Above: An artist's illustration of supernova SN 2006gy. The fireworks-like material in white shows the explosion of an extremely massive star. This debris is pushing back two lobes of cool, red gas that were expelled in a large eruption from the star before it exploded. [More]

The brightest stellar explosion ever recorded may be a long-sought new type of supernova, according to observations by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based optical telescopes. This discovery indicates that violent explosions of extremely massive stars were relatively common in the early universe, and that a similar explosion may be ready to go off in our own galaxy.

"This was a truly monstrous explosion, a hundred times more energetic than a typical supernova," said Nathan Smith of the University of California at Berkeley, who led a team of astronomers from California and the University of Texas in Austin. "That means the star that exploded might have been as massive as a star can get, about 150 times that of our sun. We've never seen that before."

Above: Optical (left) and X-ray (right) images of SN 2006gy. The dimmer source at lower-left is the nucleus of the host galaxy. The brighter source at upper-right is the stellar explosion. The supernova was as bright as the entire core of a galaxy! [More]

The star that produced SN 2006gy apparently expelled a large amount of mass prior to exploding. This large mass loss is similar to that seen from Eta Carinae, a massive star in our galaxy, raising suspicion that Eta Carinae may be poised to explode as a supernova. Although SN 2006gy is intrinsically the brightest supernova ever, it is in the galaxy NGC 1260, some 240 million light years away. However, Eta Carinae is only about 7,500 light years away in our own Milky Way galaxy.

Above: Eta Carinae--a supernova waiting to happen in our own galaxy? Photo credit: Hubble Space Telescope. [More]

Even though these tales have all the same characteristics of the false confessions that ruined so many lives two decades ago, the authroties have taken the allegations seriously enough to arrest the teachers and their friends. What's especially creepy about this round is that it not only so closely resembles the Satanic Panics of the US and UK in the eighties, but also elements of seventeenth century witch hunts as well.

Melody deciphered in ‘Da Vinci Code’ chapel
Like a plot from “The Da Vinci Code,” a team of code breakers claims to have found music hidden for 500 years in intricate carvings at the church where author Dan Brown set the climax of the best-selling book.

UFO ‘evidence’ grows
Captain Jean-Charles Duboc claimed he saw a huge object over Paris on 28 January 1994 while flying an Airbus 320 from Nice to London. It was well documented in the French media and on internet sites. The 55-year-old’s sighting was supported by fellow flight crew and French radar, which picked up the object about 25 miles east of Paris for 50 seconds. ‘The observation of Captain Ray Bowyer is really impressive for several reasons,’ he said.

Bigfoot an 'endangered species'
Bigfoot, the legendary hairy man-like beast said to roam the wildernesses of North America, is not shy, merely so rare it risks extinction and should be protected as an endangered species. So says Canadian MP Mike Lake who has called for Bigfoot to be protected under Canada's species at risk act, alongside Whooping Cranes, Blue Whales, and Red Mulberry trees.

 And Finally,

Triquetra

The triquetra (often, triqueta) is a tripartate symbol composed of three interlocked vesica pisces, marking the intersection of three circles. It is most commonly a symbol of the Holy Trinity (Father, son, Holy spirit) used by the Celtic Christian Church, sometimes stylized as three interlaced fish. This symbol predates Christianity and was likely a Celtic symbol of the triple Goddess, and in the North, a symbol of the god Odin. Triplicities were common symbols in Celtic myth and legend, one of the possible reasons Christian beliefs were so easily adopted by the Celtic people. The triqueta makes an ideal Christian symbol. It is a perfect representation of the concept of "three in one" in Christian trinity beliefs, and incorporates another popular Christian symbol, the fish. It is sometimes enclosed within a circle to emphasize the unity aspect. In Wiccan and Neopagan belief, the triqueta symbolizes the triple aspected goddess (maid, mother, and crone). Some Christians have protested this "appropriation" of the symbol...however, ironically enough, the original Christian fish symbol was derived from an early symbol of venus, one representing female generative organs- making the triquetra perfectly appropriate symbol for a Goddess revival. The triquetra is also considered to represent the triplicities of mind, body, and soul, as well as the three domains of earth- earth, sea, and sky. Additioonally, this symbol also appears on the television series Charmed, probably as a less threatening alternative to the pentacle.

See you in the ether ! 

Hiya Jay, Wouldn't it be something if the "Close Encounters" movie was somewhat true? It seems that more and more people are awakening. There's a whole bunch of them in MySpace.

Close Encounters is fiction??? Say it ain't so...lol. You're absolutely right - more and more people are awakening, intent on discovering their purpose and place. It's a groovy time to be alive.

Hi Jay, some very lovely space pictures here!

Yes, my space now feels very calm!

Jay my friend!!It's good to be back and to call in on friends
Did you know this:

In 591 EY, a ship approached the Vinka owned planet Agri World, Salkim. It was a strange ship; it did not appear like any of the Legacy ships, and it appeared to fly out of nowhere, rather than appearing from Hyperspace. Salkim's few defenses were raised, but this proved unnecessary as the ship did nothing hostile. The humans on board spoke in an unfamiliar dialect, but were able to make their message clear; they were ambassadors, sent to establish contact with the Lystran Empire. Their home empire they called the Triquetra.

The Triquetra is a union of many star systems, apparently comparable in number to the Empire's. But it is unlike the Empire in many ways. For one thing, it contains aliens. There are two species besides humanity. One is the Vandwrer; vaguely human-like in shape, but possessing elaborate fins and talons. The other, the Ampai, are stranger still; possessing bell-like bodies, with many thin trailing tendrils, they resemble jellyfish more than people. While no species can live places habitable for the others, they talk frequently over radio and cinema.

Their standard-of-living is akin to that of the Empire's commoners, although everyday life is a bit different thanks to the differing technology. They place much emphasis on community, taking their city's name as their surname as if it were a small House. They have expressed distaste at violence; while they have some weaponry, apparently for self-defence, they work to subdue rather than injure. They are also spiritualistic and ritualistic - they meditate or siesta early every afternoon, allegedly sometimes using narcotics as aids. Their scholars think that meditation and introspection is an important part of learning - you learn about yourself as you learn of new things.

The Triquetrans trade, mostly for Legacy technology, cultural artefacts and historical information - Lystran cinema appears