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Satellite imagery reveals hidden monastery at Buddhist holy site: report
August 7, 2024
A buried monastery may be lurking underneath one of the sacred sites of the Buddha.
Satellite imagery revealed hidden structures in the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, according to a July media report in Indian news agency PTI, picked up by The Hindu and others.
The temple is of the sites associated with the Buddha's life and said to be the location where he obtained enlightenment.
"The study has unearthed evidence of the presence of archaeological treasure beneath the soil of the [âŚ] site and its surrounding areas," Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, additional chief secretary of India's art, culture and youth department, told PTI in The Hindu report.
Earth-gazing images obtained by satellite show "an alignment of structures to the north of the temple, buried underground," Bamhrah added.
For example, the images suggest a now-buried monastery that centuries ago, was surrounded by both a moat and a settlement.
The study has not yet been peer-reviewed or published, but work is ongoing.
The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is today dominated by a temple soaring 180 feet (55 meters) into the sky, slightly higher than the Statue of Liberty in New York City.
It forms one of six sacred sites linked with the Buddha's life and enlightenment, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
"This is one of the earliest brick Buddhist temples still standing in India, dating back to the 5th or 6th century CE," UNESCO added in a statement.
"The complex is centered around a descendant of the original Bodhi tree under which the Buddha meditated and attained enlightenment."
The new research is being led by M. B. Rajani from the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) at the Indian Institute of Science Campus in Bangalore.
Space.com asked Cardiff University, a collaborator on the research, about the availability of satellite imagery at this time.
"They are preparing a paper on the results and will be happy to share this and the satellite images when published," a Cardiff spokesperson told Space.com.
Cardiff did not specify which satellite or satellites were used to obtain the imagery, but archaeologists commonly use archival data or open-source data to reduce project costs.
The archaeologists are examining the temple as part of a study of Xuanzang, a 7th-century Buddhist monk who made a pilgrimage from today's China to India in search of Buddhist scriptures, the Hindu reported. Xuanzang's travels included visiting Mahabodhi.
"He is best known for his journey to India from 629 to 645 CE and his efforts to bring over 657 Indian texts into China.
His writings had a significant impact on the development of Buddhism in China," the Hindu added.
Xuanzang's work also influenced Alexander Cunningham, a British army engineer who created an organization later known as the Archaeological Survey of India.
Cunningham managed excavations in 19th century British-occupied India that included SÄrnÄth and SÄnchi, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
India later obtained its independence in 1947 after about two centuries of subjugation under the British, detailed in this Britannica article.
https://www.space.com/buddha-mahabodhi-temple-satellite-imagery-buried-monastery
Huge fire at Vancouver construction site contained, officials say
Aug 07, 2024 8:49 AM PDT
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) says it has extinguished a blaze that destroyed an under-construction apartment building, damaged nine nearby homes and appears to have caused a crane to collapse.
The fire in the city's Dunbar neighbourhood broke out late Tuesday in a six-storey building and spread to several nearby houses.
Assistant Fire Chief Keith Stewart says the cause of the fire and the circumstances that led to the crane collapsing remain under investigation.
He says a couple of firefighters suffered minor injuries.
Embers from the fire at 3477 W. 41st Ave. ignited fires in nine additional homes.
Two of those were left uninhabitable while the rest suffered minor damage, Stewart said.
The smoke raised by the fires prompted city officials to warn people with underlying breathing conditions to leave the affected area and find a safe indoor space.
VFRS said in a statement Wednesday all residents on the north and south sides of the construction site have been evacuated and cannot return home for now.
Dramatic video posted on social media while the fire was burning showed a crane toppling, as a huge column of thick black smoke billowed upwards from the top of a building.
The fire also resulted in an outage that knocked out power to around 760 customers, according to B.C. Hydro.
The utility says it reduced that number to around 420 customers by Wednesday morning, and aims to have power fully restored before noon.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-fire-dunbar-contained-1.7287444
USSPACECOM commander, CSEL reinforce partnerships in SOUTHCOM AOR
Aug. 6, 2024
Gen. Stephen Whiting, U.S. Space Command commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Jacob Simmons, USSPACECOM command senior enlisted leader, traveled to Colombia and Argentina to connect with partners in the region July 28 to Aug. 2.
The USSPACECOM leaders started their trip at U.S. Southern Commandâs headquarters in Miami, Florida, meeting with U.S. Army Gen. Laura Richardson, USSOUTHCOM commander and U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Rafael Rodriguez, USSOUTHCOM CSEL.
Following their stop in Miami, Whiting and Simmons traveled to Colombia, a nation with which the command has maintained a Space Situational Awareness information sharing agreement with since 2021.
The pair met with the commander of the Colombian Air Force Gen.
Luis Carlos CĂłrdoba AvendaĂąo and discussed ways their respective militaries can strengthen their partnership and presence in space.
At a press event, Whiting emphasized the enduring U.S.-Colombian relationship, and the value in extending the relationship into the space domain.
He specifically highlighted how the command is, âlooking in the future to deliver a space track telescope that the Colombian Air Force will be able to use to help track some of those 45,000 objects that are on orbit that we track each and every day.â
Following additional meetings with senior leaders in the Colombian aerospace sector, and a tour of the Colombian Air Forceâs Space Operations Center in Cali, Colombia, Whiting and Simmons traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
During this portion of the visit, they had additional opportunities to meet with Argentine industry and defense personnel with shared goals in space.
âThis visit builds positive relations on a partnership between the U.S. and Argentina that is more than 200 years old,â Whiting said.
âWe have a shared vision to protect and defend the space domain, keeping it safe, secure and sustainable for all of mankind. We see great promise moving forward with the Argentine Ministry of Defense.â
The senior enlisted leader of the command echoed Whitingâs sentiments, citing the importance of strengthening relationships between USSPACECOM and the militaries in Colombia and Argentina to cooperative efforts both now and in the future.
âThis trip provided us with an opportunity to increase our interconnectedness and interoperability with indispensable international friends in the southern hemisphere,â Simmons said.
âThe more we meet with mission partners now, the more weâll be able to master mission demands in the future.â
This visit builds upon shared commitments to safeguard the domain as well as a number of recent engagements with USSPACECOM.
Colombia and Argentina recently participated in the 2024 Space Conference of Americas in January alongside eight other partner nations and have participated in a number of USSPACECOM planning conferences and collaborative events to align security cooperation activities.
Finally, both nations are signatories to the Artemis Accords, a non-legally-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use co-led for the United States by the Department of State and the NASA.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3863593/usspacecom-commander-csel-reinforce-partnerships-in-southcom-aor/
US, Australia collaborate to enhance GPS resilience in contested environments
Aug. 7, 2024
Members of the Australian Department of Defence recently joined forces with the Joint Navigation Warfare Center to put GPS devices to the test.
The goal was to assess their performance under simulated jamming conditions and enhance their resilience in contested environments.
The combined effort brought together experts from both nations. Personnel from the Australian Joint Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Directorate worked alongside JNWC personnel to evaluate the Defense Advanced GPS Receiver.
The DAGR, a widely used GPS device by both U.S. and allied forces, plays a critical role in land, sea and air navigation.
By subjecting it to an anechoic chamber that mimics contested and limited GPS conditions, the team aimed to uncover insights that could enhance its resilience.
The JNWC, known for its expertise in navigation warfare, provided the ideal setting for this assessment. Their commitment to enabling PNT superiority for the Department of Defense, interagency, and coalition partners drove the rigorous evaluation process. The specialized chamber allowed them to test the DAGRâs performance in a jamming environment, generating useful data that informed the deviceâs warfighting effectiveness.
Space-based capabilities like GPS and other forms of PNT are fundamental to all joint military operations, as highlighted in the National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and National Military Strategy.
This reliance on these capabilities extends to essential daily activities, from navigation and financial transactions to infrastructure reliant on these space-based technologies.
However, adversaries are actively developed counterspace capabilities, including GPS jammers, to disrupt these advantages. The collaboration between the U.S. and Australia directly addresses this threat.
By evaluating the DAGRâs resilience, the team explored potential solutions, including antennas that enhance jamming resilience.
The findings from this project will be shared with other coalition partners, further strengthening the collective space resilience of allied forces.
This combined effort not only enhances GPS navigation and timing resilience but also exemplifies the power of international cooperation in addressing security threats.
As the world faces evolving challenges, partnerships like these remain essential for maintaining an edge in contested environments.
The JNWCâs mission is to enable PNT superiority for the DoD, interagency and coalition partners, serving as the DoDâs Center of Excellence for NAVWAR.
Under the authority of the Combined/Joint Force Space Component commander the center provides subject matter expertise, operational support and analysis to combatant commands in support of U.S. Space Commandâs mission to plan, execute and integrate military space power.
Additionally, the JNWC conducts assessments to enhance NAVWAR capabilities and advises on policy and preparedness.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3863725/us-australia-collaborate-to-enhance-gps-resilience-in-contested-environments/
Mysterious lights over Austin â can an app help identify UFOs?
Updated: Aug 6, 2024 / 01:29 PM CDT
Reports of mysterious lights over Austin happen fairly regularly and Elon Musk is to blame. Starlink, one of the billionaireâs pet projects, aims to bring internet to rural parts of the world which can cause a stir with stargazers.
Itâs causing a spike in reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
âWith Starlink and other phenomenon up there in the night sky,â said Michael Endl, a professor of astronomy and physics at Austin Community College.
âYou see more and more stuff that that you canât explain right away.â
SpaceX has launched more than 6,000 of the tiny satellites into the sky. Unlike other satellites, they appear unusual.
While in flight, they form a string of tiny lights, while shortly after launch they look like a cigar or bowtie of light.
âWhen Starlink are first deployed out of the spacecraft theyâre very close.
So they look like one object, they donât look like a string of several objects,â said Alejandro Rojas, a UFO researcher who works with Enigma Labs, a new app that aims to crowdsource UFO/UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon) reports.
UFO location app
The Enigma Labs app allows users to upload a photo of the object, description and location data. The purpose of this app is to provide data on UFOs to the government.
âOne of the things that weâve heard from the Pentagon and from NASA is that a lot of the issue with this topic is thereâs not enough data. So thatâs exactly what weâre trying to do is gather more data,â Rojas said.
The company examines reports and then rules out things like Starlink that have an explanation.
âOnce you canât rule things out, thatâs when you have something anomalous that either deserves more research, or can point you in a direction,â Rojas said.
Rojas said that many reports in the Austin-area can be attributed to Starlink, but also balloons and nearby rocket launches.
âPeople who report them, they get a little disappointed because they really think theyâve gotten something anomalous.
But for researchers itâs really exciting because then we can rule those out and pay more attention to the truly anomalous sightings,â Rojas said.
Rojas shared with KXAN several reports of UFOs that drew his attention:
This report from 2023 showed a âtic-tacâ shaped UFO.
A December 2023 spotted a âweightlessâ object over the area.
The 2024 eclipse brought an interesting sight just moments before totality.
Robert Sheaffer, one of the worldâs leading UFO skeptics, told KXAN he has known Rojas for years, calling him a âstraight shooterâ who doesnât make stuff up when it comes to UFO reports.
However, Shaeffer has his doubts about Enigma Labsâ app.
âSince we know that the vast majority of reported UFO sightings are readily explained, and hence of no scientific value, this app encourages the reporting and sharing of low-quality UFO sightings, thus muddying the waters.
It promotes the idea that seeing a UFO is something that the average person can expect to experience, but even if you donât see anything, send us a photo of the sky, anyway!â
Endl says that the app is not necessarily a bad thing. âThe more observations, the more evidence comes in, the better for whatever you are investigating,â Endl said.
https://www.kxan.com/news/science/mysterious-lights-over-austin-can-an-app-help-identify-ufos/
https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2024/08/02/ufo-tulare-county-enigma-labs/74639755007/
Virgin Galactic Delta Spaceship Overview
Aug 7, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOa9QroTyIQ
https://medium.com/@Cristina_Gomez/how-ufos-became-a-national-security-priority-in-congress-dd42a7fd8ee0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTyeGku4G1k
How UFOs Became a National Security Priority in Congress â Timeline
August 5, 2024
The United States governmentâs approach to UFOs has undergone a significant transformation in recent years.
This shift from decades of secrecy to public hearings and official investigations marks a turning point in how the topic, once considered fringe, is now being addressed at the highest levels of government.
The Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) marked a significant turning point in the U.S. governmentâs approach to UAP.
Established in late 2021, the AOIMSG was tasked with detecting, identifying, and attributing objects of interest in Special Use Airspace (SUA).
The groupâs first major public appearance came on May 17, 2022, during the first open Congressional hearing on UFOs in 50 years.
Led by Scott Bray, then Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, and Ronald Moultrie, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, the hearing aimed to bring transparency to the UAP issue.
During this landmark hearing, several key issues were addressed. The officials confirmed the reality of UAP encounters, with Bray revealing,
âWe have not had a collision. Weâve had at least 11 near misses though.â
This statement underscored the potential safety risks posed by these phenomena.
The hearing also touched upon historical cases, with Representative Mike Gallagher pressing for information on incidents like the Malmstrom Air Force Base event and the Wilson Documents.
However, the officialsâ responses were often vague or limited, citing lack of data or clearance to discuss certain topics in an open setting.
The AOIMSG hearing, while groundbreaking, also highlighted significant disappointments in the governmentâs UAP investigation efforts.
Technical difficulties in presenting video evidence of UAP encounters during the hearing led to frustration when team was unable to pause the video to display the UFO filmed.
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) was established in July 2022, effectively replacing the AOIMSG and signaling a more comprehensive approach to UAP investigations.
AAROâs mission expanded beyond airborne phenomena to include anomalous, unidentified space, airborne, and transmedium objects.
The officeâs first major public appearance came during a funding hearing on April 19, 2023, where Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, AAROâs director, reported to Congress on the officeâs work and resource needs.
During this hearing, Dr. Kirkpatrick highlighted AAROâs efforts to develop a scientific approach to UAP investigations.
He emphasized the need for a solid foundation of scientific theory across the entire range of hypotheses for what UAPs might be, from adversary breakthrough technology to known phenomena and even extraterrestrial theories.
However, controversy arose when Kirkpatrick stated that
âAAROâs mission is to turn UAP into SEP â somebody elseâs problemâ
which many interpreted as dismissive of the phenomenonâs potential significance.
The hearing also revealed challenges in establishing public-facing resources, such as AAROâs website for UAP reporting, which was significantly delayed.
It was submitted to Dr. Kirkpatrickâs superiors, such as Ronald Moultrie, in December of 2022, and did not launch until September of 2023.
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The UFO Witness Hearing, held on July 26, 2023, marked a watershed moment in Congressional UFO investigations.
David Grusch, a former intelligence officer and Air Force veteran, appeared alongside former Navy pilots Ryan Graves and David Fravor to provide testimony on UFOs.
This hearing, conducted by the House Oversight Committee brought unprecedented attention to allegations of government secrecy surrounding UAPs.
Gruschâs testimony was particularly explosive.
He alleged that the U.S. government had recovered ânon-humanâ craft and had been engaged in a decades-long program to reverse engineer this technology.
Grusch stated,
âI was informed, in the course of my official duties, of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program.â
He further claimed that some of his colleagues had been physically harmed in an attempt to keep this information secret, saying,
âI know of multiple colleagues of mine that got physically injured⌠by UAPs or by people within the federal government.â
These allegations sent shockwaves through the hearing and subsequent media coverage, raising serious questions about government transparency and potential cover-ups.
The hearing also covered broader issues related to UAP encounters and their implications for national security.
Ryan Graves testified about his experiences that he and his commrads had, describing encounters with objects displaying capabilities far beyond known human technology.
David Fravor recounted his famous 2004 âTic Tacâ UFO encounter, providing a firsthand account of a well-documented UAP incident.
Throughout the hearing, members of Congress from both parties pressed for more information and greater transparency.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting,
âI just want everyone to note that heâs coming forward in fear of his life.â
The hearing concluded with calls for further investigation and potential whistleblower protections, setting the stage for continued Congressional interest in the UAP phenomenon.
NASAâs involvement in the UFO/UAP discourse culminated in a highly anticipated public briefing on September 14, 2023.
This briefing was the result of a year-long study conducted by an independent team of 16 experts from various scientific fields, including astrophysics, aeronautics, and data analytics.
The study was led by astrophysicist David Spergel and aimed to examine UAPs from a scientific perspective, focusing on how to collect better data for future analysis.
In all the UFO hearings prior, NASA was consistently brought up. The hearings referenced NASAâs potential contributions to UAP research, citing the agencyâs expertise in atmospheric science, space exploration, and advanced technology.
During the briefing, NASA officials, including Administrator Bill Nelson, emphasized the agencyâs commitment to transparency and scientific rigor in approaching the UAP phenomenon.
Where Mr. Nelson said on several occasions,
âWe are transparent and you can bet your bootsâ
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They presented the studyâs findings, which largely concluded that there was insufficient high-quality data to make definitive statements about the nature of UAPs.
The panel recommended improving data collection methods, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze UAP reports, and reducing the stigma associated with reporting UAP sightings.
However, many observers found the briefing disappointing, criticizing it for being overly simplistic and failing to address the more complex aspects of the UAP issue that had been raised in previous Congressional hearings.
The Department of Energy (DOE) hearing on May 23, 2024, unexpectedly brought the topic of UAP into focus within the context of nuclear security and energy infrastructure.
This hearing, primarily scheduled to discuss the DOEâs budget and operations, took an unanticipated turn when Representative Anna Paulina Luna raised questions about UAP incidents at nuclear facilities.
The hearing provided a unique perspective on the critical national infrastructure, highlighting potential security concerns that had not been prominently addressed in previous UFO-specific hearings.
During the hearing, Luna questioned Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm about documented sightings of âmetallic spheresâ over DOE facilities, including a specific incident on April 1, 2021, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
She pressed for details on investigations conducted regarding these sightings and any conclusions drawn about the nature and origins of these objects.
Secretary Granholmâs responses were notably cautious, often deferring to classified settings for more detailed discussions. The hearing also touched upon the DOEâs counter-drone efforts and security measures at national security sites and labs.
Luna emphasized the need for the DOE to upgrade its programs to cover UAPs specifically, not just unauthorized drones. Luna probed,
âThere have been documented sightings of metallic spheres over DOE facilities⌠What investigations have been conducted in regards to these sightings and what conclusions do you guys have about the nature and origins of these objects?â
As we look towards future hearings, including one announced for September or October 2024 by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, the balance between national security, scientific inquiry, and public disclosure remains a central challenge.
The ongoing evolution of this topic promises to keep researchers, policymakers, and the public engaged in one of the most intriguing mysteries of our time.
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