Speed, Size, and Origin

Speed & Trajectory: 3I/ATLAS is racing through space at about 130,000 miles per hour (≈ 209,000 km/h). That’s its velocity as it plunges inward toward our Sun.

Size: Early images and measurements suggest a nucleus diameter ranging from roughly 0.3 to 5.6 km (about 0.2 to 3.5 miles) depending on assumptions. Some more generous estimates have placed it even larger, but the most consistent size seems to be a few kilometers.

Origin & Age: It was likely ejected from another star system in the Milky Way. If it came from the thick disk of our galaxy, it could be 7 billion years old or more—making it older than our solar system in many respects.

Composition: What Makes It Special

What sets 3I/ATLAS apart is its unusual chemistry:

It has an extremely high carbon dioxide (CO₂) to water (H₂O) ratio about 8:1. That means its coma (the cloud of gas and dust around it) is dominated by CO₂ emission, much more than most comets we’ve seen.

Water, carbon monoxide (CO), and even carbonyl sulfide (OCS) have also been detected, but in smaller amounts.

Observations from the SPHEREx mission show strong absorption features from water ice, plus a large, extended CO₂ coma.

This chemical signature suggests that 3I/ATLAS may have formed in a cold region far from its parent star, perhaps near the “CO₂ ice line,” where carbon dioxide can freeze. It also might have been exposed to higher radiation or other processes that allowed CO₂ ice to remain abundant.

Tail & Coma Growth

When activity began: The comet was already active when it was well beyond Jupiter’s orbit. It’s unusual for comets to start showing bright activity (coma, gas/dust emission) that far out. This early activity is likely tied to the sublimation of volatile ices like CO₂.

Recent images: On August 27, 2025, astronomers used the Gemini South telescope in Chile to take high-resolution images that clearly show the growing coma and an anti-solar tail particles and dust being pushed away from the Sun.

Visibility limits: The comet will reach its closest point to the Sun (perihelion) on October 29, 2025, at about 1.36 astronomical units (between Earth and Mars). But during that time, from Earth’s vantage point, it will be hiding behind the Sun making observations difficult. It will become more observable again afterward.

What We Learn & Why It Matters

Clues to other planetary systems: Comets like 3I/ATLAS carry ice and dust from distant star systems. Their composition gives insight into how planets and icy bodies might form elsewhere. The CO₂ richness suggests conditions different from those in our solar neighborhood.

Understanding early activity: Because it becomes active far out from the Sun, 3I/ATLAS helps astronomers understand sublimation behavior of different ices (not just water) under cold, distant conditions.

Rare opportunity: Interstellar comets are extremely rare. Every new observation (from telescopes like James Webb, Hubble, and ground-based observatories) is precious. 3I/ATLAS is a chance to see materials that formed in other star systems and compare them to ours.

What to Expect Next

As it moves past perihelion and comes closer to Earth, 3I/ATLAS’s tail and coma are expected to grow much larger and more luminous, provided geometry and sunlight allow.

After being hidden behind the Sun during closest approach, it may reappear for ground-based observers in December 2025, when it will be about 170 million miles away from Earth.

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS is a rare, breathtaking visitor from far beyond. Its fast journey, strange mix of ices, and early tail development make it stand out among comets. This object doesn’t only fascinate sky-watchers it holds clues about the building blocks of planets in other star systems. As we watch it brighten and evolve, 3I/ATLAS reminds us of how much more of the universe there is left to explore.

The interstellar object dubbed 3I/ATLAS has been fascinating astronomers since its discovery in early July.

The object, generally believed to be a comet, is screaming through the solar system at around 137,000 mph, and is expected to make a close pass of Mars as soon as next week.

And it recently met some considerable resistance as well during its unusual visit. Earlier this week, the Sun unleashed a ferocious flurry of plasma and magnetic fields, called a coronal mass ejection, straight at 3I/ATLAS.

It’s a fascinating and exceedingly rare collision, as SpaceWeather.com reports, the result of which remains speculative.

Astronomers have previously observed comets originating from within the solar system colliding with the Sun’s plasma. For instance, in April 2007, NASA’s STEREO A spacecraft watched as a comet dubbed Encke temporarily lost its tail after being hit by a “wave of solar material.”

“The effect, however, was only temporary — within minutes a new tail formed,” NASA explained in a 2015 blog post.

3I/ATLAS has repeatedly caught researchers off guard. For instance, observations found that it features a much higher ratio of carbon dioxide to water than expected. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has also pondered its strange trajectory, which takes it suspiciously close to Jupiter, Mars, and Venus.

Next week, it’s expected to come within just 1.67 million miles of Mars, in what Loeb called a “remarkable fine-tuning of its path.” (Loeb has raised the possibility that the object is some form of extraterrestrial technology, though NASA has pushed back on that idea.)

The astronomer has also suggested that the object could be far more massive than the previous two known interstellar objects, concluding in a recent blog post that its mass “must be bigger than 33 billion tons,” and measuring at least 3.1 miles across. The prior objects, ‘Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, measured roughly a quarter mile and 0.6 miles in length, respectively.

Earlier this month, astronomers observed 3I/ATLAS becoming extremely bright as it approached its perihelion, or the closest point to the Sun, as it was being exposed to far more solar radiation.

Most of that brightness increase has been in the green part of the visible light spectrum, suggesting a “surge of gas production as the comet nears the Sun,” according to SpaceWeather. “The key compound is diatomic carbon (C2), which glows emerald when energized by solar UV radiation.”

How it fared during this week’s coronal mass ejection remains unclear. Hopefully, scientists will catch a glimpse of 3I/ATLAS as it rips by Mars next week to find out.

A Father-Daughter Bond Forged in the Wild

 

Garrett Beckwith, an experienced outdoorsman, and his daughter Della, a spirited 19-year-old, were no strangers to the call of the mountains. Their shared passion for climbing and hiking had taken them across rugged landscapes, with each trip strengthening their bond. Garrett, a mentor and guide, taught Della the ropes—literally and figuratively—instilling in her the skills to tackle steep ascents and the courage to face nature’s unpredictability. Della, in turn, brought youthful energy and a fearless drive to test her limits, making them a formidable team. As one family friend recalled in a 2013 Wyoming Tribune interview, “Garrett and Della were two peas in a pod—always planning their next climb, always chasing adventure.”

Their 2012 trip to Mount Hooker was ambitious but not out of character. Located deep in the Wind River Range, a 100-mile-long spine of peaks in western Wyoming, Mount Hooker is a climber’s dream and nightmare. Its north face, a sheer 1,800-foot granite wall, is one of the most technical climbs in the continental U.S., demanding multi-day treks through dense forests and boulder fields just to reach the base. The Beckwiths, undeterred, saw it as the ultimate test. Posts on X from 2012 show Della’s excitement: “Headed to Mount Hooker with Dad—ready for the challenge!” (@DellaClimbs). For Garrett, it was another chance to share the wilderness with his daughter, a bond no peak could break—or so they thought.

Mount Hooker’s Brutal Challenge: A Climber’s Gauntlet

Mount Hooker, rising to 12,504 feet, is a beast even for seasoned climbers. Its remote location in the Wind River Range—hours from the nearest road—means no quick rescues or cell service. The approach requires days of backpacking through unpredictable terrain, with grizzly bears, sudden rockfalls, and erratic weather posing constant threats. The north face, a vertical granite slab, demands advanced technical skills: climbers must navigate cracks, overhangs, and exposure with pitches rated up to 5.11+ (Yosemite Decimal System). As Climbing Magazine noted in a 2014 feature, “Mount Hooker’s isolation and exposure leave zero room for error—one misstep can be fatal.”

Weather is the mountain’s wildcard. Summer storms can sweep in with little warning, dropping temperatures to freezing and turning granite slick with rain or ice. Data from the National Weather Service’s 2012 Wyoming records show July thunderstorms with 50 mph winds hit the Wind River Range, potentially catching climbers off guard. For Garrett and Della, last spotted beginning their ascent on July 12, 2012, per Fremont County Sheriff’s reports, these conditions could have been catastrophic. Their gear—standard ropes, cams, and lightweight packs, per family accounts—suited a fast-and-light approach but offered little buffer against prolonged exposure. As r/WyomingWilderness on Reddit speculates, “Hooker’s north face is a death trap if you’re caught in a storm.”

The Search That Found Nothing: A Mystery Deepens

When Garrett and Della failed to return by their planned July 18 check-in, family alerted authorities. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office launched a massive search-and-rescue operation, one of the largest in Wind River history. Over three weeks, helicopters scoured the peaks, dogs sniffed trails, and ground crews combed 50 square miles of rugged terrain. Climbers familiar with Mount Hooker joined volunteers, rappelling dangerous routes to check crevasses and talus fields. Despite the effort—costing over $200,000, per Wyoming Public Radio—no trace was found. No gear, no tracks, no bodies. As Sheriff Ryan Lee told the Casper Star-Tribune in August 2012, “It’s like they vanished into the mountain.”

The absence of evidence birthed endless theories. Some climbers, per Alpinist Magazine, believe a fall on the north face sent them into a crevasse or buried them under loose rock, common on Hooker’s unstable slopes. Others point to a storm disorienting them, possibly forcing a fatal detour into the range’s labyrinthine valleys. A 2015 Outside Magazine piece floated hypothermia after a sudden weather shift, noting Della’s lighter frame (5’4”, 120 lbs) was vulnerable. More speculative X posts (@WildernessMysteries) suggest wildlife or foul play, though no bear activity or human tracks were confirmed. The remoteness—25 miles from the nearest trailhead—means evidence could lie hidden forever. As one SAR volunteer lamented, “Hooker’s too vast, too cruel. It swallows what it wants.”

A Legacy of Love and Loss: The Beckwiths’ Enduring Impact

For the Beckwith family, the lack of closure is a relentless ache. Garrett, 48, was a high school science teacher in Lander, WY, known for inspiring kids with tales of his climbs. Della, a freshman at the University of Wyoming, was a rising star in the climbing community, with a blog chronicling her ascents. Their disappearance left a void in Lander, where annual vigils draw hundreds, per Wyoming News. A 2013 memorial fund in their name supports youth outdoor programs, raising $50,000 by 2025. “They lived for the mountains,” Garrett’s wife, Sarah, told NPR in 2014. “That’s how we honor them—by keeping their spirit alive.”

The climbing world hasn’t forgotten either. Mount Hooker’s north face, dubbed “The Beckwith Route” by locals, is a pilgrimage for adventurers paying homage. Posts on X (@ClimbWyoming) call it “a testament to their courage.” Yet, the mystery lingers like a shadow. Was it a fall? A storm? A miscalculation? The Wind River Range’s silence offers no answers, only questions that haunt forums and campfires. As Climbing.com wrote in 2022, “Garrett and Della are part of Hooker’s myth now—heroes lost to the wild.”

Broader Context: The Risks and Rewards of High Adventure

The Beckwiths’ story underscores the razor’s edge of high-altitude climbing. The Wind River Range, with 19 peaks over 13,000 feet, sees dozens of SAR missions yearly—12 in 2012 alone, per Wyoming SAR records. Nationally, the American Alpine Club reports 0.13 deaths per 1,000 climbing days in the U.S., with falls (40%) and weather (25%) leading causes. Mount Hooker’s north face, with a 10% summit success rate (Rock and Ice, 2015), is a stark reminder: Nature doesn’t care about skill or passion. Yet, for climbers like Garrett and Della, the risk is the point—the chance to touch the sublime, to test human limits against stone and sky. Their story resonates on Facebook, where adventure groups like “Wilderness Warriors” share it as both warning and inspiration.

Garrett and Della Beckwith’s disappearance on Mount Hooker is a heart-wrenching chapter in the annals of American climbing. Their love for each other and the wild drove them to Wyoming’s fiercest peak, only for its granite jaws to claim them without a trace. Over a decade later, the mystery endures—did they fall, freeze, or lose their way? For fans on Facebook, their story is a call to the wild and a sobering reminder of its cost. As the Wind River Range looms, unyielding, it holds Garrett and Della’s legacy: not just a tragedy, but a testament to a bond forged in adventure. What do you think happened on that fateful climb?

Gasps and screams filled the air as stunned passengers scrambled to capture the surreal moment on their phones, their footage revealing the serpent’s sinuous movements amidst the chaos. The two-hour flight turned into a heart-pounding ordeal as the venomous intruder writhed in plain sight, turning an ordinary journey into a nightmare at 30,000 feet.

Amid the pandemonium, one passenger rose to the occasion with remarkable calm and a touch of humor. Professor Indalecio Medina, whose video of the incident has since gone viral, took charge of the situation. Armed with nothing but a blanket and quick thinking, he skillfully captured the snake, ensuring the safety of his fellow travelers. Not one to let the moment pass without levity, Medina quipped on social media, “The flying snake! A unique experience on Aeromexico flight 231 from Torreon to Mexico City.”

He later added, with a wink to his audience, “I had to catch it with a blanket, and obviously we gave it some magazines to read for a while. The snake arrived alive and kicking, frightened but without having paid its airfare.” His lighthearted take didn’t end there: “Best of all, priority when it came to landing and animal control experts waiting for the unexpected traveler.”

The pilot, maintaining composure under pressure, secured permission for a priority landing upon reaching Mexico City. As the plane touched down, animal control experts were ready and waiting to board and safely remove the reptilian hitchhiker, bringing the bizarre episode to a close.

How the venomous viper managed to board the aircraft remains a mystery, with Aeromexico yet to issue an official statement. For now, passengers and internet onlookers alike are left buzzing about the jaw-dropping incident that turned a routine flight into a tale of terror and bravery—one that Professor Medina and his fellow travelers won’t soon forget.

These mysterious snowballs, which appeared seemingly out of nowhere, are the product of a rare and fascinating environmental phenomenon. According to Sergei Lisenkov, press secretary of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, the process begins with a natural occurrence known as sludge or slob ice—loose, floating ice crystals that form in frigid waters. When the right conditions align—a precise combination of wind, coastal geography, temperature, and wave action—these ice fragments are rolled and sculpted by nature’s hand into flawless, snowball-like shapes. “It’s an original combination,” Lisenkov explained to Russian media, “a rare convergence of forces that results in formations like these.”

The sight is as mesmerizing as it is improbable. Imagine strolling along a desolate Arctic beach, the air biting and the horizon endless, only to find yourself surrounded by thousands of pristine snowballs, some small enough to cradle in your hands, others so large they’d take two people to lift. For the residents of Nyda, a small village accustomed to the harsh and unforgiving Siberian winters, this natural spectacle has brought a rare moment of joy and wonder. Photos of the phenomenon have swept across Russia, captivating social media users and prompting whimsical reactions. One commenter, Anton Antonov of TJournal, quipped, “Soon the peninsula will be invaded by hatched snowsaurs!”—a playful nod to the otherworldly appearance of the icy orbs.

This isn’t the first time nature has conjured such frozen marvels. Similar snowball formations were reported in the Gulf of Finland in December 2014 and on Lake Michigan a year later, in 2015. Yet each occurrence feels like a fleeting gift from the planet, a reminder of its capacity to surprise and enchant even in the most extreme environments. The snowballs of Nyda, however, stand out for their sheer scale and the stark beauty of their remote Arctic setting.

As images of the snowballs continue to circulate, they evoke a sense of mystery and magic, transforming an empty Siberian beach into a stage for nature’s quiet artistry. For now, the locals of Nyda are savoring this fleeting phenomenon, a moment when their frozen corner of the world became the backdrop for something as strange as it is beautiful. Whether these snowballs are merely a quirk of wind and water or the prelude to Antonov’s imagined “snowsaur” invasion, one thing is certain: they’ve left an indelible mark on those lucky enough to witness them.

In 2015, Loung’s life took a devastating turn when she reportedly fell from a vehicle on Sukhumvit road in Thailand. Left alone on the bustling roadside, the young dog refused to give up hope. For 12 months, she sat patiently in the same spot, her eyes scanning the horizon for the owner she believed would return. Day after day, through scorching heat and pouring rain, Loung’s loyalty never wavered.

The local community, moved by her dedication, rallied to support her. Kind-hearted residents brought her food and water daily, ensuring she wouldn’t go hungry as she held her vigil. Loung’s story spread like wildfire, touching the hearts of many and earning her a special place in the community. Her quiet resilience made her a local legend, a symbol of love and loyalty in a world that often moves too fast.

Loung’s plight didn’t stay confined to the streets of Thailand. Her story exploded on social media, with photos of the faithful dog waiting patiently by the roadside circulating widely. The Bangkok Post reported that her tale resonated deeply, inspiring countless tributes and stories shared across platforms like Facebook. People from all corners of the world marveled at her devotion, with some even claiming to be her long-lost owner.

But Loung, ever loyal, wasn’t easily swayed. When impostors approached, hoping to claim her, she sensed their deception and fled to the safety of a nearby orchard. Her heart remained tethered to the one she was waiting for, and no one else could take their place.

Tragically, Loung’s story came to a devastating close when she was struck by a car at the very spot where she had waited so faithfully. The image of her lifeless body, shared across media outlets, sparked an outpouring of grief. Many pleaded for news outlets to remove the graphic images, urging respect for the beloved dog’s memory. “Rest in peace,” wrote one mourner, echoing the sentiments of thousands who had followed her story.

In honor of Loung’s extraordinary loyalty, a dog-lovers club in Chanthaburi, eastern Thailand, has stepped forward to give her the farewell she deserves. The club is hosting a burial ceremony in the Tha Mai district, ensuring that Loung’s legacy lives on. The event is a chance for the community to come together, not only to mourn but to celebrate the incredible spirit of a dog who taught them the true meaning of devotion.

Loung’s story isn’t the only one to tug at heartstrings. Just weeks ago, another loyal dog, Maya, made headlines in Spain. For six days, Maya stood guard outside a hospital in Alicante, refusing to leave while her owner, Sandra Iniesta, received treatment for abdominal pains. Even when Sandra’s father, Andrés, tried to coax Maya into the car, the devoted dog wouldn’t budge. “She’s a fully paid-up member of the family,” Andrés said, a sentiment that resonates deeply with anyone who has ever known the love of a dog.

The truth behind Loung’s story is as shattering as it is inspiring. Her unwavering wait, her refusal to abandon hope, and her tragic end remind us of the profound bond between humans and their pets. Loung’s life was a quiet testament to love’s endurance, but it also raises questions about the responsibilities we hold toward those who love us unconditionally. Her death is a stark reminder to cherish and protect the loyal companions who give us their all.

The galactic fracas is taking place 300million light years from Earth and will lead to the birth of a single, mega black hole.

 

2 Three black holes (inset image; yellow) are merging within a galaxy called NGC 6240 (main image; artist impression)Credit: P WEILBACHER

Scientists in Germany discovered the rare event within NGC 6240, a well-studied nearby galaxy.

The black holes are close to each other at the core of the system, and shed light on how massive galaxies are born.

“Up until now, such a concentration of three supermassive black holes had never been discovered in the universe,” said Dr Peter Weilbacher, of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam.

“The present case provides evidence of a simultaneous merging process of three galaxies along with their central black holes.”

 

2 Scientists snapped the first ever image of a black hole earlier this yearCredit: Handout – Getty

Astronomers used the Very Large Telescope in Chile to make their discovery.

The NGC 6240 galaxy is relatively close to our own Milky Way in space terms, and has an odd shape.

Galaxies are often made up of hundreds of billions of stars locked in an orbital dance with a supermassive black hole at the core.

It had long been assumed NGC 6240 formed when two smaller galaxies collided, leaving it with a pair of black holes – hence the odd shape.

However, the new observations revealed the galaxy in fact had three black holes crammed into its violent core.

“Through our observations with extremely high spatial resolution we were able to show that NGC 6240 hosts not two but three supermassive black holes in its center,” said Professor Wolfram Kollatschny, an astronomer at the University of Göttingen.

“Each of the three heavyweights has a mass of more than 90 million Suns.

“They are located in a region of space less than 3,000 light-years across, i.e. in less than one hundredth of the total size of the galaxy.”

According to the team, the discovery opens new doors for our understanding of the universe.

Up until now, scientists had not been able to explain how the biggest galaxies in the universe evolved through the space processes we know and understand.

This puzzle could be solved if it’s proved that three or more supermassive black holes can merge into a single entity.

“If simultaneous merging processes of several galaxies took place, then the largest galaxies with their central supermassive black holes were able to evolve much faster,” Dr Weilbacher added.

“Our observations provide the first indication of this scenario.”

The study was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

‘Impossible’ black hole that breaks ‘current theory of universe’ spotted

In other news, scientists unveiled the first ever picture of a black hole in April.

There’s an enormous black hole lurking in this Nasa photo – can you find it?

And, here’s what happens if you fall head-first into a black hole.

Dark matter, a puzzling entity that neither emits nor reflects light, has never been directly observed. Its existence is inferred through its gravitational effects on visible matter, such as the way it tugs on stars and gas clouds, making galaxies swirl faster than their visible mass alone would suggest. This gravitational pull has been a cornerstone of our understanding of galaxy formation, acting like an invisible scaffold that helps galaxies coalesce and hold their shape.

However, the discovery of these 19 dwarf galaxies, detailed in a recent study published in Nature Astronomy, turns this idea on its head. Led by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the team found that these galaxies are dominated entirely by ordinary matter—stars, gas, and dust—with no detectable dark matter to speak of. When astronomers calculated the rotational speeds of these galaxies based on their visible mass, they found no evidence of the extra gravitational pull that dark matter typically provides. In other words, these galaxies are swirling at speeds that match their visible matter alone, leaving scientists baffled.

How could galaxies exist without dark matter, the supposed glue of the cosmos? One possibility is that the astronomers got it wrong. Errors in calculating the galaxies’ angles from Earth could skew measurements of their rotation, leading to misinterpretations about the presence of dark matter. Alternatively, cosmic events like supernovae could have disrupted the galaxies’ dynamics, stripping away or masking the influence of dark matter. But if these galaxies are truly devoid of dark matter, the implications are profound. It could force scientists to rethink the fundamental processes behind galaxy formation, potentially rewriting the rules of how the universe came to be.

This discovery adds to a growing list of cosmic mysteries captivating astronomers. Just recently, researchers captured images of an interstellar comet hurtling toward our solar system from the depths of space. Meanwhile, an Apollo astronaut shared a gripping tale of nearly losing his life attempting a high jump on the Moon in 1972. And in the search for extraterrestrial life, scientists have pinpointed the origin of a mysterious fast radio burst—a potential signal from an alien civilization.

The universe, it seems, is full of surprises. These 19 lightweight galaxies, stripped of their dark matter, are a reminder that even our best theories about the cosmos may need a serious overhaul. As astronomers dive deeper into this enigma, one thing is clear: the universe is far stranger—and perhaps lighter—than we ever imagined.

The video, pieced together from eerie stills and slick motion-control cinematography, draws straight from the infamous Roswell Report: Fact Versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert—a 1995 tome that tried (and failed, in believers’ eyes) to debunk the whole saga. It kicks off with a lingering shot of the book’s cover, then dives into a montage of yellowed magazine clippings and dog-eared UFO tomes. But it’s the finale that stops hearts: a haunting black-and-white photograph capturing what looks like a massive crater gouged into the arid New Mexico soil, littered with twisted metallic shards glinting under an unforgiving sun.

Social media has erupted like a flare in the night sky. “National Archives just dropped the holy grail—actual footage of the 1947 Roswell UAP crash site!” one X user exclaimed, sharing zoomed-in screenshots. Others zero in on the debris field, insisting it matches long-buried eyewitness sketches to a tee. “This is it—the first real pics of the UFO smash-up,” another posted, racking up thousands of likes. And then there’s that spot on the right: a dark, elongated shape some swear is a fallen extraterrestrial, limbs splayed in eternal repose. “Grey alien confirmed in official Roswell video!” the caption read, igniting a frenzy of retweets and rabbit-hole dives.

Echoing the chaos is the voice of Major Jesse Marcel, the Army intel officer who scooped up the strange scraps from that fateful July night in 1947. In interviews before his death, Marcel painted a vivid picture: “A large area heavily scattered with metallic debris from a single impact point that scarred the earth.” He marveled at the material’s otherworldly properties—indestructible, unburnable, impossible to dent or scratch. “It was like nothing on this planet,” he insisted. And in a chilling aside, Marcel hinted at more: The pilot who buzzed the site, Captain Henderson, allegedly spotted “the remains of a crew” amid the rubble—not just junk, but bodies.

But hold onto your tinfoil hats, folks—not everyone’s buying the invasion narrative. UFO sleuth Mark Lee, speaking to the Daily Mail, poured cold water on the hype. “That crater? Pure theater to hook you,” he scoffed. “In my book, it’s a hoax. Slapping it on the National Archives doesn’t make it gospel—if it came from the Pentagon or Congress, then we’d talk.” As for the “alien” silhouette? Lee chalks it up to pareidolia, our brain’s sneaky habit of spotting faces in clouds or Elvis in a cornflake. “Classic psychological trick,” he said. “Random shadows, zero ET.”

At its core, the video seems to orbit the Air Force’s long-standing alibi: Project Mogul. This classified Cold War caper (1947–1949) launched high-flying balloons rigged with microphones to eavesdrop on Soviet nuke tests—weak sound waves rippling through the stratosphere like whispers from the apocalypse. A 1994 probe pinned the Roswell “flying saucer” on a wayward Mogul balloon, its radar reflectors and tape mimicking the “indestructible foil” Marcel described. Case closed? Hardly. The report’s a Rorschach test for skeptics and seekers alike.

Online, the battle lines are drawn sharper than a saucer edge. “Like Grant Cameron always says, disclosure’s a needle in a haystack—Roswell’s that slow drip, drip, drip of truth,” one X poster mused, nodding to the veteran UFO researcher. Skeptics counter with eye-rolls: “This is just B-roll from the 1996 government dog-and-pony show. No crash site, no aliens—just recycled fluff someone dug up and dumped online.” Another quipped, “If that’s a dead ET, I’ve got a bridge in Area 51 to sell ya.”

Flash back to that sweltering summer of ’47: Rancher W.W. “Mac” Brazel stumbles on a glittery mess strewn across his J.B. Foster ranch—beams, foil, rubber strips, tougher than titanium. Word spreads like wildfire. By July 8, the Roswell Daily Record blares it across page one: “RAAF Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell Region.” Marcel, first boots on the ground, leads the recovery: a debris fanout stretching three-quarters of a mile, fanning into a 200–300-foot triangle. “Extraterrestrial craft, no doubt,” he later confided.

The honeymoon lasted 24 hours. Washington yanked the leash—War Department mouthpiece Lt. Gen. Roger Ramey poses with soggy “weather balloon” scraps in a Fort Worth presser. Poof—flying saucer becomes rawin target. But whispers lingered: Marcel griped about planted photos, swapped debris. Henderson’s flyover? He clammed up, but insiders say he glimpsed something humanoid amid the gouge.

Decades on, Roswell endures as ufology’s ground zero—a scar on the desert, a fissure in officialdom. This National Archives upload? It might be innocuous filler, a forgotten reel from the debunking era. Or it could be the crack in the dam, the pixelated proof we’ve chased since Eisenhower’s era. One thing’s certain: In the endless night of unanswered questions, that crater looms large, daring us to look closer. What do you see in the shadows? The truth, as always, is out there—dripping, one frame at a time.

An Earth-size exoplanet 40 light years away called TRAPPIST-1 e, at the lower right in this illustration, could have an atmosphere capable of sustaining liquid water.

Astronomers might be close to confirming the presence of an Earth-like atmosphere on an exoplanet for the first time, if more detailed analyses verify preliminary observations from the James Webb Space Telescope.

The planet is part of a planetary system about 40 light-years away from Earth called TRAPPIST-1, which five Belgian astronomers discovered in 2016 and named after their favorite beer. The system has been heavily studied ever since.

“As a planetary system, it’s as alien as it gets,” said Néstor Espinoza, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. “The star is very, very small — the size of Jupiter — and it has at least seven rocky planets orbiting around it. Three of those are in what we call the habitable zone, which means they are close enough to the star that if they had an atmosphere, they could sustain liquid water.”

Espinoza and his colleagues focused on TRAPPIST-1 e, the fourth planet from the star in the system, in a study published last week in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Four observations performed in 2023 with the Webb telescope were unable to rule out the presence of an atmosphere, prompting optimism.

“Based on the first four observations, we cannot tell that (this planet) doesn’t have an atmosphere, so the dream is still alive — it could still have an atmosphere,” Espinoza said, “and that’s super exciting, because we do have a follow-up program of 15 more observations.”

The Webb telescope has only been able to rule out any atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 b, the innermost planet, but the jury is still out on the other six, Espinoza said, with TRAPPIST-1 e seen as one of the best candidates for liquid surface water.

The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, was used for the TRAPPIST-1 e observations.

The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, was used for the TRAPPIST-1 e observations. Alex Wong/Getty Images

“Three years ago, before the launch of James Webb, these kinds of studies were science fiction,” Espinoza said about the possibility of detecting atmospheres on faraway planets. “Now I’m pretty confident we’ll be able to see what kind of atmosphere TRAPPIST-1 e could have — and if it has an Earth-like atmosphere, we’ll be able to tell.”

Looking for telltale signs

TRAPPIST-1 e is similar to Earth in size and orbits its star every six days — a much faster rate than Earth orbits the sun. That’s because the star is much smaller than our sun, and all the planets are close to it. “If you could magically bring the TRAPPIST-1 star to our solar system,” Espinoza said, “all the planets and their orbits would fit within the orbit of Mercury.”

When looking for an atmosphere, astronomers wait for a planet to transit in front of its star and notice any minor changes in the starlight that filters through. They search for telltale signs of an atmosphere while learning about its chemical composition.

With the four transits observed by the Webb telescope in 2023, astronomers were able to rule out the presence of a primary, hydrogen-based atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 e, which was likely blown away by significant amounts of radiation emitted by its star. (Earth similarly lost its primordial, primary atmosphere early on but then built a secondary one; astronomers hope that TRAPPIST-1 e could have done the same.)

This scenario is detailed in a second study, also published last week in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. It notes that the planet is unlikely to have an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide like those of Venus and Mars, and points toward a nitrogen-heavy one, more similar to Earth and Saturn’s icy moon Titan.

“TRAPPIST-1e remains one of our most compelling habitable-zone planets, and these new results take us a step closer to knowing what kind of world it is,” Sara Seager, a professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and coauthor of both studies, said in a statement. “The evidence pointing away from Venus- and Mars-like atmospheres sharpens our focus on the scenarios still in play.”

An artist’s concept showing the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system. Astronomers believe three planets in the system orbit the star in the habitable zone, where liquid water could be present — if those planets have an atmosphere.

An artist’s concept showing the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system. Astronomers believe three planets in the system orbit the star in the habitable zone, where liquid water could be present — if those planets have an atmosphere. JPL-Caltech/NASA

Espinoza said that his team plans to finish the new round of 15 observations by the end of the year, with two-thirds already completed. If the team finds irrefutable signs of an atmosphere, even more Webb telescope observations could be warranted in the hopes of detecting specific chemical signatures of gases such as methane, which is associated with life on Earth.

Confirmation of an atmosphere would be groundbreaking, Espinoza said. “It would settle a huge debate going on right now on whether these red dwarf systems can sustain an atmosphere or not,” he said. “Red dwarfs are actually the majority of the stars in the universe. So, if it can happen there, it can happen anywhere. The possibilities for life just kind of multiply.”

However, even if an atmosphere was ruled out, the result would still be exciting, he said, because it would make life on Earth even more special. It would also set the stage for future research to look at exoplanets orbiting around yellow dwarf stars such as the sun, using telescopes even more powerful than Webb that are still in the planning stages.

Exciting, incomplete results

These first James Webb results for TRAPPIST-1e are immensely exciting, said Michaël Gillon, research director of the Astrobiology Research Unit at Belgium’s University of Liège. Gillon, who led the original discovery of the TRAPPIST-1 system, was not part of the recent study.

“The data are not yet conclusive,” he added in an email, “but they prove that JWST has the power to detect an Earth-like atmosphere if it exists. For the first time in history, we are truly within reach of discovering an atmosphere around a potentially habitable rocky exoplanet.”

The planets in TRAPPIST-1 have a range of conditions similar to the terrestrial planets in our solar system. These conditions make them potential hosts for surface liquid water, but they require an atmosphere to prevent the water from freezing on the surface or sublimating to space, said Eric Agol, a professor in the department of astronomy at the University of Washington. Agol was not involved with the study but is working on the new set of observations with Espinoza and his colleagues.

TRAPPIST-1 e is the most promising of the seven planets for hosting an Earth-like atmosphere, according to Agol.

“The results are interesting, but also incomplete,” he added in an email. “I am agnostic about whether TRAPPIST-1 e may have an Earth-like atmosphere or not, and the current study hasn’t affected my opinion.”

According to Howard Chen, an assistant professor of space sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology, TRAPPIST-1e sits right at a “tipping point” between opposite states, based on computer simulations that he detailed in a new study that published Wednesday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Based on its history, the planet can emerge as either extremely dry or water-rich: “That means both ‘bare rock’ and ‘atmosphere-bearing’ scenarios remain physically plausible,” he added in an email. Chen was not involved with the new research.

TRAPPIST-1e could have formed as a desert world, like its inner neighbors, or as a wet, ocean-covered planet, he concluded. “JWST’s current data can’t distinguish between those scenarios yet, but that ambiguity is exactly what our simulations predict,” Chen said. “The fact that TRAPPIST-1e can plausibly be either very dry or very wet means the next few JWST (observations) could deliver a dramatic reveal.”