouds of Venus might have silicon take the role that sulphur plays in our biochemistry.

However, no matter how advanced or intelligent these creatures might be, some theorists suggest that these differences rule them out from being considered conscious.

To Dr Pober and Professor Schwitzgebel, this is an obvious mistake.

Instead, they propose something called the 'Copernican Principle of Consciousness'.

The idea is that we shouldn't simply assume that humans and our particular type of conscious experience are special or unique.

Their ideas are inspired by the work of Nicolaus Copernicus (pictured), who showed that Earth wasn't in a special place in the universe. Likewise, they argue that we shouldn't think of human consciousness as special

What was the Copernican Revolution in astronomy?

The so–called Copernican Revolution was one of the most important paradigm shifts in the history of thought.

For thousands of years, astronomers had assumed that Earth was at the centre of the universe, with the sun and other planets orbiting us.

However, in 1543, a Polish astronomer called Nicolaus Copernicus published a work called 'Six Books Concerning the Revolutions of the Heavenly Orbs'.

This laid out the theory that Earth actually orbited the sun.

This had the consequence of suggesting that Earth was not the centre of the universe, and that humanity was not as important as the Church suggested.  

This draws inspiration from the so–called 'Copernican Revolution' in astronomy, in which astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus realised Earth wasn't at the centre of the universe.

Before Copernicus, people thought that Earth occupied a special or privileged position in the universe.

However, better scientific understanding has shown that it is better to assume that there is nothing special about Earth or humans until proven otherwise.

Dr Pober says: 'The spirit of the Copernican Principle is: we should believe that we as humans are special when we have evidence that says so, but not when we don't.

For example, we have plenty of evidence to suggest that humans are the most intelligent species on Earth, but absolutely no reason to think we are even nearly the most intelligent in the universe.

Once we apply this idea to consciousness, Dr Pober says there's no reason to think that consciousness needs to rely on flesh and blood.

The big consequence of that idea is that it vastly expands the possible range of life forms that could be having conscious experiences out in the wider universe.

The researchers are dubious that silicon–based lifeforms like Rocky or the Horta from Star Trek are biologically viable.

The researchers are divided over whether this means artificial intelligences, like Skynet from The Terminator, could be conscious in the future 

But if they did exist, there is no reason to think that they wouldn't be conscious.

However, Dr Pober and Professor Schwitzgebel don't agree on what this means for AI.

On the one hand, Dr Pober isn't convinced that we shouldn't be so flexible with what can be considered conscious.

'There is good reason to think some aliens with biochemistries are conscious,' he says.

Read More

•  Is AI already conscious? Richard Dawkins is left convinced after spending 72 hours with Claude 

'The extent of this difference – the degree of substrate flexibility of consciousness, if you will – does not extend to stuff as different from us as silicon chips.'

However, Professor Schwitzgebel argues that we should be even more flexible about what sorts of systems can be considered conscious.

Once the idea that consciousness requires human biology is abandoned, he argues, it becomes harder to justify excluding silicon–based systems solely because they are made of silicon.

Professor Schwitzgebel adds that philosophers have 'focused too much on whether silicon can duplicate a human brain and not enough on the broader question of what kinds of systems can be conscious.'

HOW SOON WILL WE BE ABLE TO UPLOAD OUR MINDS TO A COMPUTER?

Brain and memory preservation has been explored at length by futurists, scientists and science fiction junkies alike. 

Many say it falls under the category of 'transhumanism.'  

Transhumanism is the belief that the human body can evolve beyond its current form with the help of scientists and technology.  

The practice of mind uploading has been promoted by many people, including Ray Kurzweil, Google's director of engineering, who believes we will be able to upload our entire brains to computers by 2045.

Similar technologies have been depicted in science fiction dramas, ranging from Netflix's Altered Carbon, to the popular series Black Mirror.  

Another prominent futurist, Dr Michio Kaku, believes virtual reality can be used to keep our loved ones' personalities and memories alive even after they die. 

Scientists and futurists have different theories about how we might be able to preserve the human brain, ranging from uploading our memories to a computer to Nectome's high-tech embalming process, which can keep it intact for thousands of years

'Imagine being able to speak to your loved one after they die ... it is possible if their personality has been downloaded onto a computer as an avatar,' he explained. 

These ideas haven't been met without criticism. 

McGill University Neuroscientist Michael Hendricks told MIT that these technologies are a 'joke.'

'I hope future people are appalled that in the 21st century, the richest and most comfortable people in history spent their money and resources trying to live forever on the backs of their descendants. I mean, it’s a joke, right? They are cartoon bad guys,' he said. 

Meanwhile, neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis said recently that such technologies would be virtually impossible. 

'The brain is not computable and no engineering can reproduce it,' he said. 

'You can have all the computer chips in the world and you won't create a consciousness.'

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

See Stonehenge's construction like NEVER before: Incredible visual reveals the vast manpower needed to haul the 25–tonne stones into position 5,000 years ago

• READ MORE: Archaeologists discover Stonehenge's secret sister site 

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

An incredible new visual has revealed Stonehenge's construction like never before.

Created by English Heritage based on laser scan data and archaeological research, this is the most accurate and detailed reconstruction ever made.

The monument we see today took around 1,500 years to build, from about 3100 BC to 1600 BC, although the visual focuses on the the main phase of construction, which took place around 2500 BC.

Hundreds of people would have come together to pull, hoist, and set the enormous sarsen stones that form the iconic stone circle, according to experts. 

Its builders also used surprisingly ingenious devices and techniques to make this mammoth task a little easier.

This transformed Stonehenge from a simple ring of ditches and wooden posts to the most sophisticated ritual site in ancient Britain.

Dr Susan Greaney, an archaeologist from the University of Exeter, who worked on the reconstruction, told the Daily Mail: 'In this new reconstruction, the sarsens are being raised into place by chocking them up on a pile of boulders, smaller sarsens and hammerstones, rather than the A–frame and weights seen in other reconstructions. 

'This is based on some evidence for how the Easter Island statues were raised, which are a similar weight and size.'

Created by English Heritage based on laser scan data and archaeological research, this is the most accurate and detailed reconstruction ever made 

New research suggests that the large sarsen stones were raised by propping them up with piles of rubble 

This stunning reconstruction, created for the book Stonehenge: The Story of an Icon, shows the builders transporting the enormous 'sarsen' stones to the site on the Salisbury Plain.

These are the largest and most recognisable stones in Stonehenge, forming both the standing pillars and the horizontal 'lintels' that cap the arches.

Archaeologists believe that they would have been taken from the edge of the Marlborough Downs, located about 15 miles to the North.

With the largest of these stones weighing over 36 tonnes and measuring seven metres long, moving these would have been an enormous task.

More than 150 people might have worked together to pull a single stone along a track made of timber greased with animal fat.

However, researchers say this is not necessarily because the task was so difficult, but because pulling the stones was part of a celebration.

Professor Duncan Garrow, an archaeologist from Durham University, co–curated a new digital exhibition on the monument with the British Museum, called The Virtual World of Stonehenge.

He told the Daily Mail: 'People get really into building monuments in the Neolithic period, and Stonehenge is the peak of that.

Archaeologists believe that the building of Stonehenge might have been even more important than the finished project, serving as a way of bringing the community together. Illustrated: A Neolithic man explains Stonehenge's construction to children

It helped the community come together, so building it was very much part of the meaning and the purpose.'

Once the stones made it to the site, they still needed to be expertly shaped.

The ground at Salisbury Plain isn't exactly level, so each stone had to be precisely cut to the right height, and archaeologists have found piles of waste stone chips nearby.

Finally, the outer circle was topped with the lintels that formed a smooth, continuous ring around the entire structure.

While the Neolithic is known as the Stone Age, the people of this time were actually far more familiar with woodworking than stone carving.

This expertise can be seen in the traditional woodworking techniques used to fasten the lintels, with each massive stone being secured with dovetail joints and mortise and tenon fittings.

Archaeologists believe that building Stonehenge would have taken around five and a half million hours of labour – with four and a half million of those spent on the large sarsen stones.

Of course, the most impressive aspect of this gargantuan construction project is that Stonehenge aligns perfectly with the movements of the sun.

The large lintels were lifted into position by building timber platforms. Each lintel was then fitted with a mortise and tenon joint 

The summer solstice sunrise perfectly aligns with the outlying Heel Stone, while the winter solstice sun sets directly between the uprights of the tallest Trilithon.

While earlier structures such as long barrows were built to align with the sunrise or sunset, this is the first structure that 'points' at the solstice.

Professor Garrow says: 'Once people started farming during the Neolithic period, they had more invested in planting crops, so it was a bigger deal if the harvest failed.

'So, good weather and a good year of sunshine and rain to make the crops grow become more important, and that escalated into a kind of religious focus on the sunshine.'

It is thought that this was centred around enormous gatherings around the summer and winter solstice, involving hundreds to thousands of people from all around the country.

Archaeologists believe that the Stonehenge builders stayed at the nearby site of Durrington Walls, one of the largest henges in Britain, measuring 500 metres across.

Excavations have evidence of mass feasting, with chemical analysis of pig bones and animal teeth revealing that these animals had been transported from as far as Scotland and west Wales.

Dr Matt Leivers, senior research manager, Wessex Archaeology, told the Daily Mail: 'Further away, very large numbers of people gathered for feasts, and we can imagine opportunities for things like exchange of foreign objects, marriage partners, settling of disputes, competition, games, all that sort of thing.'

However, while the gatherings near Stonehenge would have been 'seasonal fairs', the focus at the circle itself would have been religious.

'It was essentially a cathedral,' says Dr Leivers.

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'Imagine Salisbury Cathedral or Westminster Abbey. It's the single crowning achievement of the expression of Neolithic religion in the English south.'

Exactly what those ritual gatherings would have looked like is hard to say, but researchers are now beginning to piece together a few scant clues.

Dr Leivers says: 'The evidence from Stonehenge tells us that there probably wasn't a lot done inside the circles that left a lot of material behind – so imagine that as a sacred centre.

'Most people would have been gathered outside the circles, watching, praying, celebrating – maybe singing, drumming, or maybe in silence.'

The Stonehenge monument standing today was the final stage of a four part building project that ended 3,500 years ago

Stonehenge is one of the most prominent prehistoric monuments in Britain. The Stonehenge that can be seen today is the final stage that was completed about 3,500 years ago. 

According to the monument's website, Stonehenge was built in four stages:   

First stage: The first version of Stonehenge was a large earthwork or Henge, comprising a ditch, bank and the Aubrey holes, all probably built around 3100 BC. 

The Aubrey  holes are round pits in the chalk, about one metre (3.3 feet) wide and deep, with steep sides and flat bottoms. 

Stonehenge (pictured) is one of the most prominent prehistoric monuments in Britain

They form a circle about 86.6 metres (284 feet) in diameter. 

Excavations revealed cremated human bones in some of the chalk filling, but the holes themselves were likely not made to be used as graves, but as part of a religious ceremony.

After this first stage, Stonehenge was abandoned and left untouched for more than 1,000 years. 

Second stage: The second and most dramatic stage of Stonehenge started around 2150 years BC, when about 82 bluestones from the Preseli mountains in south-west Wales were transported to the site. It's thought that the stones, some of which weigh four tonnes each, were dragged on rollers and sledges to the waters at Milford Haven, where they were loaded onto rafts.

They were carried on water along the south coast of Wales and up the rivers Avon and Frome, before being dragged overland again near Warminster and Wiltshire.

The final stage of the journey was mainly by water, down the river Wylye to Salisbury, then the Salisbury Avon to west Amesbury. 

The journey spanned nearly 240 miles, and once at the site, the stones were set up in the centre to form an incomplete double circle. 

During the same period, the original entrance was widened and a pair of Heel Stones were erected. The nearer part of the Avenue, connecting Stonehenge with the River Avon, was built aligned with the midsummer sunrise. 

Third stage: The third stage of Stonehenge, which took place about 2000 years BC, saw the arrival of the sarsen stones (a type of sandstone), which were larger than the bluestones.

They were likely brought from the Marlborough Downs (40 kilometres, or 25 miles, north of Stonehenge). 

The largest of the sarsen stones transported to Stonehenge weighs 50 tonnes, and transportation by water would not have been possible, so it's suspected that they were transported using sledges and ropes. 

Calculations have shown that it would have taken 500 men using leather ropes to pull one stone, with an extra 100 men needed to lay the rollers in front of the sledge.

These stones were arranged in an outer circle with a continuous run of lintels - horizontal supports. 

Inside the circle, five trilithons - structures consisting of two upright stones and a third across the top as a lintel - were placed in a horseshoe arrangement, which can still be seen today. 

Final stage: The fourth and final stage took place just after 1500 years BC, when the smaller bluestones were rearranged in the horseshoe and circle that can be seen today.

The original number of stones in the bluestone circle was probably around 60, but these have since been removed or broken up. Some remain as stumps below ground level. 

Source: Stonehenge.co.uk 

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

Scientists predict how the world will end – and say Earth may NOT be swallowed by the sun after all

• READ MORE: Dark matter may have been detected by accident YEARS ago

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

It's a rather grisly topic for a Monday – how will the world end?

For years, it's been believed that the sun will start to expand in around five billion years, swallowing our planet in the process.  

However, a new study suggests that this might not be the case after all.

Instead, scientists think that the sun's death throes will push Earth out into space, narrowly avoiding destruction.

Mars will also be spared from a fiery fate, scientists say, but Mercury and Venus won't be so lucky, as the two innermost planets will inevitably be swallowed by the sun.

Lead author Mats Esseldeurs, a PhD student at the University of Leuven, explains that Earth's fate 'depends on a delicate balance' between two forces.

These are the 'tidal' forces of gravity that will pull the Earth into the sun and the outward push of enormous solar winds caused by the sun losing mass as it expands.

'If tidal interactions predominate, Earth is engulfed by the sun,' says Mr Esseldeurs.

'If the sun's mass loss predominates, Earth escapes into an orbit larger than the radius of its star.'

Scientists have predicted that the Earth will not be swallowed by the sun as it expands into a red giant in five billion years 

Using computer simulations, researchers found that Earth (red line) will be pushed just beyond the edge of the expanding sun (blue line)

Stars like our sun can only remain stable for as long as they have a steady supply of hydrogen to burn as fuel.

When hydrogen is abundant, the immense force of gravity is held in check by the outward push from nuclear fusion in their core.

But when the hydrogen starts to run out at the end of a star's lifetime, that balance is upset, and the star begins to collapse.

This collapse makes the core hot enough to fuse helium atoms into carbon, releasing a surge of energy that kickstarts nuclear fusion in the outer layers, which then expand and cool.

The expanding star will then grow into a red giant, becoming anywhere from 100 to 1,000 times larger.

Scientists don't know exactly how big the sun will become, but even if it doesn't expand beyond Earth's current orbit, many researchers believe we are doomed.

This is due to an effect called tidal dissipation that will slowly drag our planet down into the sun.

As the sun expands, Earth's gravitational tug will raise a small bump or wave on the solar surface – just as the moon causes Earth's oceans to swell with the tides. 

Scientists previously believed that a gravitational effect called tidal dissipation would slowly pull the Earth out of orbit, until it was swallowed by the sun (artist's impression) 

This wave will lag behind the planet like a brake on its orbit, slowly draining its energy and dissipating it into the sun.

Until very recently, scientists assumed that these tidal forces would overwhelm the outward push of stellar wind from the sun's mass loss, leading to the Earth being engulfed.

However, Mr Esseldeurs and his co–authors now argue that this is based on a poor understanding of tidal dissipation in stars.

Using advanced models, the researchers show that the tug of these tidal effects is actually a lot smaller than previously expected.

They combined these gravitational predictions with observations of mass loss in a nearby star called L2 Puppis, which they describe as the sun's 'old cousin'.

That allowed the scientists to estimate how much solar wind our own sun might produce as it transitions into a red giant.

By comparing the push and pull of these competing forces, the researchers now believe that the Earth may well survive.

Co–author Dr Stephane Mathis, of the CEA Paris–Saclay centre in France, says: 'A better understanding of tidal physics and the most advanced constraints we have on mass loss allow us to say that—in the current state of knowledge—Earth could move away from the sun, contrary to what was predicted before.'

Scientists now think the solar wind created as the sun loses mass during its expansion will push the Earth away, counteracting the gravitational pull. Pictured: Artist's impression of the Earth in 5.7 billion years

However, the researchers warn that Earth's fate is still not entirely certain.

They point out that the difference between survival and fiery annihilation is extremely dependent on the fine balance of gravitational dissipation and mass loss.

In simulations, even a small change in these estimates was enough to send the planet tumbling into the sun or soaring safely out into space.

In their paper, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, the researchers warn: 'Given the current observational uncertainties in AGB mass–loss rates, the ultimate fate of the Earth remains uncertain.'

Read More

• Blow-by-blow account reveals what would it have been like to experience dinosaur-killing asteroid 

Likewise, even if Earth does survive the initial transformation, life on the planet may not be able to last much longer.

After becoming a red giant, the sun will gradually burn through the last of its fuel and shrink into an extremely dense star called a white dwarf.

No longer capable of fusion reactions, it will slowly become dimmer and cooler over time, and Earth will be left as a freezing, lifeless husk.

The good news is that this won't be for at least seven or eight billion years from today. 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO EARTH WHEN THE SUN DIES?

Five billion years from now, it's said the Sun will have grown into a red giant star, more than a hundred times larger than its current size. 

Eventually, it will eject gas and dust to create an 'envelope' accounting for as much as half its mass.

The core will become a tiny white dwarf star. This will shine for thousands of years, illuminating the envelope to create a ring-shaped planetary nebula.

Five billion years from now, it's said the Sun will have grown into a red giant star, more than a hundred times larger than its current size

While this metamorphosis will change the solar system, scientists are unsure what will happen to the third rock from the Sun.

We already know that our Sun will be bigger and brighter, so that it will probably destroy any form of life on our planet.

But whether the Earth's rocky core will survive is uncertain. 

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

Steven Spielberg's new blockbuster coincides with real-world disclosures about the government's investigation of unidentified phenomena. But there's no proof of aliens yet.

Julian Dossett

Steven Spielberg's new sci-fi blockbuster Disclosure Day, which hit theaters June 12, explores what might happen when the world gets undeniable proof that we're not alone in the universe. While the film is pure Hollywood, the possibility that we may one day see real evidence of UFOs is moving from science fiction toward scientific plausibility.

For the past couple of months, the federal government has been declassifying and publishing reports of UAPs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena, on a website operated by the Department of Defense. 

While the government's disclosures haven't provided any actual evidence of extraterrestrial life or alien spacecraft, they signal a shift from its previous stance of secrecy on the subject. The Pentagon's real-world releases of strange sightings draw an obvious parallel to the movie's plot.

Without spoiling too much, Disclosure Day starts in the middle of the action: A whistleblower played by Josh O'Connor has already stolen proof of the cover-up of alien contact, while a Kansas City TV anchor played by Emily Blunt suddenly gains strange new abilities. The pair spends much of the 2.5-hour movie on the run from a shadowy government organization that wants to keep the truth hidden.

Spielberg was inspired to make Disclosure Day following a groundbreaking 2017 New York Times story, which published military videos of UAP sightings and alleged a secret UAP program in the Pentagon. According to some government officials and experts, the NYT report helped reduce the stigma of sharing UFO incident reports, especially among service members.

In subsequent Congressional hearings, former Navy pilots gave eye-witness accounts of UAPs in the sky, and a former intelligence officer testified to the existence of a secret UAP crash-retrieval program, where nonhuman "biologics" were retrieved from crash sites.

The US House Oversight Committee's Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets held a hearing in September 2025 with witnesses who testified on UAPs, including the video shown here in the background.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

I've looked through many of the UAP files released so far, and I haven't found any proof of alien life, but they're still interesting to read. Some of the documents date back to the Roswell crash era of the 1940s, one of the most famous alleged cases of a flying saucer recovery. Aliens or not, official military correspondence from 1948 that mentions "flying discs" remains a fascinating historical record.

The media's interest, along with the government's acknowledgment that it has long investigated UFOs, has helped move the topic beyond conspiracy books and online forums. In recent years, NASA commissioned an independent study team to examine UAPs, which produced a report (PDF) noting that the agency "should contribute to a comprehensive, government-wide approach to collecting future data." Even the late Pope Francis addressed the idea that the discovery of aliens and religious faith need not contradict one another.

While the videos, documents and testimonies on UAP sightings are intriguing to watch and read, the materials still lack the empirical data to conclusively prove that extraterrestrial life has visited Earth. Still, the sightings continue to be debated, with some scientists pointing to other possible explanations, such as drones, satellites or weather phenomena -- or even optical and infrared distortions. Many of the cases seem to point to more mundane, earthly origins.

As Carl Sagan wrote in The Demon-Haunted World, his 1995 book on critical thinking and the scientific method: "Everything hinges on the matter of evidence. The more we want it to be true, the more careful we have to be. No witness's say-so is good enough."

Have you ever seen a UFO?

Disclosure Day imagines what would happen if we were to definitely know that aliens are here. In the real world, the SETI Institute has been studying the stars for traces of life since 1984. Sagan briefly served on the board before he died in 1996. He even wrote the novel that inspired the 1997 sci-fi film Contact starring Jodie Foster, which popularized SETI. The institute has been taking the question of extraterrestrial life seriously for a long time, but hasn't found any evidence of it yet.  

A previously confidential 1948 memorandum that mentions flying discs. 

Department of Defense

On June 5, the International Academy of Astronautics ratified an updated set of post-detection protocols, developed with input from SETI members, to address modern challenges in evaluating and verifying evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. The new protocols will help govern how scientists announce evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence in today's global media environment, which is far more complex than it was when the original protocols were last revised 15 years ago. 

Astrophysicist Michael Garrett, chair of the IAA SETI post-detection committee, told CNET that misinformation is one of the key reasons the protocols were updated. Artificial intelligence, deepfakes and social media engagement algorithms have made it harder than ever to tell what's true from false on the internet. 

"Today, rumors, conspiracy theories, fabricated documents, and AI-generated images, audio and video can spread extremely quickly," Garrett says. "Independent verification by the global scientific community remains the most effective way to establish credibility and maintain public trust."

An image from a July 2025 video captured in the northeastern United States. An eyewitness observed an intense bright light hovering about 25 feet in the air over their backyard.

Department of Defense

Garrett also said two common misconceptions he hears are that the protocols assume extraterrestrial civilizations would be hostile or that researchers would try to keep a discovery secret.

"Neither is true," Garrett said. "The protocols do not make assumptions about the intentions of extraterrestrial intelligence. Nor do they create any mechanism for secrecy."

Instead, Garrett says the protocols emphasize openness and public accountability. 

"The updated protocols encourage researchers to make observational data, analysis methods and software tools publicly available wherever possible once a candidate signal has been verified," Garrett said. So if scientists ever discover alien life in the real world, hopefully we won't need a government whistleblower to get the word out.  

Maybe the truth isn't out there

It's entirely possible, maybe even likely, that we'll never know what's really out there. That hasn't stopped decades of rampant speculation and a deep fascination with the topic. Sagan argued that many people believe in aliens because humans have historically looked for ways to fill gaps in mysteries and phenomena that go unexplained. 

An archival photograph depicting the lunar surface as seen from the Apollo 12 landing site. The image has been modified to highlight unidentified phenomena near the right edge of the frame.

Department of Defense

In 2021, Pew Research reported that 65% of Americans believe that intelligent life exists on other planets. In 2023, an Ipsos poll found that 42% of Americans believe in UFOs, and that 10% say they've actually seen one. Now that the government is releasing decades' worth of UAP reports and sightings, it seems more likely than before that we might get proof we're not alone. Or maybe not.

Sagan long warned about the dangers of ignoring scientific rigor and how seductive pseudoscience can be. Even when mundane reasoning can explain the fantastic, we're often inclined to abandon our skepticism and ignore the boring explanation. 

"We've not yet found compelling evidence for life beyond the Earth," Sagan wrote in The Demon-Haunted World over three decades ago. "We're only at the very beginning of the search, though. New and better information might emerge, for all we know, tomorrow."

{ https://www.cnet.com/news/? }

Avi Loeb to Lead New Federal UAP Science Panel

Harvard astrophysicist and frequent Newsmax contributor Avi Loeb will lead a new UAP Science Advisory Council assembled at the request of the White House, the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and the broader intelligence community, the scientific arm of President Trump's push to declassify federal files on unidentified anomalous phenomena.

The council will report to a higher-level UAP Governance Board that met for the first time the week of June 15.

An ODNI official said the agency established the board with the FBI and War Department "to provide guidance, recommendations, and coordination at the interagency level, bringing together military, law enforcement, the intelligence community, and other civilian agencies."

The program carries no budget and will work only with declassified material.

Loeb's mandate is to advise the government on how to resolve the nature of UAP.

The roster spans physics, oceanography, AI, statistics, biology, anthropology, and psychology, and includes retired Navy Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet, the former acting NOAA administrator; Stanford immunologist Garry Nolan; SUNY Albany physicists Kevin Knuth and Matthew Szydagis; and Michael Shermer, founder of Skeptic magazine, whose inclusion has drawn pushback from some disclosure advocates.

"I am very pleased and not surprised as I have been calling on the executive branch to prioritize UAP for years," Gallaudet said.

The panel's focus includes a June 5 AARO report, signed by Director Jon Kosloski and released June 12, documenting phenomena observed by law enforcement over two days in October 2023 near Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, including an orange "mother" orb that appeared to launch smaller red orbs.

Roughly 40% of the reported events lacked a reasonable explanation.

"The simplest explanation would be to say that these orbs might be drones that are capable of producing smaller drones," Loeb told the New York Post. "But [AARO] is saying that 40% of the phenomena that were observed cannot be explained by technologies the U.S. possesses or that we know about from adversary nations."

Loeb cast the panel as outside scientific support for an agency apparatus he says lacks in-house capacity.

"The government is not a scientific organization. They don't have first-class scientists. So we can help them figure things out," he told the Post, adding the council will tell agencies "what needs to be collected in the future" if existing data falls short.

He said the panel would track evidence over attention: "We should keep our eyes on the orbs, not on the audience."

In a June 13 Newsmax interview, Loeb said the latest files highlight a national security concern and confirmed he was assembling the council.

He has been a recurring guest on Newsmax, including February and April appearances tied to Trump's directive on UAP records.

Loeb told NewsNation's "Elizabeth Vargas Reports" the new structure marks a shift in federal posture.

"There is a completely different mindset following President Trump's directive," he said. "We are trying to figure it out together, in cooperation, and I hope that all the suspicion against government hiding things will be forgotten once we get to the bottom of this."

The council is set to surface publicly again at the Disclosure Forum in Washington on Thursday.

{ https://www.newsmax.com/ }

This is the very idea presented in a new study that explores the provocative idea that Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa may not only be hospitable, but that life from Earth could be thriving there.

In the new study, published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, astrophysicist Zaza Osmanov of the Free University of Tbilisi explored whether Earthly bacteria might have been able to escape our planet by traveling on microscopic dust particles, which, after escaping Earth’s gravity, could have drifted through space until they reached Europa.

There, a vast subsurface ocean is believed to exist beneath the moon’s icy crust, meaning that any simple organisms capable of escaping from Earth on tiny spacefaring rafts of dust might have found their way to a new home, and one that could support life.

Panspermia, but in Reverse

The long-debated idea of panspermia already presents the general idea for how this might work. However, Osmanov’s study investigates this idea in reverse order: not only might life on Earth have originated from elsewhere, but our planet could also hypothetically be the source of similar “seeding” events that might occur on alien worlds.

Based on mathematical models, Osmanov calculated how bacteria-rich dust grains could be launched into space, resulting from collisions with incoming dust in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Upon escaping the planet’s gravity, some of these bacteria might be able to sail along toward distant locales like Europa with the help of pressure generated by solar radiation—essentially the same concept as a solar light sail spacecraft, albeit much smaller.

With the help of solar radiation and occasional gravitational interactions, Osmanov theorizes that some particles might eventually be “steered” by such natural processes over time, eventually making their way to Jupiter.

Tiny Earthling Alien Invaders

Based on Osmanov’s estimates, there could potentially be as many as hundreds of millions of Earth-originating dust particles that might make their way to Europa every second. That’s a significant number, and although he estimates that the majority would be destroyed on impact, a small fraction could arrive at extremely shallow angles, which he believes may be able to survive landing on Europa’s surface.

However, even if a few bacterial invaders managed to survive, the next challenge they would face would be to reach the moon’s ocean that astronomers believe to be concealed beneath its icy exterior. Based on past studies, tidal forces generated by the massive host planet Jupiter offer a solution: such events are believed to likely cause fractures in Europa’s icy shell, which lead to the creation of entry points where surface materials might be capable of migrating downward.

Adding to this, Osmanov also points to instances where ice melting may also provide a means for the movement of material from the surface down into the moon’s hidden ocean. Over periods of thousands of years, some of these tiny bacterial invaders might make their way past the harsh surface environment and down into the moon’s far more hospitable subsurface ocean.

Osmanov estimates that there may be considerable numbers of Earth-derived particles that could reach Europa’s ocean over geological timescales. This could mean that terrestrial particles, Earthly microbes that have made the journey, may have had time to establish themselves as microbial colonists—if, of course, current presumptions about the moon’s conditions for supporting life are correct.

While the theory remains speculative, and Osmanov concedes that it cannot be tested directly at present, it suggests something fascinating: that the eventual discovery of life on an alien world could have ancestral links to our own planetary home.

Osmanov’s recent study, “Earth as a potential source of life for Europa’s subsurface ocean,” appeared in the journal International Journal of Astrobiology.

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

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

The four-wheeled, four-foot-long rover can readily handle landscapes that would be impassable for its six-wheeled predecessors, such as Curiosity and Perseverance.

NASA Lunar Navigation

ERNEST features mesh wheels for physically traversing difficult ground, as well as an intelligent decision-making system that determines the best route to its destination. As plans for humanity’s return to the lunar surface grow more ambitious, a rover capable of traveling longer distances at higher speeds will become a necessity. This is what ERNEST is accomplishing for NASA, already showing improvement over the performance of earlier rovers by an order of magnitude, as demonstrated in one test by traveling 16 miles in 37 hours.

The ERNEST prototype is less than half the size that the JPL team expects the final build to be. Since the project began in 2022, this is the third ERNEST prototype, with the other two being only two feet long and built primarily to test various suspension iterations over simulated lunar regolith packed at various slopes. They completed fabrication of the current prototype in September 2024 and operated it remotely via joystick control.

“You could do a science road trip across the Moon — or Mars — with this vehicle,” said James Keane, a JPL planetary scientist working on lunar missions.

NASA JPL conducted ERNEST times at all times of day to determine if darkness or shadow would confuse the autonomous system.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Powered joints in front of the rover allow it to switch between squirming, wheel-walking, and obstacle-climbing gaits to adapt to changing surface conditions. For less challenging terrain, a clutch allows the system to switch to a more energy-efficient passive suspension, conserving power for longer journeys. Each wheel is articulated to allow movement in any direction, allowing the vehicle to move completely sideways.

These major mobility advances will be a boon to mission planners, who have struggled to reach hard-to-access areas on Mars and the Moon that were previously inaccessible with previous technology.

NASA’s Autonomous Rover

“This testing is helping us refine the mobility hardware and autonomy software to navigate extreme distances across a wide range of terrain and lighting conditions anticipated on the Moon,” said Issa Nesnas, a principal technologist at JPL.

To move beyond operator control to autonomous decision-making, the team used an artificial intelligence technique called reinforcement learning, in which a model learns through interactions with the environment. 

A virtual testing environment, running multiple simultaneous instances for months, allowed the researchers to have the rover ready to meet its environmental challenges from its first real-world test.  Conducted at JPL’s Mars Yard, the initial tests featured an obstacle course of steps, slopes, ripples, and rubble. From this, and in many subsequent tests, ERNEST proved successful in navigating a range of very difficult environments

Further improvements to the rover’s autonomy are being pursued with an eye on intelligent long-distance travel, with the rover independently switching between suspension settings.

• Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.

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

A massive Mars impact led scientists to an even bigger discovery

©The Daily Diges

Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizonat

A huge meteorite strikes Mars
NASA revealed, during a press conference, that a meteorite struck Mars on December 24, 2021. The American space agency unveiled images of the crater formed following the collision.

©The Daily Digest

A crater of 492 feet in diameter
The InSigh mission's seismometer detected two major impacts on the surface of Mars. The larger of the two formed a crater of 150 meters (492 feet) in diameter and 21 meters (69 feet) deep.

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Photo: GooKingSword/Pixabay

One of the largest impacts ever observed
In its press release, the space agency said this was "one of the largest impacts ever observed on Mars since NASA began exploring the cosmos."

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Photo:NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA/USGS

An even bigger discovery: ice inside Mars
However, what's thrilled scientists more than the recorded seismic activity is what the meteor uncovered when it slammed into Mars: boulder-size chunks of ice blasted inside the crater.

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Ice in the poles of Mars
Scientists were well aware of the ice on the poles on Mars, but they didn’t know that ice existed under the ice cap.

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Ice can be converted into water, oxygen or hydrogen
"In planning for future human exploration of Mars, we'd want to land the astronauts as near to the equator as possible, and having access to ice at these lower latitudes, that ice can be converted into water, oxygen, or hydrogen. That could be really useful", said Lori Glaze, NASA's director of planetary science.

©The Daily Digest

Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The red planet
Mars is the planet in our Solar System that has the most similarities with Earth. This is mainly why the red planet is NASA’s favorite destination to explore.

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Photos that depict the red planet
So the recent discovery and amazing photos can be added to the collection NASA has of the red planet. Here are some of them:

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Photo: NASA, ESA, and STScI

Mars’s two small moons
This image of Mars was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on July 18, 2018, when Earth, Mars and the Sun were aligned. Mars' two small moons, Phobos and Deimos are visible in this shot.

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Photo: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Arabia Terra
Arabia Terra is a vast region located on the northern hemisphere of Mars. It is characterized by its craters dating back approximately 4 billion years. Also seen in this photo are dark dunes, which the HIRISE team is monitoring closely for any wind activity.

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Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Danielson Crater
Danielson is an impact crater measuring approximately 67 kilometers (41 miles) in diameter, located in the southwest of the Arabia Terra region. This image taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft shows the sand and sedimentary rocks that make it up.

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Photo: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

A wonderful contrast of colors
In this image, there’s channels filled with shiny ice, which contrast with the red soil of Mars. The photo was taken at the planet's seasonal polar caps.

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Photo: NASA/JPL/LaRC

A sunrise on the planet Mars
An intriguing Martian sunrise was captured by the Viking 2 exploration probe on June 14, 1978.

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Photo: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Candor Chasma

This is Candor Chasma, one of the valleys that are part of the Valles Marineris canyons, located close to the equator of the red planet. Its light-colored stratified deposits could be an area made up of sandstone, potentially habitable according to scientists.

©The Daily Digest

Photo: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

A spring avalanche
This is an avalanche captured by the HiRISE camera, near the north pole of Mars. Every spring, the sun shines on this area of the planet. The heat of its rays causes the detachment of blocks of ice. When reaching the bottom of the cliff, which is more than 500 meters high, these blocks raise a cloud of dust.

©The Daily Digest

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Rock formations
This image was captured in December 2018 by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The ripples that can be seen in the sand tell us which way the wind has moved around these rock formations.

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Photo: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI)

Phobos
Phobos is one of the two natural satellites of Mars. This small moon rises west of Mars and circles the Red Planet three times in a Martian day, which lasts about 24 hours and 40 minutes.

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Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

A very young impact crater

This remarkable image shows us an impact crater formed between July and September 2018. This impact occurred in the seasonal southern ice sheet, and visibly pierced it, creating an incredible blast pattern.

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Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/JHUAPL

Jezero Crater
The Jezero crater is thought to have formed about 3.7 billion years ago. It is located to the west of Isidis Planitia, and it was chosen by NASA as the landing site for the "Mars 2020" mission, launched on July 30, 2020, and currently in progress.

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Photo: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Steep dunes
These dunes were photographed on the slopes of Nectaris Montes, in the canyons of Valles Marineris. The sand dunes that make up these giant canyons can be impressively large, with seemingly very steep slopes, as seen in the image.

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Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Mount Sharp
This image was taken by the Curiosity rover, deployed on Mars since 2012, on Mount Sharp, a mountain that stands in the middle of the Gale crater. In the center of the image, you can see clay rocks that NASA scientists are eager to study.

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Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Curiosity selfie
This is Curiosity, the car-size rover sent to Mars for an exploration mission in 2012. One of its objectives is to explore the Gale crater, on which it landed. The "Mars Science Laboratory" mission is still ongoing today.

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Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The canyons of Valles Marineris
At the center of this mosaic, which is a compilation of images captured by the Viking Orbiter 1 spacecraft, is a broader view of the Valles Marineris canyons. They stretch over 3,000 kilometers long and 600 kilometers wide.

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Photo: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Aram Chaos Crater
In this image, uplifted blocks of light-colored layers can be seen, composed largely of hematite and water-weathered silicates. These elements tell us that the Aram Chaos crater once contained a lake. Its diameter is about 284 kilometers (176 miles).

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Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Crater Crisp
The Crisp crater is located in the Sirenum Fossae. According to NASA scientists, this crater would be relatively recent, because its edge is still very sharp.

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Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Spider shaped cracks
These spider-shaped cracks are located in the surface of the south polar region of Mars. They were caused by the evaporation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

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Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Another Martian sunset
This sunset was captured by NASA's InSight lander on April 25, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. local Mars time.

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Photo: NASA, ESA, J.-Y. Li (PSI), CM Lisse (JHU/APL), and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

The passage of a comet near Mars
Finally, this is an image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, which shows the closeness between a Comet and Mars on October 19, 2014.

{ https://thedailydigest.com/en/ }

Garnet and Geology

Although the gemstone garnet can come in many colors, it is best known for its dark red varieties, which were historically popular in ancient Egypt, Rome, and Victorian England. Beyond its beauty, the rock is important for the record it keeps of its birth, providing Earth’s geologists with information on our planet’s tectonic forces, ore-forming processes, and the fluid-rock interactions of the crust and mantle.

Similarly, the small grains of garnet discovered in the meteorite sample contain important data for reconstructing the forces that forged the Red Planet long ago.

“The findings add a striking new dimension to our understanding of the geology of Mars and open an exciting new window into the evolution of our planetary neighbour,” said co-author Professor James Darling.

“This discovery is going to expand our knowledge of the geologic processes that are possible on this planet,” said lead author Tanya Kizovski, Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, from Brock University in Canada. “This new garnet-bearing rock type could give us clues to how Mars has changed throughout its history and new insights into the ancient environments that could have formed the garnet and related minerals.”

Mars Meteorite NWA 8171

The garnet fragments were discovered in a tiny Martian meteorite sample held in the Royal Ontario Museum’s collection, designated NWA 8171, discovered in northwest Africa. Kizovski led the team in analyzing the sample’s mineral and chemical composition after identifying it as a unique piece within the collection.

“This little section of the meteorite looked really interesting, and the chemistry was a bit odd,” Kizovski said. “At first, we assumed it was a mineral called pyroxene, which is very common, but then we decided to take a second look.”

The international effort brought in researchers from Italy’s University di Trieste and the UK’s Open University, utilizing the Royal Ontario Museum’s laser equipment and the University of Portsmouth’s Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis Unit.

Having never been observed in any previous Martian sample, the researchers were surprised to identify garnet in the meteorite’s composition. From their analysis of the sample’s chemistry and mineralogy, the researchers began to consider how the unexpected garnet could have formed.

“Garnet is a classic example of a mineral often found in metamorphic rocks on Earth,” Kizovski said. “The process of metamorphism transforms igneous or sedimentary rocks into a new form through exposure to extreme heat, high pressure, or hot fluids.”

“On Mars, the heat and pressure needed to produce garnet through metamorphism could have come from the impact of a meteorite hitting the surface of Mars, magma rising up into the Martian crust, or both,” Kizovski continued.

Explaining Martian Garnet

While garnet provided geologists with some data about how it formed, this is not like the point of origin stamped on a manufactured good. It is possible that the garnet was deposited on Mars during an earlier meteorite impact, only to later travel through the solar system again, or that it was created by a heretofore unknown magma source on Mars.

Only further analysis of the garnet’s isotopic signatures will allow the researchers to determine whether the mineral formed on Mars or elsewhere. Unfortunately, to do so, the team would have to destroy a portion of this rare and precious sample, which measures only 0.8 by 0.5 millimeters to begin with.

“Measuring oxygen isotopes from the garnet-bearing rock type itself would help to confirm if it is Martian in origin or from an exotic meteorite impactor,” Kizovski said.

“Isotopes are a collection of atoms with equal numbers of protons and electrons, but different numbers of neutrons,” she added, “which was avoided thus far due to its rarity, as it may be the only garnet-bearing Martian rock we have for study.”

A few members of the team are continuing their study of the sample by comparing their findings to Martian data collected by rovers and orbital platforms. Further insights, they hope, may help them discover more about how the garnet could have formed, and what its presence means for the deeper history of the Red Planet.

The paper, “Expanding Mars’ Lithologic Diversity: Discovery of a Garnet-Bearing Clast in NWA 8171,” appeared in Geochemical Perspectives Letters on June 16, 2026.

• Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.

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

The landmark detection was made possible with the XMM-Newton space observatory and NuSTAR X-ray telescope, which allowed the researchers behind the discovery to observe a luminous quasar with origins that date back to “cosmic noon,” revealing a pair of outflow wind components being blasted from the black hole in question.

Cosmic Monsters with Major Appetites

Black holes have more than just large appetites for cosmic material: they also produce significant gas-driven winds from around their accretion disk.

These winds become known as ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) when their strength propels them to greater than ten percent of light speed, and astronomers currently believe they are an important part of what helps black holes regulate their growth, which may also hold for their host galaxies.

One way this occurs is that UFOs help to heat galactic gases that give rise to star formation, a quenching process that most astronomers believe occurred during a period called “cosmic noon,” which occurred between 1.6 and 3.5 billion years after the birth of the universe.

Cosmic Fingerprints of Powerful UFOs

Astronomers can detect ultra-fast outflows based on the “dips” they create in their powerful gusts, which are caused by ionized iron present in their outflow gases. These gases also absorb X-rays along their path away from their black hole originators, which leave “fingerprints” in the form of absorption features that are detectable using X-ray telescopes.

Significantly, these “dips” manifest as a blueshift since they are shifted to higher energies as they move at such high speeds (again, roughly 10% of the speed of light). From the blueshifted energy signatures they comprise, astronomers can determine not only the presence of UFOs, but also the wind speed of their gusty outflows.

In the past, most detections of these high-powered cosmic phenomena have relied on gravitationally lensed quasars. These celestial objects occur when a galaxy or similar feature closer to Earth appears in front of them, magnifying the quasar’s light and significantly brightening its luminosity from our Earthly perspective.

However, lensing of this variety can also present problems, and so astronomers led by Giorgio Lanzuisi of INAF Bologna designed a special system to target more than a dozen hyper-luminous quasars at cosmic noon, as a means of getting a better feel for the dynamics of non-lensed quasars.

“WISSHFUL” Thinking

WISSHFUL is an XMM-Newton multi-year heritage program that Lanzuisi and his colleagues designed for this purpose, whose initial target became a quasar designated WISSH13, whose redshift at 3.294 marks the object’s existence as it appeared approximately 2 billion years after the Big Bang.

The WISSHFUL program: the highest redshift UFO discovered in a non-lensed QSO
Credit: arXiv

WISH13’s black hole also weighs in at close to 2 billion times that of our Sun, which causes it to shine far brighter than normally expected for an object of its estimated mass.

Their work began in the autumn of 2024 by combining observations from XMM-Newton and NuSTAR initially obtained in 2017. From these X-ray images of WISSH12, a pair of distinctive absorption features became evident, which the team determined to have been generated by two separate sources from within the same ultra-fast outflow.

These components were found to travel at different speeds: one moving at close to 30% of the speed of light, while the other at only about 10% of light speed. The slower of these two appears to have been an enduring component of the UFO, while the faster one showed signatures that indicated a more recent appearance. This could mean that it emanates from events that are shorter in duration.

By matching theoretical predictions of a layered wind structure surrounding the black hole, the researchers say their observations align with models that indicate a fast-moving inner “spine” launched from the accretion disk’s innermost regions. Meanwhile, a slower outer “sheath” is also believed to emanate farther from the black hole. The combined outflow components produce an estimated 21 to 24 solar masses of material annually.

Artistic view of multiphase AGN-driven winds highlighting the different phases and scales that are involved in the outflow.

Credit: University of Bologna

The Most Massive UFO Ever Observed? 

Such figures, the team says, represent what is believed to be among the most massive and energetic ultrafast outflows ever observed, a discovery which also marks the highest-redshift ultrafast outflow yet detected in a non-lensed quasar.

Despite their remarkable energetic output, the team says these outflow winds seem to conform to the same essential relationships observed in active galaxies much closer to Earth, suggesting that the processes driving these outflows have remained remarkably consistent across cosmic time.

Going forward, the team says they hope to make additional observations of these powerful cosmic phenomena with help from the new Athena X-ray mission, which they say could help uncover similar winds in even more distant quasars.

The team’s discoveries were detailed in a recent paper, “The WISSHFUL program: the highest redshift UFO discovered in a non-lensed QSO,” which appeared at the preprint arXiv.org server.

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

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

The Galileo Project searches for extraterrestrial equipment using telescopes on the ground and in space. If we find an extraordinary interstellar vehicle, I will be delighted to hop on it and seek exceptional scientists throughout the Milky Way. We have many pressing questions for them: What happened before the Big Bang? Is there a way to create a baby universe in the laboratory? What is inside a black hole? What is the nature of dark matter and dark energy? Is it possible to travel faster than light? How widespread is intelligent life throughout the cosmos? And many more.

The importance of these questions – also echoed in my book Extraterrestrial, will bring more people to my funeral if I return some answers to Earth. When I made this point to the Smithsonian Magazine journalist, Jennie Rothenberg Gritz, she noted: “Your funeral will be a great interstellar celebration of your life – but I hope it doesn’t happen for a while!”

The exploration of space is currently popular from its commercial incentives. These include space tourism, novel industries at low-gravity on the Moon or Mars, and mining rare minerals on asteroids such as `Psyche’. But there is no business plan for leaving the Solar system towards other stars because of the vast distance and long duration of such journeys. The motivation for such expeditions must be spiritual, namely: exploring the unknown. If interstellar travelers arrive at our doorstep, it will be because we are unknown to them.

An encounter with an ET culture would be a humbling experience, since we will have to admit that our modern science was developed only over the past century out of the 4.5-billion-years-long history of Earth. Just over a hundred years ago, Albert Einstein pioneered general relativity – the foundation for our current understanding of the Universe, and quantum mechanics – the knowledge base for our electronic gadgets. But we still do not know the answers to many foundational questions about our cosmic neighborhood, as listed above.

Most of human history is shaped by the illusion of superiority that some people had relative to other people when the reality is that all humans are fundamentally so fragile that even a tiny virus-like COVID-19 can wipe them out in two weeks.

In today’s WORLD.MINDS forum coordinated by Rolf Dobelli, I asked Thomas Zurbuchen, the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, “Do you believe that we will find evidence for intelligent ET life in our lifetime?”

Thomas replied that we might likely find such evidence, but the timeframe is highly uncertain. He then asked me in return, “And what do you think, Avi? I do not know how old you are, as that would affect your likelihood to witness it.”

My answer was short: “I will be sixty years old at the end of this week, and I do believe we will find such evidence during my lifetime.” Then, I jokingly added, “My only doubt is whether we will ever find intelligent life in Washington, DC.”

By that, I only meant to say that “extraordinary evidence requires extraordinary funding”, which often rests on strategic decisions by policymakers.

Thomas then raised his foot towards the camera and showed his socks. They had alien images on them.

“This is especially for you,” he said smiling. “Happy Birthday!”

Here’s hoping that we will find a message in an “extraterrestrial bottle” that will offer salvation from our weaknesses through the broader perspective of the cosmos. There is tension between the damage that our new technologies bring to Earth and the opportunity to avoid a single-planet catastrophe by venturing into space. Perhaps the wake-up call will come from interstellar space in the form of an unusual technological object that will be discovered by the Galileo Project.

• Avi Loeb is the head of the Galileo Project, founding director of Harvard University’s – Black Hole Initiative, director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the former chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University (2011-2020). He is the bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth” and a co-author of the textbook “Life in the Cosmos”, both published in 2021.

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

De Noord-Atlantische koudevlek: toeval of teken van een groter klimaatprobleem?

©The Daily Digest

Afbeelding: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio/Goddard Space Flight Center

Een belangrijk raadsel dat opgelost moet worden
In de Noord-Atlantische Oceaan, ten zuiden van IJsland en Groenland, is een raadselachtige 'koude zone' ontstaan. In dit uitgestrekte zeegebied daalt de temperatuur continu, wat in contrast staat met de algehele opwarming van de oceaan.

©The Daily Digest

Snel afkoelingsproces
Volgens CNN zeggen experts dat dit belangrijke Atlantische gebied al meer dan een eeuw aan het afkoelen is, in die mate dat de temperatuur van het water volgens de beschikbare gegevens sinds 1900 met ongeveer één graad Celsius is gedaald.

©The Daily Digest

Twee theorieën over wat er gaande is
In deze context wordt er binnen de wetenschap gedebatteerd over twee theorieën over de mogelijke oorzaak van deze 'koude plek'. Enerzijds zou het te wijten kunnen zijn aan warmteverlies van het oceaanoppervlak als gevolg van veranderingen in wind en bewolking; anderzijds aan de verzwakking van het systeem dat de oceaanstromingen in de Atlantische Oceaan transporteert.

©The Daily Digest

Cruciaal kantelpunt in het klimaat
Nieuw onderzoek, waarover CNN bericht, neigt nu naar de tweede optie om dit mysterie te verklaren. Het suggereert tevens dat het een teken zou kunnen zijn dat we op het punt staan een alarmerend kantelpunt in het klimaat te bereiken, met catastrofale gevolgen voor de toekomst.

©The Daily Digest

Atlantische Meridionale Omwentelingscirculatie
De studie verwijst naar het cruciale systeem van oceaanstromingen, de AMOC (Atlantische Meridionale Omwentelingscirculatie), dat volgens experts functioneert als een gigantische transportband die warm water vanuit de tropen naar het noordelijk halfrond voert, waar het afkoelt, zinkt en weer naar het zuiden terugkeert.

©The Daily Digest

Vingerafdruk van veranderingen in de AMOC
Gezien het bestaan van de AMOC kan de 'koude zone' die we vandaag de dag in de Noord-Atlantische Oceaan zien, volgens de auteurs van de studie worden beschouwd als een vingerafdruk waarop de veranderingen binnen het systeem te zien zijn, aangezien het daar is waar de meeste waterkwaliteit die het met zich meebrengt, aankomt.

©The Daily Digest

Opwarming van de aarde en zoet water
Naast dit onderzoek hebben talrijke andere studies al gewaarschuwd voor de verzwakking van de AMOC. De reden hiervoor is dat door het smeltende ijs als gevolg van de opwarming van de aarde een enorme hoeveelheid zoet water de oceaan instroomt, waardoor het evenwicht tussen zoutgehalte en warmte verstoord raakt en de werking van dit stromingssysteem wordt beïnvloed.

©The Daily Digest

Ineenstorten in het aangezicht van de toekomst
Deze verzwakking zal blijven toenemen totdat het klimaatkantelpunt is bereikt waar wetenschappers naar verwijzen, wat onvermijdelijk zou leiden tot de ineenstorting van de AMOC, iets wat, benadrukken zij, al in deze eeuw zou kunnen gebeuren.

©The Daily Digest

Wereldwijde catastrofe
En wat zou er gebeuren in geval van een ineenstorting? De gevolgen zouden verwoestend zijn en een wereldwijde catastrofe veroorzaken, die zich zou manifesteren in een aanzienlijke stijging van de zeespiegel aan de oostkust van de Verenigde Staten of langdurige droogtes in Afrika als gevolg van de verstoring van de moesson, en bovendien het Europese continent in een permanente ijskoude winter zou storten.

©The Daily Digest

Afkoeling zowel aan de oppervlakte als op grotere diepte
Een van de ontdekkingen van deze recente studie naar de 'koude zone' in de Noord-Atlantische Oceaan, die de neiging versterkt om te denken dat het probleem ligt in de verzwakking van de AMOC, is dat de afkoeling van het water niet alleen aan de oppervlakte plaatsvond, maar ook in de diepte van de oceaan.

©The Daily Digest

Gegevens uit veldmetingen versus klimaatmodellen
Om dit te analyseren, vergeleek het team van wetenschappers dat bij het onderzoek betrokken was, de daadwerkelijke gegevens over de oceaanwarmte, verkregen via satellietonderzoek en met specifieke instrumenten die uit het water waren gehaald, met de gebruikelijke klimaatmodellen. Op basis hiervan konden ze de verandering in de trend van dit uitgestrekte watergebied in de Atlantische Oceaan waarnemen.

©The Daily Digest

Invloed van AMOC
Volgens de auteur van de studie, Stefan Rahmstorf, hoogleraar natuurkunde en oceanografie aan de Universiteit van Potsdam (Duitsland), is de AMOC duidelijk de boosdoener achter de afkoeling van deze watermassa, omdat deze, zoals hij aan CNN vertelde, "het transport van oceanische warmte beïnvloedt".

©The Daily Digest

Afbeelding: Wikipedia

Het zwakste punt in 1000 jaar
Rahmstorf benadrukte verder dat, afgezien van deze 'koude plek', ze al voldoende bewijs hadden uit talrijke eerdere studies die wezen op de verzwakking van de AMOC, in die mate dat, zo benadrukte hij, deze zich momenteel op het zwakste punt in 1000 jaar zou kunnen bevinden.

©The Daily Digest

Heeft niets te maken met atmosferische omstandigheden
Onderzoeker René van Westen van de Universiteit Utrecht (Nederland) benadrukte ook dat de resultaten van Rahmstorfs onderzoek het idee versterken dat de afkoeling van deze enorme watermassa niet wordt beïnvloed door atmosferische omstandigheden, hoewel is aangetoond dat deze wel degelijk via die weg kan plaatsvinden.

©The Daily Digest

Gebieden waar wind en bewolking weinig invloed hebben
Van Westen verwijst in dit geval naar de bijzonderheid dat het diepe water in dit specifieke gebied ook afkoelt, ondanks het feit dat elementen zoals wind of wolken hier weinig invloed hebben.

©The Daily Digest

Eenvoudige benaderingen?
Andere deskundigen, zoals David Thornally, hoogleraar oceaan- en klimaatwetenschappen aan University College London, wijzen erop dat het nog te vroeg is om definitieve uitspraken over deze kwesties te doen. Hoewel hij erkent dat de studie het bewijs voor een verband tussen de 'koude zone' en de AMOC versterkt, stelt hij dat de gegevens slechts benaderingen zijn en geen absolute waarheid weergeven.

©The Daily Digest

De noodzaak van verder onderzoek
In een gesprek met CNN waarschuwde Thornally dat er onder wetenschappers nog steeds veel onzekerheid bestaat over wat er met deze massa koud water zou kunnen gebeuren, en benadrukte hij de noodzaak van verder onderzoek: "Ik denk niet dat (deze studie) het laatste woord over dit onderwerp is", verklaarde hij.

{  https://www.msn.com › nl-nl  }

Ancient Roman records offer fresh evidence Jesus was a real person

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

Ancient writings of two Roman historians have been highlighted as some of the strongest evidence that Jesus was a real person.

The records come from Tacitus, one of Rome's most respected historians, and Flavius Josephus, a Jewish aristocrat and historian who lived just decades after Jesus' death.

Neither man was a Christian, and neither was trying to prove the claims of the New Testament. 

Yet both left behind accounts that place Jesus in Judea, connect him to the origins of Christianity and link his death to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.

In one of the texts, Tacitus wrote that a man called Christus was executed during the reign of Emperor Tiberius.

In another, Josephus referred to James as 'the brother of Jesus-who-is-called-Messiah,' identifying Jesus as a real person known to his readers.

The references have drawn renewed attention as historians continue examining evidence for Jesus that exists outside the Bible.

For many scholars, the accounts represent some of the clearest non-Christian evidence that Jesus was a historical figure rather than a legend.

Ancient writings of two Roman historians have been highlighted as some of the strongest evidence that Jesus was a real person 

The evidence was recently reviewed on Thursday by biblical scholar Lawrence Mykytiuk, who examined ancient Roman and Jewish sources that mention Jesus, as reported in the Biblical Archaeology Society.

Most historians already accept that Jesus was a real historical figure, with debate focusing less on whether he existed and more on the details of his life and teachings.

That is why the ancient writings of Roman historian Tacitus and Jewish historian Flavius Josephus remain so important; they provide some of the earliest non-Christian references to Jesus, placing him in first-century Judea and linking his death to Pontius Pilate.

While the New Testament remains the primary source for information about Jesus' life, many skeptics have long argued that writings produced by Christians cannot be considered independent evidence.

That is why historians often focus on references written by people outside the faith.

One of the most important comes from Tacitus, a Roman senator, historian and one of the ancient world's most respected chroniclers.

Writing around 116 AD in his work Annals, Tacitus described Emperor Nero's efforts to blame Christians for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD.

According to Tacitus, Nero targeted a group known as Christians, whose name came from a man called Christus.

The highlighted passage contains Tacitus' reference to Christians, stating that their founder, Christ, was executed during the reign of Emperor Tiberius by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate

Tacitus wrote that Christus had been executed during the reign of Emperor Tiberius by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea.

The passage is significant because Tacitus was openly hostile toward Christians.

Far from promoting their beliefs, he described Christianity as a dangerous superstition and expressed contempt for its followers.

Historians argue that this makes his reference to Jesus particularly valuable because he had no reason to invent details that supported the movement.

The account independently confirms several details found in the Gospels, including that Jesus was executed under Roman authority and that his followers continued spreading his teachings after his death.

Another major source comes from Josephus, a Jewish historian born only a few years after Jesus is believed to have been crucified.

Josephus fought against Rome during the First Jewish Revolt before eventually settling in Rome under imperial protection, where he wrote extensive histories of the Jewish people.

In his work Jewish Antiquities, Josephus referred to the execution of James, a leader of the early church.

To explain which James he meant, he identified him as 'the brother of Jesus-who-is-called-Messiah.'

The reference appears almost casually in the text, but historians say that is precisely what makes it important.

Jesus is not the focus of the passage, but is mentioned only to identify another person.

The 15th-century manuscript, now housed at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, contains one of the most famous references to Jesus outside the Bible. In the highlighted passage, the Jewish historian Josephus describes Jesus as a wise man, writing: "Around this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man.

Scholars argue that such a reference would make little sense unless Jesus was already recognized as a real historical figure.

Josephus also included a longer passage describing Jesus as a wise teacher who attracted followers and performed remarkable deeds.

That section remains the subject of debate because many scholars believe later Christian scribes altered parts of the text.

However, the majority still conclude that the passage was based on an original reference to Jesus written by Josephus himself.

Taken together, the writings of Tacitus and Josephus support several key details about Jesus' life.

They indicate that he existed as a real person, was known by the name Jesus, gathered followers in Judea and was executed under Pontius Pilate.

The sources also show that his followers continued to spread his teachings long after his death and that the Christian movement had already reached Rome within a few decades.

Perhaps most strikingly, historians note that ancient critics of Christianity attacked Jesus in many ways but rarely questioned whether he existed.

Jewish and pagan writers accused him of false teaching, deception and even sorcery.

However, according to the historical record, virtually none argued that he was entirely fictional

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EXCLUSIVE - The UFO files the government won't ever release: I've read them all. They fear a full-blown national crisis and destruction of religious faith... but it's time for the REAL disclosure day. Here's what you deserve to know

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

After weeks of anticipation, the latest UFO file dump left many Americans underwhelmed.

While the Trump administration unveiled a third batch of documents, photos and videos tied to unexplained sightings on Friday, critics argue the files stopped well short of addressing the allegations at the heart of the UFO mystery.

Now, one of the few people who claims to have seen some of the hidden UFO files has spoken to the Daily Mail, revealing what he says is inside them – including references to alleged crash-retrieval programs, secret government investigations and 'non-human biologics.'

Investigative journalist Jeremy Corbell said the material has only strengthened his belief that the US government has recovered unidentified craft and biological evidence linked to the UFO mystery.

Corbell has spent years collecting documents, testimony and other material related to the claims, some of which appeared briefly in Sleeping Dog, the documentary he produced with veteran investigative journalist George Knapp.

The film shows a list of files, including one referencing 'non-human biologics,' a term used to describe alleged extraterrestrial tissue or bodies.

Another file is labeled 'Kona Blue,' the name of a proposed Department of Homeland Security program that would have investigated claims involving recovered unidentified craft, advanced technology and other UFO-related allegations. 

The program was never formally established, according to government records.

Years worth of files, testimony and other material that Corbell collected, some of which were featured in Sleeping Dog

Corbell argued that the material is now circulating far beyond the handful of researchers who first obtained it, raising the prospect that additional details could be leaked regardless of whether the government releases the files.

'I can't stop that information from coming out. I am unable to stop it,' he said, adding that 'over 100 journalists already have everything that I have. 

'That's not just in my hands anymore. That's not just in George Knapp's hands anymore.'

However, the US government maintains that it has found no verifiable evidence that extraterrestrial life or alien technology has visited Earth. 

Despite decades of public fascination with UFOs, major Pentagon investigations and declassified government reviews have repeatedly concluded that no case of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) has been confirmed. 

The Trump administration released the third batch of UFO files on Friday, which Corbell said was 'historic,' as more information on the topic 'is always a win.'

However, he added that again, the government has only shared 'low-hanging fruit.' 

'Our government has long known about Non-Human Intelligence, their vehicles, reverse-engineering programs, and biological study of their pilots and occupants. These releases are provoked - not offered,' Corbell said.

David Grusch giving congressional testimony in 2023, during which he claimed the US government had spent decades attempting to recover and reverse-engineer craft of non-human origin. Investigative journalist Jeremy Corbell (circled) listens from behind

'The pressure of journalism, whistleblowers, and congressional oversight forced this door open. Unresolved cases are a start. But complacency is our enemy. If you want the truth, demand it. 

'Full transparency on our government’s continued relationship and correspondence with the UAP phenomenon - nothing less.' 

Representative Tim Burchett, who has seen videos of craft that 'defy any reason,' has suggested that government agencies are using the excuse that UFO disclosure will 'disrupt religion' to withhold files from the public. 

Corbell said the files shown in his documentary touch on allegations involving non-human biologics, government UFO programs, intelligence assessments and unexplained aerial incidents that have remained largely hidden from public view. 

One of the files is named 'ImCon Originals,' he claimed, referring to Immaculate Constellation – which is described in a whistleblower report as a secret, unauthorized Pentagon program created to collect and hide UFO evidence.

Matt Brown, a former US national security official, came forward in 2025 with details about Immaculate Constellation, revealing the alleged secret program to Corbell.

Brown said he discovered references to the program in 2018 while reviewing classified materials at the Pentagon.

Corbell alleged that it is a special access program designed to quarantine high-quality UFO imagery and testimonies from congressional oversight. 

The file 'Pilfer & Pickpocket' also appears in the list, which Corbell has previously claimed are names of UFO crash retrieval programs. However, he stressed that he has not been able to confirm the details.

When asked why he does not release the files himself, Corbell told the Daily Mail that some of the information would cause a national security crisis.

But his 'number one reason' is that the government has made a promise of 'disclosure and transparency' to the American people. 'They deserve a chance to perform that function,' he said.

'Additionally,' Corbell continued, 'every time George and I obtain and release something, it puts sources at risk. Why do that when the government has said it will do it? We don't want to.'

The journalist has become a central player in the UFO disclosure movement, with his work bringing military and intelligence witnesses into the public eye and pressuring the US government into the disclosure process.

Read More

EXCLUSIVE

•  I'm a pastor who attended a secret UFO disclosure meeting. We saw images of 'translucent beings' that chilled me to the bone... the files could fulfil a dark biblical prophecy 

Corbell also told the Daily Mail that he personally provided officials with access to several of the UFO videos that were released to the public on May 22.

He did so in what he described as classified 'intel links' connected to hidden government servers, after unknown sources leaked the clips to him.

'Not just file names; if you put the underscores in, they're linked,' Corbell said, claiming the material led directly to classified systems that 'you and I can't access.'

While Corbell has released UFO videos that ended up in the Trump administration's file dump, he has championed other footage of unknown craft that was later explained or challenged by investigators, scientists and the military.

His comments come as the Trump administration has released hundreds of UFO-related records, a move Corbell said falls far short of addressing the questions that have fueled the disclosure movement for years. 

Corbell pointed to David Grusch's 2023 congressional testimony, in which the former Air Force intelligence officer alleged the government had spent decades recovering and studying craft of non-human origin and had obtained what he described as 'biologics' from some crash sites.

'Now, if that's true, and if you believe him, our government in parts has that information,' Corbell said. 'It is time to tell the American public the truth.'

Neither Corbell nor Grusch has publicly released evidence proving the existence of non-human intelligence.

A handout from the Department of War that they said shows a UAP near Japan

Grusch's testimony marked a turning point in the modern UFO disclosure movement, transforming what had long been considered fringe speculation into a topic debated openly on Capitol Hill.

He told lawmakers that he had interviewed numerous current and former government officials who claimed the US was operating secret programs dedicated to retrieving and studying unidentified craft.

His testimony prompted renewed calls for oversight and transparency from members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.

Several lawmakers have since argued that the government should release additional records related to UAPs.

Corbell said public interest in the issue continues to grow as more military personnel, intelligence officials and defense insiders come forward with accounts of encounters involving unexplained objects.

He argued that the administration's recent document releases have heightened expectations that more significant information could eventually emerge.

The Trump administration released the first batch of UFO files on May 8, with a second on May 22. 

They include military reports, FBI accounts and videos showing unexplained objects streaking across the sky. But rather than providing answers, the files have only deepened the mystery. 

Corbell suggested reporters may ultimately force the issue if officials fail to provide further disclosure. 'If they don't, journalism will,' he said.

He stressed he was not claiming to possess definitive proof of alien life or recovered extraterrestrial technology, but argued investigators have uncovered information that warrants further scrutiny.

'What I have obtained over the years is not definitive proof of the things you want,' he said. 'But it's a start. It's a good start.'

He added that disclosure should proceed in stages, beginning with government acknowledgment of alleged craft-retrieval and reverse-engineering programs.

From there, he said, officials should address claims involving 'biologics' before eventually answering what he called the next major question: whether there has ever been direct communication with a non-human intelligence.

'Have there been any agreements? Have there been any direct communications?' Corbell posited.

'After they begin with reverse engineering of craft, because we all know craft exists, biologics, because we're almost there, then the third step will be communications,' he declared.

'And I have evidence of all.'

Hundreds of UFO Files Released in 2026 | What Is the Government Hiding?

The UFO Files Are Public... But What Are They Hiding? | Alien Disclosure & Political Analysis

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5,000-Year-Old ‘Prototype’ for Stonehenge Solar Alignment Discovered

Gary Manners

As thousands prepare to flock to Stonehenge ahead of summer solstice celebrations this weekend, a team from Wessex Archaeology led by Phil Harding has announced the discovery of an ancient structure that may have served as an early ‘prototype’ for the alignment with the solstice at Stonehenge. Radiocarbon dated to around 5,000 years ago, the discovery reveals evidence for the earliest known alignment with the solstice in the Stonehenge landscape, showing that ancient people were using this feat of astronomical engineering to celebrate the solstice here at least 500 years before the alignment of the stones at Stonehenge.

Located 5km (3.1 miles) from Stonehenge in Bulford, Wiltshire, the site is contemporary with the earliest phase of Stonehenge when the first earthworks were built. Excavated as part of the Ministry of Defence’s Army Basing Programme, the site was likely a focus for major religious gatherings, with extensive evidence of feasting and large-scale gatherings as people came together to celebrate the solstices much as they still do today at Stonehenge.

• Stonehenge May be Aligned with the Moon
• Prehistoric Calendar Revealed at Stonehenge

A reconstruction of summer solstice celebrations as they might have appeared at Bulford 5000 years ago

(Wessex Archaeology)

A Solstice Alignment Prototype

The structure at the heart of the discovery would have consisted of two wooden poles 120 meters apart, which ancient builders positioned to form a line pointing directly at the rising sun during the summer solstice and at the setting sun during winter solstice. Little is now left of the structure except the pits in which the poles once stood, which are not accessible to the public, but their alignment with the solstice was confirmed in analysis conducted for Wessex Archaeology by leading skyscape archaeologist, Dr Fabio Silva, who used reconstructions of the ancient sky, landscape, and horizon to show how the structure would have aligned with the solstices to within an accuracy of one degree.

One of the pits in which the poles once stood at Bulford.

(Wessex Archaeology)

This relatively simple construction would have served as a place for ancient peoples to celebrate the solstices before more permanent, complex monuments could be built. The team suggests that a similar structure may have been present during the earliest phase of Stonehenge, although any traces would have been erased by later work. Dr Phil Harding, Archaeologist at Wessex Archaeology who led the excavations, stated that:

"this discovery is probably one of the greatest finds of my career and what makes it so important is just how early it is. Up till now, our knowledge of this ancient feat of astronomy was based on Stonehenge and other monuments of a similar period, but what we’ve discovered at Bulford is 500 years earlier than the famous stones we know so well."

• The Winter Solstice at Seven Amazing Megalithic Sites
• Stonehenge and Nearby Stone Circles Were Newcomers to Landscape

Disc shaped flint knife found at Bulford by Phil Harding of Wessex Archaeology

(Wessex Archaeology)

Unearthing the Neolithic Gatherings

The original excavations at Bulford, conducted between 2015 and 2017, revealed 48 pits that were radiocarbon dated to around 2950 BC. Artifacts uncovered included pottery, animal bone, worked flints, and charcoal, suggesting that large numbers of people gathered here over a relatively short period of time to celebrate the solar cycle. One of the pits, which may have been part of a ‘viewing station’, contained an extremely rare disc shaped knife, which was deliberately placed here possibly as a symbolic reference to the sun disc.

Dr Matt Leivers, Senior Research Manager at Wessex Archaeology, noted that:

"what we see at Bulford, and later at Stonehenge, is a way of celebrating and marking the passage of time, but it’s also about making sure the world keeps working as it should. It’s likely their way of saying to their deities, please keep us in mind, keep us warm and safe. It’s a religious event. That’s why it’s so important."

This aligns with other discoveries in the region that point to complex religious and social structures among the Neolithic communities of Britain.

Timeline showing solstice alignment at Bulford and Stonehenge

(Wessex Archaeology)

Rewriting the History of the Stonehenge Landscape

Dr Fabio Silva, Skyscape Archaeologist at Stone x Sky and the Skyscape Academy, who conducted the analysis that confirmed the alignment, explained that:

"this discovery helps us understand Stonehenge not as a singular creation, but as part of a much longer conversation between people, the land, and the sky. The alignment shows that communities were already engaging with both the summer and winter solstices in the Stonehenge landscape, centuries before the sarsen stones were raised."

The ceremonial site was uncovered during excavations south of the Salisbury Plain Training Area ahead of development to provide accommodation for service personnel. Richard Osgood, Senior Archaeologist at the MoD’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation, said:

“When we started working on the necessary excavations ahead of the construction of new accommodation for soldiers returning from Germany, none of us could have guessed what we would find. Following deeper study, what at first seemed innocuous has completely re-written our understanding of the ceremonial landscape around Stonehenge."

• Top image: Stonehenge sunset.   
• Source: simonwakefield/CC BY 2.0  

By Gary Manners

References

• Wessex Archaeology. 2026. Discovery led by Phil Harding reveals 5,000-year-old ‘prototype’ for Stonehenge solar alignment. Available at: https://www.wessexarch.co.uk/Prototype-stonehenge-solar-alignment
• Addley, E. 2026. Solstice-aligned 5,000-year-old monument 'once in a lifetime find'. The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/18/solstice-aligned-monument-archaeology-wiltshire-stonehenge-prototype
• BBC News. 2026. Simpler, older version of Stonehenge found three miles from famous site. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyxw8550y8o

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

Plutonium in Earth Rocks Signals Long-ago Cosmic Collision

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

A series of strange incidents has recently been reported around the world, raising questions and fueling speculation. In Adelanto, an unidentified object reportedly crashed through the roof of a building, leaving residents wondering whether it was linked to a meteor shower or something else entirely. 

Meanwhile, a volcano camera in Guatemala captured footage of a fast moving object flying near an erupting volcano. Observers say it was neither a drone nor an aircraft, as planes do not operate so close to active eruptions. 

In Hong Kong, window cleaners working nearly 90 floors above the ground noticed a peculiar object protruding from a cloud formation and managed to record it. Some have suggested that the object is simply the top of a skyscraper protruding above the clouds. However, the window cleaners are familiar with the surrounding area and would likely recognize such a structure, which does not appear to be the case. 

Adding to the mystery, another strange object was spotted flying over Victorville, California.

  

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

A former gifted child has come forward with claims that he was removed from public school and secretly trained to develop psychic abilities for military and UFO-related applications.

Speaking on the American Alchemy podcast, Jordan Jozak said he spent years being pulled out of class by psychologists before being transferred to a specialized facility in western New York. There he claimed he underwent experiments involving remote viewing, altered states of consciousness and attempts to control technology using the mind.

According to Jozak, the goal was not simply to study gifted children but to identify those with unusual cognitive abilities and train them for future roles in classified programs.

Jozak alleged he was recruited through a Gifted and Talented Education program, commonly known as GATE, after testing exceptionally high in certain academic categories as a child.

'I was in the GATE classroom. I drank the pink drink. It's just that there was a progression of more,' he told podcast host Jesse Michels, adding that he was trained to fly UFOs with his mind. 

GATE was established by state departments of education, beginning in California in the 1960s, to provide an advanced or specialized curriculum for high-achieving students. 

Many former students have claimed online that they were actually part of a secret CIA initiative to test the supernatural abilities of children with above-average intelligence. However, Jozak did not name the CIA as being involved, and there is no evidence linking the CIA to America's schools.

Jozak said the memories of the experiments remained buried for years before resurfacing through severe flashbacks and nightmares in 2023, when he recalled being in labs.

Jordan Jozak said he spent years being pulled out of class  before being transferred to a specialized facility in western New York where he claimed he underwent experiments 

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The claims, which have not been independently verified, are among the most unusual to emerge from the growing world of UFO and consciousness-related whistleblower accounts.

In 2025, dozens of people claiming to have had similar experiences took to social media. 

One woman, who said she was part of the program in the 1990s, shared a workbook she purportedly used during class, showing she was cracking codes and learning Russian. 

In a document dated January 1985, the CIA discussed how young boys and girls of the nation were 'capable of extraordinary physical feats, including the ability to emerge unscathed when struck on the chest with the blade of a sword.'

A young boy mentioned in the report 'peered' inside the womb of a pregnant woman, only to announce that the fetus had no head.' And the diagnosis turned out to be correct.

According to Jozak, his story began around 2004 and 2005 when he was tested through his school's gifted education program in Springville, New York.

He said it started around age nine when psychologists became interested in his ability to visualize information and solve certain academic tasks in unusual ways.

'I could picture a word in my mind and then break apart the letters piece by piece,' Jozak said.  'One of the things that these psychologists were fascinated about was my ability to spell because I was spelling at like a college level.' 

Many former students have claimed online that they were actually part of a secret CIA initiative to test the supernatural abilities of children with above-average intelligence. However, Jozak did not name the CIA as being involved

At first, Jozak described the experience as a series of meetings with psychologists who would remove him from class for hours at a time.

'I was being told that I was a very special kid. I had a very special brain, and no one else would understand,' he said, adding that the situation escalated when he was around 12 years old.

Jozak said his parents were informed that he had become psychologically unstable and needed to leave the public school system. 

He disputed that characterization, telling podcast host Jesse Michels that he was fine and that his parents attempted to move him from the school system without any luck.

'I was refusing to go to school at one point, and people from the school district were actually showing up and removing me from the house. Like it was Stranger Things-level stuff,' Jozak claimed.

According to Jozak, he was then enrolled in a program operated through Baker Victory Services, a New York organization that provided services for children with developmental, behavioral and mental health needs. 

'Baker Victory Services still exists today. It's a much larger organization serving a lot of other purposes, which are good,' he said.

'The organization itself was not the problem. It was the exact location and the element that I was in.'

He described the facility as a highly controlled environment where he attended classes several days a week while spending the rest of his time working with psychologists and researchers.

'I would attend school like a normal kid for like two to three days a week, and then for the other two to three days a week, depending on that, I was working heavily with a team of psychologists, researchers, psychiatrists,' he said.

According to Jozak, he was then enrolled in a program operated through Baker Victory Services, a New York organization that provided services for children with developmental, behavioral and mental health needs

The most dramatic allegations involved what Jozak described as psychic training exercises.

He claimed researchers taught him techniques similar to remote viewing, a controversial practice that involves attempting to gather information about distant people, places or objects through mental concentration alone.

'I had the ability to get out of my body, see in the other room, see things from a distance. And kind of shift my awareness visually,' he said.

According to Jozak, he would enter deep meditative states while listening to audio stimulation designed to alter brain activity.

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•  The UFO files the government won't ever release: I've read them all. They fear a full-blown national crisis and destruction of religious faith... but it's time for the REAL disclosure day. Here's what you deserve to know 

Researchers allegedly monitored his brain waves and encouraged him to repeat mental exercises that produced certain neurological patterns.

Some former GATE students have argued that the program was tied to the CIA's Gateway Program that was developed in the 1980s to explore the limitations of human consciousness using sound, meditation and other techniques.

A document released by the CIA explains that these recordings typically featured a series of 'non-verbal audio patterns' masked by sounds like crashing waves or wind blowing through the trees.

Many alumni of GATE programs recalled being subjected to the same audio 'tests' at school.

Jozak claimed the training he experienced was intended to develop abilities that could eventually be used for intelligence gathering, advanced technology programs and UFO-related research.

'I was in a psionic development pipeline for legacy program development,' he said.

A psionic development pipeline represents the systematic approach to awakening, training, and applying extraordinary mental abilities, including telepathy, clairvoyance, or psychokinesis. 

According to him, researchers believed some UFOs or other exotic vehicles could be operated through consciousness rather than conventional controls.

'I would lie in a deep meditation. I would have some type of sedative and shift my consciousness into a set object or some vehicle and become it,' he said.

According to Jozak, he was then instructed to manipulate the object mentally.

'Pilot it up and down, move it left and right,' he said, claiming that UFOs were not flown with joysticks, but with the mind.

He claimed researchers monitored his brain activity throughout the process in hopes of replicating the neurological signals involved. 

'From what I understand, what they were trying to do is build a brain neural interface that would reproduce the brain wave signals that I was sending out,' he said.

Another extraordinary claim centers on what Jozak described as a mysterious crystal orb that researchers referred to as a 'relic.'

The object, he said, appeared to contain a swirling white structure that seemed alive and responsive.

'As I locked eye contact with it, the inside structure, it adapts and it likes changes,' Jozak said.

He claimed the object appeared to react to his presence and later became a central part of his training.

Jozak said he has provided names, locations and other details to members of the intelligence community and government officials.

To date, no public evidence has emerged to substantiate his allegations, and no documentation has been released showing that such a program existed.

However, Jozak insisted the experiences were real and said they explain the traumatic memories that resurfaced decades later.

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

The landmark detection was made possible with the XMM-Newton space observatory and NuSTAR X-ray telescope, which allowed the researchers behind the discovery to observe a luminous quasar with origins that date back to “cosmic noon,” revealing a pair of outflow wind components being blasted from the black hole in question.

Cosmic Monsters with Major Appetites

Black holes have more than just large appetites for cosmic material: they also produce significant gas-driven winds from around their accretion disk.

These winds become known as ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) when their strength propels them to greater than ten percent of light speed, and astronomers currently believe they are an important part of what helps black holes regulate their growth, which may also hold for their host galaxies.

One way this occurs is that UFOs help to heat galactic gases that give rise to star formation, a quenching process that most astronomers believe occurred during a period called “cosmic noon,” which occurred between 1.6 and 3.5 billion years after the birth of the universe.

Cosmic Fingerprints of Powerful UFOs

Astronomers can detect ultra-fast outflows based on the “dips” they create in their powerful gusts, which are caused by ionized iron present in their outflow gases. These gases also absorb X-rays along their path away from their black hole originators, which leave “fingerprints” in the form of absorption features that are detectable using X-ray telescopes.

Significantly, these “dips” manifest as a blueshift since they are shifted to higher energies as they move at such high speeds (again, roughly 10% of the speed of light). From the blueshifted energy signatures they comprise, astronomers can determine not only the presence of UFOs, but also the wind speed of their gusty outflows.

In the past, most detections of these high-powered cosmic phenomena have relied on gravitationally lensed quasars. These celestial objects occur when a galaxy or similar feature closer to Earth appears in front of them, magnifying the quasar’s light and significantly brightening its luminosity from our Earthly perspective.

However, lensing of this variety can also present problems, and so astronomers led by Giorgio Lanzuisi of INAF Bologna designed a special system to target more than a dozen hyper-luminous quasars at cosmic noon, as a means of getting a better feel for the dynamics of non-lensed quasars.

“WISSHFUL” Thinking

WISSHFUL is an XMM-Newton multi-year heritage program that Lanzuisi and his colleagues designed for this purpose, whose initial target became a quasar designated WISSH13, whose redshift at 3.294 marks the object’s existence as it appeared approximately 2 billion years after the Big Bang.

WISH13’s black hole also weighs in at close to 2 billion times that of our Sun, which causes it to shine far brighter than normally expected for an object of its estimated mass.

Their work began in the autumn of 2024 by combining observations from XMM-Newton and NuSTAR initially obtained in 2017. From these X-ray images of WISSH12, a pair of distinctive absorption features became evident, which the team determined to have been generated by two separate sources from within the same ultra-fast outflow.

These components were found to travel at different speeds: one moving at close to 30% of the speed of light, while the other at only about 10% of light speed. The slower of these two appears to have been an enduring component of the UFO, while the faster one showed signatures that indicated a more recent appearance. This could mean that it emanates from events that are shorter in duration.

By matching theoretical predictions of a layered wind structure surrounding the black hole, the researchers say their observations align with models that indicate a fast-moving inner “spine” launched from the accretion disk’s innermost regions. Meanwhile, a slower outer “sheath” is also believed to emanate farther from the black hole. The combined outflow components produce an estimated 21 to 24 solar masses of material annually.

The Most Massive UFO Ever Observed? 

Such figures, the team says, represent what is believed to be among the most massive and energetic ultrafast outflows ever observed, a discovery which also marks the highest-redshift ultrafast outflow yet detected in a non-lensed quasar.

Despite their remarkable energetic output, the team says these outflow winds seem to conform to the same essential relationships observed in active galaxies much closer to Earth, suggesting that the processes driving these outflows have remained remarkably consistent across cosmic time.

Going forward, the team says they hope to make additional observations of these powerful cosmic phenomena with help from the new Athena X-ray mission, which they say could help uncover similar winds in even more distant quasars.

The team’s discoveries were detailed in a recent paper, “The WISSHFUL program: the highest redshift UFO discovered in a non-lensed QSO,” which appeared at the preprint arXiv.org server.

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

Recordbreaking ultrafast outflow (UFO) cosmic winds from a supermassive black hole flung matter across the universe at one-fifth the speed of light, according to new XMM-Newton and XRISM X-ray space telescope observations.

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

Renowned scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson tells US government to 'Show the alien!' after latest UFO disclosure

By JACK TOLEDO

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson wants the US government to 'Show the alien!' after the latest UFO disclosure from the Trump administration.

Tyson, 67, joined The Fox News Rundown on Monday, explaining how the overwhelming amount of irrefutable evidence should finally be topped off with a picture of an extraterrestrial being.

'Is it too much to ask at this point for them to just show the alien? That's all, I don't think I'm asking too much here,' Tyson said.

The astrophysicist's request comes after the Trump administration released a third tranche of previously classified UAP files on Friday.

The materials were uploaded to the Department of War's website that morning and include a series of cases that investigators were unable to explain, leaving the nature of the phenomena unresolved.

'We've already been told this, so to say if they rolled out an alien, we'd somehow freak out given the century of alien movies we'd been treated to and alien stories… I don't see that we'd freak out at all,' Tyson said.

'It might even be anticlimactic, given our anticipation for what it could be.'

The astrophysicist continued to explain: 'I would only be shocked if the alien were in fact humanoid because of just the statistics of biological variation on Earth, where we have DNA in common with all other life, and most life is not humanoid on Earth.'

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, 67, joined The Fox News Rundown on Monday, demanding the US government to 'Show the alien!' after the latest UFO disclosure from the Trump administration

One video released on Friday shows what officials described as a 'plasma-like sphere' hovering above a pond at an undisclosed location in the US, appearing to shift shape and brightness as it moved. The incident was captured in 2025

He argued that any alien visitor from another planet would likely look very different from humans and may not even share the same DNA structure.

'So I would be shocked if it was humanoid,' Tyson said. 'But otherwise, I think we're ready for it. Of course, we're ready. We've been ready.'

Among the newly released records is a 2025 FBI report describing a video captured by a citizen in the northeastern US.

According to the witness, a bright object hovered over their backyard as a 'brilliant red sphere' roughly the size of a basketball.

Another never-before-seen video shows what officials described as a 'plasma-like sphere' hovering above a pond at an undisclosed location in the US, appearing to shift shape and brightness as it moved.

Friday's release also includes dozens of long-hidden CIA files about mysterious sightings, revealing that the agency assembled a panel of top scientists to investigate 'flying saucers' amid fears the reports could clog military warning systems and spark mass hysteria.

The materials were quietly uploaded to the Department of War's website on Friday morning and include a series of cases that investigators were unable to definitively explain, leaving the nature of the phenomena unresolved

This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident near a sensitive national security site in the western US involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) over a period of two days in October 2023

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a statement: 'The Department of War is in lockstep with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency regarding our government's understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).

'These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation, and it's time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration's earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency.'

According to the Pentagon, there have been 'unprecedented levels of interest' in the UFO files, and the Department of War's website has received over 1.7 billion hits worldwide since its launch on May 8.

A second release took place two weeks later.

Many of the images and videos in today's release were submitted by American citizens, with officials noting that footage was captured using iPhones.

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

Archaeologists have discovered a secret sister monument to Stonehenge that might have served as a 'prototype' for the famous stones.

This ancient site is just three miles away from Stonehenge itself, located in the village of Bulford, Wiltshire.

Consisting of two wooden poles placed 400 feet (120 metres) apart, this long–lost monument might appear rather basic at first glance.

However, scientists say the poles would have formed a perfect line pointing to the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun on the winter solstice.

In fact, reconstructions of the ancient sky and landscape show that the deceptively simple structure was built to align with the solstice within one degree of accuracy.

More impressively, archaeologists have dated this structure back to around 5,000 years ago.

That predates the monument we see at Stonehenge by 500 years, making this one of the very oldest examples of a structure built to align with the sun in the British Isles.

Dr Fabio Silva, an archaeologist from Stone x Sky and the Skyscape Academy, says: 'Rather than marking the beginning of a story, Stonehenge now more clearly appears to have emerged from traditions and practices with much deeper roots in this landscape.'

Archaeologists have discovered a secret sister monument to Stonehenge that might have served as a 'prototype' for the famous stones (artist's impression)

Since any wood has long since rotted away, almost nothing is left of the Bulford ritual site today besides the pits where the poles once stood.

However, these scant clues are already giving archaeologists a fascinating glimpse into Britain's ancient past.

The site of the Bulford poles was first uncovered in 2015, when archaeologists found a network of 48 pits dated to around 2950 BC.

Excavations found that these pits were filled with the remains of pottery, animal bones, flint tools, and charcoal.

It was clear that large numbers of people gathered in this area over a relatively short period of time, but archaeologists weren't sure what they were gathering for.

Now, the alignment of the poles suggests that people likely gathered by this simple monument to celebrate the solstices before more complex, permanent structures could be built.

While Stonehenge and the Bulford site have different layouts, this shows that the 'technology' of tracing the sun's alignment on the horizon existed long before the more famous structure was built.

In fact, the researchers suggest that Bulford and Stonehenge might have had an even closer connection.

The site, located in Bulford, Wiltshire, consisted of two wooden poles (illustrated in red) that were placed to align with the sun on the summer and winter solstices 

Archaeologist Phil Harding (pictured) says that this earlier site would have served as a 'prototype' for Stonehenge, using the same ancient technology of tracking the sun's alignment 

The five key unanswered questions about Stonehenge

1. How were the stones moved?
2. Why did its builders choose the Salisbury Plain?
3. Why was it built and for what purpose?
4. Why did people change its shape so often?
5. Where are all the missing stones? 

Phil Harding, Archaeologist at Wessex Archaeology and former host of Time Team, told the Daily Mail that some of the people who built Bulford might have been buried in the 'Aubrey Holes' at Stonehenge, where cremated remains have been found.

He said: 'Even if the people who visited Bulford are not buried at Stonehenge, there is every possibility that the people who visited Bulford may have also visited Stonehenge, and may even have been involved in the construction of Stonehenge.'

The pits at Bulford date back to almost the exact same period that the first simple earthworks were being put up at the site of Stonehenge.

Mr Harding even suggests that a similar pole structure might have been part of the earliest phases of Stonehenge, but later developments would have erased any trace of the pits.

'These people lived in a world that was controlled by the heavens, by climate, by natural circumstances,' he says.

'They cared about their world and the natural processes of the sun... this [the solstice] must have been such a major event in their lifetimes.'

This discovery also helps to solve the mystery of an extremely rare disc–shaped knife found in one of the pits.

Mr Harding found this round knife buried vertically in a pit located almost exactly on the line of the solstice.

Archaeologists found an 'exquisite' circular stone knife (pictured) in line with the poles, which could have been buried as a symbolic representation of the disc of the sun 

'It's an absolutely exquisite object,' Mr Harding says.

'That is a difficult craft to exercise to that level of perfection. It's almost inconceivable that you would just throw it away.'

Now, Mr Harding says the disc could have been a symbolic reference to the disk of the sun, deliberately placed in a sort of 'viewing station' for the solstice.

Archaeologists still debate exactly what Stonehenge and similar sites, like the Bulford poles, would have been used for.

Read More

•  Scientists find evidence Stonehenge boulder was moved hundreds of miles by HUMANS - and not glaciers 

However, their alignment with the solstice is a strong indication that they had a spiritual or religious function besides simple timekeeping.

Dr Matt Leivers, Senior Research Manager at Wessex Archaeology, says: 'When we talk about the solstice, we're talking about religion. About how prehistoric peoples understood the cosmos, the world, and their place in it.

'What we see at Bulford, and later at Stonehenge, is a way of celebrating and marking the passage of time, but it's also about making sure the world keeps working as it should.' 

'It's likely their way of saying to their deities, please keep us in mind, keep us warm and safe. It's a religious event. That's why it's so important'

The Stonehenge monument standing today was the final stage of a four part building project that ended 3,500 years ago

Stonehenge is one of the most prominent prehistoric monuments in Britain. The Stonehenge that can be seen today is the final stage that was completed about 3,500 years ago. 

According to the monument's website, Stonehenge was built in four stages:   

First stage: The first version of Stonehenge was a large earthwork or Henge, comprising a ditch, bank and the Aubrey holes, all probably built around 3100 BC. 

The Aubrey  holes are round pits in the chalk, about one metre (3.3 feet) wide and deep, with steep sides and flat bottoms. 

Stonehenge (pictured) is one of the most prominent prehistoric monuments in Britain

They form a circle about 86.6 metres (284 feet) in diameter. 

Excavations revealed cremated human bones in some of the chalk filling, but the holes themselves were likely not made to be used as graves, but as part of a religious ceremony.

After this first stage, Stonehenge was abandoned and left untouched for more than 1,000 years. 

Second stage: The second and most dramatic stage of Stonehenge started around 2150 years BC, when about 82 bluestones from the Preseli mountains in south-west Wales were transported to the site. It's thought that the stones, some of which weigh four tonnes each, were dragged on rollers and sledges to the waters at Milford Haven, where they were loaded onto rafts.

They were carried on water along the south coast of Wales and up the rivers Avon and Frome, before being dragged overland again near Warminster and Wiltshire.

The final stage of the journey was mainly by water, down the river Wylye to Salisbury, then the Salisbury Avon to west Amesbury. 

The journey spanned nearly 240 miles, and once at the site, the stones were set up in the centre to form an incomplete double circle. 

During the same period, the original entrance was widened and a pair of Heel Stones were erected. The nearer part of the Avenue, connecting Stonehenge with the River Avon, was built aligned with the midsummer sunrise. 

Third stage: The third stage of Stonehenge, which took place about 2000 years BC, saw the arrival of the sarsen stones (a type of sandstone), which were larger than the bluestones.

They were likely brought from the Marlborough Downs (40 kilometres, or 25 miles, north of Stonehenge). 

The largest of the sarsen stones transported to Stonehenge weighs 50 tonnes, and transportation by water would not have been possible, so it's suspected that they were transported using sledges and ropes. 

Calculations have shown that it would have taken 500 men using leather ropes to pull one stone, with an extra 100 men needed to lay the rollers in front of the sledge.

These stones were arranged in an outer circle with a continuous run of lintels - horizontal supports. 

Inside the circle, five trilithons - structures consisting of two upright stones and a third across the top as a lintel - were placed in a horseshoe arrangement, which can still be seen today. 

Final stage: The fourth and final stage took place just after 1500 years BC, when the smaller bluestones were rearranged in the horseshoe and circle that can be seen today.

The original number of stones in the bluestone circle was probably around 60, but these have since been removed or broken up. Some remain as stumps below ground level. 

Source: Stonehenge.co.uk 

RELATED  

Archaeologists discover 5,000-year-old 'proto-Stonehenge' just a few miles from the famous monument

Archeologists believe they have discovered ‘prototype’ for Stonehenge

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What would happen if aliens invaded Earth: Terrifying report reveals how extraterrestrials could trigger political, economic and spiritual CHAOS

• READ MORE: Scientist reveals what our first contact with aliens will look like 

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

An alien invasion might sound like science fiction, but a scientist has now revealed what the terrifying consequences of an encounter might be.

Professor Avi Loeb, head of Harvard University's Galileo Project, claims our first encounter with an alien invader won't resemble sci–fi movies like E.T or War of the Worlds.

Rather than a biological, flesh and blood alien, Professor Loeb explains that we are more likely to be met by a 'technological device guided by AI'.

The arrival of such a device would pose a 'potential threat to all earthlings', he claims – sparking political, economic, and spiritual chaos around the world.

Professor Loeb told the Daily Mail that 'the stock market may crash due to the uncertainty about the impact of the encounter on the future of humanity.'

Likewise, the fact that the aliens' technology would likely outclass our own would not only be humbling for human intelligence – but would also make their technology a grave threat to humanity.

Professor Loeb said in a blog post: 'It would be foolish of me to forecast what this blind date of interstellar proportions might look like.

'One thing is clear: we must observe our dating partner to learn more about their qualities and intent and make sure that it is not a serial killer.'

A scientist says that the arrival of an alien craft in our solar system would trigger global chaos, with the stock markets collapsing due to instability. Pictured: The 1996 sci–fi film Independence Day 

Professor Loeb suggests that aliens won't invade Earth in biological form, partly due to the vast distances between our planet and the nearest habitable worlds.

Even the very closest habitable world, Proxima Centauri b, is located a staggering 4.2 light–years from Earth.

The preference for technology over living organisms also reflects trends in our own space exploration efforts, which tend to use robotic probes instead of human crews.

If one of these artificial emissaries arrived on Earth, Professor Loeb suggests that its very presence would send shockwaves through human society.

Just as astronomers rattled the world by showing that Earth wasn't at the centre of the cosmos, an encounter with aliens would shift humanity's sense of importance.

'I would not regard it as a crisis but rather as a realization that we are not at the top of the food chain, cosmologically speaking,' Professor Loeb told the Daily Mail.

It wouldn't just be religious believers who would be psychologically shaken by this revelation.

Secular individuals will also be shaken by the realisation that alien technology is far more advanced than our own.

Experts say that our first encounter with aliens won't be with biological creatures, but with an AI–controlled technological artefact like a probe or robot

(stock image) 

Professor Loeb says this will come from an understanding that 'there is a more accomplished sibling in our family in intelligent civilizations.'

Similarly, meeting our technologically advanced cosmic siblings would have a 'profound effect' on international geopolitics.

'It would pose a potential threat to all earthlings because we are all in the same boat,' says Professor Loeb.

However, this common threat could actually help bring Earth's divided nations together in collective self defence.

Professor Loeb says: 'An encounter with alien technology could bring together all humans on Earth in the same way that a knock on the door by a stranger quiets down arguments among family members within the room. 

'It will definitely bring us to a better place by delivering a much needed sense of humility and a change of priorities towards space exploration and cooperation among humans, since we are all in the boat.' 

However, exactly what aliens would want with us or how they would treat our civilisation depends on the nature of the aliens involved.

Professor Loeb has previously suggested that alien civilisations might send technological probes to our solar system as a 'reconnaissance mission'.

Professor Avi Loeb, an expert on the hunt for extraterrestrial intelligence from Harvard University, says that an alien invasion would pose a 'potential threat to all earthlings'

Professor Loeb previously suggested that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, photographed as it passed 190 million miles (305 million km) from Earth, was a technological probe sent by aliens to investigate Earth

Since Earth has a stable atmosphere, liquid water, and sits in its star's habitable zone, it is natural that civilisations would want to investigate.

In exactly the same way that human astronomers study exoplanets from Earth, alien scientists might simply examine Earth out of curiosity or in the search for a new home.

But it is also possible that an alien civilisation might have more malicious plans for our planet.

Read More

• Mystery of 'golden egg' at the bottom of the sea is SOLVED: Scientists pinpoint its true identity 

For example, Professor Loeb has put forward the idea that ancient visitors might have polluted the atmosphere enough to trigger the Permian Extinction, the largest extinction event in Earth's history.

About 252 million years ago, 96 per cent of marine species were killed by a global warming event that left ocean creatures unable to breathe.

While the majority of scientists agree that this was caused by the greenhouse gases from volcanic eruptions, Professor Loeb suggests there could be a technological explanation instead.

While these ideas might seem far–fetched, Professor Loeb insists that these theories should be treated like any other scientific hypothesis and put to the test with rigorous investigation.

WHAT IS THE FERMI PARADOX?

The Fermi Paradox questions why, given the estimated 200-400 billion stars and at least 100 billion planets in our galaxy, there have been no signs of alien life. 

The contradiction is named after its creator, Italian physicist Enrico Fermi.

He first posed the question back in 1950.

Fermi believed it was too extraordinary that a single extra-terrestrial signal or engineering project has yet to be detected in the universe — despite its immense vastness. 

Fermi concluded there must a barrier that limits the rise of intelligent, self-aware, technologically advanced space-colonising civilisations.

This barrier is sometimes referred to as the 'Great Filter'.

Italian physicist Enrico Fermi devised the so-called Fermi Paradox in the 1950s, which explores why there is no sign of alien life, despite the 100 billion planets in our galaxy

If the main obstacle preventing the colonisation of other planets is not in our past, then the barrier that will stop humanity's prospects of reaching other worlds must lie in our future, scientists have theorised.  

Professor Brian Cox believes the advances in science and engineering required by a civilisation to start conquering the stars will ultimately lead to its destruction.

He said: 'One solution to the Fermi Paradox is that it is not possible to run a world that has the power to destroy itself.

‘It may be that the growth of science and engineering inevitably outstrips the development of political expertise, leading to disaster.'

Other possible explanations for the Fermi Paradox include that intelligent alien species are out there, but lack the necessary technology to communicate with Earth.

Some believe that the distances between intelligent civilisations are too great to allow any kind of two-way communication.

If two worlds are separated by several thousand light years, it's possible that one or both civilisations would become extinct before a dialogue can be established. 

The so-called Zoo hypothesis claims intelligent alien life is out there, but deliberately avoids any contact with life on Earth to allow its natural evolution. 

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

What do aliens EAT? Scientist reveals the foods extraterrestrials would go for on Earth – and why E.T.'s favourite Reese's Pieces are off the cards

• READ MORE: Steven Spielberg claims aliens have already visited Earth 

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

In the 1982 blockbuster, E.T. the Extra–Terrestrial, E.T. is lured out of hiding using a trail of Reese's Pieces. 

But what would aliens really eat if they visited our planet? 

According to Professor José Miguel Soriano del Castillo, a nutritionist from the University of Valencia, our planet would serve a 'risky buffet' for alien life.

Even if aliens have similar basic biology to us, there is no guarantee that foods that are safe for humans to eat would be compatible with their digestive systems.

Instead of snacking on human foods, this means aliens would be more likely to feast on the 'raw materials' found on Earth.

Writing in The Conversation, Professor del Castillo claims that aliens would sustain themselves on 'water, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, salts, lipids, microbial biomass or simple organic molecules'.

Unfortunately, this means E.T.'s Reese's Pieces are off the cards. 

However, Professor del Castillo suggests the classic UFO cow abduction might not be so far–fetched.

In the 1982 blockbuster, E.T. the Extra–Terrestrial, E.T. is lured out of hiding using a trail of Reese's Pieces. But what would aliens really eat if they visited out planet?

While E.T.'s Reese's Pieces are off the cards, the classic UFO cow abduction might not be so far–fetched

(stock image) 

Animals across our planet have developed a baffling array of unique digestive systems. 

Cows, for example, are entirely dependent on the bacteria living in their stomachs to break down and digest cellulose in grass.

As Professor del Castillo points out, this means it is extremely difficult to say what an alien's natural diet might look like.

However, there are a few basic facts common to all forms of life that can give us a basic understanding.

Scientists generally believe that life needs three things: a source of energy, a liquid in which chemical reactions can occur, and suitable chemical elements.

Since these components are readily available on Earth, there's no reason that a visiting alien would need to go hungry.

A sufficiently advanced extraterrestrial might simply be able to hoover up organic matter from Earth and process it into something that suits their own digestive system.

However, Professor del Castillo warns that any interstellar tourists will need to be careful.

How much food would aliens eat?

Alongside salts, fats and sugars that are essential to life, Earth's environment is packed with potential toxins, pathogens, and allergens.  

'Earth's food would not necessarily be edible for them,' Professor del Castillo says.

'Terrestrial protein might be of no use if their digestive systems used different amino acids. Our sugars might prove useless if their metabolism could not handle them.'

This is why sensible alien travellers would be well advised to sample some of the local produce, perhaps by abducting a cow or two, before eating anything from Earth.

In the distant future, if humans ever really did meet an extraterrestrial civilisation, Professor del Castillo says Earth would need to train alien nutritionists.

He says: 'We would also need experts who could figure out what molecules these life forms tolerate, what energy they require, what poisons them, what microorganisms they carry, and what resources they could use without destroying the planet's ecosystems.'

While much of that information will depend on the specific organism, scientists can already start to estimate how much energy these aliens might need to consume.

In land animals, the amount of calories something needs to consume increases with its size, but not proportionally.

If UFOs really have visited Earth, our planet's biology would make eating human or animal food quite dangerous. Instead, aliens would need to feed themselves with the raw materials found on this planet. Pictured: An image of a UAP submitted by the FB to the All–domain Anomaly Resolution Office

That means an elephant needs more fuel than a mouse, but uses fewer calories per gram of body mass.

An alien weighing 70 kilograms would require around 1,700 kcal per day, while a massive 150–kilogram extraterrestrial would need over 3,000 kcal just to sustain itself without moving around a lot.

That is just the very basic amount needed to sustain life, and doesn't include all the extra energy that organisms need to move, think, operate machinery, fly a UFO, or abduct farmers. 

However, an even stranger possibility is that alien life won't need any food at all.

Many scientists believe our first visit from an extraterrestrial civilisation won't be in the form of a biological visitor, but a robotic probe. 

There is also the possibility that truly advanced aliens might have transcended their fleshy forms to become a 'post–biological entity' with a synthetic body.

Professor del Castillo says: 'In this case, "food" would no longer consist of proteins, fats or carbohydrates, but electricity, heat, chemical fuel or nuclear energy. 

'An alien robot wouldn't eat rice or pasta, it would simply need to recharge its batteries.'

WHAT IS THE FERMI PARADOX?

The Fermi Paradox questions why, given the estimated 200-400 billion stars and at least 100 billion planets in our galaxy, there have been no signs of alien life. 

The contradiction is named after its creator, Italian physicist Enrico Fermi.

He first posed the question back in 1950.

Fermi believed it was too extraordinary that a single extra-terrestrial signal or engineering project has yet to be detected in the universe — despite its immense vastness. 

Fermi concluded there must a barrier that limits the rise of intelligent, self-aware, technologically advanced space-colonising civilisations.

This barrier is sometimes referred to as the 'Great Filter'.

Italian physicist Enrico Fermi devised the so-called Fermi Paradox in the 1950s, which explores why there is no sign of alien life, despite the 100 billion planets in our galaxy

If the main obstacle preventing the colonisation of other planets is not in our past, then the barrier that will stop humanity's prospects of reaching other worlds must lie in our future, scientists have theorised.  

Professor Brian Cox believes the advances in science and engineering required by a civilisation to start conquering the stars will ultimately lead to its destruction.

He said: 'One solution to the Fermi Paradox is that it is not possible to run a world that has the power to destroy itself.

‘It may be that the growth of science and engineering inevitably outstrips the development of political expertise, leading to disaster.'

Other possible explanations for the Fermi Paradox include that intelligent alien species are out there, but lack the necessary technology to communicate with Earth.

Some believe that the distances between intelligent civilisations are too great to allow any kind of two-way communication.

If two worlds are separated by several thousand light years, it's possible that one or both civilisations would become extinct before a dialogue can be established. 

The so-called Zoo hypothesis claims intelligent alien life is out there, but deliberately avoids any contact with life on Earth to allow its natural evolution. 

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

Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Is a Story About People

What UAP disclosure may reveal about us.

Jennice Vilhauer Ph.D. - Living Forward

Source: Sherise van Dyk / Unsplash

Much of the public conversation surrounding disclosure focuses on a single question: What are unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)?

Are they advanced technology? Non-human intelligence? Something we have not yet imagined?

These questions are important. The mystery itself is compelling, and the search for answers is a worthy scientific endeavor. Yet there is another dimension of disclosure that often receives far less attention. Disclosure is not only a story about unidentified objects, hidden information, or unexplained phenomena. It is also a story about people.

The most profound consequences of disclosure may not emerge from what is discovered in the sky but from what happens within us when we are asked to reconsider what we believe to be true.

Throughout history, humanity has repeatedly encountered information that challenged deeply held assumptions. We learned that the Earth is not the center of the cosmos. We discovered that life evolves through natural processes. We realized that our galaxy is only one among billions. Each revelation required us to revise our understanding of reality and our place within it. History suggests that people are capable of integrating even profound revisions to their worldview, although the process is often gradual rather than immediate.(1)

How Human Psychology Processes New Revelations

The history of these discoveries is often told as a story about science. But it is equally a story about psychology. New information enters a world of existing beliefs, identities, institutions, relationships, hopes, and fears. People must make sense of it. They must decide what it means and how it fits into the narrative of their lives.

Disclosure, if it continues to unfold, will be no different.

Some individuals may experience wonder, curiosity, and excitement. Others may feel uncertainty, skepticism, anxiety, or resistance. Some may feel anger. Many will move through several of these reactions at different times. The most important question may not be whether people react but how they adapt.

Human beings are meaning-making creatures. We do not simply receive information; we interpret it. We integrate it into stories about who we are, where we came from, and what kind of future we imagine for ourselves. Whenever new information challenges those stories, a process of adjustment begins. Research suggests that restoring coherence and meaning is one of the primary ways people adapt to disruptive life events and major challenges to their assumptions.(2)

That adjustment is evidence of one of humanity's greatest strengths.

Psychological adaptation is among the most remarkable capacities our species possesses. People survive wars, economic upheaval, natural disasters, technological revolutions, and personal tragedies. We grieve, question, learn, and eventually find ways to move forward. The human mind is not designed to avoid change. It is designed to adapt to it. Decades of resilience research suggest that adaptation, rather than lasting dysfunction, is the most common long-term outcome following significant adversity.(3)

This is why the question of disclosure extends far beyond proving or disproving the existence of non-human intelligence. Even if definitive answers emerge, the larger challenge will be helping individuals and societies integrate what those answers mean.

The public conversation often assumes that disclosure is primarily about information. In reality, it is also about trust, communication, resilience, and understanding. It is about whether institutions can communicate honestly during periods of uncertainty. It is about whether communities can discuss difficult topics without polarization and fear. It is about whether individuals can remain grounded while navigating questions that may not have immediate answers.

If disclosure confirms that humanity is not alone, it will undoubtedly be a historic scientific discovery. But it will also reveal something about us. It will show how we respond when confronted with a reality larger than the one we previously understood. It will demonstrate whether we retreat into fear and division or lean into curiosity, humility, and growth.

What Disclosure Ultimately Reveals

In that sense, disclosure is not merely a story about what may be out there. It is a story about who we are.

The mystery of UAP may eventually be resolved. The data will accumulate. Evidence will be evaluated. Scientific conclusions will emerge. Those questions, however significant, are ultimately finite.

The human story is not.

The lasting legacy of disclosure may not be the discovery itself, but the way humanity chooses to meet it. Our capacity for adaptation, cooperation, meaning-making, and resilience may prove just as important as any revelation that emerges.

Because, in the end, disclosure is not only about understanding a larger reality.

It is about understanding ourselves.

{ https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb }

This video examines Hal Puthoff's latest statements on advanced life and the reality of managed disclosure. 

In this analysis, Richard Dolan takes a close look at Puthoff's recent appearance on the Diary of a CEO podcast. He states unequivocally that the evidence for advanced non-human technology is compelling, moving the conversation beyond unexplained sightings toward acknowledged data and evidence. 

We also explore the science behind space-time metric engineering and how Einstein's theory of general relativity allows for the theoretical manipulation of space-time. This framework offers a possible explanation for the reported transmedium capabilities of unidentified submerged objects (USOs), which are said to move seamlessly between air and water. 

Finally, we examine the national security state's strategy of managed ambiguity. Why are massive document releases continually provided instead of direct evidence? We discuss what Dolan calls the "hangar test," reviewing reports surrounding legacy programs, including claims involving Lue Elizondo and the alleged 2008 attempt by Robert Bigelow to gain access to an anomalous vehicle reportedly held by Lockheed Martin. To understand the true architecture of secrecy, we may need to look beyond the paperwork.

  

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

Dozens of active dust devils caught swirling across Mars canyon system

by European Space Agency

The European Space Agency's Mars Express has captured part of Mars's Mamers Valles, a fascinating valley system speckled with brief, tornado-like whirlwinds known as dust devils.

Dust devils form as parts of Mars warm in the sun, causing the air just above the surface to swirl upward and carry dust with it. Mars's dust devils are similar to those seen in dry, dusty landscapes on Earth, but far larger. They tower up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) high, rove about for kilometers at a time, and reach top speeds of 45 meters per second. They play a key role in moving dust across the planet.

Mars Express is uniquely equipped to spot these mini whirlwinds. To form a single image using its High Resolution Stereo Camera—the instrument responsible for these new snapshots—the spacecraft combines sequential views from up to nine separate camera channels (which look at Mars in a different color, from a different direction, or a mix of the two). If nothing changes on the Martian surface while these are being taken, the multiple perspectives align—but if something is moving about, it stands out clearly from its surroundings.

In this new set of images, Mars Express captures not one but dozens of active dust devils. Click on the image below to see more than 30 circled, each visible as a small yellow dot with a pinkish trailing "shadow."

The alignment and combination of Mars Express's various camera channels also allow scientists to figure out the direction and speed of Mars's dust devils. This is something scientists have done using data from both Mars Express and ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, revealing how more than 1,000 of these tornado-like storms move—and tracing how winds sweep around the planet.

Canyons and channels

Mamers Valles is a vast, broken-up, labyrinthine system of canyons and valleys etched into Mars's surface. The feature was named in 1976 based on the ancient Oscan language of pre-Roman Italy, with "Mamers" meaning "Mars" and "Valles" meaning "Valley."

These channels stretch out for around 1,000 km, crossing from Mars's ancient southern highlands into the planet's northern lowlands, and in places measure up to 25 km wide and 1.2 km deep (as shown most clearly in the associated topographical map below).

Surrounding these channels are various features: steep, flat hills known as mesas, sheer cliffs, and debris-covered glaciers. These glaciers contain water ice buried beneath a cover of rock and dust, and can be seen building up at the base of the steep slopes pictured here. All of these landforms come together to form fragmented or "fretted" terrain.

Patches of dark material can also be seen lining a couple of the valleys—likely volcanic sands that either formed in place or were swept in by winds.

Many of the features seen here are signs of past activity related to water, lava or ice, all of which once flowed across this terrain and carved out telltale marks.

For instance, the valley floors are marked by long ridges and textures that formed as debris-covered glaciers slid down both sides of the valley, ultimately meeting in the middle. These same icy signatures line the steep cliffs and hillsides, too. Although water ice isn't stable on Mars's surface today, it has managed to survive here because it was covered by rocky material, which has stopped it from escaping to the Martian atmosphere.

Mamers Valles

Mars Express has visited this region of Mars before, imaging the areas surrounding both Mamers Valles (2008) and the neighboring Deuteronilus Mensae (2019).

The region dates to around 3.8 billion years ago, to a part of Martian history known as the late Noachian period. This era is significant because it marks when Mars began to transition from a warmer, wetter, more geologically active world to the cold, arid one seen today.

Decades of Mars exploration

This image comes courtesy of the HRSC camera, one of eight instruments aboard Mars Express. Mars Express has been capturing and exploring Mars's many landscapes since it launched in 2003. The orbiter has mapped the planet's surface at unprecedented resolution, in color and in three dimensions for more than two decades, returning insights that have drastically changed understanding of our planetary neighbor.

•  Provided by European Space Agency 

Who's behind this story?

{ https://phys.org/space-news/ }

Plasmoid Orb Entity Recorded Over Pond, FBI Investigated, 3 File Drop, UFO UAP Paranormal Alien Sighting News

 

Date of sighting: Oct 2024

Location of sighting:  North Eastern USA

Source: 

Dept of War, 

https://www.war.gov/ufo/?releaseDate=Release+03&release=03#FBI-UAP-PR003-Orbs-Over-the-Pond-2024

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

Two Red Orbs! Dept of War 3rd Drop! July 2025, UFO UAP Paranormal Alien Sighting News.

Date of sighting: July 2025

Location of sighting: Secret, Northeastern USA

Source: 

• https://www.war.gov/ufo/?releaseDate=Release+03&release=03#FBI-UAP-PR004-Northeastern-Orb-Sighting-2025

 

Guys check this out. This is an double red orb sighting caught just 25 miles from the pond sighting. These things are appearing on the eastern side of the US more than the western side! That means there is a reason for this location...and the meaning is to get the US presidents attention by having more sightings in the area of the US Whitehouse. They know there is a chance of a big release and not only that...but they are pushing people...influencing them through their thoughts to help push this agenda. 

Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily  

 

Eyewitness states:

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

What do Charles Dellschau (1830–1923) and Ingersoll Lockwood (1841–1918) have in common? 

Both men used the names "Trump" and "Baron Trump" in their artwork and writings decades before Donald Trump and his son, Barron Trump, were born. 

Charles Dellschau and the "Trump" paintings 

Charles Dellschau was born in Germany and later emigrated to the United States. He is best known for his intricate, visionary artworks depicting fantastical flying machines and mysterious airships. 

Some of Dellschau's paintings appear to contain the word "TRUMP" and even the number "45." In modern times, some observers have interpreted these elements as references to Donald Trump, who became the 45th President of the United States. However, there is no evidence that Dellschau intended any such meaning. 

One painting also includes a banner bearing the phrase "AEROUP TRUMP." Hypothetically, this could be interpreted as referring to aerial superiority or an ultimate airship, using the word "trump" in its traditional sense of superiority, excellence, or triumph. 

Ingersoll Lockwood and Baron Trump 

Ingersoll Lockwood was an American lawyer, diplomat, and author who wrote a series of fantasy children's books in the late nineteenth century. Today, he is best known for creating the fictional character Baron Trump. 

His books, Travels and Adventures of Little Baron Trump and His Wonderful Dog Bulger and its sequel, Baron Trump's Marvellous Underground Journey, follow a young aristocratic boy named Wilhelm Heinrich Sebastian Von Troomp, commonly known as Baron Trump. 

The character's name bears a striking resemblance to that of Donald Trump's son, Barron Trump. In the stories, Baron Trump lives in Castle Trump and embarks on extraordinary adventures involving hidden realms and mysterious civilizations. 

The appearance of the names "Trump" and "Baron Trump" long before the birth of Donald Trump and his son has inspired numerous theories. Some regard these similarities as remarkable historical coincidences, while others speculate about hidden connections, secret societies, or prophetic symbolism. 

The Last President and Modern Interpretations 

Another of Lockwood's novels, The Last President, portrays political unrest following an unexpected presidential election victory. Because of certain perceived parallels, (Donadl Trump became the 47th president) some readers have retrospectively linked the story to Donald Trump's political rise. However, the novel does not mention Donald Trump, and any connection is entirely speculative. 

Some theorists have also associated the story with the "Enough Is Enough" card from the Illuminati: New World Order card game, suggesting that it symbolically foreshadows Trump's rise to power and an eventual disclosure of hidden truths similar to themes explored by both Dellschau and Lockwood, including: 

• Mysterious airships and advanced technologies
• Hidden worlds and underground civilizations 
• Cryptic symbols and coded messages 
• Alleged secret societies and concealed knowledge 

Adding another layer to the mystery is Donald Trump's uncle, John G. Trump (1907–1985). A respected electrical engineer and professor at MIT, he was a pioneer in the scientific, engineering, and medical applications of high-voltage machinery. 

Following the death of inventor Nikola Tesla in 1943, the U.S. government asked John G. Trump to examine Tesla's papers to determine whether they contained inventions of military significance. This historical fact has led some researchers to speculate about possible links between Tesla's ideas and later narratives surrounding advanced technology and government secrecy. 

 

Coincidence or Something More?  

Perhaps these similarities are nothing more than extraordinary coincidences. Yet, with Donald Trump increasingly associated with UFO related discussions, proposed disclosures, and congressional hearings, and with ongoing stories about advanced technologies allegedly recovered from crashed UFOs, as well as the possible existence of secret underground or underwater civilizations, it is perhaps unsurprising that some researchers continue to speculate about hidden connections and acknowledge among Charles Dellschau, Ingersoll Lockwood, Nikola Tesla, and the Trump family. 

To date, however, no credible evidence has been found to substantiate these theories, and they remain firmly within the realm of speculation.

 

RELATED

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

Noah's Ark could finally be found after historic deal promises 'irrefutable proof'

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

A mysterious formation high in the mountains of eastern Turkey has long fueled speculation that it could be the final resting place of Noah's Ark.

Now, researchers who believe they have identified signs of a massive man-made structure buried beneath the site have received official approval to put their theory to the test.

The team behind Noah's Ark Scans announced that its Turkish partner has secured government permits to conduct what it describes as the most comprehensive scientific investigation ever undertaken at the Durupinar Formation near Mount Ararat.

The expedition will include non-destructive core drilling, advanced remote-sensing technology, next-generation imaging systems and an underground drone named 'Gopher' designed to map what lies beneath the surface.

In a statement announcing the approval, the group said it hopes to provide the world with 'irrefutable proof' that the formation is the authentic resting place of Noah's Ark.

The researchers have previously used ground-penetrating radar to scan more than 20 feet below the site, identifying what they describe as angular structures and hidden voids that they believe are inconsistent with a natural geological formation.

Noah's Ark Scans fundraiser Lauren Witzke said: 'This is not merely a scientific expedition; this is confirmation that one of the most scoffed-at stories in history, Noah's Ark, is real, as is the God who inspired it and, in His wrath and mercy, sent the flood for which it was needed.'

The expedition is scheduled to begin later this year, with preliminary findings expected to be released as data is processed and verified.

Just 18 miles south of Mount Ararat, Turkey's tallest peak, the Durupinar Formation emerged less than a century ago

The radar captured 'a series of right angles' about 20 feet down, which researchers believe could be the rooms that held animals on the ark

'This historic authorization marks the first time in modern history that a dedicated international team has been officially cleared to perform extensive, non-destructive investigations at the site using revolutionary new scanning and imaging technologies never before applied to this site,' the team shared in the release. 

Located just 18 miles south of Mount Ararat, Turkey's highest peak, the Durupinar Formation has only been known to the modern world for less than a century.

According to local reports, heavy rains and earthquakes in May 1948 washed away the surrounding mud, revealing the mysterious formation. It was then discovered by a Kurdish shepherd.

The Bible states that Noah's Ark came to rest on the 'mountains of Ararat' after a 150-day flood that drowned the Earth and every living creature not sheltered inside the wooden vessel.

What is intriguing is that the formation sits near a mountain with a peak that some believe matches the ark's shape and dimensions.

The idea that the ark landed on Mount Ararat has long sparked debate.

While many scientists argue that the formation is a naturally occurring geological feature, others are convinced it points to something far more extraordinary.

The team at Noah's Ark Scans firmly believes the latter.

Jones previously told the Daily Mail: 'Naturally, an object would not form this way with the pointed end uphill,' said Jones.

'Per fluid dynamics, if this was an obstruction naturally forming around a rock in the earth or mud flow, then the pointed end would be downhill and the rounded end would be uphill.'

A mysterious geological formation perched high in the mountains of Turkey could be the site where Noah's Ark landed around 4,300 years ago

The Bible recounts Noah's Ark resting on the 'mountains of Ararat' after a 150-day flood submerged the Earth, sparing only those aboard the wooden vessel

Jones added that he and his team have uncovered a tunnel that is not filled in, which leads to a big central void, a room that goes much further down that is square shaped.'

'Some people have theorized that Noah's Ark had a multi-level big atrium to let the light and air circulate between the three decks,' said the researcher.

He noted that a key development in the investigation was the discovery of different soil inside the mysterious formation.

Inside, the soil is less alkaline, has more organic matter and contains more potassium, which is what would be expected from decaying wood, like an ancient wooden boat, which lowers pH and adds carbon and potassium, said Jones.

'Tests show these soil differences (pH, organic matter and potassium) are real, with less than a five percent chance they're random, giving 95 percent confidence that something like a decayed wooden ship is causing them,' he added.

Biblical measurements describe the ark as 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high - that's approximately 515 feet long, 86 feet wide and 52 feet tall.

The measurements of the formation in Turkey appear to match those given in the Bible.

Using ground-penetrating radar, the team uncovered what looks like long hallways traveling through the middle and either side of what they say could be a massive boat

He and his team at Noah's Ark Scans have been exploring the mysterious mound since 2019, using modern technology to peer deep below the surface.

The void first appears about 14 feet below the surface and stretches more than 39 feet, according to the scans.

Jones explained that the space extends from the center of the boat-like structure toward its tip, ending where a large boulder was detected.

'The tunnel then drops another 26 feet, connecting to a massive central room that we're seeing in the radar scans,' he said.

'Our assumption is that this could be part of Noah's Ark, possibly the central hall and some of the decks. There's definitely something preserved underground.'

Jones suggested the tunnel may have served as a main hallway, providing access to rooms meant for the animals brought aboard the vessel. 

'In the Biblical account, it doesn't say Noah's Ark landed on Mount Ararat; it says the mountains, plural, of Ararat,' Jones explained.

'Back in those days, Ararat was an ancient kingdom. So it would be like saying today that Noah's Ark landed in the mountains of Colorado. It's referring to a region of mountains, not one specific peak, and our site fits within that location.'

The other leading possible spot is on top of Mount Ararat, though there hasn't been any evidence found.

From as early as the 4th century, Christian tradition began identifying Mount Ararat in modern-day Turkey as the ark’s resting place.

Josephus, a 1st-century Jewish historian, also wrote that remains of the ark were still visible in the mountains of Armenia, further solidifying the association with Mount Ararat.

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Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ blends UFO lore with real cases

©Getty Images

• From Roswell to Jackie Gleason: the real UFO cases behind Spielberg’s Disclosure Day | Clownfish TV
• How much of Disclosure Day is based on real life? | ScreenRant
• Steven Spielberg reveals his thoughts on alien existence in 'Disclosure Day' interview | Men's Journal
• Is Disclosure Day Based on Real UFO Documents? The Pentagon Connection ... | newspaceeconomy.ca
• Steven Spielberg reveals real-life UFO encounter reports influenced his 'Disclosure Day' aliens | Netflix Junkie
• The theology lesson in Steven Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' | RNS
• Steven Spielberg’s 'Disclosure Day' asks the one question that could unite humanity | Opinion | Alternet
• 'Disclosure Day' ending, explained: Screenwriter David Koepp shares his secrets | TheWrap
• Pentagon and FBI Releases New UFO Files Detailing Mysterious Red Orbs Across America | Dagens.com US
• Latest News | UFOPulse | ufopulse.com
• Inside the Government’s Latest UFO Files and Unsolved Cases | lamag.com

©Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES- NOVEMBER 29: Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters building in Washington D.C., United States, on November 29, 2022.

(Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

• Pentagon and FBI Releases New UFO Files Detailing Mysterious Red Orbs Across America | Dagens.com US
• Steven Spielberg reveals his thoughts on alien existence in 'Disclosure Day' interview | Men's Journal
• Latest News | UFOPulse | ufopulse.com
• Inside the Government’s Latest UFO Files and Unsolved Cases | lamag.com

©Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images. SHANGHAI, CHINA - JUNE 11, 2026 - The promotional video of the sci-fi film "Disclosure Day", produced by the legendary American director Steven Spielberg, was looped in the CMG cinema in Shanghai, China on June 11, 2026.

(Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

The film 'Disclosure Day' incorporates the Roswell UFO crash as part of its narrative. This event is one of the well-known UFO incidents used to build the movie's fictional archive.

References

• From Roswell to Jackie Gleason: the real UFO cases behind Spielberg’s Disclosure Day | Clowfish TV
• How much of Disclosure Day is based on real life? | ScreenRant
• Steven Spielberg reveals his thoughts on alien existence in 'Disclosure Day' interview | Men's Journal
• Is Disclosure Day Based on Real UFO Documents? The Pentagon Connection ... | newspaceeconomy.ca

©Photo by Screen Archives/Getty Images. UFO spacecraft approaching Devil's Tower in scene from Steven Spielberg's 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' 1977.

(Photo by Screen Archives/Getty Images)

References

• Steven Spielberg reveals his thoughts on alien existence in 'Disclosure Day' interview | Men's Journal
• Steven Spielberg reveals real-life UFO encounter reports influenced his 'Disclosure Day' aliens | Netflix Junkie

©Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 08: (L-R) Jeff Small, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Holly Bario, Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Chris Leotis and Michelle Brattson attend the "Disclosure Day" New York Premiere at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on June 08, 2026 in New York City.

(Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

• The theology lesson in Steven Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' | RNS
• Steven Spielberg’s 'Disclosure Day' asks the one question that could unite humanity | Opinion | Alternet
• 'Disclosure Day' ending, explained: Screenwriter David Koepp shares his secrets | TheWrap

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Webb and Hubble reveal the history of a relic of Milky Way's formation

by NASA

Feds left baffled by sighting of ‘orbs launching other orbs’ in western US, new UFO files reveal

By Samuel Chamberlain and Josh Christenson

The Top 10 UFO Encounters Revealed From the Second Wave of Pentagon Declassified Files

WASHINGTON — A series of UFO sightings by federal officials in the western US is detailed in striking illustrations made public by the War Department Friday.

The artist renderings of the encounters “near a sensitive national security site” over a two-day period in October 2023 were released as part of the third drop of UFO files by the Trump administration.

A June 5 summary report by the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) describes what the agents saw as “orbs launching other orbs,” including “a luminous orange ‘mother orb’ appear[ing] to produce smaller red ‘orbs,’ one after another, multiple times over a period of several hours.

This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident near a sensitive national security site in the western United States involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) over a period of two days in October 2023. Department of War

“Reporters described the orange ‘mother orbs’ as appearing for one or two seconds, releasing a cluster of two to four red ‘orbs,’ and subsequently disappearing,” the summary added. “The reporters characterized the behavior of the red ‘orbs’ as anomalous, describing varied kinematic profiles including seemingly coordinated horizontal motion and apparent changes in altitude.”

The orbs remained entirely “silent” — and one hovered over a ridgeline for hours before disappearing.

The summary assessed that what the agents saw was “sufficiently anomalous to warrant continued investigation” — but noted that they”did not collect video footage, photographic imagery, or other technical data during the incident.”

Subsequent FBI interviews noted the incident took place over Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, Colo.

This image is based upon a first-hand description provided by a federal law enforcement special agent. Department of War

A series of UFO sightings by federal officials in the western US is detailed in striking illustrations made public by the War Department Friday. Department of War

One “brilliant and beautiful” red sphere appeared to be one meter (just over three feet) in diameter, according to two observers who spoke with a bureau agent about the encounter.

Neither witness said they had “seen anything that color of red before” and added that its center glowed like a “‘white plasma sun’ about the size of a basketball,” the forensic sketch noted.

AARO listed plausible explanations for the phenomena, including that it may have been a military aircraft dispensing flares, and added the witnesses’ accounts “align with those of certain US military technologies.”

Theories deemed less likely included whether the objects were the result of military aircraft exhaust (which was ruled out); an unmanned aerial vehicle (discounted due to the “loitering” nature of the orbs); or some kind of foreign intelligence activity (considered highly unlikely given the known capacities of US adversaries), per AARO’s report.

Subsequent FBI interviews noted the incident took place over Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, Colo. Department of War

Meteorological, atmospheric, and space-based anomalies were also considered but determined to be unlikely.

In February, President Trump announced that he would order Secretary of War Pete Hegseth as well as other department heads, to identify and release government files related to UFOs and aliens, calling the disclosures “highly complex, but extremely interesting and important.”

The Pentagon began releasing the first tranche of files on May 8, with a second document drop taking place on May 22.

Third batch of Pentagon UFO files released: See all 6 videos

{ https://nypost.com/us-news/ }