TYB
Big beautiful festive good morning
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
December 24, 2025
Mystery: Little Red Dots in the Early Universe
What are these little red dots (LRDs)? Nobody knows. Discovered only last year, hundreds of LRDs have now been found by the James Webb Space Telescope in the early universe. Although extremely faint, LRDs are now frequently identified in deep observations made for other purposes. A wide-ranging debate is raging about what LRDs may be and what importance they may have. Possible origin hypotheses include accreting supermassive black holes inside clouds of gas and dust, bursts of star formation in young dust-reddened galaxies, and dark matter powered gas clouds. The highlighted images show six nearly featureless LRDs listed under the JWST program that found them, and z, a distance indicator called cosmological redshift. Additionally, searches are underway in our nearby universe to try to find whatever previous LRDs might have become today.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Heating Causes Cooling, Sunspots, Asteroid Collision | S0 News and frens
Dec.24.2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uVtiAUQgXU
https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/northern-lights-may-delight-this-christmas-heres-what-you-need-to-know
https://usaherald.com/massive-straight-line-radar-anomaly-spanning-the-united-states-raises-new-questions/
https://x.com/HustleBitch_/status/2003475274608873791
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-oKy9PF4EU (Stefan Burns: You Won't Believe What You're About to See 🤯 The Top Five Geologic Events of 2025)
https://www.spaceweather.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
Debate grows over 3I/ATLAS after detecting possible structures revolving around it
Dec 23, 2025 08:34 GMT
The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has reignited the debate about its possible origin after a post by user 3I/ATLAS Whistle Blower on the social network X, who claimed that the mysterious celestial body has several structures that revolve around it, a rare feature.
As he explained, new images captured by amateur astronomer Rays Astrophotography would show at least "five physical structures" surrounding the coma, the bright and diffuse cloud that surrounds the nucleus of 3I/ATLAS.
He also noted that he had "discussed this before with data and evidence," and that these features are again seen in his most recent observations.
Last month, 3I/ATLAS Whistle Blower claimed to have detected the presence of "five perfectly defined dust rings rotating about 150,000 kilometers around the core" of 3I/ATLAS.
This new evidence has generated speculation and renewed the interest of the astronomical community in the true nature of this stellar object. However, so far, neither the claims of 3I/ATLAS Whistle Blower nor those of other users have been verified by official scientific sources.
On the other hand, Avi Loeb, an astrophysicist at Harvard University, suggested in a recent publication that the antitail of 3I/ATLAS would be composed of "a swarm of objects", which would have a total surface area much larger than that of the interstellar object, even if together their mass was only a small part of the mass of said celestial body.
According to Loeb, as long as these objects do not suffer changes in velocity caused by the loss of material due to solar heat, they should maintain "an antitail geometry," which always points toward the Sun relative to 3I/ATLAS and aligns with its position when it reaches the closest point to our star.
Zooming in on a space visitor
Last Friday, 3I/ATLAS reached its closest point to Earth, at a distance of approximately 270 million kilometers, although it was located on the other side of the Sun.
As Loeb explained, on this occasion the object "did not perform maneuvers or show unusual activity" that would support the idea that it is an extraterrestrial spacecraft, as he himself has raised on other occasions.
Instead, the body continued its trajectory unchanged. Even so, the scientist pointed out that it is most likely that 3I/ATLAS is a comet of natural origin, although he stressed that it still has certain anomalies.
https://twitter.com/3IATLASEXPOSED/status/2002535298069409819
https://astrobiology.com/2025/12/a-search-for-radio-technosignatures-from-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-with-the-allen-telescope-array.html
https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-reveals-weird-wobbling-jets-in-rare-sun-facing-tail
https://usaherald.com/new-video-captured-by-citizen-astronomer-shows-3i-atlas-violating-known-comet-physics/#google_vignette
https://www.btimesonline.com/articles/176397/20251223/interstellar-object-3i-atlas-passes-earth-quietly-undercutting-speculation-and-online-theories.htm
https://www.iflscience.com/with-the-powerful-vera-rubin-observatory-we-could-find-up-to-50-interstellar-objects-like-comet-3iatlas-81989
https://twitter.com/3IATLASEXPOSED/status/2002535298069409819
https://x.com/Ammar1176708/status/2003429677403156635
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/
https://medium.com/@davidsereda/3-eye-atlas-points-the-way-to-sirius-heliacal-rising-3f5ad3b37a9b
https://johnmantleholder.medium.com/3i-atlas-2-anomalies-with-1-report-a-sudden-update-caf3c58f1af8
https://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=17555
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dfhd2oThlU (Dahboo7: It's not a comet)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aThUhbnOJLE (Dobsonian Power: AVI LOEB TELL US THE TRUTH ABOUT 3I/ATLAS!)
Santa Visits Artemis II Rocket
Dec 24, 2025
Santa Claus (NASA engineer Guy Naylor) poses with NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft and SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 11, 2025.
The Orion spacecraft was stacked atop the SLS in October 2025.
Set to launch in early 2026, the Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew under Artemis.
Astronauts on their first flight aboard Orion will confirm all the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed with crew aboard in the actual environment of deep space.
Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars – for the benefit of all.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/santa-visits-artemis-ii-rocket/
https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/opera-addressing-societal-needs-with-satellite-data/
OPERA: Addressing Societal Needs with Satellite Data
Dec 23, 2025
Introduction
The Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis (OPERA) project represents a strategic initiative designed to address critical satellite data needs identified by federal agencies.
Established in 2021 by the NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), OPERA responds to priorities identified by the Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG), an interagency body convened by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). SNWG surveys federal agencies every two years to determine their top satellite data needs.
This article summarizes OPERA, including its mandate, and then presents a case study demonstrating how the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is using OPERA to monitor agricultural health in the Midwestern United States.
OPERA Mandate and Approach
The core mandate for the OPERA project lies in its commitment to delivering data products in formats that are immediately usable and analysis-ready.
Rather than providing raw satellite data that requires extensive processing expertise, OPERA transforms complex satellite observations into standardized, accessible products that federal agencies can quickly integrate into their existing workflows to support national security, environmental monitoring, disaster response, and infrastructure management.
This approach eliminates the technical barriers that often prevent agencies from effectively using satellite data, allowing them to focus on their mission-critical applications rather than data processing challenges.
To achieve this goal at the scale required by federal agencies, OPERA has developed a sophisticated cloud-based production system capable of generating data products efficiently and consistently to meet the dynamic needs of federal users.
As of 2025, OPERA has successfully released dynamic surface water extent, surface disturbance, and surface displacement data through various NASA Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs).
The vertical land motion product will be OPERA’s next offering beginning in 2028 – see Figure 1.
OPERA Mission
OPERA delivers high-quality, ready-to-use satellite-derived information to enable federal agencies to better monitor environmental changes, respond to natural disasters, assess infrastructure risks, and make data-driven decisions.
To illustrate this goal, OPERA’s 5th Annual Stakeholder Engagement Workshop detailed real-world applications of this approach on Sept. 11, 2025.
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Case Study: Harnessing OPERA Data to Map Crop Health in Midwest United States
When water lingers on farmland, the consequences often ripple outward, resulting in crop losses, changes in soil health, and shifting carbon storage. In the rolling landscape of central Iowa’s South Fork watershed, these challenges are a daily reality for farmers, researchers, and crop insurance companies.
To address these concerns, scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture–Agriculture Research Service’s (USDA–ARS) National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE) are partnering with NASA’s OPERA project.
Using OPERA’s Dynamic Surface Water Extent (DSWx) and Surface Disturbance (DIST) product suites, USDA–NLAE researchers began the process of identifying depressions where water consistently ponds across fields – see Figure 2.
These sites are often more than nuisance puddles; they signal areas of reduced yield, risk for crop mortality, and hotspots for carbon and nutrient accumulation.
By combining OPERA’s cloud-free, high-resolution mosaics with field-based measurements from USDA and university partners, the joint OPERA-NLAE team is producing actionable maps that pinpoint waterlogged zones – see Figure 3. Farmers can use these maps to improve soil health and guide land-management decisions.
The OPERA products also support broader watershed management. Analyses of river migration, oxbow lake formation, and storm damage from powerful Midwestern derecho events show how OPERA data extend beyond field plots to larger areas.
By detecting both persistent inundation and shifts in vegetation health, DSWx and DIST together provide synergistic information identifying areas where improved tile drainage may result in better crop health and increased yields.
This approach can also be used to mitigate topsoil erosion and nutrient transport to control the development of harmful algal blooms and the occurrence of anoxic zones with implications far beyond the Mississippi Delta.
Conclusion
The use of OPERA data by USDA–ARS to map and monitor crop health in the Midwest United States highlights how this vital data product bridges the gap between Earth science and agricultural resilience.
The outcome of this collaboration underscores OPERA’s mission – translating cutting-edge satellite observations into usable tools that support farmers, improve soil and water conservation, and strengthen the resilience of U.S. agriculture.
This collaboration signifies the mandate of OPERA as an SNWG solution provider to fulfill the observation needs of federal users.
All OPERA’s data products are freely available to the public from various NASA DAACs and are discoverable from the NASA Earthdata Search platform.
The team welcomes direct engagement with individual federal, state, academic, and commercial stakeholders and can be reached via opera.sep@jpl.nasa.gov.
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NASA’s Satellite Images Captured a Brown Desert Turned into a New Oasis
December 23, 2025 at 11:30
It’s not often that the arid expanse of Cooper Creek in Australia becomes a vibrant oasis, but that’s exactly what happened after a deluge of rain swept through the area in 2025.
Floodwaters, some of the worst in the region’s history, have transformed the normally brown, cracked desert into a burst of green.
NASA satellites captured this rare moment, showcasing the astonishing, short-lived ecological bloom in a place typically known for its dryness and desolation.
NASA’s Earth Observatory team, using their satellite technology, tracked the dramatic changes.
Floods Create an Unlikely Green Paradise
The flooding, which was triggered by a record-breaking rainfall that dumped more than a year’s worth of water in just one week, turned parts of western Queensland into a temporary watery wonderland.
While this event disrupted lives, flooding entire towns and forcing evacuations, it also unleashed a wave of new life across the landscape.
As stated by the NASA’s Earth Observatory, floodwaters inundated Cooper Creek, transforming it from its typical dry state into a fast-flowing river system.
The floods were so significant that they shattered previous records, leaving entire towns submerged underwater. For the first time in many years, the parched land began to show signs of life.
The massive amount of rain also spurred a rare transformation in the ecosystem. As floodwaters began to recede, lush vegetation started to emerge in areas that had been dry for years.
This sudden explosion of green was a critical event for the local biodiversity. “The silver lining of this flooding is a massive boost to the longer-term biodiversity,” says Geoff Penton, an operations manager working in the region.
Though the damage to farmland and infrastructure was severe, the longer-term effects could revitalize the area’s ecosystems in ways that are hard to predict.
Cooper Creek: The Heartbeat of Local Ecosystems
What makes Cooper Creek so fascinating is its role within the larger Lake Eyre Basin, a vast inland system where water doesn’t flow to the ocean, but instead evaporates or drains into salt pans.
This means that floods like the one in 2025 are rare and precious, breathing new life into an otherwise dry and unforgiving landscape. According to NASA, these inland floods can trigger a cascade of events that help maintain the region’s fragile ecosystems.
During a flood like this, thousands of dormant eggs from tiny crustaceans and other invertebrates are suddenly brought to life. These creatures, often overlooked, form the foundation of a food chain that supports a variety of species, from fish to migratory birds.
Satellite Technology Brings Desert Life into Focus
NASA’s ability to monitor such a dramatic environmental shift is a testament to the power of modern satellite technology.
Using sensors like Landsat and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), NASA captured false-color images that highlight changes in the land.
“The images were acquired with the OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9. The band combination (6-5-4) helps distinguish where water and vegetation are present,” noted the statement from the American space agency.
This data is really helpful for conservationists, hydrologists, and even tour guides who need accurate info to plan for the impact of these floods.
https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/12/nasa-satellites-captured-desert-bloom/
NASA honours Assam's Aryan Zishan for discovering 2 asteroids
Date 24-12-2025
Aryan Zishan Ahmed, an engineering student from Assam, has been honoured by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) of the USA for discovering two asteroids orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.
Aryan is a first-semester B.Tech student in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Science and Technology (USTM) in Meghalaya.
He is from Rangia, a big town in the Kamrup district of Assam. His achievement has brought pride not only to his family and town, but also to his educational institutions and the entire district.
Aryan, as part of an official research mission of the International Astronomical Research Collaboration (IASC), identified two previously unrecorded main-belt asteroids.Aryan Zishan Ahmad, a resident of Rangia in Assam, has achieved a major milestone in space science.
USTM proudly announced honour for Aryan Zishan on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ustmupdate/posts/1368271915090074
These asteroids have now been named 2024 VE8 and 2024 VC23.
For this research, the US space agency NASA has recognized his contributions, which is considered a major achievement early in his academic career.
Aryan, the eldest son of Mirajul Islam, principal of Jaintipur Yogeshwar Vidyapeeth, and Ruma Nazreen, conducted the research by analyzing data from the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), operated by the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii, in collaboration with NASA.
Through in-depth data analysis, Aryan (Aryan Zishan Ahmed) identified these two asteroids, which are found in the main belt region between Mars and Jupiter.
According to him, such discoveries help understand the origin of the solar system and are also important for monitoring celestial bodies in space.
Aryan's achievement is being appreciated everywhere and is being considered an inspiring example for young students interested in space science, astronomy and research.
https://www.awazthevoice.in/youth-news/nasa-honours-assam-s-aryan-zishan-for-discovering-asteroids-46343.html
WATCH LIVE: Thousands of ‘Surfing Santas’ Hit Cocoa Beach for Annual Space Coast Tradition Christmas Eve Morning
December 24, 2025
BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA – One of the Space Coast’s most beloved holiday traditions is set on Christmas Eve morning, as Surfing Santas once again hit the waves in Cocoa Beach.
The festive event will take place on Wednesday, December 24, from 7:30 a.m. to noon at Coconuts on the Beach, located at 3 Minutemen Causeway.
Admission is free, and everyone — whether they surf or want to soak up the holiday fun — is welcome to join.
Each year, hundreds of surfers dressed as Santa Claus, elves, and even reindeer take to the Atlantic for a unique display of holiday spirit.
Spectators crowd the beach to cheer them on, take photos, and celebrate the season in true Florida style — with sunshine, surfboards, and sand instead of snow.
The event also features live music, festive costumes, and a lively beach atmosphere that captures the heart of Cocoa Beach’s surf culture.
Organizers encourage early arrival for the best views and parking, as Surfing Santas has grown into one of Brevard County’s biggest and most joyful holiday gatherings.
Whether you’re paddling out or just watching from the shore, Surfing Santas promises a morning of laughter, community, and coastal Christmas cheer.
For more information, visit surfingsantas.org or follow @SurfingSantas on social media.
https://spacecoastdaily.com/2025/12/watch-live-thousands-of-surfing-santas-hit-cocoa-beach-for-annual-space-coast-tradition-christmas-eve-morning/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylBLxqRGINI
Russia plans rotating space station with artificial gravity to protect astronaut health
Dec 24, 2025 04:09 AM EST
While the International Space Station (ISS) prepares for a watery grave in 2030, Russia is looking up — and spinning.
The Russian state rocket company, Energia, has officially secured a patent for a giant, rotating space architect, according to Space.com.
It is designed to solve the single greatest threat to deep-space travel: the slow decay of the human body in zero gravity.
By mimicking the mechanics of a high-tech carnival centrifuge, the proposed spacecraft would generate “artificial gravity,” providing the physical load necessary to protect astronauts’ bodies during a long-term stay.
Although there are currently no resources or timelines attached, the design stakes Russia’s claim in a new space race.
Patent for artificial gravity
Space is a biological challenge for humans. Gravity is the glue that holds us together; without it, our muscles lose their purpose and bones lose strength.
Currently, astronauts on the International Space Station need to exercise for hours every day to maintain the strength to walk when they return home.
Artificial gravity is a potential game-changer for deep-space exploration, offering a vital lifeline for crews facing the physical rigors of long-haul interplanetary travel or extended orbital stays.
Russia’s design aims to provide a permanent solution by simulating 0.5g, or half (50 percent) of Earth’s gravity.
The patent describes a massive, modular rotating structure that looks less like a traditional tube and more like a high-speed fan.
It illustrates a “notional space station” built around a central spine that balances stationary and spinning parts, using airtight, flexible joints to link the habitats to the rotating hub.
Reportedly, habitable modules are attached radially, extending outward like spokes on a wheel.
To achieve 0.5g, the station’s living quarters would extend 131 feet (40 meters) from the center, spinning at five revolutions per minute to pin astronauts to the floor with centrifugal force.
Engineering hurdle remains
Building it won’t be easy. The station is so large that it would require a fleet of rocket launches and complex assembly in orbit.
Safety is also a major concern. The patent notes a significant docking dilemma.
Trying to park a transport ship at a station that is constantly spinning is like trying to jump onto a moving merry-go-round. One wrong move could lead to a catastrophic collision.
Russia isn’t alone in this spinning dream. The American firm Vast is also racing to build commercial artificial gravity stations, and NASA has toyed with similar “Nautilus-X” concepts for decades.
While the company hasn’t committed a single ruble or a set date to this specific project, the patent serves as a high-stakes signal of intent to build.
It surfaces just as ISS enters its final act, with NASA preparing to steer the 450-ton lab into a fiery, controlled atmospheric reentry by 2030.
For Russia, which plans to depart the ISS by 2028, this design represents a move away from aging international cooperation and toward a solo, high-tech future in deep space.
Meanwhile, Roscosmos is also working on its Russian Orbital Space Station (ROSS). Reports indicate that, instead of launching a new fleet, the space agency may detach and repurpose its aging ISS segments.
The country intends to detach its newest components — such as the Nauka multipurpose lab and the Prichal node — just before the ISS is deorbited in 2030.
This move will prevent Russia from burning up its tech investment in the ISS.
https://interestingengineering.com/space/russia-patents-space-station-with-artificial-gravity
https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/12/russia-space-patent-artificial-gravity/
https://www.space.com/technology/russia-patents-space-station-designed-to-generate-artificial-gravity
NASA satellite gazes into Medusa Pool
December 24, 2025
Far from shipping lanes, cities, and even most scientific outposts lie the South Sandwich Islands, one of the most remote island chains on Earth.
Stretching in a slender arc through the stormy South Atlantic Ocean, these islands sit more than 994 miles (1,600 kilometers) from both South America and Antarctica.
In this satellite image, puffs of low-level cloud drift across Vindication and Candlemas Islands, two of the South Sandwich Islands, mingling with rugged volcanic terrain and icy shorelines.
The image was captured by the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) instrument aboard the Earth-observing satellite Landsat 9, a collaboration between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Such scenes are uncommon in satellite records from this region, where clouds often obscure the surface.
What is it?
Since Captain James Cook first reported two closely spaced islands in 1775 — later named Candlemas and Vindication — the region has remained largely inaccessible.
Persistent cloud cover, harsh seas, and extreme weather make direct observation rare. As a result, satellites have become the primary way scientists study these islands, monitoring volcanic activity, glaciation, erosion, and atmospheric behavior in one of Earth’s least disturbed environments.
Thanks to fewer clouds, the satellite was able to observe some of Candlemas Island's features, including Lucifer Hill and Medusa Pool.
Where is it?
The image was taken above Candlemas and Vindication Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Why is it amazing?
Using satellite images like this one, scientists can understand how volcanic islands evolve in extreme climates. Candlemas Island itself began as two separate islands that merged centuries ago.
Its southeastern portion is an older, heavily eroded stratovolcano now mantled in ice, while its northwestern side hosts younger lava flows radiating from cinder cones like Lucifer Hill.
Historical accounts describe eruptions and steam clouds as recently as the 20th century, suggesting that volcanic heat and glacial ice have long coexisted here in tension.
The image also highlights the dominant role of erosion. Vindication Island shows no evidence of recent volcanism.
Instead, steep cliffs and reduced land area testify to the power of waves, freezing temperatures and storms, forces that slowly dismantle volcanic edifices once tectonic energy subsides.
The clouds themselves are also part of the story. The South Sandwich Islands are famous for producing striking wave clouds, created when strong winds are forced upward by steep terrain.
These atmospheric patterns, occasionally visible from space, provide insight into air flow and stability in remote oceanic environments, data useful for both weather and climate studies.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/nasa-satellite-gazes-into-medusa-pool-space-photo-of-the-day-for-dec-24-2025
Tory Bruno steps down as President, CEO of ULA
December 22, 2025
United Launch Alliance announced its president and chief executive officer, Tory Bruno, resigned from the company, effective Monday, Dec. 22.
The news came in a statement from Robert Lightfoot, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, who serves as the Lockheed Martin Board Chair for ULA. The company is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
“After nearly 12 years leading United Launch Alliance (ULA), current ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno has resigned to pursue another opportunity,” Lightfoot said. “We are grateful for Tory’s service to ULA and the country, and we thank him for his leadership.”
Lightfoot announced that John Elbon, who previously served as ULA’s Chief Operating Officer, was elevated to the Interim CEO position, while the board seeks a permanent replacement.
“It has been a great privilege to lead ULA through its transformation and to bring Vulcan into service,” Bruno said in a social media post. “My work here is now complete and I will be cheering ULA on.”
Bruno joined ULA from Lockheed Martin in August 2014, succeeding Michael Gass. His previous career included roles in the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile program.
During Bruno’s tenure at ULA, the company performed 83 orbital launches. Those included the final flight of a Delta 4 Heavy rocket in April 2024 and the inaugural flight of a Vulcan rocket in January 2024.
This is the second major shift in ULA’s leadership this month. On Dec. 8, ULA announced Elbon would retire in early 2026 and that Mark Peller, who was previously the Senior Vice President of Vulcan Development and Advanced Programs, would assume the COO role on Jan. 1, 2026. Peller now assumes that role a couple weeks early.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/12/22/tory-bruno-steps-down-as-president-ceo-of-ula/
https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/the-biggest-black-hole-breakthroughs-of-2025
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/record-launches-reusable-rockets-and-a-rescue-china-made-big-strides-in-space-in-2025
The biggest black hole breakthroughs and record launches of 2025
December 24, 2025
Black holes are arguably the most fascinating entities in the whole realm of science — these are regions in the fabric of spacetime that surround an infinitely dense, infinitesimally small point of mass and exert a gravitational force so strong that not even light can escape their grips.
It is therefore no surprise that just as black holes grip light (and everything else, for that matter) they grip the attention of scientists and the general public, too.
And 2025 has been no exception, with the year bringing forth some intriguing and jaw-dropping scientific breakthroughs regarding these cosmic titans.
So, as we prepare for 2026 and the scientific advances it will deliver, Space.com presents you with some of our favorite black hole advances announced over the last 12 months.
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James Webb Space Telescope spots rapidly feeding "little red dot"
In November, astronomers revealed they used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to discover a voraciously feeding and rapidly growing supermassive black hole in the infant universe.
Existing just 570 million years after the Big Bang, this black hole sits at the heart of the galaxy CANUCS-LRD-z8.6, a so-called "little red dot" galaxy, or a class of small, bright and extremely distant objects the JWST has been routinely discovering since it began observations in 2022
"This discovery is truly remarkable. We've observed a galaxy from less than 600 million years after the Big Bang, and not only is it hosting a supermassive black hole, but the black hole is growing rapidly — far faster than we would expect in such a galaxy at this early time," discovery team leader Roberta Tripodi of the University of Ljubljana FMF in Slovenia said in a statement at the time.
"This challenges our understanding of black hole and galaxy formation in the early universe and opens up new avenues of research into how these objects came to be.
"Read more about CANUCS-LRD-z8.6 and its supermassive black hole inhabitant here.
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This black hole is a runaway!
Sticking with the JWST, in December, astronomers used the $10 billion space telescope to confirm the first sighting of a runaway supermassive black hole.
This cosmic titan weighs in at 10 million times the mass of the sun and is rocketing through space at a staggering 2.2 million miles per hour (3.5 million kilometers per hour), which is 3,000 times the speed of sound at sea level here on Earth.
The runaway supermassive black hole is pushing forward a literal galaxy-size "bow-shock" of matter in front of it, as well as dragging a 200,000 light-year-long tail behind it that is gathering gas and actively birthing stars.
"It boggles the mind!" discovery team leader Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University told Space.com. "The forces that are needed to dislodge such a massive black hole from its home are enormous. And yet, it was predicted that such escapes should occur!"
Read more about this cosmic runaway here.
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Black hole tornadoes at the heart of the Milky Way
Not all supermassive black holes are associated with violent activity. Take our own supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A (Sgr A), which sits at the heart of the Milky Way.
Unlike other black holes, Sgr A* isn't greedily feasting on gas, dust and stars, but rather exists on a diet that scientists have related to a human consuming one grain of rice every million years.However, in March 2025, scientists revealed that it isn't all quiet at the heart of our galaxy.
Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA), a team of astronomers discovered "space tornadoes" raging around Sgr A*, revolutionizing our view of the Galactic Center and the nature of "quiet" black holes.
"Our research contributes to the fascinating Galactic Center landscape by uncovering these slim filaments as an important part of material circulation," team member Xing Lu of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory said in a statement.
"We can envision these as space tornados: they are violent streams of gas, they dissipate shortly and they distribute materials into the environment efficiently."
Read more about these space tornadoes here.
4.
The Milky Way's supermassive black hole was noisier than usual back in January 2025, when astronomers used the JWST to observe it throwing out highly energetic flares.
This represented the first time astronomers had seen flares from Sgr A* in the mid-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, with the team behind these observations using them to better model outflows from supermassive black holes in research released in November.
"The mid-infrared data is exciting because, thanks to the new JWST data, we can close the gap between the radio and near-infrared regimes, which had been a 'gaping hole' in the spectrum of Sgr A*," Sebastiano von Fellenberg of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, told Space.com.
"On the one hand, our mid-infrared flare looks like a typical near-infrared flare, so we now know flares also occur in the mid-infrared regime — and this isn't trivial as, for instance, the radio variability looks quite different, and we do not see pronounced flare-like peaks in the light curve."
Read more about this discovery here.
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Supermassive black hole experiences 134-million-mph 'burp.'
If you thought Christmas dinner gave you a massive case of indigestion, spare a thought for the black hole at the heart of spiral galaxy NGC 3783.
In December, scientists revealed they had witnessed the supermassive black hole in NGC 3783 burping out a jet of material at a staggering 134 million miles per hour (216 million kilometers per hour), which is about 20% the speed of light.
The eruption of plasma was preceded by a flare of X-rays spotted by European Space Agency (ESA) XRISM X-ray telescope, with follow-up observations performed by NASA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, helping to measure the scale and structure of this tumultuous cosmic storm.
"Windy active galactic nuclei also play a big role in how their host galaxies evolve over time and how they form new stars," team member and ESA research fellow Camille Diez, a coauthor of the study, in a recent press release.
"Because they're so influential, knowing more about the magnetism of active galactic nuclei, and how they whip up winds such as these, is key to understanding the history of galaxies throughout the universe."
Someone pass the Pepto.
Read more here.
2/3
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The power of 10 trillion suns
In any other year, the supermassive black hole mentioned above would probably scoop the award for most striking outburst, but not in 2025.
This year, that accolade goes to a flare designated J2245+3743, spotted erupting from a supermassive black hole located in the center of a galaxy 10 billion light-years away from Earth.
What made this flare so amazing isn't just the fact that it is the most distant black hole flare ever seen, but also that it is pumping out energy equivalent to the output of 10 trillion suns!
That is 30 times more energetic than the previous most energetic flare, the wonderfully named "Scary Barbie" spotted back in 2018.
The flare is believed to be the result of a star wandering too close to this supermassive black hole, which has the mass of 500 million suns.
The fact that J2245+3743 is ongoing indicates that this black hole is still swallowing this doomed star, with discovery team member Matthew Graham of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) likening the situation to "a fish only halfway down the whale's gullet."
Read more here.
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Astronomers discover the universe's oldest and most distant black hole…
In August, scientists revealed they have the most distant and earliest supermassive black hole.
Sitting in a galaxy designated CAPERS-LRD-z9, another one of those JWST little red dots, this beast with a mass equivalent to 300 million suns, is seen as it was just 500 million years after
"When looking for black holes, this is about as far back as you can practically go," Anthony Taylor, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cosmic Frontier Center at the University of Texas at Austin, who led the discovery, said in a statement.
"We're really pushing the boundaries of what current technology can detect."
Read more here.
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…And the biggest black hole (maybe)?
August was a big month for black hole discoveries — not only did astronomers discover the most ancient black hole as mentioned above, but in the same month a separate team of researchers announced they have discovered what may turn out to be the most massive black hole ever seen.
Located in one of the most massive galaxies ever seen and 5 billion light-years from Earth, this black hole seems to have a mass equivalent to 36 billion suns.
Measuring the mass of such a massive body at this kind of distance is tough, and this supermassive black hole has tough competition from Phoenix A, the central black hole of the Phoenix cluster, estimated to have a mass somewhere in the region of 100 billion suns.
"This is amongst the top 10 most massive black holes ever discovered, and quite possibly the most massive," Thomas Collett, study author and a professor at the University of Portsmouth in England, said in a statement.
Read more here.
Who knows, maybe 2026 will deliver an even more massive black hole, or a brighter flare, or something we can't even currently comprehend.
Whatever the case, it is certain that Space.com will be there for every exciting and mind-blowing discovery.
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India space agency launches its heaviest satellite
December 24, 2025
India's space agency launched its heaviest ever payload on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the deployment "a significant stride" for the space sector.
The LVM3-M6 rocket launched the US-built AST SpaceMobile communications satellite into low-Earth orbit.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said it was the "heaviest payload to be launched from Indian soil."
The launch is a boost for India's ambitious low-cost space program, with plans for an uncrewed orbital mission and human spaceflight in the coming years.
The satellite, weighing 6,100 kilograms (13,448 pounds), was launched on a modified version of a rocket that India plans to use for its future space missions.
India is vying for a larger slice of the booming commercial satellite business as phone, internet and other companies seek expanded and more high-end communications.
Modi said the launch marked "a proud milestone in India's space journey."
"It strengthens India's heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces our growing role in the global commercial launch market," he said in a statement.
Earlier this year, ISRO launched the CMS-03 communication satellite, which weighs about 4,410 kilograms.
For these heavy launches, India has deployed an upgraded version of the rocket it used to send an unmanned craft to the moon in August 2023.
The world's most populous nation has flexed its spacefaring ambitions in the last decade with its space program growing considerably, and rivaling the achievements of established powers at a much cheaper price tag.
It has said it plans to launch an uncrewed orbital mission before its first human spaceflight in 2027. Modi has also announced plans to send an astronaut to the moon by 2040.
https://phys.org/news/2025-12-india-space-agency-heaviest-satellite.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H0sDuKH0cQ
What's that sound? Mysterious noise echoes across Cincinnati neighborhoods for weeks
Updated Tue, December 23, 2025 at 12:06 PM
CINCINNATI (WKRC) – When you stop and really listen, the city makes a lot of noise, but what people are hearing in Northside, Clifton, and Camp Washington is unusual.
For weeks, strange sounds have been echoing through several local neighborhoods. People are losing sleep, and neighbors can’t quite pinpoint the source.
“With a lot of that city noise, a lot of it becomes pretty regular, and you get pretty used to it,” said Brendan Marcum. “So, when it’s something like this that’s pretty foreign, it kind of stands out to you.”
The sound is keeping people up at night. Marcum says Sunday night was the loudest it’s been in Northside. “It almost didn’t stop for a couple hours,” Marcum said.
The duration varies—from a few seconds to several minutes—and it’s difficult to describe.
“We were hearing this siren-like quality noise, whirring, oscillating, going up and down,” Shaun Herold said.
He and his son, Elijah, started hearing the sounds two weeks ago, and they’ve occurred every night since.
“My son came up to me and said, ‘Dad, the tornado sirens are going off,’” Herold said. “Usually, it starts at about 10 p.m. It can go till 3 a.m., 4 a.m. But it’s quite unpredictable.”
“It kind of stresses me out because I don’t know what it is. It’s kind of scary,” said Elijah.
The mystery noise has many people talking on Facebook, speculating about the source—from storm sirens and construction to drones, a nearby recycling plant, or the railyard.
Marcum believes whatever it is may be industrial.
“It’s such a high-pitched noise, pollution-wise. Whatever it is, machinery-wise, it needs a lot of torque,” Marcum said. “The loudest thing in this whole area is the rail yard.”
Some residents think it could be a public safety issue. Herold just wants answers—and to know if and when it will stop
“We just hope to get to the bottom of it, figure out what it is, and if it’s, you know, a temporary thing or not,” Herold said. “And hopefully the community can rally if it’s not temporary, because it’s really impacting us.”
One person told Local 12 that people who work in the CSX railyard believe the source of the noise may be a failing turbocharger on a train’s diesel engine.
Following our report, a CSX spokesperson said the superintendent at the Queensgate Yard “has not heard a noise like that on our property and suggested this could be coming from another location.”
Neighbors have been reporting the noise to 311, the city’s non-emergency line. Herold says he was told to contact the Environmental Protection Agency. A spokesperson for the city manager says he is “asking around” to determine what the noise could be.
Local 12 also reached out to Council member Mark Jeffreys, who lives in Clifton. He says he has not heard the noise but sent an email directly to the city manager to see what can be done about it.
https://local12.com/news/local/what-is-that-sound-mysterious-noise-echoes-across-cincinnati-neighborhoods-weeks-northside-clifton-camp-washington-sounds-source-mystery-siren-sirens-trains-railroad-industrial-social-media-viral-videos-facebook-speculation-high-pitched
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcdUlwwVKWQ
Kremlin comments on latest talks with US
24 Dec, 2025 11:45
Top Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev has briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin on his latest diplomatic engagement with his American counterparts, but Moscow has chosen not to disclose the specifics, in line with its usual policy, according to Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Dmitriev met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and White House official Josh Gruenbaum in Miami this past weekend to discuss Washington’s efforts to mediate a resolution to the Ukraine conflict.
Peskov refused to confirm or deny media reports that the Russian envoy had brought back four draft documents for Putin’s consideration.
The Kremlin maintains that “communicating through the mass media is inadvisable” if it wants negotiations to prove successful, adding that the US is aware of the “main parameters of the Russian position.”
Earlier Wednesday, Vladimir Zelensky shared a 20-point peace framework with the media, which he said his side had discussed with the Americans. The proposal fails to address some key Russian concerns, such as Kiev’s claims to former Ukrainian territories that joined Russia in 2022, and its insistence on maintaining an 800,000-strong standing army supported by NATO nations.
Zelensky floated educational programs promoting tolerance and anti-racism, an apparent reaction to Moscow’s accusations of discriminatory policies, including Kiev’s crackdown on the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church over its spiritual ties with the country’s eastern neighbor and the suppression of the culture and language of Russia in the country.
https://www.rt.com/russia/629961-ukraine-peace-talks-peskov/
https://x.com/kadmitriev
Trump tells Colombian president to ‘watch his a**’
24 Dec, 2025 03:20
US President Donald Trump has lashed out at his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, warning he could face consequences over cocaine trafficking that he claims is reaching America.
Trump’s remarks followed comments by Petro reacting to US seizures of Venezuelan oil ships, in which he claimed that “all of the southern US” was built on stolen land. He said Texas and California were “invaded” and demanded that the United States “give back what you stole.”
“He’s very bad, very bad guy, and he’s got to watch his ass because he makes cocaine and they send it into the United States,” Trump said Monday at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, responding to a reporter’s question about Petro’s remarks.
“We love the Colombian people … but their new leader is a troublemaker, and he better watch it,” Trump added. He also claimed Colombia has at least three major cocaine factories and said “he better close them up fast.”
Colombia has long been a close US partner in Latin America, but ties have cooled since Petro, the country’s first left-wing president, took office in 2022.
US actions against Venezuela, including the seizure of oil tankers, have heightened tensions with Petro, who has criticized those moves and warned against US military intervention.
In September, the US State Department said it would revoke Petro’s visa, and the Trump administration later imposed sanctions under anti-drug trafficking authorities, steps Colombia has condemned as politically motivated.
A month later, Petro alleged that the Trump administration had bombed a Colombian boat carrying civilians during US operations targeting suspected drug smugglers near the Venezuelan coast.
Petro has pushed back against Trump’s rhetoric, disputing claims about drug production while pointing to Colombia’s efforts to curb illegal crops, although data show the country remains the main source of cocaine seized in the United States.
On Tuesday Colombia said it will deploy drones to destroy coca crops, a shift from manual eradication after aerial fumigation was banned in 2015 due to environmental concerns.
Washington has long criticized Bogota’s decision to halt aerial fumigation. In September, the US added Colombia to a list of nations it claimed were failing to cooperate in the drug war for the first time in nearly 30 years, accusing Petro’s government of not doing enough to curb cocaine production.
https://www.rt.com/news/629947-trump-tells-colombian-president-to-watch-out/
‘It’s all because of Putin’: RT drops Christmas song spoof (AI VIDEO)
23 Dec, 2025 19:22
The clip pokes fun at the Western tradition of blaming Russia’s president for everything from energy bills to migration
RT has released a new holiday video, with a touch of AI, spoofing Europe’s tendency to blame Russian President Vladimir Putin for virtually every problem, from power bills to migration.
The clip was released on Tuesday and shared on X by RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan, who wrote: “Tis the season… to blame Putin for all of Europe’s woes. Sing with me.”
Set in a cozy, Christmas-decorated living room, the video opens with the caption ‘Christmas Eve 2025 / Somewhere in Europe’ and follows a European family as a series of gloomy moments intrude on the festivities – all accompanied by a children’s choir singing the chorus: “It’s all because of Putin.”
The choir runs through a list of holiday-season woes, singing: “Power bills too high to pay? / It’s all because of Putin, hey!”
The clip becomes more absurd as the choir sings: “Migrants settled by your Christmas tree?” we see armed militants from war-torn countries by the family fireplace singing along: “It’s all because of Putin, see!”
“Your taxes fund the war instead? It’s all because what Putin said!” one line goes, as the scene shows a Ukrainian soldier amid the Christmas setting, taking away the family’s valuables.
One segment shows an AI-generated version of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. As the choir sings “Bureaucrats are on your back?” the von der Leyen lookalike delivers the punchline: “It’s all because of Putin – whack!”
Another scene shows Santa taking children’s presents, as the choir sings:
“Santa robbed your kids this year?” We see Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky wearing a Santa outfit, with a Ukrainian seal on the hat, who sings in a Zelensky-like raspy voice: “It’s all because of Putin, dear!”
Toward the end, the video shifts into a montage of TV-style segments featuring British journalist Piers Morgan and CNN’s Anderson Cooper, alongside footage framed as Euronews, repeating the chorus – before cutting back to the family’s ruined Christmas scene.
The video closes with an address to viewers: ‘Dear Europeans, save your blind faith for Santa!’
https://www.rt.com/news/629932-rt-christmas-europe-putin/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpDkzAvhTg8
Ukrainian Air Force strikes Russian drone bases in eastern Ukraine
Wed, December 24, 2025 - 16:10
Ukrainian Armed Forces aviation carried out a series of strikes on positions of Russian drone operators in the Donetsk region, specifically in the areas of Siversk and Pokrovsk, the Operation Task Force East reports.
According to the military, Ukrainian Air Force aviation struck a building in the Siversk area from which enemy UAV operators were operating.
In addition, strikes were carried out on two buildings in Pokrovsk where Russian drone pilots were stationed.
Operational Task Force East also noted that over the past day, Ukraine's Defense Forces hit 28 Russian unmanned aerial system crews. Missile forces and artillery units carried out 836 fire missions against enemy positions.
In addition, army aviation struck concentrations of Russian personnel in the areas of the settlements of Kotliarivka and Hryhorivka.
Situation in Siversk
Recall that intense fighting has recently been ongoing in the Siversk area of Ukraine's Donetsk region.
Yesterday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Ukrainian units withdrew from the city due to the enemy's significant manpower and equipment superiority, to preserve personnel and combat capability.
As early as December 13, British intelligence reported that Russian forces had infiltrated Siversk under the cover of fog and managed to occupy the central part of the city, while Ukrainian troops at that time were holding its western areas.
Analysts from DeepState noted that Siversk was gradually coming under Russian control. At the same time, the Operational Command East denied reports of complete Russian control over the city.
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukrainian-air-force-strikes-russian-drone-1766584673.html
other Russia and Ukraine
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russia-strikes-ukraine-s-chernihiv-with-drones-1766585201.html
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/overnight-russian-drone-attack-on-critical-1766561999.html
https://prm.ua/en/ukrainian-forces-struck-enemy-drone-operator-bases-in-seversk-and-pokrovsk/
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/ukraine-s-defense-forces-strike-russian-naval-drone-base-in-crimea/
https://report.az/en/other-countries/ukrainian-forces-hit-missile-fuel-facility-in-russia-and-drone-base-in-crimea
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/drones-attack-rubber-production-plant-in-russia-s-tula-region/
https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2025/12/24/ukraine-drones-hit-moscow-area-spark-fire-south-of-capital/
https://theaviationist.com/2025/12/24/drone-strike-on-il-38n/
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/drones-cover-1-250-km-to-strike-industrial-facility-in-orenburg/
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4073048-russian-drone-hits-gas-station-in-kramatorsk.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-economy/4072976-russia-launches-nearly-100-drone-strikes-on-naftogaz-in-two-days-causing-major-damage.html
https://kyivindependent.com/odesa-father-who-lost-family-in-drone-strike-survives-second-attack-this-time-feels-different/
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-on-track-to-receive-total-of-3-million-fpv-drones-in-2025/
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/video-moment-cheap-ukrainian-sting-outsmarted-a-russian-jet-powered-shahed-drone-9933027
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/66839
IDF targets Hezbollah launch sites in Southern Lebanon
Dec. 24, 2025
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday night carried out strikes against several Hezbollah missile launch sites in Southern Lebanon.
“The presence of these launching sites constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” said the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat against the State of Israel and to prevent attempts by Hezbollah to reestablish capabilities, the statement added.
On Monday, Israeli forces eliminated three Hezbollah operatives involved in advancing attacks against troops and in reestablishing terrorist infrastructure in the Sidon area of Southern Lebanon, according to the IDF.
An initial review found that one of the terrorists killed in the strike also served in a Lebanese military intelligence unit.
One of the two other operatives killed was involved in Hezbollah’s aerial defense network, according to the IDF.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Dec. 20 that Hezbollah terrorists south of the Litani River would soon be disarmed, a key requirement of Beirut’s ceasefire with Israel.
Yisrael Beiteinu Party chief Avigdor Liberman dismissed the statement on Monday. “This is simply nonsense, just fiction. [We’re] not even close to dismantling Hezbollah’s arsenal, not even in Southern Lebanon,” he told JNS.
“I don’t know what intelligence [information] Lebanon’s prime minister has, but I trust the assessments of [Israel’s] defense establishment,” he added, speaking at a faction meeting of his party at the Knesset in Jerusalem.
The Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire went into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, following an intense two-month IDF military campaign that led to the weakening of the Iranian terror proxy’s leadership.
The deal was cemented by the Israeli and Lebanese governments and five mediating countries, including the United States.
https://www.jns.org/idf-targets-hezbollah-launch-sites-in-southern-lebanon/
other Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/lebanese-fm-demands-full-dismantling-of-hezbollahs-military-idf-hits-rocket-sites/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-official-rafah-blast-that-hurt-idf-officer-caused-by-unexploded-israeli-ordnance/
https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/278773096/israeli-drone-targets-al-mantara-dam-in-quneitra-countryside
https://www.ifcj.org/news/stand-for-israel-blog/prime-minister-promises-response-after-hamas-attack
https://www.jns.org/israel-vows-response-after-rafah-blast-wounds-idf-officer/
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/artc-idf-confirms-elimination-of-hamas-financial-operative-in-same-strike-that-killed-senior-commander-live-blog
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1fblkf711g
https://worldisraelnews.com/netanyahu-threatens-retaliation-demands-hamas-be-disarmed-after-gaza-terror-bombing/
https://www.jns.org/idf-razes-home-of-terrorist-responsible-for-july-10-killing/
https://www.jns.org/israel-appoints-new-air-force-navy-commanders/
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-12-24/ty-article/.premium/netanyahu-was-behind-leak-of-classified-idf-document-to-german-tabloid-bild-ex-aide-says/0000019b-4f1b-d2b2-affb-5f7f2cf20000
https://www.jns.org/israel-prepares-for-phase-2-trap-in-gaza-as-hamas-resumes-regime-of-terror/
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjxooft711e
Russian diplomat calls drone incursions into Turkey ‘possible provocation’
December 24, 2025
A Russian diplomat has suggested that recent drone incursions into Turkish airspace may have been a “possible provocation,” marking first comment from a Russian official about a series of incidents that raised concerns in Turkey over air defense and spillover risks from the war in Ukraine.
The Cumhuriyet daily cited the anonymous official, whom it described as a senior diplomat, as saying that the incidents “could be an attempt at provocation” while stressing that Russia maintains good relations with Turkey.
The diplomat did not specify who might be behind such a provocation.
The comments follow three separate drone incidents in December in which unmanned aerial vehicles entered Turkish airspace or were found crashed inside the country.
The first incident occurred on December 15, when Turkey’s defense ministry said an unidentified drone entering Turkish airspace from the Black Sea was shot down by F-16 fighter jets using an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile over central Turkey.
Two days later, residents of the village of Çubuklubala in the northwestern province of Kocaeli found the wreckage of a drone bearing red star markings. The interior ministry later identified it as a Russian-made Orlan-10 reconnaissance drone.
A third drone, identified as a Russian-origin Merlin-VR surveillance platform, was discovered on December 20 in Balıkesir’s Manyas district. Authorities said the wreckage had likely been on the ground for several days before being found.
Defense analyst Arda Mevlütoğlu wrote in an analysis that all three drones came down near strategically sensitive sites.
These included areas close to Roketsan, Turkey’s main missile and rocket manufacturer, and the state-owned arms producer MKEK near Ankara; the Gölcük Naval Base and oil refineries in Kocaeli; and the Balıkesir and Bandırma air bases, which host F-16 fighter jets.
Mevlütoğlu warned that the incidents could point to “false flag” scenarios, operations designed to appear as though they were carried out by another party in order to trigger a crisis or escalate tensions.
He wrote that such actions could be intended to test Turkey’s response thresholds, military preparedness or political positioning.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly warned against the Black Sea becoming an “area of confrontation” between Russia and Ukraine, both of which border the sea opposite Turkey.
The drone incidents have renewed debate over Turkey’s air defense posture. Mevlütoğlu claimed that Turkey’s multilayered air defense system, known as “Steel Dome,” provides credible capability against such threats but said the incursions may have been aimed at probing Turkey’s reflexes rather than causing direct damage.
https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/12/24/russian-diplomat-calls-drone-incursions-into-turkey-possible-provocation/
https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/12/22/news/regional/trinidad/trinidad-pm-confirms-us-military-have-set-up-support-office-for-radar-as-pnm-demands-answers/
https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/alarm-over-suspected-us-military-base-in-tobago-6.2.2476251.eeb22a306a
Trinidad PM confirms US military have set up support office for radar as PNM demands answers
December 22, 2025
(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the photo of what appears to be a US military base in Tobago, in fact, shows what she described as “support offices” for the military radar system on the island.
Her comment came yesterday in response to a Guardian Media exclusive drone photograph and story which captured what appeared to be a US military base near the ANR Robinson International Airport in Crown Point, Tobago.
The images show several trucks and utility vehicles positioned within the restricted area, along with a small tent and another temporary structure located close to the equipment, suggesting use for operational or shelter purposes.
A number of portable toilets were also observed at the site. Responding to Guardian Media’s questions about what was on the site via WhatsApp yesterday, Persad-Bissessar did not explicitly describe the compound as a military base.
“The picture is self-explanatory. There is a radar with the support offices to operate it,” the Prime Minister said.
Persad-Bissessar went on to accuse this media house and the People’s National Movement of “appearing obsessed” with getting the “radar and the Americans out of the country,” as she argued that the only people who would benefit from such an outcome would be drug traffickers.
“Keep going, when people show you who they are believe them,” she added.
But when pressed further to confirm whether the structure captured would qualify as a military base, Persad-Bissessar again accused this media house of assisting the PNM in their bid for the Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) elections, as she sharply dismissed the question.
“Please stop wasting my time with this nonsense. Feel free to send any questions on sensible issues in the future. Have a wonderful evening.”
However, Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles yesterday called on the Government to clearly state what was in the photo and the extent of the US military’s presence in T&T.
She said the Opposition will be responsible in addressing the issue until Government conclusively confirms or denies whether the facility was a base, which she said further highlighted the importance of transparency on the matter.
“Now that this has been exposed, this situation, the question still arises insofar as what the Government has to say as it relates to the radar?” Beckles said at the PNM’s Children’s Christmas Party at Balisier House, Port-of-Spain.
“It cannot be that on each and every occasion we get a different story. If it is we have to respond appropriately and accurately, we do not want to run the risk that we simply give off-the-cuff responses.”
Beckles also noted that during a recent visit to Tobago, several persons appeared to be uneasy with the installation of a radar system, as she said the fear of conflict unfolding prompted some people to cancel their visits to the island.
She said this was further need for the Government to come forward and speak out on the matter.
Dindial anticipates more military facilities
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday retired Coast Guard Lt Cmdr and National Transformation Alliance (NTA) leader Norman Dindial said he was not surprised by any possible US military presence in Tobago, as he believed personnel would be present on-site to assist in repairs, maintenance and upkeep of the radar.
He, however, believes the US military “footprint” in T&T will continue to grow, noting that this should be a concern to the public, as it further places the country at risk of being a target of military aggression.
“We’re going to see the Government justifying and saying, ‘Because we have this radar and because we are in this position, we are exposed and Venezuela is threatening us, we need the US to defend us, so we need the US to come into Trinidad and have a base’,” he said.
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“There will be more military exercises and the footprint will increase in the coming months in Trinidad and Tobago, unless President Donald Trump says there is a total de-escalation.
We have brought the US in our territories, so we are going to see a long-term stationing of the US military back, maybe like in Chaguaramas days in Trinidad and Tobago.”
Dindial said he was concerned a further escalation of military activities would put T&T in danger of being “collateral damage” if any conflict arose.
He acknowledged that while Government would be limited in what it can divulge publicly, he felt it was necessary to explain the nature of US involvement and presence on the island.
“Strategic messaging and strategic communication is very important for any government to maintain stability for their people.
We have people looking for people to give them that guidance, they’re looking for people to calm them and that’s why you voted people in governance to do that, so it’s very important they get their acts together with that strategic communication and say something to the public.”
Former National Security minister Gary Griffith also felt Government should adopt a more transparent approach to the presence of a possible US military installation.
He noted that the absence of clear messaging from Government would give rise to panic and allow persons “with an agenda” to undermine any security mission in the region.
Griffith, however, disagreed that the US presence would endanger T&T, noting it would act as a deterrent to any attacks on the country.
Referring to past remarks by Venezuelan government officials, who have accused T&T of cooperating with US forces to plan attacks on their country, Griffith said such a military presence was timely and necessary given the tension.
“Without the US, Venezuela can actually implement what they have been threatening to do for the past few months, which is to invade Trinidad and Tobago,” Griffith said.
“Venezuela said in the last few months that we (T&T) were harbouring terrorists and persons bent on destabilising Venezuela and they will hunt these persons down wherever they are, that was a sign that they wanted to enter Trinidad and Tobago.
They have made several threats that they intend to attack Trinidad and Tobago, so we should welcome any US presence to protect Trinidad and Tobago.”
Griffith also said another possible benefit of having a US military base was T&T’s economy being enhanced with foreign exchange.
Efforts to contact Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge for comment were unsuccessful up to press time.
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Drone Based Heroin Racket Busted, Fifth Accused Arrested
4:37 pm December 24, 2025
SRINAGAR: In a breakthrough against cross-border drug trafficking, Hiranagar Police have busted a Pakistan-based heroin smuggling network operating through drones and arrested the fifth accused in the case.
The arrest marks a significant step in dismantling the narco module active along the international border in Kathua district.
Official sources said that acting on specific inputs and under the supervision of SSP Kathua Mohit Sharma, IPS, police arrested Siraj Din alias Saraju, son of Ali Hussain, a resident of Bishnah, Jammu.
During the arrest, police recovered 25 grams of heroin, a sharp edged weapon, toka and three pistol rounds from his possession.
The arrest is linked to FIR No 107 of 2025, registered after around 400 grams of heroin dropped by a drone from Pakistan was earlier recovered from village Chhann Tanda near the border.
The investigation is being led by SP Operations Kathua Mukund Tibrewal, DSP Border Dheeraj Katoch and SHO Hiranagar Ashish.
So far, four other accused from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab have already been arrested in the case, with police recovering Rs 5 lakh in cash and 414 grams of heroin from them.
Police said Siraj Din was acting as the main receiver and street level distributor of the drugs. Following his arrest, multiple raids have been launched at his suspected locations to trace further links in the network.
SSP Mohit Sharma said Kathua Police are committed to eliminating the drug menace and will not tolerate any involvement in narco trafficking. He appealed to the public to cooperate with police and promptly report any information related to drug smuggling.
With this arrest, Hiranagar Police have achieved another major success in cracking the Pakistan-linked drone dropping heroin racket, officials said, adding that strict action against drug mafias will continue in the future as well. (KNC)
https://kashmirlife.net/drone-based-heroin-racket-busted-fifth-accused-arrested-418341/
Inmates could escape jail on drones, warns top prison governor
Wednesday December 24 2025, 3.55pm GMT
Inmates could be airlifted out of prison by drones capable of carrying adult men, the president of the Prison Governors Association has warned.
Tom Wheatley, a former prison governor, said a new generation of drones designed for agricultural use can lift up to 100kg — 15kg more than the weight of the average British man — and warned that an attempt could happen “any day now”.
DJI’s Agras T100 drone can be broken down for easy transport and reassembled, boasts ultra-fast charging and can be bought online for about £20,000. Wheatley said organised crime gangs could buy it or similar technology to airlift prisoners out of jails.
“We incarcerate people who still have access to enormous amounts of money. If you’re in prison with nothing to lose and you want to try and find a way to get out, that must be one of the ways you’re thinking of doing it,” he said.
“Logistically, the threat is all there now. It could be any day from now because the technology exists, 100kg payload drones exist. It’s a question of how you would get hold of one — but I very much doubt it is beyond the wit and the will of people who are prepared to break the law.”
Drones are already used to bring drugs, phones and other contraband into prisons by carrying packages over walls and dropping them in the yard — or even flying through cell windows.
One expert said drones were now being used like “Uber Eats” by prisoners to call in drugs. More than 1,700 drone sightings were recorded at prisons in England and Wales between April 2024 and May 2025, an increase of 43 per cent, according to official statistics.
• Drones feed prison drugs crisis, watchdog warns
David Lammy, the justice secretary, was told by a coroner in December that he had until mid-January to produce a plan to stop drones flying into prisons following an inquest into the death of a 29-year-old inmate at HMP Birmingham.
The inmate died from a heart attack after taking black mamba, a powerful form of the synthetic cannabinoid drug known as spice. The coroner, Emma Brown, issued Lammy with a prevention of future deaths notice requiring him to take action to stop drones delivering drugs into prisons within 56 days.
Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, told The Times that ministers had been “too slow” to react to the threat of drones, particularly when bringing in drugs and other contraband.
“The response from the prison service, and really across government, has just been too slow. It’s been growing at an astonishing rate over the last two or three years.”
Taylor said prisons have seen a wider variety of contraband being flown in, from illegal drugs to lifestyle medications.
“The effect of drones is really a new paradigm when it comes to prisons, because of the ability of organised crime gangs to get very large quantities of contraband in.
“We’re talking about a range of drugs — spice, which has been the drug of choice in the last few years, but now we’re seeing great bails of cannabis, ketamine, cocaine [and] heroin. And then we’re also seeing more boutique drugs such as anabolic steroids for bodybuilding.
“Ozempic has come into some jails. Minoxidil for hair loss. What that shows is how easy it is for organised crime, because you’re going to make a lot more money out of a small amount of spice than you are at a bigger volume of drugs like cannabis.
Actually they can do a bit of everything.”
In October, the House of Commons justice select committee warned that the prison service’s ability to maintain safety and control over inmates was being “critically undermined by the scale of the trade and use of illicit drugs”.
The report recommended that the Ministry of Justice fit signal disruption technology, which interferes with drones and stops them flying in a certain area, around all high-risk prisons as a “matter of urgency”.
Richard Gill, founder of Drone Defence, a drone security consultancy, invented a signal disruption system called SkyFence. He said Whitehall had been “extremely slow” and “not very open-minded” to fixing the influx of drones into prisons.
SkyFence has been installed at HMP Guernsey, a mixed-use prison, but is yet to be trialled in prisons across England and Wales.
Gill said: “Drone deliveries into prisons have become so technically advanced that it’s almost like Uber Eats. A prisoner places their order, it’s managed centrally, a local dealer supplies the goods.
There’s a local drone pilot that delivers the goods to the prisons. “The whole ecosystem of drone deliveries into prisons is extremely advanced, well ahead of any commercial drone activity in the UK.”
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/inmates-could-escape-jail-on-drones-warns-top-prison-governor-637wclqjz
Why 2025 Became a Defining Year for the Commercial Drone Industry
December 24, 2025
Over the last 12 months, the commercial drone industry has seen waves of change. From advancements in technology to drones in the mainstream media, this year has been anything but dull.
Here at Commercial UAV News, a few topics have remained constant in conversation, and high readership on certain articles showed us just how important these topics were this year.
In the spring, efforts to ban foreign-made drones, specifically those made in China, in U.S. commercial operations had begun. As of yesterday, the FCC has officially added foreign-made UAS and components to the covered list.
This means that any new products made outside of the United States are not allowed for commercial use. Any older models of foreign made drones that are currently being operated and sold in the U.S. are acceptable.
This restriction only applies to new products.
In the article “No DJI Ban Yet, But US Customs Already Stopping Some Drones at Border” we saw the immediate repercussions of even the idea of this ban.
This article dissected the justifications of stopping the drones at the border, which have more to do with labor practices than security issues.
This piece featured a firsthand perspective on how this supply chain disruption had dire effects on those in the states that use DJI equipment and who make a living selling drones.
While many were grieving during this supply chain hold-up, others looked at a possible silver lining of a DJI ban, except it hasn’t fully come to fruition. In the article “Why Has the Looming DJI Ban Not Translated into a Boom for American-Made Drones?”
Juan Plaza broke down what every member of the drone industry was wondering. The impending ban would prevent any group that receives federal funding who are using DJI drones, like first responders and public safety groups.
As a result, we would expect that American-made drones, such as the ones on the Blue UAS list, would spike in sales and manufacturing. But this wasn’t the case. It’s proven to be difficult to compete with DJI’s prices, ease of use, and customer support.
Shortly after talks of a DJI ban started, President Trump signed two executive orders “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” and “Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty.”
These orders were meant to reduce regulatory barriers for BVLOS operations. The article “Will Executive Orders to Enable BVLOS Operations Reshape the Drone Industry?”
looked at the two elements that the orders would affect; DJI and timing around official rulings.
Other headlines that caught the industry’s attention revolved around two major drone companies going public, and how the current airspace regulations are outdated.
The article “Archer and Joby: The Difference Between First-to-Market and Market Leader” looked at how unconventional aviation is beginning to make headway into the market.
Both Archer and Joby had goals of providing eVTOL aircraft services, or air taxis as they are commonly referred to.
Not only does this piece offer a glimpse into the future of aviation, it also showed what private drone companies can accomplish when they become publicly traded.
Lastly, the industry took a keen interest in the article
“The Elephant in the Airspace: How Outdated Approaches Ground America's Aviation Leadership” which spoke to the fact that the current airspace regulations and practices are outdated and require big changes in order to successfully incorporate today’s technology.
This article will be a good reference piece in 2026 as the industry progresses.
https://www.commercialuavnews.com/why-2025-became-a-defining-year-for-the-commercial-drone-industry
Jacques Vallee - The Bizarre Nature of UFOs WEAPONIZED : EPISODE #102
December 23, 2025
Dr. Jacques Vallée seems to have a talent for being in the right place at the right time. He was a newcomer at a French observatory when he saw evidence of a UFO incident being tossed aside, and it ignited a lifelong interest in the phenomenon.
He was at Northwestern University working on a precursor version of what evolved into the internet, earned his PhD in what we now know as artificial intelligence.
And he was on the ground in Silicon Valley, guiding investments in companies and ideas that revolutionized modern technology.
Throughout the different phases of his life, he’s maintained an abiding interest in the UFO mystery. His work inspired the Lacombe character in Steven Spielberg’s monumental film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Vallée worked hand in hand with Dr. J. Allen Hynek during and after the infamous Project Blue Book program, has written the most influential books in the history of the UFO subject, was directly involved with research that led to classified projects to train remote viewers, and later had an essential role in Robert Bigelow’s groundbreaking organization (NIDS) as well as the DIA’s classified investigation AAWSAP.
So, what is he focusing on these days? Is a form of disclosure on the way? Can Congress force the secret keepers to divulge what they know?
Vallée has acknowledged that UFO crashes are real, as are crash retrieval operations, but where are the retrieved articles stored and studied, including the Trinity craft he spent years investigating?
In this wide-ranging interview, Jeremy and George ask Ufology’s most serious thinker and writer to address the thorniest issues now facing Congress, the public, and science itself in trying to understand the multiple layers of secrecy and confusion that continue to befuddle scientists, governments, and everyone with a serious interest in figuring out the truth.
Dr. Vallée also describes the most significant roadblocks that remain today, and offers advice on how we might move forward. The conversation is long, complex, and serious, much like Vallée himself.
https://www.weaponizedpodcast.com/episodes-4/episode-102
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOOAVlatb2
https://x.com/JeremyCorbell
https://x.com/g_knapp
UFO expert makes startling revelation about interaction with aliens
December 24, 2025
The UFO researcher Jacques Vallée has recently made startling remarks regarding the communication with extra-terrestrial entities in a recent interview.
While talking in the podcast titled Weaponized hosted by Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp, Vallée shared the details of a classified US program in which officials interacted with non-human entities 20 years ago.
The government was capable of establishing “direct, structured communications” with a non-human intelligence through a “very sophisticated process,” conducted on an ongoing basis under controlled laboratory conditions at a secure facility he had never heard publicly referenced, he added.
“What they described to me, is a very sophisticated process by which we may be able to interact with The Entities,” the UFO expert said in response to a question related to non-human beings.
When the host asked about the factual nature of the claims in which the US was able to make communication with non-human intelligence, Vallée called the account factual.
“Yes, Yes, it is factual based on the people I met with,” he added. At the same time, he also noted uncertainty over whether the entity was real or simulated, distinguishing it from cases like the 1945 Trinity crash.
During the podcast, Vallée also interpreted the 1917 Fatima event as a deep one in the term of testimony as 80,000 people witnessed massive disc, silver thing between them and the sun.
These claims have taken the internet by the storm and added another layer of mystery in the discussions wrapping around UFOs and aliens.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1385986-ufo-expert-makes-startling-revelation-about-interaction-with-aliens
https://twitter.com/InterstellarUAP/status/2003623037233512608
Take us to your captain! Aliens to reveal themselves to humans at 2026 FIFA World Cup
23 December 2025
Renowned UFO investigator and filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee is predicting that aliens will reveal their existence to the world at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, based on the prophecies he has studied.
Renowned UFO investigator and filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee says his research into centuries-old prophecies from legendary seers like Nostradamus and Baba Vanga points to a major extraterrestrial disclosure at the sporting event which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Lee warns that this disclosure could mark the onset of apocalyptic global shifts, urging world leaders and the public to prepare for a paradigm-shattering event.
He said: “In my extensive research into UFO phenomena and ancient predictions, I've uncovered striking alignments that point to 2026 as the year of revelation.
Baba Vanga, the blind Bulgarian mystic, explicitly foretold humanity's first contact with aliens in November 2026, during a massive global gathering - perfectly matching the timeline of the World Cup finals.
This isn't mere coincidence; it's a convergence of prophetic visions that could usher in an era of chaos, including escalated conflicts, natural disasters, and technological upheavals as described by both Vanga and Nostradamus."
Lee - director of acclaimed documentaries such as The Rendlesham UFO: The British Roswell and The King of UFOs, now available on Amazon Prime - emphasizes the eerie parallels between these sages' warnings and current UFO developments.
Baba Vanga's visions include a colossal spacecraft approaching Earth amid worldwide turmoil, potentially triggering panic and societal collapse.
Similarly, Nostradamus's cryptic quatrains speak of celestial invasions, devastating wars lasting 27 years, and cataclysmic events like floods and leadership downfalls - interpretations that enthusiasts link to 2026's geopolitical tensions and unexplained aerial phenomena.
He added: “This World Cup could be the stage for aliens to make themselves known, fulfilling Vanga's prophecy of contact at a major sporting event.
"We've seen increasing UFO sightings and government briefings on unidentified aerial phenomena. If disclosure happens live before billions of viewers, it could accelerate the apocalyptic scenarios outlined by these prophets: global wars spreading from Europe and Asia, massive earthquakes and tsunamis devastating landmasses, AI overreach, and economic meltdowns.
Humanity must awaken to this possibility - it's not science fiction; it's our impending reality."
Lee calls for international dialogue on UFO preparedness, advocating for transparent investigations and public education.
His latest film project, Disclosure Horizon, explores these themes and is slated for release in early 2026.
https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/bizarre/take-captain-aliens-reveal-humans-2026-fifa-world-cup-1435087.html
Alex Jones
@RealAlexJones
TUESDAY TRANSMISSION W/ Alex Jones and Daniel Liszt:
Epstein Was Running A Secret Fleet Of CIA Planes Under The Command Of George H.W. Bush As Early As 1991- Alex Jones Reveals Exclusive New Details! PLUS, High-Level CIA Whistleblowers Warn Patel Has Been Blocking Any Investigation Into Kirk Assassination!
Candace Owens Has Been Caught Red-Handed Falsely Claiming That Nevada Congressman Amodei Took Part In A Secret Meeting At Fort Huachuca Army Base In Arizona The Day Before Charlie Kirk's Death!
FINALLY, Top Pollster Mark Mitchell Of Rasmussen Reports Joins Alex Jones To Raise The Alarm On What His Polling Indicates For The Upcoming 2026 Midterms & The 2028 Presidential Election! DO NOT MISS THIS KEY INFO! MUST-WATCH/SHARE FULL SHOW 12/23/25
5:04 PM · Dec 23, 2025
https://x.com/RealAlexJones/status/2003632817092329773
https://x.com/darkjournalist/status/2003518535369392427
https://www.infowars.com/
Ashton Forbes
@AshtonForbes
Electric rail guns?!?
Military technology is beyond the public's understanding.
Quote
Eric Daugherty
@EricLDaugh
·
Dec 22
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump reveals the Trump Class battleships will have HYPERSONIC MISSILES, electric rail guns, and "LASERS"
"You aim the laser at a target, it just wipes it out."
"They'll be the most sophisticated lasers in the world - will be on the battleships."
3:21 PM · Dec 22, 2025
https://x.com/AshtonForbes/status/2003244530414592239
https://www.youtube.com/@JustXAshton
https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2003229858835370232
https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4366952/trump-announces-new-class-of-battleship/
https://www.war.gov/Multimedia/Videos/videoid/991459/
hope they have a cool theme song
The Mind-Blowing Lost Ancient (Deep-Underground) CITY of Derinkuyu
Dec 5, 2025
The mysterious lost ancient deep-underground city of Derinkuyu housed an astonishing 20,000 people, extending 18-levels down, and a staggering 280ft (85m) deep.
The only thing more bizarre than this enigmatic marvel of engineering is that we do not know exactly who built it, how, why or even WHEN…
And this does not include the more than 200 additional underground cities that have been found in the area, including Kaymakli…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdKV93pK8qo
https://x.com/BrightInsight6
‘Doing Awful, Terrifying Things’ Graham Hancock On Pyramids and Ark of The Covenant
Dec 23, 2025
This time last year, Piers Morgan interviewed documentarian Graham Hancock for the first time.
His Uncensored theories on ancient civilizations have made him a superstar in the world of alternative history - but maybe a pariah in mainstream academia.
He returns to speak to Piers Morgan about the reaction to his last interview and to discuss his most recent thoughts on whether the Pyramids should be drilled into (and whether he’s made up with Dr Zahi Hawass) and where he thinks the ancient holy relic the Ark of the Covenant might be.
Plus; Piers welcomes Bianca Nobilo, the host of our new spin-off channel History Uncensored, who tells us why her show is a history buff’s delight.
00:00 Introduction
01:10 Graham Hancock interview begins
15:47 AD: Oxford Natural - https://oxfordnatural.com/piers/ for 70% off first order with code PIERS
16:35 AD: Express VPN - https://ExpressVPN.com/PIERS to get four extra months for free
17:28 What could possibly lie beneath the Giza Pyramids?
21:30 “Do you still talk to Dr Zahi?”
24:03 Patch of scorched earth shows humans may have created fire 400,000 years ago
28:00 The Ark of the Covenant
43:13 Interview with Bianca Nobilo, host of History Uncensored
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h166PVhG9Xk
https://x.com/PiersUncensored
https://x.com/Graham__Hancock
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/we-didnt-find-answers-in-2025-but-ufo-researchers-say-the-search-continues
We didn't find answers in 2025, but UFO researchers say the search continues
December 23, 2025
After years of making headlines, air vehicles of nameless origin, unknown intent, and seemingly odd capabilities are still being reported within America's national airspace, allegedly flying over sensitive facilities and interfering with commercial air traffic.
All of this aerial weirdness involves unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP for short. Whatever they are, UAP continue to be seen, reported and even documented through various sensor technologies.
However, despite years of whistleblowers testifying before Congress, there seems to have been a bottleneck in getting to the bottom of the UAP issue in 2025. Why so?
Key specialists appraising the issue UAP have yet to untangle the mystery, but do appear to agree on what needs to be done now to further resolve what UAP are and from where they might originate.
Plurality of minds
The UAP phenomenon benefits from having a plurality of minds engaged in disciplined debate, suggests Michael Cifone, founding executive director and President of the Society for UAP Studies, based in Los Angeles, California.
Today, there's a division emerging between classical Unidentified Flying Object (UFO), aka "flying saucer," incidents and studying UAP from the point of view of observational and experimental science.
But engaging scientific methods and instruments turns out to be neither trivial nor cheap, Cifone said.
"Perhaps the holdup is reluctance to dump time, energy and money into what looks to some like a wild goose chase," said Cifone.
Cold cases
"Like any other scientific venture, both funding and institutional support is required," Cifone said. "Given the historical stigma associated with the topic that has been hard to achieve.
But now with the emphasis no longer on chasing forensic cold cases, and relying on reports of UAP, serious scientists and student researchers are getting involved."
The upshot is to deploy scientific methodology to establish the observational framework with the proper instrumentation, Cifone added, "in order to generate the data on UAP from which more secure conclusions can be derived."
Cifone said that progress, like in any other science or research area, will be slow but hopefully steady, albeit incremental.
"What will likely happen is that there will be downstream benefits that aren't foreseeable exactly now. Maybe new sciences will break away. So it will be a win for the growth of knowledge and for science in particular," Cifone senses.
For Cifone, his view is to keep the eye on the ball and work out the observational framework design and required instruments and observational modalities before we can have the reliable datasets we need.
"But science doesn't always go as planned. In any case, there's a lot of work to be done."
Cifone points to an increasing number of institutions that are studying UAPs. Indeed, work underway on UAP has blossomed into a world-wide field of research, he said.
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All sky, all the time
To Cifone's point, there's the University of Würzburg in northern Bavaria, one of the oldest universities in Germany. An Interdisciplinary Research Center for Extraterrestrial Studies (IFEX) has been established.
One effort the university is developing is an "AllSkyCAM" able to capture UAP. An automated reporting system is currently under construction with the university cooperating with the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt, the national civil aviation authority of Germany, to research unusual phenomena in the country's airspace.
Then there's the Galileo Project led by astrophysicist Avi Loeb of Harvard University. They have designed and built an array of sensors to scan the sky for aerial phenomena and assess atmospheric anomalies that may not be of terrestrial origin.
This type of research can produce data on UAP, Cifone said, "then we need to experiment with the data and produce theories, or what you call explanations, and perhaps even understanding! We're only at the observational framework design and testing phase.
Then we need to let the systems run, probably for many years."
Test a hypothesis
There's need to be able to scientifically test a hypothesis that some UAP are potentially extraterrestrial craft, said Robert Powell, executive board member of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU).
"I consider extreme acceleration to be the best characteristic that has the potential to eliminate a terrestrial explanation for a UAP," said Powell. But measurement of high accelerations of UAP, he said, requires high-precision scientific gear and data.
"The cost of putting out a network of calibrated and characterized equipment, maintaining it, obtaining placement rights on land, and analyzing the data will cost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars," said Powell.
Military systems
One estimate by an engineer in SCU forecasts that given 300 "actual" UAP sightings per year — and assuming random distribution of sightings — that with 930 automated camera systems distributed across the U.S., one would have a 95% chance of detecting a UAP of 50 foot or larger size within a year.
"To date, the financial resources to achieve this are not available," said Powell. "The military has the capability with radar, satellite, and optical systems, but the scientific community does not have access to these systems."
He thinks the work ahead could be done now via military systems, but only if there were no national security concerns.
"I think it will take many years to do it through privately-financed civilian systems but that doesn't mean we shouldn't continue working at it," Powell concluded.
Ignore, rationalize away
Ryan Graves is chair of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Integration Committee.
He is also director of Americans for Safe Aerospace, a military pilot group devoted to aerospace safety and national security, but focused on UAPs.
"Highly credible people and professional observers are seeing objects that appear to exhibit capabilities beyond the state of the art," Graves told Space.com.
"In the data received, there seems to be this core anomalous aspect that we can't just ignore or rationalize away."
Graves speaks with UAP eye-witness authority as a former Lt. U.S. Navy and F/A-18F pilot. He was the first active-duty pilot to publicly point to his own encounters and spotlights his military colleagues regarding their UAP sightings.
In July 2023, Graves testified about UAPs before the House Oversight Committee's National Security Subcommittee in Congress, a hearing centered on UAP and the implications for national security, public safety, and how best to attain government transparency on the issue.
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Pay attention
"We need to pay attention to this and recognize the national security implications," Graves said.
Objects are operating in sovereign air space, he said, potentially collecting intelligence and trying to break into or set the stage to counter our defenses and set the country up for strategic surprise.
In blunt talk, Graves said UAP are engaged in actions "that would be recognized as acts of war or at the minimum preparation for an attack."
For its part, the AIAA UAP Integration & Outreach Committee is a strictly agnostic, science-first committee inside the AIAA.
"Our remit is to bring aerospace rigor to an area with real safety-of-flight implications," Graves said. The committee has been convening experts across AIAA's technical committees, publishing peer-reviewed and conference papers, and producing policy guidance that standardizes how aviation professionals document and share safety-relevant observations, Graves added.
Retention of data
While AIAA provides technical expertise rather than lobbying, Graves said the work on UAP has helped clarify best-practice reporting standards as well as set standards for retention of data on what's being reported.
One early payoff is that AIAA's UAP effort parallels what Congress has been considering in the standalone bill "Safe Airspace for Americans Act," introduced in January 2024 and reintroduced in September of this year. "Our focus remains the same," said Graves, "and that is credible data, clear procedures, and aviation safety."
That bipartisan Act is championed by U.S. representatives Robert Garcia of California and Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin, legislation crafted to support civilian UAP reporting.
"Transparency surrounding UAP is crucial for national security, public safety, and making sure people trust that our government is taking these reports seriously," Congressman Garcia said in a statement.
"This bill creates a clear, protected pathway for pilots and other aviation professionals to report UAP incidents without having to fear stigma or worry about retaliation. This is a vital step forward to make sure our skies are safe and our government is responsive."
Closure on the topic?
Graves also points to the current leadership of the Department of Defense All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO.
It too is established to minimize technical and intelligence surprise by "synchronizing identification, attribution, and mitigation of UAP in the vicinity of national security areas," the AARO states.
"I'm optimistic. There is significant organizational change across the government that I think will bare fruit. There process is maturing to the point where they can start delivering on their expectations," said Graves.
Overall, Graves is heartened by current UAP interest and on-going activities.
"I don't know if there's been a better time to hope for closure on this topic. I don't think we've ever been in quite the situation we're in today," Graves said.
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