Watch the skies and land and oceans

[T.C.]

It looks to me like the bright lights shining on the building are somehow reflecting up into a thick layer of mist in the sky, it could be a projector, too, but the image looks like the building itself, somewhat distorted.

Yes. I’ve had another look at the video. I’m not convinced it’s a projector on the far right building. What I thought was a projector looks more like some sort of light, a spotlight perhaps. It’s attached to the building and not coming from a room window. Plus the angles don’t seem to line up properly with where the light is pointing and where the lights are in the sky.

It makes more sense if the lights in the sky are somehow an image of the roof of the building that is directly below them.

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2012941385746338130

The object first tracked as 6AC4721 has now been confirmed as a comet — an exceptionally early, ground-based catch for a Kreutz-family “sungrazer,” which usually only shows up later in SOHO coronagraph images.

Why this matters: Catching a Kreutz comet this far out means we can watch its evolution for weeks — maybe months — before it dives toward the Sun in early April 2026. That’s a rare opportunity to track how a sungrazer “switches on,” how its coma and tail develop, and whether it can stay intact as solar heating ramps up.

The big question:Most Kreutz comets don’t survive perihelion… but the few that do can become truly spectacular. So for now: cautious excitement, steady monitoring, and lots of fresh data coming in.

Discovery highlights:• Discovered from San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) at the AMACS1 Observatory using a 0.28 m (11") f/2.2 Schmidt + CCD• Found at 2.056 AU from the Sun and 1.433 AU from Earth — reportedly the farthest distance at which a Kreutz sungrazer has ever been discovered• About mag 17.8 at discovery, in the constellation Columba

More updates soon as new images and photometry arrive.

First picture: Comet Ikeya-Seki as photographed by Roger Lynds from Kitt Peak at dawn on October 29, 1965.

Maps on the trajectory C-2026-A1-MAPS Sungrazing Comet
Deep Dive

The discovery of comet C/2026 A1 MAPS

This pages relates the discovery of this comet.

www.spaceobs.com

The MAPS (Maury, Attard, Parrott, Signoret) program is an independent program to discover near-Earth asteroids using the synthetic tracking technique.

Extraordinary ‘Sungrazer’ Comet Could Dazzle NYC skywatchers With a Stunning Show This Week
Apr 4, 2026

An extraordinary ‘sungrazer’ comet could dazzle NYC skywatchers with a stunning show. Meteorologist Joe Rao joined FOX Weather to provide into the celestial comet that will be visible to the naked eye into the work week.

 

[Gaby]

An extraordinary ‘sungrazer’ comet could dazzle NYC skywatchers with a stunning show. Meteorologist Joe Rao joined FOX Weather to provide into the celestial comet that will be visible to the naked eye into the work week.

It didn't made it. Officially, it had a fraction of a percent chance to re-appear on the other side of the sun last night. It was way smaller than predicted and thus, it dived into the sun and that was it. It didn't appear on the other side.

 

[XPan]

Here the animation
how the comet brightens, then weakens and finally on the other side becomes visible again, albeit disintegrates.

https://www.spaceweather.com/images2026/05apr26/obliterated_c3_5dice_opt.gif

 

[Huila]

Floods in Dagestan, Russia continue
A vehicle swept away by floodwaters on a highway in Makhachkala.

A week on; fresh heavy rainfall and floods return unabated. Dagestan is currently experiencing one of its worst floods in over a century, triggered by record-breaking rainfall that exceeded even pessimistic forecasts and caused widespread infrastructure damage. A state of emergency has been declared in the capital Makhachkala, Khasavyurt, Buynaksk, and multiple districts, with power outages affecting over 327,000 people and over 3,300 residents evacuated from flood zones. Meduza

Regional emergency services have been placed on heightened alert as weather conditions continue to challenge infrastructure. Forecasters had previously warned of strong winds reaching up to 23 m/s alongside persistent rainfall between April 4 and 6.

 

[XPan]

Floods in Dagestan, Russia continue

I believe the severe flooding in Dagestan

and the regions on the northern side of the Caucasus where caused - by a combination of factors which had their origin in a previous low pressure area affecting the Middle East and later Caucasus during the time of 25-28 March 2026: That primary system created the conditions which lead to the floods on 5 April over Dagestan. The Middle East already had highly unstable weather for weeks - with large "V" thunderstorms and massive rainfalls, and unusual powerful low pressure systems (see 27 March chart)

As that previous low pressure area reached the Caspian sea on 28 March 2026, with its strong rotating powers - which over Dagestan lead to that large amounts of moisture from the Caspian sea were sucked in towards the coastlands to the west and northern Caucasus region. Resulting into lots of rain. So, the soil there must have taken up lots of water back then.

Then came the next low pressure area (5 April)
as a sort of smaller version. It appeared "out of nowhere", meaning, that the unstable area between Turkey and Caspian Sea, sort of "united" into a low pressure system, which started to rotate. With what looks to me like stationary rainfalls, because the disturbances didn't move that much. At least not during 1-2 days. At the same time, once again moisture [fuel] was taken up over the Caspian Sea, driving towards the coast of Dagestan. With its already saturated soil leading to massive floods. After all, the Caucasus then acted like a barrier for the clouds, increasing rainfalls even further.

Below: The low pressure area over Dagestan on 5 April 2026, has moved away eastwards, is now (7 April 2026) stationed as a large diffuse mass of clouds, with rain and thunderstorms stretching from NW India / New Delhi, over Northern Afghanistan to Kazakhstan. So there, in front of the high mountains, a lot of rain should accumulate.

 

[Ca.]

Bright fireball seen streaking across afternoon sky in N.J., other eastern states
Updated: Apr. 07, 2026, 5:46 p.m. |Published: Apr. 07, 2026, 3:38 p.m
A bright fireball was spotted in the sky Tuesday afternoon over parts of New Jersey and several other eastern states, including New York and Pennsylvania, according to social media posts and eyewitness reports submitted to the American Meteor Society.

The AMS, which tracks meteors across the globe, received 99 reports of Tuesday’s fireball as of 3 p.m., including 28 from New Jersey. By 4 p.m., the total number of reports rose to 186.

22K views · 191 reactions | ☄️ Sounds like reports of meteors over our region are way up today. @firem3_nj sent us this video that they say they took heading from Paramus to Newark airport this afternoon. | NJ.com

☄️ Sounds like reports of meteors over our region are way up today. @firem3_nj sent us this video that they say they took heading from Paramus to Newark airport this afternoon.

www.facebook.com

Most of the witnesses reported seeing a bright flash in the sky between 2:35 p.m. and 2:40 p.m., and some reported seeing several green-colored fragments streaking across the sky for several seconds.

On Facebook, several New Jersey residents reported hearing a loud boom and said their house rattled at the time the fireball was zipping across the sky.

Reports came in from various towns and cities in Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties.

Some witnesses said the flash lasted between 3 and 4 seconds, while others reported the streak of light remaining in the sky as long as 11 to 12 seconds.

On the AMS website, a resident of Neptune Township in Monmouth County reported hearing a “boom” followed by a “rumble.”

A person from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, reported seeing “several small bright spots spitting off and moving separately behind the main fireball.”

In addition to New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, reports of meteor sightings were submitted by people in Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

“It was insanely cool to see,” a resident of Heathsville, Virginia, reported, saying the fireball was moving “from up left to down right” and she heard “a muffled boom.”

“The fireball flashed brightly after 2 to 3 seconds of watching it streak across the sky from left to right,” a woman from Falls Church, Virginia reported. “As the fireball flashed I saw one or two smaller bright pieces break away before it faded away.”

It’s not uncommon for meteors to be streaking across the sky at almost any time of the year, but they are most often spotted at night when the sky is dark.

Fireballs are very bright meteors, and they are sometimes bright enough to be seen during daylight hours.

 

[Ca.]

Russia declares emergency in Dagestan's capital as floods cut power to more than 327,000 people

Authorities in the capital of the southern Russian region of Dagestan declared a state of emergency on Saturday after heavy ‌rainfall led to widespread flooding and power cuts in the region. "Emergency services have been placed on high alert,...

www.sott.net

Putin Holds Emergency Meeting as Deadly Dagestan Floods Kill Six | APT

Apr 7, 2026
Dagestan floods 2026, Russia flood news, Putin responds to floods, Caucasus region flooding, record rainfall Dagestan, Russian emergencies, flooding disaster news, Dagestan evacuation, extreme weather Russia, Gedzhukh reservoir breach, natural disaster Russia, infrastructure damage Dagestan, floods kills children, heavy rain Dagestan, Russian state of emergency, Putin emergency meeting, breaking news Russia floods, climate crisis Russia, flooding in March 2026, Dagestan residents affected

 

[Ca.]

Stefan Burns comments on the unusual characteristics of the recent Philadelphia fireball event , while the supposed NASA report did amount to a hill of beans other than a repost from the AMS data

Did Russian the Bear just make an announcement to the USA?

Gork data on Russian rocket and missile technology.

Grok

Grok is an AI assistant built by xAI. Chat, create images, write code, and get real-time answers from the web and X.

grok.com

Thread 'Session 23 August 2025'

Aug 31, 2025

Session Date: August 23rd 2025

Laura and Andromeda at the board

Niall, Joe, Gaby, Ark, PoB, Chu, Scottie, Bella, Falkor, Princess Leia

FOTCM Members attending via Zoom:

3DStudent, A Jay, Adobe, Aeneas, aimarok, Alana, Alejo, Aliana, Altair, anartist, Anthony, Approaching Infinity, Aragorn, Aya, Beau, Bluefyre, Bobo08, brandon, Breton, Carl, Cosmos, cassandra, daddycat & mommycat, Deliverance, dugdeep, Eboard10, Ellipse, Ennio, Expedition26, France, Gawan, Glenn, gottathink, Harmony99, herondancer, Hesper, hesperides, Honzap, iamthatis, irjO, iscreamsandwish, Jacques, Jeanne T, JEEP...

• Laura
• Replies: 236
• Forum: Cassiopaean Session Transcripts

• 
• 
• 

Q: (L) Okay. Is this Windmill Knight still asking about Object 3I/Atlas?

(Joe) No, that's me.

(L) Oh, that's you. Didn't we already ask about it?

(Joe) No. This object 3I/Atlas, what is it?

A: Wait and see! Hale-Bopp anyone?

Q: (Joe) Cool! It's gonna come and put on a show. Hopefully. The Ukraine conflict doesn't seem like it will end any time soon given that the US and Europe seem unwilling to accept Russia's terms and continue arming Ukraine. How long is this conflict likely to continue?

A: Late this year or early next year, but sudden surprises could be in the works.

Q: (Joe) Can we add in, "Oreshnik, anyone?" to the end of that answer? [laughter] "Oreshnik in Kiev"?

A: Yes

Q: (Joe) Mainly because Putin has actually said... there was a report recently in the past couple of days that hardliners in the Russian government wanted Putin to take out the decision-making centers with Orechnik in Kiev and Putin reportedly said, "Absolutely not! There would be nothing left!"

NASA releases report on fireball spotted in Philly region, April 7, 2026

Event ID 20260407-183400
Date (UTC) April 7, 2026
Time (UTC) 18:34:00
AMS Event 2543-2026
Chicken Little Start Lat/Lon +40.654, -72.747
Chicken Little End Lat/Lon +39.521, -74.349
Chicken Little Altitude 76.8 km → 43.9 km ( 47.7 miles→ 27.3 miles)
Chicken Little Speed 13.5 km/s (30,100 mph)

Another day, another meteor. 5 states report fireball sighting.

The meteor, which was spotted by eyewitnesses in multiple East Coast states, traveled for over 100 miles through the upper atmosphere, NASA said.

www.usatoday.com

Other meteor sightings in 2026​

The latest meteor sighting comes after other fireballs have been spotted in other parts of the country, including on the West Coast, in the Midwest and in Texas.

March marked a month full of fireballs lighting up the sky, with sightings of different events reported in California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Ohio, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, the District of Columbia and in Ontario, Canada.

On March 17, a "loud boom" was heard over northeast Ohio after a different, six-ton fireball was spotted in the Northeast U.S. and in Canada, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting. Another meteor, weighing about a ton, left behind a souvenir after traveling across Texas skies on March 21, dropping debris through a local resident's roof and ceiling.

 

[Gaby]

To hide the fact that there's an incredible amount of heat released from deep inside Earth:

And now Earth we'll be reaping the consequences of that record heat from 2023, but don't worry, Mother Nature will eventually balance this out.

Back-to-back Amazon droughts trigger record forest stress

Two back-to-back droughts in 2023 and 2024 caused the most severe decline in forest moisture and biomass (the total mass of living vegetation such as leaves, trunks and branches) in the Amazon since 1992, according to a study published in the journal PNAS. And many of the hardest hit areas are unlikely to recover before the next major drought arrives.

Western states face above-normal wildfire threats this summer. New maps reveal which areas are most at risk.

Amid drought and heat waves, April's national wildfire forecast shows that nearly the entire Western U.S. will face an above-normal risk of wildfires at some point in the next four months.

The latest outlook reports that the snow melt-off in the Four Corners region came "not just several weeks or months earlier than normal, but also four to six weeks earlier than the previously recorded earliest melt-off dates." The recent heat wave also desiccated the West. Albuquerque, for example, recorded its earliest ever 90-degree reading on March 21, more than six weeks sooner than its previous earliest date, in 1947. The daily average of 73.1 degrees Las Vegas recorded in March would have broken the city's April record.

Projections for June wildland fire risk from the National Interagency Coordination Center released on April 1, 2026.

Overall, there's been less snowpack and higher temperatures than pretty much any winter on record. It's a situation that climatologists have said would be virtually impossible without climate change, and the maps reflect that reality.

"It doesn't mean that all of these areas are going to burn," said Alastair Hayden, professor at Cornell University and a former division chief in the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Last year, for example, the Pacific Northwest saw an above-normal risk but was largely spared. Local patterns, such as wind and precipitation, play a major role, too. "But, when I look back at the forecast, fires usually tend to be in one of these locations."

The number of acres across the country that have burned through March is already 231 percent of the 10-year average. A wet spring, however, could change everything. It recently rained in Albuquerque where Hurteau is based, and, if it continues, the fire risk could go down dramatically. That's what happened last year.

And not that mainstream science is connecting the dots, but an admission that something is coming out from deep inside Earth:

Non-producing oil and gas wells may emit microbial methane at rates 1,000 times higher than previously estimated

Most methane leaks originate deep underground​

The team collected samples from 401 non-producing wells across the country, particularly in Western Canada where more than 90% of these wells are located. "Non-producing wells" included inactive wells, those that have never produced and those that have ceased production.

"For this study, we looked at chemical properties such as gas composition and stable isotopic signatures, which enable a better understanding of the origins of the leaking methane. This analysis is highly sensitive, and we were able to reliably characterize the origins of emissions from 100 of the 401 wells sampled," said Micucci, study co-author and Postdoctoral Researcher in Civil Engineering.

The researchers showed that most methane leaks typically derive from "thermogenic" sources—usually found in petroleum formations deep below ground, where organic matter derived from ancient life "cooks" under high temperatures. But previous research appears to have underestimated the contribution of microbial methane, which is typically found in shallow formations.

Emissions pathways still unclear​

The researchers said the findings raise new questions about how methane moves underground and escapes through wells.

"Our results raise the question of whether the studied wells were above microbial methane-containing formations, and whether they provide a pathway for this microbial methane to migrate into the atmosphere," Micucci explained.

Kang said she hopes the study provides insights into the "complex nature of the subsurface" and improves ongoing efforts toward mitigating emissions at oil and gas sites.