Dit is ons nieuw hondje Kira, een kruising van een waterhond en een Podenko. Ze is sinds 7 februari 2024 bij ons en druk bezig ons hart te veroveren. Het is een lief, aanhankelijk hondje, dat zich op een week snel aan ons heeft aangepast. Ze is heel vinnig en nieuwsgierig, een heel ander hondje dan Noleke.
This is our new dog Kira, a cross between a water dog and a Podenko. She has been with us since February 7, 2024 and is busy winning our hearts. She is a sweet, affectionate dog who quickly adapted to us within a week. She is very quick and curious, a very different dog than Noleke.
DEAR VISITOR,
MY BLOG EXISTS ALREADY 12 YEARS AND 11 MONTHS.
ON 06/05/2024 MORE THAN 1.972.210
VISITORS FROM 134 DIFFERENT NATIONS ALREADY FOUND THEIR WAY TO MY BLOG.
THAT IS AN AVERAGE OF 400GUESTS PER DAY.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG AND HOPE YOU ENJOY EACH TIME.
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.
Druk op onderstaande knop om te reageren in mijn forum
Zoeken in blog
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 In België had je vooral BUFON of het Belgisch UFO-Netwerk, dat zich met UFO's bezighoudt. BEZOEK DUS ZEKER VOOR ALLE OBJECTIEVE INFORMATIE , enkel nog beschikbaar via Facebook en deze blog.
Verder heb je ook het Belgisch-Ufo-meldpunt en Caelestia, die prachtig, doch ZEER kritisch werk leveren, ja soms zelfs héél sceptisch...
Voor Nederland kan je de mooie site www.ufowijzer.nl bezoeken van Paul Harmans. Een mooie site met veel informatie en artikels.
MUFON of het Mutual UFO Network Inc is een Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in alle USA-staten en diverse landen.
MUFON's mission is the analytical and scientific investigation of the UFO- Phenomenon for the benefit of humanity...
Je kan ook hun site bekijken onder www.mufon.com.
Ze geven een maandelijks tijdschrift uit, namelijk The MUFON UFO-Journal.
Since 02/01/2020 is Pieter ex-president (=voorzitter) of BUFON, but also ex-National Director MUFON / Flanders and the Netherlands. We work together with the French MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP.
ER IS EEN NIEUWE GROEPERING DIE ZICH BUFON NOEMT, MAAR DIE HEBBEN NIETS MET ONZE GROEP TE MAKEN. DEZE COLLEGA'S GEBRUIKEN DE NAAM BUFON VOOR HUN SITE... Ik wens hen veel succes met de verdere uitbouw van hun groep. Zij kunnen de naam BUFON wel geregistreerd hebben, maar het rijke verleden van BUFON kunnen ze niet wegnemen...
24-02-2017
Why have the number of UFO sightings reached an all-time high?
Why have the number of UFO sightings reached an all-time high?
More than 100,000 UFOs have been spotted worldwide in the last century
In 2010, the number of spaceship sightings shot up to 45,000 a year
Experts believe the increase may be linked to the rise of the internet
In the search for life beyond our planet, more people are reporting sightings of spaceships and UFOs than ever before.
Exactly 104,947 UFO sightings have been reported since the first sign of aliens was spotted in 1905, according to data from the National UFO Reporting Centre.
And since the 1990s, the number of other-worldly sightings has shot up from 10,000 to 45,000 a year.
Scroll down for video
The number of people spotting spaceships and UFOs has reached an all-time high, according to data from the National UFO Reporting Centre in Washington
LINKS BETWEEN CONSPIRACY, NARCISSISM AND SELF-ESTEEM
Over the course of three online-based studies, researchers at the University of Kent showed strong links between the belief in conspiracy theories and these psychological traits.
The results showed that those people who rated highly on the narcissism scale and who had low self-esteem were more likely to be conspiracy believers.
However, while low self-esteem, narcissism and belief in conspiracies are strongly linked, it is not clear that one - or a combination - causes the other.
But it hints at an interesting new angle to the world of conspiracy and those who reinforce belief.
The National UFO Reporting Centre, which is based in Washington, is a site dedicated to keeping track of UFO sightings from across the world.
Data from the site has shown that people living in the UK, the US and Australia are most likely to report seeing an alien spaceship, while countries such as Russia, China and Greenland rarely catch a glimpse of extraterrestrial activity.
An analysis of its data by statistician Sam Monfort, a PhD student at George Mason University in Virginia, has revealed that while the number of overall sightings is on the rise, the number of flying saucers being spotted has actually fallen.
'One of the first recorded UFO sightings comes from Portland in 1905 (of course, seeing UFOs before it was cool), where a 'buzzing,' sphere-shaped UFO descended from the clouds,' he wrote on his website, Visualise This.
'Other shapes began cropping up later, with Saucers dominating the scene until the 1990s, when mysterious lights became the most popular.'
Yearly UFO sightings spiked after the 1990s, with the number of other-worldly shooting up from 10,000 to 45,000 a year
Mr Monfort said the sharp increase of UFO sightings coincides with the rise of the internet in the late 1980s.
He said: 'Why lights instead of tangible shapes?
'Maybe claiming to see "lights" is less likely to make your friends and family react sceptically than claiming you saw an actual UFO up-close, especially now that everyone walks around with a handy picture-taking device in their pocket.'
Flying saucing sightings have dropped since the 1990s. On January 25, alien enthusiasts claimed they have spotted ET's ship, circled, hidden in a cave in the South Pole
He also pointed out that the number of UFO sightings in the US jumps up on July 4th every year.
He said: 'Maybe the mysterious lights are actually fireworks.
'Sightings of UFOs spike in the USA on July 4th! Strangely though, this "July 4th effect" only gets huge starting in 2008.'
Mysterious lights have become the most common type of UFO to be reported. On August 3, 2016, a bizarre ball of light appeared over a field in Siberia, Russia
Bizarre moment as strange UFO is spotted above village
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Texas witness watches sphere UFOs disappear
Texas witness watches sphere UFOs disappear
A Texas witness at Snyder reported watching two, sphere-shaped objects hovering about 500 feet off the ground that appeared to fade and disappear in place, according to testimony in Case 81249 from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) witness reporting database.
Map of witness sighting area.
(Credit: Google)
The witness and his girlfriend were driving home from a grocery shopping trip in Snyder and heading toward Spur along Highway 208 when the incident occurred at 4:57 p.m. on December 31, 2016.
“I noticed a bright, shiny, silver ball hovering about 500 feet in front of us to the southeast,” the witness stated. “I said, ‘What is that?’ She first thought it was a helicopter because it wasn’t moving; that’s until it slowly started disappearing and fading away into nothing.”
The object was hovering just 500 feet in the air. Pictured: Texas Route 208 between Snyder and Spur.
(Credit: Google)
The two then saw another similar object.
“Then we immediately saw another one to the east and that also started to fade away. She pulled over and I grabbed my phone to record it. But by the time we got out it was completely gone. It was eerily quiet, and of course being in West Texas we were the only vehicle on the road. We were awestruck and excited that we both witnessed something unexplainable.”
Both objects appeared to disappear in place. Pictured: Texas Route 208 between Snyder and Spur.
(Credit: Google)
Snyder is a town in, and the county seat of Scurry County, Texas, population 11,202. Texas MUFON State Section Director Arthur B. Goodrich is investigating. Please remember that most UFO sightings can be explained as something natural or man-made. The above quotes were edited for clarity. Please report UFO activity to MUFON.com.
Hoewel velen geloven dat het object per ongeluk in botsing kwam met de zon, denken andere alien-jagers dat het een buitenaards ruimteschip is dat de zon gebruikt om te tanken.
Het object is naar verluidt net zo groot als de planeet Jupiter, zo wordt gezegd in een video die op YouTube is geplaatst door Paranormal Crucible.
Toen het enorme object in botsing kwam met de zon was er een felle lichtflits te zien. Wetenschappers hebben nog geen verklaring gegeven voor dit fenomeen.
Kabel
Eind vorig jaar stelden complottheoretici dat op beelden van de NASA ruimteschepen waren te zien die energie onttrokken aan de zon.
Op beelden was een witte vlek te zien die door middel van een kabel verbonden leek te zijn met het zonneoppervlak.
“Is dit een enorme UFO die zich voedt met zonne-energie?” vroeg YouTube-gebruiker Streetcap1 zichvorige week af.
Coen Vermeeren bij RTL Late Night: “NASA praat niet graag over astronauten die zich uitspreken over UFO’s”
Coen Vermeeren bij RTL Late Night: “NASA praat niet graag over astronauten die zich uitspreken over UFO’s”
De NASA praat niet graag over astronauten van de ruimtevaartorganisatie die in het verleden heel duidelijk dingen hebben gezegd over UFO’s.
Dat zei lucht- en ruimtevaartdeskundige Coen Vermeeren gisteravond bij RTL Late Night tijdens een fragment over de ontdekking van zeven aardachtige planeten die mogelijk leven herbergen.
“Dat zou erop duiden dat er misschien al eens een poging is ondernomen om hier te komen,” voegde hij toe.
“Ik heb bijvoorbeeld gesproken met Edgar Mitchell, de zesde man op de maan,” zei hij. “Die heeft heel duidelijk gezegd dat UFO’s bestaan, buitenaards zijn en hier kunnen komen.”
Vele honderden
En hij is niet de enige, voegde Vermeeren toe. “Het zijn er vele honderden. Niet allemaal van NASA, ook hoge militairen en politici.”
Zij spreken hier al jaren over, maar op de één of andere manier willen we hier niet naar luisteren, lichtte hij toe.
De NASA maakte tijdens een drukbezochte persconferentie bekend dat rond de dwergster Trappist-1 zeven aardachtige planeten zijn gevonden.
Buitenaards leven
Drie van die planeten bevinden zich dicht genoeg bij de warmte van de ster om leefbaar te zijn en lijken qua omvang op de aarde.
“Buitenaards leven is dus mogelijk,” aldus de NASA. “De vraag is niet of we een tweede aarde zullen vinden, maar wel wanneer.”
De ontdekking is uniek, want nooit eerder werden zoveel exoplaneten rond één ster gevonden. Bovendien lijken ze op de aarde en bevinden ze zich op nog geen 40 lichtjaar van onze planeet.
The Walking Dead TV Show Presents A UFO In This Week Episode
The Walking Dead TV Show Presents A UFO In This Week Episode
UFOs show up to witnesses when they least expected it, but no one would have thought an unidentified flying object appeared on The Walking Dead set in this week’s episode. The UFO appears at 28:27 minutes of the show. Lampicka PSN of YouTube discovered the strange thing in the background of the video. The UFO seems to be a dark object moving from the right to the left of the screen.
Some UFO enthusiasts suggest that the dark disk showed up on purpose so that it could use its mind control methods on one of the most popular TV shows in the U.S. It is believed that UFOs have mind control to make people temporarily forget what they saw or even make people remember things. Many believe that the UFO shows up on purpose to reach a lot of viewers out there.
According to Elon Musk, if super intelligent aliens exist somewhere else, they probably already observing people on Earth. He added that it would seem quite likely and humanity is just not intelligent enough to realize it.
UFO hunters believe that aliens are everywhere, but to uncover the evidence before our very own eyes needs effort.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 24 hours you might have noticed that NASA made a pretty huge announcement last night.
NASA announced that it had found not one, but seven Earth-like planets orbiting a single star.
What made things even more exciting was that it is just under 40 light years away.
While there has been a lot of hype surrounding the announcement and about what it could mean we thought we’d break things down into a simple Q&A that should hopefully put the discovery into perspective.
What Has NASA Actually Discovered?
NASA has discovered seven exoplanets, all that could be described as Earth-like, and all orbiting a single star.
The solar system is called TRAPPIST-1 and it’s located about 235 trillion miles away in the Aquarius constellation.
NASA
What you may not know is that three of these planets are not new discoveries. Researchers first learnt about TRAPPIST-1’s exoplanets back in May 2016 when they announced that they had found three planets that could be Earth-like.
It was only after working with other major telescopes around the world including NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope that they were able to find all seven and determine what they were made of.
Why Is This A Big Deal?
Well any discovery of an exoplanet is a big deal because by very definition these are planets that share a similar composition to the planets we have in our own solar system.
NASA
What makes TRAPPIST-1 really special though can be summarised in three points:
1. This is the largest number of exoplanets that we have found orbiting a single star.
2. Three of these seven planets are right in the middle of what we call the ‘habitable zone’ which means that they are the right distance from a star to potentially support an atmosphere that could contain life.
3. Despite the fact only three are in the ‘habitable zone’ astronomers believe all seven planets could theoretically support liquid water on their surface.
So Are There Aliens On Any Of These Planets?
Well this is the ultimate question, and it’s one that we just don’t know at the moment.
As Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington said of the discovery: “Answering the question ‘are we alone’ is a top science priority and finding so many planets like these for the first time in the habitable zone is a remarkable step forward toward that goal.”
NASA
While we’re still a long way from being able to say conclusively whether there is life in TRAPPIST-1 or not, the discovery of so many exoplanets so close to home confirms what many astronomers now believe: That there are a lot of planets out there and far more than we expected could have the environmental conditions needed to create life.
What TRAPPIST-1 does give us though is a chance to explore these planets close-up.
“The TRAPPIST-1 system provides one of the best opportunities in the next decade to study the atmospheres around Earth-size planets,” said Nikole Lewis, co-leader of the Hubble study and astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.
What Are These Exoplanets Like?
The researchers who discovered them have described the planets as all being “rocky”.
What we also know is that because they’re all incredibly close to their host star.
That means that if you could stand on the surface of one of them the star in the sky would be 10x larger than our own Sun is.
You would also be able to see the other planets with incredible detail, possibly even making out atmospheric features like cloud formations.
Finally we know that they’re probably tidally locked. This means quite simply that they don’t rotate, so one side of the planet will be in permanent night and the other in permanent day.
NASA’s Favourite Photos Of 2016
NASA/Bill Ingalls
In this 30 second exposure taken with a circular fish-eye lens a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower as a photographer wipes moisture from the camera lenses Friday August 12 2016 in Spruce Knob West Virginia
NASA/Bill Ingalls
The second and final qualification motor QM-2 test for the Space Launch Systems booster is seen Tuesday June 28 2016 at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems test facilities in Promontory Utah
NASA/Bill Ingalls
The Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 48 crew members NASA astronaut Jeff Williams Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos near the town of Zhezkazgan Kazakhstan on Wednesday Sept 7 2016Kazakh time
NASA/Bill Ingalls
In this long exposure photograph the Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft is seen launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with Expedition 50 crewmembers NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Friday Nov 18 2016
NASA/Joel Kowsky
The Soyuz MS-02 rocket is launched with Expedition 49 Soyuz commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos flight engineer Shane Kimbrough of NASA and flight engineer Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos Wednesday Oct 19 2016 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
NASA/Bill Ingalls
The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft is rolled out by train to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Kazakhstan Monday July 4 2016
NASA/Bill Ingalls
NASA astronaut Jeff Williams left Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos center and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos are seen inside the Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft a few moments after they landed in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan Kazakhstan on Wednesday Sept 7 2016Kazakh time
NASA/Bill Ingalls
The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with Expedition 48-49 crewmembers Kate Rubins of NASA Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA onboard Thursday July 7 2016 Kazakh time July 6 Eastern time Baikonur Kazakhstan
NASA/Bill Ingalls
In this 30 second exposure a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower Friday August 12 2016 in Spruce Knob West Virginia
NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
From left to right Jack Connerney Juno deputy principal investigator and magnetometer lead co-investigator NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center Chris Jones associate director for flight projects and mission success NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL Dr Jim Green Planetary Science Division Director NASA Scott Bolton Juno principal investigator Southwest Research Institute Geoff Yoder acting Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate NASA Michael Watkins director NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL and Rick Nybakken Juno project manager Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL celebrate with others on the Juno team after they received confirmation from the spacecraft that it had successfully completed the engine burn and entered orbit of Jupiter Monday July 4 2016 in mission control of the Space Flight Operations Facility at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena CA
NASA/Bill Ingalls The Orbital ATK Antares rocket with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard launches from Pad-0A Monday Oct 17 2016 at NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia
NASA/Bill Ingalls The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 49 crew members NASA astronaut Kate Rubins Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos and astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA near the town of Zhezkazgan Kazakhstan on Sunday Oct 30 2016
NASA/Joel Kowsky The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASAs Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security-Regolith Explorer OSIRIS-REx spacecraft lifts off on from Space Launch Complex 41 on Thursday Sept 8 2016 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida
NASA/Joel Kowsky
This composite image made from ten frames shows the International Space Station with a crew of six onboard in silhouette as it transits the sun at roughly five miles per second Saturday Dec 17 2016 from Newbury Park California
NASA/Bill Ingalls The Orbital ATK Antares rocket with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard launches from Pad-0A Monday Oct 17 2016 at NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia
Traveling to TRAPPIST-1: How Long Would It Take? | Video
Traveling to TRAPPIST-1: How Long Would It Take? | Video
By Steve Spaleta
The ultra cool dwarf star system is about 39 light-years from Earth. Find out how long it would take NASA’s Space Shuttle, the New Horizons spacecraft and Breakthrough Starshot’s proposed laser sail-propelled nanocraft to travel to the system that harbors 7 Earth-sized planets.
Straight Out of Sci-Fi: Hoverbike 'Surfs' Through the Air in Test
Straight Out of Sci-Fi: Hoverbike 'Surfs' Through the Air in Test
By Kacey Deamer, Staff Writer
The hoverbike prototype, dubbed Scorpion-3, is capable of lifting itself and a driver into the air.
Credit: Hoversurf/YouTube
Think of it as half drone, half motorcycle: A new hoverbike prototype aims to make flying as simple as riding a bike.
Hoversurf, a Russian drone startup, recently unveiled its Scorpion-3 hoverbike in a test- flight video — making it the first manned quadcopter that has undergone testing, reported Futurism, a science and technology news website.
The Scorpion-3 combines quadcopter-drone technology with a traditional motorcycle design, resulting in an electric-powered hoverbike that can lift itself and a pilot into the air. According to Hoversurf's website, the hoverbike can be flown by both professionals and amateurs, because the bike's custom software allows for both manual and automated control. [Hyperloop, Jetpacks & More: 9 Futuristic Transit Ideas]
"[The] Scorpion platform is the next step in accessible amateur flying developed to inspire athletes, engineers, scientists and inventors around the world," Hoversurf officials said on the company's website. "[It] is equipped with a safety system powered by state of the art flight controllers, special logical programing and passive elements with computer aided speed and altitude limiting."
While the Scorpion-3 could offer new mass transportation options, like Dubai's recently announced passenger drone, Hoversurf said it designed the hoverbike with extreme sports in mind. A compact dirt bike inspired the hoverbike's sport-utility frame, and the pilot's uniform (seen in the video and on the website) is reminiscent of a motocross driver. The company describes the hoverbike's ride as "surfing through the air."
Scorpion-3 is not the only hoverbike to take to the skies. Beyond the autonomous "taxi drone" that is scheduled to launch in Dubai, there are both private and public prototypes of similar high-tech modes of transportation in the works. According to Futurism, the U.S. military partnered with Malloy Aeronautics to build a hoverbike that could help soldiers in the field.
Aerofex, a California-based aerospace engineering company, is also developing a passenger drone. The company's so-called Aero-X is described as "a hovercraft that rides like a motorcycle," Live Science has reported, and can fly at 45 mph (72 km/h) up to 10 feet (3 meters) off the ground.
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20 Years After Dolly the Sheep, What Have We Learned About Cloning?
20 Years After Dolly the Sheep, What Have We Learned About Cloning?
By Stephanie Bucklin, Live Science Contributor
Dolly the Sheep in a field at The Roslin Institute.
Credit: Photo courtesy of The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the announcement of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. Her creation left a lasting impact on both the public and the field of developmental biology, experts say.
At the time, other researchers had managed to clone mammals by splitting embryos in a test tube and implanting them in adults. However, none had successfully used an adult somatic (body) cell to clone a mammal. Researchers at the Roslin Institute in Scotland were finally able to produce Dolly — cloned from the udder cell of an adult sheep — after 276 attempts, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
"For a developmental biologist, the ability to clone an advanced mammal was thought to be impossible," Lawrence Brody, director of the Division of Genomics and Society at the NHGRI, told Live Science.
Although Dolly was born in July 1996, Researchers announced Dolly's existence on Feb. 22, 1997. The delay in the announcement was due to the time needed to amass sufficient data on the project, check the data, write and get the manuscript published, said Bruce Whitelaw, the head of the Division of Developmental Biology at the Roslin Institute. [5 Fascinating Findings About Stem Cells]
Although British biologist John Gurdon had cloned frogs from the skin cells of adult frogs in 1958, researchers after him had failed to clone mammals such as mice, rats and pigs, despite trying for decades, Brody said. He added that many researchers began to feel there had to be "something different about mammals in the way their genome and genetic blueprints are packaged," and that cloning them would be impossible.
Dolly with Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, who led the research which produced her.
Credit: Photo courtesy of The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh
However, Dolly's creation "told us that was all wrong," Brody said.
That breakthrough would be crucial in the years to come. "It is rare that a single scientific story can have such a rapid, then sustained, impact" on science, Whitelaw said. Dolly had a massive scientific impact, especially through driving stem cell research and therapy, Whitelaw told Live Science.
Ian Wilmut, the scientist who led the team that created Dolly, similarly told Live Science that research on Dolly led to both unexpected and very important results. "The birth of Dolly and the new understanding of the opportunity to change the functioning of cells made researchers consider other possible ways of modifying cells," Wilmut said. Later, in 2006, researchers in Japan found that introducing a set of four proteins into these skin cells led to a portion of them to "become very similar to embryo stem cells," where they had the ability to then differentiate into different adult cell types, Wilmut said.
"The whole stem-cell investigation was really stimulated by the fact that Dolly was able to be born, and stem cells still are quite promising as a means to be able to repair human tissues when they're damaged," Brody said. "We're obviously not there yet, but it is something that could be traced back to the success of Dolly."
There is also a link between the Dolly experiments and the so-called CRISPR technologies that allow scientists to edit genomes, Brody said: Both are breakthroughs of enormous magnitude, and could help researchers figure out ways to repair damaged or diseased tissues, he said. [Unraveling the Human Genome: 6 Molecular Milestones]
Dolly the Sheep with her first born lamb, called Bonnie.
Credit: Photo courtesy of The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh
Another important result of the Dolly experiments is that they put science in the spotlight. "Dolly captured the world's imagination and allowed the world to hear about science," Brody said. "It's rare that the general public gets enamored [with] science, and it was clearly enamored with Dolly". The creation of Dolly also brought up important conversations about the ethical limitations of manipulating human cells and embryos, laying the groundwork for similar conversations today, Brody said.
Dolly died in February 2003, at age 6. (A typical life span for a sheep is about 10 to 12 years.) She had both offspring and clone "sisters," which were derived from the same batch of cells as Dolly. However, none of her offspring are alive today, Wilmut told Live Science. (Whitelaw also mentioned that the Roslin Institute no longer keeps sheep, as the funding for this program has run out.)
Since Dolly's creation, numerous other mammals have been cloned successfully, including mice, cattle, deer, horses and rats, according to the NHGRI.
Some conspiracy theorists claim the Moon is a hollow artificial satellite.
The favoured official scientific explanation is that the Moon broke off from the Earth's crust after it was struck by a massive Mars-sized object, and then remained in our orbit.
Many pseudo-scientists and conspiracy theorists have latched onto claims that the moon's existence and relationship with Earth defies physics, to brand it an artificially-created object.
They have taken the giant leap from this to claim aliens from billions of years ago created the structure and it may even be occupied inside, in a similar way to the infamous Death Star from the Star Wars movies.
The latest supporter of the conspiracy theory has devoted an entire article to the claims on his website.
UFO researcher JP Robinson says the fact that the moon "rings like a bell or gong when struck" means it must be hollow and artificially constructed, despite being coated in rock.
Mr Robinson wrote: "It appears that the moon itself shouldn’t actually be where it is, and all the data regarding the moon’s size and its distance from the sun and from the Earth, have confounded scientists and researchers alike."
It is true that scientists have been divided on how the moon formed, with some suggesting its existence defies physics itself.
Many scientists agree the size of the Moon is one of our solar system's biggest anomalies.
Physics has been unable to explain why a planet the size of Earth has a Moon of such a large size in comparison.
Our Moon would be expected to be about 40 miles in diameter, but is closer to 2,000 miles.
Other supporters of the hollow moon theory include conspiracy theory king David Icke and Scott C Waring, editor of ufosightingsdaily.com.
Mr Robinson added: "The Moon revolves at exactly one hundredth of the speed that the Earth turns on its axis.
"It is also precisely 400 times smaller than the Sun and exactly 400 times closer to the Earth.
"Patterns and number sequences are consistent when looking at all of the Moon’s major aspects, contrary to the inconsistencies of all other planets and moons in our solar system.
GETTY
David Icke is a supporter of the hollow moon theory.
It appears that the moon itself shouldn’t actually be where it is, and all the data regarding the moon’s size and its distance from the sun and from the Earth, have confounded scientists and researchers alike.
JP Robinson
"If you divide the circumference of the Sun by that of the Moon and multiply by 100 you get the polar circumference of the Earth.
"In fact, so precise are the measurements and correlations between the Earth, Sun and Moon that any differentiation in the figures would inevitably lead to vastly visible changes. "Take the solar eclipse for example; the Sun would no longer be able to conceal itself so perfectly behind the Moon.
"That astoundingly perfect fit that we take for granted would cease to be."
It was also confirmed by NASA that the moon does ring like a bell when struck.
During Apollo 12 the shock waves made by the lunar module ascent were recorded by seismic equipment and showed that "Moonquake" tremors lasted for 55 minutes.
Vibrations caused by the impact of Apollo 13’s Saturn rocket booster, which was equivalent to 11 tons of TNT going off, left the Moon shaking for three hours and 20 minutes, the same equipment showed.
Mr Robinson added: "There are many theories doing the rounds regarding the enigmatic nature of Earth’s Moon.
"Many claim that the moon is an artificial satellite rather than a natural object.
"It is hollow, which should be impossible were it a natural planetary object.
"As noted astronomer Dr Carl Sagan wrote in 1966, 'A natural satellite cannot be a hollow object'.
"So, if the Moon is a hollow artificial construct as the facts lead us to understand, who built the Moon, how did they get it into its present orbit and why did they put it there? "How is it that our moon remains stationary in Earth’s orbit, never revealing the dark side to us?
"Such questions will certainly not be answered overnight but the initial realisation that our Moon is not a natural object behaving naturally would raise a few eyebrows were it common public knowledge."
International astronomers – led by Michaël Gillon and largely funded by the EU – have found a solar system with seven Earth-sized planets, three of which are close enough to the star to host life.
The star, dubbed TRAPPIST-1, is located 40 light years away in the constellation Aquarius, practically neighbors to Earth by astronomical standards. The planets that orbit TRAPPIST-1 are roughly Earth-sized and close enough to the star to retain liquid water, a requirement researchers have set for extraterrestrial life.
“The discovery gives us a hint that finding a second Earth is not just a matter of if, but when,” NASA chief scientist Thomas Zurbuchen said at a news conference on Wednesday.
The Commission-funded European Research Council (ERC) backed the project with €1.96 million with its Starting grant. From this point forwards, researchers hope to follow-up the discovery by scanning the planets for clear chemical indicators of life.
Although NASA announced its part of the findings first, the ERC and Commission were quick to point out their substantial contribution.
“This spectacular discovery illustrates that once again success can be achieved when researchers from different countries and the importance of support from the European Union,” said EU chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas during a press briefing on Thursday.
The TRAPPIST-1 star, an ultra-cool dwarf, has seven Earth-size planets orbiting it. This artist's concept appeared on the cover of the journal Nature on Feb. 23, 2017.
The seven potentially habitable exoplanets discovered orbiting the ultra-cool dwarf star Trappist-1 are said to be our best chance at finding evidence of alien life in the near future.
Announcing the discovery in the journal Nature, the team of scientists said three of these planets, Trappist-1e, f and g, have the potential to have a liquid ocean covering them.
To support life (as we know it), these rocky planets would also have to develop the right atmosphere – something we should be able to establish in the coming years.
Without actually visiting the planets or receiving a message from any advanced civilisation that might have emerged, we could never be completely of the presence of life. But if it had evolved – what would it be like?
Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, has written two papers currently under review that look at what conditions might be like on the Trappist-1 worlds, and what lifeforms they may support.
"Trappist-1 now holds the record for the most rocky planets in the habitable zone – our solar system only has two – Earth and Mars. Life is a definite possibility on these worlds, but it might look different because there's likely to be very high ultraviolet radiation flux on the surface of these planets," she said.
Artist impression of what it would be like to stand on the surface of the exoplanet TRAPPIST-1f.NASA/JPL-Caltech
She said one of the papers looks at the scenario that the planets have a high UV environment. Different atmospheres would result in different life, she said. "We find that if the star is active, as indicated by the X-ray flux, then planets need an ozone layer to shield their surface from the harsh UV that would sterilise the surface. If the planets around Trappist-1 do not have an ozone layer (like a young Earth), life would need to shelter underground or in an ocean to survive and/or develop strategies to shield itself from the UV, such as biofluorescence."
In the paper, currently being reviewed by the Monthly Notices of the Royal Society, Kaltenegger said that if a dense Earth-like atmosphere that has a protective ozone layer exists, environments would be similar to what we have on Earth. For this reason, she said if ozone is detected in any of the atmospheres, they would make for good target planets in the search for alien life.
But this does not rule out the possibility that life can emerge beneath the surface of a planet that is highly exposed to UV. "Certain radiation-tolerant species have demonstrated an ability to survive full solar UV in space exposure experiments; however, they achieve this by entering a dormant state. Therefore, although life may be able to survive on highly UV-irradiated surfaces like this, it would likely not be able to actively metabolise and complete a life-cycle," the study reads.
"Life could shelter subsurface on such planets, e.g. in an ocean, which would make it harder to detect remotely. If photosynthetic life developed on a highly UV-irradiated planet, the UV defences it would need to employ, such as living under soil layers or underwater, would mean that surface features like the vegetation red edge signature would not exist in surface reflectance spectra.
"However, there may be other detectable surface biosignatures that would be associated with high UV surface environments. Some biological UV-protection methods, such as biofluorescence, could make such a biosphere detectable."
While we will not know if alien life exists on these planets for some time, study author Amaury Triaud discussed what the view might be like from the surface. "Think of the light you see at the end of a sunset, brighter than the moon but dimmer than the sun. However, you would still feel warm because you still get energy from the star," he said.
"The spectacle would be beautiful because every now and again you would see another planet maybe twice as big as the moon in the sky – depending on which star you are on and which you are looking at. On 1f, the star has a diameter that is three times that of the sun seen in the sky. We had a debate about the colour. Originally we thought it would be extremely red like a deep crimson. But in the end the star is so red that most of its light is in the infrared, so we would see something more salmon coloured."
This artist's conception shows what the Trappist-1 planetary system may look likeNASA/JPL-Caltech
An artist’s concept of the surface of exoplanet Trappist-1f, located in the Trappist-1 system in the constellation Aquarius. Note: No aliens.
NASA
When NASA began teasing a major announcement earlier this week about a great discovery “beyond our solar system,” it was clear that it was going to be something exciting. And in space, the most exciting thing is obvious: aliens.
It’s not aliens.
The space agency disclosed the discovery of Trappist-1, a system of seven Earth-size exoplanets orbiting a star about 40 light-years away. The scientists say it’s possible that all of those planets—the first-known and largest system of such worlds around a single star—could contain water, though it’s most likely on the three found in the habitable zone.
A detection including such terms as “Earth-size,” “habitable,” and “water” all contribute to the idea that we are getting ever closer to finding life elsewhere. And that means maybe aliens, right?
Technically, yes, it means maybe aliens. But not aliens where you think: As Quartz’s Akshat Rathipoints out, it’s less likely that we find life on these specific planets anytime soon, but that this will help scientists learn how to better search in the future. Finding a bunch more planets of the right shape, size, zone, and temperature would greatly increase the odds of finding water—and life.
As Rathi writes:
The reason this is a big deal is not because scientists have found so many Earth-like planets at once. We’ve already discovered hundreds of those. Nor is it because Trappist-1 is so close. The star Proxima Centauri is only four light years away, and it too has an Earth-like planet in its orbit. The Trappist-1 solar system is a big deal because it’s going to be the test bed for accelerating our search for alien life.
What about this discovery will help us do that? For one, the (actual) star in this announcement is an ultracool dwarf that is about the size of Jupiter, much different than our star. Finding such a similar planetary system like ours around a (literally) cool star like this one—there are clues that the planets are rocky and tidally locked to the star—signals that scientists may want to start looking away from sun-like stars for extraterrestrial life.
A comparison of the Trappist-1 system to our solar system. The close orbits of the Trappist-1 planets are reminiscent of Jupiter and its system of orbiting moons.
NASA
Furthermore, scientists often discover the existence of exoplanets by observing how stars might dim as planets cross by in their orbits. Trappist-1’s star is much dimmer than most stars, which makes it easier to see the chemical signatures of these planets—like water or oxygen—using instruments like the ultrasensitive James Webb Space Telescope, which is set to launch in fall 2018.
So, not aliens yet. Of course, that doesn’t stop NASA from capitalizing on the thrill of the idea: The press release is accompanied with fantastic imagined sketches of the newly discovered planets. But don’t expect anything more Earth-like on them to pop up anytime soon.
Interestingly though, Sam has observed that spotting of flying saucers have been on the downturn, despite the rise in sightings over all.
Maybe extraterrestrials have just upgraded?
In terms of geography, Sam says that the US seems to be the most prone to UFO sightings all year round.
The States actually report 300 times as many sightings than the the global average, according to his calculations.
Picture: Sam Monfort
If you want to look at all Sam's awesome data, head over to this website, where there are also breaks downs of sightings by State and other great graphs.
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When is Alien Covenant out? UK release date, cast, trailer, watch Last Supper prologue
When is Alien Covenant out? UK release date, cast, trailer, watch Last Supper prologue
ALIEN: Covenant is Ridley Scott’s latest movie in the acclaimed Alien franchise and a sequel to 2012’s Prometheus. Watch the trailer and Last Supper prologue here and find out here all about the release date and cast.
Alien: Covenant is coming to UK cinemas this year, find out below about the release date and cast
Despite mixed reviews, Prometheus secured itself enough success at the box office to warrant a sequel.
The story does not pick up directly at the end of the prequel, but rather follows a new team of space explorers looking for planets across the galaxy.
The film’s plot will lead directly into the first cult-horror film Alien, from 1979, which starred Sigourney Weaver as the iconic Ripley aboard the Nostromo.
20H CENTURY FOX
The cast of Alien: Covenant includes James Franco, Michael Fassbender, and Noomi Rapace
Who are the cast of Alien: Covenant?
Prometheus ended with almost the entirety of the cast dead, save for Michael Fassbender’s android David and Noomi Rapace’s Elizabeth.
Fassbender will feature with a double credit, playing the dual role of android David and android Walter, in the new film.
20TH CENTURY FOX
Michael Fassbender will reprise his role of Android David, but also play android Walter
The stars will however play second fiddle to an entirely new cast of actors who will step into the spotlight.
James Franco will lead in the role of Branson, captain of the Covenant spaceship, with actress Katherine Waterston, and Billy Crudup under his command.
Comedy actor Danny McBride will star as the cowboy pilot of the ship.
What the heck is this mysterious object flying during a Chilean Air Force flight demonstration held at Puerto Varas, Chile on February 10, 2017?
If this was a fireball, it was enormous!
Another witness filmed the same event from a different angle and reports: “I have more videos of that same day recorded from another place and you see several foreign objects flying very close to the plans.”
Here a few pictures of the unexplained sky event:
This mysterious light in the sky appeared during an Chilean Air Force flight demonstration in Chile on February 10, 2017. via Youtube videoUFO? Fireball, other planes? What was this mysterious light in the skiy of Chile on February 10, 2017?
What do you think this was? A bright meteor? SOme other airplanes on which the sun reflected? Or just another UFO?
Our world is filled with mysterious happenings, curious oddities and things that are just, well….strange. From the impressive to the downright weird, sometimes nature surprises the eye and bewilders the mind.
1. Moeraki Boulders
Found on the Otago coast along Koekohe Beach near Moeraki, New Zealand, the Moeraki Boulders were originally formed on the ancient sea floor roughly 60 million years ago. Numbering near 50, the diameter of the boulders range between half a metre (1.6 ft) and approx 2.2 metres (7.3 ft). According to Maori legend, the boulders are the remnants of eel baskets which washed ashore after legendary canoe, Araiteuru, was ship-wrecked.
2. Light Pillars
Simply a visual phenomenon created by the reflection of light from ice, Light Pillars (or columns) are most frequently formed when light from the sun or moon is reflected by ice crystals in the air. In order for the pillar effect to occur, the ice crystal must be horizontal so that the reflection can be made vertically. Due to the ambient appearance of the pillars, this phenom has been known to produce many false UFO reports. Have you seen lights in the sky on a freezing cold night? You may have just seen a light pillar.
3. The Sailing Stones
Found in the dusty, dried out plains of Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, California, the Sailing Stones have defied scientific explanation to this day. No conclusion has yet been offered as to explain why these mysterious stones leave long, stretching, tracks every two or three years, although it is popularly believed that the unique weather conditions which occur here in March every year play a vital role.
4. Blue Holes
Although not quite as cool as a black hole or anywhere near as mind-boggling as a worm-hole, blue holes are much easier to observe. Technically giant underwater sink-holes, blue holes were formed at some time during past ice ages, when the sea level was roughly 110 metres lower than it is today. The deepest blue hole in the world is Dean’s Blue Hole, just west of Clarence Town in the Bahamas, and is recorded at 202 metres. The widest blue hole is the Great Blue Hole (pictured), and is 300 metres in diameter.
5. Columnar Basalt
Looking more like a discarded scene prop from 2006’s Superman Returns (the less said, the better), Columnar Basalt occurs in the wake of thick lava flow. When the lava flow cools, an extensive network of fractures develops, resulting in the formation of hexagonal columns. If the cooling is rapid, smaller columns will be observed, and alternatively, slow cooling renders large colomns.
6. Blue Neon Waves
Unfortunately, the Blue Neon waves, which were observable from the San Diego shoreline, have ceased, but that doesn’t make them any less of a natural wonder. The nocturnal opposite to the city’s “Red Tide”, the Neon waves were a spectacle of colour brought on by an over abundance of a certain kind of plankton. The “neon” effect which was evident in the surf, was the result of the bio-luminescence of the millions of dead plankton being washed ashore.
7. Moroccan Tree Climbing Goats
Okay, so perhaps these guys don’t quite fit in with the rest of this list, but nothing says “weird and wonderful” quite like goats in trees. And the reason for the farmyard favorite’s vertical endeavor: food. The berries of the Argan tree are a food source in Morocco, and are one of the few in relative abundance. The escapades of these wily creatures are a testament of nature adapting to survive.
Tell us about your favourite “weird wonders of the natural world” in the comments below!
The exoplanet discoveries just keep getting better and better. An international team of astronomers, equipped with a gamut of state-of-the-art ground and space telescopes, have stumbled upon the presence of a staggering seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a star 40 light-years away — including three which exhibit a strong chance of possessing water and being habitable to life.
The incredible new results, published in Nature on Wednesday, are the most exciting exoplanet discovery since the detection of Proxima b — the closest exoplanet to Earth, orbiting nearby Proxima Centauri at 4.25 light-years away — and raise hopes of finding another planet similar to Earth which could be inhabited by future generations which have mastered interstellar travel, or perhaps already be home to extraterrestrial life.
“With the right atmospheric conditions, there could be water on any of these planets,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, at a press conference on Wednesday. “These planets are among the best of all the planets we know to follow up” for study in life-bearing atmospheres and biosignatures.
Indeed, the findings are a far cry from just a couple of decades earlier, when astronomers believed there were very few planets outside the solar system, and certainly even smaller odds that there could have been planets with the potential to sustain life.
The star system in question is governed by an ultracool dwarf star called TRAPPIST-1, named after the TRAPPIST telescope which found it, located at the European Southern Observatory’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. TRAPPIST-1 is just 8 percent the mass of the sun — hardly bigger than Jupiter — and is comparably quite dim.
For that reason, the planets would need to be much closer to the host star in order to stand a chance of developing the kind of temperatures and compositions necessary to sustain life as we know it. Fortunately, as explained by lead study author Michael Gillon, an astronomer at the University of Liege in Belgium, TRAPPIST-1 and its planets retain such a tight configuration.
“If you were on the surface of one of these planets, you would be able to see the others,” he said. “You would see them really as we see the moon [from Earth. You could see structures…it would be a wonderful view.”
The new findings, made using TRAPPIST, the ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Paranal in Chile’s Atacama Desert, and the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope, collectively confirmed the existence of three previously found exoplanets in the system, plus an additional four which had never been observed before. The planets, named TRAPPIST-1b, c, d, e, f, g, and h in order of increasing distance from the star, all have sizes similar to Earth.
The key to discovering this exoplanet family has to do with the tried-and-true formula of observing stellar transits: watching the light glowing off a star dim on a regular interval as evidence that an object or series of objects are orbiting it. The TRAPPIST telescope is basically the “little telescope that could” in the world of exoplanet research — it was originally designed as a prototype to test out the technology for a larger project, but has managed to punch way beyond its weight and help lead to a groundbreaking discovery like this one.
As surprisingly useful as TRAPPIST is, it has its limits, and that’s why the VLT and Spitzer Space Telescope were also used to better observe the stellar transits in the TRAPPIST-1 system by honing in on more detailed spectral and chemical analysis. The research team was able to use the new data to make more accurate characterizations of the new planets’ sizes, compositions (the innermost six are most likely rocky), and distances from the star.
All seven planets might possess water — the single most essential trait to allowing life to thrive on another world — but it’s TRAPPIST-1e, f, and g which are particularly compelling. They reside in the host star’s Goldilocks zone: the original region in which is not too hot or too cold for surface water to pool up. The temperature and climate are just right for life to potentially evolve, or for life from another planet (raise your hands!) to potentially make a home for themselves.
The TRAPPIST findings add to the already growing list of over 3,500 confirmed exoplanets, including 44 potentially habitable worlds. However, the biggest impediment to really confirming if any of these planets resemble Earth and could foster life — terrestrial or alien — is the fact that it’s extremely difficult to study the atmospheres of these distant worlds. That could change with the new generation of instruments being constructed right now, like NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and ESO’s European Extremely Large Telescope. Developing more technology that can pinpoint the present of biosignatures, like methane and oxygen, is critical to the search for habitable planets and extraterrestrial life.
“You really have to wait till we can assess the atmospheres” before making conclusions about life, explained Sara Seager, an astrophysicist at MIT. And part of that means just hoping for optimal conditions in order to make such observations. “We have the capability to find signs of life elsewhere, but nature has to deliver.”
When those instruments finally go online, expect the TRAPPIST-1 system to be one of the first regions of space studied in closer detail, but it certainly won’t be the last. “This is a search that will go on for many generations,” said Seager. “With this amazing system, we know there must be many more potentially life-bearing systems waiting to be found.”
“Finding a second Earth,” said Zurbuchen, “is not just a matter of if, but when.”
National Geographic | Exploring the Universe - Documentary 2017 HD 1080p
National Geographic | Exploring the Universe - Documentary 2017 HD 1080p
Published on Feb 22, 2017
This program describes the most remarkable, perspective changing discoveries in the field of cosmology in the last 100 years. Each discovery was made by scientists working with a radically new telescope.
Seven Earth-sized planets have been found orbiting an ultracool dwarf star 40 light-years away
The planets are temperate, meaning they could have liquid water
The researchers believe this is the best place outside of our solar system to look for life
(CNN)Astronomers have found at least seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the same star 40 light-years away, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. The findings were also announced at a news conference at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
This discovery outside of our solar system is rare because the planets have the winning combination of being similar in size to Earth and being all temperate, meaning they could have water on theirsurfaces and potentially support life.
"This is the first time that so many planets of this kind are found around the same star," said Michaël Gillon, lead study author and astronomer at the University of Liège in Belgium.
The seven exoplanets wereall found in tight formation around an ultracool dwarf star called TRAPPIST-1. Estimates of their mass also indicate that they are rocky planets, rather than being gaseous like Jupiter. Three planets are in the habitable zone of the star, known as TRAPPIST-1e, f and g, and may even have oceans on the surface.
The TRAPPIST-1 star, an ultracool dwarf, has seven Earth-size planets orbiting it.
The researchers believe that TRAPPIST-1f in particular is the best candidate for supporting life. It's a bit cooler than Earth, but could be suitable with the right atmosphere and enough greenhouse gases.
If TRAPPIST-1 sounds familiar, that's because these researchers announcedthe discovery of three initial planets orbiting the samestar in May. The newresearch increased that number to seven planets total.
"I think we've made a crucial step towards finding if there is life out there," said Amaury Triaud, one of the study authors and an astronomer at the University of Cambridge. "I don't think any time before we had the right planets to discover and find out if there was (life). Here, if life managed to thrive and releases gases similar to what we have on Earth, we will know."
Life may begin and evolve differently on other planets, so finding the gases that indicate life is key, the researchers added.
"This discovery could be a significant piece in the puzzle of finding habitable environments, places that are conducive to life," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "Answering the question 'are we alone?' is a top science priority, and finding so many planets like these for the first time in the habitable zone is a remarkable step forward toward that goal."
And as we've learned from studying and discovering exoplanets before, where there is one, there are more, said Sara Seager, professor of planetary science and physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Seager and other researchers are encouraged by the discovery of this system because it improves our chances of finding another habitable planet, like Earth, in the future, by knowing where to look.
What we know
The planets are so close to each other and the star that there areseven of them within a space five times smaller than the distance from Mercury to our sun. This proximity allows the researchers to study the planets in depth as well, gaining insight about planetary systems other than our own.
The seven planets of TRAPPIST-1 compared with Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
Starting closest to the star and moving out, the planets have respective orbits from one and a half to nearly 13 Earth days. The orbit of the farthest planet is still unknown.
Standing on the surface of one of the planets, you would receive 200 times less light than you get from the sun, but you would still receive just as much energy to keep you warm since the star is so close. It would also afford some picturesque views, as the other planets would appear in the sky as big as the moon (or even twice as big).
On TRAPPIST-1f, the star would appear three times as big as the sun in our sky. And because of the red nature of the star, the light would be a salmon hue, the researchers speculate.
The researchers believe the planets formed together further from the star. Then, they moved into their current lineup. This is incredibly similar Jupiter and its Galilean moons.
Like the moon, the researchers believe the planets closest to the star are tidally locked. This means that the planets always face one way to the star. One side of the planet is perpetually night, while the other is always day.
What the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system may look like.
Based on preliminary climate modeling, the researchers believe that the three planets closest to the star may be too warm to support liquid water, while the outermost planet, TRAPPIST-1h, is probably too distant and cold to support water on the surface. But further observation is needed to know for sure.
How the discovery was made
TRAPPIST-1 barely classifies as a star at half the temperature and a tenth the mass of the sun. It is red, dim and just a bit larger than Jupiter. But these tiny ultracool dwarf stars are common in our galaxy.
Photos:Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar system
They were largely overlooked until Gillon decided to study the space around one of these dwarfs.
The researchers used a telescope called TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) to observe its starlight and changes in brightness. The team saw shadows, like little eclipses, periodically interrupting the steady pattern of starlight. This is called transiting. The shadows indicated planets, and further observation confirmed them.
In July, the team was able to determine that two of the closest planets to the stars had atmospheres that were more compact and comparable to those of Earth, Venus and Mars by observing starlight through the planets' atmosphere.
By using a global network ground-based telescopes like TRAPPIST and space-based telescopes like Spitzer, the researchers continued looking toward the TRAPPIST system and were able to determine the orbital periods, distances from their star, radius and and masses of the planets.
What's next
Over the next decade, the researchers want to define the atmosphere of each planet, as well as to determine whether they truly do have liquid water on the surface and search for signs of life.
Although 40 light-years away doesn't sound too far, it would take us millions of years to reach this star system. But from a research perspective, it's a close opportunity and the best target to search for life beyond our solar system.
"If we learn something now, it can determine if we looked in the right place," Gillon said.
In 2018, the James Webb Space Telescope will launch and be positioned 1 million miles from Earth with an unprecedented view of the universe. It can observe large exoplanets and detect starlight filtered through their atmosphere.
The researchersare also searching for similar star systems to conduct more atmospheric research. Four telescopes named SPECULOOS (Search for habitable Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars) based in Chile willsurvey the southern sky for this purpose.
This star system will probably outlive us because this type of star evolves so slowly. When our sun dies, TRAPPIST-1 will still be a young star and will live for another trillion years, Gillon said. After we are gone, if there is another part of the universe for life to carry on, it may be in the TRAPPIST-1 system.
"This is the most exciting result I have seen in the 14 years of Spitzer operations," said Sean Carey, manager of NASA's Spitzer Science Center at Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, California. "Spitzer will follow up in the fall to further refine our understanding of these planets so that the James Webb Space Telescope can follow up. More observations of the system are sure to reveal more secrets."
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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 73 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.
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