Image courtesy of NASA.

SOLAR ALERT. As you probably realize, the earth's magnetic field protects us from dangerous, life threatening, high-energy eruptions from our sun. What you may not realize is that we have recently discovered that the field strength of this protective field around our planet has deteriorated by almost 15 percent from its normal strength.

Some scientists believe that this may be a precursor phenomenon to a flip-flop reversal of the lines of magnetic force around our planet. If this happens, bird migrations, satellites, power grids, compass settings, and so much more will be negatively impacted. Also, during such a transition, the earth may not be expected to have the important, protective magnetic field to protect us from the full destructive force of solar flair and other high-energy eruptions.

Evidence suggests that this sort of pole reversal has happened several times before, but what can make this a major catastrophe at this time is the fact that we are experiencing a significant amount of unscheduled turbulence from our sun. For a second time in recent months, we are having major solar storms and eruptions that pelt our planet with very dangerous, high-energy emissions.

So far, we still have enough strength in our magnetic field to deflect these dangerous rays. However, if these unusually strong solar disturbances continue during a magnetic reversal and temporarily severe weakening of our protective field, much if not all life on earth could be in serious jeopardy.

Does this mean we should go hide somewhere and hope for the best? Not really. No one is absolutely sure that this sort of magnetic field reversal is actually about to take place. It may not be about to happen and, even if it is about to happen, no one has any idea how long the process will take.

Also, no one has any real understanding about the unusual solar activity going on at this time. We just don't know if this is just a minor, temporary instability that will soon pass, or if this is the beginning of a major change in our sun.

There are just too many unknowns that we are facing at this time. What we need to do is to encourage our governments and our scientists to do all that they can to try and understand what is actually going on. That is always the first thing that needs to be done.

Additional information can be obtained at ---

Photograph of Earth taken from the moon by the Apollo 7 crew in December, 1972.

Just a few years ago, two compact lumps of very strange matter zipped right through our planet at a very high speed, and without a notable interaction with ordinary matter. These lumps were tiny bits of matter that did leave a wake of waves in the earthquake records all over the Earth.

This is what scientists of Southern Methodist University believe they have discovered. They also feel the evidence is very strong that suggest these bits of matter were "quarks," the tiny fundamental building blocks of all matter.

They are believed to form the protons and the neutrons in the nucleus of the atom. They are believed to be what makes atoms possible, which combine to make molecules, which made you and me and all the matter that is around us.

This possible discovery comes on the heels of another recent find, that two stars may have now been located that are made up of nothing but this strange quark matter. (See more details of this on the "New Matter Discovered" page of this site.)

The time of the Earth passage is calculated to have been in the Autumn of 1993. It is also believed to have happened many times before. It is expected to happen again.

-- T.D.N.

Target Earth!

Geological records show us that the Earth has been hit millions of times in the life of the planet and that a few of the impacts have been devastating. They killed off most of the life on Earth. Now, for the first time, we are examining the possibilities of another such impact.

Our new ability to track orbits of space objects ahead in time over a period of many years, offers us the opportunity to detect such a possible impact well in advance. This will allow for deflections that, at great distances, are a reasonable possibility. At near distances, one might be limited to little more than waving good-bye.

In a recent issue of the "Science" journal, astronomers are now saying that they have carefully examined the trajectory of the asteroid "1950 DA" and have determined that there is the possibility (a small one) of an impact with the Earth.

The asteroid is approx. two-thirds of a mile across. It is big enough to cause a worldwide disaster. So, you'd better get ready?

Of course you will have a little time to prepare for the calamity. If there should be an impact with our planet (and there is a good chance it will miss us), the event is not expected until March 16, 2880.

I believe that is around 900 years from now, if I'm not mistaken, so you do have a reasonable time to get your affairs in order.

-- T.D.N.

Graphic depiction by NASA.

Asteroid expert Ben Peiser (at John Moore's University in Liverpool, England) has announced that a very massive asteroid (over 1.2 miles wide) might be on a collision course with our Earth.

If the collision actually occurs, it will be in the near future, probably on Feb. 1, 2019. However, the final trajectory is not all that certain. There is a good chance it will miss us altogether.

The problem is that we just don't know for sure, one way or the other. And the experts tell us, if it isn't this one, it will be another one sooner or later.

Possible impact objects are being monitored and will continue to be watched. Hopefully, we will know of pending impacts well in advance and will be able to launch deflecting missiles.

Going Into Space

We are finding that there are a number of short-term and some very important long-term hazards for humans in space, that must be overcome if we are to personally explore our solar system and beyond.

Some of the serious problems include:

The weakening of bones, caused by weightlessness.

The development of cataracts from increased radiation.

Serious cancer risks from high radiation doses.

Bone fractures from muscle/bone imbalance.

Genetic defects in descendants due to radiation.

It has also been discovered that there are psychological stresses that must be considered on long missions and other interactive difficulties. All of these things are of grave concern to our scientists.

-- T.D.N.

Is there a space fungus

among us?

When the "Mir" Space Station plunged into the South Pacific Ocean, it brought along an unwanted space passenger.

For approx. 15 years, a mutant space fungi has been festering away in air ducts and behind control panels on the Russian space station. Their expert on such matters, Yuri Karash, warns that these microorganisms have developed strange and aggressive forms.

--- Tal D. Noble