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The alien hunter of Harvard - Avi Loeb


Alex

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Did Avi Loeb spot an extraterrestrial spaceship in the night sky – or was it merely the reflection of his own obsessions?

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BY OSCAR SCHWARTZ

There are almost two dozen observatories dotted across Hawaii. The dry, thin air atop the volcanoes of the archipelago makes this an ideal place to gaze into the night sky. Over the past decade, the telescopes here have probed deep into neighbouring solar systems, transforming our understanding of the galaxy. Many used to think that Earth was an anomaly within a cosmic void. Now astronomers have identified thousands of planets and reckon that the Milky Way is filled with billions more, many of them similar to ours.

On a clear summer’s night in 2017, a crowd gathered at an observatory near the treeless summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s highest volcano, to listen to one of the world’s foremost astronomers deliver a lecture about these far-away planets: are they all barren or might some be hospitable to life?

Read more: https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/02/11/the-alien-hunter-of-harvard 

 

 

 

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      By the evening of Friday, November 15 (the evening of the full Moon after next), as twilight ends at 5:55 p.m. EST, the rising Moon will be 14 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon with the Pleiades star cluster 5 degrees to the lower left. The brightest planet in the sky will be Venus at 12 degrees above the southwestern horizon. Next in brightness will be Mercury at less than a degree above the west-southwestern horizon. Saturn will be 38 degrees above the south-southeastern horizon. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be 39 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon, with its current brightness curve predicting it will have faded to magnitude 8, too faint to see with the unaided eye. The bright star closest to overhead will still be Deneb at 79 degrees above the northwestern horizon.
      Morning Sky Highlights
      On the morning of Thursday, October 17, 2024 (the morning of the full Moon), as twilight begins at 6:22 a.m. EDT, the setting Moon will be 11 degrees above the western horizon. The brightest planet in the sky will be Jupiter at 63 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon. Mars will be at 72 degrees above the south-southeastern horizon. Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will be 6 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon but will likely be too dim to be seen without a telescope (current projection, magnitude 12.7). The bright star appearing closest to overhead will be Pollux, the 17th brightest star in our night sky and the brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini, at 75 degrees above the southeastern horizon. Pollux is an orange tinted star about 34 lightyears from Earth. It is not quite twice the mass of our Sun but about 9 times the diameter and 33 times the brightness.
      As this lunar cycle progresses, Jupiter, Mars, and the background of stars will appear to shift westward each evening. Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), visible with binoculars or a telescope, will brighten but shift lower as it races towards the Sun, with October 21 the last morning it will be above the horizon as morning twilight begins (estimated magnitude of 11.2). The waning Moon will pass by the Pleiades star cluster on October 19, Jupiter on October 21, Mars and Pollux on October 23, Regulus on October 26, and Spica on October 31. Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will pass its closest to the Sun on the morning of October 28 (when, if the sky is very clear, it might be bright enough to see in the daylight for an hour or so around 7:39 a.m.). If this comet survives its close pass by the Sun, it may reemerge in the morning sky. November 2 will be the first morning it will be above the horizon as morning twilight begins (with an estimated magnitude of 10.5, visible with binoculars or a telescope).
      By the morning of Friday, November 15 (the morning of the full Moon after next), as twilight begins (at 5:51 a.m. EST), the setting full Moon will be 7 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. The brightest planet in the sky will be Jupiter at 35 degrees above the western horizon. Mars will be at 68 degrees above the southwestern horizon. Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will be 13 degrees above the southeastern horizon (estimated magnitude 14.2). The bright star appearing closest to overhead will still be Pollux at 69 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon (higher than Mars by about a half degree).
      Detailed Daily Guide
      .Here for your reference is a day-by-day listing of celestial events between now and the full Moon on October 17, 2024. The times and angles are based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C, and some of these details may differ for where you are (I use parentheses to indicate times specific to the D.C. area). If your latitude is significantly different than 39 degrees north (and especially for my Southern Hemisphere readers), I recommend using an astronomy app or a star-watching guide from a local observatory, news outlet, or astronomy club.
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      For the Washington DC area and similar latitudes, Monday morning, October 21: This will be the last morning Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), visible with binoculars or a telescope (estimated magnitude 11.2), will be above the horizon as morning twilight begins (at 6:27 AM EDT) as it rushes towards its close passage by the Sun a week later.
      Monday evening, October 21: This will be the first evening the planet Mercury will be above the west-southwestern horizon 30 minutes after sunset (an estimate of when it will start being visible in the glow of dusk).
      Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, October 22 to 23: The waning gibbous Moon, the bright star Pollux, and the planet Mars will form a triangle in the night sky. As Pollux rises on the northeastern horizon at 11 p.m. EDT, it will be 8 degrees to the lower left of the Moon. Mars will rise below the Moon 30 minutes later at 11:30 p.m. As the Moon reaches its highest for the night and morning twilight begins at 6:28 a.m., Pollux will be 4 degrees to the upper left and Mars will be 7 degrees to the lower left of the Moon.
      Thursday morning, October 24: The waning Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its last quarter at 4:03 a.m. EDT.
      If you find you are having trouble waking up in late October and early November, the dark mornings may be the reason (or at least a plausible excuse). Since 2007 when Congress moved the start of Daylight Saving Time from the end of October to the beginning of November, the latest sunrises of the year have been in late October and early November. In 2024, for the Washington, D.C. area and similar latitudes, the time of sunrise (in EDT) from Thursday, October 24 to Saturday, November 2 will be later than the latest sunrise of winter at 7:27 a.m. EST on January 5.
      In the evening sky during this lunar cycle the bright planet Venus will be shifting to the upper left along the southwestern horizon in the opposite direction as the background of stars.
      Friday, October 25: This will be when Venus and the bright star Antares will pass at their closest, with Antares 3 degrees to the lower left of Venus.
      Saturday morning, October 26: The bright star Regulus will appear below the waning crescent Moon. As Regulus rises on the east-northeastern horizon at 2:15 a.m. EDT, it will be 5 degrees below the Moon. Morning twilight will begin more than 4 hours later at 6:31 a.m. with Regulus 4 degrees to the lower right of the Moon.
      Monday morning, October 28: At about 7:39 a.m. EDT, Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will pass its closest to the Sun. If the sky is very clear, it might be bright enough to see in the daylight for an hour or so around closest approach. For the Washington, D.C. area, closest approach will only be 7 minutes after sunrise, so our only chance of seeing this is if the sky on the east-southeastern horizon is unusually clear. The comet will be to the lower left of the Sun, and since the tail points away from the Sun, it may be hidden by the horizon until the comet rises higher in the sky. Europe, Africa, and South America are better positioned to look for this comet near the Sun. Be careful and plan ahead, as it may be difficult to find a location that has both a clear view to the right part of the east-southeastern horizon and a large overhanging object to block the Sun while allowing you to see to the lower left of the Sun.
      Pay attention to the news as the predictions may change, but the brightness predictions I have as of writing this are that this comet will be brighter than magnitude -5 until 8:06 a.m. (when the Sun will be 5.6 degrees above the horizon). Magnitude -4 is generally considered the brightness limit for visibility of an object during the day, and the comet is predicted to be above this magnitude until 8:39 AM, but because it will be close to the Sun it is hard to say what the actual visibility limit will be, as the glare near the Sun depends on atmospheric conditions and can be quite bright.
      Tuesday, October 29: At 6:51 p.m. EDT, the Moon will be at apogee, its farthest from the Earth for this orbit.
      Thursday morning, October 31: You might be able to see the thin, waxing crescent Moon low on the east-southeastern horizon 3.5 degrees to the lower left of the bright star Spica. You will need to look for them in the glow of dawn, as the Moon will rise at 6:43 a.m. EDT 7 minutes after twilight begins at 6:36 a.m.
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      The day of or the day after the New Moon: This marks the start of the new month for most lunisolar calendars. The tenth month of the Chinese year of the Dragon starts on Friday, November 1. Sundown on Friday, November 1, marks the start of Marcheshvan in the Hebrew calendar, a name often shortened to Cheshvan or Heshvan.
      If Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) survives its close pass by the Sun, Saturday, November 2, will be the first morning it will be above the horizon as morning twilight begins at 6:38 a.m. EDT, appearing with an estimated magnitude of 10.5 (only visible with binoculars or a telescope).
      Because of Daylight Saving Time, Saturday morning, November 2, will be the latest sunrise of the year. Morning twilight will begin at 6:38 a.m. EDT, sunrise will be at 7:37 a.m., solar noon will be at 12:51 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 35.1 degrees, sunset will be at 6:06 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 7:05 p.m.
      In the Islamic calendar the months traditionally start with the first sighting of the waxing crescent Moon. Many Muslim communities now follow the Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia, which uses astronomical calculations to start months in a more predictable way. Using this calendar, sundown on Saturday, November 2, will probably mark the beginning of Jumādā al-ʾŪlā.
      Early on Sunday morning, November 3: We “Fall Back” from 1:59 a.m. EDT to 1 a.m. EST. While most of us will be gaining an hour of sleep, if you want to do something for 2 hours but are only supposed to do it for one, consider doing it for the “clock hour” from 1 a.m. EDT to 2 a.m. EST. Be careful though, as about twice as many accidents tend to happen during this “clock hour” compared to other mornings of the year! Regardless, on Sunday morning you will need to reset any clocks that didn’t reset themselves! On Sunday, twilight will begin at 5:39 a.m. EST, sunrise will be at 6:38 a.m., solar noon will be at 11:51 a.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 35.8 degrees, sunset will be at 5:05 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 6:04 p.m.
      It may be difficult to see, but on Sunday evening, November 3, the bright star Antares will appear 2 degrees above the thin, waxing crescent Moon. You will need to look for the Moon in the glow of dusk as it will set on the southwestern horizon just 1 minute after evening twilight ends (at 6:04 p.m. EST).
      Monday evening, November 4: The bright planet Venus will appear 4 degrees to the upper right of the thin, waxing crescent Moon. The Moon will be 6 degrees above the southwestern horizon as evening twilight ends at 6:03 p.m. EST, and will set first 46 minutes later at 6:49 p.m.
      Tuesday morning, November 5: Two minor meteor showers, the Southern Taurids (peaking at 7 meteors per hour on November 5) and the Northern Taurids (peaking at 5 meteors per hour on November 12), overlap to produce their highest combined rate. Although the light of the waxing crescent Moon will not interfere, even this combined rate will be low enough to make seeing these meteors from urban areas difficult due to light pollution. Still, if you are out after midnight and the sky is clear, you might see a meteor or two.
      Early Saturday morning, November 9: The Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its first quarter at 12:56 a.m. EST.
      In the evenings during much of this lunar cycle, the planet Mercury will be shifting to the upper left along the southwestern horizon, moving in the opposite direction from the background of stars. On Saturday and Sunday evenings, November 9 and 10, Mercury and the bright star Antares will pass their closest, less than 2 degrees apart, with Antares to the lower left of Mercury. You will need to look low on the southwestern horizon while dusk is in the sky, as they both will have set by the time evening twilight ends.
      Saturday evening into early Sunday morning, November 9 to 10: The planet Saturn will appear near the waxing gibbous Moon. As evening twilight ends at 5:58 p.m. EST, Saturn will be 2 degrees to the upper left. The Moon will reach its highest point for the night about 1 hour 45 minutes later at 7:43 p.m., with Saturn 1 degree to the upper left. For the Washington, D.C. area, Saturn will be at its closest, about 0.1 degree to the upper right of the Moon, at about 9:55 p.m. (times and angles will differ for different locations). For the southern tip if Florida and parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and Northwestern South America, the Moon will block Saturn from view. The Moon will continue passing by Saturn, with Saturn setting first on the western horizon a little less than 3.5 hours later at 1:19 a.m.
      Monday evening, November 11: This will be the first evening that the planet Mercury will be above the west-southwestern horizon as evening twilight ends at 5:57 p.m. EST.
      Thursday morning, November 14: At 6:18 EST, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to the Earth for this orbit.
      The full Moon after next will be Friday afternoon, November 15, 2024 at 4:29 PM EST. This will be early Saturday morning from Kamchatka and Fiji Time eastwards to the International Date Line. This will be the last of four consecutive supermoons. The Pleiades star cluster will appear near the full Moon. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from a few hours before sunrise Thursday morning into a few hours before sunrise Sunday morning.
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    • By USH
      Imagine waking up one morning to a world where everything you know is turned upside down. Overnight, groundbreaking (false) archaeological discoveries challenge the foundations of every major religion, leaving society in turmoil and disbelief. 

      Before you can even comprehend what’s happening, the sky begins to change. Towering, hyper-realistic projections of gods appear above major cities worldwide, communicating directly with their followers, not through spoken words, but telepathically. 
      As panic grips the planet, reports of UFO sightings flood the news. Global leaders urge people to unite in the face of an impending extraterrestrial threat. In just two days, the world you once knew has crumbled. 
      This scenario sounds like a plot from a science fiction movie, but some conspiracy theorists believe this could be part of a secret agenda known as Project Blue Beam, an alleged psyop designed by powerful elites to bring about a New World Order and reshape society. 
      Serge Monast was such a conspiracy theorist. He is mostly known for his promotion of the Project Blue Beam conspiracy theory, Under the guise of a heart attack he died in his home in December 1996 at age 51. 
      According to Serge Monast Project Blue Beam has four stages: 
      Step 1: Discrediting Archaeological Knowledge. The first phase involves revealing falsified archaeological findings that call into question the core beliefs of every major religion, creating widespread confusion and societal disruption. 
      Step 2: Global Holographic Projections of Religious Figures.A "space show" is staged where three-dimensional holographic projections of messianic figures appear in the skies over different regions of the world, each corresponding to the dominant religious beliefs in that area. 
      Step 3: Telepathic Communication. The third phase involves the use of advanced technology to simulate telepathic communication, where individuals believe they are receiving direct messages from their deities or spiritual leaders. 
      Step 4: The Grand Deception. The final stage is divided into three parts: 1. Convincing the global population that an alien invasion is imminent in every major city. 2. Persuading Christians that the Rapture is about to occur. 3. Using a mix of electronic manipulation and supernatural forces to create an illusion that will penetrate all forms of communication and technology, even infiltrating household appliances. 
      While many people dismiss Project Blue Beam as pure fantasy, the theory raises an unsettling question: could such a grand deception ever really be pulled off? And if so, how can we prepare for the possibility of such a dramatic upheaval?
        View the full article
    • By USH
      Where do asteroids get all those craters? Countless small circular craters, plus almost always a few that look like massive killers. Even more confusing is that these craters are at a perfect 90º angle, as if an electric arc had run across the surface. 

      According to ThunderboltsProject, the Electric Universe (EU) model, the scars observed on asteroids are caused by electric arcs which cut surface depressions, scoop out material, accelerate it into space, then leave behind clean-cut geological relief. 
      This theory is supported by Electric Discharge Machining (EDM), a process we use every day to shape materials with electric arcs, producing similar clean-cut effects. 
      This brings us to the following hypothesis: Could it be that, instead of craters on asteroids being formed solely by natural space phenomena, that all these craters at a perfect 90º angle with clean-cut geological relief are the result of asteroid mining originated by alien races who use advanced electric arc/laser technology by extracting raw minerals they urgently need for use on their planet or for in-space manufacturing? 
      Asteroids vary greatly in composition, ranging from those rich in volatile substances to those composed of metals like gold, silver, platinum, cobalt, and palladium, alongside more common elements such as iron and nickel. This makes them potential treasure troves of valuable resources. 
      For us as Earthlings, asteroid mining is a technology in its earliest stages and requires significant advances in robotic technology before asteroid mining becomes a reality, however, if more advanced civilizations exist elsewhere in the universe, it's quite plausible that some of them have already turned to asteroid mining long ago. 
      Could their efforts be leaving behind the very craters on asteroids we observe today?
        View the full article
    • By USH
      Reports of alien abductions first became widespread during the 1960s and 70s. Alleged abductees frequently described undergoing experimental procedures performed by extraterrestrial beings. Some even claimed that these aliens had inserted unknown objects into their bodies. 

      In many cases, these so-called "alien implants" are metallic and have been reported to emit radio frequency waves. Often, they are found attached to nerve endings within the body. 
      One of the most prominent figures in this field of research was Dr. Roger Leir, who passed away on March 14, 2014. Along with his surgical team, Dr. Leir performed 17 surgeries on individuals who claimed to have been abducted by aliens, removing 13 distinct objects suspected to be alien implants.

      These objects were subjected to scientific analysis by prestigious laboratories, including Los Alamos National Labs, New Mexico Tech, and the University of California at San Diego. The findings have been puzzling, with some comparisons made to meteorite samples, and isotopic ratios in some tests suggesting materials not of Earthly origin.
      One such case is that of Terry Lovelace, a former Air Force medic, who kept a disturbing secret for 40 years. In 2012, a routine x-ray revealed a small square object about the size of a fingernail which was buried deep in Terry's right leg the doctor had never see anything like it. 
      Then Terry suddenly remembered the terrifying experience he had tried to forget - an event during a camping trip at Devil's Den State Park that he had never spoken of, knowing no one would believe him without proof. Yet the evidence had always been there: a strange metal object embedded in his leg, something that was not man-made. 
      In 1977, Terry and a friend had an extraordinary encounter at Devil's Den State Park, where they witnessed a massive triangular craft. This experience resulted in missing time and unexplained injuries. Years later, Terry was faced with a difficult choice: reveal his story of alien contact or remain silent. His decision led him into conflict with powerful forces and uncovered a conspiracy that extended beyond our world.
      While some remain skeptical, believing these implants are man-made and part of a secretive human agenda, Dr. Leir’s work, along with Terry Lovelace's experience at Devil’s Den and the mysterious object found in his leg, suggests that 'alien' implants may not be mere fiction.
        View the full article
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