For some reason climate change is still being debated in some circles. This may be because we live in a world where people just want to argue about literally everything no matter what it is or even why.  For the purposes of our question today we’re going to take it as a fact that climate change is a real thing, and it’s going to have real consequences for you and me and everything else in the world.

Accepting climate change is a fact is one thing, but understanding what it means is quite another. People aren’t wrong when they say that the Earth has gone through periods of climate change in the past. We’ve had at least five ice ages, we’ve had periods of warming, and there’s still life on earth. Does that mean we could weather a serious climate change with little difficulty? How much climate change is too much? And, most seriously, is it possible climate change could wipe out humanity?

Those are some weighty questions and since it’s all speculative, we can’t be one hundred percent sure. But we can rely on what some experts think!

Climate vs Weather

One thing to remember is a thing deniers over overlook intentionally or otherwise. Just because it’s cold one day doesn’t mean climate change isn’t real. Climate refers to average conditions over a longer period. 

If the temperature on November 1st is below freezing and that’s not normal, you can go online and arrogantly say “pfft, so much for climate change” but it misses the big picture of the fact it’s actually abnormal to be freezing on November 1. It also disregards that maybe June 1 was 10 degrees hotter than it has ever been in history. These are trends, not individual instances. 

Too many people think of climate change like it’s the money in their wallet. “Hey look, I have $100, that’s awesome!” But their bank account is overdrawn and they’re actually $1,000 in debt. That $100 is weather. The debt is climate change. Big picture stuff!

Global Temperature Trends

If you’re still not 100% sure about climate change we can look at global temperature trends. Have there been warmer days in the past? Absolutely. But remember, we’re looking at trends. 

Global records of temperature began in 1850, and we’ve been recording temperatures since then. As of the beginning of 2024, 2023 was the warmest year on record. It was 1.18 C above the 20th century average. These aren’t big numbers we’re dealing with across the board and that’s why we can get a freak snowstorm in late April 2023 when Spring is supposed to be springing and still experience the warmest year on record. Because later that same year, over 2,700 people in the US died and had heat-related complications listed on their death certificates. That’s a record for heat related deaths and shows that people need to focus beyond one random cold day to argue against warming temperatures when there are too many random hot days pushing the mercury in the other direction throughout the year.

The ten warmest years in recorded history were all in the past decade. That means every year is now one of the warmest years in recorded history as of 2014. It just keeps getting worse. As of November 2024 was on track to become the new warmest year on record. 

By 2030, temperatures are expected to be 1.9 C to 2.7 C higher. This temperature increase has been attributed to countries like China which have seen swiftly rising emissions from fossil fuel burning over the last years. While their use is hitting a plateau, it also rose faster than anticipated. 

Likewise, there is a fear that the US government may abandon any promises it made to stem emissions and combat climate change, which could see further increases across the board.

How Hot is the World Getting?

In 2016 the Paris Agreement was signed and ratified by 55 countries that agreed to reduce greenhouse emissions in order to prevent global temperatures from rising by 1.5 C above pre-Industrial levels by 2030. However, 2024 is already on track to have hit that 1.5 C marker. It’s believed this trend will continue for at least one of the next five years. In the year 2015  it was believed there was a 0% chance this would happen. Now it’s at about an 80% chance.

Since 1980, the number of places in the world that experience extreme heat events has increased 50 times. We’re not trending in a good direction.

Why 1.5C?

The 1.5 C mark didn’t come out of nowhere. There has been serious study about the potential effects of long-term global heating. So, if 2024 was 1.5 above pre-industrial levels it doesn’t necessarily mean that the world is ending. The problem is, if those temperatures are sustained over some decades. If we can’t decrease the temperature, and 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial becomes the norm then there are various ecosystems and regions on the earth that will not be able to sustain their current conditions. Basically, we’re talking about creating deserts and destroying farmland, forests, that sort of thing.

Some people who sound fairly educated on the topic will argue that climate change is not a thing to worry about because it’s a natural part of Earth’s history. So why not take a look at some of their statements and why they may not be as accurate as climate change deniers think? 

Climate Denial Arguments

If you ever get into a debate online with a climate skeptic, they will probably bring up the idea that the Earth’s climate has changed many times over history. We already mentioned ice ages and periods of warming and yes, the earth’s climate has changed many, many times in the 4 billion years this planet has been here. But that isn’t the full story.

To say there’s no need to worry because greenhouse gasses have spiked throughout history is to overlook what happened next, not to mention the fact we’re making it happen faster than it ever did naturally.  

These spikes have been followed by massive ecosystem changes, species extinctions, and ice ages. The effects are long term but they are fairly consistent. Humans only focused on the next ten years won’t see or maybe even care about these longer-term effects, but history shows they are real. 

Some people will also try to claim there is dissension in the science, that not all experts agree on climate change. And sure, not all experts agree, but some people will argue that the earth is flat, that doesn’t mean there’s any real debate among scientists. According to NASA, 97% of scientists still working in the field agree humans are causing climate change. 

There have been stories published in the media about how climate change could have benefits like nicer, milder days in places like Canada. Again, that’s true. Canadians won’t have to endure as many harsh winters, but it kind of overlooks the bigger picture. 

The consequences of climate change include things like those 2,700 deaths that we mentioned earlier. Also increased tornado activity, floods, droughts, loss of crops, species extinction, ecosystem destruction and so on.  It’s even directly linked to modern slavery where those affected by climate disasters are forced into poverty and slavery to survive. So sure, you might get to enjoy a green Christmas, but when July comes around, maybe a whole town full of people on the other side of the world die because it’s over 50° C.

Trying to find a silver lining in climate change is a fool’s errand at best. It’s believed the total cost to the global economy could be around $23 trillion by 2050.

How Hot Would The World Need to Get to Be Unlivable?

So, let’s say we all agree that climate change is happening, humans are causing it, and it’s not a good scene. There are various ways to interpret that last part. We know that we’re causing the extinction of various species, serious weather events are becoming more common, and human lives are being lost as a result. But at what point does it become untenable? How hot does the world need to get before all of us are hurtling towards certain doom?

We don’t need to hunt down isolated stories of heat related deaths; they happen regularly around the world. In 2024, over 1,000 people died when temperatures hit 52° C during the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. In Europe, about 47,000 deaths were linked to heat extremes. It’s already happening.

Research has shown that humans can only endure 31°C at 100% humidity before they can no longer regulate their temperature. That’s for young, healthy people. If you’re older or suffer any health conditions, it’s going to be lower. That means you need help to lower your temperature if it gets to that point because you can’t do it on your own, and you’ll suffer consequences including heat stroke and potentially death.

You need to remember when you look at these temperature figures that the humidity is what really causes the problem. If you live in a dry climate like Arizona, you can handle higher temperatures because you’re going to sweat and cool yourself down. If Arizona’s hottest day came with 100% humidity, you’re not sweating anything away. You’d have to endure that heat in all its glory and that could be lethal.

This temperature/humidity rating is also very subjective. If identical twins are in the same place at the same temperature, but one has been working all day, that one is going to fall victim to heat stroke sooner, and at a lower temperature or humidity. As global temperatures rise, larger areas fall into this zone for longer periods of time, making it impossible for some people to survive. 

If we hit 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels, then 2.2 billion people in the Indus River Valley throughout India and Pakistan, another billion in China and 800 million in Sub-Saharan Africa will be in that intolerable zone for extended periods every year. Add that up and that’s four billion people, or half of the entire world. 

If we reach 3 C, you can expect those same conditions in the US all along the east coast and as far inland as Chicago. South America and Australia would endure the same. We’re expecting to reach that 3° by the year 2100 if we can’t turn climate change around. If we even hit 2 degrees higher by then, it’s been predicted that as many as one billion lives will be lost as a result. 

If temperatures get to a consistent point between 40 C and 50 C then many species, humans included, will be unable to survive. That’s an extremely unlikely outcome on a global scale, thankfully, but it may happen in some isolated areas that will force populations to flee as a result. 

Keep in mind, it’s not just the heat that we need to worry about. Melting ice causes the sea level to rise which swallows coastal cities. More hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and droughts all contribute as well.

Can Humanity Survive Global Warming?

That 1 billion deaths figure that we say that earlier is an outlier. That’s the extreme end. Some predictions are as low as 40 million. That’s like all of Canada dying, or both Michigan and Texas going out together. Now take a moment to appreciate the fact that you just heard us refer to 40 million deaths as the low end of things. That’s the best-case scenario kind of outcome and that is absolutely horrifying. 

In general, few climate scientists think that climate change is going to wipe humanity off the map, but it’s also something we shouldn’t rule out entirely. We will probably endure this and we will adapt. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be pretty, there won’t be severe consequences, and we won’t lose a lot of people along the way. It’s going to be ugly.

What we’re going to see is mass migrations to survive climate change. People who live on islands are going to be forced to flee because, as sea levels rise, islands will disappear. Tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, of people are going to have to migrate out of the extreme temperature zones that are no longer fit for human life. 

Crops are going to have to be adapted to prevent starvation and farmers will need to switch to new ones in certain places. Growing seasons will change, availability of water will change, or a dozen other factors affecting agriculture will need to be addressed all around the world.

Climate change has happened, is happening and will continue to happen. How bad it gets is only something we can guess, but here’s hoping we continue on a path towards preventing as much damage as we can.

Look, up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No . . . it is the Moon!

The Moon has been an intrinsic part of human culture from its beginnings. Since the first humans began to make art in caves, the Moon was already a special element of their paintings. And it sure is still special for us today. As our closest cosmic companion, humans have shared millennia of evolution with the Moon in many ways.

But we do not usually stop to think about what would happen if the Moon had never accompanied us. What if the Moon had never existed or if it disappeared today? Could we expect things on our planet to stay the same?

In fact, we are about to see that everything that makes the Earth special could be lost in the absence of such a dusty rock orbiting us.

10 Earth’s Seasons Would Become Crazy

While the Earth revolves around the Sun, it also rotates on its own axis, which turns out to be tilted. Currently, the rotation axis of the Earth is inclined about 23.4 degrees, a value that does not change during the year.

As a result, in a certain part of the year, the northern hemisphere is more oriented toward the Sun than the southern one is. Six months later, when the Earth is on the opposite side of its orbit around the Sun, the southern hemisphere is now the one facing toward the star. In this way, both hemispheres of the Earth receive different amounts of sunlight and heat according to the time of year in what we know as annual seasons.

The reason why the Earth is tilted on its axis goes back to its formation 4.5 billion years ago. When the early version of the Earth collided with another planetary body, its rotation axis inclined drastically. Then, the attraction of the Moon stabilized this inclination to the current one, with small fluctuations over the span of millennia.

So, what would happen if the Moon did not exist?

Well, some experts believe that the Earth would tilt up to 85 degrees more than now. Others are more modest and assume that this inclination could be up to 20 degrees. Either way, the Earth’s axis would tilt so much that the poles would be exposed to the Sun, melting their ice caps and triggering extreme climatic shifts. In fact, a change of only one degree in the inclination of our planet’s axis is enough to cause ice ages.^[1]

9 The Oceans Would Come Down

Among the best-known effects that the Moon produces on Earth are ocean tides. Together with the Sun, the Moon is responsible for increasing and decreasing the level of our seas several times a day. As the Moon revolves around the Earth, the former’s gravity pulls the oceans toward it and thus high tides are created.

In essence, the closer the Moon is, the higher the tides. To get an idea of the power of the Moon over the oceans, the maximum height difference between low and high tides can be as much as 16 meters (52 ft).

If the Moon were not there to cause this effect, ocean tides would be significantly reduced. There would still be tides because the gravitational force of the Sun also does its part over the Earth’s water, although its attraction is less than that of the Moon.^[2]

In short, the tides would be reduced to one-third of their current size and the oceans would become much calmer. The sea level would also be affected. Without the gravity of the Moon, the oceanic water would be redistributed uniformly across the entire surface of the Earth. Therefore, the sea level at the poles would increase drastically.

8 Say Goodbye To Any Other Moon

Earth’s gravitational pull influences the height at which our spacecraft orbit the planet. For this reason, some structures in low orbits—such as the International Space Station—must make periodic corrections in their course to avoid falling into Earth’s atmosphere.

However, there are points in space with a perfect balance between the gravity of the Earth and that of the Moon. Anything within these points will remain relatively stationary with respect to both celestial bodies. Neither the Earth nor the Moon will be able to attract the object until it falls to any of their surfaces. These are the Lagrange points.

In 2018, Hungarian astronomers discovered that at two of those points—L4 and L5—there are huge clouds of interplanetary dust orbiting Earth with a size up to nine times larger than our planet. In addition, another study states that Lagrange points could momentarily capture small asteroids, which become temporary “mini-moons” of the Earth before resuming their journeys.^[3]

If there were no Moon, the Lagrange points shared with Earth would also disappear. The dust clouds trapped there would just disperse, ultimately intersecting Earth or being blown away by the solar wind and the gravity of other planets. In the case of the asteroids, the lack of the Moon would make these objects keep crossing outer space in an unaltered trajectory until impacting with a larger body—perhaps our own world.

7 How About Much Shorter Days?

One of the things that makes our planet so habitable is its rotation time. Currently, Earth completes one revolution every 24 hours—specifically, 23 hours and 56 minutes. This allows the planet to have a pleasant climate for life because all its surface has enough time to warm and cool according to the moment. But this was not always the case. Scientists are now convinced that Earth’s days were much shorter millions of years ago.

When the Earth and the Moon formed 4.5 billion years ago, the planet was spinning so fast that the day only lasted four hours.^[4] During the time when dinosaurs roamed Earth, the day already lasted 23 hours. And on June 30, 2012, clocks around the world had to mark an extra second before 00:00 to keep pace with the longer days.

The cause of this delay is nothing less than, you guessed it, the Moon. It happens that the gravity of the Moon exerts friction forces on the Earth itself and slows down the planet’s rotation two milliseconds every 100 years. As the Moon keeps moving away from Earth—at a current rate of 3.82 centimeters (1.5 in) per year—our world loses rotational energy and slows down its spin.

If the Moon had not existed from the beginning, we could expect the days to be several hours shorter than they are today. If the Moon disappeared now, the days would remain almost unchanged at about 24 hours long. But if everything remains the same as it has been so far, the days will last 25 hours in about 180 million years.

6 Forget About Plate Tectonics

By this point, we are already clear that the Moon’s gravity exerts great effects on the natural processes of the Earth. For example, we saw that the Moon causes the ocean tides. But the Moon is so powerful over our world that it also produces tides on solid ground—something we know as Earth tides.

Earth tides are fluctuations in the relative height of the Earth’s crust at a daily frequency similar to that of ocean tides. As the Moon constantly pulls the surface of the Earth, the ground beneath us can rise up to 30 centimeters (12 in) at a given time of day. This is due to the elasticity of the Earth’s crust, which has fissures that allow large landmasses—the tectonic plates—to move.

Speaking of tectonic plates, what would happen to them if there were no Moon?

It is believed that the Moon originated after the Earth lost much of its primordial crust during an interplanetary collision. If the Moon had never been formed, all that crust would have remained on Earth, filling in the gaps in which the oceans lie today.^[5]

The Earth would not have tectonic plates because there would be no space for them to move. In addition, the Earth’s surface would be made of a single piece, which would prevent the processes needed to form mountains. That is right. There would be no mountains on our planet except for some scattered volcanoes. Assuming there was still some ocean on Earth, the water would cover the entire surface of the planet.

Some studies indicate that Earth tides are related to the occurrence of small earthquakes. There is a possibility that weak earthquakes occur when the stress in the crust caused by the attraction of the Moon is high. So, in the event that the Moon disappeared today and Earth tides were reduced considerably, so would the frequency of such tremors.

5 We’d Lose A Shield Against Unwanted Space Rocks

Today, we know that the Earth is bombarded by small meteoroids at a higher frequency than previously thought. The number of meteoric impacts on our planet has tripled during the last 290 million years to the point that 33 tons of space debris fall to Earth every day. Due to their size, most of these rocks burn completely in the Earth’s atmosphere. However, without the presence of the Moon, the impact rate could be much higher, making the Earth a fairly hostile place.

The Moon is almost 3,500 kilometers (2,175 mi) in diameter—about 27 percent of the Earth’s diameter. Thanks to its large size, the Moon has served as a protection for Earth in times of cosmic adversity.^[6]

During the planet’s early days, the Moon attracted to itself a large part of the interplanetary debris and asteroids wandering in this area of the solar system. Had our natural companion not existed, the neighborhood of Earth would have been like a minefield too dangerous for the development of life.

Even today, the Moon is still like a small shield that protects us from meteoric impacts. Studies show that the gravity of the Moon helps to prevent more asteroid collisions with the Earth than it causes.

And how much is that?

Well, just between 2005 and 2013, NASA detected more than 300 impacts on the lunar surface. This means that in the absence of the Moon, hundreds of such bodies could have ended up impacting us. So, in that sense, it is hard to imagine Earth without its Moon.

4 No More Moon, No More Gold

Gold, platinum, palladium, iridium. These metallic elements have proved extremely valuable to our civilization. We have used them in all kinds of inventions—from cars and spaceships to electronics and jewelry. But again, it is likely that we would not have such materials without the Moon.

Why?

To understand it, we must go a little deeper into the facts surrounding the formation of the Moon. About 4.5 billion years ago, a rock the size of Mars—which scientists have called Theia—hit squarely against the hot, molten surface of early Earth.

Both the outer layer of Theia and part of the Earth’s mantle were ejected into space, agglomerating in Earth’s orbit to form the Moon. However, the core of Theia stayed here on Earth and the metals that composed Theia became part of our planet.

If the Moon had never formed, the concentration of precious metals in the Earth’s mantle would be much lower. It happens that metals like gold and platinum tend to be attracted to iron. On a molten planet like the Earth was at first, these metals would have sunk until they reached the iron core. They would have been trapped there forever once the core began to cool.

But thanks to the formation of the Moon after an interplanetary impact, abundant amounts of metallic elements were scattered in the Earth’s mantle. There they waited until seismic activity dragged them to the surface and to us.^[7]

3 Earth’s Magnetic Bubble Would Be Switched Off Forever

Earth’s magnetic field (aka magnetosphere) is essential for the development of life on this planet. Such a magnetic bubble surrounds the Earth and constantly protects it from solar wind, a flow of charged particles that come from the Sun with the power to destroy our atmosphere. But the magnetosphere also protects us because it prevents life from being bombarded by harmful cosmic and solar radiation.

The magnetosphere exists due to something known as the geodynamo, which is the rotary motion of the molten iron core of the Earth. Such a movement of the internal magnetic metals causes the magnetosphere to remain strong.

This geodynamo exists thanks to the tidal forces that the Moon exerts on the Earth. As the Moon flattens and stretches the inner layers of the Earth with its gravitational force, enough energy is generated to keep the planet’s core hot and moving.

If we did not have the Moon and its exchange of rotational energy, the Earth’s core would stop moving and then it would solidify. With the geodynamo lost, the magnetosphere of the planet would vanish, allowing the solar wind to devour the atmosphere completely. Without an atmosphere, every water reservoir on the Earth’s surface would evaporate and solar radiation would turn our world into a barren desert.

In fact, this description can be perfectly applied to what happened with Mars. Having been like Earth once, Mars lost its magnetosphere 4.2 billion years ago, becoming the scorched, red rock it is today.^[8]

2 Warning: Wild Weather

If there were no Moon, the weather patterns on Earth would go crazy. Of course, this assumes that the Earth still had an atmosphere. First, the destabilization of the Earth’s axis due to the lack of the Moon would cause extreme changes in global temperatures.

As the poles would remain longer under the Sun’s heat, the surrounding oceans could reach a temperature of at least 47 degrees Celsius (116 °F). Meanwhile, the areas at the equator would suffer from glaciations.

The phases of the Moon in the sky also affect the rainfall of a region. When the Moon is overhead, the atmospheric pressure and the air temperature increase, which translates into less rainfall for that place. If the Moon did not exist, we could expect more rain. But the effect caused by the Moon is so minimal that the increase in rainfall would be only 1 percent.

In addition, we know that planets with a faster rotation also have stronger winds. For example, a day on Jupiter lasts about 10 hours and its winds are 160–320 kilometers per hour (100–200 mph).

Meanwhile, Saturn completes a rotation in about 10.5 hours, having winds that can reach 1,800 kilometers per hour (1,118 mph). And as we discussed earlier, without the Moon, the Earth would rotate faster, with days that could essentially last several hours less.

Under these conditions and despite the obvious differences between planets (such as Earth and Jupiter in terms of size and composition), the winds on our planet could reach 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph) on any day. Hurricanes would have even stronger winds with a greater destructive force.^[9]

1 It Would Be A World Devoid Of Intelligent Life

Despite everything we’ve already discussed, we have not delved into the fact that complex life on Earth might not exist at all without a moon to take care of us. Without the Moon, the Earth would have been hit by a greater number of large asteroids and planetary bodies. Under this scenario, life would have had a hard time trying to exist, which means a lower probability that living beings would have become more complex over time.

It is believed that the stabilization of the Earth’s axis provided by the Moon, combined with continental drift, allowed the emergence of many different ecosystems across the planet. These ecosystems, which were more complex than those at the time of the dinosaurs, contributed to the emergence of mammals and, ultimately, of humans. So, had the Moon never existed, beings like us would also have had a lower probability of coming into existence.^[10]

But it is possible that not even life as we know it would have appeared on Earth if the Moon had not helped. We know that life originated in the primordial oceans where molecules merged to form nucleic acids, the elementary building blocks of life. Without the gravitational pull of the Moon, there would not have been enough salt concentrations in the seawater for such life-making chemistry to have taken place.

As the Moon controls tides on Earth and the tides transport the minerals needed for the subsistence of marine life, it is difficult to imagine life in the oceans without our natural satellite making it possible. It is also worth mentioning that without the Earth’s magnetosphere, for which the Moon is largely responsible, solar radiation would break down the oceans, erasing all chance of vital chemical processes arising there.

That is why, when looking for habitable worlds in other regions of the galaxy, scientists focus on finding planets with large moons that allow the development of life.

Brian is an economy student, graphic artist, science enthusiast, and founder of A Strange Place Called Knowledge. You can reach his site at https://strange-knowledge.com/.

We know people have wanted to journey to the center of the Earth since at least 1864 when Jules Verne published Journey to the Center of the Earth. Likely it was a curiosity for at least a few years before that. But the practicality of digging your way to the planet’s center is not as easy as you might think. We went to the moon, but we haven’t gone to the Earth’s core, and that’s kind of impressive. 

It’s 3,959 miles to the center of the Earth, though that obviously varies a bit depending on your starting point. It’s 3,963 miles at the equator and 3,949 miles at the north pole. Thank the rotation of the earth making it not exactly a perfect sphere for the variation. 

As a concept, it’s not difficult to wrap your head around the idea of digging a hole to the center of the Earth. In modern times you can imagine that we might use a giant drilling machine. But digging mine shafts is a remarkably old human innovation. The ancient Egyptians were mining gold as far back as 4,000 years ago.

The Egyptians pioneered shaft-sinking technology. Later cultures like the Greeks, the Persians, and the Romans all borrowed these techniques from the Egyptians for their own mining. It was horribly unsafe work and mostly was forced upon criminals because nobody cared if they died in the process. It was only years later, when forced labor was harder to come by, that safety conditions improved.

Simpler mines are much, much older than what the Egyptians made. The oldest known mine dates back to 43,000 BC in Africa. Suffice it to say that humans have been digging holes in search of stuff for a very long time.

Despite the amount of time we have spent digging holes, digging exceptionally deep holes is a very different thing. The deeper you dig, the more dangerous it gets. There are a lot of reasons why digging to the center of the Earth is not something you can do by just taking a shovel into the yard. But modern technology is pretty amazing. So if someone wanted you right now, could they get to the center of the earth? And how close have we gotten already? Let’s take a look.

What’s in the Center?

The center of the Earth is a sphere of mostly iron that has a radius of 758 miles. It’s over 5,000 degrees Celsius and under immense pressure, which we’ll touch on later. Despite the fact the core is incredibly hot, it’s not liquid. Though iron melts at about 1,500 degrees C, the pressure in the center of the earth keeps it solid. 

The core is under so much pressure and is crushed so densely that the atoms of iron cannot freely move about in a liquid state despite the temperature. Instead, they simply switch places back and forth with neighboring atoms in a very tight-knit little dance. 

Some research suggests the core is not a solid or even plasma but a superionic substance that exists in a state between liquid and solid. 

The various layers of the Earth, from the inner core to the outer core, to the mantle and crust, have been determined not through drilling but through seismology. The study of earthquakes has allowed scientists to determine what lies below us. We can analyze seismic waves and determine how they travel similar to watching light waves or listening to sound waves. They’ve been likened to using X-rays to see internal body structures. The study lets us know how much of the earth’s interior is solid, how much is liquid, how dense it must be, and so on. 

As this technology improves we’ve come to learn that the interior of the earth is far more complex than those four basic layers we’ve all been taught about. The mantle, for instance, has numerous transitions within it. There are even mountain ranges in the mantle, with peaks that nearly dwarf Everest. 

The Deepest We’ve Gone

As of 2024, the deepest humans have ever been able to drill into the Earth was at the Kola Superdeep Borehole. Drilled into the Kola Peninsula in the Russian Arctic, this hole blew away anything else we have attempted before. The project was started by the Soviet Union in 1970 and continued all the way to 1992. 

The Kola Superdeep Borehole goes an astounding 40,230 feet into the earth. That works out to about 7.6 miles. Or 0.19% of the way to the center. That’s the best we’ve ever done. 

You may have read about the Al Shaheen oil rig being deeper but it’s actually not. The oil rig hole extends 40,318 feet, but it’s not down, so Kola is still deeper. By a considerable margin, in fact. The Sakhalin well in Russia is similar, reaching a length of 40,604 feet but not straight down like Kola. 

Part of the reason Kola was abandoned in 1992 was that the drilling team was dealing with temperatures around 180 Celsius or 356 Fahrenheit. They were expecting close to a hundred degrees cooler than that. At another hole in Germany, this one just 30,000 feet deep, the temperatures reached 500 F. 

Other projects have been conducted elsewhere around the world. The US dug a gas well in Oklahoma that reached six miles before it ran into molten sulfur and had to shut down. Project Mohole in the 1960s tried to drill from beneath the ocean but ran out of money. 

Is it Possible?

Sorry to bury the lede on this one, but essentially the answer is no. We can’t go to the center of the Earth. There are many issues when engaging in seriously deep drilling. One, which we already touched on, is heat. The deeper you go, the hotter it gets. 

Drilling equipment is built to handle the heat from friction, but if you have friction heat plus what you’re drilling is already up to 350 F or hotter, then you’re making the problem worse. Drilling equipment starts to break or melt. Especially when temperatures rise more than expected. Also, the rock has to deal with the heat. If the friction and pressure start to melt the rock, it becomes goopy and harder to drill into. This doesn’t even count for the outer core of the Earth which actually is molten iron and nickel. 

The center of the Earth is believed to be about 5,200 C or 9,300 F. If drills can’t manage to get down to a fraction of the depth without the heat disabling them, nothing we have created so far could ever withstand drilling to that depth and temperature.

As concerning as heat on par with the surface of the sun is pressure. Pressure at the center of the earth would be 3.5 million times what we experience on the surface. Again, no functional tool we have ever developed could hope to survive drilling into something like that. The buildup of this pressure also contributes to the holes collapsing on themselves and needs to constantly be balanced by pumping in fluid to balance it as well as temperatures. 

Instability plagued both the German KTB borehole and Kola. Ideally, the drill needs to be perfectly vertical to reduce torque, but this is incredibly hard to do. The deeper the drills go, the more unstable they can become and the more likely they are to break. Kola got stuck in a rock and couldn’t proceed any deeper which is what stopped the drill from continuing. 

By the time the KTB borehole was finished, the team had to pull back and start again several times after difficulty maintaining the borehole caused it to break down. Equipment broke and could not be retrieved so the drill had to be pulled back enough to try drilling down again. They ended up using a 6.5” drill bit when they could finally drill no more.

Both KTB and Kola also suffered funding losses. These were multi-million dollar projects. Kola had the unfortunate issue of being a Soviet project, meaning the end of the Soviet Union put a real monkey in that wrench. But KTB also could not secure funding to continue the work, it’s just too cost-prohibitive. 

The German government had spent $338 million by the time it was done. Kola was believed to have cost about $100 million. Adjust for inflation that’s about $253 million today.

One last concern is time. It took 15 years to drill the KTB borehole. It took 22 years to drill Kola. If Kola could continue at the same pace all the way to the center it would take just shy of 11,000 years. 

What Would Theoretically Happen?

Okay, so we just stomped all over the idea of getting to the center of the earth. But we’re not really drilling down there, we’re just talking about it, right? So what would happen if you could get there in theory?

Obviously, you’re going to have to deal with the things we’ve already discussed that have stopped progress so far – incredible heat and incredible pressure. But let’s pretend we have a nice, wide, stable hole all the way to the center. Jump in!

At about one kilometer, or 0.6 miles deep in this hole, the temperature will be over 45 C or 113 F, so you’re going to start suffering heat stroke. It’s only going to get worse from here and you’re 0.02% of the way there. You’ll hit boiling temperatures before two miles deep, so you’re going to want to bring a fan or some bottled water to stay cool.

At 30 miles deep you’d run into a magma problem. Yes, you’re already dead from the heat, but now you’re going to be totally reduced to soot. But let’s ignore that and keep going.

On the more fun side of things, if you can travel in a vacuum, after free-falling for a while you’d be hitting speeds of nearly 17,400 miles per hour. So it’s going to be a short trip! If you’re not in a vacuum, then you’re stuck at terminal velocity and, by the time you hit the center, gravity would even out and you’d be trapped in that sphere of 5,000-degree iron. 

At 3.6 million atmospheres of pressure, you can’t really exist anymore. Free divers can train themselves to handle 10 atmospheres of pressure in the water, but they do run the risk of permanent injury or death. Some people have managed to get to 30 atmospheres.

The Titan submersible which famously suffered a tragic accident and imploded on the way to the wreckage of the Titanic experienced up to 400 atmospheres. Needless to say, 3.6 million is almost impossible to comprehend.

If you’re in a hole or tube and it has air in it, all the air above you is pushing down creating air pressure unlike anything on the surface. Within 50 kilometers or 30 miles, you’d reach air pressure equal to the ocean floor.

Another issue is that you’re traveling faster than the hole you’re falling down. The earth is spinning, and that means the walls of your tunnel are going to smack into you until you are beaten to a pulp. Man, this hole can’t stop killing you, can it?

So, really, no matter how theoretical you get with it there’s no easy way to escape the myriad of horribly painful things that would happen to you if you tried to go to the center of the Earth. Maybe it’s a good thing we can’t get there. Unless, of course, laser drilling proves feasible someday.

Earth science is an umbrella term for the disciplines studying our world. They include geology, meteorology, and oceanography, to name a few.

Within these fields, researchers recently found things that should not be there, processes that work when they should not, and an epic global event that everyone missed. From NASA confusing mud to a time when Earth’s geology inexplicably quit, one can understand why scientists love taking samples of dirt.

10 Pele’s Hair

The 2018 eruption of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii had a beautiful side effect. Sprouting from the volcano were strands so thin and golden that they resembled hair. Indeed, the phenomenon is called “Pele’s hair.”

Named for the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire, the filaments are made of glass. They can be very dangerous. The ultrathin yarns often hitch a ride on the wind and end up in the drinking supplies of people and nearby cattle ranches.

Each stick also has a sharp point that can damage the soft tissues when picked up or swallowed. Contact with the strands also causes irritation and inflammation.^[1]

Pele’s hair forms when gas bubbles rise to the surface of lava and pop. The power of the burst flings the bubble’s skin through the air and stretches it in the process. The drawn-out bubble then turns into a glass filament. For all their grumpy characteristics, the golden strands cluster together in drifts that are several feet thick and the result is usually gorgeous.

9 The Arctic Craters

Every year, NASA flies over both polar regions in Operation IceBridge to measure changes in the ice. The crew that flew in 2018 found something that had never been seen before. While traveling over the eastern Beaufort Sea, they found holes in a thin layer of sea ice.

Seals often break through the ice to breathe or pull themselves onto its surface. Some scientists thought this was the case but changed their minds once they realized that the craters were too huge. The suggestion of a fragmented meteor strike also fell apart. Pieces of a meteor would have left the holes more widely dispersed.

Another sensible theory suggested that the warming Arctic water might have caused hot upwelling, but now the holes were too small. One hypothesis still sticks—that of whales punching breathing holes—but the phenomenon still lacks a detailed explanation.^[2]

8 Rare Death Valley Lake

The hottest place on the planet is aptly named Death Valley. This cork-dry desert stretches through Southern California inside the Death Valley National Park. Each year’s rainfall barely tops 5 centimeters (2 in), and temperatures as high as 57 degrees Celsius (134 °F) leave little moisture anywhere.

In 2019, something unusual showed up. A massive lake appeared near Salt Creek. Estimated to be around 16 kilometers (10 mi) long, the lake popped up after a storm. The rain spell was no deluge. It only sprinkled around 2.13 centimeters (0.84 in) of rain throughout the park. This is low compared to the rest of the country’s rainfall.

But Death Valley is the perfect place for a pop-up lake. The desert’s soil is so parched and compact that it cannot absorb water very well. This is the reason why a relatively mild storm could deposit a lake in the hottest spot in the world.^[3]

7 Africa’s Ice Stream

Around 300 million years ago, southern Africa looked very different. For example, Namibia was a vast glacial landscape, a far cry from the volcanic desert of today. One of its best-known features is steep hills called drumlins.

In 2019, researchers explored northern Namibia. They noticed telltale signs that the drumlins were not just hills but the remnants of an ice stream. The latter is a river that transports ice from the center of a glacier to its edge.

After analyzing the landscape’s shape and finding deep grooves in the rock, it became clear that a glacier once had a major artery in the area. In fact, this stream was so huge that it rivaled the major ice rivers of Antarctica today. It drained southern Africa’s ice cap, flowing 200 kilometers (124 mi) before emptying into a small sea.^[4]

This marine area would later become Brazil. The discovery also confirmed Africa’s position around 300 million years ago—it hugged South America above the South Pole.

6 Baffling Island Mud

In 2015, a submarine volcano pushed a new island to the surface. It breached near Tonga and was never named. NASA scientists landed in 2018 and discovered that they were not the first life to emerge there. They encountered plants, a barn owl, and sooty terns nesting everywhere.

The researchers were eager to explore what was only the third island to be born—and to last more than a few months—in the last 150 years. The nameless patch gave the team an opportunity to study how animals and plants colonize virgin territory. Instead, they encountered mud that defied explanation.

Satellite photos had previously picked up on the light-colored material, which could not be identified. Once on the ground, it turned out to be a claylike mud. The stuff was exceptionally sticky, all over the island, and lacked any clear origins.^[5]

The inexplicable goop was not the only surprise. Satellite imagery also showed what looked like dark sandy beaches. But when researchers arrived, the “sand” was pea-sized rocks that painfully bit into their shoes.

5 The Dragon Aurora

Earth’s spectacular auroras start with the Sun. When its magnetic field lines knot and burst, they create sunspots. In turn, the sunspots release charged particles. These particles hitch a ride on solar wind out into space.

If such an energy storm hits Earth, the particles collide with the planet’s magnetic field and zip through the atmosphere until they reach the poles. The breathtaking ribbons of light are the result of the solar particles interacting with atmospheric molecules from elements such as nitrogen and oxygen.

Early in 2019, Iceland lit up with an aurora that resembled a massive green dragon. Apart from the whimsical connection to a mythological beast, the light show confused NASA scientists. Breaking all the rules of how an aurora should form, the dragon appeared during a sunspot-free time. Even though there were no particles or stellar storm, the fantastic aurora remained for days.^[6]

4 Mysterious Island Rocks

The island of Anjouan is located between Madagascar and Africa’s east coast. As the entire island was spewed out by a volcano, all of Anjouan’s rocks should be basalt. In recent years, geologists wrung their hands over a mystery. The tropical island also had quartzite rocks. As in, everywhere.

That might sound normal, but it could not be more impossible. Volcanoes cannot produce quartzite, and the mineral should never be on a volcanic island. Anjouan goes against everything geology knows. The sheer number of the rocks, which were lighter colored than the dark basalt, deepened the mystery.

Then locals lent a hand and mentioned that quartzite streaked all the way up the island’s mountains. Researchers followed the trail and found the mother lode. It was a hill-sized area and the biggest clue.

The massive chunk suggested that a quartzite piece broke off Earth’s supercontinent when it separated millions of years ago. It sank to the ocean floor and got pushed back up when a volcanic ridge shoved Anjouan into existence about four million years ago.^[7]

3 Earth’s Strange Silence

Our planet is a noisy bug. It creaks and groans with geological processes. However, within the Palaeoproterozoic era (2.2 and 2.3 billion years ago), Earth went mysteriously quiet.

Some scientists believed that this lull never happened. But in 2018, a study gave more evidence that the globe’s geology went silent. Researchers examined rocks from China, Northern Canada, Western Australia, and Southern Africa.

The samples unanimously supported the suggestion that rock-forming processes went on holiday during the Palaeoproterozoic. For about 100 million years, Earth stayed dormant. The study showed that fewer volcanoes erupted, tectonic plates hardly moved, and sedimentation slowed down.^[8]

Back in the day, Earth’s innards were exceptionally hot and caused a lot of volcanic activity. Nobody knows why it stopped—or why it restarted. When it did, volcanoes flared up and the continental crust’s composition changed and fractured into smaller pieces.

Whatever happened, the new activity changed tectonic formation and movement away from their ancient ways to the way they behave today.

2 The Mayotte Mystery

In 2018, strange waves rippled across the planet. They rang Earth like a bell for more than 20 minutes, but scientists did not notice. If it were not for a civilian watching a live seismograph feed, this mystery might have gone unnoticed.

The waves began on November 11, close to the island of Mayotte, which is near Madagascar. They triggered equipment across several African countries and then traveled the seas to ping sensors in New Zealand, Chile, Canada, and Hawaii.

Seismologists have never seen anything like it. At least, the waves were identified as a type that usually follow after main and secondary waves first ripple away from an undersea eruption. Based on the strength of the Mayotte waves, a magnitude-5 eruption should have occurred on November 11. But it never did.

Additionally, earthquakes release waves with several frequencies. The Mayotte waves had one signal, and bizarrely, it repeated every 17 seconds. Despite complex theories about quiet earthquakes and collapsing magma chambers, the global ring remains unanswered.^[9]

1 The Blobs

Deep inside Earth is a mystery that nobody understands. Thousands of miles below the surface are two of the planet’s biggest structures. Their technical name is “large low-shear-velocity provinces,” which is perhaps why scientists just prefer to call them “the blobs.”

One hangs around deep under Africa, and the other is far below the Pacific Ocean. Geophysicists first detected the anomalies in the 1970s, but they remain poorly understood. Their age, creation, and purpose are complete mysteries. Scholars have also failed to reach a consensus over their density and influence on geological processes.^[10]

However, few disagree that the structures are epic. The blobs are hot pressurized rock reaching 100 times higher than Mount Everest. One description put the scale into perspective: If they stood on the surface of the planet, the International Space Station would have to change course to avoid hitting them.

Even after humans fought for centuries to escape the restrictions of this world and thus be able to venture into the cosmos, we finally decided to look back. So, ironically, Earth has been the primary focus of our observations from space.

Although scientists have obtained hundreds of thousands of photographs of planets, galaxies, and other places in the universe, pictures of Earth from space are counted in the millions. Thanks to space technologies, we have photographed and analyzed every corner of our planet from a celestial perspective, ultimately expanding our understanding of the world in which we live to an unprecedented level.

But among so many images of Earth, only a handful have been able to remain in the collective memory until today. The spectacular landscapes contained in these images, as well as the peculiar situations that led to their creation, can sometimes be the factors that have given them such recognition.

In the list below, we will cover 10 of the best space pictures of Earth—some iconic, others little-known, but each with an amazing story to tell.

10 A Shooting Star Seen From Above

When we try to remember what a shooting star looks like, it is almost intuitive to imagine ourselves looking up at the night sky while a bright fireball flies overhead. It is natural as we have become accustomed to seeing shooting stars only from down here on the Earth’s surface.

But this is not the case for everyone. On August 13, 2011, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) took a photograph of Earth while the station was over China. What makes this image special is that it shows a small light streak crossing the Earth’s atmosphere.^[1]

The astronaut tweeted the photograph along with a caption that said: “What a ‘Shooting Star’ looks like from space, taken yesterday during Perseid Meteor Shower.” Indeed, the light was actually a bright meteor seen from above. As the tweet indicates, the shooting star was part of the Perseid meteor shower, an event that occurs every year in August.

Due to the interest of scientists to see such a meteor shower from space, a camera installed on the ISS has been recording the event since 2016 and producing some breathtaking videos. Now that it is possible to see meteors from space without any atmospheric distortion, the scientific community has a better understanding of the composition of meteorites that hit our planet.

9 Floating With The Whole World Below

The following story not only involves an amazing image of the Earth but also a peculiar feat of the human race. In 1984, NASA conducted a mission to test a prototype space jetpack for astronauts. It was called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU).

In February of that year, astronaut Bruce McCandless flew into space for the first time aboard the space shuttle Challenger to test the jetpack. After some tests inside the spacecraft, McCandless ventured into the void of space with the MMU on his back. Thus, on February 7, 1984, McCandless became the first human to make a spacewalk completely free of anchors to his ship.^[2]

The moment was immortalized in a panoramic image taken from Challenger while Bruce was floating about 98 meters (320 ft) away from the shuttle. The photo speaks for itself: It was only him and his jetpack in the middle of the blackness of outer space and with the blue vastness of the Earth under his feet.

Before his death in December 2017, McCandless confessed to National Geographic that he did not stop to look down at Earth during his untethered flight. Nevertheless, he did notice that he was flying over the state of Florida at one point.

But McCandless also said that being able to observe the entire Earth from space definitely changes an astronaut’s perception of the world and our ephemeral divisions as a species.

8 Light And Darkness

After the Korean War ended in 1953, both South Korea and North Korea had similar economic levels. But while South Korea’s economy continued to grow in the following decades, North Korea sank into poverty.

In the 1990s, the Soviet Union collapsed and stopped supplying fuel to North Korea, one of its “spoiled” countries. Added to a devastating famine in North Korea around the same time, this fuel stoppage caused the energy supply in the country to be drastically reduced.

There is no better way to see the precarious energy infrastructure of North Korea than through images taken from space. In January 2014, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) photographed the Korean peninsula during nighttime.

In the upper section of the picture, we can see China, while the brilliant South Korea stands out in the lower right corner. Between both countries, there is an almost completely dark hole which blends in perfectly with the blackness of the surrounding seas. But that is actually North Korea.

The most remarkable spot of light in North Korea comes from its capital, Pyongyang, which a decade ago had more than three million inhabitants. However, the light from Pyongyang is barely comparable to the glow of the smaller towns in South Korea.

When the image from the ISS was publicly released, North Korea promptly made some statements, claiming that “the essence of [its] society is not on flashy lights.” Despite that, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, told his citizens to work hard to restore electricity in the country.^[3]

7 The First Space Selfie

Almost everyone sees taking selfies as a common practice. In fact, it is estimated that people around the world take a total of more than one million selfies per day. Usually, many of these pictures are taken in some special, nice-looking place around Earth.

But taking a selfie in outer space and having the entire Earth in the background is a privilege granted only to a few. This type of photograph, by the way, is known as a “space selfie.”

In November 1966, NASA carried out a space mission called Gemini 12 to test the ability of astronauts to dock with another orbiting spacecraft. One of the crew members was Buzz Aldrin, who would later become the second man to step on the Moon.

Gemini 12 was the first space flight for Aldrin, and he spent a record-breaking five and a half hours outside his ship. The astronauts had a camera to record facts related to the mission. But Buzz had the idea to test the camera on himself.^[4]

To do so, the astronauts had to change the direction of the spacecraft. As the camera was mounted on the ship itself, the crew rotated it to the right angle and shut off the thrusters so that they did not flash in the photo.

With the hatch of the spaceship open, Buzz stood in his seat and clicked the camera in front of him. In that way, one of the first humans to step on the Moon also ended up being the first person to take a space selfie. As an interesting fact, the picture was sold for $9,200 at an auction in 2015.

6 Blue Marbles

In what would end up being the last manned mission to the Moon until this day, the crew of Apollo 17 took off from Earth on the night of December 7, 1972. Throughout the journey, the astronauts Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, and Ron Evans had to stick to a complex routine to maneuver the huge Saturn V rocket that took them to our natural satellite. For that reason, they could not take pictures or get distracted by looking out the window.

But when they were about 45,000 kilometers (28,000 mi) away from Earth, one of the astronauts could not help looking back at our world. With the only camera he had within reach at that moment, he decided to photograph such a unique view of Earth. Indeed, it turned out to be the first color image in which the entire planet can be seen.

The image was an international sensation, appearing on the front page of countless newspapers around the world. In fact, as the picture—now known as “The Blue Marble Shot”—is in the public domain, it is even believed to be the most reproduced image in history. The astronauts of Apollo 17 never agreed on which one of them took the photograph.

During the following decades, NASA published other images of Earth similar to the one from 1972. But all those were composite images made with multiple pictures taken at different times. It was not until 43 years later that we were once again able to get a genuine Blue Marble shot, thanks to an observation satellite known as DSCOVR.

The satellite was launched in 2015 as a joint effort between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As its orbit gives us a continuous view of the sunlit face of the Earth, a new full-view picture of our world was possible.^[5]

5 Eclipses As Seen From Space

As total solar eclipses occur about once every 18 months at some given place on Earth, humans have recorded such phenomena from space several times. For example, astronauts on the now-destroyed Mir space station took a spectacular photograph of a total solar eclipse darkening the Earth in August 1999. But if we must highlight a recent solar eclipse, let’s look at the one that occurred on August 21, 2017, over North America.

The eclipse was partial in the entire United States and total in 14 states. Besides having been greatly anticipated by scientists because of the opportunity to study such a phenomenon, the eclipse was also one of the most watched events in US history.

Making good use of its technology, NASA recorded this eclipse in great detail. From about 1.6 million kilometers (1 million mi) away from us and through the DSCOVR satellite previously mentioned, the agency obtained 12 images of the path of the Moon’s shadow on the surface of the Earth.

The result is a video sequence of a few seconds that shows the eclipse as seen from space crossing the entire visible hemisphere of our planet. DSCOVR usually takes about 20 pictures of Earth per day. But in view of the occasion—and for research purposes—the scientists decided to configure the instruments to take more images that day. Even so, the video shows the movement of the eclipse at a faster speed than what actually occurred.^[6]

4 A Pale Blue Dot

In 1977, NASA launched two spacecraft called Voyager to explore the planets beyond Earth. Thirteen years later, the probe called Voyager 1 was already approaching the confines of our solar system.

It was then—on February 14, 1990—that the engineers decided to turn the spacecraft’s camera to take a last look back at our planetary neighborhood. From about 6.4 billion kilometers (4 billion mi) away from us, farther than any other human machine had flown before, Voyager 1 took 60 photographs to create the first “portrait” of the solar system.

In one of the images, several bands of color can be seen. They are light rays because the Sun was close to the shot. Near the center of the picture in the middle zone of one of the stripes, we can see Earth. Our planet, shown there as a small dot 0.12 pixels in size, has no visible features beyond its brightness and is almost indistinguishable from the darkness of space.

In 1994, the famous astronomer Carl Sagan published a book in which he commented on this image of our world, which he called a “Pale Blue Dot.” About it, Sagan said: “[E]veryone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of . . . lived there—on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”^[7]

3 When A Satellite Discovered A Deadly Island

As part of NASA’s Landsat program, the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1) was launched into space in 1972 to photograph the Earth’s features and landmasses for the first time. In 1973, researcher Elizabeth Fleming was analyzing the new images transmitted by ERTS-1 to find uncharted islands off the coasts of Canada. Among the less explored regions were the northern coasts of the province of Labrador, which had been charted for the last time in 1911.

When Fleming studied the images, she noticed some white spots scattered in the ocean which she thought were icebergs. But she soon realized that they were small portions of dry land. One land patch, located about 20 kilometers (12.4 mi) away from the Labrador coast, caught her attention.

It was larger than the rest, measuring 25 meters (82 ft) by 45 meters (148 ft). So it was legally an island—a newly discovered one. In 1976, Dr. Frank Hall from the Canadian Hydrographic Service was given the task of confirming the existence of the small island.

Using a harness, Hall was lowered from a helicopter to the island, which was covered in ice. Suddenly, when Hall was about to touch the ground, a polar bear tried to bring him down and have him for lunch. The bear was in the highest part of the island and unnoticeable due to its white fur.

Immediately, Hall pulled the cable and got back into the helicopter by himself. According to his words, he almost became the first person to die on that island. After the experience, Hall suggested that the site be called Polar Island.

But it was finally called Landsat Island in 1979 when its discoverer satellite, ERTS-1, was renamed Landsat 1. Satellite images are inherently amazing, but the story behind this one makes it even more impressive.^[8]

2 The First Photo Taken From Space

During the first half of the 20th century, people did not really know what the Earth looked like from space. Until then, the highest we had been to take pictures of our own world was about 22 kilometers (13.7 mi) high in giant balloons. But that changed in 1946 when we acquired a way to travel higher.

After the end of World War II, the Americans had captured V-2 rockets originally developed by the Nazis. The destructive weapons that were once responsible for thousands of deaths were now in the hands of scientists in the United States, who replaced the explosives of the missiles with observation instruments.

One V-2 rocket was equipped with cameras designed to take pictures every second and a half. On October 24, 1946, the former missile flew to a height of 105 kilometers (65 mi). From there, it took what would be the first photograph of Earth from space.

In the image, we can see the southwest of North America under some cloud formations as well as the detail of the curvature of the Earth. Once its mission was completed, the rocket fell back to Earth. What was left of it, including the camera, crashed to the ground at about 550 kilometers per hour (342 mph).

But the recording tape survived intact because it was protected in a steel can. So the researchers retrieved the images and analyzed them. The enthusiasm of the scientists for this achievement was remarkable. In 1950, an article from National Geographic stated that the images showed “how our Earth would look to visitors from another planet coming in on a space ship.”^[9]

1 Earthrise

The first manned mission to the Moon, Apollo 8, took place on December 21, 1968. Its crew of three astronauts—Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and James Lovell—became the first humans to leave Earth’s orbit and reach another planetary body. Apollo 8’s goal was to orbit the Moon and search for potential landing sites for future lunar missions.

As the astronauts emerged from the far side of the Moon during their fourth orbit on December 24, they noticed a blue sphere rising over the lunar horizon. It was Earth, shining through one of the spaceship’s windows.

As it was a reconnaissance mission, the crew was not supposed to take pictures of Earth. Moreover, at that time, they were preparing to recite passages from the Bible’s Book of Genesis during a live broadcast. But the astronauts were so amazed at such a view of the little crescent Earth that they felt compelled to photograph it.

For a moment, they believed that they had lost sight of Earth. But as soon as Lovell saw it again in another window, Anders managed to take a color photograph of it. After that, the astronauts continued with their routine and read from Genesis to end the broadcast as planned.

The photo, which we now know as “Earthrise,” became one of the most famous images in history and served as inspiration for the creation of environmental movements such as Earth Day. After the flight, Anders said, “We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.”^[10]

Brian Molinari is an economy student who is passionate about graphic design as well as an avid enthusiast of the art of writing.

Of the crazy and speculative theories out there (and there are many as we all know), those that revolve around the notion that human beings are not indigenous to the Earth are perhaps the craziest. The idea is that we, or rather our ancestors, were brought here from another world, most likely as prisoners condemned to a life on a planet far from the rest of our ancestral law-obeying society somewhere in the reaches of space. (It is perhaps worth noting that some theories suggest our original “cosmic ancestors” bred with Neanderthals and so produced humans.)

One of the loudest voices in these outlandish claims is Dr. Ellis Silver, who contends that there are just too many differences between humans and every other life-form on the planet for us to be a truly indigenous species. While most, as you might expect, reject his claims as nonsense, they are intriguing nonetheless, and certainly worth looking at in a little more detail. Ellis calls his idea the “prison planet theory.”

10 So, What Is The Prison Planet Theory?

Like the name suggests, the prison planet theory and others like it speculate that human beings are not the product of evolution alone.^[1] It’s important here, right away, to clarify that these theories are not suggesting that evolution doesn’t exist, or is wrong, but that, at some point in our collective past, we were subject to some kind of outside manipulation. In fact, more than that, the prison planet theory suggests that we are, in fact, the descendants of prisoners from an alien world who were brought here in antiquity, eventually spreading, multiplying, and, as our history attests, setting out to dominate the planet, most likely shortly after arrival.

While most dismiss this idea, as speculative as it is, without any further investigation, an intriguing argument can be made as to its relevance. After all, human beings, for all their obvious flaws and faults, are far, far, more advanced than other living things on the planet. For example, why do other animals not invent, philosophize, organize politically, or aim to build machines to explore the world and, indeed, the stars? Incidentally, it would seem that only humans have such a fascination with the stars and what might lie beyond in the reaches of space. Perhaps this is an indicator of a subconscious calling?

9 Humans Have Persistent Chronic Illness

The prison planet theory suggests that most human beings, even those of us who are extremely healthy, suffer from chronic “illnesses,” albeit ones that are trivial when isolated.^[2] Think about it—when was the last time you felt truly “good?” No little niggles or twitches. No headache, or hay fever, or any manner of small annoyances that are barely significant enough to mention but seemingly plague each one of us.

Perhaps we should also look at humans’ reaction to the Sun, one of the main keys to our existence. Many other animals can sit out in the sunlight all day long with no effect to their health (generally speaking). However, humans will be sunburned within hours, while long-term exposure can sometimes result in a variety of skin cancers. We also squint our eyes in reaction to the Sun, unlike other animals. Even the fact that we have only a tiny auditory frequency range and can only see a very tiny sliver of the electromagnetic spectrum could be indicators of a home planet other than Earth.

8 Constant Back Pain

Perhaps the “niggle” which affects the greatest number of people is back pain.^[3] Most of us will have suffered a “bad back” at some point in our lives. And for many of us, that pain is a constant on-off, “good days/bad days” battle of fending off increasing aches, spasms, and, at worst, a complete locking up of this region of the body that’s so critically important for our functioning.

So why is this? Well, according to those who believe the prison planet theory, it’s due to a lower level of gravity on our “real” home planet. This higher-than-we-were-designed-for gravity on Earth is (taking into account the relative tallness of humans) what causes so many people’s backs so much strain. Such researchers as Ellis Silver, as trivial as this point is, believe this to be one of the main indicators that Earth is not our natural home. He argues, for example, that our flat feet should suggest a much shorter being (relatively speaking) than the average human. Needless to say, his suggestions are not entertained by most.

7 Humans Are Actually Better-Suited To A 25-Hour Day

As is corroborated by the research of sleep experts, the human body clock is much more in sync with a 25-hour day as opposed to the 24-hour one that our bodies have to work with. Quite a few sleep problems are blamed on this.^[4] There could be many reasons for the disparity, including that the Earth’s natural rotation speed has decreased a very tiny bit over the course of humanity’s collective time on the planet.

However, some researchers suggest that our “real” home planet very much had a rotational period of 25 hours, and the fact that our own natural body clock is still set at this would suggest that we came from somewhere else in the solar system, or even the universe. We will look at possible destinations of our potential cosmic ancestors in our last entry on our list. Our next entry, however, will look at the function most crucial to life—any life, wherever it is—reproduction, as well as why, for humans, this natural and required function is perhaps one of the hardest things their bodies are ever asked to do.

6 The Many Complications Of Human Childbirth

One of the main focuses of Ellis Silver in particular (but other researchers as well) is the truly traumatic experience that childbirth is for women.^[5] He claims that this is not replicated anywhere else in the animal kingdom, where births tend to be routine, uncomplicated, and, for want of a better phrase, easy (as much as that might be a little bit of a simplistic take on the issue).

While childbirth, at least for women in developed parts of the world with modern hospitals and medicine, is rarely a life-threatening experience, even today, there are still a plethora of complications that can arise, and unfortunate women still lose their lives. When we think back to the times before modern medicine, death in childbirth was much more commonplace. Like many of the examples on this list, this appears to be something completely unique to human beings. And, as we will look at next, it isn’t just childbirth but the first several years of human development that would appear to unique, albeit for the wrong reasons.

5 Slower Development Of Human Offspring

Childbirth isn’t the only thing of interest in terms of the prison planet theory. Even the development, or lack thereof, of human offspring is strange to some.^[6] For example, many young of the animal kingdom can walk within days, if not less. Human babies, on the other hand, are entirely helpless and remain that way for years.

It is suggested by some researchers sympathetic to the work of people like Silver that the human gestation period should be much longer. It is an interesting theory, although one hard to prove to any level beyond speculation. And even then, such speculation is pushing the limits of common sense, at least to some.

However, some people, particularly those who subscribe to the ancient astronaut theory, will tell you that this “abnormality” in the human gestation period is down to some kind of “interference” with the human genome long ago in the distant past that has resulted in this “premature” birthing of human young. And human genes are the subject of our next entry.

4 Extra DNA In Human Beings

A study published in Nature concluded that humans have an extra 223 genes, acquired during our evolution from bacteria. What if they’re not from bacteria? Might those genes be the reason for the absolute advancement of human beings by comparison to all other living creatures? And what about non-coding DNA, colloquially referred to as “junk DNA?” Might it be leftover DNA from an alien world and alien ancestors? It’s a wild thought, for sure.

It should be noted that other researchers did not fully accept the finding of 223 extra genes and publicly challenged it.^[7] Whether their challenge is legitimate or whether it is another case of mainstream academia looking to silence any voices that go against accepted thinking is perhaps open to debate.

3 General Anxiety

Although it is hard to see how completely “accurate” records of such a claim are kept and analyzed, another apparent consequence of our purported cosmic provenance is a constant feeling of anxiety throughout humanity.^[8] While you could make a pretty solid argument that our fellow humans—particularly those in power—give us all plenty to be anxious about without having to bring alien ancestry into the equation, it is certainly an interesting speculation.

There are also increasing rates of depression and suicide (itself an act almost unique to humans) taking over many parts of the world. Again, there are many grim and legitimate reasons for this, such as increasing poverty and pressures at work (and their implicit threat of poverty), as well as more indirect factors, such as political and social division, that make many people feel utterly helpless, in a hopeless situation over which they have no control. This, in some people, leads to feelings of detachment and “not belonging.”

Might it be down to a subconscious longing for a “home” many light years away and an existence just as far away, at least figuratively? Unlikely as it might be, it is an interesting notion.

2 How Likely Is It? Just Look At Our Own Examples!

So, taking away the logistics of such an operation for a moment,^[9] how likely is it that an alien mission to banish undesirables to Earth would go ahead? Well, if we assume a spacefaring extraterrestrial race has the ability to visit other planets, either in their own solar system or elsewhere, then why wouldn’t they transplant the unsavory elements of their society to a world far away?

After all, look at the many examples through history where we ourselves have banished prisoners to secluded locales, sometimes literally on the other side of the world (think Australia), or to gulags in the most dismal and uninhabitable terrain, as happened regularly in the Soviet Union. And while it is a little different in it’s only a small island in the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was, for all intents and purposes, a prison island.

1 The Asteroid Belt Connection

An offshoot of the prison planet theory revolves around all the points raised above; the only difference is that our theoretical ancestors were not prisoners but cosmic refugees escaping a destroyed planet. While many argue that this planet was Mars (and point to the theory that life could have existed there long ago), others suggest it to be a planet that once resided where the asteroid belt is today.^[10]

Might our potential cosmic ancestors have escaped a dying planet or one that was struck by a huge cosmic body? Might some of the population have managed to escape and settled on another world nearby? (Namely Earth.) Might this even offer a partial explanation for the plethora of ancient texts that speak about “beings who came from the stars?” Might these be accounts of our origins that have, over time, become twisted and misinterpreted into the equally ambiguous and suggestive writings we have today?

Perhaps this would also explain the 25-hour default setting in our internal body clocks? Might this planet—if we accept for the sake of this argument that it was a planet—have had such a rotational period? Might it also have had a lower level of gravity which would better suit us, even today?

Whether the suggestion is that we’re descended from prisoners from another world or survivors of an extraterrestrial race seeking sanctuary from their ruined planet, the idea that we, as a species, may share those cosmic roots is certainly food for thought.

On a planet where the pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus are among the unchallenged greatest wonders of the world, it is often difficult to believe that such bizarre things as rainbow trees, polka-dotted lakes, and waterfalls of “blood” could even be possible.

But venture into the most beautiful, surreal corners of the world and you’ll find a variety of scientific marvels that form delightful and horrifying scenes straight out of a psychedelic novel.

10 Polka-Dot Shores

Although most lakes are formed and maintained by an ever-present source of water, some are instead an accumulation of melted snow, excessive rain, and trace amounts of groundwater. Bodies of water with this easy-come, easy-go nature (here known as an “endorheic” lake) are susceptible to extreme evaporation.

In fact, the lake itself will completely dry up during the summer. For one lake in Canada, this results in a colorful mosaic of spots. Officially named “Spotted Lake,” this remote location within the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia looks like just about any other lake in the country during the winter, spring, and fall months.

However, when summer rolls around, most of the lake’s volume is lost to evaporation. What is left behind isn’t any old patch of land, though. Spotted Lake is rich in natural resources: Calcium, sodium and magnesium sulphates, and titanium are the chief contenders there, and they are responsible for the colorful hue left behind.

When the water surrounding these elements and minerals evaporates, what remains are multicolored alkaline rings that, depending on the concentration of each, will leave varying hues of green, yellow, and blue rings on the dried-out ground.^[1]

9 Glowing Lakes

From a tourist standpoint, Thailand is known for its beautiful beaches, exquisite cuisine, and backpacking trails that have the popular islands crammed with sightseers. The country is often advertised as a “deserted paradise.”

The vast numbers of tourists who inhabit the place from November to March are most likely unaware of one of the most extraordinary aspects: the blue, bioluminescent water seen only by night. Looking like something out of a fantasy novel, the waters off coastal Thailand are largely inhabited by microscopic plankton which contain many of the same chemical combinations as fireflies.

Using the same luciferin-luciferase chemical reaction as fireflies, the plankton found in these coastal waters glow when irritated. The display was once described as “a magical light show [to rival] the brightness of the stars above.”^[2]

8 A Waterfall Of Blood

When we think of waterfalls, most of us are probably more inclined to think of the commonly known Niagara Falls, the most prominent (and probably overlooked) aspect of which is its crystal clear water. Yet for all the commonness of clear falls, there is a location where the water that pours forth is eerily crimson in color.

First located in 1911, this area of the remote Taylor Glacier in Antarctica appears to be spouting blood instead of water. The reason for this is rather complex. As opposed to being fueled by melting snow and groundwater, the water source of the Taylor Glacier is the saltwater lake that lies beneath.^[3]

Over time, this salt water has picked up trace amounts of iron from constant contact with the bedrock below. What follows is the same chemical reaction that produces rust. The water takes on the deep red hue of iron oxide. When spilling over, the water seems to be made of blood.

7 Rainbow Trees

Looking more like a regular tree splattered with paint, the appropriately named rainbow eucalyptus is most prominently located in the Philippines and Indonesia. It can even be found stateside in Hawaii, California, and Florida.

Wherever you come across this tree, though, its wild coloration is the result of both its unique bark formation and its location. (The most colorful of these trees are found in Indonesia and the Philippines.)

The bark of the tree is formed by dividing cambium cells, each with a high concentration of chlorophyll (the chemical which gives leaves and grass their rich green color). Over the life span of the cambium cells, they become infused with varying levels of tannins, the chemicals which run the visual gamut from red to brown.

The varying combination of these chemicals, along with the relative humidity and the wetness of the bark, creates the rainbow effect.^[4]

6 Stone Roses

Neither a stone nor a rose, a phenomenon found in Mexico and Tunisia (and, less commonly, in Arizona) is known as a “stone rose.” Formed from either gypsum or barite, these roses are produced as a result of evaporation when one or the other of these minerals binds with grains of sand in an arid, salt-rich environment.^[5]

With an average size of 10 centimeters (4 in) per petal, these roselike formations range in color that is directly related to how they were formed. The ones made in shallower locations typically produce amber petals, whereas deeper formations in a wider space often produce yellow or clear petals.

The unique shape of these roses is not the only unusual thing about them. Regardless of their color during the day or where they developed, all will glow the same opaque white color when placed under an ultraviolet light.

5 Blood Rain

Travel to certain locations within India—namely, Kerala—and you may be treated to the seemingly morbid phenomenon of blood rain. While the name calls to mind some kind of biblical horror film, this state’s spookiest weather affliction is not the result of oxidation within the water. Rather, it is due to the state’s proximity to nearby deserts.

Although rain evaporates cleanly, it can pick up a multitude of things on the way back down. (Acid rain is a prime example and result of this.) But chemicals are not the only thing that can be mixed in with the precipitation.

Airborne particles that are thin enough and high enough can also blend with the moisture in the clouds. When reddish particles of sand get mixed with those clouds, they will fall and pool into puddles of bloodred liquid, even leaving a red hue behind when the rain itself evaporates.^[6]

This scientific explanation of particles being mixed with cloud moisture also held true for the same phenomenon experienced in Russia in July 2018. The city of Norilsk was besieged by red rain one afternoon.

The culprit?

A metal processing plant was performing some routine maintenance. Rust shavings which had been scraped from the floor were caught in an updraft which took them high enough to meld with the clouds. Not long afterward, the red rain was pouring.

4 A Lake of Frozen Bubbles

Looking as though it’s full of frozen jellyfish or cartoonish jewels deep beneath its surface, Lake Abraham is an artificial lake located in Alberta, Canada, that dates back to 1972. It is burgeoning with frozen bubbles.

One unique aspect of this lake is that it has high concentrations of methane gas trapped within its surface. Most lakes contain base amounts of methane as a result of decaying matter which sinks to the bottom and is feasted on by bacteria. In turn, that bacteria produces the methane which escapes through the water and eventually goes airborne.

However, Lake Abraham is unique because its water temperature is high enough that methane can still escape into the water but cold enough that escaping gas will freeze into opaque bubbles. They display a hue ranging from white to deep blue depending on their proximity to the surface.^[7]

3 Bubblegum Water

For the strawberry lovers of the world, you’re in luck . . . at least visually. There is a vibrant pink lake off the coast of Western Australia by the name of Hillier. Although it is not the only pink lake in the world, Hillier’s water is distinctive for being the only one with water that does not lose its color when collected.

This color is neither a mere optical illusion nor the result of the bedrock below the water. Rather, it is the result of several factors working together.

Discovered in 1802, Lake Hillier is home to a certain type of halophilic (“salt-loving”) algae known as the Dunaliella which generate their energy via use of all visible frequencies of light except those falling in the red-orange spectrum. In addition to “leaving behind” the red light energy, these algae produce variations of carotene that contribute to the lake’s reddish-pink hue.^[8]

2 Mummified Lake

At first glance, Tanzania’s Lake Natron seems like a morbid oasis with its bloodred waters surrounded by many peaceful birds lurking at its shores. However, the cause of those deep red depths is more than a little unsettling.

Also known as “Stone Animal Lake,” this body of water in Africa was once rumored to have such a high alkaline content that it could instantly kill and petrify any animal that dared wander into its depths. Rather than being the result of an optical illusion or the presence of halophilic bacteria, Natron’s deep red color is attributed to the presence of minerals formed by volcanic processes in the immediate area.

These processes gradually increased the pH of the water until it became saturated with natron and sodium carbonate, the latter of which was once used in the practice of mummification. The presence of these various minerals—along with the decaying remnants of animals that couldn’t live in such harsh conditions—heavily increased the alkaline nature of the water.^[9]

As such, it became favorable to haloarchaea, red-bodied organisms that tint the water of the lake and the plumage of the flamingos which often live by the water.

1 Forest Of Ice Blades

From the childhood favorite of making snowmen to the artisan craft of ice sculpting, the activity of shaping snow and ice into various pleasing formations has been around for a while and seemingly isn’t going anywhere. However, what happens when the Earth itself decides to get in on the fun?

Travel to various regions within Chile, and you will find miniature forests of icy blades . . . that have exactly no snow or ice in the surrounding area. First discovered in 1835, these religiously named “penitentes” can grow to upward of 5 meters (16 ft) tall.^[10]

They are the direct result of sublimation, a chemical process by which a heat source transforms a solid into a gas without first melting it. In a process that only builds on itself, the angular formation of smaller spikes further concentrates the sunlight. This increases the rate of sublimation until entire forests of these spikes will overtake the landscape.

Roxanne is the author of mythological fantasy and paranormal horror novels. She is located at twitter.com/rheathwrites.

Some say an alien civilization existed before mankind was born on planet Earth. Other say aliens from another planet come on Earth and helped mankind to be born. They believe those aliens come to Earth from time to time, keeping a track on how humans are progressing, looming over us like gods. Here are, unknown to most of us, such alien races in contact with earth:

10. Grays

The Gray’s come from a star-system known as Zeti Reticuli; Which is a star system located somewhere in the southern celestial hemisphere. And it is thought to be one of the alien races in contact with earth. At a little over 40 light-years away they’re practically our closest neighbors. The type of neighbors that you conveniently forget to invite over for a dinner party.

If we had to pick out one particular race in the cosmos and call them the ‘bad guys’ it would definitely be these guys. Tall and humanoid with a long head, and distinctive grey features; They are the most commonly depicted alien life-form in our media. And are also the beings that are most commonly described by alien abductees who have been returned back to Earth.

The Grays have the greatest tendency to be involved in abductions because they like to stockpile humans. They think of Earth the way that you would of a chicken farm; just brimming with genetic material that they can’t wait to get their hands on. They come to Earth to pick up a juicy selection then take it home to do cosmos-only-knows what. On the off-chance that they’re not happy with their selection then they bring it back and choose another.

See also: 10 Undeniable Signs That Prove Aliens Exist

9. The Sassani

Hybrids are particularly common across the cosmos and are believed to be of the alien races in contact with earth. Some even believe that we humans are genetic hybrids ourselves but that’s a discussion for another conspiracy forum. The Sassani are a hybrid that was developed from reptilians and gray-humans. Their development was found to be necessary after the Grays mutated themselves through genetic experimentation to a point where they could no longer reproduce using conventional means i.e alien sex, and were only able to spawn new generations by cloning themselves. Cloning is well and good if you want to create new beings. However it gives no genetic variation over successive generations which lead to problems.

So they came to Earth and ‘convinced’ a few people to share our genetic information with them. From this genetic cross-over the universe was blessed with an entirely new type of being; the Sassani who in a way are like our interstellar cousins. They were then given their own planet and allowed to roam free. And evolve into the best beings that they can be.

The Sassani have a stronger connection with their higher selves. And are believed to be where humans will one day be. Although they are millennia ahead of us, and are one of up to fifteen alien races that are actively engaged in humanity’s conscious awakening.

 8. Arcturians

Of all of the species known believed to inhabit to the Milky Way, the Arcturians are the most ancient and the wisest. They are said to be one of the alien races in contact with earth. If Yoda came from any one of the alien species on this list, it would probably have been this one. Theirs was the first system to be given the gift of life in our galaxy and all of the other species, ours included, may have descended from them. They’ve mutated and evolved over their time and now exist in many forms. The main race of Arcturians stands to about 5 feet with green skin and large eyes that can see right through you.

Just like most nerds, this race’s development of their minds rather than their bodies made them small in stature. So you could probably take one of them in a fist-fight. However their advanced intelligence means that if any alien species out there knows how to use ‘The Force’ from Star Wars, it’s these guys so watch out. Thankfully they do have a reputation for being the most kind and loving beings in the galaxy. So if you manage to piss of them off then you must be a douche-bag of galactic proportions.

7. The Nordics

The Nordics look like Norse Gods; blonde with brilliant-blue eyes and the bodies of 6 foot tall, finely-toned athletes. You can see where the Scandinavian’s got their inspiration for Thor from. The Grays got a lot of attention when it comes to alien sightings. But the Nordics are a species that come into contact with humans almost as much as they do.

However they are more interested in the well-being of the human race than the Grays are. Even though some eye-witness reports claim to have seen Nordics in the same alien craft as Grays. A possible explanation for this is that those Grays were slaves or servants to the Nordics as a Gray’s lack of empathy makes it an ideal butler.

6. The Pleiadians

The Pleiadians come from a bright star cluster known as the Pleiades. And, they are one of the beings in the Milky Way that closely resemble humans. They are thought to be one of the alien races in contact with earth. Therefore you could be sitting in a room with one right now and not even know it.

A major difference between us and them is that; They are particularly sensitive to the physic energies that are constantly streaming across the universe. This means that the best way of reaching out to one of them would be by concentrating on sending out psychic messages. Put simply, if you really want to meet up with a Pleiadian for a cup of tea or a few brews, just sit down and meditate on it.

Whether they choose to show up or not depends on how much they’re feeling your psychic energy so sending messages like ‘Get your interstellar b**ts over here, now!” are unlikely to work out well for you.

5. The Yahyel

There’s been a lot a talk about which race will be the first to officially disclose their presence to Earthlings. The one that alien experts (assuming that you can call them that) all seem to agree on is the Yahyel.

This is one of the alien races in contact with earth. And is known to be kind and loving. Also, they have been touted as the best beings to make first contact with us due to their advanced and harmonious relationship with technology. Something that we here on Earth are having a little trouble balancing out. Whenever a new invention comes about we weaponize it first, feed the hungry second.

The Yahyel know that we’re not the friendliest beings out there. So they’re taking their time to make themselves known by easing their way in to our psyches with friendly UFO sightings. Such as the March 1997 sighting known as ‘The Phoenix Lights’ that they claim responsibility for.

During that event they gave thousands of people across the State of Arizona in North America a spectacular light-show in the sky. And there’s even video for anybody who missed it.

4. The Anunnaki

If human beings were able to successfully colonize another planet what would be the first thing we’d do? Pillage it for resources of course, which is exactly what the Anunnaki did when they arrived on Earth. They came from Planet X aka Nibiru; An almost mythical planet that some scientists believe rotates around our sun on a very wide elliptical orbit that takes it far out into the expanses of space before coming back in for a close shave with our sun.

This crazy elliptical orbit is what makes its presence so hard to prove. However the presence of the Anunnaki has been noted down in texts that date back to Mesopotamian cultures. They are believed to be one of the alien races in contact with earth.

Anyway, on Nibiru’s last brush with the planets of the inner solar system it crashed into another rock. And the resulting collision created a planet that we now call Earth. While their planet was here a few of the Anunnaki ‘hopped off’ of their world, and onto ours in search of a yellow element that they covet called gold.

Have you ever wondered why gold is so valuable? Yeah, it’s shiny but it doesn’t do anything useful like heal the sick or produce energy. So why do we as a species desire it so much? We desire it because the Anunnaki desire it. And while they were here they enlisted us as their work-force to mine it for them. That’s right, out entire existence is based on working our socks off every day. So that our alien overloads can have their fix of gold and other precious metals. Isn’t that grand?

3. Alpha Draconians

The Anunnaki was one of the alien races in contact with earth. They are were not the first race involved in the racket of mining minerals on our little blue planet. Before them came the Alpha Draconians. Standing at up to 22 feet tall these bad-ass beings are made up of pure muscle. And, they resembled dinosaurs or dragons.

As you can imagine, they were very unhappy when the Anunnaki showed up and took over. However they are still active on our planet with puppets placed in the high echelons of government, as they bide their time in an attempt to take over once again.

2. The Reptilians

Before the Anunnaki stopped by and genetically engineered a bi-pedal workforce to dig up dirt for them. There was a race of intelligent beings who lived here. And is thought to be one of the alien races in contact with earth. We know them as the Reptilians. Scaly and standing to about the size of a human being. They were driven underground by the Anunaki. Where they are said to still reside today in a network of complex underground tunnels.

Those that are open-minded and curious may be able to find these tunnels, and pop in for a visit. However considering that we’re the reason that they can’t come up for a breath of fresh air. It’s likely that they’ll skin you alive and leave you’re skeleton on a stick hanging outside of the entrance as a warning to any other scale-less punks who decide to invade their territory. You’ve been warned.

1. Nommos

Some alien species chose to interact with certain tribes on Earth that they just happened to get along with better. The Scandinavians had the Nordics and the Dogon’s; A tribe indigenous to Mali in Northern Africa had the Nommos who hailed from the brightest star in our night sky, Sirius.

The Dogons knew centuries before modern science caught up that Sirius is actually made up of three stars. And, they even knew how long it took for Sirius B to go around Sirius A. Considering that they were millennia away from inventing devices powerful enough to see Sirius close-up, it makes sense that they had visitors from that section of the galaxy who told them about it.

1. Are there any confirmed alien races in contact with Earth?

At present, there is no concrete scientific evidence confirming the existence of extraterrestrial beings in contact with Earth. However, there are numerous claims and theories about such contact, but none have been widely accepted within the scientific community.

2. What are some common descriptions of alleged alien races?

Descriptions of alleged alien races vary widely, ranging from humanoid beings with distinct physical features to more abstract forms. Some commonly mentioned types include the Greys, Reptilians, Nordics, and Pleiadians, among others. These descriptions often come from individuals claiming to have had encounters with these beings.

3. How do people claim to have contact with these alien races?

Contact experiences are typically reported as encounters involving sightings, abductions, or telepathic communication. Some individuals claim to have been taken aboard spacecraft, subjected to medical examinations, or engaged in conversations with these beings. However, the veracity of these claims is often debated.

4. Are there any credible sources supporting claims of alien contact?

While there are numerous accounts and testimonies from individuals claiming contact with alien races, there is a lack of scientifically verifiable evidence to support these claims. Most evidence consists of anecdotal reports, photos, videos, and other forms of documentation, which often lack sufficient credibility to be considered scientifically valid.

5. What do scientists say about the existence of alien races in contact with Earth?

The scientific community generally maintains skepticism regarding claims of alien contact due to the absence of empirical evidence. While many scientists acknowledge the vastness of the universe and the possibility of extraterrestrial life, they emphasize the need for rigorous scientific investigation and verifiable evidence before making any conclusive statements.

6. Are there any government disclosures about alien contact?

Over the years, various governments have released documents related to UFO sightings and investigations, but none have provided definitive evidence of contact with alien races. While some conspiracy theories suggest government cover-ups of such contact, there is no substantiated evidence to support these claims.

7. What about UFO sightings? Do they confirm alien contact?

UFO sightings, while often associated with claims of alien contact, do not necessarily provide evidence of such encounters. Unidentified flying objects simply refer to aerial phenomena that cannot be readily explained by conventional means. While some sightings remain unexplained, they do not inherently imply contact with alien races.

8. How can I differentiate between credible information and misinformation about alien races?

It is essential to approach information about alien races with skepticism and critical thinking. Look for credible sources supported by scientific evidence and peer-reviewed research. Be cautious of sensationalized claims, unsubstantiated anecdotes, and sources lacking credibility or reliability.

9. What should I do if I believe I’ve had contact with an alien race?

If you believe you’ve had contact with an alien race, you may consider seeking support from mental health professionals, support groups, or organizations specializing in UFO and abduction phenomena. It’s crucial to approach such experiences with an open mind while also maintaining a healthy dose of skepticism.

10. Will we ever know the truth about alien contact?

The truth about alien contact remains elusive and uncertain. While advancements in technology and scientific inquiry continue to expand our understanding of the universe, conclusive evidence of alien contact has yet to be discovered. Only through rigorous scientific investigation and open-minded inquiry can we hope to uncover the truth, if it exists, about extraterrestrial beings and their potential contact with Earth.

Related

It is said by those who have had first-hand experience there, that Skinwalker Ranch – a 500-plus acre strip of land in Utah – is one of the, if not the strangest place on the planet. Indeed, it is widely accepted to be a hub of strange goings-on and has been for decades. Here are ten reasons why Skinwalker Ranch really could be the most bizarre stretch of land on Earth.

10 Places As Mysterious As The Bermuda Triangle

10 The Skinwalker

Perhaps the best place to start here is to look at the creature from which the ranch gets its name the Skinwalker. This beastly creature is often described with glowing red eyes, tall, and with large, sharp teeth. Essentially, it evokes an image of a werewolf. However, according to folklore and legends of the native tribes of the region, a Skinwalker, is not only an evil energy, but it can take any form it wants.

What is perhaps interesting about these legends is that many other creation stories and myths feature similar tales. Maybe the tales of ancient Greece and the god Zeus who could, and often did, take any form he chose is a good example.

There have been several apparent photographs from people who claim to have spotted such a creature. However, most are dismissed as hoaxes or something much more rational and native to the area. According to the legends, though, these creatures are very real. And what’s more, they roam the 500 acres of the ranch still to this day.^[1]

9 The Land Is Cursed

Here is a good place to mention the land the ranch sits on. More specifically the claims that the land is cursed. And rather than a myth or legend, the origins of this curse – whether it is real or not – are well documented.

Following a dispute over the land rights which would see the Ute tribe for all intents and purposes side with the American government. The Navajo tribe would curse the land as they left the area. It is from this curse, according to some, when the truly strange activity began to unfold.

To this day, the native tribes, for the most part, refuse to set foot on the land. Whether this curse was the start of the strange activity or whether such activity has taken place for thousands of years is unknown. But as the 20th century would unfold, more and more bizarre accounts would surface.^[2]

8 Many Sightings Of UFOs

There are many strange occurrences at the ranch, some of which we will examine shortly. Just one of those, though, is the multiple sightings of UFOs which date back to the 1950s.

One of the most intriguing UFO incidents with a connection to the ranch, however, took place in 1978. On the night in question, a huge object in the shape of a saucer was would make its way over the area. And what’s more, it was witnessed by multiple residents of the area in several different locations on its journey.

One witness would describe the object as silver and “surrounded by intense green light”. Furthermore, it had a distinct domed shape section on the upper side.

Despite its mammoth size, however, none of the residents could recall any type of sound coming from the craft. This is, of course, a detail that surfaces in many UFO sightings, and perhaps lends a little credibility to the incident.^[3]

7 Do Portals Exist On Skinwalker Ranch?

Given the high rate of paranormal incidents at Skinwalker Ranch some researchers have suggested that the area is some kind of hub of supernatural energy. Some have gone further, suggesting this hub is, in fact, a portal of some kind that allows all manner of strange objects and creatures access to our world.

While such a claim is almost impossible to prove – at least with the technology and collective understanding at our disposal today – it is one that might not be as crazy as it first sounds. For example, as we will examine later, many of the witnesses to strange goings-on at the ranch speak of objects and even people appearing out of nowhere or disappearing right in front of their eyes. Might this be an example or an active portal at work.

Of course, such claims are nothing but speculation. However, when we examine some of the strange happenings that one of the ranche’s owners experienced, we might perhaps give the portal idea a little more consideration.^[4]

6 The Many Strange Sightings Of The Sherman Family

Although the ranch has had several owners perhaps the most well-known are the Sherman family. Almost immediately after they purchased the ranch, they would experience some of the bizarre activity first hand.

They would describe how they would hear people speaking to them, even though there was clearly nobody there. Even stranger they would witness areas of wheat in their fields “flatten” as if an invisible person was sat there. They would also witness a “huge spaceship” which was at least the size of “two football fields” fly overhead. As it did so multiple flashing lights were also visible.

Terry Sherman would later recall to a Las Vegas newspaper that he at first believed what he was witnessing was some kind of top-secret government technology. However, the longer the strange events continued, the more he realized the events were without rational explanation.

They would eventually sell the ranch to Robert T Bigelow in 1996 who would then conduct some of the most intensive and exhaustive research on the property. And it is there where we will turn our attention next.^[5]

Top 10 Places You Can’t Go

5 Robert T. Bigelow

Robert T. Bigelow is an interesting man, of that there is no doubt. However, perhaps his decision to purchase the ranch from the Sherman family is one of his most intriguing moves. He had long had a passionate interest in the paranormal. Following the purchase, however, the billionaire businessman would then install some of the most (at the time) high-tech equipment in an effort to research the multiple strange incidents of paranormal activity.

However, by 2004 the research was suddenly shut down. It would appear that a lack of funds was the reason for this. However, there are many who believe that there was more to the decision than simply running out of money. He would form Bigelow Aerospace following the shutting down of research. And when he received several contracts from NASA shortly after it raised an eyebrow or two in some circles.

Bigelow would eventually sell the ranch in 2016, a purchase we will examine later in our list. For now, though, we will examine exactly what Bigelow discovered.^[6]

4 The NIDS Findings (Or Lack Thereof)

The results of Bigelow’s findings were to be published through his company the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS).

However, as opposed to the findings enjoying widespread coverage they were instead locked away. Even today in 2020, half a decade after research officially stopped under Bigelow, the data and findings remain, for the most part, a closely guarded secret. This despite interviews from Bigelow claiming he had an “enormous amount of data” that suggested that the UFOs seen over the ranch were “authentic” and very real.

This, as we might imagine, causes suspicion among many in UFO and paranormal circles. Is there something of significance there that Bigelow is simply keeping to himself? Or might it be that there is simply nothing to tell? Even a sceptic would have to admit if the latter was the case, 20 years is a long time to come to such conclusions.

Again, many in conspiracy circles point to the work that Bigelow did with NASA immediately following the shutting down of research at the ranch. Should we be concerned that such contracts were actually “encouragement” to suppress the data from his research?^[7]

3 Voices From Nowhere And Other Supernatural Phenomena

The strange activity would continue, though. And in the years since the ranch has changed owners (which we will move on to in a moment) many of these incidents have been well documented.

Such things as voices suddenly appearing out of nowhere, or strange whispers in a person’s ear. In most cases, at least according to those who claim to have heard these strange voices, it is as if there is a person stood right next to them.

Other bizarre incidents range from feeling a push or a shove as if from an invisible hand, seeing the ghostly images of people, strange orbs appearing out of nowhere and disappearing again, and even a case of a family pet just vanishing in front of their owners eyes.

In short, as we have expressed throughout our list, all manner of strange incidents normally associated with the paranormal take place here. However, the next point we will examine is surely one of the strangest and most bizarre of all.^[8]

2 It Is “Forbidden” To Dig On The Ranch

Without a doubt one of the strangest legends of Skinwalker Ranch is that no one should dig on the land. And while it sounds truly strange, those who have defiantly done so have experienced some of the strangest activity of all.

Some have simply begun feeling strangely ill, while others have noticed their tools and machinery have disappeared after only taking their eyes off it for a second. One rancher working on the land whose tools did indeed disappear was shocked several weeks later to find them neatly positioned high up in a tree.

Perhaps the most chilling incident connected to digging on the ranch is that of a member of the current staff. He would attempt to dig several holes in the ground in order to lay a fence. However, he would soon become ill to the point of collapsing. When doctors examined him, they would discover a sudden and bizarre swelling in his skull. And, at least according to the new TV series on History, they were at a loss as to why this was.^[9]

1 New Owner Promises Huge Scientific Research

In 2016 businessman and real estate owner, Brandon Fugal would purchase the ranch with a view to undertaking serious scientific research on the land in order to get to the bottom of the most bizarre goings-on.

He would immediately go about installing state-of-the-art sensors and recording equipment. He would also employ the services of several experts in their field in order to conduct the most extensive research to date. And what’s more, it would appear that Fugal will make his findings available to the wider public.

And while monitoring the ranch for strange activity such as UFOs or indeed strange creatures, Fugal looks set to undertake research in such diverse fields as gravitational physics and the use of energies and frequencies. The following decade, if all goes according to plan, could prove to be very intriguing indeed. He would state in a recent interview that it is “science and discovery” that drives him, and that he has no idea just what they might find as they study and research this most bizarre location.^[10]

10 Of The World’s Last Unexplored Places

The moon has been associated with a wide variety of superstitions across cultures, even if there’s nothing particularly noteworthy about it; far cooler satellites exist right in our solar system. From its use in the occult to dating advice on Instagram, many people believe it to be much more influential in our daily lives than it really is, even if study after study has proven that it’s really not.

Among all the chatter about lunar phases affecting your third dates and the moon being the literal devil, we forget about the real, bizarre effects it has on life on Earth. Many creatures – including us – respond to the lunar cycle in weird ways. While some of them are learned responses over millennia of evolution, we simply have no explanation for the others.

See Also: 10 Changes The Earth Would Suffer If It Had No Moon

10The Menstrual Cycle Mimics The Lunar Cycle

If you spend some time in the crazier parts of the Internet, you’d come to associate the moon with a lot of weird stuff. Of course, a lot of it isn’t based on any scientific evidence—much like most of the Internet – as the moon is nothing but a cold mass of rock in a perpetual orbit around our planet.

Some of those theories, though, may not have been as far-fetched as we thought, as science is gradually finding out. Take the one about the menstrual cycle being in tune with the lunar cycle, which has been a guiding belief for cults throughout history. It could be dismissed as medieval superstition, though there’s quite a bit of scientific evidence backing it. A few studies have found definitive links between the lunar and menstrual cycles. According to one, women also go through increased levels of hormones around the full moon.

While we’re not sure why that could be, we can refer to some experts guesses. Charles Darwin believed that the menstrual cycle – on average – coincides with the monthly moon cycle for a reason. It backed his then-nascent theory that we first came from the ocean, as this proves that we adjusted our reproductive clocks according to the lunar tides at some point. We’re no experts, but that makes sense to us, as the average span of the menstrual cycle does almost-perfectly coincide with the lunar cycle.

9 Lemur Sex

We can all agree that we’ve massively exaggerated moon’s influence on animals in the past, even if anecdotal evidence does suggest that wolves have a personal problem with it. While it’s true that scientifically speaking, the moon has little to do with most animals, though it does have some weird effects on a handful of them.

Lemurs, for example, have been found to be much more active during the full moon than usual, covering larger distances and generally being more out and about.

They’re so dependent on the moon that they essentially shut down on darker nights or lunar eclipses, though we can’t really explain why. One line of reasoning says that it’s because of the level of light available during the different phases of the lunar cycle. That could be true, though if so, why didn’t other diurnal animals evolve in a similar way?

8 Our Sleep Cycle

We all go through bouts of bad sleep every now and then. It could be caused by a variety of factors, like stress, weather, location of the house etc. While it’s almost always something you can detect and fix, sometimes, it’s caused by nothing. We can’t really answer for all cases of bad sleep here, but for anyone going through irregular sleeping patterns around specific times of the month, we’d suggest looking at the moon.

A researcher from the University of Basel found that there is some scientific basis to the long-time belief that the moon has something to do with our sleeping pattern. According to his research, people took five minutes longer to sleep during a full moon, and their sleep time also reduced by 20 minutes on average. Lower levels of melatonin were also reported during full moons, as well as reduced brain activity.

7 Crimes

The moon has always been associated with aggression and crimes, though we’ve never really understood why. Many independent and isolated cultures have described the moon as an omen of chaos that fills everyone with restlessness and rage, blaming their most primitive urges on a rock hanging in the sky.

While there was never any scientific proof to back this claim, some recent studies suggest that the moon may actually have some effect on our collective psyche. Or at least how we patrol our streets after dark, according to one study done by the Sussex police. They concluded that there is a definite rise in crimes during full moons, though admitted that they don’t understand why, as they’re cops and not psychologists. That’s not the only case, either; higher incidents of crime and violence on full moons have been reported around the world.

6 Crisis Calls

With the list of reasons to get worried growing by the day, it’s hard to keep track of what’s making you stressed. It’s a normal side effect of routine life, and isolating the root causes of is essential for day-to-day productivity and healthy relationships. Sometimes, though, there really is nothing you can do, as the reason you’re stressed is the damn moon.

According to a study based on the call records of a crisis center, there’s a disproportionate rise in the number of calls during new moons, suggesting that the moon maybe doing something to stress us out. Surprisingly, it was only true for women, as men actually made less calls during that time.

5 It Affects Lions’ Hunting Patterns

Not that we’d advise you to do anything of the sort, but if you ever find yourself lost in a lion’s natural habitat, there are few things you can do to stay alive. Other than misguidedly trying to fight it and making a run for it, you’re really out of options. It’s an even bigger problem—according to science at least – if it’s the day after a full moon.

As a study published in PloS ONE found, African lions are much more aggressive in the days after the full moon, as well as more likely to attack people. While it may seem like arbitrary behavior at first, it makes sense and goes with the lion’s hunting style. They don’t actually need a lot of light to hunt, and on top of that, a full moon makes it easier for the prey to sense danger and run away, resulting in reduced food output.

The days immediately after the full moon are prime lion hunting time, as they compensate – perhaps reflexively – by killing more prey and just generally being more menacing than usual.

4 Animal Bites

Animal bites are a side effect of co-existing with a diverse array of species. From birds to snakes to big cats, we’ve been bitten by almost every type of animal there is. While it may cause serious conditions in some cases, we realize that’s there’s nothing we can really do to stop it. Animals biting us all the time is as much a part of life on Earth as rain.

Weirdly enough, animal bites are apparently not as random as we thought, and may have some mysterious connection with the moon. One study found that cases of animal bites were significantly higher on the days of the full moon, though they don’t quite understand why. It wasn’t just one type of animal either, as they studied 1,621 cases of bites from a variety of animals, which means that it’s not a species-specific phenomenon.

3 Its Weird Effects On Plants

As we’re finding out, the moon has some wholly bizarre effects on animals and humans, though it’s not restricted to us. As growing research is finding out, it also has a significant impact on our chlorophyll-filled friends; the plants. Many studies have found relationships between the lunar cycle and the growth of plants, and we haven’t been able to explain all of them.

One study found that root growth in a specific plant from Africa, A. thaliana, is regulated by the lunar tides, as the growth was found to be thicker and faster at the highest phases of the tide. Previous studies have found that leaf movement in some plants may be related to the lunar tides, too.

2 It Makes Cats And Dogs More Prone To Injuries

As we discussed earlier, pets and other animals are more prone to biting during a full moon, for reasons that may not be fully known to us. If we talk about the most common animals around us, though – cats and dogs – their relationship with the moon has an added dimension; a full moon makes them more prone to injuries, too.

Published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the study found that the number of emergency room visits for cats and dogs was noticeably higher around the full moon. While it was something veterinarians have always suspected and anecdotally claimed, this was the first study to confirm it. We still don’t know why it happens, though.

1 The Moon’s Relationship With Bipolar Disorder

The moon has always been suspected to mess around with our mood and mental state. It may not have ever been proven by science, but people have claimed to be more depressed and anxious during the full moon for a long time. That may seem like superstition to most, though if one study is anything to go by, there may have been some truth to it.

Conducted by researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, the study’s aim was to ascertain whether the lunar cycle has anything to do with the various mood spells among bipolar patients. To their surprise, they found a direct correlation between the cycles of the moon and the sleep and mood cycle of the subject. They perfectly – and mysteriously—coincided with each other, including, and especially, the phases of mania. It confirmed the findings of an earlier study done on the subject, which came up with more or less the same results.