Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Well-preserved Mammoth with blood and muscle tissue discovered in Siberia

(AP Photo/Mammoth Genome Project, Steven W. Marcus) 

Russian scientists discovered a frozen woolly mammoth in an icy tomb off the coast of Siberia. Approximately 10,000 years old, the creature was so well-preserved that some of its blood and muscle tissue was intact.

Read more >> Source: KFSN-TV, Fresno, CA

Just imagine if they decided to clone this big guy! Yikes! That's all we need is a bunch of Woolly Mammoths running around. ~facepalm~

Monday, June 14, 2010

Interesting factoids you didn’t know about Sirius, ‘The Dog Star’

Sirius_A_and_B_artwork Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, also known as “The Dog Star,” is in the ancient constellation of Canis Major, literally meaning “large dog.” Below are a few interesting facts that you may or may not have known about The Dog Star.

Sirius gets its name from the ancient Greek work Seirios, literally meaning “scorcher.” It also goes by other names as well, such as Alpha Canis Majoris, Canicula, and Aschere.


  • What you see as a single star is actually a binary star system comprised of a white main sequence star, Sirius A and its white dwarf companion, Sirius B.
  • The phrase “dog days of summer” comes from an ancient belief that the Dog Star was somehow responsible for the hot weather because, next to the Sun, it was the largest star in the heavens. The term “Dog Days” was first used by ancient Greeks.
  • Ancient Egyptians based their calendars on heliacal rising of Sirius, which is when it first becomes visible above the eastern horizon just before sunrise after a period of not being visible.
  • Sirius B is so dim that it cannot be perceived by the naked eye, and was not observed until January 31, 1862 by Alvan Graham Clark. Clark was later honored with the Lalande prize by the French Academy for this discovery.
  • Sirius A is approximately 2.02 to 2.14 times the mass of our Sun and about 1.68 to 1.71 its diameter.
  • Sirius B, also known as “the Pup” is 8200 times dimmer than its companion, Sirius A, but is actually the hotter of the two.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Latest UFO Sightings for 14 June 2010

These are latest UFO sightings reported to MUFON.com. If you have a UFO sighting, please fill out a report form at MUFON.



At midnight on June 10th, a witness in Arkansas noticed “a yellowish light beam - such as a car turning around would project shined on the house.” When the witness got up to investigate he/she “saw a blue-white light glowing from overhead...and flashing....like heat lightning” but wondered why the lighting was staying so long in one place. When looking out the window the witness observed white orbs blinking off and on and slowly moving at the height of the second-story level, directly in front of the window.



At approximately 10:30pm on June 12th, a witness in Georgia was star-gazing. The sky was mostly clear, with scattered clouds, but very good visibility. At approximately 10:45pm, the witness observed “a very white bright sphere” appear in the southern sky and silently travel north in a straight line at tremendous speed. The time it took to travel across the entire sky was approximately 3 seconds. The witness also reported that “there was no change of color, no trail, no deviation in its path.”



At approximately 7:30pm on June 5th, a witness was driving north on Florissant road through downtown Ferguson, Missouri when he/she noticed “an object hovering fairly high in the sky off to my North East approx 1/4 mile or so away.” The witness pulled off the road into a parking lot, stopped the car and tried to take a picture with an iPhone, but the camera malfunctioned. The object then disappeared northwest, only to reappear after only a brief moment. This time the object was closer, (approximately 1/8 mile away), and the witness was able to make out the shape. The witness described the object as “dark gray in color, no lights or sounds at all. It appeared to be a stretched star with 2 points prevalent on each end looking like an introverted “V” and 1 small extroverted “V” on each long side (6 points total ).” The witness tried again to get a photo, but by the time they got their iPhone ready, the object had once again disappeared.

Approximately three minutes after the object had disappeared, the witness described the following:
“I pulled out of the parking lot and was driving North again down Florissant road and went right pass the bank and then continued on until I finally came to the corner of Florissant road and Hereford Rd (about a 1/4 mile pass the bank). It then hit me that I was actually driving my car. I didn’t know I was driving or why I even in my car at all. I didn’t know where I was supposed to be. After about 30-45 seconds I remembered that I was going to the ATM to get some money for my daughter. I turned around and continued to the bank. Everything was a complete blank in my mind for a short time. I was very scared and thought that there was no way that I was the only one that could have seen this. I was totally shaken.”
This is the witness’s MS Paint drawing of the shape of the object:
image


At 11:05am on the morning of June 10th in Lansing, Michigan, a witness walking towards Kalamazoo and Grand Avenue saw something bright in the sky and looked up, expecting to see a plane.
“The sun was glinting off of it very strongly when I first saw it - only the "nose" wasn't shining. It moved deliberately across the sky. It was lower than all other planes and did not have contrails. It made no sound. When I got to Kalamazoo I realized it didn't have wings or a fin. The metal and shape reminded me of old 50's trailers that were all steel/aluminum/whatever. I thought, "UFO?", but didn't REALLY believe it. I looked both ways, crossed to the turn lane, looked back up, and I couldn't find it. I searched in the same area of the sky and found it - but it was BARELY there! It was a clear blue sky - clouds would not show up for 2 hours - and even though this was VERY low, it was disappearing. I could see the outline the clearest, the inside was now the same color as the sky. I looked at traffic and then crossed (less than 15 feet) and when I got to the sidewalk, I couldn't find it. It should have been directly ahead of me in the sky (looking northward) I looked in that clear sky for 5 minutes and could find it. 
No one else saw it. Downtown Lansing is full of people at this time of day (State Workers) and it was a warm day, so there were many people walking. I looked around and realized that no one was looking up and that MOST people DON'T. Watch people next time you are out - they are either looking at the ground or at eye-level. Anything could be flying overhead and, if it doesn't make noise, no one's going to see it

via MUFON.com 

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Fascinating Documentary on the Hubble Space Telescope

image
YouTube has really changed a lot in the last year or so. I find myself hanging out there more and more these days watching myriad videos on a variety of topics.

A few days ago, I ran across this amazing documentary on the Hubble Space Telescope that was put together by the ESA for public distribution. Astronomy is one of my many passions and I love watching things like this. I hope you will too. The documentary is in 9 parts, (10 videos all together), but I have compiled a playlist at YouTube, so you can click the link below and watch the entire thing without having to click anything again, (when one video finishes, the next will automatically begin). Enjoy.


Hubble Space Telescope Playlist

Saturday, May 22, 2010

A View of Earth From Mars



This is the first image ever taken of Earth from the surface of a planet beyond the Moon. It was taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit one hour before sunrise on the 63rd Martian day, or sol, of its mission. (March 8, 2004)

The image is a mosaic of images taken by the rover's navigation camera showing a broad view of the sky, and an image taken by the rover's panoramic camera of Earth. The contrast in the panoramic camera image was increased two times to make Earth easier to see. The inset shows a combination of four panoramic camera images zoomed in on Earth. The arrow points to Earth. Earth was too faint to be detected in images taken with the panoramic camera's color filters.

Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Texas A

via Flickr

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Alien Contact - A Fascinating Documentary About SETI - Must See!

I stumbled upon this video today and I'm about half-way through it as of this writing and it is just riveting. It is called "Alien Contact" and it's about the organization called SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence).  The mission of the SETI Institute is to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe.

This video should be of interest to anyone who has a fascination with extraterrestrials and other worlds. If you have about 45 minutes of free time, I highly recommend watching this documentary. Enjoy.

Alien Contact



Video Link


You can read more about SETI at Wikipedia and also at the official SETI Institute website. You may also be interested in SETI@Home, a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). You can participate by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data.

Latest UFO Sightings for May 11, 2010

10 May 2010 - California, US - I was sitting outside and looking towards the sky when suddenly I saw a meteor falling. Problem is that it was bright blue. I stood up because it was so bright I thought there may be an impact. As I got up I saw the light climbing back into the sky. Straight up. I then thought it was someone shooting fireworks until it started moving abnormally and then started moving off to the North. At this time I ran into the house and got my wife, who also observed the object as it was moving off in a north, northwest direction. There were no other color or flashing lights or sounds, and it was very blue in color. The most remarkable thing was the rate of decent and ascent. It was moving as quickly as a meteor at first until it dropped out of sight behind the houses across the street. As it rose back into the sky it was moving erratically, then moved off almost straight and level. I estimate this object to have appeared approximately two miles from my position.

I'm still not sure I believe my own eyes, save for the fact my wife observed the object as well. It will be interesting to see if anyone else saw anything out there tonight. I know there were several airplanes in the vicinity and should have been able to see the object.



10 May 2010 - New Jersey, US - A close friend and I were outside smoking cigarettes when a bright object in the sky caught our attention. This was at approximately 20:50 EST. The object appeared to be just a very bright star at first-- which was what caught our attention. It was later determined to be moving, however, after a closer study.

A few points to supplement this assertion are:
1) object was eclipsed momentarily by tree limbs at several points and but would always return to open sky, as perceived from our position in front of my house.

2) it flickered as it moved back and forth along the horizon and in circular or arc-shaped, sweeping motions to and fro.

3) the object's light would dim after it reached the peak of its arc-maneuver and hence begin to move in the opposite direction, and would brighten considerably when facing us. the path of the light's beam could be seen when facing from side to side.

4) once in awhile, the light would juke every which way and at odd combinations of sharp angles, in short bursts of incredible speed.

It at first seemed to be hovering over one point but we found the object to be maneuvering away from our position, as it eventually disappeared over the horizon. We were both compelled by strange, anxious feelings for the duration of the sighting.

We repeatedly had to back up to keep the object in our view and actually had to move to my second-story balcony for the last ten minutes of the event, as if hypnotized to stare at this weird light until it could no longer be viewed. This was at approximately 21:19.

I attempted to signal the object with a MAG-light-- in numeric combinations of numbers counting down from three-- but to no avail. At one point, I attempted to use the 75-watt bulbs in the balcony lights as well. But still, the object retreated.

I judged the object to be three miles away at first and was gone forty minutes later, still moving in the direction of the Delaware Water Gap. This thing was very bright and very noticeable; I would find it hard to believe that nobody else saw it besides the two of us.



10 May 2010 - Los Angeles, California, US - That was truly a life changing event, I'm speechless! 6 spheres, or 1 craft just flew right over for everyone in Los Angeles to see. You just had to be looking up to the south to see the most amazing thing! I've always been a skeptic until tonight. I'm still spooked as i'm writing this. It passed thru my line of sight for at least 5 seconds, no sound, no ******* sound. There was a plane heading southwest, thats what originally caught my eye. and then heading from my left to right, 6 lights appeared in a triangle formation, I said holy ****, as it gracefully crossed my line of sight, I noticed the spheres were opaque, beige tinted kinda like the color of the moon through clouds! (There is not a cloud in the sky tonight) as it passed and started to fade it almost appeared to rotate or tumble, and then was gone flying south! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Somebody else had to see this. IT FLEW RIGHT OVER LOS ANGELES, and was definitely visible long enough to be filmed. I stared into the sky, motionless, mouth dry from a dropped jaw for ten minutes, tingling with chicken skin from head to toe. I contemplated what I saw, and I remember automatically thinking that we are not alone, and I saw proof of it tonight! That was not manmade, it was ******* cruisin man. There's no way that I can judge how far away it was, but in contrast to the plane moving like a slug at altitude, this thing was agile and silent. I also remember waiting for the sound wave that should've followed, and there was nothing, the light rumble of a plane at nearby lax is all I heard! I lost sight of it in the distance! The hairs on the back of my neck are still standing! Someone else had to see this, I'm not ******* crazy! I don't see things. My life is forever changed!



9 May 2010 - Missouri, US - On Sunday, my wife and kids were fishing at our house when my 2 yr old pointed at a passenger jet flying over head. I looked up and watched the jet cross the sky when an extremely bright object caught my eye. The sky was clear, bright blue sky around 5:00pm. This object was shiny silver, long cigar shaped and just sat there in the sky. I pointed to it to show my kids, 7yrs, 5yrs, and 2yrs. They all looked at it, my wife didn't want to admit she saw it, she thinkgs I'm crazy to want to see a ufo. But clear as day, this thing just hovered in one spot, not moving at all, and I know it couldn't have been any kind of balloon. I talked to it and said,"come on, come down here..", " I see you up there", and when I said that it seemed to get brighter, then floated off to the northwest. It never went up or down, but stayed at the same level so it couldn't have been balloons. Plus it was extremely bright for something in the sky during the day. I hope someone else saw it in my area.



8 May 2010 - Virginia, US - I was on my break from work, outside eating my lunch. This was at night during graveyard shift. I looked up into the sky and admired the stars at night. I saw several different stars, and one that I thought was Mars. I told myself, wow Mars is bright tonight. I ate my lunch, and then lied on the ground because of being tired while looking up at the sky. The star that I thought was Mars looked as if it was moving. My eyes gazed upon it, and it was moving in a very unpredictable zig zag motion. I thought that it may be a airplane, but airplanes don't stop nor zig zag as they would crash. I thought maybe a helicopter, but choppers do not look like Mars nor be that high up into the sky. The star would zig zag, stop in mid flight, and then turn in the complete opposite direction. The star was fixed in the sky while I was eating, but the minute I laid on the ground, it started moving. It seemed to know that I noticed it. It would sometimes circle, go back and forth, and then stop in midflight. No sound, nor any sign of any fuel propultion system.

As I was watching it more closely, I thought well maybe a satelite. But an orbiting satalite does not zig zag. I admired it for a little while, but then I had to return to work. On my second break, the sky was more hazy and all of the stars could not be seen. I laid back down again, and saw another star. This star was fixed, but did show up through the haze. I be darned, that star the started doing the same motion. I laughed at myself, and thought why do I make stars move. I shined my cell phone light up at it, but did not seem to get any response. The star did not look like Mars on the second break. It looked like a normal star light years away. But as this star started dancing, it got the Mars orange tint to it again.

In my opinion, it was was either in space or at the edge of earth's atmosphere. I think it was a technology that we do not have that I am aware of. Looking up into the sky, nobody would have noticed it at all. It fit into the whole sky. I would not have noticed either, until it started moving.

When I came to my belief that it was something from space, I thought that they were using it to see what us earthlings are doing. It wanted to be under cover. I think people who look for UFO's expect to see lights, triangles, or saucers, but does not think a star would be a UFO.

It was like a secret camera fixed to watch us in our normal day to day lives. The spies new that if the came in their ship, then there cover would be broken. It reminded me of like a probe driod from Star Wars.
I am a believer in alien life way before this event.

I admire Bill Birnes and the UFO Hunters. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology, and I am aware of all of the hullicinations and sometimes mind tricks. But this was as clear as a bell.

So it was no suprise to me to see a real extrordinary event. This was my first UFO sighting, so it confirms in my mind that we are not alone.



8 May 2010 - Missouri, US - Note: I took this report by phone this morning May 10, 2010 by a man who said he lived in the county near Platte City. He wishes to remain anonymous. I asked him to keep in touch with me and if he remembered anything else to give me a call. I named him John Doe because he did not want to give his name out, saying that his job would be in jeapordy if word got out. I assured him that all information would be kept confidential, but he said he couldn't take the risk. Margie Kay

REPORT:

The man stated that he went outside to tend to his dogs at approximately 9:15 PM when a light in the Northwest part of his pasture where he keeps cows caught his eye. He said that there was a beam of light coming down from a black triangular object. It looked like the depth from top to bottom was approximately 50 feet or so, the sides were very even and squared. There were three small white lights, one on each corner of the object, and one big white/blue light in the center. The object was approximately 300 yards from his position and looked like it was at least 100 yards in width from corner to corner. After he watched it for about 5-10 minutes, the beam of light went out and the craft moved upward into the clouds until he could no longer see it clearly. The UFO then moved in a Southwest direction very slowly, and just above the clouds. He stated that there was no sound whatsoever. He could see the lights on the UFO as it moved through the clouds. He stated that he was too paralyzed to move and go get a camera, but he thought that it would be too dark to get a picture anyway. He has never seen anything like this before. I asked him if he had gone to look at the area where he saw the light beaming down on his field and he said no, but he would sometime this week. He seemed somewhat afraid to go look at it. His wife was inside the house at the time and he has not told her about this, but wanted to tell someone what he saw. I also asked him to send me a sketch.

via Mufon.com

Monday, March 15, 2010

Great Granddaughter of President Eisenhower Exposes UFO Spy Game

In an article published by Examiner.com, and in posts published at several web sites, a person who claims to be Laura Magdalene Eisenhower, the great-granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, has been promoting an outlandish claim about a super-secret private effort to build a permanent outpost on Mars.

For the latest information and links to the stories concerning Ms. Eisenhower's allegations, please visit STARpod.org

(STARpod.org) -- The great-granddaughter of President Eisenhower is alleging an attempted recruitment by persons known for their association with the Central Intelligence Agency.

Although the story was initially dismissed due to the outlandish claims and further embellishment cloaked in new age concepts, background research on file at STARstream Research, dating to 2006 appears to confirm at least some of the more down-to-earth details provided by Ms. Eisenhower.

In the web posting of her account of events, Ms. Eisenhower, who has now been identified as Laura Mahon, claims that in April 2006, she had been approached by "a man who we are calling Agent X."

"Agent X" released a statement to the public, in which he identifies himself as Richard Dell, of the Advanced Vehicle Research Center of North Carolina.

According to Ms. Eisenhower, following an engagement in June of the same year, "Agent X" "started to reveal things to me about this group he goes to who are quite psychic and deal with alien abduction related things. He himself had witnessed something truly bizarre with an animal skinned, that had all the blood sucked out and that the radiation or energy around this really affected his health for a long time."

The intriguing details behind this story involve contacts with persons know to be involved in US government intelligence activities, and in the research of alternative energy and aerospace propulsion systems, including nuclear powered rockets.

Based upon Ms. Eisenhower's account, Susan Eisenhower would be her mother.

At her website, Susan Eisenhower, a key energy consultant to the US government, identifies her three children, including Laura, and mentions twin grandchildren, which is consistent with Ms. Eisenhower's account. Ms. Eisenhower mentions that she "had given birth to twin sons" in her on-line statement.

Ms. Eisenhower's associate, Ki' Lia, provided a corroborative account at her own website.

As a matter of disclosure, persons associated with STARstream Research have had contact with Mr. Dell and some of his associates, for several years.

For the latest information and links to the stories concerning Ms. Eisenhower's allegations, please visit STARpod.org

via American Chronicle

Euclid, Ohio UFO: MUFON on the scene third night in a row

Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) Field Investigator Tom Wertman was back at the Euclid, Ohio, UFO site for "day 10" in his continuing investigation of this case.

Euclid resident Eugene Erlikh, 20, first reported seeing a UFO over Lake Erie and as of Friday, had seen the object nine days in a row.

Wertman filed an official UFO sighting report with MUFON Saturday morning, and staked out the beach area below Erlikh's high rise apartment in anticipation of seeing the object again.

The buzz built during the afternoon through emails and phone calls on who was going to see if the mysterious lights would show over Lake Erie for the 10th night in a row.

Wertman and six other ufologists braved not only the cold, but drizzling rain.

"Everyone's expectations were high," Wertman said, "but I think the smart ones were the ones who stayed home. The ceiling is probably a little over 1000 ft. and while I was hoping we would see something tonight, tomorrow will be another day."

The winds along Lake Erie had kicked up by 7:30 p.m. and white caps were visible on the lake.

"We decided to call it quits before 8 p.m. and headed to the closest restaurant to eat and warm up. Unfortunately not only was the restaurant closed, but by the time we left, it started to snow."

The evening was not a total loss as the group discussed the prior day's events, reviewed photos and discussed possibilities on what the lights are.

Wertman said he plans to continue his investigation of this case.

via Examiner.com

Latest UFO Sightings Reports for March 15, 2010

14 Mar 2010 - Montana, USA - At approximately 2030 hrs MST, I took my dog out for his evening walk. As i walked into parking lot of my apartment building, I looked into the sky as I do every night. I noticed a bright light in the sky moving due east. I watched this bright light for about 5 minutes as it moved over the Bridger mountains between Bozeman and Livingston Montana. While I was watching it, I was comparing it to a plane in the sky flying NW. The plane was flying faster and at a higher altitude than the light. The light was flying very slowly and did not have any of the standard marking lights that airliners have. (ie. red and blue wing lights and the blinking belly light) After about five minutes or so, it then faded out. I didn't see it for the rest of the walk. When I came back inside I checked Nasa's site to see where the ISS was in comparison to my location. It was between South America and Africa at the time. I should also mention that the light was flying at a higher altitude than a Japanese flying lantern can get and the light was flying slower than a meteor. I called my mother so she could witness the event but the light faded before she had a chance to get to an east facing window. I was happy to have seen this event and hope to see another in the future.

14 Mar 2010 - Illinois, USA - Standing on back porch smoking after dinner cigar, looked due south saw an object 1.5-2.0 miles away, must've been pretty large, rough triangular shape cruising due eastward at least Mach 1 approx.1/4 mile distance suddenly turned north, NO gradual arc, perfect L, and disappeared. No aircraft moving at that speed can do that. Object had an amber colored light at outward edges, steady-running, and 1 flashing at rear apex between middle?! Dark tonite, slightly overcast, lights were how I was able to make out shape of object. This thing just 90*d w/NO stoppping or slowing due north and VISIBLY disappeared as if the lights on it were extinguished. Dropped cigar on self burnt hand running in here to file report.

14 March 2010 - Great Britain - I was in the area of Wythenshawe in Greater Manchester with a visit to my mother (she saw that to). It was about 7:50 pm and we came out with children to the car. And at the front of us on dark blue sky we saw bright (like burning) ball. We have noticed that, because it was moving slowly and it was quite low, not like an airplane. First, I thought that it was a meteor but I changed my mind as I realized it was coming not from up but from down. It wasn't flying straight but changing directions, its trajectory was like a zigzag. After a minute or so I saw similiar object moving to the same direction but lower. After another 10 minutes I was driving home. Then I spotted another object like those two, above Timperley. I have seen something like this first time in my life. I feel scared now.

14 March 2010 - California, USA - I was at the Gardena, CA post office around 10:00am Sunday, March 14 to send off a letter when I exited the building I looked up to see an airplane in the sky. I used to work at LAX and have always had a fascination with with flying aircraft.
I never thought that I would see something out of the ordinary until I saw bright objects flying around a central object that looked like a star. I had to confirm that I was seeing what this, I asked A person that was on his way into the post office to look up and confirm what I was seeing and he said that he did and asked how in the heck did you spot that?. I just told him to please tell me that you saw that and I'm not crazy. I Immediately drove home to tell my friends about the incident. I pointed to the star looking object. But there were no circulating orbs, they laughed at me and told me it was a star, but when that "Star" suddenly disappeared they stopped laughing.

13 March 2010 - California, USA - Around, 12:30 a fast flying object going about 150 or more passed over my house heading east. It was triangular with two things sticking out of the front. It had weird writing on the bottom and looked to be flying backwards. It made a low humming sound. I had a friend with me, he too saw it. It looked to be as big as 5 cars.

via Mufon.com