The purpose of this blog is the creation of an open, international, independent and free forum, where every UFO-researcher can publish the results of his/her research. The languagues, used for this blog, are Dutch, English and French.You can find the articles of a collegue by selecting his category. Each author stays resposable for the continue of his articles. As blogmaster I have the right to refuse an addition or an article, when it attacks other collegues or UFO-groupes.
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Deze blog is opgedragen aan mijn overleden echtgenote Lucienne.
In 2012 verloor ze haar moedige strijd tegen kanker!
In 2011 startte ik deze blog, omdat ik niet mocht stoppen met mijn UFO-onderzoek.
BEDANKT!!!
Een interessant adres?
UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN - DE ALLERLAATSTE NIEUWTJES
UFO's of UAP'S in België en de rest van de wereld Ontdek de Fascinerende Wereld van UFO's en UAP's: Jouw Bron voor Onthullende Informatie!
Ben jij ook gefascineerd door het onbekende? Wil je meer weten over UFO's en UAP's, niet alleen in België, maar over de hele wereld? Dan ben je op de juiste plek!
België: Het Kloppend Hart van UFO-onderzoek
In België is BUFON (Belgisch UFO-Netwerk) dé autoriteit op het gebied van UFO-onderzoek. Voor betrouwbare en objectieve informatie over deze intrigerende fenomenen, bezoek je zeker onze Facebook-pagina en deze blog. Maar dat is nog niet alles! Ontdek ook het Belgisch UFO-meldpunt en Caelestia, twee organisaties die diepgaand onderzoek verrichten, al zijn ze soms kritisch of sceptisch.
Nederland: Een Schat aan Informatie
Voor onze Nederlandse buren is er de schitterende website www.ufowijzer.nl, beheerd door Paul Harmans. Deze site biedt een schat aan informatie en artikelen die je niet wilt missen!
Internationaal: MUFON - De Wereldwijde Autoriteit
Neem ook een kijkje bij MUFON (Mutual UFO Network Inc.), een gerenommeerde Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in de VS en wereldwijd. MUFON is toegewijd aan de wetenschappelijke en analytische studie van het UFO-fenomeen, en hun maandelijkse tijdschrift, The MUFON UFO-Journal, is een must-read voor elke UFO-enthousiasteling. Bezoek hun website op www.mufon.com voor meer informatie.
Samenwerking en Toekomstvisie
Sinds 1 februari 2020 is Pieter niet alleen ex-president van BUFON, maar ook de voormalige nationale directeur van MUFON in Vlaanderen en Nederland. Dit creëert een sterke samenwerking met de Franse MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP, wat ons in staat stelt om nog meer waardevolle inzichten te delen.
Let op: Nepprofielen en Nieuwe Groeperingen
Pas op voor een nieuwe groepering die zich ook BUFON noemt, maar geen enkele connectie heeft met onze gevestigde organisatie. Hoewel zij de naam geregistreerd hebben, kunnen ze het rijke verleden en de expertise van onze groep niet evenaren. We wensen hen veel succes, maar we blijven de autoriteit in UFO-onderzoek!
Blijf Op De Hoogte!
Wil jij de laatste nieuwtjes over UFO's, ruimtevaart, archeologie, en meer? Volg ons dan en duik samen met ons in de fascinerende wereld van het onbekende! Sluit je aan bij de gemeenschap van nieuwsgierige geesten die net als jij verlangen naar antwoorden en avonturen in de sterren!
Heb je vragen of wil je meer weten? Aarzel dan niet om contact met ons op te nemen! Samen ontrafelen we het mysterie van de lucht en daarbuiten.
01-04-2026
Scientists Investigating Whether Object NASA Is Approaching Is Core of Destroyed Planet
Scientists Investigating Whether Object NASA Is Approaching Is Core of Destroyed Planet
Scientists have long been intrigued by an enormous potato-shaped asteroid, dubbed 16 Psyche, that they suspect to be teeming with metal — and therefore potentially worth a ludicrous amount of money to future asteroid mining operations.
The 173-mile object, which orbits the Sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, features two enormous crater-like depressions, which researchers say could be closely related to its still largely unknown origin story.
In a new paper published in the journal JGR Planets, an international team of researchers tried to get to the bottom of one of the key questions regarding 16 Psyche that remains unanswered. Is it a core of a planetesimal, a billions-of-years-old building block of a planet, in which case it would have a “large metallic core buried under rocks,” or is it a “homogeneous mixture of iron and rock?”
Put differently, could 16 Psyche be the ancient exposed remains of a planetary core whose crust and mantle were blown off, or is it a separate primordial lump of far less dense and potentially riddled-with-holes rock that either started out metal-rich or became blended with metal after colliding with other asteroids?
While the latest paper doesn’t necessarily exclude any of these possibilities — its simulations support both hypotheses — the goal was to know what to look out for once NASA’s mission to the space rock, which launched in October 2023, arrives roughly three and a half years from now.
Once there, the spacecraft could finally allow us to solve the mystery surrounding 16 Psyche’s history once and for all. As Universe Today points out, 16 Psyche’s size makes it far more approachable than the thousands of miles we’d have to drill into the Earth. (So far, we’ve only made it around 0.2 percent of the way to our own planet’s center.)
For their paper, the researchers took into consideration 16 Psyche’s unusual dented shape, previous findings that concluded it may be teeming with metal material, and its porosity.
“Large impact basins or craters excavate deep into the asteroid, which gives clues about what its interior is made of,” said first author and University of Arizona doctoral candidate Namya Baijal in a statement. “By simulating the formation of one of its largest craters, we were able to make testable predictions for Psyche’s overall composition when the spacecraft arrives.”
“One of our main findings was that the porosity — the amount of empty space inside the asteroid — plays a significant role in how these craters form,” she added. “Porosity is often ignored because it’s difficult to include in models, but our simulations show it can strongly affect the impact process and shape of craters left behind.”
A more porous asteroid would theoretically feature deeper and steeper-sided craters on its surface. The researchers are hoping that close-up observations by NASA’s Psyche mission could allow them to determine its porosity and therefore infer if its interior is metal clad in rock, or a more homogenous mix of both.
To explain their line of thinking, the researchers used the unusual metaphor of an abandoned pizza parlor.
“The cooks have long left, but you can look at what’s left behind — the ovens, scraps of dough, the toppings — and make inferences about how the pizzas were made,” said coauthor and University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory professor Erik Asphaug in a statement. “We can’t get to the cores of Earth or Mars or Venus, but maybe we can get to the core of an early asteroid.”
The team came up with two possible interior structures.
“One is a layered structure with a metallic core and a thin, rocky mantle, which likely formed if a violent collision stripped away the outer layers,” Baijal explained. “The other is a uniform mixture of metal and silicate, created by a more catastrophic impact that mixed everything together, like some metal-rich meteorites found on Earth.”
By simulating a series of asteroid belt collisions with objects of varying sizes, they tried to reproduce the known dimensions of 16 Psyche’s craters.
“We found that an impactor about three miles across would create a crater of the right dimensions,” Baijal said. “The crater’s formation is consistent with both scenarios of Psyche’s makeup.”
In short, while we’re only inching closer to answering the question of whether 16 Psyche is the ancient remains of a planetary core, we’ll be ready when NASA’s mission gets there.
“When the spacecraft arrives at Psyche in a few years, the geochemists, geologists and modelers on the team will all be looking at the same object and trying to interpret what we see,” said Asphaug.
In the early morning hours of April 3, 1975, shortly after a violent thunderstorm swept through southeastern North Carolina, police officers in the town of Lumberton began reporting something unusual in the sky.
At first, it appeared to be a strange light near a local water tower. But within minutes, multiple officers on patrol began describing the same object—seen from different locations across the town.
What followed over the next several days would become one of the most unusual law-enforcement UFO cases in the region. According to reports later compiled by investigators with the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS), more than thirty law enforcement officers across a seven-county area reported observing a large, silent craft between April 3 and April 9, 1975.
Despite being miles apart, witnesses consistently described the same object: a V-shaped craft lined with red and red-green lights, sometimes accompanied by bright white spotlights, maneuvering silently across the night sky.
The First Police Sightings
The first reports came shortly after 1:45 a.m. on April 3, when three Lumberton patrolmen—Phil Stanton, P.H. Atkinson, and Neil McCormick—noticed a strange light near a water tower behind Lumberton High School while patrolling near Highways 211 and 101.
Officer Atkinson initially assumed the object might be a helicopter. But as the officers watched, the light moved across the sky in a wide arc. When they drove toward Fayetteville Road to get a closer look, the object abruptly vanished from view.
Atkinson later described the light moving across the sky before suddenly disappearing. As he recalled in later interviews, “It just went out.”
Within minutes, other officers began calling in similar sightings from different parts of the area.
As reports began pouring into the Robeson County Sheriff’s Department, dispatchers noticed something striking: witnesses who were miles apart described the same configuration of lights and the same unusual flight behavior.
The object was typically described as V-shaped or triangular, with rows of colored lights along its edges and one or more bright white beams that resembled spotlights.
Even more puzzling to observers was what they did not hear.
Despite appearing to fly at relatively low altitude and, in some cases, directly overhead, the craft was consistently described as completely silent. One officer reportedly remarked that the object passed overhead “without a sound.”
A Multi-County Wave
Over the next several nights, reports spread beyond Lumberton itself.
Officers and residents across seven counties in southeastern North Carolina reported seeing the same unusual craft moving across the region. In many cases, officers who responded to civilian reports observed the object themselves.
Investigators later noted that witnesses consistently described similar characteristics, including a large V-shaped craft, rows of red and red-green lights, bright white spotlights directed toward the ground, sudden turns and hovering movements, and the absence of any audible engine or rotor noise.
These similarities appeared in reports from witnesses who often had no contact with each other at the time of observation.
Key Events During the Sightings Wave
April 3, ~1:45 a.m. – Three Lumberton police officers observe a strange light moving near a water tower behind Lumberton High School.
Soon after, additional officers across the area began reporting a similarly described object moving through the sky.
Following nights (April 3–9) – Sightings are reported across multiple counties in southeastern North Carolina. Officers sometimes respond to civilian calls and then observe the object themselves.
Early April – A United Press International (UPI) story about the sightings circulates nationally, drawing attention from journalists and UFO investigators.
Shortly afterward, reporter and investigator Lee Speigel travels to the region to interview witnesses and examine the case firsthand.
Speigel’s Investigation — and His Own Sighting
When journalist and UFO investigator Lee Speigel first learned of the Lumberton sightings through a UPI news release, he initially assumed the case might have a conventional explanation.
Accompanied by a reporter from the National Star, Speigel traveled to North Carolina to investigate the reports personally. Flying into Fayetteville, about forty miles north of Lumberton, he looked down at the landscape where the sightings had been occurring.
From the air, he could see miles of swamps, rivers, farmland, and forests stretching toward the Atlantic coast—a remote, sparsely populated region.
He approached the case with the expectation that a logical explanation would likely emerge once he spoke with witnesses and examined the circumstances. But during his visit, Speigel himself reported witnessing the object.
While observing the sky with local officers during the investigation, he saw what appeared to be the same unusual craft reported throughout the region. The object moved silently across the sky, displaying multiple lights and a shape that appeared structured rather than star-like.
According to his account, the craft maneuvered in ways that seemed inconsistent with ordinary aircraft. Watching the object move through the sky, Spiegel later wrote, made it far more difficult to dismiss the officers’ reports as simple misidentifications.
What had begun as a journalistic investigation had unexpectedly placed him among the witnesses.
The sightings eventually drew the attention of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the astronomer who had served as scientific consultant to the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book and who later founded the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS).
Researchers working with CUFOS, including investigator Jennie Zeidman, compiled witness interviews, timelines, maps, and news coverage into what became known as The Lumberton Report.
Despite the large number of witnesses and the consistency of their descriptions, no definitive explanation was identified.
Possible explanations, including helicopters, aircraft, or astronomical objects, were considered, but none appeared to fully account for the reported characteristics, particularly the silent operation and abrupt maneuverability described by observers.
Nearly fifty years later, the Lumberton sightings remain a relatively little-known but notable case in UFO research—one involving dozens of trained law enforcement witnesses reporting the same unusual craft across multiple counties over several nights.
As with many UFO cases from the era before widespread video recording and satellite tracking, the evidence ultimately rests on eyewitness testimony. Yet the consistency of those accounts and the involvement of so many police officers continue to make the 1975 Lumberton UFO wave one of the more intriguing law-enforcement UFO cases in the historical record.
The final journey Jesus took to the cross remains one of the most studied and sacred paths in history.
Now, a researcher has reconstructed what he believes were Christ's last movements through Jerusalem in the days leading up to his crucifixion.
The map, based on Bible scripture and archaeological evidence, traces key locations tied to the final week of Jesus' life, now known as Holy Week.
The journey begins at the Temple Mount, where Jesus is said to have taught daily and, according to the Book of Matthew 21:12–17, 'cleansed the temple' of merchants and money changers seven days before his death.
According to the Bible, this happened when Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time before his crucifixion, signifying a symbolic cleansing of the 'house of God' right before his own sacrifice.
Jesus then partakes in the Last Supper in the Upper Room, located in the southern part of the Old City of Jerusalem on Mount Zion, followed by his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane and a trial appearance in front of the ancient Roman government north of Bethlehem.
His passage through Jerusalem ends with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, claimed to be the site of Jesus' crucifixion, and the Garden Tomb where his body was said to have been placed.
Scholars have proposed that the journey began late Thursday evening and finished with Jesus' death on Friday.
Jesus' journey begins at the the Temple Mount located in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Bible says he was there a week before his death
The map was created by theologian and author John Walsh, who highlighted the first spot as the Temple Mount located in the Old City of Jerusalem.
This site is considered one of the holiest sites in Judaism and Islam, and is central to the Christian Gospels.
It currently features a 35-acre platform built by King Herod, who was the Roman-appointed king of Judaea and ruled from 37 to 4BC.
The Temple Mount is now a walled compound with the Dome of the Rock to the north and the Al-Aqsa Mosque to the south.
The Dome of the Rock is believed to be the location where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son, Ismail.
And for Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to Al-Aqsa during the Night Journey, and then on to heaven.
The map, however, places a temple there that Jesus taught at every day.
The Bible says Jesus entered the structure, seeing people betting, making loans and selling goods. He then flipped tables and drove them out of the temple.
The Last Supper - Jesus' final meal with his apostles before being crucified - is believed to have taken one to three days before the crucifixion
The Cenacle stands in the Old City of Jerusalem on Mount Zion, which is located above the southern gate
Within that same week, it was believed the Last Supper was held in the Upper Room in the southern part of the Old City of Jerusalem on Mount Zion.
Jesus and his disciples traveled about one mile from the temple to the Upper Room, which would have taken between 20 and 30 minutes.
The Last Supper - Jesus' final meal with his apostles before being crucified - is believed to have taken place one to three days before the crucifixion.
The Upper Room, also known as the Cenacle, was originally a prayer room that could house more than 120 people.
The room is briefly described in the Book of Luke 22:11-13 when Jesus requested a large, furnished upper room where he and his disciples could eat their Passover meal.
The Cenacle stands in the Old City of Jerusalem on Mount Zion, which is located above the southern gate and was constructed with large, branching columns that supported a vaulted ceiling and a sloping red roof that is still there today.
The next stop was likely the Garden of Gethsemane, which researchers estimate is roughly half a mile from the location of the Upper Room.
Archaeologists uncovered the remains of a ritual bath , dating back to the time of Jesus, at Gethsemane in 2020. The garden is said to have been where Jesus was arrest before being sentenced to death
The Garden of Gethsemane sits outside the city walls. Luke 22:39 states that Jesus and his disciples walked the path following the Last Supper.
Experts speculated that if the group was looking to avoid guards in the city, 'they would have skirted the southern wall which overlooks the valley of Hinnom, the garbage dump of the city where the fires were constantly burning the refuse from the populace of the urban area.'
Archaeologists uncovered the remains of a ritual bath, dating back to the time of Jesus, at Gethsemane in 2020.
They suggested the bath may have been used to cleanse workers before they operated an oil press in the garden, and by those climbing the hill to pray.
The Bible states that it was in the garden where Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested.
According to the map, Roman soldiers took Jesus to the House of Caiaphas, which experts have estimated would have been a 40-minute walk from the garden.
There is a debate within Christianity as to where Jesus was buried. Some believe it was the Garden Tomb, while others suggest it was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (pictured)
Depending on the exact route and pace, the path would have involved ascending from the Kidron Valley up to Mount Zion.
The House of Caiaphas is a biblical site in Jerusalem that is believed to be the location where Jesus was accused of blasphemy against God.
From there, Jesus was brought to Herod's Palace, which once stood against the western city wall.
The journey would likely take about a 30-minute walk due to the hilly terrain of Jerusalem.
Herod's Palace was also the site of the praetorium, where Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, sentenced Jesus to death.
According to the Bible, Jesus was forced to carry a massive, wooden cross through the city to Golgotha, or Calvary, about 2,650 feet away.
Scholars have proposed that the journey began late Thursday evening and finished with Jesus' death on Friday
The Bible does not specify how long Jesus carried the cross, but theologians have estimated it took him at least three hours to make the journey.
According to the Bible, Jesus was crucified at a location called Golgotha, or Calvary.
The site is now known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which Christians believe stands on the site of Jesus' crucifixion. The church was built in 326AD.
Following the crucifixion, Jesus is said to have been laid to rest in a rock tomb about 300 feet away from Calvary.
While many believe the Church of the Holy Sepulchre sits upon his grave, others suggest he was laid to rest inside the Garden Tomb, which is outside the Old City walls, near the Damascus Gate.
Christian tradition says Jesus' body was laid on a slab cut from a limestone cave after his crucifixion by the Romans more than two thousand years ago.
The burial slab was enclosed in a structure known as the Edicule – a word derived from the Latin term aedicule, meaning 'little house.'
Jerusalem: The Final Journey of Jesus at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
This Is Where Jesus Was Crucified and Buried | Full Church of the Holy Sepulchre Tour
The video documented more than 100 shafts clustered around the site in the northwest corner of the plateau, near the western cemetery of Giza, a region historically filled with burial shafts and ancient tomb complexes.
The renewed interest follows claims by researcher Filippo Biondi last week that scans detected a large anomaly deep beneath the mound, which he believes may be a long-lost sphinx.
The footage, released by independent researcher Trevor Grassi of the Archaeological Rescue Foundation, captured dozens of square shafts carved into bedrock, many reportedly extending deep underground but filled primarily with sand.
Grassi, who has spent nearly two decades researching Giza, said the video shows him physically walking along the perimeter of the mound, passing shaft after shaft cut directly into the limestone, some only about three feet across, while others measure roughly eight feet wide.
He said the unusually dense concentration of shafts surrounding the mound raises new questions about what may lie beneath the surface.
The footage is among the first to document the full perimeter of the site, offering what supporters of a second sphinx described as critical context for the ongoing debate.
While no definitive proof of a second sphinx has been discovered, researchers say the location warrants further investigation, given the number of openings and the underground anomaly previously detected at the site.
The video documented more than 100 shafts clustered around the site, which supporters believe could conceal underground structures
The video documented more than 100 shafts clustered around the site, which supporters believe could conceal underground structures
In the video, the camera follows a walking path along the northern edge of the mound, revealing what Grassi described as 'endless shafts all over the place going straight down, all blocked with sand.'
Grassi emphasized that many of the shafts seen in the footage appear to extend more than 100 feet underground, noting that he had personally lowered equipment into several openings to measure their depth.
Biondi took the world by storm last week during his appearance on the Matt Beall Limitless podcast, where he claimed to have scanned a mound of solidified sand on the surface, which he believes sits above the proposed second sphinx.
Using satellite radar technology capable of detecting subtle ground vibrations, Biondi said the data points to a massive structure concealed beneath a 180-foot-high mound of hardened sand, which he described as composed of solidified sand rather than natural bedrock.
Preliminary scans show vertical shafts and passageways strikingly similar to those already found beneath the original Sphinx, with dense vertical lines believed to represent the solid walls of underground shafts rather than empty voids.
'We are very confident to announce this… we have a confidence of about 80 percent,' said Biondi.
However, Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s former minister of antiquities, has dismissed similar claims in the past, saying the areas around the pyramids and the Sphinx have been extensively studied and excavated over decades without uncovering evidence of a second monument.
Grassi spent 12 years studying under independent researcher John Anthony West, who helped popularize the controversial theory that erosion patterns on the Great Sphinx were caused by ancient rainfall, suggesting the monument could be thousands of years older than traditionally believed.
Biondi took the world by storm last week during his appearance on the Matt Beall Limitless podcast, where he claimed to have scanned a mound of solidified sand on the surface, which he believes is above the second sphinx
Grassi emphasized that many of the shafts (bottom right) seen in the footage appear to extend more than 100 feet underground, noting that he had personally lowered equipment into several openings to measure their depth
Grassi was able to look past the gated opens in some of the shafts
He first traveled to Egypt in 2018, joining geologist Robert Schoch, who worked alongside West on the erosion theory, and he is now investigating Biondi's claims.
'You've got a hundred of them within 100 meters [328 feet] right there,' Grassi said in the footage, arguing that such a concentration makes it unlikely they are isolated burial chambers.
Zahi Hawass, Egypt's former minister of antiquities, has dismissed similar claims, saying the areas around the pyramids and the Sphinx have been extensively studied for decades without revealing evidence of a second monument.
The theory of a second Sphinx at Giza is not new, as Egyptologist Bassam El Shammaa first proposed the idea in 2007, based on ancient pyramid texts, including the Dream Stele that Biondi also used to state his case.
The Dream Stele, positioned between the paws of the Great Sphinx, appears to depict two sphinx figures.
'If you look at all the temples, if you look at all the architecture and the way that everything in Egypt is set up, there are always two obelisks,' said Grassi in a YouTube video.
'There are always two statues. There are always two sphinxes. There's always a perfect balance.
Biondi claimed that the red line labeled 'A' leads to a possible second sphinx
Archival photographs from the 1900s appeared to show the area without the sand pile, indicating that it may have formed as a spoil heap, sand removed from nearby excavations and deposited in a central location
'There are always the two brain hemispheres, the two rising sun and setting sun. Everything is balanced in Egypt, and this is central as a tenet of the Egyptian religion.'
The mound itself is positioned along what researchers describe as a mirrored alignment across the plateau, extending from the known Sphinx through a central axis between the two largest pyramids.
The footage focuses heavily on the large number of shafts surrounding the mound.
Many of the openings appear only a few feet across, while others are significantly wider and cut deep into the limestone bedrock.
According to Grassi, many of the shafts are currently filled with sand deposited during earlier excavations.
He argued that the sheer number of shafts packed tightly together suggests they may function as ventilation or access points for a larger underground network rather than isolated tombs.
Biondi is part of the team that claimed to have uncovered enormous shafts below the Great Sphinx
'When you have this many shafts concentrated like this, it's really got to be light and ventilation shafts for a massive tunnel system,' he said.
Historical images referenced in the footage suggested the mound itself may not have existed before the early 20th century.
Archival photographs from the 1900s appeared to show the area without the sand pile, indicating that it may have formed as a spoil heap, sand removed from nearby excavations and deposited in a central location.
Grassi argued that this detail strengthens the possibility that buried features could exist beneath the mound, since spoil piles sometimes accumulate above previously excavated areas.
'All we have to do is pull some sand out of there, and we'll know if they connect straight into this,' he said, adding that clearing sand from existing shafts would be non-invasive and would not require drilling into the site.
Filippo Biondi | BREAKING NEWS: Second SPHINX found under Giza Plateau
The shocking things 10 days in space does to the human body: As NASA's Artemis II astronauts prepare to blast off to the moon, experts reveal how they'll be ravaged by the void
The shocking things 10 days in space does to the human body: As NASA's Artemis II astronauts prepare to blast off to the moon, experts reveal how they'll be ravaged by the void
Four astronauts are about to embark on a10–day voyage to the moon and back– but what will spending 240 hours in space do to their bodies?
An expert has revealed the shocking health hazards they will face on their 685,000–mile (1.1 million km) journey, from motion sickness to 'chicken legs'.
While Artemis II is considered a short–term mission, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch can still expect to contend with a series of issues.
Dr Irene Di Giulio, from the Centre for Human and Applied Physiological Sciences at King's College London, said the duration of the mission means the long–term health risks are 'significantly reduced' compared to those who spend months on the International Space Station (ISS).
However, these astronauts will still be exposed to high levels of radiation that can trigger nausea.
'Space motion sickness could also be experienced as the body needs a few days to adapt. Meanwhile acute fluid shift from the lower part of the body to the head may cause discomfort and swelling,' she said.
'Sleep disturbances due to a sudden change in the light–darkness cycle and the use of artificial lighting may be experienced.
'And mental stress and isolation, especially given the mission demands and living in an enclosed environment, may affect performance.'
Astronauts who spend significant amounts of time in space can expect to experience a raft of health issues
Last year, shocking before–and–after images showed the damage that nine gruelling months in space had on astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Both experienced weight loss and muscle atrophy and appeared significantly older when they finally returned to Earth.
However, it's unlikely the Artemis II astronauts will experience such a major decline in their muscle and bone health.
'The impact on muscles and bones seen in longer missions may be less apparent, because they typically require a longer exposure to altered gravity,' Dr Di Giulio explained.
'However, bone loss and muscle deconditioning can begin within just a few days, as demonstrated during NASA Space Shuttle missions, which were often seven to 14 days in duration.
'These effects therefore remain relevant for Artemis II and highlight the importance of performing in–flight exercise to counter the loss in bone and muscle.'
She said activities the astronauts perform before, during and after the mission can help mitigate the effects.
While space motion sickness can be reduced through training and the use of medication, muscle deconditioning can be counteracted with on–board exercise and sleep disturbances can be reduced by maintaining a structured schedule and controlled lighting.
After nine gruelling months in space, Suni Williams (pictured) and Butch Wilmore finally returned to Earth. But shocking before–and–after images show the damage that their unintended stay in space has caused
Although low–gravity, stress and lack of sleep lead to cognitive decline while astronauts are in space, research has shown that these symptoms abate back on Earth
What 10 days in space could do to the human body
Radiation: Could cause nausea and sickness.
Microgravity: May trigger motion sickness for the first few days, as well as muscle deterioration.
Fluid shifts: Could cause 'chicken legs' and 'baby feet' as fluid moves upwards to the head. This can also lead to swelling and headaches.
Sleep disturbances: Bright lights could mean sleep quality declines, leading to slower cognitive processing.
Mental stress: Triggered by isolation and the nature of the mission.
During the mission, the crew will test every system on the Orion spacecraft and collect biological data to understand the health effects of deep–space travel on the body.
This will help inform future missions, including long–distance travel to Mars.
'The Artemis II mission is the first step towards moon landing and then establishing a long–term presence on the moon,' Dr Di Giulio said.
'There are a number of challenges that need to be addressed to minimise and mitigate the effect of the space environment on the human body.
'While Artemis II is short, it provides critical data that feeds directly into planning for longer–duration cis–lunar missions and sustained lunar presence.'
NASA has previously identified five main hazards for human spaceflight – space radiation, isolation and confinement, distance from Earth, gravity and closed or hostile environments.
In addition, the Apollo missions highlighted additional issues on the moon – dust and locomotion stability.
If humans are ever successful in setting up a base on the lunar surface, inhabitants would face levels of radiation exposure that would increase the risk of cancer, organ damage and nervous system impairment.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (left), Victor Glover (second left), Christina Koch (second right) and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (right)
Gravity on the moon is just one–sixth of that on Earth, which could trigger extensive muscle deconditioning, bone loss and changes in cardiovascular function that affects the brain and the eye.
Meanwhile lunar dust is sharp, fine and abrasive, which could potentially cause breathing difficulties as well as skin and eye irritation.
'To establish a long–term presence on the moon, medical autonomy will be crucial,' Dr Di Giulio said.
'Habitats must include diagnostic tools, medical supplies and crew training to treat injuries or illnesses independently.'
As part of their training for the Artemis II mission, the astronauts will have prepared for medical emergencies in space and learned first aid, CPR, wound care and how to use medical kits.
They will have trained to perform these procedures in simulated microgravity environments, such as underwater.
Artemis II: Key facts
Launch date: NASA initially identified three possible launch windows for Artemis II: From February 6 to February 11, from March 6 to March 11, and from April 1 to April 6. The space agency is now targeting the April window.
Mission objective:To complete a lunar flyby, passing the 'dark side' of the moon and test systems for a future lunar landing.
Total distance to travel: 685,000 miles (1.1 million km)
Mission duration: 10 days
Estimated total cost: $44billion (£32.5billion)
NASA Space Launch System rocket: $23.8billion (£17.6billion)
Aerial view of the Didé Ouest 1 iron reduction site following the 2018 excavation, showing an unusual deposit of used tuyères arranged in two semicircles. Credit: Camille Ollier
The discovery of a 2,400-year-old metalworking workshop in Senegal provides new insights into the history of iron production in Africa. Despite decades of archaeological research, the origins of iron metallurgy in sub-Saharan Africa remain largely unclear. Yet this technological revolution—crucial for producing efficient agricultural tools—emerged there at least 3,000 years ago.
While investigating an archaeological site in eastern Senegal, an international team led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) uncovered exceptionally well-preserved remains of an ironworking workshop dating back to the 4th century BCE and used for nearly eight centuries. The discovery, published in African Archaeological Review, provides new insights into late prehistoric metallurgical practices in Africa.
In Europe, the Iron Age is generally dated from around 800 BCE to the end of the 1st century CE. However, these chronological frameworks vary widely across different regions of the world. The earliest evidence for iron production is thought to date to the 2nd millennium BCE in Anatolia—modern-day Turkey—and the Caucasus. This technique spread from there to Europe, but did it develop independently in Africa? The question remains open.
Excavations carried out by a team coordinated by UNIGE, in partnership with the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN) in Dakar, shed new light on the emergence of iron metallurgy in West Africa. At the site of Didé West 1 (DDW1), near the Falémé River valley in eastern Senegal, archaeologists uncovered an exceptionally well-preserved iron-smelting workshop in 2018 that was in use from the 4th century BCE to the 4th century CE. Its longevity is particularly striking, as such sites are typically used for only a few generations.
Credit: Anne Mayor
Well-preserved 'tuyères' and bloomery furnaces
The workshop consists of a large heap containing around a hundred tons of slag, a semicircular arrangement of about thirty used "tuyères"—clay pipes that channel air into the furnace—and 35 circular furnace bases, each approximately 30 cm deep. This iron and steel production was likely carried out on a small scale to meet local needs, particularly for the manufacture of agricultural tools.
"Thanks to its exceptional state of preservation, its age, the length of time it remained in use, and its distinctive technical features, this site is truly unique. It offers a rare opportunity to study the continuity and adaptation of an iron smelting technique over the long term," says Mélissa Morel, postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory of Archaeology of Africa & Anthropology (ARCAN) within the Biology Section of the Faculty of Science at UNIGE, and lead author of the article.
Documenting practices
Since 2012, the team has been studying both past and present techniques used by potters and blacksmiths in the Falémé Valley. The work of its members has identified several distinct ancient traditions of iron‑ore smelting. At DDW1, the spatial organization, furnace morphology and associated waste products point to the tradition known as FAL02. It is characterized by small circular furnaces topped with a removable chimney, as well as large clay "tuyères."
A key feature is that these "tuyères" do not have a single air outlet but multiple small openings connected to the main channel by perpendicular side ducts. This design allows air to be distributed to the bottom of the furnace. Another distinctive characteristic is the use of palm nut seeds as packing material at the base of the furnace—a practice not previously documented.
"Despite the very long period during which this workshop operated, this tradition remained remarkably stable, undergoing only minor technical adjustments. This continuity contrasts with other African metallurgical contexts and highlights the importance of understanding the technical and cultural choices made by early metallurgists in iron production," explains Anne Mayor, director of the ARCAN laboratory in the Biology Section of the Faculty of Science at UNIGE and senior lecturer and researcher at the Global Studies Institute, who led the project.
The team's research is continuing at other sites in Senegal to compare smelting practices and gain a better understanding of how ironworking techniques developed and spread. To date, only around a dozen sites dating to the first millennium BCE have been well documented and reliably dated across West Africa.
Ancient African Ironworking The Birthplace of Metallurgy
UAP Plasma Entities Evidence the Military Won't Release
UAP Plasma Entities Evidence the Military Won't Release
Overview
On May 23, 2024, researcher Rhawn Gabriel Joseph, Ph.D., released a video titled “UFO‑UAP Plasmas in the Thermosphere: A Fourth Domain of Life.” In the presentation Joseph argues that a subset of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) observed by NASA’s space‑shuttle missions are not conventional debris or experimental hardware but living plasma‑based entities that occupy the Earth’s thermosphere. He frames these objects as a “fourth domain of life,” analogous to extremophiles that thrive in deep‑sea vents, but powered by electromagnetic energy rather than chemical metabolism.
Central Claims
Joseph’s thesis rests on three main observations. First, he describes intelligent‑like behavior—coordinated flight patterns, rapid acceleration, and what he interprets as predatory or mating displays. Second, he asserts that the objects are drawn to high‑energy events such as hurricanes and electromagnetic storms, allegedly feeding on the released energy. Third, he points to physical anomalies—trajectory changes, near‑light‑speed bursts, and abrupt decelerations near storms—that, in his view, cannot be explained by known space debris, ice crystals, or conventional aerodynamics. Joseph summarizes his position: “What we are seeing are self‑illuminating organisms that have evolved to exist where the atmosphere becomes a plasma sea.”
Evidence Cited
The video relies heavily on archival footage from several shuttle missions, most notably STS‑48, STS‑75 (the tether experiment), STS‑80, STS‑96, STS‑106, and STS‑115. Joseph highlights moments where bright, pulsating objects appear to interact with the shuttle or its tether, interpreting the behavior as “swarming” to harvest electrical currents. He references two articles he authored in the Journal of Modern Physics—“Extraterrestrial Life in the Thermosphere” and “Extraterrestrial Life: Plasmas”—and notes that flight‑path analysis was performed by Cary Martynuik. The presentation also classifies the observed shapes into three categories (sperm‑shaped “hunters,” donut‑shaped, and cone‑shaped) and speculates that they are non‑carbon‑based plasma structures lacking DNA.
NASA Transparency Allegations
Joseph alleges that NASA deliberately obscures these phenomena by inserting visual “noise” or “snow” into night‑time recordings and by shutting down camera feeds when objects approach the shuttle. He claims the agency’s actions are intended to hide evidence of a previously unknown biological ecosystem. NASA has not responded to these specific accusations, and no official documentation corroborates the existence of systematic footage manipulation. The agency’s public statements on UAPs emphasize ongoing data collection and analysis rather than concealment.
Scientific and Policy Context
While the video has generated discussion in fringe scientific circles, mainstream experts caution that the claims lack independent verification and have not undergone peer‑review beyond Joseph’s own publications. Astrobiologists note that plasma, by definition, consists of ionized gas rather than organized cellular structures, making the notion of a plasma‑based life form highly speculative. The U.S. Department of Defense’s recent UAP report and the establishment of the All‑Domain Anomaly Resolution Office underscore a broader governmental effort to assess aerial anomalies, but they stop short of endorsing biological interpretations. As one atmospheric physicist remarked, “Extraordinary observations require extraordinary evidence; without reproducible data, the plasma‑organism hypothesis remains an intriguing hypothesis, not a confirmed discovery.”
The discussion highlights a growing intersection between UAP investigations and astrobiology, prompting calls for rigorous, transparent research protocols that can separate genuine anomalous phenomena from misinterpretations of sensor artifacts
The vice president, who is Catholic, said he does not believe they are beings from another planet; instead, he says, they are demons.
Vance noted many world religions have long acknowledged the existence of what he described as “weird things out there” that are difficult to explain.
Loeb told “Jesse Weber Live” Vance’s theory is not new based upon scientific findings and Judeo-Christian beliefs.
Loeb told “Jesse Weber Live” Vance’s theory is not new based upon scientific findings and Judeo-Christian beliefs.
“I don’t see necessarily a conflict between religious beliefs and science as long as everyone agrees that we should attend to the evidence that should guide us,” Loeb said.
“If the U.S. government cannot figure out what these objects are, then of course, people have their own speculations or theories, or they connect them to some past traditional thoughts.”
Ahead of the launch of the Artemis-2 mission, experts have once again raised concerns about issues with the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield. It is designed to protect the astronauts as they re-enter Earth’s atmosphere upon returning from their journey around the Moon.
Heat shield of the Orion spacecraft. Source: phys.org
Problems with the heat shield in past missions
The Artemis-2 mission covers a distance of a quarter of a million miles, but the last five minutes of it are likely to cause the greatest concern regarding the astronauts’ safety.
During the uncrewed test of the Orion spacecraft in 2022, problems with the heat shield were identified for the first time. This is the part of Orion that bears the brunt of the intense heat the capsule is exposed to as it enters Earth’s atmosphere.
When engineers inspected the Orion heat shield from the 2022 Artemis-1 mission, they discovered that large pieces of material had fallen off. The concern was that if this were to happen again during the Artemis-2 crewed mission, it could expose the interior of the capsule to dangerously high temperatures. From the very beginning of manned spaceflight, engineers have protected capsules from extreme heat during atmospheric reentry using so-called “abrasive” heat shields made of a material that burns away uniformly as the capsule penetrates the atmosphere.
To meet the requirements for a reusable spacecraft, NASA developed an incredible heat shield system made from ultra-light tiles of glass-coated silica fibers. Although this heat shield possessed exceptional thermal properties, it was also very fragile and required careful maintenance after every flight. Damage to this fragile and unprotected heat shield was the cause of the tragic loss of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. For the Artemis program, NASA has returned to the concept of an abrasive heat shield.
New heat shield design for the Orion spacecraft
The Orion capsule’s heat shield is made of a material called Avcoat, which is based on a material originally developed for the Apollo program. Although NASA considered other, newer materials for the Orion heat shield, the material ultimately chosen was one that had already proven its reliability during the Apollo missions.
However, the structure of the Orion heat shield differs from those used during the Apollo program. The Apollo heat shield consisted of a single honeycomb-structured matrix containing approximately 320,000 individually filled hexagonal segments. To make the Orion heat shield more effective and easier to reproduce in production, NASA chose a configuration consisting of approximately 180 individual segments.
This heat shield was first tested in 2014, when the Orion uncrewed capsule was launched by a Delta IV rocket to an apogee of 3,600 miles. On reentry, the capsule passed through the atmosphere at a temperature of about 2,200 °C (4,000 °F), but the heat shield proved capable of withstanding such extreme heat.
The next test for the Orion capsule was the Artemis-1 mission in 2022. This was the first flight of the powerful Space Launch System rocket and an uncrewed demonstration of the mission planned for Artemis II. As it flew through Earth’s atmosphere at a much greater distance than during the first test, the spacecraft reached a temperature of about 2,800 °C (5,000 °F). The first concerns regarding the Avcoat heat shield arose at this point.
Instead of burning away evenly across the entire surface, sections of the Artemis-1 heat shield unexpectedly fell off in irregular pieces. Such uneven ablation makes it difficult to predict thermal loads during atmospheric reentry and increases the probability that the Orion capsule could heat up to dangerous levels.
Causes of uneven burning of heat shields
The investigation determined that the cause of the uneven ablation was the irregular release of gases trapped within the heat shield material, which was exacerbated by the “skip re-entry” profile adopted for this mission.
Following the “skip” profile, Orion first lightly touches the edge of the atmosphere to slow down. It then uses the capsule’s aerodynamic lift to skip back out of the atmosphere, before re-entering it for its final descent to Earth. The “skip” profile got its name because it somewhat resembles a stone skipping across the surface of a pond.
NASA researchers found that as the heating rate decreased between atmospheric re-entries, thermal energy accumulated within the Avcoat material. This led to the accumulation of gases and, in turn, to an increase in internal pressure, which resulted in the formation of cracks and uneven delamination of the material.
Necessary improvements
Based on the experience gained during the Artemis-1 mission, NASA has taken a number of measures to protect the Artemis-2 crew. For the first crewed flight under the program, NASA retained the Avcoat heat shield material but updated the tile design to facilitate gas venting during atmospheric reentry.
In addition, NASA has now chosen a more direct re-entry profile for the Orion capsule instead of the “skip” profile. This reduces uncertainty in the heating profile and means that the trapped gases will be exposed to peak temperatures for a shorter period of time, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the heat shield; however, it also means that the crew will experience greater deceleration upon re-entry.
Safety first
At the most dramatic moment in the film Apollo 13, Mission Control Director Gene Kranz says his famous line to the Mission Control team: “Failure is not an option.” Although this phrase was actually coined by the film’s screenwriters, it has become not only the second most popular quote from the movie, but also a kind of motto for NASA.
Nowhere is this truer than in the case of the Artemis-2 heat shield. In the final phase of the Artemis-2 mission, there is no backup plan, no contingency plan, and no chance of escape. The four astronauts on board will rely on a few centimeters of resin-coated silica to protect themselves from temperatures approaching half that of the Sun’s surface.
Human spaceflight has always involved calculated risks, but at the same time it has given us a unique human perspective on our place in the Universe. The Artemis-2 mission will make its crew the first people in over half a century to see the blue globe of Earth in all its glory with their own eyes.
The crew will carry the hopes and aspirations of an entire new generation of explorers. Their safe return will depend on the meticulous work of thousands of scientists and engineers, and they will bring back with them a new human perspective not only on the Moon, but also on the planet we call home.
We Could Be Hit By Five Building-sized Asteroids By The End Of The Century - So What Are We Going To Do About It? By Andy Tomaswick - March 30, 2026 11:56 AM UTC | Planetary Science Image of an asteroid traveling through the solar system. Credit - NASA /
We Could Be Hit By Five Building-sized Asteroids By The End Of The Century - So What Are We Going To Do About It?
Image of an asteroid traveling through the solar system. Credit - NASA / JPL-Caltech
It’s amazing how much one movie can act as a cultural touchpoint for an entire topic - even a topic as serious as defense of a planet. Popular media consistently use the 1998 movie Armageddon as a reference when talking about how we would destroy a civilization-ending asteroid. That’s despite the movie’s glaring scientific flaws, not the last of which is the likely size of the rogue comet that threatens the Earth. Planetary defense researchers at MIT were recently interviewed by the university’s media department as part of their “3 Questions” series. One of the most important takeaways is that the size of any likely planetary impactor in our lifetime is going to be much smaller than the kilometer-sized behemoth that did in Bruce Willis’ character.
These smaller objects, known as decameter-scale asteroids because they typically have a diameter of 10s of meters, aren’t the civilization-destroying kind—those are typically kilometer scale and above. But they are much more common. The MIT researchers believe they impact the Earth-Moon system roughly every couple of decades, compared to the once in ten million years a larger impactor would hit us.
To be clear, these decameter sized objects are bigger than the ones that have been causing a significant amount of fireballs over US cities. For example, the one that burst over my home city of Cleveland a few weeks ago, which was loud enough to shake houses in the area, was only around 2 meters in diameter.
One recent example of an asteroid in this size is 2024 YR4, which was discovered a little more than a year ago, and comes in at between 53 and 67 meters - roughly the size of a 15 story building. According to the MIT researchers, this class of objects isn’t likely to cause human casualties. However, if they strike a populated area, they certainly could, as they could release an airburst equivalent to 8 to 10 megatons of TNT.
But what they are sure to do is disrupt space infrastructure - including the satellites used for GPS and communications. In really bad scenarios, they could potentially be the spark that ignites Kessler syndrome - the orbital debris cascade that could lock us out of space access for decades or longer. So even if all this type of asteroid did was knock out a few satellites, its best if we knew it was coming and could potentially do something about it.
The problem is they are really hard to see. At this scale, these asteroids don’t reflect much light, and ground-based observatories have a hard time tracking them. Some space-based observatories, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, fare better. It was used by some members of the MIT team to track 2024 YR4 and recently definitively rule out an impact on the Moon in 2032. But, since the JWST is our most capable deep-space telescope, demands on its time are so frequent it can’t constantly be used to watch for decameter scale asteroids.
Another ground-based telescope that is coming online shortly should be able to help, though. The Vera Rubin Observatory is expected to find up to 10 times more decameter-scale asteroids than we have previously found. However, while it's great at detecting very faint objects like these small asteroids, it is not great at tracking them, making it hard to determine either the asteroid’s size or trajectory.
To make up for this shortfall, the MIT team is developing a pipeline of other telescopes, such as the MIT Haystack and Wallace Observatories, that should be able to track the asteroids that Vera Rubin finds. That pipeline will also include data analysis to make sure they are tracking actual objects and not artifacts from the telescope or other noise.
Figuring out what to do when they inevitably find a decameter sized asteroid that will actually hit the Earth (or the Moon) is a different matter entirely. It’s almost inevitable that we will though. The MIT researchers expect that, within the next decade, astronomers will identify several small objects on a course to impact the Earth-Moon system this century. As of now, there’s still no framework for the nations of the world to deal with this possibility. But what planetary defenders can be sure of is simply sending Bruce Willis and his hand picked team to take care of it definitely won’t help.
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Over mijzelf
Ik ben Pieter, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam Peter2011.
Ik ben een man en woon in Linter (België) en mijn beroep is Ik ben op rust..
Ik ben geboren op 18/10/1950 en ben nu dus 75 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: Ufologie en andere esoterische onderwerpen.
Op deze blog vind je onder artikels, werk van mezelf. Mijn dank gaat ook naar André, Ingrid, Oliver, Paul, Vincent, Georges Filer en MUFON voor de bijdragen voor de verschillende categorieën...
Veel leesplezier en geef je mening over deze blog.
