We’re used to seeing Mars as a static world, almost frozen in time. In most classic photographs, we see a monotonous desert—a rust-brown surface covered by a thick layer of dust and scattered rocks, through which jagged cliffs are visible. This landscape seems to have remained unchanged for millions of years. However, new data obtained by European researchers debunks this myth. Recent images of the Red Planet have revealed an astonishing sight: a vast “blanket” of volcanic ash that is rapidly spreading across the surface.

Viking vs. Mars Express

Comparison with an image of a section of Mars captured by the Viking lander. The white frame marks the area of the panorama shown below Comparison with an image of a section of Mars captured by the Viking lander. The white frame marks the area of the panorama shown below

The comparison of modern photographs with archival images from 50 years ago caused quite a stir. When NASA’s Viking orbiters imaged the same region in 1976, they captured a classic scene: light, ochre-colored plains dotted with barely visible dark spots. However, in new detailed images sent by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft, the planet appears to be split in two.

A panoramic view of the Martian surface captured during the Viking and Mars Express missions. Photo: ESA

The dark cloud of ash now covers a much larger area than it did in the mid-1970s. This suggests that the geological “face” of Mars can change incredibly quickly by cosmic standards—literally in just a few decades. This trend underscores the fact that Mars is not a barren “dead rock,” but a planet where active atmospheric and, possibly, subsurface processes continue to shape its landscape.

Chemistry of Darkness

A close-up of a crater on Mars at the boundary between light and dark terrain. Photo: ESA

So what exactly is this dark layer? ESA scientists explain that the material is of volcanic origin. It is rich in so-called mafic minerals—compounds containing large amounts of magnesium and iron. It is these minerals that give the ash its characteristic dark color, which contrasts sharply with the surrounding light-colored terrain.

A bird’s-eye view of an impact crater on the ash-brown surface, which has changed since the Viking mission. Photo: ESA

Mars is known for its turbulent volcanic history. It is home to Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the Solar System, standing 20 km high. Billions of years ago, the planet was undergoing an era of super-eruptions that spewed an incredible amount of ash and gases into the atmosphere. Over time, the activity subsided, giving way to a period of calm lava flows, but the remnants of those ancient eruptions did not disappear. They remained buried beneath layers of dust, biding their time.

Two theories of the same transformation

The scientific community is currently considering two main scenarios as to why the dark ash has become so noticeable right now.

The first theory attributes this to the famous Martian winds. It is possible that global or local dust storms picked up ancient ash deposits from craters or faults and carried them to new areas, “painting” the rust-colored surface in dark hues.

The second theory posits the opposite process: the ash has always been where we see it now, but it was previously hidden beneath a thin layer of golden dust. Strong air currents may have simply blown away this top layer, exposing the dark volcanic “substrate.” In any case, these changes demonstrate the immense power of the Martian atmosphere.

Mysteries of Utopia Planitia

A wider view of the area of Mars shown in the main image, located in the Utopia Planitia basin. Source: ESA

The main focus of the study was the region surrounding Utopia Planitia—a massive impact plain that is one of the oldest basins on the planet. It is believed that in the distant past, this low-lying area may have been the floor of a vast ocean or a network of lakes. 

Mars Express images clearly show a large crater in this region, surrounded by a bright ring—the so-called “ejection veil.” This is material that was ejected from the planet’s interior during the meteorite impact. Although the surface of the basin appears dry and rocky, ESA data confirm that vast deposits of water ice still lie beneath the volcanic ash and sand.

Supporting this hypothesis are the “scalloped depressions” visible at the bottom of the images. These unusual, wavy depressions are a typical feature of a periglacial landscape. They form as a result of regular cycles of freezing and thawing (or sublimation) of ice beneath the surface. Thus, the dark ash not only changes the planet’s color but also helps scientists better understand how water is distributed in the Martian soil.

The mission continues

The spacecraft launched from Earth toward Mars on June 2, 2003. It reached its destination after a six-month flight and has been exploring the planet since early 2004. Photo: ESA

The Mars Express spacecraft has been in orbit around Mars since 2003. Over the course of more than twenty years of operation, it has created the most detailed map of the planet to date, with unprecedented resolution. Each of these photos is not just a beautiful landscape, but an important piece of the puzzle in the history of our neighbor’s geological and climatic evolution. As we watch ash and dust wage their eternal battle on the plains of Utopia Planitia, humanity has the chance to learn what Mars was once like and what it will become in the future, when the first human sets foot on its surface.

We previously discussed the changes experienced by the Martian Sphinx since it was first photographed.

• According to ESA 

• Posted in News, Science

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

The newest images of this geological marvel, captured on March 5 and 6, 2026, were recently featured as NASA Earth Observatory’s Image of the Day for April 16.

According to a commentary by Adam Voiland accompanying the newest images, the Richat Structure is “a deeply eroded geologic dome formed by the uplift of rock above an underground intrusion of igneous material.”

“Over time, differing erosion rates among rock types in the exposed upper dome led to the development of circular ridges known as cuestas,” Voiland adds. “The orange and gray colors reflect differences in sedimentary and igneous rock types across the structure and the surrounding landscape.”

The Richat Structure is not the only unique feature in the Sahara Desert that features striking concentric geology similar to this. Another example, Jabal Arkanū’s concentric rock rings, found in southeastern Libya, also bear a unique circular appearance, though not quite as striking as its massive Mauritanian counterpart.

A Cold War Discovery

On June 3, 1965, at the height of both the Cold War and the great Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Gemini IV mission lifted off from Launch Complex 19  at Cape Kennedy Air Force Station in Florida, carried into orbit aboard the Gemini–Titan II, a modified Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.

Only the 10th manned American spaceflight at that time, astronauts James McDivitt and Ed White spent four days in orbit, during which White performed the first American spacewalk, spending nearly 20 minutes outside the spacecraft. The pair made a total of 66 trips around the Earth and conducted several scientific experiments in space.

“The objective of the mission was to test the performance of the astronauts and capsule and to evaluate work procedures, schedules, and flight planning for an extended length of time in space,” reads an official NASA historical summary of the mission. “Secondary objectives included demonstration of extravehicular activity in space, conduct stationkeeping and rendezvous maneuvers, evaluate spacecraft systems, demonstrate the capability to make significant in-plane and out-of-plane maneuvers and use of the maneuvering system as a backup reentry system, and conduct 11 experiments.”

Prior to entering space, McDivitt and White had been asked to photograph the Earth from space, and while doing so, to pay attention to what appeared to be “any large circular features which might be the roots of impact structures.” While passing over one of the planet’s hottest and most unforgiving regions—the Sahara desert—the astronauts spotted something which, to them, did look like it might have been evidence of a crater of some kind, albeit a strange one.

Peering at the astronauts like a massive eye emerging from the Saharan sand was a huge, circular object or structure with a large central area encircled by rings of stone and sand extending in every direction for miles. At nearly 30 miles across, what the Gemini IV astronauts had easily observed—and photographed for the first time from space—had been a feature known as the Richat Structure.

Image taken during the Gemini IV mission of the Richat Structure as seen from space

(NASA/Public Domain).

Impact Crater, Ancient Volcano, or Something Else?

Although the Apollo era provided Earth with the first images of the mysterious feature, it had actually been discovered decades earlier, at least as early as the 1930s. By 1948, French scientist Jacques Richard-Molard was arguably the first to propose that the mysterious feature might have resulted from a sheet-like intrusion known as a laccolithic thrust.

However, upon its “rediscovery” by the Gemini IV crew in 1965, it was initially thought to have been an impact crater when it was observed from space. However, further studies showed it to have a flat central area and no shock-altered rock, which would have been a telltale indicator of an impact event. Other theories proposed included a volcanic eruption, which was later ruled out in favor of an uplifted region of rock sculpted over time by erosion, although its unusual circular appearance remains mysterious.

According to a Business Insider article from 2016, although questions remain about the structure’s formation, a pair of Canadian geologists speculate that the Eye of the Sahara’s origins began more than 100 million years ago, “as the supercontinent Pangaea was ripped apart by plate tectonics and what are now Africa and South America were being torn away from each other.”

According to the theory, the present dome of rock layers resulted from molten rock that was thrust upward, but never actually reached the surface. Thus, the Sahara’s strange Eye is essentially the geological equivalent of a pimple, surrounded by “ripples” in the form of fault lines. Limestone that was dissolved near the center of the formation by the accumulation of molten rock caused it to collapse, resulting in the breccia formation geologists observe there today.

Archaeology of the Richat Structure

In addition to being a geological wonder, the Richat Structure has yielded a wealth of archaeological data over the years. Ongoing studies at the site continue to assess the duration and extent of human occupation of the Sahara Desert’s most peculiar geological feature. An abundance of Acheulean artifacts has been recovered there, indicating the presence of early archaic humans who lived and hunted in the vicinity of the peculiar formation.

However, most of the archaeological sites observed in the area are associated with quartz outcrops from which early humans may have gathered material for making stone tools. The majority of archaeological locations around the feature lie along its outer ring on the northwestern side, and surveys beginning around 1974 have found little archaeological evidence of human presence within the inner depressions of the structure.

The mysterious Eye of the Sahara has become a landmark for spacefaring shuttle crews since McDivitt and White first spied it from space in 1965. Today, although many unusual natural phenomena have been detected from Earth orbit, the Sahara’s famous Richat Structure remains one of the most impressive natural features visible from space.

• Editor’s Note: This is an updated version of an article originally published by The Debrief on April 16, 2021.
• Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.

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

The Legendary King Gilgamesh Was REAL According to Cuneiform Tablet

Gary Manners

More than a century after the National Museum of Denmark began acquiring a vast collection of inscribed clay tablets from the ancient Near East, researchers have finally completed a comprehensive analysis of the artifacts. The groundbreaking project, titled "Hidden Treasures: The National Museum's Collection of Cuneiform Tablets," has digitized and cataloged these ancient texts for the first time. Among the most spectacular findings is a royal list that includes the legendary king Gilgamesh, providing rare documentary evidence that the hero of the world's oldest epic poem may have been a real historical figure.

The collaborative effort between the National Museum of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen examined texts that are, in many cases, over 4,000 years old. These documents were written in the now-extinct Sumerian and Akkadian languages using cuneiform writing, a communication system that emerged around 5,200 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia. The project was led by Nicole Brisch of the University of Hamburg and Anne Haslund Hansen of the National Museum, with support from the Carlsberg Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation, and the Edubba Foundation.

• The Sumerian King List Reveals the Origin of Mesopotamian Kingship
• The Ascension of Gilgamesh: Did the Epic Hero Actually Exist?

Researchers from the National Museum of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen have analyzed, identified and digitized a large collection of cuneiform tablets.

(Troels Pank Arbøll/University of Copenhagen)

A Royal List That Names Gilgamesh

The specific tablet that has caused such excitement is a school text listing kings who ruled at the end of the third millennium BC. Other known copies of this same royal list also include Gilgamesh, the protagonist of the famous Epic of Gilgamesh. Assyriologist Troels Pank Arbøll, who led the research, was emphatic about its significance:

"This makes this royal list one of the few relics that suggest that Gilgamesh may have really existed. We had no idea that we possessed a copy of that list here in Denmark. It is quite spectacular."

The Sumerian King List is already one of the most important documents in ancient history, but the discovery of a previously unknown copy in Denmark adds a new chapter to its remarkable story.

The Sumerian King List, an ancient stone prism listing cities in Sumer, their rulers, and the length of their reigns.

(M.atkinsonross / CC BY-SA 4.0)

The collection had sat largely unstudied in the museum's storage rooms for around a century. Thorkild Jacobsen, the first person to earn an Assyriology degree from the University of Copenhagen, donated a significant portion of the holdings in 1939. The application of digital methods and philological work has now enabled researchers to classify a heterogeneous set of documents that include accounting records, letters, medical treatments, and a series of magical spells of enormous historical relevance. The project has made the entire collection publicly available through the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative, opening it up to scholars worldwide.

• Previously Unknown Lines to the Epic of Gilgamesh Discovered in Stolen Cuneiform Tablet
• Cuneiform Tablets and 'Envelopes' Tell of Mesopotamian Life

Magical Spells and Royal Protection

Beyond the tantalizing evidence of Gilgamesh, the collection revealed a fascinating array of other texts. A significant group of tablets originated from the Syrian city of Hama, which was destroyed and plundered by Assyrian warriors in 720 BC. The Assyrians carried much of the spoils back to their capital, Assur, in present-day Iraq, but left behind some clay tablets in their hurried withdrawal. These texts, nearly 3,000 years old, contain medical treatments and magical spells, and were found among the remains of what archaeologists believe was a large temple library. Arbøll noted that "all the other texts had disappeared," emphasizing the exceptional nature of these surviving fragments, as virtually no other cuneiform tablets on these subjects have been found in the same region from that period.

One text from Hama particularly caught the researchers' attention: an anti-witchcraft ritual designed to ward off misfortunes and political instability that might threaten the Assyrian king. The ceremony took place over an entire night and involved burning small figurines made of wax and clay while an exorcist recited a fixed series of incantations. Researchers were surprised to find this text so far from the Assyrian capital and the rich literary centers of Babylonia, since Hama was located on the periphery of those regions. The presence of such a ritual in Hama underscores the widespread reach of Assyrian magical practices and the deep-seated fears of supernatural threats to royal authority.

Bureaucracy, Beer Receipts, and a Century of Collection

Another group of analyzed texts comes from Danish excavations carried out at Tell Shemshara in northern Iraq in 1957. These tablets consist of correspondence between a local chief and an Assyrian king from around 1800 BC, along with various administrative documents. Such records reflect the highly developed bureaucracy necessary to manage the advanced urban societies of ancient Mesopotamia. As Arbøll recalled, a large number of the cuneiform tablets preserved today testify to this sophisticated administrative culture, which was the very reason for the existence of cuneiform writing in the first place.

Among these administrative texts, researchers found one of the most relatable expressions of ancient daily life: a very ancient beer receipt, confirming that the control of goods and the recording of everyday transactions were already an integral part of life thousands of years ago. The juxtaposition of grand epics featuring Gilgamesh and magical rituals for kings with prosaic beer tabs highlights the diverse and complex nature of Mesopotamian society, captured forever in these enduring clay tablets. The full catalog of cuneiform texts from the National Museum of Denmark has now been published, making these remarkable documents accessible to the world for the first time.

• Top image: Image portraying a likeness of Gilgamesh, with insert of a cuneiform tablet.
• Source: AI generated.

By Gary Manners

References

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

“What I Saw Was Not Our Technology”: A Navy Officer Breaks the Silence on Mysterious Underwater UFOs

From the depths of the ocean, UFOs surface as a Navy officer warns of a threat too real to be ignored.

Written by Ashley Morgan

© Credit: Shutterstock

An extraordinary new investigation, originally published by Popular Mechanics is drawing fresh attention to a string of unexplained encounters between U.S. Navy personnel and unidentified submerged objects (USOs). These sightings—recorded over decades and across multiple oceans—are now being described by former officers as a legitimate threat and part of a global pattern that defies conventional physics.

Unexplained Encounters During Training Missions

In 2014, Lieutenant Ryan Graves, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 pilot stationed off the coast of Virginia Beach, began to detect anomalies during flight training missions. Initially dismissed as radar glitches, the signals reappeared repeatedly—only this time, they were backed by infrared and optical confirmation.

According to Graves, these unidentified objects could hover completely still or accelerate to supersonic speeds. They were seen across all altitudes, always above or near the ocean. Graves reported seeing a particularly strange object: a black or dark gray cube enclosed in a clear sphere, estimated to be 5 to 15 feet in diameter. It passed within 50 feet of one of the jets. That incident, he later explained, “was the turning point.”

When Graves later spoke with pilots stationed on the USS Nimitz and USS Princeton off the West Coast, he discovered that similar sightings had occurred for years.

Craft That Travel Between Air And Sea

The military has since adopted the term unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) to describe objects like those witnessed by Graves. A growing number of them appear to be transmedium—able to travel from air to sea without slowing down, splashing, or generating turbulence. These transitions contradict what we know about aerodynamics and hydrodynamics.

Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, a retired oceanographer and Navy commander, was among the first to review footage of these transmedium encounters, captured in 2015 by jets from the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The craft shown in those videos moved at extraordinary speeds, rotated midair, and left no propulsion trail.

“What I saw was not our technology,” Gallaudet said. “No nation has craft that can move like that.” For him, these phenomena represent a national research priority. He now collaborates with Graves and former Pentagon officials to push for transparency and investigation.

Four Major Incidents Still Unexplained

Several high-profile military encounters continue to raise questions about unidentified submerged objects. In 2004, Navy pilots aboard the USS Nimitz witnessed a Tic Tac–shaped craft that dropped from 80,000 feet to sea level in under one second, with no wings or engines.

• In 2013, infrared footage from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico captured a spherical object entering the ocean without a splash, resurfacing, then splitting into two before submerging—defying known flight and fluid dynamics.
• A 1990s incident involved a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter crew near Puerto Rico. As they retrieved a drone, a massive dark object rose from below and pulled it back underwater, leaving the pilot stunned.
• In 2019, the USS Omaha recorded a spherical object hovering over the Pacific before it dropped into the water without any visible splash. A sailor later confirmed similar sightings aboard the USS Jackson in 2023.

{ https://dailygalaxy.com/category/news/ }

NASA’s Perseverance Detects That 3-Billion-Year-Old Mars Rocks Contain Something Never Seen Before at This Scale

Deep inside rocks formed when water flowed on Mars, researchers have uncovered a surprising clue.

Written by Sarah Jones

© Credit: Shutterstock

NASA’s Perseverance rover has spotted unusually high levels of nickel in ancient Mars rocks, pointing to a surprisingly rich chemical environment billions of years ago.

The finding comes from Neretva Vallis and echoes mineral patterns that, on Earth, are sometimes linked to microbial activity. This does not prove that life existed on Mars, but it adds a new piece to a scientific investigation that has been ongoing for years.

Since landing in February 2021, Perseverance has been exploring Jezero crater, a 45-kilometer-wide basin believed to have once held a lake. As reported by Dr. Henry Manelski and his team at Purdue University, the crater shows clear signs of ancient water activity, including river channels and sediment deposits.

The rover eventually reached Neretva Vallis, an old river inlet where sediments dating back about 3 billion years have been preserved.

Record Nickel Levels Found In Martian Bedrock

To analyze the rocks, Perseverance used a mix of laser tools, infrared sensors, and X-ray instruments. Findings published in Nature Communications indicate that nickel showed up in 32 out of 126 rocks analyzed, with concentrations reaching up to 1.1% by weight.

“Generally, nickel is a trace element on the surfaces of Earth and Mars because the vast majority of it migrates into the planets’ cores during their formation. The substantial amount we have detected on the surface places unique constraints on how these rocks formed and were subsequently altered,” explained Henry Manelski.

^{Nickel found in magnesium-sulfate veins in Jezero crater suggests an authigenic origin. Credit: Manelski & al.}

This is the highest nickel level ever measured in Martian bedrock. The element appears alongside iron sulfide minerals and sulfates such as jarosite and akaganeite, which form as these rocks break down over time. He also noted:

“Nickel-rich iron-sulfide is observed on Earth in ancient sedimentary rocks. Iron sulfide weathers easily in oxygen-rich environments, so its presence in ancient terrestrial rocks is one line of evidence used to demonstrate that Earth’s early atmosphere was once very oxygen-poor,” 

Looks Like Earth’s Mineral Formations

Scientists were particularly struck by how these Martian minerals resemble pyrite, a common iron sulfide on Earth. Similar formations on our planet are often associated with microbial processes, especially in low-oxygen environments involving sulfate and iron.

_{Mineral veins in Jezero crater captured by Perseverance, with close-ups of Soap Creek and Seiber Point. Credit: Nature Communications}

The same region has also revealed iron sulfides alongside organic carbon compounds. This combination can be linked to biological activity, though it may also result from purely chemical reactions.

“The presence of nickel-rich rocks indicates that, if living organisms had been present on early Mars, nickel may have been available in a form that they could have used.”

An Unresolved Origin

The source of the nickel remains uncertain. Researchers suggest it may come from the breakdown of volcanic rocks or from a nickel-rich meteorite.

“Further research is needed to determine the source of nickel in Neretva Vallis and to investigate possible connections between it and organic matter in this location,” the authors concluded.

_{Nickel vs. iron levels in rocks at Dragon Creek (a) with a close-up of the analyzed surface (b). Credit: Nature Communications}

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

Donald Trump made a shocking revelation at a recent speaking event, abruptly announcing that he has instructed Pete Hegseth to release government UFO files. 

The president headlined a Turning Point USA event on Friday at a megachurch in Phoenix, Arizona, where he defended his record in office to a slew of young conservative voters. 

The event is the latest stop in the TPUSA tour across America, where top conservatives are attempting to bolster support for their party among young voters. 

During his remarks, Trump boasted about his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, revealing that the Pentagon would soon release documents relating to UFOs and 'unexplained aerial phenomena.' 

'I figured this was a good crowd because you people - you're really into that. I don't know. So I'm pleased to report today, I thought I'd save it for this crowd, because you're a little bit out there, that this process is well underway,' he joked. 

'We found many very interesting documents, I must say. And the first releases will begin very, very soon. So you can go out and see if that phenomena is correct. You'll figure it out. Let me know.' 

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's Task Force sent a letter to Hegseth in March, requesting video files related to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) by April 14. 

The letter followed hearings by the House task force in September, where whistleblowers testified that the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), a section of the Department of War, possessed video records of UAPs.

Donald Trump, pictured above speaking at a TPUSA event in Phoenix, revealed that he has directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to release UFO files 

It's unclear what files Trump was referring to in his remarks. Pictured above is a still from a previously released unclassified US government video appearing to show a UAP

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, pictured above on March 4 at the Pentagon, previously told reporters that his department was 'digging in' to UFO-related files 

'The lack of disclosure regarding the very real threat posed by UAPs in and around US restricted airspace is concerning,' House representatives wrote. 

'The presence of UAPs in and around the sensitive airspaces of US military installations poses a threat to the security of the armed forces and their readiness.'

The letter requested over 45 video files dating back to 2019, including footage of 'cigar-shaped' and 'spherical' UAPs. 

Some clips reportedly captured UAP formations near Iran and Syria, incidents near US bases and airports, and even a 2023 shootdown over Lake Huron. 

A video file reportedly revealing UFOs in formation over the Persian Gulf was also requested. 

Trump wrote on Truth Social in February that he would be directing Hegseth to begin identifying and releasing UFO-related files. 

'Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters,' he said at the time. 

Hegseth later told reporters that his department was 'digging in' to the files and would be in compliance with the president's orders. 

Leaked military video from 2012 revealed three orbs captured flying over the Persian Gulf, pictured above

Former President Barack Obama also hinted at classified UFO information during a podcast interview at the time. 

Read More

•  Trump's UFO disclosure takes step forward as world waits with bated breath 

When asked if aliens were real, he responded: 'They're real, but I haven't seen them, and they're not being kept in ... Area 51. 

'There's no underground facility unless there's this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.' 

Trump blasted Obama for the remarks, telling reporters that the former president 'took it out of classified information,' adding, 'He's not supposed to be doing that.'

The Pentagon has previously investigated UFO and UAP activity. In 2022, senior defense officials at the AARO announced that they had found no evidence that aliens had ever visited Earth. 

The AARO released a report in 2024, concluding that most UFO sightings were misidentified as ordinary objects and there was no evidence of extraterrestrial technology since the end of World War II. 

Despite earlier reports, it seems the federal government has continued to ramp up investigations, with the federal domain aliens.gov suddenly showing signs of activity. 

The site has now returned as an SSL error, a technical signal that the address may be connected to a live server but is not yet fully configured for public access.

The government has a long history of investigating UFOs. Starting in 1974, the US Air Force launched Project Blue Book, which cataloged over 12,000 UFO sightings. 

The project concluded in 1969 after officials determined there was no evidence of UFOs from other planets.

US Senator Harry Reid started to take an interest in UFOs in 1995, pushing the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program in 2007. 

Read More

• White House directs FBI to investigate disappearance of missing scientists 

Since then, there have been a slew of sightings investigated by federal authorities, including a near-collision off the Florida coast between Navy pilots and unidentified craft in 2014. 

The White House has also announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into a string of missing scientists. 

'In light of the recent and legitimate questions about these troubling cases, and President Trump’s commitment to the truth, the White House is actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI to holistically review all of the cases together and identify any potential commonalities that may exist,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House and the Pentagon for comment.  

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‘Found interesting documents’: Trump announces release of UFO files ‘very very soon’

"WE FOUND INTERESTING DOCUMENTS": Trump Vows Massive UFO File Release | DRM News | AC1C

US President Teases 'UFO Documents' Without Release Timeline | WION

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

The video opens with a compilation of various types of unidentified flying objects. Among the strange sightings are cylinder-shaped UFOs and a so-called “Fastwalker,” but the most striking moment features an orange sphere off the coast of Encinitas, California. 

The sphere suddenly appears above the ocean’s surface, casting an orange reflection across the water. It moves back and forth in a controlled manner before abruptly diving beneath the surface and vanishing. 

Moments later, it reemerges, only to submerge again. While underwater, its movement is still visible through a series of flashes, until it suddenly bursts back out of the ocean once more. 

This sequence repeats again, until the sphere finally ascends into the sky and disappears over the horizon. 

This brief compilation suggests that a wide variety of advanced technologies, whether man-made or of extraterrestrial origin, may be operating around our planet, often just beyond our understanding.

  

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

He's travelled more than 250,000 miles (402,000km) to the moon and back – but astronaut Reid Wiseman said one of the most emotional experiences of his mission was seeing a cross on his return to Earth.

The Artemis II commander, who says he is 'not religious', was reflecting on his mammoth mission to space during a press conference yesterday.

One reporter asked the crew whether they had experienced any shift in consciousness following their 10–day journey to the dark side of the lunar surface.

Wiseman confirmed he had, referencing a moment that occurred after the team were picked up by the US Navy following their splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

'I'm not really a religious person but there was no other avenue for me to explain anything or experience anything,' he said.

'So I asked for the chaplain on the Navy ship to just come visit us for a minute. When that man walked in – I'd never met him before in my life – but I saw the cross on his collar and I just broke down in tears.'

Wiseman said it's 'very hard to fully grasp what we just went through' and in the week since the astronauts came back, they have not had time to process their experience.

'It was other–worldly and it was amazing,' he said.

Reid Wiseman described the moment he 'broke down in tears' after seeing a cross on his return to Earth

Some of the incredible moments the astronauts witnessed included seeing Earth 'set' over the lunar surface

Since the Orion spacecraft splashed down last week, the crew have been going through extensive medical and physical testing.

As well as Wiseman, the team consists of pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.

They revealed they haven't really had time to properly reflect on their profound feat, which saw them break the record for the farthest humans have ever travelled from Earth.

'We've not had that decompression, we've not had that reflection time,' Wiseman said.

Some of the incredible moments they witnessed included seeing Earth 'set' behind the moon, a rare solar eclipse and observing our home planet suspended in the darkness of space.

'When the sun eclipsed behind the moon, I turned to Victor and said "I don't think humanity has evolved to the point of being able to comprehend what we are looking at right now",' Wiseman said.

Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen said he has been 'trying to find words' to describe the things he saw during the mission.

'But what kept grabbing my attention – when the lighting was right and we were looking out the window – is that I kept seeing this depth to the galaxy,' he said. 'That was mind–blowing for me. The sense I had of fragility and feeling infinitesimally small.'

This photo, titled 'The Artemis II Eclipse', was taken by the crew and shows the moment the moon eclipsed the sun

The cognitive shift that astronauts experience when viewing Earth from space is called the 'Overview Effect'

Artemis II crew members: Mission Specialist Christina Koch (L), Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (top), Commander Reid Wiseman (R), and Pilot Victor Glover (bottom) 

The cognitive shift that astronauts experience when viewing Earth from space is called the 'Overview Effect'.

This is characterised by an overwhelming sense of awe, unity and a deeper connection to the planet.

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell became the sixth person to walk on the moon during the Apollo mission in 1971.

After returning to Earth he famously said: 'You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it.

'From our there on the moon, international politics looks so petty.'

Despite the profoundness of their mission, astronaut Christina Koch revealed the team have been 'sleeping great' since they got back.

But she said: 'Every time I woke up during the first few days I thought I was floating. I truly thought I was floating and I had to convince myself I wasn't.'

She explained that she even let go of a shirt in the air, expecting it to float in front of her. 'It actually surprised me [when it dropped],' she said.

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The White House has vowed to leave 'no stone unturned' in its effort to uncover the truth behind the string of missing scientists. 

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Friday on X that President Donald Trump has brought the FBI into the investigation.

'In light of the recent and legitimate questions about these troubling cases, and President Trump’s commitment to the truth, the White House is actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI to holistically review all of the cases together and identify any potential commonalities that may exist,' Leavitt said.

Several scientists with ties to NASA, nuclear research, aerospace programs and classified projects have vanished or turned up dead in recent years. 

Many of the individuals, including researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, had access to sensitive information on space missions, nuclear technology or advanced defense systems, prompting speculation about possible connections. 

On Thursday, Trump revealed he had been briefed on the mysterious cases that have now reached 11.

The President addressed the alarming situation after landing at the White House on Thursday, where he was met by reporters and questioned by FOX News about whether the disappearances and deaths were random or potentially connected.

'Well, I hope it is random, but we are going to know in the next week and a half,' Trump said. 'I just left a meeting on that subject, so pretty serious stuff. Hopefully, coincidence... but some of them were very important people, and we are going to look at it.'

Retired Air Force General William Neil McCasland, 68, vanished from his New Mexico home without his phone, wearable devices or glasses on February 28

The President's statements followed a Wednesday briefing at the White House, where Leavitt was also asked about those linked to space or nuclear secrets who have mysteriously died or vanished without a trace.

'I haven't spoken to our relevant agencies about it. I will certainly do that and will get you an answer,' said Leavitt.

'If true, of course, that's definitely something I think this government and administration would deem worth looking into. So let me do that for you,' Leavitt continued.

This disturbing pattern emerged after retired Air Force General William Neil McCasland vanished on February 28.

He was last seen leaving his New Mexico home without his phone, wearable devices or glasses less than two months ago. He was only carrying a pistol and his wife told 911 dispatchers that it appeared he was trying 'not to be found.'

The strange circumstances surrounding the general's disappearance were almost identical to four other missing person cases taking place between May and August 2025 in the Southwest.

Concerningly, all four have been tied to McCasland through his work overseeing the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which has been rumored to study extraterrestrial technology since the 1947 Roswell UFO crash.

While at Wright-Patterson, McCasland oversaw and reportedly approved the funding for scientist Monica Jacinto Reza's work on a space-age metal for rocket engines called Mondaloy.

Steven Garcia was last seen on August 28 last year. A source has revealed to the Daily Mail that he worked as a government contractor at a key nuclear weapons facility

Monica Jacinto Reza, 60, was last seen hiking in the rugged San Gabriel Wilderness area within the Angeles National Forest on the trail to Waterman Mountain summit on June 22 last year

Reza, 60, disappeared while hiking with friends in California on June 22 last year. She had just become the director of the Materials Processing Group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The three other disappearances all involved workers at some of America's most important nuclear facilities, and all three were last seen walking out of their homes without their phones or keys, just like McCasland.

Steven Garcia, 48, vanished without a trace on August 28 last year. He was last seen leaving his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home on foot, carrying only a handgun. 

An anonymous source told the Daily Mail that Garcia was a government contractor working for the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC), a major facility in Albuquerque that manufactures more than 80 percent of all the non-nuclear components that go into building the military's nuclear weapons.

Anthony Chavez and Melissa Casias both worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), one of the nation's most important nuclear research sites.

Chavez, 79, worked at the lab until his retirement in 2017, although his role there has not been made clear. Casias, 54, was an active administrative assistant at the facility and is believed to have had top security clearance.

Anthony Chavez (left) and Melissa Casias were both employees at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Both disappeared within weeks of each other last year

Amy Eskridge was a scientist researching anti-gravity technology before her death in 2022 at age 34

All three were last seen leaving their homes in New Mexico on foot, leaving behind their cars, keys, wallets and phones before disappearing without a trace. Police have not had any updates in the cases since last year.

In addition to the string of disappearances, five scientists in key areas of research have died over the last few years.

Amy Eskridge was just 34 years old when she allegedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head in Huntsville, Alabama, on June 11, 2022. However, neither the police nor the medical examiners have publicly released any details of an investigation ever taking place.

Before her death, she was openly researching and trying to develop anti-gravity technology, a way to control or cancel out gravity, which could revolutionize space travel and energy production.

Nuclear physicist Nuno Loureiro and astrophysicist Carl Grillmair were both shot to death in their homes in recent months. 

Independent investigators have noted that Loureiro's revolutionary work in nuclear fusion may have made him a target of a greater conspiracy against US scientists, as his work may one day upend the energy industry. 

Last year, Claudio Neves Valente was identified by Boston authorities as a suspect in the shooting of Loureiro, as well as two Brown University students, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook. 

After eluding police for days, Valente, 48, died by suicide in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, on December 16.

Scientists Nuno Loureiro (left) and Carl Grillmair were both murdered in their own homes after making significant progress in the fields of nuclear fusion and astrophysics

Jason Thomas was found dead after being pulled from a Massachusetts lake on March 17. He had been missing since December 12

Grillmair's work with NASA's NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor has also been linked to the Air Force, as the telescopes used the same systems the military relies on to track satellites and missiles.

Meanwhile, NASA scientists Michael David Hicks and Frank Maiwald, who also worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab, died from unknown circumstances at an early age.

Maiwald, 61, was the lead researcher on a breakthrough that could help future space missions detect clear signs of life on other worlds just 13 months before he died in 2024.

Hicks, whose death came just a year after leaving JPL at age 59, had been involved with the DART Project, NASA’s test to see if humans could deflect dangerous asteroids away from Earth.

NASA's JPL has not commented on the deaths of Maiwald or Hicks, and did not reply to the Daily Mail's inquiries into the nature of the scientists' work before their deaths.

In another mysterious incident, Jason Thomas, a pharmaceutical researcher testing cancer treatments at Novartis, was found dead in a Massachusetts lake on March 17, after disappearing without a trace in December. Local police have claimed there was no foul play suspected.

A massive cluster of unknown flying objects was spotted near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a military installation long rumored to be linked to UFO activity.

Witnesses near the Ohio base captured the craft on April 8, showing a silent triangle of glowing lights moving in perfect formation before splitting apart mid-flight.

The lights appeared to drift slowly downward, flickering, pulsing and changing brightness individually as they hovered in the night sky.

Reports described the sighting as having 'no sound, no standard navigation lights, movement unlike any known aircraft, drone swarm or satellite.'

The video was reportedly taken from Rainbow Lakes, a 60-acre outdoor recreational retreat in Fairborn, about four miles from the base.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) has drawn renewed attention in recent months, as its research laboratory was previously led by retired Major General William Neil McCasland, who disappeared earlier this year.

McCasland, 68, went missing from his New Mexico home on February 28, reportedly leaving with only hiking boots and a .38-caliber revolver.

He led the Air Force Research Laboratory from May 2011 until his retirement in 2013, a facility long associated in UFO lore with alleged materials recovered after the 1947 Roswell incident.

A massive cluster of unknown flying objects was spotted near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a military installation long rumored to be linked to UFO activity

WPAFB leads development in aerospace technology, advanced materials, sensors, human performance and AI.

The Daily Mail has contacted WPAFB for comment on the video.

The clip has flooded social media, where users are debating whether the lights are extraterrestrials or parachutists with flares.

One user on X claimed the lights were 'non-human intelligent orbs,' while another user on Reddit shared: 'This is exactly what it looks like when parachuters have flares attached as they’re falling.'

'I agree that is what this looks like. A free-fall team, whether it be military or civilian, gets into their final descent stack after their chutes have already deployed,' a Redditor shared.

'My issue with this is that the cloud ceiling is super low. If this is a training jump, this low a ceiling would cause it to get pushed or canceled. 

'Obviously, it is hard to get an ideal grasp on everything since the video is short and in low light. That said, it looks like we lose visual on the flares intermittently as they pass through the clouds.'

Another Redditor joked, saying, 'They’re coming for more scientists,' likely referring to McCasland, who managed the Air Force's $2.2 billion science and technology program along with additional customer-funded research.

William Neil McCasland, 68, led a laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base that has long been associated with UFO lore

The lights appeared to drift slowly downward, flickering, pulsing and changing brightness individually as they hovered in the night sky

The retired general is said to have left his home on foot in February, but authorities have yet to locate any clues for his whereabouts. 

Because several of his personal items were left behind, investigators are trying to determine whether he left voluntarily or encountered trouble shortly after leaving his home. 

A 911 call, capturing a police dispatcher speaking with his wife, Susan Wilkerson, was released earlier this month, in which she can be heard saying that her husband 'had planned not to be found.'

'He's left his phone. He changed his clothes into... I don't know what. I think he's on foot. All of our cars and bicycles are in the garage,' Wilkerson said approximately three hours after McCasland disappeared.

'He turned it off and left it behind, which seems kind of deliberate because he's always got his phone. He has a smartwatch. I don't know if that's with him or not,' Wilkerson continued in audio obtained by the Law&Crime Network.

The clip has flooded social media, where users are debating whether the lights are extraterrestrials or parachuters with flares

Read More

EXCLUSIVE

• Several scientists are missing or dead. Now ex-FBI boss reveals chilling plot likely unfolding 

McCasland did not take any of his wearable devices or prescription glasses, leaving without any way to trace him. 

His name became associated with UFO topics after the 2016 WikiLeaks release of emails from John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman.

In the emails, musician Tom DeLonge, founder of Blink-182 and the UFO-focused To The Stars Academy (TTSA), referenced McCasland multiple times, claiming he had advised him on disclosure matters and helped assemble an advisory team.

DeLonge also suggested on a podcast that he was being advised by McCasland and several named and unnamed insiders to carry out a slow disclosure of UAP information to the American public from US government or contractor sources.

He claimed that the US government and contractor groups already possess free energy technology, sometimes referred to as zero-point energy, that could make conventional energy sources obsolete, stating: 'One inch of air could power the US for hundreds of years.'

DeLonge suggested that TTSA was being restrained from releasing all the information government insiders had provided, but that the organization sought investment from private sources to develop this technology for energy and aerospace purposes.

He further stated that TTSA expected to create a working anti-gravity craft, and the company's SEC filing noted that its aerospace division is 'dedicated to finding revolutionary breakthroughs in propulsion, energy and communications.'

An email tied McCasland to Wright-Patterson, alleging he oversaw the lab where Roswell materials were supposedly sent and scheduling emails showed a planned meeting with DeLonge, Podesta, and someone signing as 'Neil McC,' consistent with McCasland.

These claims come from DeLonge and have not been confirmed by McCasland or official records.

There is no public evidence that he participated in UFO crash retrievals, reverse-engineering of non-human technology, or classified extraterrestrial programs.

His documented work focused on advanced aerospace research, which has fueled speculation about experimental propulsion and unidentified phenomena in defense circles.

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