Latest news with #NationalGeographic
Black America Web
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Ryan Coogler's New Series Exposes the Real Story of Katrina & America
Source: Walt Disney Company / Walt Disney Company Two decades after Hurricane Katrina drowned New Orleans and exposed deep cracks in America's disaster response and racial divide, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is helping to tell the story like it's never been told before. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker has teamed up with Oscar-winning producers Simon and Jonathan Chinn ( Searching for Sugar Man ) and director Traci A. Curry ( Attica ) for Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time , a five-part National Geographic docuseries that brings viewers inside the storm—and the systemic failure that followed. 'This series goes beyond the headlines,' Coogler said. 'It reveals stories of survival, heroism, and resilience. It's a vital historical record and a call to witness, remember, and reckon with the truth of Hurricane Katrina's legacy.' Premiering July 27, the series opens in the sweltering summer of 2005 as Katrina barrels toward New Orleans. Episode one, The Coming Storm , sets the stage for what would become one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history. But as the series makes clear, the tragedy wasn't just the hurricane—it was the government's failure to respond. Episode two, Worst Case Scenario , captures the terrifying moment the levees broke and the city began to flood 'like a bathtub.' With emergency services overwhelmed, everyday people risked their lives to save neighbors and strangers alike. Coogler, known for using his lens to amplify Black voices and lived experiences, said it was important that the story be told through the people who were there—not pundits or politicians. 'What happened in New Orleans wasn't just a natural disaster,' Coogler explained. 'It was the result of long-standing neglect, inequality, and abandonment. The people of New Orleans were left to fend for themselves.' As the episodes unfold— A Desperate Place , Shoot to Kill , and Wake Up Call —the series chronicles what happened in the days and weeks after the floodwaters rose. It is an unflinching narrative of survival and strength. Viewers are taken inside the Superdome, where thousands sought shelter in dire conditions. It shines a light on the chaos and confusion at the Convention Center, the militarized response, and the media-fueled narrative of looting that often overshadowed real stories of courage. Through it all, Race Against Time keeps its focus tight: the people who lived through Katrina. Their testimonies are raw, emotional, and unforgettable. Director Traci A. Curry brings a cinematic edge to the storytelling, with rare archival footage, urgent pacing, and cliffhanger endings that make each episode feel like a chapter in a larger American epic. Known for centering truth, dignity, and emotion in his work, Coogler said he approached the series the same way he approached Fruitvale Station or Judas and the Black Messiah —with deep respect for the lives behind the headlines. 'This is a story about community, about loss, but also about resilience,' Coogler said. 'The people of New Orleans didn't just survive—they resisted, they rebuilt, and they kept their culture alive.' The series also tackles the aftermath of the storm—how families were scattered across the country, how the city changed forever, and how, even now, the scars remain. While Race Against Time arrives 20 years after the storm, its urgency is very much present-day. It speaks to what happens when disaster meets inequality, when bureaucracy fails, and when Black lives are treated as expendable. 'This series is not just about what happened,' Coogler noted. 'It's about what we allowed to happen—and what we need to learn from it.' Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time premieres July 27 at 8/7c on National Geographic. All five episodes will stream July 28 on Disney+ and Hulu. Source: Jazmyn Summers / Jazmyn Summers Article by Jazmyn Summers. You can hear Jazmyn every morning on 'Jazmyn in the Morning 'on Sirius XM Channel 362 Grown Folk Jamz . Subscribe to J azmyn Summers' YouTube . Follow her on Facebook and Instagram. SEE ALSO
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
How trafficking victims are tortured into love-bombing Brits in brutal scam factories… & risk slit throat if they fail
ROMANCE scams costs millions of lonely victims their life savings, every year, as heartless criminals prey on the vulnerable and lonely with sophisticated online cons. But what most don't realise is that the scammers may well be victims themselves. 10 Mariana talks to people who made it out alive and to discover who is behind these heart-breaking scams Credit: National Geographic 10 Angel, a scam compound model tells Mariana she is forced into sex with bosses Credit: National Geographic 10 If scammers like Ajay try to escape, they risk being murdered by their captors Credit: National Geographic They are human trafficking victims who are brutally tortured and forced to scam in massive factory-like compounds in Myanmar, South East Asia And if they try to escape they risk being murdered by their captors. Harrowing videos have emerged on social media of victims of human trafficking being electrocuted or beaten and forced to engage in a scam with a sinister name - They are made to lure people in on dating apps, and after a period of online flirting introduce an opportunity to get rich quick on what look like serious investment sites. SITE THE SUN FEATURES Investigative journalist Mariana Van Zeller travelled to Myanmar to talk to people who made it out alive and to discover who is behind these heart-breaking scams. 'The scam is called It is estimated that $75billion has been stolen worldwide and thousands of Brits are among the victims. The practice has also led to numerous suicides across the world, including one former police officer in Wiltshire who took his own life after losing £100,000. Pig butchering compounds have been cropping up around South East Asia. But the main hub is in Myanmar. Most read in The Sun Mariana says: 'It is hard to believe how many people fall for pig butchering scams, but there is a proven formula that makes them so effective. After establishing trust, scammers spend weeks or even months A whistleblower who worked in a compound with 200 others told Mariana: 'There's a lot of wrongdoing going on. I don't even know where to begin. Lovestruck man travels 500 miles to meet beauty queen 'he believed was his 'future wife'... to be greeted by her husband 10 Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller explores the inner workings of the global underworld's most dangerous black markets in a new series Credit: National Geographic 'First I found these pretty girls who were models on social media, TikTok. I downloaded the videos and pictures they posted. "Then I changed them quite a bit. I made sure there were no copyright issues. And then I reposted them on my 'It is like a romance scam. We target people who are lonely. It's just about making them wonder. Does she love me? The scam is called pig butchering because like a farmer who gradually fattens up the pig, the scammer extracts more and more money from the target until finally the slaughter Investigative journalist Mariana Van Zeller 'If you have a Myanmar ID you can move freely. But if you are a victim of 'In scam factories they beat people. If employees get sleepy or make mistakes, they are punished. If someone escapes, they might slit their throat if caught.' Myanmar's history of political instability has made it the perfect place for Charities working in the area estimate that more than 120,000 people are being held against their will and forced to scam. 'Tricked, tortured and trapped' Lin is a Chinese national whose nightmare began when he accepted an offer of what appeared to be legitimate work. 'They would never just let you go,' he explains. 'When you first arrive they won't allow you to have any contact with the outside. They would start threatening you to participate in scams. 95 per cent of the people at the company were tricked into joining. "It's like Another victim says he was water-boarded with a pressure washer and then electrocuted. 'They beat my stomach, they put a polythene bag in my mouth, handcuffs," he says. "I stand up. And they are putting water, you know, like washing car, that pressure. 24 hours I stand like this. I'm wet, they give me electric on stomach. So much punishment.' It is like a romance scam. We target people who are lonely. It's just about making them wonder. Does she love me Conditions are so barbaric within the compounds that some will do anything to escape. Lin explains: 'We planned to tie up and kidnap the supervisor and escape, but somehow they found out. They chased me, so I jumped.' Lin jumped from a third floor window, breaking both his legs - but managed to get away. Mariana says: 'Despite what Lin went through he is one of the lucky ones. Thousands and thousands of people being held in these compounds, tortured, beaten. The fact that nothing is being done, how is this allowed?' Who is the puppet master? 10 Mariana interviews Mr. Hur, an executive of the shadowy Chinese corporation called Yatai Credit: National Geographic 10 Nicole was scammed to the crew Credit: National Geographic 10 Yatai boss She Zhijiang, centre, is currently in jail after being linked to human trafficking Credit: YouTube Since the military coup in Myanmar, militia groups run the Karen area where most of the compounds are. The city of Shwe Kokko - like a mini Las Vegas with casinos and scamming compounds - is effectively run by a shadowy Chinese corporation called Yatai. Mariana says: 'In the last few years Yatai has been embroiled in multiple scandals relating to scamming, money laundering, and human trafficking.' The people behind Yatai gave her a strictly controlled publicity tour of the city in an attempt to clean up their image. Yatai's original plan was to turn Shwe Kokko into a gambling hub. They poured billions of dollars into the development but Covid and the civil war put an end to the dream. Now it is claimed that Yatai is renting many buildings in the city to scamming companies to keep it afloat. We planned to tie up and kidnap the supervisor and escape, but somehow they found out. They chased me, so I jumped Lin, a scam factory survivor Yatai say they are building an 'emerging smart city' in Myanmar, focusing on 'freedom and prosperity'. But Yatai's boss, She Zhijiang, is currently languishing in a Thai jail awaiting extradition to China and sanctioned by the British government for links to And the company denied that the scamming compounds are as big a problem in the city as charities and social media posts claim. Forced into sex 10 Angel reveals that sometimes, she is forced to sleep with the Chinese bosses Credit: National Geographic 10 Phillip opens up to the crew about how he was scammed Credit: National Geographic 10 Building in Shwe Kokko in Myanmar are used as scam factories Credit: AFP But another whistleblower, a video call model called Angel, told Mariana: 'I arrived in Shwe Kokko one and a half years ago. I'm scamming every day. I have so much pressure. I can't even sleep. 'I want to go back to my family. I don't want to come back to that kind of place. 'I have to FaceTime and talk with the target. The chatting team chats with the talker and they transfer to me.' I have to FaceTime and talk with the target. The chatting team chats with the talker and they transfer to me Angel is a Myanmar national, not a human trafficking victim. But financial problems left her with no option but to join a scamming company. It is Angel's job to flirt with the victims and she works long hours, seven days a week, only being allowed to leave the compound once every six months. And she says sometimes video call models like her are forced to sleep with the Chinese bosses. 'They told us they will fire us. I just want to refuse but they force me to. 'Don't refuse because you will be in danger'. Sometimes with the boss' friends and relatives also. 'I don't want to work anymore. I have no choice.' For many victims like Angel, humanitarian rescue groups are their only way out. Or occasionally, if enough money can be raised to Mariana says: 'The scale of this crisis is staggering. There are estimated to be tens of thousands of people imprisoned in these facilities. I have seen how pig butchering scams have connected and upended lives across the world. 'Whether a victim of circumstance or trafficking, those stuck in Myanmar have little recourse.' Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller airs Mondays on National Geographic at 10pm. The Scam City episode premieres 28 th July.
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
How trafficking victims are tortured into love-bombing Brits in brutal scam factories… & risk slit throat if they fail
Victims of human trafficking are electrocuted, beaten and forced to fleece dating app users out of millions PIG BUTCHERING How trafficking victims are tortured into love-bombing Brits in brutal scam factories… & risk slit throat if they fail Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ROMANCE scams costs millions of lonely victims their life savings, every year, as heartless criminals prey on the vulnerable and lonely with sophisticated online cons. But what most don't realise is that the scammers may well be victims themselves. 10 Mariana talks to people who made it out alive and to discover who is behind these heart-breaking scams Credit: National Geographic 10 Angel, a scam compound model tells Mariana she is forced into sex with bosses Credit: National Geographic 10 If scammers like Ajay try to escape, they risk being murdered by their captors Credit: National Geographic They are human trafficking victims who are brutally tortured and forced to scam in massive factory-like compounds in Myanmar, South East Asia And if they try to escape they risk being murdered by their captors. Harrowing videos have emerged on social media of victims of human trafficking being electrocuted or beaten and forced to engage in a scam with a sinister name - pig butchering. They are made to lure people in on dating apps, and after a period of online flirting introduce an opportunity to get rich quick on what look like serious investment sites. Investigative journalist Mariana Van Zeller travelled to Myanmar to talk to people who made it out alive and to discover who is behind these heart-breaking scams. 'The scam is called pig butchering because, like a farmer who gradually fattens up the pig, the scammer extracts more and more money from the target until finally the slaughter.' It is estimated that $75billion has been stolen worldwide and thousands of Brits are among the victims. The practice has also led to numerous suicides across the world, including one former police officer in Wiltshire who took his own life after losing £100,000. Pig butchering compounds have been cropping up around South East Asia. But the main hub is in Myanmar. Mariana says: 'It is hard to believe how many people fall for pig butchering scams, but there is a proven formula that makes them so effective. After establishing trust, scammers spend weeks or even months love-bombing their victims.' A whistleblower who worked in a compound with 200 others told Mariana: 'There's a lot of wrongdoing going on. I don't even know where to begin. Lovestruck man travels 500 miles to meet beauty queen 'he believed was his 'future wife'... to be greeted by her husband 10 Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller explores the inner workings of the global underworld's most dangerous black markets in a new series Credit: National Geographic 'First I found these pretty girls who were models on social media, TikTok. I downloaded the videos and pictures they posted. "Then I changed them quite a bit. I made sure there were no copyright issues. And then I reposted them on my fake accounts. 'It is like a romance scam. We target people who are lonely. It's just about making them wonder. Does she love me? The scam is called pig butchering because like a farmer who gradually fattens up the pig, the scammer extracts more and more money from the target until finally the slaughter Investigative journalist Mariana Van Zeller 'If you have a Myanmar ID you can move freely. But if you are a victim of human trafficking you are kept inside. 'In scam factories they beat people. If employees get sleepy or make mistakes, they are punished. If someone escapes, they might slit their throat if caught.' Myanmar's history of political instability has made it the perfect place for international organised criminals to set up shop. Charities working in the area estimate that more than 120,000 people are being held against their will and forced to scam. 'Tricked, tortured and trapped' Lin is a Chinese national whose nightmare began when he accepted an offer of what appeared to be legitimate work. 'They would never just let you go,' he explains. 'When you first arrive they won't allow you to have any contact with the outside. They would start threatening you to participate in scams. 95 per cent of the people at the company were tricked into joining. "It's like prison-style management. There would be physical punishment. They use a whip and kind of plastic tube wrapped around a steel bar.' Another victim says he was water-boarded with a pressure washer and then electrocuted. 'They beat my stomach, they put a polythene bag in my mouth, handcuffs," he says. "I stand up. And they are putting water, you know, like washing car, that pressure. 24 hours I stand like this. I'm wet, they give me electric on stomach. So much punishment.' It is like a romance scam. We target people who are lonely. It's just about making them wonder. Does she love me Conditions are so barbaric within the compounds that some will do anything to escape. Lin explains: 'We planned to tie up and kidnap the supervisor and escape, but somehow they found out. They chased me, so I jumped.' Lin jumped from a third floor window, breaking both his legs - but managed to get away. Mariana says: 'Despite what Lin went through he is one of the lucky ones. Thousands and thousands of people being held in these compounds, tortured, beaten. The fact that nothing is being done, how is this allowed?' Who is the puppet master? 10 Mariana interviews Mr. Hur, an executive of the shadowy Chinese corporation called Yatai Credit: National Geographic 10 Nicole was scammed to the crew Credit: National Geographic 10 Yatai boss She Zhijiang, centre, is currently in jail after being linked to human trafficking Credit: YouTube Since the military coup in Myanmar, militia groups run the Karen area where most of the compounds are. The city of Shwe Kokko - like a mini Las Vegas with casinos and scamming compounds - is effectively run by a shadowy Chinese corporation called Yatai. Mariana says: 'In the last few years Yatai has been embroiled in multiple scandals relating to scamming, money laundering, and human trafficking.' The people behind Yatai gave her a strictly controlled publicity tour of the city in an attempt to clean up their image. Yatai's original plan was to turn Shwe Kokko into a gambling hub. They poured billions of dollars into the development but Covid and the civil war put an end to the dream. Now it is claimed that Yatai is renting many buildings in the city to scamming companies to keep it afloat. We planned to tie up and kidnap the supervisor and escape, but somehow they found out. They chased me, so I jumped Lin, a scam factory survivor Yatai say they are building an 'emerging smart city' in Myanmar, focusing on 'freedom and prosperity'. But Yatai's boss, She Zhijiang, is currently languishing in a Thai jail awaiting extradition to China and sanctioned by the British government for links to human trafficking. And the company denied that the scamming compounds are as big a problem in the city as charities and social media posts claim. Forced into sex 10 Angel reveals that sometimes, she is forced to sleep with the Chinese bosses Credit: National Geographic 10 Phillip opens up to the crew about how he was scammed Credit: National Geographic 10 Building in Shwe Kokko in Myanmar are used as scam factories Credit: AFP But another whistleblower, a video call model called Angel, told Mariana: 'I arrived in Shwe Kokko one and a half years ago. I'm scamming every day. I have so much pressure. I can't even sleep. 'I want to go back to my family. I don't want to come back to that kind of place. 'I have to FaceTime and talk with the target. The chatting team chats with the talker and they transfer to me.' I have to FaceTime and talk with the target. The chatting team chats with the talker and they transfer to me Angel is a Myanmar national, not a human trafficking victim. But financial problems left her with no option but to join a scamming company. It is Angel's job to flirt with the victims and she works long hours, seven days a week, only being allowed to leave the compound once every six months. And she says sometimes video call models like her are forced to sleep with the Chinese bosses. 'They told us they will fire us. I just want to refuse but they force me to. 'Don't refuse because you will be in danger'. Sometimes with the boss' friends and relatives also. 'I don't want to work anymore. I have no choice.' For many victims like Angel, humanitarian rescue groups are their only way out. Or occasionally, if enough money can be raised to pay a ransom to the compound bosses, some workers will be released. Mariana says: 'The scale of this crisis is staggering. There are estimated to be tens of thousands of people imprisoned in these facilities. I have seen how pig butchering scams have connected and upended lives across the world. 'Whether a victim of circumstance or trafficking, those stuck in Myanmar have little recourse.' Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller airs Mondays on National Geographic at 10pm. The Scam City episode premieres 28th July.
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Exact date Scots could spot Pluto as dwarf planet reaches peak brightness
Read on to find out the best way to see the dwarf planet SPACE OUT Exact date Scots could spot Pluto as dwarf planet reaches peak brightness Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTS may be able to catch a glimpse of Pluto this week as it reaches peak brightness. The dwarf planet is set to be at its "best and brightest moment of the year", according to National Geographic. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Pluto is set to be at its "best and brightest moment of the year" Credit: Getty 3 Stargazers will need a telescope if they want to catch a glimpse Credit: Alamy Pluto will be reach opposition - which means a planet is opposite the sun as viewed from Earth. This means that the object rises as the sun sets and remains visible all night. Pluto is in the same solar system as the Earth, but much further out, beyond the farthest planet from the sun, Neptune. It is around 3.7 billion miles from the sun, and one of many minor planets beyond Neptune's orbit, called trans-Neptunian objects. Pluto is also in the Kuiper belt, a collection of hundreds of thousands of icy minor planets and asteroids orbiting the sun out beyond Neptune. On Friday, July 25, the dwarf planet will reach opposition which makes it the ideal time to catch a glimpse. It remains near peak brightness for several days before and after opposition. However, stargazers have been warned that, even at its brightest, Pluto is a "barely-there speck" even with a telescope. The sky must also be extremely dark to see Pluto. Light pollution, whether from street lights or the moon, will easily wash it out. Stunned scientists uncover super-Earth planet that could finally reveal existence of aliens Make sure you take a look at a star chart to determine the planet's location in the sky. It will look just like one of the faint stars. Pluto's status as a planet is one of the most controversial issues in the world of astronomy. It's not currently classed as a planet. It is a minor, or dwarf, planet. Pluto used to be the ninth planet in our solar system until the International Astronomical Union created a new system for classifying space objects in 2006.
National Geographic
9 hours ago
- Science
- National Geographic
Are interstellar objects proof of alien life? This could finally settle the debate.
The Vera Rubin telescope is poised to kick off an explosive era of discovery. "It's like old-fashioned astronomy: Find the thing, point telescopes at it, argue about it. It's going to be fun." Astronomers predict that the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which begins surveying the night sky this year, could spot dozens more interstellar objects over the next decade. Photograph by Tomás Munita, National Geographic In our solar system, everything belongs to the sun. While they might take years and years to complete one loop, every planet and moon, asteroid and comet, every bit of crushed ice and rock, is gravitationally bound to our star, fixtures of a perpetual cosmic carousel. But every once in a while, something else comes along that, based on careful measurements of orbital mechanics, is unmistakably untethered: an interstellar visitor. The object arrives from the realm between stars, and after a quick sojourn in our solar system, it goes back out to the unknowable depths. Such enigmatic travelers are called interstellar objects, and they bring with them a glimpse of a part of the cosmos that we've never seen before. Each time one shows up it kicks off an observing spree, with astronomers mustering other telescopes, on the ground and in space, to scrutinize the visitor. The object appears as little more than a fuzzy speck of light, but astronomers try to uncover its true nature before it slips away, from fundamental properties (dimensions, chemical composition) to the wild possibilities (signs of alien technology). Only three interstellar objects have ever been discovered, with the latest appearing just this month, from the direction of somewhere in the center of the Milky Way. 3I/ATLAS, as the object is known, is currently traveling just inside the orbit of Mars, captivating telescopes around the world. These are rare events—for now. A new telescope, scheduled to begin full operations later this year, is expected to find many more such transient objects. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, perched on a mountaintop in the Chilean desert, is designed to scan the sky night after night and capture faint glimmers in the darkness—including sunlight reflecting off a fast-moving celestial body. Its observations produce time-lapse views, allowing astronomers to track those objects and study their orbits for any oddities. Rubin didn't discover 3I/ATLAS but happened to snap dozens of pictures of the object, before and after its interstellar nature became apparent. Those images are already helping astronomers form a clearer picture of the visitor. Rubin's Simonyi Survey Telescope can detect very faint objects like interstellar visitors and track their paths, as they swoop through our solar system before heading back out to the space between stars. Photograph by Tomás Munita, National Geographic With Rubin, the field is in for a potentially explosive era of discovery; according to astronomers' statistics-driven predictions and exhilarated personal bets, the observatory could spot somewhere between five and 100 interstellar objects in the next decade. "It's like old-fashioned astronomy: Find the thing, point telescopes at it, argue about it," Chris Lintott, an astrophysicist at Oxford, says. "It's going to be fun." What we know about interstellar objects An interstellar object, once anchored to a star of its own, can travel for millions and even billions of years before encountering the warmth of another. When the first known interstellar guest appeared in 2017, astronomers were stunned—not only because of the historic moment, but because 'Oumuamua, as it was later named, didn't match up with their working theories of the universe. Scientists had long thought that interstellar objects must exist, thrown out from the cold edges of their home system as new planets swirled into shape, a distinctly turbulent time. 'Oumuamua, though, wasn't like anything astronomers had observed before: weirdly shaped, rocky like an asteroid but plowing forward like a comet, and yet lacking the signature tail of dust. (Ideas about alien origins abounded.) The second recorded interstellar object to visit, Borisov in 2019, was more in line with expectations—an icy comet, though perhaps originating from a smaller, dimmer kind of star. While astronomers have already characterized 3I/ATLAS as a comet, it has its own quirks; the object is far larger than 'Oumuamua and Borisov, and appears to be a few billion years older than our solar system. ʻOumuamua (illustrated above) means 'a messenger from afar arriving first" in Hawaiian, and the first confirmed interstellar object to visit our solar system continues to puzzle astronomers today. Illustration by NASA/ESA/STScI The Hubble Space Telescope snapped this image of our solar system's second-known interstellar visitor, a comet named for its discoverer, amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov. Photograph by NASA, ESA and D. Jewitt (UCLA) An entire catalog of interstellar objects, however, can help reveal how cosmic forces shape planetary systems over time. Right now, "there's a whole zoo of explanations for interstellar objects," says Susanne Pfalzner, an astrophysicist at Forschungszentrum Jülich, a research institution in Germany. The space rocks could have been ejected because of the gravitational jostling of giant planets fresh from the cosmic oven. Most stars form in clusters, and the crowded environment could force objects from several budding planetary systems to fly off. Grown systems could lose celestial bits and pieces too; the icy bodies at the very ends of a planetary system are secured by the faintest hint of gravity, and could easily be whisked away by a passing star. And when a star exhausts its lifetime of fuel and begins to expand, the stellar winds unleashed in the dying act could expel many interstellar objects. These wanderers are relics of countless histories, and Rubin's future inventory could help astronomers determine which are most common, Pfalzner says. A flurry of Borisovs would indicate that the objects likely spring from the cold, dark outskirts of their systems. More 'Oumuamuas would suggest that most interstellar objects originate in their inner star systems, where the heat of their star has stripped away most of the chemical compounds that would typically create a shimmery tail during an encounter with our sun. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's potential to help build a more extensive catalogue of interstellar visitors could help researchers answer big questions about the objects themselves and how planetary systems change over time. Photograph by Tomás Munita, National Geographic Rubin's observations could also help settle the discussion over whether 'Oumuamua was something other than a space rock, says Avi Loeb, a Harvard physicist. Loeb thinks that 'Oumuamua is a broken piece of alien structure; our own solar system, he says, is full of space trash—rocket parts, a red Tesla—which are sometimes mistaken for asteroids by amateur astronomers. He and his collaborators suggest that 3I/ATLAS is a piece of alien tech, too. Should Rubin turn up more objects that look and behave like 'Oumuamua or 3I/ATLAS, they're less likely to be the products of extraterrestrials, Loeb says. "At the very least, we will learn more about rocks that are thrown out of other stars,' he says. ' But we might also find an answer to the most romantic question in science: Are we alone?" It's a spine-tingling thought, and certainly daydream fodder, even for the astronomers doing the work. The late astronomer Vera Rubin, for whom the new telescope is named, wrote in 2006 that when she examined the nearby galaxy M31 through a telescope, "often I wondered if an astronomer in M31 was observing us. Always I wished we could exchange views." (Vera Rubin was the GOAT of dark matter.) Most of the astronomy community doesn't share Loeb and his collaborators' interpretation of 'Oumuamua, or his latest claim about 3I/ATLAS. "It's strange, but it's not so strange that we need to fall back on the aliens hypothesis," says John Forbes, an astrophysicist at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. 'Oumuamua's unusual acceleration, which can't be explained by gravity's influence, could be explained by comet-like properties. 'Oumuamua may have released a tiny amount of gas as it thawed in the warmth of the sun enough to propel it along, but not necessarily to be observed by telescopes, says Darryl Seligman, an astrophysicist at Michigan State University. In the last few years, Seligman and his colleagues have reported the discovery of a dozen asteroids near Earth that vent gases just like comets do, but produce a tail that isn't visible to us. They suggest that these asteroids belong to a new class of celestial bodies, which they call dark comets. "This type of thing could be much more widespread that we haven't noticed before and potentially haven't even been looking for," Seligman says—and visiting objects could exhibit this behavior, too. Exploring our galactic wilderness While some scientists focus on chasing after these objects as they hurtle through our solar system, others are eager to investigate their journeys through the galactic wilderness. While they aren't bound to specific stars, interstellar travelers move around the Milky Way. Forbes, in his research, posits that space rocks, once unmoored from their home system, start traveling in a long, thin current through the galaxy. Stars ejected from stellar clusters can form streams, and Forbes predicts that interstellar objects may do the same. These currents would expand over time, becoming more diffuse, because "the galaxy is messy, and there's all sorts of things going on that perturb your nice, simple orbits," Forbes says. He hopes that Rubin will spot multiple newcomers arriving from the same spot in the sky and traveling at matching velocities. "That's a pretty strong indication that we're sitting in a dense stream of interstellar objects," he says. Our sun could be drifting through millions of such currents. (What other mysteries could the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory solve?) A menagerie of interstellar objects could help astronomers solve a particularly puzzling aspect of planet formation, including Earth's own story. Planets form in much the same way that dust bunnies around the house do, with particles swirling and sticking together until they grow large enough to become worlds. Computer simulations have shown, however, that while it's easy for cosmic forces to make the leap from dust-sized particles to boulder-sized objects, it is actually quite difficult for those boulders to then grow into something larger. While the universe has obviously overcome this challenge—"we are living proof," Pfalzner says—astronomers haven't figured out how. Interstellar objects, she says, are just about the right size for this conundrum, ready to be glommed on and grown. If there's a lot of interstellar objects floating around in the vicinity of a new system—perhaps drawn in by the gravity of the freshly ignited star at its center—the universe has all the raw materials it needs, removing any friction in the process. The interstellar objects whizzing through our skies may someday, help shape someone else's solar system. Rubin's search for interstellar objects, whether it turns up only a few or dozens, provides a kind of knowledge that goes beyond pure empirical research. We can know, better than before, what kind of universe stretches out all around us, as if we've cracked open a giant secret and become privy to wonders we weren't meant to witness. What lies beyond Earth isn't nature in any sense that we might recognize, but it is a kind of wilderness nonetheless, shaped by many of the same forces that led to the familiar landscapes on this planet. Interstellar objects are a reminder that the cosmos is a shared place, and that we are just as much a part of it as those mysterious travelers, carving our own path through time and space.
