TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
May 9, 2026
Messier Craters in Stereo
Many bright nebulae and star clusters in planet Earth's sky are associated with the name of astronomer Charles Messier from his famous 18th century catalog. His name is also given to these two large and remarkable craters on the Moon. Standouts in the dark, smooth lunar Sea of Fertility or Mare Fecunditatis, Messier (left) and Messier A have dimensions of 15 by 8 and 16 by 11 kilometers respectively. Their elongated shapes are explained by the extremely shallow-angle trajectory followed by an impactor, moving left to right, that gouged out the craters. The shallow impact also resulted in two bright rays of material extending along the surface to the right, beyond the picture. Intended to be viewed with red/blue glasses (red for the left eye), this striking stereo picture of the crater pair was recently created from high resolution scans of two images (AS11-42-6304, AS11-42-6305) taken during the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Tb3K31J3KE
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Galactic Sheet, Big Sunspot, Ocean Temperatures | S0 News and identified flying frens
May.9.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKfaGWdAXro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-OSrDVFDdA (S0: FORBIDDEN SCIENCE, Dr. Michael Clarage)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk-Y9exO6ZU (EarthMaster: 5.8 Earthquake Aleutian Trench, Quickly followed up by 4.8 Southern End of the Cascadia Subduction)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90zfYbF2EZI (Stefan Burns: This is the Beginning of Something Much Bigger…)
https://nypost.com/2026/05/09/us-news/severe-thunderstorms-with-hail-damaging-winds-return-to-plains-through-mothers-day-as-tornado-threat-looms/
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2052835369549504858
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2052868548574560425
https://meteoagent.com/schumann-resonance-forecast
https://www.tornadohq.com/
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquake/news/301899/World-Earthquake-Report-for-Saturday-9-May-2026.html
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
For the first time, visitors to Meteor Crater can hike to the bottom
May 8, 2026
The public has never been allowed to hike Meteor Crater in northern Arizona — until now.
In a state that contains the likes of the Grand Canyon and the Sedona red rocks, Meteor Crater is still one of Arizona’s coolest natural wonders.
Also called Barringer Crater, it’s an impact crater that was formed about 50,000 years when (you guessed it) an iron-nickel meteorite slammed into a spot outside what is now Flagstaff.
It struck the ground with a force 150 times greater than an atomic bomb and created a hole that measures 550 feet deep and almost a mile wide.
Visitors to the Meteor Crater attraction have long been able to see the hole and look down into it. But beginning May 16, adventurous types can pay to take a guided hike to the bottom of the crater.
The new Floor Tour will take place every Saturday at 9 a.m. The experience allows visitors to descend the historic Astronaut Trail into the crater itself — an area previously accessible primarily to NASA astronauts and scientific personnel.
Guests will explore the crater floor alongside expert guides while learning about Meteor Crater’s geology, mining history, astronaut training legacy and scientific significance.
The advanced-level guided hike is approximately two hours round-trip and is designed for experienced hikers comfortable with steep and uneven terrain.
Cost of the Floor Tour is $125, and bookings are now open. The tour also includes access to the full Meteor Crater experience, which includes full admission to the Meteor Crater Discovery Center, featuring interactive exhibits, observation decks, theater presentations and the 4D experience.
Arizona’s Meteor Crater is considered by some scientific institutions to be one of best-preserved meteor impact sites in the country. The visitor center is situated on the north side of the crater.
Regular admission to the Discovery Center (minus the Floor Tour) is $29 for adults, $27 for people ages 60 and over, $25 for non-active-duty military and veterans, $25 for youth ages 6 to 13 and free for active-duty military and children under 6.
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts-culture/meteor-crater-begins-guided-tours-to-the-bottom-this-month-40665317/
extra space objects and telescopes
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/fireball-flashes-across-puerto-rican-104436818.html
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/avi-loeb-analyzes-the-first-ufo-file-release-7b6b859a103c
NASA's Artemis 2 commander and astrophotographer team up to capture breathtaking, never-before-seen shots of the moon's far side
May 9, 2026
Just weeks before the first Artemis 2 launch window, astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy had a last-minute idea: What if he could get the Artemis 2 astronauts to shoot the moon the same way he shoots the moon?
So McCarthy slid into the DMs (direct messages) of Artemis 2 commander and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman. He knew getting a response at such a late date was a long shot, but he couldn't pass up the chance for a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration. And the long shot came through.
"He was immediately onboard," McCarthy told Space.com in an interview. "It was a dream come true, obviously, for me, but I saw it as this very unique opportunity."
NASA's Artemis 2 mission launched on April 1, flying four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the far side of the moon that captivated people across the world.
The astronauts snapped breathtaking photos of the moon, which showed beautifully haunting views of the lunar far side that Artemis 2 crew member Christina Koch of NASA described as "the most ominous thing I've ever loved."
On Earth, McCarthy combines hundreds to thousands of photos of the moon to bring out details you can't see in a single image.
The results are colorful landscapes that look more like paintings than the gray orb we're used to seeing hang in the night sky, but the diversity he presents in his images come down to lunar spectroscopy rather than artistic interpretation.
"It's very true life in a sense that everything you're seeing is real features on the surface that your eyes just simply don't have the color sensitivity to make out on their own," McCarthy said. He explained that his approach to astrophotography is all about showing you the things your eyes can't see.
"I don't want to show you something the way your eyes see it. I want to show you something as if you had superhuman vision …
I want to show you the moon as if you had cyborg eyes, because your cyborg eyes can actually pick out the color differences," McCarthy said. "The camera becomes cyborg eyes for our vision."
"The color is naturally there, just much more subtle to your eyes," he added. Some color differences on the moon are possible to see with your eyes, using binoculars or a telescope, and there are ways to trick your eyes into noticing more of the contrast than you realize.
"If you take a normal photo of the moon with a DSLR and just completely desaturate it, you can tell the difference," McCarthy explained. "When you return it to regular saturation, it suddenly seems a little more colorful."
For his collaboration with Wiseman, McCarthy wanted to see if he could get the same colorful results with a camera from the lunar far side.
"Usually you can't get very high-fidelity color data from the far side of the moon," McCarthy said. "We've got LRO [NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter], which has some color data, but … it's too low fidelity to do the kind of saturation pumps that show the really granular geological differences in the regolith."
McCarthy outlined a plan with Wiseman and NASA's lunar photography team, which was responsible for teaching the Artemis 2 crew how to use the cameras they brought aboard the Orion capsule during their mission.
"They worked it in where he would shoot bursts in different exposures and different times, depending on where they were during the flyby," McCarthy explained.
Stacking is the key to McCarthy's lunar imagery, enabling him to turn the subtle variations of color in an image of the moon into the rich browns and blues seen in his edits.
The technique isn't a new one in the astrophotography world, but no one had ever tried it before using photos from the far side of the moon.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/nasas-artemis-2-commander-and-astrophotographer-team-up-to-capture-breathtaking-never-before-seen-shots-of-the-moons-far-side
https://x.com/AJamesMcCarthy/status/2051334141866869123
https://x.com/AJamesMcCarthy/status/2050255056294027765
https://x.com/AJamesMcCarthy/status/2051355913773261097
chekt
So true.
We fucking made it (almost!), and we couldn't have done it without each other.
Major thank yous to all the frens who helped push us all just a little bit closer.
Thanks, frens.
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/psyche/2026/05/08/nasas-psyche-mission-to-fly-by-mars-for-gravity-assist/
https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/nasas-psyche-mission-captures-mars-during-gravity-assist-approach/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5k8T8Nas1g
extra NASA
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift/2026/05/08/katalyst-wraps-testing-at-nasa-goddard-for-swift-boost-mission/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/2026/05/08/nasas-x-59-flight-tests-pick-up-speed-with-two-flight-days/
https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasas-spacex-34th-commercial-resupply-mission-overview/
NASA’s Psyche Mission to Fly by Mars for Gravity Assist
May 8, 2026 2:08PM
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will get a boost from Mars on Friday, May 15, passing just 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) from the planet’s surface at some 12,333 mph (19,848 kph).
The spacecraft will harness the planet’s gravitational pull to speed up and adjust its trajectory toward the metal-rich asteroid Psyche, one of the more unusual objects in our solar system.
Launched on Oct. 13, 2023, the Psyche spacecraft relies on a solar-electric propulsion system and the inert gas xenon for propellant, gradually gaining speed over the course of its long journey.
Psyche’s mission planners are using the Mars flyby to save propellant, letting the planet’s gravity do some of the work instead of the propulsion system alone. But gravity assists like these also offer opportunities for missions to practice and to calibrate their science instruments.
Psyche’s operations team plans to use the spacecraft’s multispectral imager to capture thousands of observations of Mars.
The images will provide valuable data and help the team hone techniques they will need when the spacecraft approaches and begins orbiting the asteroid Psyche in late 2029.
Observations from the spacecraft are already coming in from the imager. Beginning on May 7, the first unprocessed, or “raw,” images of a starfield, including a tiny Mars, appeared on the mission’s website.
Mission specialists will process views of the encounter, balancing for brightness and contrast, and they expect to develop a time-lapse of the flyby in the coming weeks.
To prepare for the Mars encounter, the operations team conducted a trajectory correction maneuver on Feb. 23, firing the spacecraft’s thrusters for 12 hours to increase speed and refine its approach to the planet.
“We are now exactly on target for the flyby, and we’ve programmed the flight computer with everything that the spacecraft will do throughout May,” said Sarah Bairstow, Psyche’s mission planning lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission. “This is our first opportunity in flight to calibrate Psyche’s imager with something bigger than a few pixels, and we’ll also make observations with the mission’s other science instruments.”
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What Psyche will see
Mars won’t initially look like the illuminated reddish disk seen in so many photos of the planet.
“We are approaching Mars at a very high phase angle, which means we are catching up with the planet from its night side with only a sliver of sunlight creating a thin crescent,” said Jim Bell, the Psyche imager instrument lead at Arizona State University in Tempe.
“The thin crescent on approach and the nearly ‘full Mars’ view after we fly past create opportunities for the imaging team for both great calibration observations as well as just plain beautiful photos.”
It’s possible that Mars may possess a faint dusty ring, or torus — the result of micrometeorites striking the surfaces of the planet’s two moons, Phobos and Deimos, and ejecting dust particles into space.
The Sun’s alignment with Psyche and Mars may cause dusty material to scatter sunlight, making it visible in the processed observations.
The imager will also capture “satellite search” observations of the space surrounding the planet — a practice run for when the team will be searching for any moonlets around the asteroid Psyche.
There could be an opportunity to learn more about Mars as well. The spacecraft’s magnetometer will likely detect the planet’s magnetic field redirecting charged particles from the Sun, and the gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer will monitor how the flux of cosmic rays (highly energetic subatomic particles from interstellar space) changes during the flyby.
“Ultimately, though, the only reason for this flyby is to get a little help from Mars to speed us up and tilt our trajectory in the direction of the asteroid Psyche,” said Lindy Elkins-Tanton, principal investigator for Psyche at the University of California, Berkeley.
“But if all our instruments are powered up, and we can do important testing and calibration of the science instruments, that would be the icing on the cake.”
Tracking Psyche
To confirm that the flyby was a success, the mission team will be monitoring the radio frequency signals traveling to and from Psyche through NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN).
Any change in spacecraft speed will be recorded in the Doppler shift of the signals from the spacecraft as it passes Mars, so its new speed and trajectory will be quickly known as Psyche departs Mars and continues its journey to the main asteroid belt.
Several Mars missions — NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey orbiter, and Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, along with ESA’s (European Space Agency) Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter — will also provide complementary surface and atmospheric imaging observations as well as navigation data during the flyby.
Comparing Psyche’s images and other data to measurements from these missions will help the team calibrate their instruments, and synchronized radio communications with the DSN will help the planning for future spacecraft approaching Mars.
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Trump PURSUE Programme Hides Apollo Mission Anomalies in Declassified UFO Files
08 May 2026, 9:13 PM BST
The Pentagon released declassified UFO files on Thursday, 7 May 2026, through the Trump PURSUE programme — offering Apollo mission photos, NASA images from the 1960s–1970s, and military footage that have reignited questions about alien life.
The Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE), launched in May 2026, aims to make UFO/UAP records publicly accessible via war.gov/ufo.
The initiative promotes transparency; however, officials maintain that no evidence confirms extraterrestrial origins. The release quickly went viral on social media.
Trump PURSUE Programme Minimises Apollo Evidence
Apollo-era photos show lunar lights with scant accompanying notes. A 1969 Apollo 12 image depicts a glowing object on the horizon; files label it 'unidentified phenomena.'
An Apollo 17 photo shows three triangular dots, yet no consensus exists on what they represent.
Apollo 12 also reveals scattered bright spots that have been widely amplified on social media. The Multiple outlets have argued that the PURSUE programme does not go deep enough, characterising the release as a politically convenient 'shiny object.'
Iraq 2022 video shows objects vanishing; Syria 2024 footage shows erratic lights. CBS News has reported that cover-up claims are growing around the declassified files.
Syria mission videos show deformed white light with orange glowing elements that appear and disappear within seconds. The Defence Department has promised additional rolling releases and encouraged the public to examine and judge the evidence freely.
Background on the Disclosure Push
President Trump's 9 February Truth Social post initiated this process, directing agencies to release files on UFOs, UAP, and potential alien life.
This came after months of public pressure and legislative hearings, as Americans sought access to government records that were decades old.
The war.gov/ufo site now serves as the central clearinghouse for all declassified materials. Previously classified documents span military branches and intelligence agencies, with some dating back to Cold War-era encounters.
Technical analysis remains incomplete on many cases, and government analysts continue reviewing thousands of unresolved reports.
Officials Praise Transparency Push
War Secretary Pete Hegseth celebrated the milestone. 'These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fuelled justified speculation,' he stated.
Hegseth emphasised that Americans deserve to see the material themselves and called it unprecedented transparency from the Trump administration.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard welcomed the development. She described it as 'the first in what will be an ongoing joint declassification effort.'
The Department of Defense highlighted public accessibility, stating that no security clearance is required and that citizens can instantly view UAP videos, photos, and source documents.
Many materials remain unanalysed for specific anomalies. Officials maintain that no evidence in the declassified files confirms extraterrestrial origins.
Public Response and Future Implications
NASA has not issued a formal comment on the declassified photos. Agency spokespeople previously attributed similar anomalies to known lunar conditions.
The PURSUE programme has committed to regular updates, and future batches may address additional high-profile cases from military archives.
Modern high-resolution images may resolve longstanding questions about Apollo-era anomalies. Online comparisons of the newly released photos have drawn both excitement and scepticism in equal measure.
Government authorities urge restraint in interpretation; they caution against leaping to conclusions about aliens too early. The release marks a new era in UAP transparency. Whether it answers cosmic questions remains for future investigation.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pentagon-ufo-files-release-debate-1795878
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/3-photos-apollo-17-pentagon-unveils-nasa-photo-three-lights-moons-surface-1795913
https://x.com/InterstellarUAP/status/2052800534646558738
https://x.com/DI313_/status/2053103503598625033
https://x.com/TubeSpirit/status/2052792477493424278
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtSQwZS63v0 (NewsNation: NASA astronauts' reports among Pentagon UAP file release)
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/nasa-industry-advance-high-performance-spaceflight-computing/
extra extra NASA and NRO
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/how-long-can-the-voyager-probes-keep-exploring-interstellar-space-nasa-gearing-up-for-big-bang-maneuver-to-boost-dwindling-power-levels
https://meyka.com/blog/titan-moon-exploration-may-09-next-frontier-after-mars-0905/
https://exploretitan.org/humans-to-titan-summit-1
https://www.executivegov.com/articles/nro-ai-space-intelligence-capabilities-scolese
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfyr7-dQnAg (NASA YouTube (Official Channel Trailer))
NASA, Industry Advance High Performance Spaceflight Computing
May 08, 2026
For decades, NASA has advanced on-board spacecraft computer processors that coordinate and execute the functions needed to support mission success.
Space computing originated in the 1960s with the Apollo Guidance Computers, which were pivotal for guidance, navigation, and control computations during NASA’s first Moon missions.
For decades, radiation-hardened processors have been the backbone of the agency’s space exploration missions.
NASA has landed computers on other planets and operated them for years in extreme conditions, as demonstrated by the Mars rovers. These computer processors have also powered several NASA orbiters, capsules, and space telescopes.
While legacy processors have enabled some of NASA’s greatest achievements, the next generation of space missions will increase in complexity and length, which will benefit from greater computing power, autonomy, and resilience.
To meet the needs of this challenge, NASA and industry leader Microchip Technology Inc. entered a public, private partnership combining agency and commercial investments to develop a new solution: High-Performance Spaceflight Computing.
Advanced Computing
The High-Performance Spaceflight Computing project is a next-generation system-on-chip that delivers over 100 times the computing capability of current space processors.
By integrating computing and networking into a single device, this technology significantly reduces system cost and power consumption. Its scalable architecture allows unused functions to power down, optimizing energy efficiency for critical operations.
The High-Performance Spaceflight Computing family of processors includes multiple distinct but compatible technologies for scalable mission needs.
The radiation-hardened version of the processor is built for geosynchronous, deep-space, and long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, capable of operating in harsh environments while supporting real-time autonomous tasks.
Tailored for the commercial space sector, the radiation-tolerant version of the processor provides fault tolerance and cybersecurity for low Earth orbit satellites.
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Using advanced Ethernet to connect multiple sensors or cluster several chips, High-Performance Spaceflight Computing technology allows spacecraft to process massive amounts of data onboard and autonomously make real-time decisions, such as driving rovers at high speeds or filtering scientific images.
Continuous system health monitoring and an integrated security controller ensure these complex operations remain safe and reliable.
Computing power for Golden Age of Exploration
The High-Performance Spaceflight Computing technology is a nationwide, public-private development effort anchored by NASA, Microchip, and a broad ecosystem of academic and industry partners.
This collaboration reinforces U.S. leadership in spaceflight computing, strengthens supply chain resilience and security, stimulates regional economies, and drives innovation and high-tech workforce development across the nation.
This new technology has the potential for use on all future space missions, but unlike traditional space-specific chips, High-Performance Spaceflight Computing has a design platform for other Earth-based uses.
Adopting the same high-performance computing, network switching, high-reliability and cybersecurity technologies, the company’s processors enable mission-critical edge computing for Earth-based industries such as automotive, aviation, consumer electronics, industrial systems, and aerospace.
These potential applications include drones, energy grids, medical equipment, communication services, artificial intelligence, and data transmission.
By leveraging a common technology base across space and terrestrial markets, High-Performance Spaceflight Computing helps strengthen domestic industrial capabilities and reduce risk and cost for both government and commercial users.
The Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Game Changing Development program based at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory led the end-to-end maturation of NASA’s High-Performance Spaceflight Computing by developing mission requirements, funding competitive industry studies, selecting and contracting with Microchip, and guiding the project through design reviews and the project life cycle to delivery.
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Chinese Citizen Arrested in Norway for Espionage Attempt: Space Center Likely Target
May 8, 2026
The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) reported that a Chinese citizen was detained for complicity in an attempted espionage operation, the likely target of which may have been the Andøya spaceport.
Two other suspects are abroad, likely in China. This was reported by NRK.
As part of the investigation, police conducted searches at two addresses — on the island of Andøya in Nordland and in Otta in Innlandet. PST prosecutor Thomas Blom informed the publication of this.
“The operation is linked to suspicions that a company registered in Norway served as a front for Chinese intelligence, which was attempting to obtain satellite data capable of harming Norway’s security if it fell into the hands of a foreign state,” he stated.
The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) also reported that two other individuals involved in the case are abroad, presumably in China. Additionally, one company is implicated in the case.
“We believe that a state actor is behind this, operating under the cover of a company registered in Norway, which in turn is owned by a company registered in Singapore, where one individual serves as the executive director,” he added.
The PST confirmed that a container had already been seized at the Port of Oslo in connection with the case, in which a 22-ton satellite data reception terminal was found.
The court ordered the detained woman to be held in custody for four weeks with a ban on correspondence and visits.
According to the prosecutor, it is too early to say whether the case is linked to the Andøya Space Center, located on the island of Andøya and owned by Andøya Space, or to military activity on or near the island. That is for the investigation to determine.
“I don’t know if we were supposed to be informed about this. But we are aware that we could be a target. We have prepared as well as we could, remain vigilant, and are monitoring our surroundings.
Essentially, that is the most important thing we can do,” said Ketil Olsen, the group’s CEO, in a comment to NRK.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the espionage allegations, calling them “baseless and malicious,” and stated that he expects Norway to “ensure the woman’s legal rights.”
In the PST’s 2025 National Threat Assessment, China is identified as one of the key intelligence threats targeting Norway due to its strategic geographic location, international influence, and close cooperation with the United States.
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/chinese-arrested-in-norway-espionage-space/
extra Chyna
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202605/09/WS69ff0c54a310d6866eb47bbd.html
Ukraine has violated Victory Day ceasefire – Moscow
9 May, 2026 11:38 | Updated 9 May, 2026 12:59
The Ukrainian military has violated the Victory Day ceasefire on 8,970 occasions since it took effect at midnight on Friday, including drone and artillery strikes, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Moscow said on Friday that it had ordered all of its troops along the Ukraine front line to halt combat operations and stay at their positions.
In a statement on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry stressed that its forces were continuing to abide by the ceasefire.
By contrast, the Ukrainian military had conducted “strikes on our forces’ positions involving unmanned aerial vehicles and artillery,” military officials in Moscow reported.
On top of that, a number of Russian regions, including Crimea, Bryansk Region, Belgorod Region, Kursk Region, and Moscow Region, have come under Ukrainian attacks.
According to the ministry, of the 8,970 ceasefire violations on Kiev’s part, 1,173 attacks were conducted by Ukrainian artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, mortars and tanks.
The Russian military has additionally recorded a total of 7,151 enemy drone strikes.
“Ukrainian forces have carried out twelve attacks on Russian positions,” according to the statement.
Russian troops have responded in kind, launching retaliatory strikes against Ukrainian firing positions, command posts, and UAV launch sites, the Defense Ministry stated.
Earlier this week, the MOD announced a unilateral two-day ceasefire on May 8-9 to mark the 81st anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he had directly asked Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to cease hostilities for three days, May 9-11, with both agreeing to the proposal.
Trump added that Moscow and Kiev would swap 1,000 POWs each during the period.
“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War,” the US president wrote, expressing hope for a “big extension.”
Putin’s aide Yury Ushakov later confirmed that Moscow agreed to extend the ceasefire it had originally announced for May 8-9 for the period mentioned by Trump, as well as to a major prisoner exchange.
https://www.rt.com/russia/639769-ukraine-violated-victory-day-ceasefire-moscow/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/news/639611-defeat-of-nazi-germany-celebrated-worldwide/
https://www.rt.com/india/639767-russia-victory-day-india/
https://www.rt.com/russia/639682-victory-day-in-baltics/
Ukraine has violated Victory Day ceasefire – Moscow
9 May, 2026 11:38 | Updated 9 May, 2026 12:59
The Ukrainian military has violated the Victory Day ceasefire on 8,970 occasions since it took effect at midnight on Friday, including drone and artillery strikes, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Moscow said on Friday that it had ordered all of its troops along the Ukraine front line to halt combat operations and stay at their positions.
In a statement on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry stressed that its forces were continuing to abide by the ceasefire.
By contrast, the Ukrainian military had conducted “strikes on our forces’ positions involving unmanned aerial vehicles and artillery,” military officials in Moscow reported.
On top of that, a number of Russian regions, including Crimea, Bryansk Region, Belgorod Region, Kursk Region, and Moscow Region, have come under Ukrainian attacks.
According to the ministry, of the 8,970 ceasefire violations on Kiev’s part, 1,173 attacks were conducted by Ukrainian artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, mortars and tanks.
The Russian military has additionally recorded a total of 7,151 enemy drone strikes.
“Ukrainian forces have carried out twelve attacks on Russian positions,” according to the statement.
Russian troops have responded in kind, launching retaliatory strikes against Ukrainian firing positions, command posts, and UAV launch sites, the Defense Ministry stated.
Earlier this week, the MOD announced a unilateral two-day ceasefire on May 8-9 to mark the 81st anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he had directly asked Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to cease hostilities for three days, May 9-11, with both agreeing to the proposal.
Trump added that Moscow and Kiev would swap 1,000 POWs each during the period.
“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War,” the US president wrote, expressing hope for a “big extension.”
Putin’s aide Yury Ushakov later confirmed that Moscow agreed to extend the ceasefire it had originally announced for May 8-9 for the period mentioned by Trump, as well as to a major prisoner exchange.
https://www.rt.com/russia/639769-ukraine-violated-victory-day-ceasefire-moscow/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/news/639611-defeat-of-nazi-germany-celebrated-worldwide/
https://www.rt.com/india/639767-russia-victory-day-india/
https://www.rt.com/russia/639682-victory-day-in-baltics/
Russian logistics near Mariupol no longer safe as Ukrainian drones strike deep behind front line
Sat, May 09, 2026 - 10:38
Ukrainian Defense Forces drones are increasingly striking Russian logistics deep behind the front line. According to the Institute for the Study of War, this could become an important factor in future Ukrainian counteroffensives.
ISW analysts noted that Ukrainian troops are conducting reconnaissance and attacking Russian ground supply lines in occupied parts of the Donetsk region, roughly 105 kilometers from the front line.
In particular, the 1st Corps of the National Guard Azov reported on May 8 that it had struck Russian military facilities near Mariupol and said Ukrainian drones are already disrupting Russian logistics at distances of up to 160 kilometers from operators’ positions.
ISW also pointed to geolocated videos published on May 6 and May 8. The footage shows Ukrainian drone strikes against a Russian military truck on the T-0509 Mariupol–Donetsk highway, about 95 kilometers from the front line.
In addition, Ukrainian drones were spotted directly over Mariupol and along the M-14 highway leading toward the occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Analysts explained that these routes are critical to the Russian military. The T-0509 highway is used to supply Russian forces conducting offensive operations in the northern Donetsk region, while the M-14 supports Russian logistics toward Orikhiv and the left bank of the Dnipro River.
“Ukraine’s ability to conduct drone strikes against moving targets over 100 kilometers from the frontline, in areas where Russian forces previously were able to conduct logistics relatively risk-free, will likely achieve partial effects of battlefield air interdiction (BAI) that degrade Russian forces’ ability to conduct future offensive operations, or defend against Ukrainian counterattacks,” ISW said.
The report also notes that Ukraine has been intensifying its medium-range strike campaign against Russian rear infrastructure since late 2025, with the pace of attacks significantly increasing since March 2026.
According to ISW analysts, systematic strikes against Russian logistics could support future Ukrainian counteroffensives, similar to operations that previously enabled Ukrainian forces to liberate parts of Kupiansk and territories in the southern Dnipropetrovsk region.
As a reminder, on the night of March 11, drones attacked temporarily occupied Mariupol. Following the strike, an explosion occurred at an ammunition depot, triggering secondary detonations.
In addition, Russian occupation authorities are trying to strengthen their hold on Mariupol through new infrastructure projects. The so-called “DPR authorities” plan to launch direct railway service between Mariupol and Donetsk by summer 2026.
The occupiers claim the project is aimed at preparing for the tourist season, but the real goal is to create a logistics corridor for moving troops and transporting stolen property.
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russian-logistics-near-mariupol-no-longer-1778312284.html
other Russia and Ukraine
https://defence-blog.com/u-s-firm-supplied-200-plus-penguin-drones-to-ukraine/
https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/ukrainian-drones-hunt-down-russian-uragan-reload-vehicle-40-km-behind-front-line-18633
https://en.defence-ua.com/news/ukrainian_magura_v5_naval_drone_found_near_greece_with_explosives_and_notes-18431.html
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/ukraine-ai-controlled-turrets-drones-optics/
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/75753
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/75772
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-05-09/live-updates-895602
extra Israel
https://worldisraelnews.com/idf-accelerates-tests-of-new-anti-hezbollah-technology/
Live Updates: Trump to start 'Project Freedom Plus' if Iran talks fail, Israel strikes new Hezbollah targets
May 9, 2026
US strikes Iranian tankers violating Hormuz blockade • UAE activates air defense system amid renewed Iranian attacks • Hezbollah launches rockets at northern Israel
May 9, 6:48 PM
WATCH: IDF, Shin Bet destroy Palestinian Islamic Jihad weapons production site
IDF destroys a Palestinian Islamic Jihad weapons production site in the northern Gaza Strip on May 8, 2026. (Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The IDF, acting on Shin Bet intelligence, destroyed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad weapons production and storage facility in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday.
The facility had recently been used by PIJ and Hamas terrorists to produce explosive devices and other weapons intended to be used to harm Israeli troops operating in Gaza and Israeli civilians.
The IDF emphasized that extensive steps were taken to mitigate harm to nearby civilians before and during the strikes.
May 9, 6:29 PM
Three IDF reservists injured by explosive drones launched by Hezbollah
One IDF reservist was severely injured, and two reservists were moderately injured after explosive drones launched by Hezbollah terrorists fell within Israeli territory near the Lebanese border on Saturday.
The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment, and their families have been notified of the incident.
Hezbollah launched additional explosive drones at Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon. One drone hit an unmanned IDF engineering vehicle, damaging it but causing no injuries.
The Air Force also intercepted several Hezbollah projectiles launched at Israeli troops.
The IDF emphasized that these incidents constitute a Hezbollah violation of ongoing Israel-Lebanon ceasefire understandings.
May 9, 4:26 PM
Interception of false target triggered sirens along Lebanese border, IDF says
Hostile aircraft infiltration sirens that were sounded in the Arab al-Aramshe along Israel’s border with Lebanon on Saturday afternoon were triggered by the launch of interceptors at a false target, according to the IDF.
May 9, 4:14 PM
IDF reviewing incident after hostile aircraft infiltration sirens sound along Lebanon border
The IDF is currently reviewing the details of an incident that triggered the sounding of hostile aircraft infiltration sirens in the Arab al-Aramshe area along Israel’s border with Lebanon on Saturday afternoon.
May 9, 11:59 AM
Hezbollah terrorists open fire from along Lebanon's yellow line; no injuries reported
Hezbollah terrorists have opened fire against IDF troops on several occasions on Saturday, a source in the IDF's Northern Command told Walla.
The military attacked the reported incident sites with both artillery fire and airstrikes, while no soldiers are known to have been wounded during the incidents.
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May 9, 9:34 AM
IDF issues evacuation warning for multiple towns in southern Lebanon
IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an evacuation warning on Saturday for several locations in southern Lebanon.
The locations listed in the warning include: Tayr Debba, Al-Abbasiyeh, Burj Rahhal, Maroub, Barish, Arzun, Jannata (Tyre), Al-Zrariyeh, and Ain Baal.
In the statement posted on X/Twitter, Adraee addressed the residents, emphasizing that the IDF does not intend to harm civilians.
May 9, 8:34 AM
WATCH: IDF strikes over 85 Hezbollah sites in 24 hours, following rocket fire in southern Lebanon
In response to rocket fire near IDF soldiers, the IDF carried out strikes on over 85 Hezbollah sites, including weapon storage facilities and production sites, in southern Lebanon.
The IDF struck over 85 infrastructure sites belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the past 24 hours, the military announced on Saturday.
These strikes were carried out both from the air and on the ground, hitting various locations including weapon storage facilities, launchers, and structures used by Hezbollah to further their terrorist activities against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.
In the Beqaa Valley, the IDF targeted an underground site utilized by Hezbollah for the production of weapons intended to harm IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians.
Additionally, Hezbollah operatives who were involved in advancing terrorist actions against IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon were also struck.
May 9, 6:01 AM
US imposes sanctions on 10 individuals, companies for aiding Iran's weapons sector
The US Treasury said it was also prepared to act against any foreign company supporting illicit Iranian commerce and could impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions that aid Iran.
The US Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against 10 individuals and companies, including several in China and Hong Kong, over accusations they aided Iran's efforts to secure weapons and the raw materials needed to build its Shahed drones and ballistic missiles.
The Treasury move, first reported by Reuters, comes days before US President Donald Trump plans to travel to China for a meeting with President Xi Jinping and as efforts to end the war with Iran have stalled.
May 9, 6:01 AM
Trump says US will start 'Project Freedom Plus' if Iran talks fail
Earlier on Saturday, a reporter asked Trump if he thought Iran was "slow-rolling" talks, to which the President replied, "We'll find out soon enough."
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday that the United States would initiate renewed operations in the Strait of Hormuz if peace talks with Iran fail to move forward.
"We may go back to Project Freedom if things don't happen," said Trump, "but it would be 'Project Freedom Plus,' meaning Project Freedom plus other things."
May 9, 6:01 AM
Mojtaba Khamenei still playing critical role in Iran war strategy - report
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still playing a critical role in Iran's war strategy despite reportedly having been injured during the early days of Operation Roaring Lion, according to a CNN report on Saturday.
Citing multiple sources familiar with US intelligence assessments, the report stated that Khamenei is likely involved in ongoing US-Iran negotiations, but did not specify how he is maintaining authority while in hiding.
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WATCH: Here are ALL the UFO videos released in today's Pentagon UAP report
May 8, 2026
The Pentagon on Friday released a new tranche of files focused on UFOs as part of the Trump administration’s vow to be transparent on the issue.
President Trump ordered the Defense Department to identify and release documents given the public’s interest in UFOs and extraterrestrial life.
“The American people have asked for more transparency on these topics, and President Trump is delivering,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
“While all of the files have been reviewed for security purposes, many of the materials have not yet been analyzed for resolution of any anomalies.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbUC2oBGfNU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdHgQHs-Q_4
other ufo files
https://www.dvidshub.net/search/?q=uap&view=grid&sort=publishdate
https://usaherald.com/inside-pursue-the-presidential-program-unsealing-decades-of-ufo-secrecy/
https://www.newsnationnow.com/podcasts-newsnation/new-ufo-videos-deep-analysis-with-ross-coulthart-reality-check/
https://www.wionews.com/photos/-the-nuclear-connection-why-the-us-department-of-war-is-suddenly-releasing-its-classified-uap-files-1778312350078
https://www.wionews.com/photos/-flying-saucers-over-air-base-for-30-mins-fbi-ufo-files-reveal-chilling-1948-non-human-craft-encounters-near-military-sites-1778314899499
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/new-updates/angels-star-shaped-structure-and-four-foot-tall-aliens-what-declassified-ufo-files-released-by-trump-administration-revealed/articleshow/130966601.cms
https://www.newsnationnow.com/video/harvards-avi-loeb-says-best-is-yet-to-come-from-uap-file-release-newsnation-live/11775202/
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/are-4ft-aliens-real-fbi-declassified-files-reveal-humanoid-sightings-1795916
https://nypost.com/2026/05/08/us-news/fbi-informant-feared-for-her-life-after-ufo-sighting/
https://www.tmz.com/watch/jeremy-corbell-ufo-uap-file-release-05-08-2026/
https://www.askapoluaps.com/p/30-ufo-files-headlines
https://www.ibtimes.com/rep-lauren-boebert-claims-secret-government-ufo-files-reveal-demonic-entities-known-nephilim-3802564
https://twitter.com/RightWingWatch/status/2052778452613304544
Rep. Lauren Boebert Claims Secret Government UFO Files Reveal Demonic Entities Known as ‘Nephilim From the Old Testament’
05/09/26 AT 8:44 AM EDT
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert interprets newly released UFO files as evidence of biblical demons, sparking debate.
Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has claimed that newly declassified government UFO files may point to something far older than outer space, biblical demons known as the Nephilim.
The Republican lawmaker made the remarks on 8 May 2026, hours after the Trump administration released its first tranche of declassified Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) files.
Speaking in a video published by Right Wing Watch, Boebert argued that what the files document are not extraterrestrial beings, but fallen angels described in the Old Testament.
Her comments arrived as debate over the newly released materials had barely begun.
Boebert's Biblical Take on Declassified UAP Material
Filmed inside a car and speaking directly to camera, Boebert framed her response to the file release through a theological lens.
'God is the creator of the universe,' she said in the clip captured by Right Wing Watch. 'He's never not going to create. So it's always been something in my mind to say, "Well, how can we be the only ones?"
Like, God's not going to stop creating just with us.'
She then moved directly to the Old Testament. 'But the more I look into this, the more I see the Old Testament and what was told to us there, of fallen angels, and Nephilim.
I mean, this is in the Bible,' Boebert said. 'There's nothing that says that fallen angels, that Nephilim, just disappeared. And so I believed that this could be an aspect of it.'
The Nephilim appear in Genesis 6 of the Old Testament, described as powerful figures born of unions between divine beings and human women.
Their corruption is traditionally interpreted as one of the catalysts for the Great Flood. Boebert did not cite any specific document from the released files to support her interpretation.
Portals, Demonic Entities and Limits of Released Files
Boebert went further than the Nephilim question. She suggested that some UAP sightings may be evidence of supernatural gateways, stating, 'There are things that we have seen that could resemble portals.
We serve an infinite God, a God of the universe. And to say, "this is the only realm" is ignorant.' She did not elaborate on which specific sightings she was referencing.
She was careful to distance her theory from conventional alien imagery. 'I wouldn't put it as Marvin the Martian kind of thing,' she said, 'but I do believe that this is more spiritual, and if you really want to go there, demonic.'
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The remarks drew swift reaction online. Podcaster Robbie Martin wrote that Congress had been 'QAnonified to the point where nobody in their right mind will ever take a congressional hearing or investigation seriously again.'
Scientifically, the files offer no support for Boebert's theory. A 2024 report from the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) found no evidence that the US government had recovered alien technology or confirmed the existence of alien life.
Vance Made Similar Claims Before File Release
Boebert's remarks are not the first time a senior Republican figure has applied a theological framework to UFO phenomena.
Vice President JD Vance made similar arguments in late March 2026 during an appearance on The Benny Show, a podcast hosted by conservative commentator Benny Johnson.
'I don't think they're aliens, I think they're demons anyway, but that's a longer discussion,' Vance said during the interview.
He framed the view through a Christian lens: 'Every great world religion, including Christianity, the one that I believe in, has understood that there are weird things out there, and there are things that are very difficult to explain.'
He added that, in his view, 'one of the devil's great tricks is to convince people that he never existed.'
Vance also said he was 'obsessed' with the UFO files and planned to review classified materials during his remaining time in office. Unlike Boebert, Vance acknowledged he had not yet reviewed the relevant documents at the time of speaking.
The Trump administration released the first batch of UAP files on 8 May 2026 through the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE) programme.
The White House said the release fulfilled a directive Trump issued earlier this year to make declassified UAP records broadly available.
The initial tranche contained 162 declassified files spanning 1948 to 2026, including 120 PDFs, 28 videos and 14 images sourced from the Department of Defence, the FBI, NASA and the State Department.
Among the materials are transcripts from the Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 moon missions, in which astronauts reported unexplained lights and particles drifting past their spacecraft.
'The American people can now access the federal government's declassified UAP files instantly,' the Pentagon said in a statement.
'The latest UAP videos, photos, and original source documents from across the entire United States government are all in one place, no clearance required.' Officials added that further tranches would be released on a rolling basis every few weeks.
None of the files published so far confirm extraterrestrial life or, as Boebert suggested, demonic or supernatural entities.
Boebert's intervention illustrates how quickly the UFO disclosure process has become a canvas for pre-existing ideological and theological convictions, rather than an occasion for evidence-based scrutiny.
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The 2026 Press conference - 25th Anniversary of the 2001 Disclosure Press Conference
May 8, 2026
Dr. Greer and military whistleblowers reveal their experiences with man-made advanced technology and more! Journalist Jaime Maussan presents Buga Sphere information
Join Dr. Greer via webinar on May 9th for a 4-hour workshop to hear more on UAP disclosure and whistleblower testimony, Buga Sphere findings will be presented by Jaime Maussan and Dr. Greer.
https://drstevengreer.ticketspice.com/25th-anniversary-of-dr-greers-historic-press-conference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVEPzcCuq3U
extra disclosure dejour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wMcig1hV7k (“Beyond Top Secret: Kerry Cassidy on Disclosure, Power, and Truth”)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgQtQGTu6Jc (Mike Benz: CIA Dolphins vs Iran: Solving The Mystery)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz3k-ULchFk (UFO Congress: Travis Walton: Fire In The Sky Redux - 47 Years Later - In His Own Words | IUFOC 2022)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEng-gD5JUQ (Angry Astronaut: New footage! Spectacular UFO sightings in the Southern Hemisphere! It's happened before!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtDydNQNZl4 (Megean Medick: UFOs Aren’t Just Seen… They’re Invited | Brazil’s Hidden Phenomenon)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCidHwaJiDE (Alien Carvings: Ancient 19,000 Year Old Nephilim Watchers Evidence Discovery Tula Hidalgo Mexico)