A UK-led mission is set to solve one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries: Is there life in Venus’ clouds? Scientists plan to send a probe to search for microbial life in the planet’s atmosphere, where recent discoveries of phosphine and ammonia—gases often linked to biological activity on Earth—have sparked debate. Venus’ surface is hellish, with crushing pressure, 450°C (842°F) heat, and a toxic atmosphere. But about 31 miles (50 km) up, temperatures drop to a more habitable 30–70°C (86–158°F). Researchers suggest extremophile microbes, like those in Earth’s deepest oceans, could survive there—and might explain the mysterious gases. “Our latest data has found more evidence of ammonia on Venus, with the potential for it to exist in the habitable parts of the planet’s clouds,” said Jane Greaves, an astronomer at Cardiff University. “There are no known chemical processes for the production of either ammonia or phosphine, so the only way to know for sure what is responsible for them is to go there.” The mission, VERVE (Venus Explorer for Reduced Vapours in the Environment), will hitch a ride on the ESA’s EnVision orbiter in 2031. A small CubeSat probe will detach to study Venus’ atmosphere, mapping phosphine, ammonia, and other gases that could hint at life. The phosphine mystery began in 2020, when scientists first detected it—but later studies couldn’t confirm it. Then, the JCMT–Venus project found the gas only appears at night, as sunlight destroys it. Levels also fluctuate, deepening the puzzle. Last year, researchers also reported ammonia in Venus’ clouds, another potential biosignature. While skeptics argue non-biological processes could produce these gases, no known Venusian chemistry explains them. “If it’s not life, we’ve got a lot of new physics to figure out,” one researcher joked. The VERVE team hopes to finally answer whether Venus’ clouds harbor life—or if the gases have a stranger, unknown origin. Either way, the mission could rewrite our understanding of life’s potential in the universe. The post Is There Life in Venus’ Clouds? UK Mission Aims to Find Out appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Timothy W. Hogan (Credit: Youtube)A leader of a modern Knights Templar order claims that the bones of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and John the Baptist are secretly stored in vaults in the US. Timothy W. Hogan, Grand Master of the order, made these claims on the Danny Jones Podcast, alleging the Templars smuggled the relics from Jerusalem to protect them from the Vatican. Hogan said the remains were originally found in the Talpiot Tomb in East Jerusalem, discovered in 1980. Archaeologists uncovered ossuaries, including one inscribed “Yeshua bar Yehosef” (“Jesus, son of Joseph”). Hogan claims the Templars moved the bones to prevent the Vatican from suppressing them. “When the tomb was originally discovered, with ossuaries labeled with the names Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and John the Baptist, it was understood that if the remains were turned over to the Vatican, they would vanish,” he said. “The Church would have buried the story because it contradicts their doctrine.” The Knights Templar, a medieval order disbanded in 1312, are often tied to conspiracy theories. Hogan insists DNA testing could soon verify the remains, matching bone fragments from the tomb with historical records. “This isn’t something we’re trying to hide,” he said. “We’ve just been trying to protect it.” Hogan says there were originally seven vaults, now consolidated into two in the American Northwest. “Inside them are the six Arks we acquired, as well as several different ossuaries containing the bones believed to belong to Jesus, Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist, and their children,” he claimed. He also mentioned a Templar vault in Istanbul, now under Turkish Antiquities’ care. The Vatican allegedly knows about the vaults but not their US locations. Hogan warned that if the relics were seized, they “would disappear,” as they contradict the doctrine of Jesus’ physical resurrection. “If these had been turned over to the Pope, they would have been made to vanish,” he insisted. Hogan admits no DNA tests have been done yet but says the order plans to conduct them. “Certain fragments recently recovered from the Talpiot Tomb could be used to make a match,” he said. He also presented controversial claims about Jesus’ family, saying Mary Magdalene first married John the Baptist, then Jesus, and they had children. Mainstream scholars reject these ideas, citing no historical or genetic evidence. The post Knights Templar Leader Claims Jesus’ Bones Are Hidden in US Vaults appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Is That a Crawling Ghost?