Chinese scientists have announced the discovery of a previously unknown crater named Jinlin. It was formed after the end of the last ice age.

Panoramic image of the Jinlin crater taken by drone, showing the approximate location of the crater rim and an inset image of the crater floor, which shows a mixture of weathered granite soil and granite fragments. The yellow line is 20 centimeters long. Source: Ming Chen

The Jinlin crater is located in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province. The impact structure is located on a hillside, preserved under a thick granite weathering crust. Its diameter is 900 meters.

According to scientists’ estimates, the crater is very young. It was formed in the early to mid-Holocene epoch, our current geological era, which began after the end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago. This makes Jinlin the largest impact crater in modern human history. In terms of size, it significantly exceeds the Macha crater, which was formed in the Holocene and has a diameter of only 300 meters.

One of the most remarkable features of the Jinlin crater is its good preservation, considering the climatic conditions. The region where it is located is characterized by monsoons, heavy rains, and high humidity. In the granite layers that helped protect and preserve its structure, researchers found many pieces of quartz with unique features that prove its impact origin.

According to scientists, the crater was formed by the impact of a small asteroid. However, the research team has not yet determined whether it was made of iron or stone.

At present, there are about 200 confirmed impact craters on Earth. In reality, there were many more, but due to erosion and plate tectonics, many of them have completely disappeared without leaving any traces. This makes the discovery of the Jinlin crater particularly significant. It shows that the scale of impacts of small extraterrestrial objects on Earth during the Holocene was much greater than previously thought.

Earlier, we reported on another crater recently discovered in China, which was photographed by a NASA satellite.

• According to Eurekalert.org

• Posted in News, Science

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

A team of Chinese scientists has announced the discovery of a new type of cave on Mars, created by water flows. They could have been home to life.

Illustration showing the mechanism of karstic cave formation on Mars. Source: The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae0f1c

If there is or ever was life on Mars, it most likely existed in caves, protected from severe dust storms, extreme temperature fluctuations, and high levels of radiation on the planet’s surface. However, until recently, most of the Martian caves found were lava tubes (cavities in solidified lava flows), which could hardly claim to be an oasis of life.

However, it appears that there are other types of caves on Mars. In an article published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, a team of Chinese scientists presented the first evidence of karstic caves on the Red Planet.

On Earth, karstic caves usually form when water dissolves rocks such as limestone or gypsum, creating and enlarging underground cracks and fissures that become large enough to become caves. Scientists believe that similar processes occurred on ancient Mars, where water dissolved carbonate- and sulfate-rich rocks.

Location of karstic caves on Mars. Source: The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae0f1c

The caves we are talking about are located in a region called Hebrus Valles. It is a system of ancient valleys and drainage channels in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars. After studying images from spacecraft, scientists discovered eight pits. These are deep and mostly circular depressions, rather than impact craters, which usually have raised edges and debris scattered around them.

Data collected by the Mars Global Surveyor’s thermal emission spectrometer indicate that the rocks around the pits are rich in carbonates and sulfates. These are types of rocks that water can easily dissolve. The team also used high-resolution images to create three-dimensional structural models, which showed that the shapes of the pits correspond to collapse caused by water, rather than volcanic or tectonic activity.

According to the authors of the discovery, eight potential karstic caves should be priority targets for future Mars missions. Even if there is no life there, they could serve as natural shelters for astronauts and a place to set up their base.

We previously reported on the existence of a habitable ocean on Enceladus.

• According to Phys.org

• Posted in News, Science

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

Cube-Shaped UFOs; Not Drones, Not Balloons, so What Are They?

An illustration of a cube-shaped UFO.

Depositphotos.

Naval Aviators have reported encountering strange “Black Cube” UFOs that were surrounded by strange clear spheres. Some of these cube-shaped UFOs even shadowed some, and many airplanes nearly collided with them. So this begs the question, what have aviators encountered? Based on their reports and comments, these objects were not weather balloons, were not drones, and seemed like nothing humankind has ever produced.

Some of these objects display characteristics that are unlike any modern-day aircraft. The technology at their disposal, as per comments made by fighter pilots, is beyond anything we know of. But the danger about these objects resides not only in the fact that we do not know what they are or whom they belong to; the greater danger resides in the fact that on numerous occasions, fighter pilots have almost collided with these mysterious objects. As penned down by Marik Von Rennenkampff for The Hill, Fighter pilots narrowly escaped disaster in 2014 when the jets were flying in controlled airspace and almost collided with an unidentified flying object. But this is just one of many examples. In fact, fighter pilots have reported seeing these objects “everywhere.”

In the piece, Rennenkampff had asked former fighter pilot Ryan Graves about UFO encounters. The experienced pilot answered that he and his colleagues saw these objects near airports and over the continental United States. On many occasions, these objects appeared hundreds of miles out to sea. ” There’s air traffic operation, and they’re operating in ways that are befuddling our aviators,” the experienced fighter pilot revealed in the interview. One of the perhaps more interesting UFO encounters that took place near an airport is the so-called Aguadilla UFO that took place in 2013 in Puerto Rico. At the time, a United States Customs and Border plane spotted a mysterious fast-moving object near the airport. This UFO headed out towards the ocean, splashed into the sea as if it did not even make contact with the water, reappeared, and then spit into two. You can read more about it here.

Perhaps what is most interesting is an encounter recalled by Graves that took place off the East Coast in 2014, when a fighter pilot described a dark cube-shaped UFO that was surrounded by some sort of clear sphere. What is most interesting is that this UFO had no wings, flaps, tails, and no visible propulsion system. But these encounters with the enigmatic cube-shaped UFOs are by no means isolated events. In fact, Graves recalls that a few years after the 2014 incident, a test pilot had spoken with Graves about encountering such an object.

According to the test pilot, the cube-shaped UFO surrounded by a clear sphere was just “flying alongside the pilot” at an approximate distance of some 30 feet. Eventually, the object just accelerated and disappeared. The exact origin of these objects remains a profound mystery. However, with the age of UFO transparency finally, upon us, we may finally get a better understanding of what these objects are. NASA is putting great effort into trying to find out what these objects are, the Pentagon has a UFO office that is investing a great amount of money and time in discovering their source, and the US Congress, in the meanwhile, seems convinced these things are not of this planet.

{ https://curiosmos.com/category/alien-theories/ }

Aurora Borealis in Utah, Nov 11, 2025 Guys I just recorded this a few minutes ago.

Date of sighting: Nov 11, 2025

Location of sighting: Bountiful, Utah, USA

 

Even now as I write this, the pinkish northern lights are shining across the northern side of my home. The lights are changing shape and location for the last half hour, but always shocking me. This is the first time I have ever seen the Aurora Borealis before, and for it to reach the desert of Utah USA is just wow! It doesnt show up as well on video, sorry for that, but photos do it justice. 

Scott C. Waring

 

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

Ancient Doorway On Mars Near Rover, Explains the tiny figures found. UFO Sighting News.

Date of discovery: Nov 11, 2025

Location of discovery: Mars

Source: 

• https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020-raw-images/pub/ods/surface/sol/01678/ids/edr/browse/zcam/ZR0_1678_0815902364_488EBY_N0802956ZCAM04268_0790LMJ01_800.jpg

Guys check out this tiny ancient doorway I found in a rover photo today. It's about 9 inches tall and 6 inches wide and the top is arched like a doorway from ancient times. It matches up with all the tiny figures we have found over the last two decades...it all makes sense now. 

Scott C. Waring 

 

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

Around 4,500 years after it was constructed, scientists think they've located the remains of a hidden entrance at a historic pyramid in Egypt. 

Built around 2510 BC and standing nearly 200 feet tall, Pyramid of Menkaure is the smallest of the three main pyramids of the famous Giza complex. 

It was built to serve as the tomb of the King Menkaure, the Fourth Dynasty king whose sarcophagus mysteriously went missing.  

Researchers in Egypt and Germany have used high-tech scanning methods to peer behind the pyramid's historic granite bricks. 

They report that there are two hidden air-filled anomalies which suggest a hidden entrance undetected in the modern era until now. 

Christian Grosse, professor of non-destructive testing at Technical University of Munich (TUM), called it 'an important finding in Giza'. 

'The testing methodology we developed allows very precise conclusions to be drawn about the nature of the pyramid's interior,' he said.  

'The hypothesis of another entrance is very plausible, and our results take us a big step closer to confirming it.'  

Around 4,500 years after it was constructed, scientists think they've located the remains of a hidden entrance at a historic pyramid in Egypt 

Pyramid of Menkaure, - the smallest of the three main pyramids of the Giza pyramid complex, standing at nearly 200 feet tall - had a second entrance, experts think. In this photo, the northern side (featuring the primary entrance) is in shadow. The southern side is illuminated by sunlight. Also seen are three much smaller pyramids known as the Queens' Pyramids

The Menkaure pyramid's primary entrance is on its northern side, but experts think the second one is on the eastern side, which faces the River Nile.

In particular, they point to a 13ft by 19ft (four metres high and six metres wide) rectangular area of the eastern side that's close to the ground. 

Weirdly, the granite blocks in this area of the eastern façade are 'unusually smooth' as if they'd been rigorously polished millennia ago. 

Tellingly, such smooth stones are found at the primary entrance on the northern side – suggesting a second one long existed here too but has been forgotten. 

Independent researcher Stijn van den Hoven theorized this possible additional entrance for the first time in 2019, but this has remained a hypothesis – until now. 

The experts at Cairo University and Technical University of Munich (TUM) used 'non-invasive' methods – radar, ultrasound and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) – to peer inside without pulling apart the ancient bricks. 

Excitingly, they detected two air-filled voids behind the smooth façade, both of different sizes and at different heights. 

One of the air-filled 'anomalies' is located at a depth of 4.5 feet (1.4 metres), measuring 3.2 feet by 4.8 feet (1 metre high by 1.5 metre wide), while the other anomaly is at a depth of 3.7 feet (1.13 metres), measuring 2.9 feet by 2.2 feet (0.9 metres by 0.7 metres). 

The research using radar, ultrasound and ERT prove the existence of two air-filled voids underneath the eastern façade, providing initial evidence to support the hypothesis

Why the two void-filled spaces are arranged exactly like this is puzzling, but together they 'could support the hypothesis of a second entrance'. 

The team point out that each technique used in this study has its own limitations, but by using a combination of all three their conclusions are reliable. 

Today, tourists can go inside Pyramid of Menkaure and traverse its burial chambers, corridors and other little niches, but a second entrance on the eastern side hints that there could be still undiscovered chambers or passages containing treasures unseen by modern eyes. 

However, the interpretation of the detected anomalies should be 'discussed among Egyptologists' before any firm conclusions are made. 

Researchers caution it was 'difficult to determine how far the anomalies extend inside the pyramid' due to limitations in the penetration depth of their methods. 

Nevertheless, the study published in NDT & E International, marks the first time structural anomalies have been identified behind the distinctive façade on the east side. 

It's believed Pyramid of Menkaure was built to serve as the tomb of Menkaure, the Fourth Dynasty king, who died as a young man in 2503 BC for reasons unknown. 

Pictured, the location and dimensions of the detected anomalies overlaid on a photograph of the Eastern face of Menkaure

'The hypothesis of an entrance is very plausible': Researchers have identified two air-filled voids in the Menkaure Pyramid by using non-invasive methods 

Unfortunately, the sarcophagus within the pyramid was lost at sea nearly 200 years ago during attempts to transport it to the British Museum in London. 

The merchant ship carrying it, Beatrice, was mysteriously lost after leaving port at Malta on October 13, 1838.

The Giza complex, west of Cairo, includes the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, along with the Great Sphinx. 

All are shrouded in mystery due to their unclear construction methods, precise astronomical alignment, and still-debated purpose. 

WHAT IS THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS?

The Valley of the Kings in upper Egypt is one of the country's main tourist attractions, situated next to the Giza pyramid complex.

The majority of the pharaohs of the 18th to 20th dynasties, who ruled from 1550 to 1069 BC, rested in the tombs which were cut into the local rock.

The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues as to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period.

Almost all of the tombs were opened and looted centuries ago, but the sites still give an idea of the opulence and power of the Pharaohs.

The majority of the pharaohs of the 18th to 20th dynasties, who ruled from 1550 to 1069 BC, rested in the tombs which were cut into the local rock. Pictured are godess statues in the valley

The most famous pharaoh at the site is Tutankhamen, whose tomb was discovered in 1922.

Preserved to this day, in the tomb are original decorations of sacred imagery from, among others, the Book of Gates or the Book of Caverns.

These are among the most important funeral texts found on the walls of ancient Egyptian tombs. 

The Valley of the Kings in upper Egypt is one of the country's main tourist attractions, situated next to the Giza pyramid complex 

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

A remarkable discovery within the Great Pyramid of Giza could potentially reshape our understanding of ancient Egypt, one of the country’s most renowned Egyptologists has said.

The claims were made by Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass, who recently hinted at a tantalizing discovery that will come to light sometime in 2026, adding that he expects it will “rewrite history” and offer new insights into the ancient history of Egypt and its rulers.

The 78-year-old Egyptologist made comments during an appearance at the 44^th Sharjah International Book Fair, where he described the mysterious discovery as one that will “write a new chapter in the history of the Pharaohs.”

A New Discovery at Giza’s Great Pyramid

Hawass, Egypt’s former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, has conducted work at many of the country’s most renowned archaeological sites in the Western Desert and Nile Delta, among other locations.

During the recent event, Hawass offered additional clues about the forthcoming revelation, stating that “This great discovery is a new 30-meter-long passageway,” which he said had been “detected using advanced equipment,” and appears to lead to a concealed doorway within the Great Pyramid.

Egyptologist Zahi Hawass in 2009 (Image: White House/Public Domain)

Remote sensing technologies and advanced robotic systems helped Hawass and his collaborators make the discovery, which was uncovered in areas within the ancient monument that could to be reached before the modern era.

This is not the first time such discoveries have been announced. In 2023, the identification of a nine-meter-long corridor was announced by the ScanPyramids project, building on earlier discoveries that included the detection of an unusual area within the structure, which researchers characterized as a “void” first discovered in 2017.

Tantalizing Clues

Along with the description the former Antiquities Minister provided about the discovery of the 30-meter-long passageway, Hawass further hinted that the new revelations may have to do with two other long-held pursuits of his professional Egyptological career. These include the discovery of the tombs of Imhotep, widely recognized by historians as Egypt’s first architect, and that of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, the wife of the Pharaoh Akhenaten and half-sister of the famed King Tutankhamun.

Hawass’s statements have led to speculations that the discoveries might be related to the discovery of Imhotep’s tomb, although the famed ancient Egyptian architect lived during the 3rd Dynasty, predating the construction of the Great Pyramid by close to a century.

Imhotep is credited with the construction of the famous Step Pyramid at Saqqara for the 3rd Dynasty Pharaoh Djoser, which served as the template for the construction of later similar buildings that would build on and refine the now-famous pyramid design.

Hawass refrained from commenting on what lies beyond the passage within the Great Pyramid, saying that the forthcoming announcement next year by an international team of researchers will provide deeper insights only following a thorough analysis of the data they obtained, which was collected using 3D mapping technologies and muon-radiography.

Nonetheless, Hawass maintained that the discovery of Imhotep’s tomb would be one of the most important discoveries in the history of archaeology, calling it perhaps even greater than the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922. Among the discoveries Hawass teased, he also seemed to indicate that he has knowledge of where Imhotep’s tomb may be located.

• 

See Also

5,000-Year-Old Symbols Predating Recorded History Could Hold the Key to Decoding Undecipherable Ancient Texts

Recovery of Egyptian Antiquities

During the event, Hawass also spoke of the Grand Egyptian Museum, a project first announced in the early 1990s and finally coming to fruition with its opening in 2023.

The former Antiquities Minister called it “one of the greatest museums in the world,” noting its impressive collection of “more than 5,000 artifacts from the treasures of King Tutankhamun,” which are now on public display for the first time in history.

Hawass is currently involved in efforts by the Egyptian authorities to repatriate the country’s antiquities, many of which were removed from the country more than a century ago and are presently being kept in museums around the world.

Hawass called the return of these artifacts to their homeland “a historical and civilizational right that must be restored.”

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

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

Scientists issue chilling update on the ‘city-killer’ asteroid heading towards the moon – as they warn the odds of a collision could rise to as much as 30%

• READ MORE: Driver narrowly avoids a collision with one-in-a-billion METEORITE

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

Scientists have issued a chilling update on the 'city-killer' asteroid heading towards the moon.

Asteroid 2024 YR4, a 220-foot (67m) 'city-killer', currently has a four per cent chance of hitting the moon on 22 December 2032. 

However, fresh observations could mean the odds of a collision rise to as high as 30 per cent. 

If the massive asteroid does hit the moon, it could carve out a 0.6-mile-wide crater and shower Earth with lunar shrapnel. 

Researchers predict there will be a slim window for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe the asteroid in February. 

This will be one of the last good chances to predict 2024 YR4's trajectory before it returns into view of Earth's telescopes in 2028.

And, according to Dr Andrew Rivkin, of Johns Hopkins University, these observations could significantly change the odds of a lunar impact.

That means the world's space agencies are rapidly running out of time to decide what they should do. 

2024 YR4 (pictured) was spotted in December 2024 and set alarm bells ringing as it reached the highest chances of hitting Earth of any known asteroid. Now, experts are concerned that it will hit the moon 

2024 YR4 was spotted in December 2024 and set alarm bells ringing as it reached the highest chances of hitting Earth of any known asteroid.

At its peak, there was a terrifying one in 32 chance of the deadly space rock colliding with our planet.

Although this probability rapidly dropped to almost zero as astronomers made more observations, another troubling scenario soon presented itself.

Based on the asteroid's predicted orbit, there was still a non-negligible chance that it would hit the moon instead.

The asteroid has been hidden from Earth's telescopes since the middle of last year, making it difficult to predict its exact orbit. 

However, the JWST's unique position in orbit means that it will be able to see the 2024 YR4 for two brief windows on February 18 and 26.

Since the asteroid is so far away, it will still be difficult to get lots of data, but these observations could change our understanding of its position and speed.

Dr Rivkin and his colleagues have calculated how checking on the asteroid in February might change the predicted probability of a lunar impact.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will have another chance to observe 2024 YR4 in February, but these measurements could significantly change what we know about its position and velocity. Pictured: 2024 YR4 as seen by the JWST on 8 March, 2025

What do we know about 2024 YR4?

First detected: December 27, 2024

Estimated size: 174-220 feet (53-67 metres)

Speed relative to Earth: More than 30,000 miles per hour

Date of possible moon impact: December 22, 2032

Probability of impacting the moon: 1-in-23 (4.3 per cent)

They predict there is an 80 per cent chance that new observations will reduce the odds of 2024 YR4 hitting the moon to below one per cent. 

However, there is a five per cent chance that these observations actually increase the chances of the asteroid hitting the moon to 30 per cent.

There is also a 15 per cent chance that the odds of an impact will stay the same or only change slightly 

This is extremely important because agencies like NASA and the European Space Agency are running out of time to decide whether they should deflect 2024 YR4.

NASA's DART mission has shown that slamming a satellite into the side of an asteroid can knock it off its path by a wide enough margin to protect Earth and the moon.

But these 'kinetic impact' deflection methods only cause small changes in the space rock's trajectory and need to be started years before a collision is likely.

NASA researchers have considered deflection methods for 2024 YR4, including hitting it with a nuclear bomb, but these all need to be launched by 2030 at the very latest.

The JWST will get another chance to observe 2024 YR4 in 2027, but the sooner space agencies make up their mind, the better.

If the asteroid does hit the moon, it could release 10,000 tonnes of debris into space, up to 30 per cent of which could be funnelled towards Earth (illustrated) 

Dr Rivkin told New Scientist: 'By 2028, it would be cutting things very, very close, and so getting it in early 2026 instead gives some extra time.'

Although it won't be as destructive as an impact with the Earth, a lunar collision is dangerous enough for deflecting 2024 YR4 to be an option worth considering.

The asteroid could hit the moon at over 29,000mph (46,800 kmph), releasing a blast 500 times larger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and ejecting 10,000 tonnes of rock into space.

If the asteroid hits in the right place, Earth's gravity might funnel between 10 and 30 per cent of the ejected material directly towards our planet.

Read More

• Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS is seen for the first time since it disappeared behind the sun 

This could have a devastating effect on satellites in low-Earth orbit that are responsible for maintaining communications and navigation services on Earth.

Richard Moissl, head of planetary defence at ESA, told Daily Mail that a lunar collision poses no risk for people on Earth, but 'could pose a potential threat for space-based infrastructure'.

However, there are no missions to surveil or deflect 2024 YR4 in the agency's budget for this year.

Mr Moissl says that the decision will 'depend on the exact situation following the observations and assessment of the situation...more detailed studies would be needed to reach a comprehensive assessment.'

POTENTIAL METHODS FOR ELIMINATING THE THREAT OF AN ASTEROID  

DART is one of many concepts of how to negate the threat of an asteroid that have been suggested over the years. 

Multiple bumps 

Scientists in California have been firing projectiles at meteorites to simulate the best methods of altering the course of an asteroid so that it wouldn't hit Earth. 

According to the results so far, an asteroid like Bennu that is rich in carbon could need several small bumps to charge its course.

'These results indicate multiple successive impacts may be required to deflect rather than disrupt asteroids, particularly carbonaceous asteroids,' researchers said.  

Nuke 

Another idea, known simply as 'nuke', involves blowing up a nuclear explosive close to the asteroid.

However, this could create smaller but still potentially dangerous fragments of rock that could spin off in all directions, potentially towards Earth. 

Ion Beam Deflection

With Ion Beam Deflection, plumes from a space probe's thrusters would be directed towards the asteroid to gently push on its surface over a wide area. 

A thruster firing in the opposite direction would be needed to keep the spacecraft at a constant distance from the asteroid. 

Gravity tractor 

And yet another concept, gravity tractor, would deflect the asteroid without physically contacting it, but instead by using only its gravitational field to transmit a required impulse. 

Professor Colin Snodgrass, an astronomer at the University of Edinburgh said: 'There have been a few concepts suggested, such as a ‘gravity tractor’ to slowly tow an asteroid away instead of pushing it with a kinetic impactor.

'But the kinetic impactor is definitely the simplest technology to use on the sort of timescale that is most likely to be of concern for this size of asteroid, i.e. years to decades warning time.'

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

First Contact | Full UFO Documentary | Alien Contact | James Woods

 After a startling UFO encounter, a man becomes a trance channel for an extraterrestrial intelligence. 2016. Stars: Darryl Anka, James Woods, Ken Belsky, Zachary Dean, Dan Leech

Do we really need to make contact with aliens? Every day scientists are sending out signals into space attempting to contact ...

{ https://www.youtube.com/ }

Het opsporen van UAP-mythen door de eeuwen heen: een uitgebreide historische analyse

Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), vaak aangeduid als ‘onbekende vliegende objecten’, worden tegenwoordig vooral geassocieerd met moderne technologieën, geheime overheidsprogramma’s en de zoektocht naar buitenaards leven. Toch is het patroon van mysterieuze luchtverschijnselen niet nieuw en strekt het zich al duizenden jaren terug in de geschiedenis. Doorheen de tijd heeft de mensheid de onverklaarbare waarnemingen in de lucht geïnterpreteerd op manieren die diep verankerd zijn in hun sociale, religieuze en culturele wereldbeeld. In dit artikel voegen we een gedetailleerde en uitgebreide blik toe op hoe UAP-mythen zich door de geschiedenis hebben ontwikkeld, ondersteund met concrete voorbeelden uit verschillende periodes en culturen. We laten zien dat deze verschijnselen niet louter het resultaat zijn van natuurlijke of technologische verklaringen, maar vaak een spiegel vormen voor de menselijke behoefte aan betekenis, interpretatie en geïntegreerde wereldbeelden.

Oudheid: Hemellichamen als goddelijke boodschappers

Het verhaal begint in de oudheid, waarbij de hemel niet verder werd gezien dan een kristallen koorden die de goden symboliseerden of een mysterieus domein waarin bovennatuurlijke krachten heersten. De Mesopotamische beschrijvingen van ‘disken van vuur’ op de codex tablets (zoals te vinden in het Sumerische en Babylonië) geven hiervan een levendige indruk. Deze ‘disken’ werden in de literatuur vaak afgebeeld als bewegende, lichtgevende objecten die Nieuwen en Oude koningen aanschouwden tijdens hun rituelen of militaire campagnes. Mesopotamische priesters beschouwden deze fenomeen mogelijk als teken van de goden of als communicatie van bovennatuurlijke machten.

Een bekend voorbeeld hiervan is de beschrijving in een 7de-eeuwse Babylonische tekst, waar een ‘reuzenwiel’ wordt gezien dat in de hemel beweegt. Ook de Egyptische bronnen, zoals de beroemde “Pyramide Teksten” en inscripties uit de Oude Egyptische dynastieën, spreken van bovennatuurlijke verschijnselen die niet alleen astronomisch, maar ook spiritueel geladen zijn. Bijvoorbeeld, de ‘hemellichamen’ werden niet alleen als sterren en planeten gezien, maar ook als manifestaties van goddelijke kracht en tekenen van het lot.

In de Bijbel wordt een opvallend voorbeeld gevonden in het boek Ezekiel (hoofdstuk 1), waarin een complexe beschrijving wordt gegeven van ‘het wiel binnen een wiel’, omgeven door glanzende vuur en kolommen van licht. Wat Ezekiel zag, wordt vaak geïnterpreteerd als een visionaire beschrijving van een hemelse voertuig of een niet-menselijk machinaal apparaat. Hoewel moderne wetenschappers meestal sceptisch zijn over een letterlijke lezing, suggereren sommige theoretici dat deze symbolische taal mogelijk is geïnspireerd door echte observations van ongewone luchtverschijnselen — wellicht door natuurlijke lichtbogen of atmosferische verschijnselen, die door de culturele bril werden geprojecteerd als hemelse mobiliteit.

De centrale notie blijft dat in deze oude beschrijvingen de hemel niet slechts een decor voor natuurverschijnselen was, maar een actief domein waarin de goddelijke of bovennatuurlijke krachten zichtbaar werden in vormen die voor de mensen betekenis moesten hebben. Volgens historicus Dr. Leila Hassan, die gespecialiseerd is in oude Mesopotamische teksten: “Deze beschrijvingen waren minder gericht op technologische verschijnselen en meer op het toeschrijven van een hogere (bovennatuurlijke) macht, iets dat nog steeds terug te vinden is in onze interpretatie van UAP-waarnemingen vandaag.”

Middeleeuwen: Hemelse strijd en religieuze interpretaties

In de overgang van de oudheid naar de middeleeuwen, kregen de mythes over luchtverschijnselen een nieuwe dimensie – verweven met de religieuze en politieke turbulentie van de tijd. Het voorbeeld van de beroemde Nuremberg-broadsheet uit 1561 markeert deze evolutionaire fase. De illustratie toont felle, cilindrische en bolvormige objecten die in de lucht in een soort ‘gevecht’ betrokken lijken te zijn. Mede door de artistieke en tryptische stijl van de tijd werden deze verschijnselen vaak geïnterpreteerd als tekenen van goddelijke oorlogen of apocalyptische voorspellingen.

Veelbelangrijker is dat het fenomeen van luchtgevechten en vliegende objecten in de middeleeuwen ook in andere culturen werd waargenomen. Een opvallend voorbeeld is de Japanse ‘Utsuro-bune’—een holografisch vallende scheepstype dat in de Edo-periode (17de tot 19de eeuw) verscheen op oude illustraties en verhalen. Deze ‘holle boot’ werd vaak afgebeeld als stralend en geheimzinnig en zou volgens de vertellingen bemand zijn door buitenaardse of niet-menselijke wezens.

Skeptici verklaren dergelijke waarnemingen vaak als optische illusies, zoals zonnegloed, mist of atmosferische opticische verschijnselen als parel- of halospectra. Echter, de culturele reactie op deze vreemde verschijnselen was consistent: men probeerde het te begrijpen binnen het bestaande religieuze kader. Als de hemel vol stond met vuur en licht, dan moest dat wel een morele of eschatologische betekenis hebben. Professor Hans Meier, een vooraanstaand medievalist, stelt dat “de middeleeuwse kijk op de hemel was een theater voor engelen en demonen. Elke afwijking in licht werd automatisch geïnterpreteerd als een bovennatuurlijke strijd, een teken van goddelijke tussenkomst of duivelshandelen.”

Renaissance en de ontdekking van de wetenschap

Met de opkomst van de Renaissance en de wetenschappelijke revolutie ontstond er een nieuwe aanpak. Mensen begonnen zich vragen te stellen bij hemelverschijnselen en probeerden ze te verklaren met behulp van waarnemingen en experimenten in plaats van louter religieuze interpretaties. De uitvinding van de telescoop en de toepassing van astronomische principes door bijvoorbeeld Galileo Galilei en Johannes Kepler banaalden de oude mythes af.

Tegelijkertijd bleef de fascinatie voor luchtverschijnselen bestaan, vooral onder de gewone bevolking. In de 17e en 18e eeuw werden bijvoorbeeld ‘fantoomschepen’ en ‘lichtballonnen’ vaak waargenomen, met sommige rapporten die sterk lijken op de moderne UAP-voorstellingen. De beroemde ‘Dagen van de Maan’ of de observaties van niet-gevallen hemellichamen zorgden voor speculatie, maar ook voor wetenschappelijke nieuwsgierigheid.

In 1896 groeide deze interesse explosief tijdens de ‘Great Airship Wave’ in de Verenigde Staten. Honderden getuigen meldden het zien van mysterieuze, cigar-shaped of cilindervormige luchtvaartuigen die zich lieten zien boven dorpen en steden, soms met fakkels of stralende lichten. Hoewel veel hiervan later werd toegeschreven aan overactieve verbeelding, hoaxes of natuurlijke verschijnselen zoals ballonnen of meteorologische ballonnen, toont het duidelijke dat de menselijke perceptie van het vreemde niets is afgenomen, maar eerder is geëvolueerd. Volgens Dr. Eleanor Whitaker, die in 1901 een studie publiceerde over deze waarnemingen: “Hoe beter onze meetinstrumenten worden, hoe meer wij ons bewust worden van het onbegrijpelijke in de lucht.”

De twintigste eeuw: van mythos tot militaire en wetenschappelijke analyses

De grote sprong in UAP-mythen kwam in de 20e eeuw, vooral tijdens de koude oorlog. Het ontstaan van de atomare dreiging en het ruimtevaarttijdperk beïnvloedden de interpretaties van hemelverschijnselen sterk. Na de beroemde R-17 “Roswell Incident” in 1947 en de radarcontacten boven Washington D.C. in 1952, werd de lucht boven de landen niet langer slechts een mysterie, maar ook een potentiële militaire threatening.

Deze periode wordt gekenmerkt door intense media- en militaire belangstelling en het ontstaan van officiële instanties zoals de U.S. Air Force’s Project Sign en later Project Blue Book, die moeten uitzoeken of UAP gevaarlijk waren of niet. Terwijl veel waarnemingen uiteindelijk konden worden verklaard door natuurlijke verschijnselen, zoals weerballonnen, stof, weersverschijnselen of menselijke activiteit, bleef de grote vraag bestaan: zijn er objecten die niet kunnen worden verklaard en die mogelijk buitenaards van oorsprong zijn?

In 2004 en 2015 kwamen de Amerikaanse Navy en Air Force opnieuw in het nieuws doordat zij het publiek toegang gaven tot korte videobeelden van UAP’s. In deze beelden, zoals die vrijgegeven zijn door het Pentagon, wordt duidelijk dat het militaire personeel werd geconfronteerd met objecten die snel bewogen, ongebruikelijke snelheden bereikten en mysterieuze vormen aannamen — vaak zonder duidelijke verklaring. Een belangrijke conclusie was dat deze objecten niet kon worden herleid tot bekende militaire technologieën of natuurlijke verschijnselen. Deze gebeurtenissen hebben geleid tot hernieuwde wetenschappelijke interesse en tot de vorming van officiële instanties zoals het Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF).

Hedendaagse interpretaties: Cultuur, wetenschap en de zoektocht naar antwoorden

Tegenwoordig staat de discussie rond UAP niet alleen meer in het teken van mysterie en quasi-mystieke interpretaties. Wetenschappers, overheden en het publiek zoeken nu naar bewijs dat deze objecten mogelijk buitenaards, of in ieder geval niet-menselijk, kunnen zijn. Tegelijkertijd blijft de culturele interpretatie een sterke factor: onze samenleving wijst nog altijd naar de hemel en zoekt patronen, zelfs in de meest ongewone verschijnselen.

Onderzoekers zoals dr. Jacques Vallée en Avi Loeb benadrukken dat het bestuderen van UAP’s niet alleen een technologische uitdaging is, maar ook een culturele en psychologische. Vallée, een pionier in de studie van onverklaarbare fenomenen, stelt dat “ons culturele referentiekader bepaalt hoe we deze verschijnselen interpreteren. We projecteren onze angsten, hoop en overtuigingen op de lucht, wat de waarnemingen soms vervormt.”

De recente publieke rapporten en officiële verklaringen hebben geleid tot een hernieuwde interesse in het verzamelen en analyseren van gegevens, met projecten zoals het UAP Analysis and Data Collection Project van de Amerikaanse overheid. Tot op heden ligt de focus vooral op het vaststellen of deze objecten bedreigingen vormen voor de nationale veiligheid.

Conclusie: Een voortdurend verhaal tussen mythen en wetenschap

Wat blijkt uit de lange geschiedenis van UAP’mythen? Het is dat deze verschijnselen altijd een reflectie zijn geweest van menselijke zorgen, overtuigingen en wereldbeelden. Terwijl de technologie evolueerde en onze instrumenten verfijnd werden, bleef de fascinatie voor de onverklaarbare luchtverschijnselen bestaan. Van de symboliek van vuur en cirkels in oude Mesopotamische teksten, via middeleeuwse interpretaties van hemel- en engelengestalten, tot de moderne radar en satellietwaarnemingen, is er een voortdurende menselijke neiging om het onbekende te interpreteren binnen een bestaand kader.

De uitdaging blijft echter hetzelfde: het ontcijferen van wat echt is en wat cultureel gekleurd. Ondertussen vormt dit eeuwige verhaal tussen mythos en wetenschap een fascinerende zoektocht naar antwoorden — niet alleen over de aard en oorsprong van UAP’s, maar ook over onze eigen relatie tot de hemel, het onbekende en de grenzen van kennis.

Bronnen en voorbeelden:

• Mesopotamische cuneiformteksten: Beschrijvingen van ‘disken van vuur’ en hemellichamen die bewegen aan de hemel (bijvoorbeeld uit het Gilgamesh-epos).

Een drietalige spijkerschriftinscriptie van Xerxes I bij het Van-fort in Turkije, een Achaemenidische koninklijke inscriptie geschreven in Oudperzisch, Elamitisch en Babylonische vormen van spijkerschrift

• Egyptische inscripties: Artikelen over goddelijke manifestaties en hemelse principes.

Een close-up van hiërogliefen op de steen van Rosetta, met een cartouche waarin de naam van Ptolemaeus V staat, gevolgd door "eeuwig leven".

• Ezekiel’s ‘wiel binnen een wiel’: Visioen dat mogelijk natuurlijke of symbolische interpretaties heeft, maar nu vaak wordt gekoppeld aan UAP-voorstellingen.

• Nuremberg-broadsheet (1561): Illustratie en verslag van wat werd beschreven als luchtgevecht met cilindervormige objecten.

Het hemelse verschijnsel boven de Duitse stad Neurenberg op 14 april 1561, zoals afgedrukt in een geïllustreerde nieuwsbrief in dezelfde maand

• Edo-illustraties van Utsuro-bune: Verhalen over vermeende buitenaardse schepen en buitenaardse waarnemingen.

De legende van de utsuro-bune in een illustratie van het anonieme werk Hyoryu-ki-shu (1868).

Bron: Publiek domein / Wikimedia Commons

De utsuro-bune, getekend in 1844 door Nagahashi Matajirou voor een editie van Ume-no-chiri.

Bron: Publiek Domein / Wikimedia Commons

• De ‘Great Airship Wave’ (1896): Een golf van waarnemingen in de VS van mysterieuze luchtvaartuigen.

• Modern militaire rapporten: Verenigde Staten Navy video’s van 2004 en 2015.

• Wetenschappelijke analyses: De werken van Jacques Vallée, Avi Loeb en de rapporten van officiële instanties zoals de UAPTF.

Kortom, de geschiedenis van UAP-mythen is niet alleen een verhaal van het onbekende, maar ook een reflectie van de menselijke drang naar begrip — een verhaal dat zich uitstrekt van de oude beschavingen tot de hedendaagse wetenschap. Het lijkt erop dat de hemel altijd een spiegel zal blijven voor onze dromen, angsten en zoektocht naar de waarheid.*

 { peter2011 }