According to the manager of the planetarium at the Manitoba Museum, don’t worry — they weren’t UFOs, but new satellites sent into space by American aerospace company SpaceX.
“One of the benefits of the social isolation going on right now is that I’ve been spending more time out under the stars by myself,” Scott Young told 680 CJOB.
“Both nights, I saw these things come out of the west and move overhead. Sometimes you could only see one, and sometimes you could see two or three or four of them.
UFO Sightings. Storming Area 51. Is it Time to Believe? | WDET
Earlier this week, the U.S Navy confirmed a series of videos of UFOs, or unidentified flying objects, are indeed the real deal . More than a million people this week signed up for the tongue-in-cheek Facebook call to “Storm Area 51.”
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“ The reality is, most people who have had a strange experience, the experience itself doesn’t need to be qualified and quantified,” says Tenney. “It’s almost like a spiritual experience or an awakening. It’s an archetypal happening that changes the person’s fundamental reality and how they look at reality. And I think that’s the important part of the experience itself.”
Local UFO investigator surprised by recent disclosures
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — A celebrity UFO investigator from Colorado Springs thinks all the public enthusiasm this weekend over the viral Storm Area 51 Facebook event suggests Americans want to know more about what their government knows about UFOs.
"I think what we're seeing here is, my gosh, it almost seems like it's the first stage of an open public disclosure," said Chuck Zukowski. "It's go so many people fired up about it since 2017 that it's become like this internet craze."
In 2018, Halperin fictionalized his personal story of family trauma and cosmic awe in Journal of a UFO Investigator . Set in 1966, the novel tells the story of teenager Danny Shapiro, a brainy kid caring for his terminally ill mother while exploring the nascent world of ufology.
Now, he's back on the bookshelves with Intimate Alien: The Hidden Story of the UFO (Stanford University Press). A nonfiction exploration of UFO sightings as mythical and psychological phenomena, it's a mid-air collision of rigorous academic writing, vivid storytelling, historical detail, and some delightfully strange conjecture.
Navy Officers Say 'Unknown Individuals' Made Them Erase Evidence of 2004 UFO Encounter | Space
Several Navy officers who witnessed the now-famous Nimitz UFO encounter in 2004 say "unknown individuals" showed up after the event and made them turn over data recordings and videos, according to Popular Mechanics .
Five Navy veterans recently spoke to Popular Mechanics about what they experienced at the time. The veterans were part of the Navy's Strike Carrier Group 11 and were sailing on the USS Princeton on a training mission prior to their upcoming deployment in the Arabian Sea.
Alienware's Concept UFO prototype imagines a gaming PC that's shaped like a Nintendo Switch - The
Alienware is best known for its beefy gaming laptops and preconfigured desktop rigs, but at CES 2020, the company showed off a wild new prototype, the Concept UFO. It's a full Windows 10 gaming PC, shrunken down into a form factor very similar to a Nintendo Switch — complete with detachable controllers and a dock to hook it up to a TV or monitor.
The Concept UFO consists of four pieces: there's a main "head" unit, which has an eight-inch, 1200p display; the battery; and all the processing and graphic hardware. There are two controllers, which attach through an enjoyably solid magnetic rail system.
Sanders pledges to let Americans in on aliens, UFOs if elected president | TheHill
In an appearance on the "Joe Rogan Experience," Sanders was pressed about whether he would be open with the public about extraterrestrial knowledge if he takes the White House.
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"No, she's not a UFO nut. She goes, 'Bernie, what is going on, do you know? Do you have any access?' " Sanders said.
The interview comes as UFOs and the idea of aliens has become an increasingly popular topic online in recent months thanks to the launch of a satirical Facebook event, titled " Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us ," earlier this summer.
Advancements in computers, medicine, physics, and the understanding of how space travel affects humans all have come in the years since the end of the Apollo program and our last moon landing. Much of the research continuing today takes place aboard the International Space Station or with data recorded and transmitted back to earth by unmanned satellites.
Although Elon Musk and others are pursuing the goal of human space travel run by private companies, NASA has been pumping billions into development of a skyscraper-sized Space Launch System that it hopes could take Americans back to the moon as early as 2024.
A Coronavirus-Size Pause Button on Space Exploration - The Atlantic
Space-exploration delays are a tiny drop in the bucket of cancellations around the world. But they show how the pandemic has upended civilization more clearly than the postponement of important conferences or even the Summer Olympics have. Space exploration has long been seen as a marker of human ambition, a testament to our capacity to think beyond our earthly existence—and then actually loft ourselves toward the skies.
It might be tempting, for the science-fiction-minded, to think that global emergencies like this pandemic are proof that space exploration is more worthwhile than ever, because it's our ticket out of here. But moving a large chunk of humanity off Earth, even if it could be done, would hardly be a panacea. Preparing a passenger ship to Mars under threat of infection would be difficult, and so would preventing the virus from hitching a ride.
MultiBrief: A look at the latest developments in private space travel
Justin Bieber and Leonardo DiCaprio are reportedly ready to take off...to space. They are among the rich and famous who are said to have purchased their tickets for Virgin Galactic's inaugural flight to space. They will be sharing cabin space with the founder of Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard Branson, among others. The maiden private commercial flight is scheduled to take off at the end of this year.
This sector could generate billions of dollars in new business for Virgin Galactic in the future. Virgin Galactic estimates the total addressable market is $900 billion.
Moon bases could be built using astronaut urine - CNN
(CNN) When NASA astronauts return to the moon in 2024, they'll need a lunar base that allows them to stay on the surface. And the astronauts may build their base using something readily available: their urine.
Dr Helen Sharman, CMG OBE CChem HonFRSC, the first British astronaut, is no stranger to isolation, uncertainty, and confined spaces. As many of us around the globe prepare for several weeks of lockdown, Helen shares with us her top tips for keeping spirits up, staying connected, and making the most of a difficult situation.
"These qualities are vital in a spacecraft. Open communication helps us to understand each other’s frustrations and what makes us happy. And it helps if the grotty jobs are shared (tasks like compacting the solid toilet waste and changing filters are done on rotation in space)."
Stratolaunch to launch hypersonic vehicals from world's biggest airplane | Space
"Our hypersonic testbeds will serve as a catalyst in sparking a renaissance in hypersonic technologies for our government, the commercial sector and academia," Stratolaunch CEO W. Jean Floyd said in a statement on the company website .
The huge plane is key to this new mission, hauling vehicles aloft to test various payloads in the extreme environments imposed by hypersonic flight. Those vehicles will include Stratolaunch's Talon-A, a 28-foot-long (8.5 m), 6,000-lb. (2,722 kilograms) reusable craft capable of reaching Mach 6.
Air Mobility Command temporarily suspends most Space-A travel due to COVID-19 | Colorado Springs
Travelers under certain categories, including service members and dependents on emergency leave and Wounded Warriors, remain eligible for Space-Available travel, as noted in the table be- low. However, travel via Space-Available is never guaranteed and, as always, travel is available only on a space-available basis.
At the recommendation of U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command leadership, Hon. Ellen Lord, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, authorized the temporary suspension in order to increase force health protection measures and decrease risk to the Department of Defense mission amidst the outbreak.
Publisher: Colorado Springs Military Newspaper Group
Right #now Chandra is gazing into the Eyes Galaxies in Virgo. About 50 million light years from Earth, the galaxies… https://t.co/9b1uckzUOBchandraxray (from In orbit)Fri Mar 27 14:20:04 +0000 2020
NASA's next mission to Mars will carry what is meant to become the first aircraft to fly on another planet, and that experimental helicopter just spun its blades on Earth for the last time.
All the components of the Mars 2020 mission are currently undergoing their final prelaunch tests at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Among those components are the cruise stage vehicle, which recently finished a test to confirm its mass properties, NASA said in a statement , and the helicopter.
Watch Saturn, Mars, And Jupiter All Meet In March 31, 2020's Pre-Sunrise Skies
On August 27/28, 2014, Mars and Saturn had a close conjunction in the night sky, visible at the ... [+] lower right. The March 31, 2020 conjunction will be the closest these two planets have been since their conjunction of July 11, 2008. (Alan Dyer/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
For the past few weeks, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter have all shone prominently in the pre-sunrise skies.
During the month of March, 2020, the three outer naked-eye planets, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, all ... [+] clustered together in the pre-sunrise skies. On March 18, they were joined by the waning crescent Moon. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
Sols 2717-2719: The Poetry of Drilling on Mars – NASA's Mars Exploration Program
Curiosity’s drill campaigns are like poetry in fixed verse. A predefined set of activities has to occur in a sequence: first Curiosity must assess an outcrop for drilling, then drill and extract a sample, then process and characterize the sample, then deliver the sample to the CheMin instrument for analysis, then prepare the SAM instrument, then deliver the sample to SAM for analysis, and finally dump the sample on the ground.
All of this happens over a period of a couple weeks, and when we are planning the science observations for any given sol, we need to work within the scaffolding of the drill campaign sequence. But like poets crafting sonnets in iambic pentameter, we find freedom within the fixed structure to create something new.
The Space Review: Why a business case for Mars settlement is not required
Some people have claimed that a “business case” for profitable interplanetary trade with a Mars settlement, or at least the identification a saleable product for trade, is required before such a settlement can be established or supported by business or government. But there is no reasonable prospect for trade in any significant mass of physical material from a Mars settlement back to Earth in the near future due to the high transport costs.
A good model for the expenditures needed to found colonies is the Greek and Phoenician expansion all across the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas in the period early in Greek history (before about 600 BC), leading to the founding of one of the greatest trading cities in history, Carthage. The cities who founded each colony did not expect immediate profit, but wanted good places for an expanding population and knew that, once the new cities were established, trade would also become
Mars may have had hot springs millions of years ago | New Scientist
Mars is full of water, and may once even have been home to hot springs. The more we observe the Red Planet, the more we learn about its damp past and present, which could inform human exploration in the future.
These oval-shaped areas have been spotted inside a crater on Mars, and from their irregular shapes and bright concentric ellipses the researchers concluded that they appear to be areas where fluid seeped up from underground. That hot fluid may have been released by the impact that created the crater, which is how similar-looking hot springs can form on Earth.
NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover Gets Its Sample Handling System – NASA's Mars Exploration Program
The system will be collecting and storing Martian rock and soil. Its installation marks another milestone in the march toward the July launch period.
With the launch period for NASA's Mars Perseverance rover opening in a little less than four months, the six-wheeler is reaching significant pre-launch milestones almost daily at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rover had some components removed prior to being shipped from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California to the Cape in early February.
Saturn & Mars Conjunction 2020: How to See the Planets in the Sky - Thrillist
It's the final day of March. The final day of an outstanding month for viewing Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn hanging out in the sky together every morning. They've made a few interesting formations, including an encounter with the moon and a conjunction between Jupiter and Mars . Now, it's Saturn's turn to get cozy with Mars.
On the morning of March 31, Mars and Saturn will have a close interaction in the morning. To see the pair appearing to violate the rules of social distancing, look to the east about two hours before sunrise. Jupiter will still be hanging out in the area, but Mars and Saturn will be the stars of the show even though they're categorically not stars.
Some of you spotted the special message I'm carrying to Mars along with the 10.9+ million names you all sent in. "E… https://t.co/N4ZjtjB8bvNASAPersevere (from Cape Canaveral, Florida)Mon Mar 30 23:09:48 +0000 2020
Learn about #Mars and my mission from home, with lessons, activities, and even some new quizzes and games created b… https://t.co/NpnxjR3SQRNASAInSight (from Elysium Planitia, Mars)Mon Mar 30 21:37:13 +0000 2020
10,932,295 people's names from all over the world will join @NASAPersevere on its journey to the Red Planet. The na… https://t.co/PzSP6uEuleNASA_SLS (from Huntsville, AL)Mon Mar 30 14:15:01 +0000 2020
It's #SpaceTelescopeQuiz time! Since Hubble launched in 1990, it has completed more than a million observations. In… https://t.co/ow17WbQbfyHubbleTelescope Mon Mar 30 14:45:15 +0000 2020
A year ago a team of radio astronomers startled the world with the first photograph of a black hole , lurking like the eye of Sauron in the heart of a distant galaxy. Now it appears there was more hiding in that image than we had imagined.
When you point a telescope at a black hole, it turns out you don't just see the swirling sizzling doughnut of doom formed by matter falling in. You can also see the whole universe. Light from an infinite array of distant stars and galaxies can wrap around the black hole like ribbons around a maypole, again and again before coming back to your eye, or your telescope.
Astronomers Observe Blasting Supermassive Black Hole Jets From The Early Universe
In the far reaches of the Universe, astronomers have managed to capture a rare interaction. As a supermassive black hole ravenously slurps down matter around it, it's sending out jets of plasma - pushing into and heating the gas in the galaxy around it.
This is difficult to capture at the best of times, but this case was a particularly impressive feat. The galaxy in question is a whopping 11 billion light-years away - when the Universe was less than 3 billion years old.
Black hole 'subrings' could be seen by putting a telescope on the Moon – Physics
Adding a space telescope to the earthbound Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) should reveal the delicate series of light rings surrounding a supermassive black hole – according to a team of astrophysicists in the US. As well as providing more precise values for the mass and spin of a black hole, observing these "subrings" could also be a benchmark test of long-baseline interferometry using telescopes on Earth and in space.
In April 2019, scientists working on the EHT observed a glowing ring of light surrounding the supermassive black hole that lies at the heart of the M 87 galaxy. This first observation allowed the EHT team to determine the mass of the black hole to within 10% of about 6.5 billion solar masses. EHT scientists we also able to work-out the direction of rotation (spin) of the black hole.
ALMA resolves gas impacted by young jets from supermassive black hole -- ScienceDaily
Astronomers obtained the first resolved image of disturbed gaseous clouds in a galaxy 11 billion light-years away by using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The team found that the disruption is caused by young powerful jets ejected from a supermassive black hole residing at the center of the host galaxy. This result will cast light on the mystery of the evolutionary process of galaxies in the early Universe.
It is commonly known that black holes exert strong gravitational attraction on surrounding matter. However, it is less well known that some black holes have fast-moving streams of ionized matter, called jets. In some nearby galaxies, evolved jets blow off galactic gaseous clouds, resulting in suppressed star formation. Therefore, to understand the evolution of galaxies, it is crucial to observe the interaction between black hole jets and gaseous clouds throughout cosmic history.
M87's Gargantuan Black Hole --"Unveils Light of the Entire Universe" (Weekend
Home » Black Holes » M87’s Gargantuan Black Hole –“Unveils Light of the Entire Universe” (Weekend Feature)
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On April 10, 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) team of radio astronomers produced the first photograph of the M87 Galaxy’s black hole the size of our solar system described by astronomers as the “gates of hell and the end of spacetime.” The now iconic image captured light from the entire universe wrapping around the object in a nested series of rings.
There Are Infinite Rings of Light Around Black Holes. Here's How We Could See Them
A year ago, history was made. The long, painstaking work of scientists around the globe produced the very first direct image of the event horizon of a black hole , a supermassive monster called M87* 55 million light-years away. That glorious, golden, blurry image confirmed many of our ideas about black holes .
But the science didn't stop when the image came in. A team of scientists has now performed calculations based on what we learnt from M87* combined with the predictions of general relativity , to further predict how one day we could see this objects in much closer detail.
French football stares at financial black hole with broadcasters set to hold back payments
Paris (AFP) - The financial crisis facing football as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has been laid bare in France, where a decision to withhold payments due as part of a broadcast deal for Ligue 1 matches is set to leave clubs reeling.
Canal Plus, the pay TV giant and long-time broadcaster of France's top flight, stated its intention to hold back a scheduled 110 million-euro ($121 million) payment in a letter to the French league revealed by the country's leading sports daily, L'Equipe.
In a new study, researchers have found that urea, the major organic compound found in human urine, could be useful for making concrete for lunar structures .
Obviously, many people might immediately think: Why!? We seem to have no issue making concrete without urine in it here on Earth, why would urea be important in making concrete on the moon?
Video: Astronauts drink recycled urine and celebrate More: Skywatcher spots astronaut pee in space
Are China's moon missions a threat to the US? Space experts don't think so | Space
U.S. fears that China could set up a moon base for spying do not line up with the country's statements about its space program , according to security experts.
China's work in space has hit headlines these past few months as NASA's authorization bill for fiscal year 2020 proceeds through the government's approval process. The House version of the bill , passed in late January, calls for the National Security Council "to coordinate an interagency assessment of the space exploration capabilities of the People's Republic of China," including both "any threats to United States assets in space" and China's plans to partner with other countries.
Moon Stokes Stubborn and Snarky Moods by Holiday Mathis – Boston Herald
If you find yourself caught in a loop of thought with questionable productive potential, you certainly won’t be alone. Blame the snarky journey of this stubborn Taurus moon and know that what’s needed right now isn’t to investigate or get to the bottom of anything. What’s needed is to interrupt the pattern so you can exit the spiral.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Those who only do what they want to do are limited indeed. Most of the good stuff comes from doing what’s right, helpful, challenging, interesting, gutsy… Your wise instinct to push yourself will kick in.
See Venus swing by the crescent moon this weekend | Space
The "evening star" Venus will meet up with the waxing, crescent moon in the night sky this weekend. You can spot the celestial pair above the western horizon after sunset.
On Saturday (March 28), the moon and Venus will be in conjunction — meaning they share the same celestial longitude and will appear close together — at 6:37 a.m. EDT (1037 GMT), according to the skywatching site In-The-Sky.org .
For skywatchers in the United States, the conjunction occurs when both Venus and the moon are below the horizon, so the closest approach won't be visible. However, they'll be pretty close together on the nights before and after the conjunction.
Aries New Moon Pre-Roll by Holiday Mathis – Boston Herald
ARIES (March 21-April 19). The muses will favor you with practical solutions. You’ll be inspired, not to paint a picture or sing a song but to find the most elegant solution to an everyday problem.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). When you love your own camaraderie, you’re never at a loss for good company. People will want to be near you today, which fortunately shouldn’t interfere with cherished solo time.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Empathy is at the heart of all you do today, and behind the things you don’t do. You’ll ignore the mistakes of others and overlook their shortcomings in order to praise strengths.
The Moon Illusion: Why Does the Moon Look So Big Sometimes? – NASA Solar System Exploration
Why does the Moon look so big when it's rising or setting? The Moon illusion is the name for this trick our brains play on us. Photographs prove that the Moon is the same width near the horizon as when it's high in the sky, but that's not what we perceive with our eyes. Thus it's an illusion rooted in the way our brains process visual information.
Go out on the night of the full moon and find a good spot to watch it rise. It can be breathtaking, eliciting an awestruck "Wow!" from any skywatcher. When we observe the Moon near the horizon, it often looks HUGE — whether it's peeking over the shoulder of a distant mountain, rising out of the sea, hovering behind a cityscape or looming over a thicket of trees.
Astronauts could use their own pee to build future moon habitats - CNET
It would be much cheaper to build moon habitats using local resources rather than shipping building components across space. An international team of scientists working with the European Space Agency looked into mixing urea, a component of urine, with lunar material to create a type of moon concrete.
The early results were promising. The 3D-printed tubes of the urea mixture "supported heavy weights and remained almost stable in shape," SINC reported. "Once heated to 80 degrees Celsius (170 degrees Fahrenheit), their resistance was also tested and even increased after eight freeze-thaw cycles like those on the moon."
. * . ☄️ ⭐️ * * . * * . 🛰️ . * . ⭐️ * 🌒 👩🏾🚀👨🏽🚀 ⬅️This could be you! . 🚀 * . . * . .… https://t.co/VZOzNgMccONASA Sun Mar 29 01:09:01 +0000 2020
Astronauts' urine 'could be used to build houses on the moon', scientists claim https://t.co/bY5Sd54pph https://t.co/LLsftW3GERMirrorTech (from UK)Mon Mar 30 10:38:22 +0000 2020
There's still time to submit your application to #BeAnAstronaut. After completing training, the next class of NASA… https://t.co/x6HedgF2zKNASA_SLS (from Huntsville, AL)Thu Mar 26 17:36:57 +0000 2020
Despite humanity's current struggle against the novel coronavirus, and despite it taking up most of our attention, other threats still exist. The very real threat of a possible asteroid strike on Earth in the future is taking a backseat for now, but it's still there.
Though an asteroid strike seems kind of ephemeral right now, it's a real threat, and one that has the potential to end humanity. Agencies like NASA and the ESA are still working on their plans to protect us from that threat.
Japan's Experiment to Calculate an Asteroid's Age Was a Smashing Success | Smart
Last April, Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft created an artificial crater on the asteroid, Ryugu, by hurling a four-pound copper ball, called SCI, toward the asteroid's surface at about 4,500 miles per hour in order to calculate Ryugu's age. Now, results from the out-of-this-world experiment are in.
Previous calculations suggested the surface of the asteroid might be anywhere from a few million to 200 million years old. The new study, published on March 19 in the journal Science , uses the results of the artificial impact to give a more accurate estimate of Ryugu's age: between six and 11 million years old.
Asteroid flyby: NASA-tracked rock will swing past Earth tomorrow at 30,000MPH | Science | News |
NASA expects the space rock to come flying through our corner of space on a so-called "Earth close approach" this Saturday, March 28, at about 6.15am GMT.
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NASA has named the asteroid a near-Earth object (NEO) but the rock does not pose any threat to our planet.
"Note that a 'close' passage astronomically can be very far away in human terms: millions or even tens of millions of kilometres."
A single astronomical unit measures the average distance from the Sun to Earth - about 93 million miles (149.6 million km).
A Massive 1,280-Foot Asteroid Will Shoot Past Earth Tonight At 53,000 MPH
The giant space rock will pass by our planet a few minutes before midnight EST, missing Earth by 4.1 million miles.
A giant asteroid thought to be so large that it could fit in the Great Pyramid of Giza nearly three times over is headed toward Earth for a so-called “close approach” later tonight, NASA has announced. The massive rock is shrieking across space at an incredible speed of just under 53,000 mph and will safely pass by our planet at 11:52 p.m. EST. NASA assures the flyby is nothing to worry about, as the asteroid will miss Earth by 4.1 million miles.
US Residents Watch As Asteroid Hits Earth And Creates Bright Fireball Event
Residents from various states in the U.S. spotted a bright fireball streaking across the night sky. Based on eyewitness reports, the fireball was most likely caused by a small asteroid colliding with Earth and burning up in the atmosphere.
According to the data gathered by the American Meteor Society , the incident occurred on March 25 at around 10:40 p.m. EDT. In total, the organization received seven eyewitness reports from different individuals.
NASA pulls out incredibly high-res global map of asteroid Bennu
The map is a mosaic made up of 2,155 individual images, giving it an incredibly high resolution of just 2 inches (5 cm) per pixel. That makes it the highest-resolution global map of any planetary body to date.
The images used to make the map were snapped by OSIRIS-REx between March 7 and April 19, 2019. During that time, the spacecraft was flying overhead at an altitude of between 1.9 to 3.1 miles (3.1 to 5 km).
The current plan is for the craft to land in August for as little as five seconds, during which time it will scoop up a sample of the regolith material to return to Earth for study. If all goes as planned, OSIRIS-REx will leave asteroid Bennu in March 2021, and finally arrive back here on Earth in September 2023.
Olbers and the discovery of the brightest asteroid - The Hindu
You must have surely heard about asteroids, a class of objects in the solar system. Small, rocky objects that orbit the sun, these asteroids are, however, much smaller than the planets. Remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system, the current known asteroid count is over 9,50,000. Most of these asteroids exist in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They vary in size, starting from 4 Vesta, the largest at about 530 km in diameter, to those less than 10 m across.
