TYB
The incident occurred in January 2023, when an unidentified object struck the left side of an F-16 Viper fighter jet during a training exercise near Gila Bend, Arizona.
Fox News reports:
The flying object impacted the clear "canopy" at the top of the aircraft and was first seen by an instructor pilot seated in the rear of the plane, officials said. An initial investigation found no damage to the nearly $70 million jet, and officials ruled out a possible bird strike. Authorities ultimately concluded that the aircraft had been hit by a drone. However, the drone’s origin and operator remain unknown, a spokesperson said.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents obtained by The War Zone, the crash marked the first of four encounters with unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) reported the following day.
The unusual incident was confirmed to Fox News by an Air Force spokesperson.
"According to military personnel I’ve personally met with, there were objects 200 miles off the East Coast that were extensively loitering and had no visible means of propulsion,” UFO expert James Fox said in an interview with Fox News. “So a report from 2023 about an actual impact with a UAP doesn’t really surprise me.”
Previously declassified documents from the Department of Defense reveal that between May 1, 2023, and June 1, 2024, there were 757 reported incidents involving unidentified flying objects. Of those, only 49 have been deemed “case closed” by the Pentagon.
While the presence of unidentified flying objects may raise alarms, James Fox says the phenomenon is far from new.
"There are reports dating back to the 1930s and 1940s,” the UFO researcher said. “Where you had mysterious, glowing, and orb-like objects that emitted very bright light that could just fly rings around the military planes from World War II."
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/military-aircrafts-mysterious-crash-sparks-ufo-speculation-us-airspace
Feast your eyes on the shortlisted pics for the 2025 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Awards (photos)
Behold! The 2025 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Awards shortlist has been released, showcasing a spectacular array of astrophotography images ranging from solar prominences and auroras to distant galaxies and beguiling nebulas.
For the past 17 years, the Royal Observatory Greenwich — supported by astronomy camera maker ZWO — has called on the global photography community to compete in an open competition celebrating the majesty and variety of our night sky.
The 2025 competition saw photographers from 69 countries submit over 5,500 entries to compete in a plethora of diverse categories to gain recognition and, naturally, prize money. The overall winner of the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the year will bag a £10,000 (about $13,560 U.S.) grand prize, while the photographers who come out on top in each individual category receive £1,500 (about $2,030 U.S.) for their valiant efforts.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/feast-your-eyes-on-the-shortlisted-pics-for-the-2025-zwo-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-awards-photos