Author: s s

Scientists may have found one of the oldest Christian churches in the world Scientists may have found one of the most ancient Christian churches in the world by using muon x-rays to scan a mystical subterranean building on the coast of the Caspian Sea in the ancient Russian city of Derbent. Now, thanks to the clever use of scanning technology, we might finally know what the building is. The fortress of Naryn-Kala in Derbent, Russia, dates back to around A.D. 300 The technology known as the muon X-ray is used by researchers to track the charged subatomic particles muons, generated when…

Did the solar system form in a bubble?Researchers have laid out a new, comprehensive theory for how the solar system formed — inside the bubble of a long-dead, giant star. Astronomers believe that planets, asteroids, and other solar system bodies form from the disk of dust and debris around a young star. But what happens before that?NASA/JPL-CaltechAstronomers know that our solar system formed about 5 billion years ago from material left over from previous generations of stars. However, beyond that, it gets a little murky.The prevailing theory is that a nearby supernova explosion compressed a dense cloud of gas and…

Found: The first exoplanet outside of our Milky WayIn a galaxy far, far away lies an exoplanet circling a binary system that contains a neutron star or black hole. The Whirlpool Galaxy (left) in X-ray and optical light. On the right is an artist’s concept of the M51-ULS-1 system with the neutron star or black hole syphoning material from its companion star. The planet is eclipsing the X-rays generated by the superheated material around the compact object. X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/R. DiStefano, et al.; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI/Grendler; Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss Astronomers believe they’ve spotted the first extragalactic exoplanet beyond our own galaxy. Residing some 28…

Mysterious Secret Tunnel Discovered Under Ancient Pyramid in Mexico As we use advanced archeological techniques, we appear to create incredible findings at various ancient locations, like Teotihuacan in Mexico. Recently, in Teotihuacán’s ancient town northeast of Mexico City, archeologists have discovered a secret tunnel under the famous Moon Pyramid. Hidden for ages, the underground tunnel, as archeologists claim, could represent the underworld as a component of the ancient system of belief in the Pre-Colombian civilization that once thrived here. The Moon Pyramid is the second largest structure seen in Teotihuacán. The site was most certainly built 2,000 years ago, by a…

Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to reveal a host of high-mass galaxies in the early universe — but according to a new study they shouldn’t really exist. Either astronomers have misunderstood something about the galaxies themselves, or our leading model of cosmology is called into question. Despite being in space less than 18 months, JWST is already providing unprecedented views of the universe in the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang. A big surprise has been how quickly large, star-filled galaxies appeared. Now, Michael Boylan-Kolchin (The University of Texas, Austin) has looked at…

Many birds eat insects, but few make bees the foundational part of their diet. A handful of songbirds in North America regularly consumes bees. Others incorporate bees as a part of their insect diet. These birds use various methods of catching the bees to avoid being stung. Some of them rub the bee along a branch to remove the stinger. In this article we will look at 10 species of birds which regularly eat bees. Let’s look at these interesting birds behavior, eating habits, and preferred habitats. 10 BIRDS THAT EAT BEES 1. SCARLET TANAGER Scientific name: Piranga olivacea  The Scarlet Tanager…

Mysterious 4,000-year-old grave reveals boy and girl buried face to face The bodies of a young man and woman inside the grave. The cemetery dates back approximately 4,000 years to the Bronze Age. In a cemetery dating back about 4000 years, in Kazakhstan, the bodies of a young man and women were discovered buried face to face, probably in their twenties. You might be in a romantic connection they were a couple. The bodies of a man and woman who died 4,000 years ago have been found buried face-to-face in a grave in Kazakhstan. Archaeologists discovered the burial in an…

Salto del Agrio is one of the most beautiful and spectacular waterfalls in Argentine Patagonia , a precious jewel located in the province of Neuquén , about 20 kilometers from the Caviahue ski resort . Generated by the Agrio river , from which it takes its name, the waterfall is the result of the ancient volcanic activities that took place in the area over millions of years. The water from the waterfall, carrying with it a quantity of minerals such as iron and sulfur, flows about 40 meters into a basalt canyon, forming a splendid lagoon with dazzling colours. The shades of ochre, red and yellow are enhanced by the sun’s rays…

15 FACTS ABOUT PAINTED BUNTINGS (WITH PHOTOS) Nothing is more exciting to the average birder than spring and fall migration season. During these months, we get the opportunity to see bird species that may not spend all year in the United States. For birdwatchers in the southeastern U.S., a coveted species is the Painted Bunting. In this article we look at some interesting facts about Painted Buntings to help you learn a little more about their behaviors and habits. FACTS ABOUT PAINTED BUNTINGS 1. MALES AND FEMALES ARE DIFFERENTLY COLORED Painted Buntings are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females have…

Weixelman used SkySafari to create this simulated view looking south from southern Texas during totality on Aug. 8. 2024. The image also shows the predicted orientation of Comet Pons-Brooks’ tail, at an angle of 68° from celestial north.Dave Weixelman (highsierraimaging.com) On April 8, 2024, all eyes will be on the eclipsed Sun during totality. After all, it’s the main attraction. But as the Sun is blotted out, darkness will fall during the day, rendering more than just the solar corona visible in the sky. Stars and planets will appear, lighting up amid the false twilight that occurs during a total…

Ever feel like there’s just not enough time in the day? Turns out, you might be onto something. Earth is rotating faster than it has in the last half-century, resulting in our days being ever-so-slightly shorter than we’re used to. And while it’s an infinitesimally small difference, it’s become a big headache for physicists, computer programmers and even stockbrokers. Why Earth rotates Our solar system formed about 4.5 billion years ago, when a dense cloud of interstellar dust and gas collapsed in on itself and began to spin. There are vestiges of this original movement in our planet’s current rotation, thanks…

1,000-year-old brick tomb discovered in China is decorated with lions, sea anemones and ‘guardian spirits’ The inner chamber of the ornate tomb is made of bricks shaped to look like carved wood. A stunning brick tomb thought to be more than 800 years old has been discovered in northern China by workers renovating stormwater drains. The tomb contained three bodies — two adults and one child — as well as several pottery items. One of these, a “land coupon” inscribed with writing, indicates that the tomb was built between A.D. 1190 and 1196, when the region was ruled by the…

Ducks perhaps aren’t the first type of bird that comes to mind when you think of colorful birds with flashy patterns. While it’s true that most ducks aren particularly flashy, there are a few that really stand out. One of the most brilliantly colored ducks anywhere in the world is the male Mandarin duck.  This delicate duck is a feast for the eyes, especially when it is in full plumage during the breeding season. Continue reading to learn 10 facts about the Mandarin duck. 10 FACTS ABOUT MANDARIN DUCKS 1. THEY ARE ONE OF THE MOST-COLORFUL DUCKS IN THE WORLD. During…

A. Sutherland  – AncientPages.com – Giza pyramids belong to Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, and vandals and thieves looted them a long time ago. The southernmost is associated with Menkaure (Mykerinos, in Greek), the fifth king of the 4th Dynasty. Not much is known about this ruler, and the only source mentioning Menkaure (though not always reliable) is that of Herodotus and some legends. Menkaure was the eldest son of Pharaoh Khafre, the grandson of Khufu (Cheops), and ruled in the middle of the third millennium BC, from about 2490 to -2473, though the length of Menkaure’s reign is uncertain. His wives…

Kingfishers are very easy to recognize. Their powerful bills allow them to spear fish when they dive into the water, and their colorful feathers glitter just like the streams they love to perch above. Found worldwide, these unique looking birds are always fun to watch. In this article we explore 14 facts about kingfishers and how they are unique in the animal kingdom. 14 FACTS ABOUT KINGFISHERS 1. THERE ARE ABOUT 114 SPECIES OF KINGFISHERS. Kingfishers live on every continent but Antarctica. Most species live in the eastern parts of the Old Word, that is, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Southeast Asia…

50 years ago, Pioneer 11 set sail for the outer solar systemPioneer 11 was the first spacecraft to explore Saturn up close. But that was far from its only accomplishment. Pioneer 11 is just one of five spacecraft currently on a trajectory that will take it out of the solar system. And in some 4 million years, this robotic emissary from Earth, which sent its final transmission nearly 20 years ago, will silently pass near the star Lambda Aquilae, located some 125 light-years away in the constellation Aquila the Eagle. However, Pioneer 11 was never meant for longevity. This quarter-ton, car-sized probe,…

If you live in North America, you may not have heard of the Bearded Reedling. This small wetland bird has a cute and unique appearance. In this article we will look at some fun facts about Bearded Reedlings, including where in the world you can find them and how they thrive in their specialized habitat. FACTS ABOUT BEARDED REEDLINGS 1. MEMBERS OF THE PANURIDAE FAMILY The Bearded Reedling is a unique bird, so much so that scientists historically weren’t sure what family of birds it should be a member of. It was moved around until finally it was decided that…

Blue is one of the most peaceful colors, and it makes sense that we find blue birds to be some of the most calm and relaxing birds around. It isn’t as common a color to see on birds in North America, so it really stands out when encountered. In this article we will choose our favorite 16 types of blue birds. 16 TYPES OF BLUE BIRDS While red birds create red pigment from the foods they eat, blue birds cannot do this. In fact, there aren’t any bird species that actually create blue pigment. Instead, the blue color of their plumage is…

A Scientist Claims The World’s Oldest Pyramid Is Hidden in an Indonesian Mountain When Dutch colonists became the first Europeans to discover Gunung (Mount) Padang in the early 20th century, they must have been awestruck by the sheer scale of their ancient stone surroundings. Here, scattered across a vast hilltop in the West Java province of Indonesia, lay the remnants of a massive complex of rocky structures and monuments – an archaeological wonder since described as the largest megalithic site in all of Southeastern Asia. But those early settlers couldn’t have guessed the greatest wonder of all might lay hidden,…

Bluebirds and blue jays are two blue-feathered birds that live in North America. While these songbirds are both blue, they have many differences that make them easy to tell apart.  This article focuses on 9 major differences between bluebirds vs blue jays. At the end of the article, you’ll learn a little more about each species. 9 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLUEBIRDS VS BLUE JAYS From plumage patterns to diet to the sounds they make, these two birds have many differences that make each unique. While this isn’t every single difference between the two, this list of 9 differences between bluebirds vs blue jays should…

Another alignment milestone has been reached, and the telescope is outperforming expectations. In early February, NASA engineers began to remotely align the 18 hexagonal segments of the James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror, which had been folded away for launch. The goal of this meticulous, three-month-long process is to perfectly position the mirror segments relative to each other, creating a single, smooth, 6.5-meter-wide surface that can gather and focus light from the distant cosmos. You may recall earlier snapshots that marked previous milestones. For example, the second of seven milestones was punctuated with a shot taken before the mirrors were…

Warp drives: Physicists investigate faster-than-light space travel If humanity wants to travel between stars, people are going to need to travel faster than light. New research suggests that it might be possible to build warp drives and beat the galactic speed limit. Faster than light travel is the only way humans could ever get to other stars in a reasonable amount of time.Les Bossinas/NASA/Wikimedia Commons The closest star to Earth is Proxima Centauri. It is about 4.25 light-years away, or about 25 trillion miles (40 trillion kilometers). The fastest ever spacecraft, the now- in-space Parker Solar Probe will reach a top speed…

Why does Mercury have such a large core?Mercury’s metallic core makes up more than 80 percent of planet’s diameter. No other inner solar system planet compares. The solar system’s four terrestrial planets each holds a metallic interior, but Mercury is the oddball — its core spans more than 80 percent of the innermost world’s width. // Astronomy: Roen Kelly, after NASA Why does Mercury have such a large core? One of the enduring enigmas of Mercury is why such a small planet, roughly 38 percent of Earth’s diameter, is so dense. Thanks to Mariner 10’s 1974–5 flybys of the innermost world…

Roman Lead Sarcophagus Accidentally Found In Granada When archaeologists began exploring underneath a building in Granada, in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, they weren’t expecting to find anything of importance. After all, they were just completing a standard prospection of the Villamena building, as required for any planned underground work in the city to rule out the existence of historic remains. The survey was going ahead as planned. They found a few remains from the Christian era and from the days of Muslim rule, but nothing truly relevant. But before finishing the work, they decided to explore a little…