Month: December 2016

BREAKING NEWS: New Explosive Eruption at Bogoslof Volcano – Code RED

A new explosive eruption occurred at Bogoslof volcano that lasted for about 30 minutes and produced a cloud that rose as high as 20,000 ft and drifted northeast as seen in satellite images. Last night’s event was first detected by seismic stations on neighboring Umnak Island, and was also seen in more distant infrasound sensors.

As a result of the recent pattern of Bogoslof, the likelihood of continued eruptions remains high keeping the Aviation code at RED and Volcano Alert Level at WARNING. The explosive event was preceded by 4 ½ hours of elevated seismic activity from Bogoslof, providing some indication an explosive eruption was imminent. Other explosions during the eruptive sequence have started more suddenly with either subtle or no preceding increase in seismicity.

Because a local geophysical network does not monitor Bogoslof, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) is using seismic and infrasound (airwave sensors) on neighboring Umnak and Unalaska Islands to monitor activity. In addition, we are using satellite imagery and information from the Worldwide Lightning Location Network to identify volcanic lightning; lightning strikes in the erupted plume have been detected during the current eruptive sequence.

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As a result of natural disasters occurring more often (no surprise for us paying attention), I find myself engaged in the onsite events more often, and less available to maintain my alternative ventures keeping SOC healthy. But thanks to my wife’s exorbitant creative thinking, I believe we found a way to stay on top.

Between now and January 1st 2017, by donating $10 you will be grandfathered into a full one year membership. Beginning January 1st 2017, we will be going back to our annual memberships starting at $34.95 per year. Yes, this is to say with just $10 you will have a full membership for the next full year of 2017.

For those of you who can do a bit more, we graciously appreciate when you can provide larger amounts – it truly goes a long way in keeping us alive and well.

Go to the following link which takes you to a page. On the right side of our home page under where it says “Science of Cycles Community Support” you will find a drop-down menu to choose your amount. Beginning next year we will have other methods for you to purchase a membership, for now please use PayPal. Remember, you do not have to join PayPal to use it. Just look for the tap that says Pay with Debit or Credit Card. No sign-up is necessary.   Click Here

I have more breaking news I am sitting on right now, and will be posing and sending out over the holidays.     Cheers, Mitch

Previewing 2017’s Biggest Skywatching Events

The big astronomy story for 2017 will be the Great American Total Solar Eclipse of August 21. But there are plenty of other must-see events that you should add to your calendar for the coming year. However, it will be also be a great year for meteor showers.

As 2017 kicks off, watch for a good shower known as the Quadrantid meteor shower. The annual event runs from Dec. 30 to Jan. 12, and peaks before dawn on Wednesday, Jan. 4. The source material for these meteors is an asteroid that’s designated as 2003 EH. The average hourly rate is about 25, but during the short, intense peak period, you might see more than 100 per hour! The Quadrantid meteor shower is named for a former constellation called the Mural Quadrant, which was located between Hercules and the tip of the Big Dipper, so Quadrantid meteors will appear to be traveling away from a location in the northeastern sky below the Big Dipper. This year, the moon will be a waxing crescent on the peak dates and will not be in the sky before dawn, giving us a darker sky and a better show.

On the peak night of Aug. 11 to 12, the sky for the popular and prolific summertime Perseid meteor shower will be washed out by a waning gibbous moon, spoiling the fun. But 2017 will end in good form with the Geminid meteor shower, which runs from Dec. 4 to 16 and peaks overnight on Dec. 13 to 14, when we can expect to catch as many as 100 meteors per hour. On the peak date of one of the best showers of the year, the moon will be a waning crescent that rises just before dawn, leaving us with nice dark skies for seeing the show. The Geminids are often bright and intensely colored, and slower-moving than average. Unlike most meteor showers, the source material is thought to be an asteroid (called 3200 Phaethon) and not a comet. This means that the debris is likely larger and more solid giving us more spectacular meteors. The radiant is located near the star Castor in Gemini, sitting in the southwestern sky after midnight.

Meteor showers are a terrific excuse to get out under the stars and take in the splendor of the sky as you wait for the shooting stars. The showers are produced when the Earth travels through debris fields that are left behind by repeated passages of periodic comets. The debris particles burn up in our atmosphere, creating streaks of light, or “shooting stars.” Showers can last for several days, or many weeks, depending on how spread-out the region of debris is. The number of meteors per hour climbs to a peak value, known as the zenith hourly rate, or ZHR, as we approach the densest portion of the debris field, and then tapers off. Meteor showers repeat on the same dates every year, when the Earth returns to the same place in its orbit.

During the shower period, you can look for meteors anywhere in the night sky, but they will be traveling away from a particular location in the sky that corresponds to the Earth’s direction of travel (just as bugs splatter on a car’s front windshield). This radiant point is usually near a particular star or constellation, and it gives the shower its name. The best time to look is when your sky overhead is plowing straight into the cloud of debris that generates the shower, usually after midnight.

More meteors are visible if the sky is dark, so the moon plays a major role in determining how good a shower will be each year. Astronomy apps like SkySafari 5 Plus for iOS and Android have information about all of the major showers. You can also download the free Meteor Shower Calendar app for Android and iOS, or the American Meteor Society Meteors app for Android and iOS. The calendar app issues notifications of upcoming showers and includes weather forecasts, moon phases and historical data.

2016 Highlights of the Year in Space and Astronomy

The achievements of astrophysicists this year were as groundbreaking as they were varied. From reuniting a lander with a mothership on a comet, to seeing the most extreme cosmic events with gravitational waves, 2016 was truly out of this world for science.

Here are some of the highlights of the year that was.

1. Gravitational Waves
The spectacular announcement that ripples in the very fabric of spacetime itself had been found (and from surprisingly massive black holes colliding) sent similarly massive ripples through the scientific community. The discovery was made using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and represents a fundamentally new sense with which to see the universe.

The gravitational waves cause one arm of the LIGO detector to stretch relative to the other by less than a thousandth of the width of a proton in the centre of the atom. Relatively speaking, that’s like measuring a hair’s-width change in the distance to the nearest star.

This discovery was the end of a century-long quest to prove Einstein’s final prediction that these gravitational waves are real. It also allows us to directly “see” that famously and fundamentally invisible entity: the black hole (as well as definitively proving its existence). The fact that the two black holes collided 1.3 billion years ago and the waves swept through Earth just days after turning the detector on only add to the incredible story of this discovery.

2. SpaceX lands (and crashes) a rocket
The year started so well for SpaceX with the incredible achievement of sending a satellite into orbit, which is no mean feat itself at such low cost, before then landing that launch rocket on a barge in the ocean. A seemingly unstoppable sequence of launches and landings made it appear that a new era of vastly cheaper access to space through rockets that could be refuelled and reused was at hand.

Unfortunately, with the explosion of a Falcon 9 on the launchpad, the company was grounded, but apparently hopes for a resumed launch in early January. Add to that the visionary plans to settle Mars outlined by Elon Musk, albeit not without some audacious challenges, and it’s been a year of highs and lows for SpaceX.

3. Closest star may harbour Earth-like world
Proxima Centauri is our Sun’s nearest neighbour at just over four light years away, and it appears that its solar system may contain an Earth-like world. Until this year, astronomers weren’t even sure that any planets orbited the star, let alone ones that might harbour the best extrasolar candidate for life that spacecraft could visit within our lifetime.

The planet, creatively named “Proxima b”, was discovered by a team of astronomers at Queen Mary University in London. Using the light of Proxima Centuari, the astronomers were able to detect subtle shifts in the star’s orbit (seen as a “wobble”), which is the telltale sign that another massive object is nearby.

While Proxima Centuari is barely 10% the size of our Sun, Proxima b’s orbit is only 11 days long, meaning it is very close to the star and lies just within the so-called habitable zone. However, follow-up with either Hubble or the upcoming James Webb Space telescope is necessary to determine if the exoplanet is as well suited for life as Earth.

4. Breakthrough Listen listening and Starshot star-ted
With a potential Earth twin identified in Proxima b, now the challenge is to reach it within a human lifetime. With the breakthrough initiative starshot, which has been funded by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner and endorsed by none other than Stephen Hawking, lightweight nanosails can be propelled by light beams to reach speeds up to millions of kilometres an hour.

Such speeds would allow a spacecraft to arrive at Proxima b in about 20 years, thus enabling humans to send information to another known planet for the first time.
However, there are many challenges ahead, such as the fact that the technology doesn’t exist yet, and that high-speed collisions with gas and dust between stars may destroy it before it can reach its target.

But humans have proven to be resourceful, and key technology is advancing at an exponential rate. Incredibly the idea of sailing to another world is no longer science fiction, but rather an outrageously ambitious science project.

Perhaps, aliens are already sending out their own information in the form of radio transmissions. In another breakthrough initiative called Listen, also championed by Hawking, astronomers will be searching the habitable zones around the million closest stars to try to detect incoming radio transmissions. Involving Australia’s very own Parkes telescope (as well as the Green Bank Telescope and Lick Observatory at visible wavelengths of light), observations have been running through 2016 and the search for alien signals will continue for the next decade.

5. Philae reunited with Rosetta
In 2014 the Philae lander became the first space probe to land on a comet, and even though its crash landing dictated that its science transmission would be a one-off, its recent rediscovery by Rosetta has allowed it to continue to contribute to analysis of comet 67P.

Philae’s crash location, as well as the orientation of the doomed probe, has allowed astronomers to accurately interpret data taken by Rosetta regarding the composition of the comet. While Philae has literally been living under (crashed on) a rock for the past two years, Rosetta has been the busy bee, taking numerous images, spectroscopy and other data of the comet.

In fact, data taken from Rosetta’s spectrometer has been analysed and revealed that the amino acid, glycine, is present in the comet’s outgassing, which breaks away from the surface of the comet as it becomes unstable from solar heating. Glycine is one of the fundamental building blocks of life; necessary for proteins and DNA, and its confirmed extraterrestrial confirms that the ingredients for life are unique to Earth, and that we may have comets to thank for providing our microbial ancestors with those crucial ingredients.

Future for Astrophysics in Australia in 2017
The future for astrophysics in Australia in 2017 looks particularly bright, with two ARC Centres of Excellence: CAASTRO-3-D studying the build of atoms over cosmic time; and OzGRav exploring the universe with gravitational waves; as well as SABRE, the world’s first dark matter detector in the Southern Hemisphere, installed by end of the year.

If you thought 2016 was a great year in space, then you’re in for a treat in 2017.

MITCH BATTROS RESEARCH ENDORSEMENTS

 

“I would say that your “equation” which I will call a very logical premise is real and plausible. The American Meteorological Society has asked the NOAA Space Environment Center to conduct trainings with local meteorologist on how to read and present space weather. So Mitch, your ‘super-duper doppler weatherman’ is a reality.”
Dr. Ernest Hildner, Director NOAA Space Weather Center

“Mitch Battros is one of those amazing individuals that has taken as his mission to disseminate on a broad scale information of great relevance that otherwise might have remained hidden in the archives of specialized scholars. With his great understanding not only of spiritual undercurrents, but also of science, he builds bridges between science and spirituality as well as between ancient wisdom and modern knowledge and makes them accessible to a broad range of people. Mitch Battros has presented us with a well researched study of the origin of these phenomena and we are being brought into a world of richness that I for one hardly knew existed before-the Sun.
Carl Johan Calleman, Historical Scholar – author of Enlightenment: The Mayan Calendar

“Scientists have more recently begun to consider a Sun-Earth connection in the way of weather as you describe. Mitch, I believe your (equation) is right on target. We know the recent ozone depletion which measured up to 60% was caused by the Sun. Your study of charged particles from the Sun and its effect to our magnetic field and further down to the stratosphere and even ionosphere can cause disturbance to the Northern and Southern Pacific Oscillation.”
Dr. Pål Brekke, Deputy Director of SOHO project- European Space Agency

“When I first interacted with Mitch Battros, I was most impressed with his grasp of the challenges we face in disaster preparedness. I am thrilled that Mitch has taken on both the physical and emotional aspects of preparedness in this powerful book about earth and our solar context. Mitch’s outstanding contribution is bridge-building from solar phenomena that influence conditions we experience down to implications, consequences and appropriate actions for us as individuals and members of organizations.”
Richard Gelb, former regional Training Coordinator Emergency Management Office

“I have been reading the earth changes newsletter of Mr. Mitch Battros, in which he addresses all aspects of the Sun-Earth connection as well as other important humanitarian issues, for a number of years and I have been impressed by the scientific competence of Mr. Battros and by his high ethical standards. I also admire his broad knowledge, dedicated commitment and unusually high diligence. I agree with his views on the physics underlying the Sun to Earth influence. (Of course, I am convinced that one day science will speak of a Galactic Center – Sun – Earth connection.) I wish Mr. Battros the continued professional success that his admirable and exemplary work deserves.”
Dr. Gerhard Loebert, recipient of the Needle of Honor in German Aeronautics, designer of project “Firefly” 2nd generation stealth fighter, published post-Einsteinian theory of gravitation.

“We have carefully followed the research of Mitch Battros for several years and continue to do so with increasing interest as so many of his theories and prognostications prove themselves to be accurate and true. His provocative new theory about the Sun-Earth relationship is certain to arouse serious thought as Battros carefully balances the latest science with ancient texts. Such a mixture will reassure and fascinate a wide range of readers.”
Brad Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger, authors of over 30 best-selling books

“I would say the Sun-Earth connection does indeed follow your “Equation”. When charged particles hit the magnetic field, the field is disturbed and I would think it will affect the jet stream. The earth weather can be chaotic; any small change in one area (ionosphere) can have an effect on other atmospheric conditions of the earth.”
Dr. Stefaan Poedts: Lead Scientist University of Leuven Center for Plasma Astrophysics

“Frequently it takes an “outsider” to think “out-of-the-box” and move culture closer to the truth. Mitch is a futurist thinker, driven by his curiosity. Happily, the book has emerged from Mitch and it is bound to spark discussion and further discoveries that will benefit all humans.”
Dr. William Costello, Emeritus Prof. of Psycholinguistics, SFSU

“There is clearly a connection between solar activity and a disturbance in the magnetic field which surrounds the earth. As a scientist, it is always best to keep an open mind as new information can come forward and challenge our current understandings. Regarding meteorologist forecasting space weather, we hope this will occur more often”
Dr. Ronald van der Linden, Director of Solar Physics Department of the Royal Observatory

“The untiring work of Mitch Battros has led to his unique ability to link the best of current astronomical research with archaeological discovery so as to bring about a universal consciousness of the power of the Sun for the sake of our descendants that they may adapt to inevitable change and relearn how to live in harmony with Nature. I wholeheartedly recommend his work without reservation.”
Crichton E M Miller, author of The Golden Thread of Time and The Celtic Cross

“Modern telescopes have shown us that the Sun is an active, even violent place, with predictable and unpredictable cycles, and massive explosions that occasionally shower Earth’s magnetosphere. It is the source of the solar wind, responsible for what is now called “space weather.” In this book, Mitch Battros has drawn inferences about how this solar activity affects Earth weather and climate, both short-term and long-term. These are dialogues the scientific community needs to have because the stakes are high for all of us.”
Dr. Tom Van Flandern, former US Naval Observatory Chief of Celestial Mechanics

“Mitch Battros draws attention to the intimate connection between energetic events on the Sun and weather on Earth. Humanity has a simple faith in a constant Sun that is not borne out by recent observations. If we are to have a more realistic perspective on climate change we should consider arguments like those assembled by Mitch in Solar Rain.”
Wallace Thornhill, Physicist – author of The Electric Universe

“Mitch Battros has played an important role in educating the public about Earth Changes and the Sun. I would expect the increasing recognition of the role the Sun plays in our lives and fortunes will be recognized by both the science community and the public in general. I ordered his new book, and I hope many others will do the same.”
Former USGS Geologist, Jim Berkland

“Your book takes the reader through a curios journey that explores many of the unexplained mysteries with which we will have to deal in the near future. I found it fascinating reading and thought provoking.”
Arnie Rosner, Amateur Astronomer – owner rent-a-scope inc.

“I love books that make you think, even those deemed controversial. In Solar Rain, Mitch Battros blends science and esoteric philosophy to demonstrate the ancient truth of as above, so below. What’s happening on the Sun is affecting the earth in a most dramatic way, and influencing our weather patterns as never before. The how and why makes it a fascinating read.”
John Randolph Price, Bestselling Author

________________

Mitch Battros
Author – ‘Solar Rain: The Earth Changes Have Begun
‘Global Warming: A Convenient Disguise‘
Producer – Earth Changes Media and Science Of Cycles
Website: https://scienceofcycles.com
Email: earthchangesmedia@earthlink.net

Mitch Battros of Science Of Cycles – Coming Interview On Coast To Coast Radio

Join me Sunday January 8th on the nationally syndicated radio show C2C as I will be presenting the latest research on the Galaxy-Sun-Earth connection.

Host Richard Syrett and I will also discuss the latest trends involving earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and various extreme weather events.

Additionally, I will bring forward the latest research challenging the often misunderstood meaning of climate change, which includes the latest findings as it relates to charged particles such as galactic cosmic rays, gamma rays, and solar rays.

Oh, one more thing…we are closer to a magnetic pole shift than many people think. Find your local radio station – click here

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Special Offer to Former Earth Changes
MediaMembers – ONE TIME ONLY

Between now and January 1st 2017, by donating $10 you will be grandfathered into a full one year membership. Beginning January 1st 2017, we will be going back to our annual memberships starting at $34.95 per year. Yes, this is to say with just $10 you will have a full membership for the next full year of 2017.

As a result of natural disasters occurring more often (no surprise for us paying attention), I find myself engaged in the onsite events more often, and less available to maintain my alternative ventures keeping SOC healthy. But thanks to my wife’s exorbitant creative thinking, I believe we found a way to stay on top.

For those of you who can do a bit more, we graciously appreciate when you can provide larger amounts – it truly goes a long way in keeping us alive and well.

Go to the following link which takes you to a page. On the right side of our home page under where it says “Science of Cycles Community Support” you will find a drop-down menu to choose your amount. Beginning next year we will have other methods for you to purchase a membership, for now please use PayPal. Remember, you do not have to join PayPal to use it. Just look for the tap that says Pay with Debit or Credit Card. No sign-up is necessary.   Click Here

I have more breaking news I am sitting on right now, and will be posing and sending out over the holidays.     Cheers, Mitch

UPDATE: Aleutian Island Volcano Spews Ash 35,000 Feet Altitude, Prompting USGS to Issue “RED ALEART”

For the second straight day, the Alaska Volcano Observatory issued its highest alert level for aviation when a volcano erupted with a towering ash cloud in the Aleutian Islands.

Observatory volcanologist Robert McGimsey says yesterday afternoon’s eruption of the Bogoslof volcano was “almost a carbon copy” of an eruption 24 hours earlier. He says both eruptions prompted the highest alert level, “Red Alert” for Aviation and level “Warning” for Volcano Activity Notice, then hours later by one level.

The first eruption sent ash and steam 34,000 feet into the air, while the second burst went 1,000 feet higher. Officials say both volcanic explosions were also short-lived. The observatory said early Thursday that it was reducing the alert level because there had been no recent volcano activity. The volcano is on an island of the same name in the Bering Sea about 850 miles southwest of Anchorage.

Recent satellite imagery shows that this eruption dramatically changed Bogoslof Island, and that a new, small island has formed just offshore of the northeast end of the main island. The former shore and much of the northeast side of Bogoslof Island adjacent to this island has been largely removed, and deposition of material has occurred on the west side of the island. The excavated area of the former northeast shore is likely the vent for this recent eruption, which appears to be just below sea level.

Astronomers Find Supercluster of Galaxies (Vela) Near Milky Way

An international team of astronomers, including astronomers from the Australian National University (ANU), has found one of the largest superclusters of galaxies in the universe. The supercluster was named the Vela supercluster.

The Vela supercluster is a neighbor of the Milky Way. Scientists did not detect it before because it was hidden by the Milky Way’s stars and dust. Now astronomers realize that this supercluster is also influenced by the motion of the Milky Way.

“This is one of the biggest concentrations of galaxies in the Universe – possibly the biggest in the neighborhood of our Galaxy, but that will need to be confirmed by further study,” adds Matthew Colless, a professor from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. “The gravity of the Vela supercluster may explain the difference between the measured motion of the Milky Way through space and the motion predicted from the distribution of previously mapped galaxies.”

To confirm that the Vela supercluster was really a supercluster, the team including astronomers based in South Africa, Australia and Europe used the Anglo-Australian Telescope. This also helped estimate Vela’s effect on the motion of our own galaxy.

Furthermore, there will be two new Australian surveys that will be conducted to confirm the size of the Vela supercluster. These surveys would begin next year.

“The Taipan optical survey will measure galaxy distances over a bigger area around Vela while the WALLABY radio survey will be able to peer through the densest parts of the Milky Way into the supercluster’s heart,” Colless explains.

In September, astronomers also released the most precise and detailed sky survey of the Milky Way to date. The map is composed of 1.15 billion stars, a task that took a thousand days to finish.

The accomplishment was made possible by the Gaia spacecraft, which was launched on Dec. 19, 2013. The map was made by researchers from 25 European countries.