Here comes the sun: NASA cameras catch spectacular solar flare

feeling a bit under the weather- maybe it is the solar weather that is causing to you to feel that way!


A spectacular solar flare erupted from the Sun's northeastern limb yesterday, sending an beautiful arcing jet of super-heated plasma blasting off into space.
The explosion, captured by Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory at about 5.45pm yesterday evening, was one of the most beautiful seen in years.
It measured at just a moderate M1 on the scale of sun storms, which placed it in the middle of the scale scientists use to measure flare strength.

Spectacular: A beautiful prominence eruption producing a coronal mass ejection (CME) shot off the east limb of the sun yesterday evening at 5.45pm

Nevertheless, its location - shooting off from the sun's left side - allowed Nasa to capture this remarkable footage of the flare from the SDO spacecraft.
'Great eruption happening on the sun now,' Nasa scientists wrote in a Twitter post.
The spectacular flare erupted from an active region of the sun which may also be responsible for solar storm activity seen on Sunday, officials from the agency told Space.com.

More...

'Such eruptions are often associated with solar flares, and in this case an M1 class (medium-sized) flare occurred at the same time, peaking at 1:45 PM EDT. The CME (coronal mass ejection) was not aimed toward Earth,' Nasa said.
When they are pointed in our direction, strong solar flares and CMEs charge the Earth's auroras - known better as the northern and southern lights - Space.com explained.

Great balls of fire: These images were captured by Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory. This sequence of photos was taken at 15 minute intervals, beginning 17:44:21

The flare photographed at 18:00:33


The flare photographed at 18:15:09
Solar flares are measured on a letter scale, with the strongest classified as C, M and X.
X class storms are the most powerful events and when blowing in the direction of Earth they can pose a danger to orbiting astronauts and spacecraft, as well as power grids, communications and navigation systems on the ground.
MailOnline science last month reported how the magnetic field around the sun is set to change in the next decades, cutting down the number of sunspots and explosive solar events.
However, those events that do occur will be more damaging, with experts warning that our spacecraft and aircraft may be unable to cope.
Changes in the Sun's magnetic field could also leave our planet more exposed to galactic cosmic rays - and people in planes and spacecraft would bear the brunt of this alien radiation.

Dramatic: This sequence of photos shows the eruption as seen through a UV filter

The space age has coincided with a period of unusually high solar activity, called a grand maximum.
Isotopes in ice sheets and tree rings tell us that this grand solar maximum is one of 24 during the last 9,300 years - the high levels of solar magnetic field seen over the space age will reduce in future. 
This might sound like good news - but the changes in the sun's magnetic field could leave Earth vulnerable to blasts of galactic cosmic rays. Solar storms could also become more violent.
The most probable scenario, according to Luke Barnard of the University of Reading, is that solar activity will decline, leading cosmic rays to increase by a factor of 1.5 and Earth to be battered by eight large solar eruptions every century.
Mr. Barnard says, 'Radiation in space can be a serious issue for both people and the delicate electronic systems that society depends on. Our research shows that this problem is likely to get worse over the coming decades - and that engineers will need to work even harder to mitigate its impact.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2130954/Spectacular-solar-eruption-caught-Nasa-cameras.html#ixzz1sKRx7uNz

Eggs-traordinary: 40 gigantic dinosaur eggs dating back 60million years found in Chechnya - but what laid them is a mystery

*The eggs are between 25cm and a metre in height.



Geologists in Russia's volatile Chechnya region have discovered what they believe to be fossilised dinosaur eggs laid by one of the huge extinct reptiles that roamed the Earth more than 60million years ago.  
'We've found about 40 eggs so far, the exact number has not been established,’ said Said-Emin Dzhabrailov, a geologist at the Chechen State University.  
‘There could be many more lying under the ground.’

The egg-shaped protrusions on a rock face in southern part of Chechnya
The find was uncovered when a construction crew was blasting through a hillside to build a road near the region's border with former Soviet Georgia in the Caucasus Mountains.
   
A team of geologists stumbled across the smooth, oval rock-like forms, which range from 25cm to one metre coincidentally on a recent trip to the area, said Dzhabrailov.  
He said palaeontologists were needed to determine which species of dinosaur had laid them.

Eggs-traordinary: A man looks at one of the dinosaur eggs, which number around 40 so far
Dzhabrailov said that the regional Chechen government, which is eager to shed the region's reputation for violence, is considering turning the area into a nature preserve and seeking to attract tourists.  
Federal forces fought two separatist wars between 1994 and 2001 in Chechnya, and an Islamist insurgency persists in the mostly Muslim region and surrounding provinces of Russia's North Caucasus.  
However, violence has declined under the strong-arm rule of Ramzan Kadyrov, whose multi-million dollar construction projects are aimed at raising the region's profile and boosting the tourism potential of the troubled area.

The dinosaur eggs were found by a construction crew blasting rocks to make way for a new road
Read More:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2131312/Forty-dinosaur-eggs-dating-60million-years-Russias-volatile-Chechnya-region.html#ixzz1sQP8BYTg

Strange Sighting Reported Over Long Island New York

In the past 5 days I have had 6 phone calls and 5 emails from different parts of Long Island all telling me that they saw something strange in the sky.

Three people told me they saw odd, diamond-shaped objects lit in solid white light hovering above the Coast line of Long Island. Two of these sightings came from the east end of Long Island and both of them were seen over the Atlantic Ocean.

The people told me just about word for word the same thing. The object was not moving just lingering above the ocean, was a diamond-shaped object and had a solid bright, extremely white glow to it. Both watched the object for less than a minute before it simply started to gain altitude at first slowly until it suddenly took off into the blue sky increasing speed until it disappeared.

This same report was given to me by a man who saw the same thing while walking along the beach near Lido Beach, Long Island. All of the people reported the same object doing the same thing during the first 14 days of March 2012.

Five people contacted me asking if I had heard about any sightings of UFOs in the area as they each watched a strange object in the night sky during the first half of March. Four people claimed to have watched large white orbs changing to orange orbs cross over their houses silently at great speed without any flashing lights or strobe lights of any kind.

It was just a solid ball of light traveling at an enormous speed. They all said the object passed across the sky quickly so they were only able to view it for about 30 seconds, however, all of them were positive it was not a plane.

This report came from people living along the North Shore of Long Island in the coastline towns along the mid-section of Long Island from the towns of Stony Brook West to Old Westbury.

The last three people who contacted me claimed they watched a formation of brightly colored white, red and orange orbs flying over the east end of Long Island out over the Atlantic Ocean in a long V-formation with one side of the V much longer than the other at extreme speed crossing over the ocean and the tip of Long Island heading towards the coast line of the United States.

I found the fact so many people contacted me all in the last week reporting sightings seen recently this month unusual. I can only wonder how many other people on Long Island have had recent sightings who do not report them.

I think it is time we all took notice of our sky and try to become familiar with the normal things in your sky both during the day and night so you are able to distinguish what belongs there and what does not. It is only time before we all notice something that is unknown. I truly believe there is so much activity out there that it is only our ignorance of our own surroundings, denial of what truly is going on around us and our lack of caring that keeps us lost to the truth of many subjects considered unknown.

Start looking and when you do see something tell someone. It is the only way we will ever figure out what is going on out there, around us, over us and to us each and every day.

I thank all who took the time to contact me. I wish I could offer a suggested organization that is truly looking for real answers to all these unknown sightings but as it is, the mess of the paranormal and the lack of real research continue to be our biggest failure.

I had one caller tell me that after looking at the absolute garbage on the net he simply decided to tell me as I am a local and leave it at that. I fully understood his feelings as it is what prompted me to begin writing in the first place.

I had my own story to tell and nowhere to tell it that kept the comical or pure fantasy separated from those who were truly encountering amazing things. My goal has been and will remain telling the experiences of ordinary people who encounter extra ordinary events.

Now more than ever keep a keen eye on the sky both day and night. They are out there!

UFO sighted over Australia? One of the best UFO videos ever!

I got this from a Canadian newspaper reporting about a UFO sighting in Australia. The video taken shows a UFO over the skies of Adelaide and it has pulsating lights unlike any aircraft that we know of. The video itself is pretty good and can make most skeptics think twice. http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news/ufo_extraterrestrials/2011/07/30/319.html 

Without much doubt this viral UFO sighting is one of the better pieces of UFO video evidence that has been captured on video. On December 7th 2010 a massive thunderstorm was fast approaching the city of Adelaide, South Australia. Hearing the weather forecast and seeing the thunderclouds beginning to scatter across the sky, the UFO eyewitness decided to set up their tripod to capture some lightning footage. Only a minute later, to their surprise a strange flying object appeared in the sky. At first the eyewitness thought that the object may have been an aeroplane until they noticed that the object had no wings and then realised that the object's flashing lights did not have the resemblance of pulselites. According to the eyewitness, the back-and-forth pendulum swing of the object's lights became very vivid, and then the colour of the lights even seemed to change. As is visible towards the end of this UFO capture, the eye witness also makes mention of the craft's very close proximity to the nearby lightning, recalling lightning leap vertically into the sky only a short distance away. On December 29th 2010, the Australian media (having witnessed the substantial growth in interest surrounding this UFO footage) released a newspaper article about this video. The feature article describes the strange capture and the widely varying opinions of sceptics and believers. The article also mentions that the Adelaide Airport General Manager of Corporate Affairs had commented that "Pulselite units were used on aircrafts flying over Adelaide." This is no doubt a strong indication that someone went to great lengths to seek a senior opinion on the subject of aviation (in direct response to this video). Is this just another hoax or could it be true? What are your thoughts on this sighting?

Another Australian newspaper seemed to give a rational explanation...A new kind of lighting system called "Pulselight" to keep birds from striking the aircraft.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/the-truth-is-out-there-and-here/story-fn6bqphm-1225978305535


One non-believer offered an explanation to the December 7 UFO sighting, posted by FluffyJet Productions.
The non-believer posted a video last week of a Pulselite unit being used on a plane and said such warning devices are now used on some planes landing in Adelaide to avoid bird strikes.
Adelaide Airport general manager of corporate affairs John McArdle said Pulselite units were used on aircraft flying over Adelaide.
Mystery solved?

So UFO or new aircraft lighting system? You decide..The truth is out there!!!

UFO's seen all over London

We start off this blog with this latest report on UFO's being sighted in Britain on the 4th of June 2009.

What are these.... UFO's or a top secret military project of the British?

The Times says:
Engineer Paul Slight was the latest person to see them. He took this dramatic picture as he biked home to Lincoln.

Paul, 54, said: "There were 26 at first, darting between each other like they were playing a game. After that seven more arrived from the right and weaved through the crowd of lights like strange aircraft."

The lights first appeared on Merseyside on May 25. Some said they were UFOs, some thought they could be military. Two days later, on the other side of the country, they were spotted in Cambridgeshire.

Auberon and Suzi Hedgecoe, who run a guest house in Huntingdon, were spellbound when about 50 glowing mystery beams shot through the sky.

There have been reports of similar phenomena in Cornwall, Manchester and Holland. Phil Hoyle, from the UK-based UFO Investigation Unit, said: "If they dodged and darted around each other it would indicate intelligent movement."

And the skeptics are quick to respond too...

But Malcolm Robinson, of Strange Phenomenon Investigations, had a different explanation. He said: "I am sorry to disappoint but these are Chinese lanterns.

"It's all to do with the hot weather. There has been a vast increase in barbecues and people tend to set off Chinese lanterns at these events. They are basically papier mache devices which fly up into the sky."


The way I see it, those can't be Chinese lanterns. What are they?

Bhangarh fort 2 - India's most haunted place

Dear readers, the most popular post in my blog remains my old post about Bhangarh.
Since that was an older post and did not contain much information, I thought it best to revisit this topic with a much better analysis of this place.

Ghost stories and haunted places have no dearth in India. Yet Bhangarh has managed to stay on top with respect to being the most feared and popular haunted place. I think most of the horror and fear is accentuated because of the warning board put up by the Archaeological Society of India(ASI).
I mean when the government itself says "Get the hell out after sunset"..what else can you hope for?

The board basically says "Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited."

Some pics of this dreaded place:

                                                       Dare to enter inside???

I have not personally visited Bhangarh but want to in the near future and that will definitely be posted here. But the following should give you all the basic information you need about Bhangarh.

1. Bhangarh is a town (actually ruins) in the northern state of Rajasthan in India. There is a great fort here(actually ruins of a fort) which is supposed to be haunted.

2. It was ruled in the 1600's by the relatives of the general(Man Singh I) of the great Mughal emperor Akbar.

3. In the late 1700's a famine killed almost all residents and the survivors moved to other places and thus it was deserted and became a ghost town.

4. Actually it became a real "ghost town" since the locals now believe the whole place is haunted.

5. Some say that a sage or religious man named Guru Balu Nath had a small living area(hut) nearby the palace and said that the height of the palace should not be raised such that its shadow might fall on the hut. A descendant of the ruling family actually increased the height of the palace and this made its shadow to fall on the hut and thus Balu Nath's curse came true and the place was haunted by spirits.

6. Some also say that a tantrik(Indian witch doctor who dabbles in black magic) cursed the place after the princess who he had cast his eyes on, rejected him and was the cause of his death.

7. Nowadays people hear strange sounds, light and see figures moving around at night near the fort. 

Many have reported supernatural activity near the fort and I will not be surprised if some scientific community has not already done research here.

8. Among the scary incidents reported (After 6 PM):-

     a. Real scary female screaming is heard(The princess?)

     b. Loud maniacal laughter(Tantrik or the baba?)

     c. Lights going on and off

     d. Sudden loud wind and dust storms occurring all of a sudden.

     e. Ghostly figures and shadows moving around.

9. Many have also reported the feeling of horror and dread near the ruins even in the day time. Some passages are dark without light and it is scary to even think of going inside. 

10. The ASI says that the "official" reason for the warning is that wild animals could be present after 6 PM and since the area is not well lit, the place may also present a  safety issue.

But ASI who are you kidding, we all know very well why you have out that notice.

11. Local legends speak of so many brave men who tried to go here at night and never returned!!!

12. Bhangarh is so scary and has a such a reputation of being haunted, it always turns up in the list of most haunted places in the world!

Check this list out and see what distinguished company Bhangarh has!!!

http://listphobia.com/2011/01/11/10-scariest-haunted-places-of-the-world/

I will surely visit this place and try to be here after sunset....But remember most people try to check out haunted places at night in groups...Remember the true test of a haunted place is going ALONE!!!

Be sure to take a video camera though...So that if you do not return, then we can at least see what killed you.

More on Bhangarh in a later post. For now please comment if you have anything to add to this.

The Jersey Devil of New Jersey

The Jersey devil is a cryptid creature rumored to be living in the forest areas of New Jersey. It remains to be one of the most puzzling mysteries of the last few decades which has yet to see a conclusive resolution.

Many people have claimed to see it and this included people from all walks of life. The very nature of the creature's existence and sightings has made a popular figure in pop culture so far as to lending its name to the New Jersey hockey team in the NHL.

There have been many stories and theories about the Jersey devil but the most famous story was that of a lady named "Mother Leeds". The story said that she had 12 children and a curse(or a superstition) went about that if she had another child(her 13th one), then that child would be the devil himself. And so the 13th child was born and he was born as a normal human child but then suddenly transformed into a creature with hooves, a horse's head, bat wings and a forked tail. He flew away but not before killing the midwife who helped deliver him. The story goes on to talk say that mother Leeds was a witch in reality and that the townfolk along with religious leaders conducted prayers to drive away the devil for some time. But it returned and has taken sanctuary in the Pine Barren forests of New Jersey ever since.


There was a rumor that the devil was caught in the early 1900's. Here are some newspapers clippings of that era and a few pics.

Other Explanations:

Some kind of wild owl or a huge bat.
Some people also say its extra terrestrial in origin.
While others says its just a hoax. Well the truth is out there!

Was flight AF447 downed in the Bermuda Triangle?

This is the belief of many people who say that this plane disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle.

But the plane was no where near the Triangle. Now the conspiracy theorists claim its actually a Bermuda quadrilateral at work here.

There has been no trace of the plane's debris so far. Where did those 200+ people disappear. Kidnapped by aliens or the victims of old machinery belonging to the Atlanteans which still continues to operate from the depths of the ocean. Or were they all killed when the plane crashed into the river. 1000's of theories but no answers as of now.

The tower of London

The tower of London is perhaps so synonymous with ghosts that people tend to forget its historical prominence. The tower has a long and bloody history of its own and understandably is a famous tourist destination in England.

The most interesting thing to note about the supposed ghosts of the tower of London is that there are many ghosts in fact numerous ghosts that are supposed to have made this tower their abode. This is an interesting case in the paranormal since usually most haunted places have one ghost or one horrifying event in its past. Executions, tortures,murders and numerous other depravities have taken place here.The tower of London has been a silent witness to many acts of horror and seems to be adding ghosts to add to its already large collection of specters.

So let us examine a few of these supposed ghosts....lost souls who seem to have consigned themselves to a fate of roaming these walls and showing themselves once a while to the unsuspecting visitor.

The tower which is actually a castle was built in 1078 by William the Conqueror. Since then the tower has played an important role in the history of England. Famous historical figures like Richard the lion heart, Charles II, Henry III and the infamous Henry the VIIIth have lived here or have performed official duties here. The tower was also used for other purposes such as armory,prison etc...

The Ghosts:

1. Anne Boleyn: She is by far the most famous ghost of the tower. She was the second wife of Henry the VIII. It is said that he was unhappy about the fact that she could not give him a male heir. So he leveled charges of treason (punishable by death) against her and she was beheaded inside the tower on 1536.

Since then her ghost has been reported seen by many witnesses throughout the centuries. She mostly appears to guards or sentries. The most gruesome detail is that she is mostly seen headless holding her head and mourning. It is said that she was put to death wrongly and her spirit wants justice. Her ghost sightings continue to the present day.

2. The countess of Salisbury: Margaret Pole the countess of Salisbury was another victim of Henry VIII. She was charged with being a traitor and sentenced to death in 1541. She did not get the luxury of having a swordman to execute her like Anne Boleyn. Instead she was to be executed by the common axe wielding executioner. She maintained her innocence till the very end and her death was very sad and tragic. At the age of 67, weak and ill she was dragged to the killing block. Because of her condition, the executioner could not aim correctly and hit her shoulder on the first attempt. It is said that it took 11 blows from the axe to sever her head. It is needless to say how horrific it would have been and the great amount of pain and suffering she went through.

It is said that her ghost also roams the tower and sometimes is seen with other ghosts who wail understandably at the fact that she was innocent. Many others claim to have seen her execution being re staged. Her story is one of the most tragic stories of the tower.

3. The young princes: These two children were the sons of Edward IV. They were Edward V aged 12 years and his brother Richard aged 10 years. Their uncle the Duke of Gloucester however had made plans to ascend the throne after his brother. In the pretext of providing security to the young princes, he had them locked up in the tower.

For many days the brother were seen by many people until their sightings started becoming rarer. Until one fine day, they disappeared. It is said that their uncle asked one of his loyal henchmen to eliminate the princes. They were smothered to death with pillows in their sleep somewhere around 1483.

It is said that they were buried in the tower itself but were later removed and interred elsewhere because the king was getting nightmares. In 1674, their skeltons were found buried under a stair case in the tower. The then queen Elizabeth II ordered that they be reburied with respect in Westminster Abbey. In 1933, modern(for the time) tests were carried out and the results were inconclusive.

Their ghosts have been sighted on many occasions and usually appear to be in fright clinging to each other. Their tragic tale and violent death coupled with being buried in anonymity adds further sadness to their story.

It is said that after they got a respectful burial, their ghosts were rarely sighted thereafter.

4. Other royal ghosts sighted:

 *The Ghost of Catherine Howard

 *The Ghost of Jane Rochford

 *The Ghost of Lady Jane Grey

 *The Ghost of Guy Fawkes

 *The Ghost of Sir Walter Raleigh

 *The Ghost of Thomas Becket

 *The Ghost of King Henry VI

Other ghostly things seen are anonymous ghosts of ladies wearing gray or black, a group of ghostly soldiers, a ghostly funeral carriage etc.

A final mention could be made of the Salt Tower. This is one of the most haunted areas of the Tower of London complex where even dogs will not enter this ancient scary building, and some of the guards have reported that this unseen spirit has tried to throttle them.

In 1864, a soldier whose post was to guard the Queen’s House at the Tower of London, saw a apparition so real, that after ignoring the soldiers three challenges, he charged with all his might at the intruder with his bayonet, only to go straight through the figure.

The salt tower is the sight of some of the scariest ghost sightings in the world.

With all the countless acts of bloody violence committed inside its wall, the tower remains to be a vault where the souls of those unfortunate victims still reside because it seems they still have some unfinished business in the world of the living.

Different types of Ghosts in India.

India has long been a place where the mystic and paranormal realm has never been far away from the daily grind of life. In many rituals and beliefs, the existence of the supernatural has been a given. One common belief among many Indians is the existence of ghosts and evil spirits.

These beliefs get more stronger as you move away from the cities into the towns a)nd villages.
Different parts of the country have their own beliefs in the existence of these supernatural entities. Most of them are said to be malevolent, ever waiting to prey on the innocent who happen to come in their path. Most of these evil spirits are given names. Some of them are said to be helpful spirits and some are even worshipped in places like Mangalore (Karnataka state).

I will attempt to briefly describe a few of these ghosts and this time I will need the help of my readers to add more to this list.

1. Mohini: The most well known female ghost among all. These are the ghosts of women and girls who had a failure in love and committed suicide or those women who died before fulfilling some of their physical needs. It is said that this makes them return as vengeful spirits. Most of them are given domain over a certain area which they haunt. They are said to entice males who fall for their charm and and led away to their world never to be seen again. Some say that these males pay with their life and others say that they are held prisoner for eternity.
In any case, this type of ghost is most dangerous and has been the subject of many Indian films.

2. Shaakini: A lesser known female ghost. It is the ghost of married women who died early in marriage either because of an accident or illness. Some of these are due to dowry harassment and are said to haunt their killers(most often than not, the in-laws). These are considered to be not so dangerous.

3. Daakini: Another female ghost often mixed up and confused with the Shaakini. This ghost is that of a woman who has died an untimely death which may be for any reason. You can assume that this is a generalized category for the ghost. The specific category would be a Mohini or a Shaakini. A Mohini can be both a Daakini and Mohini :) but that's digging a lot into this.

4. Kutti Chetan(Kutti saithan): Most of us have seen the dubbed version of the famous Malayalam film about the little mischievous ghost. People say that this ghost is that of a child. It is not so dangerous unless a tantrik(warlock or magician) has assumed control over it and converts into a malevolent evil spirit.

Some other ghosts from different parts of India.

6. Brahmodoityas(Bengal) are the ghosts of Brahmans, and might bless you or curse you.

7. Skondhokatas(Bengal) are the headless ghosts of people who died in train accidents.

8. Nishi(Bengal) are the ghosts who call people by name in the dead of night and lead them away, never to be seen again.(Now that's freaking scary!!!....and isn't this the Bengal version of the Mohini?)

9. Kolli devva(Karnakata) The ghosts who run through the forests and woods holding torches. Rational reason could be sighting of will -o-wisps.

10. Kallurty, Panjurli, Koti Chennayya(Mangalore, Karnataka) These three will need a post of their own. These ghosts are famous people who died for various reasons and are worshipped today as part of elaborate rituals. Some of these stories are down right scary. But more on these later.

So this was a brief introduction to the different ghosts of India. Feel feel to add/correct entries in this list.