LightandDark2000

Hi, I'm LightandDark2000 (or BlueHypercane761 on Wikimedia Commons). I am deeply fascinated with science, and I enjoy editing articles related to tropical cyclones, natural disasters, wars, and current events, as well as other articles with topics that interest me. I live in California, and I also have an interest in electronics and computer-related stuff. I am always trying to improve Wikipedia, and I work to keep articles free from vandalism. Near the top of my userpage is a large-scale "featured image," which I have chosen to highlight at the moment. My featured images aren't permanent. There will probably be an image that I keep up for a really long time, but I will rotate or switch the image as desired. Additionally, if any of the previous images were really good in my opinion (or depicted major objects or events), you can find them in the image gallery below.

Hubble mosaic image of the Crab Nebula. "I am a light in the darkness. The convergence point of two opposing forces."

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vn-10This user page has been vandalized 10 times.	This user contributes to Wikimedia Commons.	This user is proud to be American. May God bless this country!	This user is male.
PSTThis user's time zone is PST.	This user uses Wikipedia as a primary point of reference.	This user uses Google as a primary search engine.	This user uses Gmail as a primary email service.
This user contributes using Microsoft Windows.	I ♥ WindowsThis user loves Windows!	This user contributes using Google Chrome.	This user contributes using Microsoft Edge.
This user is interested in science.	BIOThis user is an expert in Biology.	This user loves to read.	This user's favourite colour is blue.
This user is interested in Biology.	This user is interested in Biochemistry.	This user is interested in Cell Biology.	This user finds Biotechnology to be fascinating.
This user enjoys watching the weather.	This user is really fascinated by the weather.	This user is interested in meteorology.	This user loves sunny days
This user likes tracking tropical cyclones.	This user finds tornadoes to be fascinating.	This user is an astronomer.	This user survived the Witch Creek Fire in October 2007, and will never forget it.
This user is an advanced mathematician.	en-5This user can contribute with a professional level of English.	cmn-2該用戶能以一般的官話進行交流。 该用户能以一般的官话进行交流。	This user loves Chinese cuisine.
This user is from the planet Earth.	#2This user has visited #2 countries in the world.	This user is a Citizen of the Milky Way Galaxy‡ and nothing else matters.	This user supports the rights of the nation of Israel to exist freely, within defensible borders.
This user doesn't like Nazis.	This user strongly opposes Communism in government.	This user STRONGLY OPPOSES the California secession movement, Calexit, and like-minded Parties.	This user is against cyberbullying.
This user is strongly against online advertisements, especially intrusive ones.	This user is against all forms of smoking and vaping, especially in public places.	This user does not appreciate tobacco smoke.	This user doesn't drink, and has a healthy liver to show for it.
C2H5OHThis user believes alcohol is dangerous, and as such does not drink it. However, if this user does not believe alcohol is dangerous, this user absolutely hates alcohol.	This user believes that string theory will be the answer to mankind's quest for a theory of everything	This user believes that Mars had water on its surface in the past.	This user believes that Venus had water on its surface in the past.
This user believes that Taiwan and China should be united into a single, democratic country, The Republic of China.	This user never, ever wants to experience a Megastorm. Not even to relieve a historic drought.	Kaboom!! Oh, that was just this user obliterating vandals, nothing to worry about. Except if you're the vandal.[Humor]	This editor is a Master Editor III and is entitled to display this Bufonite Editor Star.
This user adamantly considers both Pluto and Eris to be "Planets"	This user would like to know what a black hole looks like from inside, but doesn't want to investigate it personally.	This user is interested in String Theory.	This user is interested in nanotechnology.
This user has a keen interest in physics.	This user is interested in Geology.	This user is very interested in vulcanology.	This user feels that Space Weather is awesome!
This user really, really wants to see a literal Blue Moon.	This user would really love to see a Purple Lunar Eclipse.	This user loves to watch Rainbows and related meteorological events	This user appreciates appreciates the beauty of volcanic regions.
This user wants to see a meteor storm.	This user wants to see a Great Comet. ☄️	This user knows that the cost of living in their area of residence is too high.	This user is interested in ancient Mesopotamia.
This user is interested in ancient Assyria.	This user is interested in ancient China.	This user is interested in ancient Rome.	This user participates in WikiProject Astronomy.
This user participates in WikiProject Tropical cyclones.	This user participates in the Non-tropical storms task force.	This user is a participant in WikiProject Weather	This user actively participates in WikiProject Severe weather.
This user is a participant in WikiProject Wildfire.	This user is a member of WikiProject Volcanoes	This user is a participant in WikiProject Microbiology.	This user is a member of WikiProject Military history.
This user is a participant in WikiProject Western Asia.	This user is a participant in WikiProject Viruses.	This user is a participant in WikiProject COVID-19.	This user is a participant in WikiProject Portals.
This user feels that both tropical/subtropical and extratropical cyclones should be named by weather agencies.	This user is very distressed by the increasing polarization in the United States.	This user loves cinnamon rolls.	This user likes Ice cream.
This user has extended confirmed rights on the English Wikipedia. (verify)	This user has rollback rights on the English Wikipedia. (verify)	This user has pending changes reviewer rights on the English Wikipedia. (verify)	This user has page mover rights on the English Wikipedia. (verify)
This user has been attacked by a sock puppet.	This user account has experienced a hacking attempt 7 times.	This user is a member of the Counter-Vandalism Unit.	This user despises vandalism and reverts it with extreme pride.

Featured/Good articles

Tropical Storm Rolf (My first GA)

Hurricane Pali

Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten

Hurricane Epsilon (2020) (Mostly written by DachshundLover82)

Effects of Hurricane Dorian in the Carolinas (Largely written by Cyclone Toby)

Tropical Cyclone/Weather agencies links

RSMC/TCWC - NHC, CPHC, JMA, JMA Marine Bulletins IMD, MFR, BMG, BOM, PNG, FMS, Well, BMHC

NMHSS - Met Office, JTWC, NWS Guam, PAGASA, CWB, HKO, CMA STI, KMA, TMD, VMD CMA

Other links - IRC, Philippines NDRRMC, GMDSS, WX Trop, MT Archive, NRL imagery, Dundee, Temporary TC advisory archive, NOAA Ocean Coverage Satellite Imagery, Eastern Pacific Tropical Weather Discussion, Ocean Prediction Center, WPC North America Surface Analysis/Satellite Composite maps, 850mb Vorticity - West Pacific atmospheric circulation map, Ten Spider Weather - Tropical Cyclone, Typhoon & Hurricane Tracking, NOAA El Niño & La Niña data, GFS Weather Model page, ECMWF (European) Weather Model, Weather Underground tropical cyclone tracker, Weather Underground Weather Map & Models, Tropical Tidbits Current Storm tracker, NOAA CLASS satellite images, NASA EOSDIS Worldview satellite imagery, Nullschool Global Map of Wind, Weather, and Ocean Conditions

Running Best Tracks - JTWC/NHC RBT, NHC RBT, IBTrACS track data.

Current Events

Cold War II (August 2008–Present)

Map of the major geopolitical alignments in the world:

  The U.S., EU, and nations that have sided with those powers in major geopolitical conflicts

  Russia, China, and nations that have sided with those two nations in major geopolitical disputes

  Nations that have sided with both blocs in major geopolitical disputes

The Second Cold War (which began on August 7, 2008, at the start of the Russo-Georgian War) escalated during the 2014 conflicts and civil unrest in Ukraine. The Russian actions toward the events escalated tensions between the United States and Russia, which may spark World War III. On March 21, 2014, Russian annexed Crimea, leading to a heightened escalation in tensions between Ukraine and Russia. On May 8, 2014, and later in mid-June 2014, Russia began flying fighter jets off the coast of California and Guam, preparing for a possible military strike. In response, President Obama visited military leaders in California on May 9, to debrief them on the Russian threats. In the first week of June 2014, Russian fighter jets began making passes over U.S. military vehicles, likely in preparation for an attack. On April 23, a Russian fighter jet passed within 100 feet of a U.S. military plane, and tilted itself just enough so that the U.S. crew could see that the plane was armed with missiles. Earlier in April, a Russian fighter plane had made a dozen passes over the USS Donald Cook, in addition to multiple flights over or near the border of many NATO nations. The Government declared that this flight put the lives of the entire U.S. crew in jeopardy. If displays of aggression like these continue, a Russian attack may not be that far off the horizon. On July 17, 2014, the Pro-Russian rebels shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine, using missiles supplied by Russia. This resulted in a heightening of tensions between Russia and NATO, as well as additional measures to circumvent flights passing over Ukraine. On July 27, 2014, Russia began firing missiles over the Ukrainian border into Eastern Ukraine, in support of the Pro-Russian rebels. This may lead to a full-scale war if Ukraine decides to retaliate.

On January 2, 2015, the US began imposing sanctions on North Korea, due to their involvement in the Sony hack involving the movie The Interview.

On January 29, 2015, two Russian bomber jets were intercepted by the British Royal Air Force over the English Channel, forcing civilian flights within the region to be re-routed. This escalated already strained NATO–Russia relations even further, and caused more panic over the fears of possible Russian aircraft collisions with civilian aircraft. This was the latest of Russia's "dark" military flights (as of January 29, 2015), which have jeopardized civilian lives and escalated tensions to Cold War-levels. NATO reported having intercepted over 100 Russian military flights in 2014, over 3 times the amount in 2013.

The scheduled summit at Minsk, attended by both foreign leaders and leaders in the War on Donbass, met on February 11, 2015, which resulted in the signing of a new package of peacemaking measures, called Minsk II, on February 12. The plan, similar in content to the failed Minsk Protocol, called for an unconditional ceasefire, to begin on February 15, amongst many other measures.

Debaltseve, one of the sites where the ceasefire was not implemented (and the site of the heaviest fighting around the time of Minsk II' implementation), was captured by the Donetsk People's Republic of Novorossiya on February 18, 2015. After capturing the city, they announced that they would be withdrawing their heavy artillery as required by Minsk II.

On January 25, 2016, a Russian fighter jet came within 15 feet of a U.S. Air Force Reconnaissance plane, over the Black Sea. If Russia continues these dangerous passes, it may lead to another incident, like the Turkish shootdown of a Russian jet in November 2015, or to a higher level military escalation. On April 17, 2016, a Russian fighter jet barrel-rolled over a US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft, over the Baltic Sea, coming withing 50 feet of the plane. The US criticized such a dangerous move, but the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the move was part of its "defense protocol."

On April 7, 2017, the 2017 Shayrat missile strike, authorized by US President Donald Trump, in retaliation for a chemical weapon attack in Khan Shaykhun (blamed on the Syrian Government), deteriorated relations between the United States and Russia. On April 14, 2018, the U.S. launched another airstrike on the Syrian Government, following the East Ghouta gas attacks, which was condemned by Russia and China.

In January 2018, the U.S., under President Donald Trump, launched a trade war against China for abusive trading practices and long-standing intellectual property theft. China retaliated, and the trade war escalated to the point that the global market started to contract, and companies began trying to readjust their supply chains to offset the damage. In January 2020, both countries signed a Phase One agreement, which brought down tensions, but the conflict continued.

In Spring 2019, massive protests erupted in Hong Kong over China's proposed "national security" bill, which would allow China to extradite anyone from Hong Kong to be tried in court in mainland China, seriously undermining Hong Kong's autonomy. The protests grew in size and intensity over the following months, exceeding 2 million participants by the summer. Local police violently suppressed the protests, leading to widespread condemnation across the globe. That fall, the Chinese-run Hong Kong Government began to crack down more severely against the protests, rounding up masses of students and besieging multiple college campuses that were the focal point of protests. However, the government response triggered large-scale backlash from the local citizens, with the pro-democracy parties winning the legislative elections by a landslide. The protests continued, albeit on a smaller scale, into the next year. On June 30, 2020, the Chinese Government passed a "national security" bill that would give it a greater hand in the affairs of Hong Kong. This move was seen as effectively ending Hong Kong's autonomy, and many countries re-evalued their relationship with Hong Kong (and China, to a greater extent) in response to the bill. The U.S. revoked Hong Kong's special trade status and no longer recognized the city as being autonomous. Afterward, local authorities cracked down on the protests with even greater force, which lead to a decrease in protests and other demonstrations.

Military situation as of 26 November 2024

  Controlled by Ukraine

  Controlled by Russia and pro-Russian forces.

In March 2020, hackers from Russian intelligence agencies breached the servers of the company SolarWinds. The attacks allowed them to compromise the servers of companies using software created by SolarWinds, which ended up compromising thousands of companies and federal government agencies, leaving them vulnerable to spying and further attacks from the hackers. The hackers began compromising supply lines involving companies that had been hacked in October 2020; the cyberattack campaign was not revealed to the public until December 13, 2020. Given the scope and duration of the attacks, this campaign is considered to be one of the worst cyberattacks that the U.S. has ever experienced. Due to the widespread compromise, the affected companies have been urged by the U.S. Government to abandon all SolarWinds software. More cyberattacks are expected in the near future, and both government officials and cybersecurity experts are worried that the hackers may use the access that they've gained to carry out further schemes.

In early 2021, Russia massed around 100,000 troops on their border with Ukraine, before withdrawing some of them later. From September 2021 to February 2022, Russia massed over 190,000 soldiers along the Ukrainian border, in Russia, Crimea, and Belarus. On February 17, 2022, fighting escalated significantly in Donbass, reaching a level of violence unprecedented in years. Around the same time, Ukraine was hit by a wave of mass cyberattacks. On February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the two separatist republics in eastern Ukraine and angrily denounced Ukraine. Afterward, President Putin ordered Russian troops to enter the separatist-controlled areas. On February 22, Ukraine was struck by another, larger wave of mass cyberattacks, mostly targeting Ukrainian Government sites and banks. On the morning of Thursday, February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the Russian military bombing Ukrainian cities, Russian troops entering the country from the north, east, and south, and Belarussian troops entering from the north. Russian forces initiated the invasion with a focus on Ukraine's eastern territories, and also launching an offensive on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city.

• See the Russo-Ukrainian War, 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv offensive (2022), Battle of Kyiv (2022), China–United States trade war, 2020 United States federal government data breach, China–United States relations, and NATO–Russia relations for more information
• New York Times coverage on the Russian invasion
• CNN's live coverage on the Russian invasion (to get the latest coverage, set the date in the URL to the current date).
• Ukraine Hashtag feed on Twitter.
• Map of the current military situation in Ukraine
• Why Russia is Invading Ukraine – YouTube video by RealLifeLore. LightandDark2000 🌀 (talk) 04:53, 27 February 2022 (UTC)

California Natural Disasters

In early January 2016, the 2014–16 El Niño event tied the 1997–98 El Niño as the strongest one on record. This coincided with a wave of 5 winter storms that were impacting the West Coast of the United States during the same week. The 4th winter storm triggered severe thunderstorms across San Diego County on January 6, with one tornado reported. In late May 2016, the record-tying El Niño episode finally ended.

In January 2017, 2 sets of powerful winter storms opened up massive Pineapple Express atmospheric rivers, causing massive amounts of rain and snowfall in California. The first series of storms (especially Winter Storm Iras), lasting from January 8 to 13, and consisting of 3 storms, triggered the worst flooding in Northern and Central California since 2005. The second wave, consisting of 3 winter storms, impacted the state from January 19 to 24, and triggered the worst flooding Southern California has experienced since December 2010. Winter Storm Kori (II), was so far, the worst storm in the 2nd wave of storms. Winter Storm Leo (storm 3) was stated by the Nation Weather Service to be the worst of the triad of storms impacting California.

Satellite image of smoke coming from the wildfires burning in California and Oregon on September 10, 2020

In April 2017, the rainfall from the powerful winter storms had turned the 2016–17 California rainy season into the wettest one on record. The large amounts of rainfall also effectively ended the drought in most of the state.

In early December 2017, a swarm of wildfires were ignited across Southern California, and spurred on by powerful Santa Ana winds. The largest fire in the group was the Thomas Fire, which burned 281,893 acres (1,140.78 km²), becoming the largest wildfire in modern California history. The Thomas Fire also became California's 8th most destructive wildfire (as of August 2018), costing at least $2.176 billion (2018 USD) in damages. On January 12, 2018, the Thomas Fire was fully extinguished, following heavy rainfall from Winter Storm Hunter.

In the summer of 2018, California experienced more large wildfires, including the destructive Carr Fire and the massive Mendocino Complex Fire, which became the largest fire recorded in state history up to that point. On November 8, 2018, powerful Santa Ana winds blew across the state of California once again. The winds ignited multiple fires, foremost the Camp Fire in Butte County and the Woolsey Fire in Ventura County. Within a few days, the fires had rapidly expanded, burning down numerous homes and buildings and charring tens of thousands of acres. The Camp Fire became both the most destructive and the deadliest wildfire in the history of California, killing 85 people, destroying the entire city of Paradise and other neighboring communities, and costing over $16 billion (2018 USD) in damages. This also made the Camp Fire the single-costliest wildfire on record worldwide. The Woolsey Fire burned down numerous residential buildings in affluential neighborhoods, causing $6 billion (2018 USD) in damages. The fires raged largely unstopped until November 21, when the first major winter storm of the rainy season struck the state. On November 25, the fires had finally been extinguished.

On August 16–20, 2020, a large plume of moisture carried northward from Tropical Storm Fausto generated massive thunderstorms across a large portion of Northern California. These storms produced mostly dry lightning with little to no rain, generating almost 11,000 lightning strikes in the state between August 16 and 17. The lighting storms sparked 367 fires across the state, several of which became very large in a short period of time, threatening thousands of structures and forcing thousands of people to evacuate. Many of these fires merged into gigantic fire complexes, including the North Complex Fire and the August Complex fire. The August Complex fire eventually became California's largest recorded wildfire, exceeding a burn area of 1,000,000 acres (400,000 ha) in October. In early September 5, a record-breaking heatwave, accompanied by powerful Diablo winds and Santa Ana winds, ignited more fires across the state, such as the Creek Fire, and explosively grew many of the existing fires. The resulting fires deteriorated conditions so much in both California and Oregon that both states experienced large swaths of smoke and poor air quality for weeks. In the end, more than 4,300,000 acres (1,700,000 ha) of land were burned by the wildfires in California. These conditions resulted in California's largest wildfire season since the 1850s, back when the average fire season had burn areas between 4,400,000 acres (1,800,000 ha) and 12,000,000 acres (4,900,000 ha), when Native Americans allowed fires to burn freely, which also kept forests healthy and prevented large, destructive fires from overrunning the state. In late October, conditions improved somewhat as the temperatures cooled and more favorable weather patterns set up. In late November, most of the fires were finally extinguished or were nearing full containment, bringing a record-breaking fire season to a close.

• See Climate change in California, 2011–17 California drought, Santa Ana winds, 2017 California floods, 2017 California wildfires, 2018 California wildfires, 2020 California wildfires, and 2021 California wildfires for more information on the worst Californian drought in 1,200 years, the wildfires that burned across the state in 2017 and afterward, and the other effects of the recent natural disasters in California. LightandDark2000 🌀 (talk) 04:23, 31 December 2014 (UTC)
• U.S. Drought Monitor
• USGS Latest Earthquakes map
• SDSC WiFire Interactive Map — San Diego Supercomputer Center
• Purple Air air quality map
• California could be hit by an 8.2 mega-earthquake, and it would be catastrophic
• 2010 Baja California earthquake

2019–21 Coronavirus pandemic

Cryo-electron tomography images of SARS-CoV-2 virions.

Map of the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide.

According to Chinese Government documents, the first known human infection of SARS-CoV-2 occurred in Wuhan, Hubei, China, on November 17, 2019. In late December 2019, word of a new SARS-like illness began to spread in Wuhan, China, though the Chinese Goverment initially denied the reports and tried to cover up the outbreak. On January 23, 2020, China began imposing strict lockdowns on Hubei, as the virus reached nearly all provinces of Mainland China. By late January 2020, SARS 2 Coronavirus had spread to many other countries. On February 20, 2020, the stock market began to crash and the world entered another recession. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the COVID-19 epidemic to be a pandemic. In Mid-March 2020, European countries and the U.S. enacted large-scale lockdowns, in an attempt to control and stop the spread of the virus. On March 13, 2020, the WHO declared Europe to be the new epicenter of the pandemic. On March 26, 2020, the U.S. became the new epicenter of the pandemic, with most cases being concentrated in New York City. On April 27, 2020, confirmed cases in the U.S. exceeded 1 million, while Global confirmed cases exceeded 3.1 million. On May 1, 2020, the US partially re-opened, after the number of new cases per day began to slow, with other Western countries following. A slow, uneven economic recovery ensued. On June 19, 2020, Brazil reached 1 million confirmed cases, 1 month after becoming the #2 country infected with the virus.

In late June 2020, SARS-CoV-2 infections pick up worldwide, after slowing in the late spring, marking the start of a "second wave." On August 30, 2020, India had become the #2 infected country, with over 3.5 million cases. On September 26, 2020, White House COVID-19 outbreak occurred; US President Donald Trump was likely infected on that day, during this outbreak. On October 5, 2020, the true global COVID-19 cases reach an estimated 780 million, or 10% of the global population. The U.S. had 7.7 million confirmed cases, with the true number of cases likely being 10 times higher. At the time, the true death toll was likely around 1.8 million people. In late October 2020, Coronavirus cases bagen to spike once again in the U.S. and other nations across the globe, on a level unseen previously, indicating the start of a third, much bigger wave. On December 11, 2020, Pfizer's mRNA vaccine was given an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the FDA, making it the first Coronavirus vaccine available for emergency use in the United States. However, the first batches will be limited to emergency personal and health care workers, with the general population not being expected to have access to the vaccine until March or April 2021. On December 18, the FDA granted Moderna's mRNA vaccine an EUA as well, making it the second Coronavirus vaccine approved for emergency use in the United States. Cases gradually decreased starting in January, and the "third wave" came to an end in February.

In March through May 2021, the Alpha variant spread across the world, triggering a 4th wave of infections. At the same time, the Delta variant rapidly spread through India, overwhelming hospitals there, and causing a massive COVID wave in the country. The 4th wave peaked around late April, and ended in June. The Delta Variant rapidly spread across the globe, triggering a 5th wave of Coronavirus infections worldwide. This was the deadliest SARS-CoV-2 variant to date. The surge caught the US and Western countries off-guard, resulting in more waves in those countries in the summer and the fall, and overwhelming hospitals again. The Delta variant became the dominant variant during the summer, and nearly wiped out the other variants during the fall. The 5th wave peaked in late August and ended around October 2021, but the Delta variant remained widespread.

In November 2021, the Omicron variant was discovered in South Africa. The Omicron variant was the most contagious SARS-CoV-2 variant to date, and quickly triggered a 6th wave of Coronavirus infections around the world during the winter of 2021–22. This was the largest Coronavirus wave to date, eclipsing the wave from the previous winter by 4 times, overwhelming hospitals once again, and disrupting businesses, schools, and daily life. This variant also demonstrates a significant immune erosion in the vaccine's ability to prevent infections, leading to a huge spike in the number of reinfections. The 6th wave peaked in late January, before gradually receding afterward. The Omicron variant became the dominant variant by January 2022, and nearly wiped out the Delta Variant by late February.

• See COVID-19 pandemic, Coronavirus disease 2019, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, COVID-19 vaccine, and COVID-19 pandemic in the United States for more information on the pandemic. LightandDark2000 🌀 (talk) 11:58, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
• CDC COVID-19 page
• CDC COVID Data Tracker
• Tracking the Coronavirus in California
• How the Virus Won - Article on the spread of the virus in the U.S. by The New York Times
• Global Stats YouTube Channel - Contains plenty of videos on statistics related to the virus, including time-lapse videos

The War on ISIL (December 2013–Present)

On February 3, 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (also known by the acronym ISIS or ISIL), formerly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq, split from al-Qaeda and began a massive military campaign to conquer the entire region of the Levant and Greater Syria, causing thousands of civilians in Iraq and Syria to flee their homes. ISIL's campaigns also brought it into conflict with the al-Nusra Front, or al-Qaeda in Syria, despite several local truces and joint military operations at times.

On June 29, 2014, ISIL renamed itself to simply the Islamic State and declared itself to be a Worldwide Caliphate, with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as its Caliph, and claimed the entire world as its territory. ISIL then increased its campaigns in Iraq and Syria, conquering over a third of each country, and force 16 million people to live under its harsh version of Sharia rule. The ensuing conflicts caused over 400,000 Syrian civilians to flee to Turkey, to escape advancing ISIL forces. ISIL also managed to expand into Turkey, Lebanon, Libya, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, Pakistan, and the Philippines, mainly through pledges of allegiance from other terrorist groups already present in those countries (usually al-Qaeda branches). This prompted the United States to lead a Anti-ISIL coalition in an international military campaign against ISIL, in an attempt to destabilize and destroy the terrorist organization before it grew out of control.

In August 2014, in response to an impending massacre by ISIL at the besieged Sinjar Mountains, the U.S. intervened and launched airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq, allowing the YPG and Peshmerga to break the Siege of Sinjar Mountain and driving back ISIL forces. US airstrikes also drove ISIL back from the Iraqi Kurdistan capital of Erbil. In late September, President Barack Obama also authorized airstrikes against ISIL in Syria, as ISIL continued to consolidate their control in that country. In mid-September 2014, ISIL launched a massive campaign against Kobanî, besieging the city, and raising fears of another genocide. However, US airstrikes kept ISIL from being able to take the city and gradually thinned their numbers, while the Kurdish defenders and their allies continued to combat the attackers. In January 2015, ISIL finally retreated from the city, ending the siege, and by late March 2015, almost all of ISIL's gains had been reversed, and the terrorist group had lost thousands of fighters.

In late September 2014, it was revealed that ISIL planned to kill 10 million Americans.

In December 2014, it was revealed that the US planned to retake the city of Mosul in January 2015, 7 months after the Fall of Mosul in June 2014. Also, from December 17–22, the Kurds launched a massive offensive, breaking the Siege of Mount Sinjar and effectively retaking most of the villages in the Sinjar region, as well as pushing into the city of Sinjar itself.

On January 21, 2015, the Kurdish Peshmerga launched an offensive into the outskirts of Mosul, retaking some nearby villages, cutting off of key supply route to Mosul, and opening up three fronts to the northwest of the city itself. Over 200 ISIL militants were killed on the first day of the Kurdish offensive. On February 4, 2015, Jordan joined the intervention in Iraq, launching a massive airstrike campaign in Mosul, in retaliation against ISIL's brutal killing of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh. The airstrikes killed 55 ISIL militants, including the chief ISIL senior commander in Mosul, who was known as the "Prince of Nineveh."

On February 1, 2015, Iraq's Prime Minister declared that the War on ISIL was effectively "World War III", due to ISIL's declaration of a Worldwide Caliphate, its aims to conquer the world, and its success in spreading the conflict to multiple countries outside of the Levant region.

On February 4, 2015, Jordan began launching airstrikes on ISIL positions in Iraq, in retaliation for ISIL's brutal killing of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh. The airstrikes killed 55 ISIL militants in Mosul, including a senior ISIL commander known as the "Prince of Nineveh." On February 5, 2015, Jordan elevated its role in the US-led Coalition in Syria, launching one of the largest airstrike campaigns since early January 2015, targeting ISIL militants near Ar-Raqqah, the de facto ISIL capital, inflicting an unknown number of casualties and damaging ISIL facilities. This was done in retaliation against ISIL's brutal murder of Muath al-Kasasbeh. On February 6, a continued round of Coalition airstrikes at Ar-Raqqah killed over 30 ISIL militants.

On February 9, 2015, the Libyan town of Nofaliya fell to ISIL forces. Soon afterwards, the Libyan city of Sirte also fell, along with a military base to the south of Nofaliya and Sirte. After ISIL killed 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya, Egypt began conducting airstrikes on ISIL targets in Libya on 16 February 2015, killing a total of 64 ISIL militants (50 in Derna) by the end of that day. Warplanes acting under orders from the "official" Libyan government also struck targets in Derna, reportedly in coordination with Egypt's airstrikes. A Libyan official stated that more joint airstrikes would follow. The airstrikes ended on February 18, with Egypt seeking more support from the US-led Coalition and the Arab World. The US and Italy also began conducting surveillance flights over Libya, due to concerns of further ISIL expansion.

On March 1, 2015, Iraqi Army forces and Shi'ite militias launched the Salahuddin offensive to liberate the Saladin Governorate from ISIL occupation. On the next day, 30,000 Iraqi Army soldiers, Sunni fighters, and Shi'ite militiamen launched the Second Battle of Tikrit (March–April 2015), to recapture the city of Tikrit, the provincial capital of Salahuddin that was being held by 13,000 ISIL militants. On April 17, 2015, the battle finally ended in a decisive anti-ISIL victory. In Syrian, in March, the YPG and their allies launched an offensive to clear ISIL from the northern Al-Hasakah province. While they managed to retake most of the ISIL-held areas around Tell Brak and Tell Hamis, ISIL launched another large-scale offensive into the Khabur River valley, capturing numerous villages and advancing to the western bank of the Khabur River. Violent clashes continued unabated into May, when the YPG and their allies finally launched a large-scale counteroffensive, retaking the areas lost to ISIL, the Abdulaziz Mountains, and the surrounding countryside. YPG-led forces then launched an offensive to take Tell Abyad from ISIL, advancing westward from the Al-Hasakah countryside and advancing eastward from their enclave around the Kobanî Canton. In June, both forces linked up and took Tell Abyad, before completely securing the M4 Highway and the neighboring regions in July, removing ISIL from the border region of the northern Ar-Raqqah couuntrysiide, and severing their most important supply route to Ar-Raqqah. In late June, ISIL launched an attack on the city of Al-Hasakah, in an attempt to capture it. However, after over a month of clashes and U.S. airstrikes, ISIL retreated, leaving most of the city under the control of the YPG, and the central parts of the city under the control of the Syrian Government.

On March 7, 2015, Boko Haram, a Nigeria-bases terrorist group, pledged allegiance to ISIL, giving ISIL an official presence in West Africa.

On March 19, 2015, the 4 concurrent insurgencies in Yemen (the al-Qaeda, Houthi, Southern Movement, and ISIL insurgencies) all merged into a single, full-blown conflict, the Yemeni Civil War. On March 25, 2015, after Houthi and Saleh loyalist forces pushed Hadi's Yemeni forces to the critical city of Aden, Saudi Arabia decided to lead the Gulf Cooperation Council and other Arab states in a military intervention against the Houthi forces. On April 1, 2015, the Southern Movement, whose territory was reduced to merely the Yemeni city of Ataq, decided to join forces with Hadi's internationally-recognized government, against the other warring factions. Ataq was captured by the Houthis on April 9. al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) decided to take advantage of the chaos, launching an offensive in the northern part of Yemen and the southeastern coastal region, initially capturing the city of Al Mukalla on April 2, only to lose half of the city to local Yemeni tribes on April 7, with the battle continuing afterwards. However, al-Qaeda eventually managed to capture the city on April 16. However, al-Qaeda also lost most of the territory it held in Yemen's southwestern region. In late April 2016, UAE-backed forced launched an offensive into Al Mukalla and the coastal regions of the Hadramuat Province, recapturing the city and removing AQAP from most of their territory in Hadramuat.

On March 30, 2015, Ansar al-Sharia in Libya and its leader, Abdullah Al-Libi, pledged allegiance to ISIL, boosting ISIL's membership in Libya to 8,000 fighters.

On April 8, 2015, the Iraqi Army and 10,000 Sunni tribal fighters launched the Anbar offensive (2015) to retake the Anbar Governorate. In response, ISIL executed 300 people and launched its own counter-offensive in kind, resulting in fierce clashes around Ramadi. However, in May 2015, ISIL launched the Palmyra offensive, capturing the city of Palmyra and the majority of Central Syria, increasing their control of Syria to 50%.

In September 2015, the Russian Government intervened on behalf of the Syrian Government, after a string of losses to both the Syrian Rebels, al-Qaeda-lnked jihadists, and ISIL. In November 2015, Peshmerga fighters advanced down Mount Sinjar and recaptured the city of Sinjar and the nearby highway to the Syrian border, cutting off a key supply route for ISIL. In December, SDF fighters, backed by U.S. Special Forces, captured Tishrim Dam, one of the most important dams in Syria, opening a possible beachhead from which they could assault Manbij.

In 2016, the tide began to turn against ISIL. In Iraq, ISIL lost the city of Ramadi in February 2016, followed by Hit in April, Ar-Rutbah in May, and Fallujah in June. In Syria, ISIL lost Al-Shaddadi in February, Manbij and Jarabulus in August, al-Bab in February 2017, and Palmyra in March 2017 (for the second time). In Libya, GNA forces launched an attack on Sirte in May, recapturing the city and destroying the ISIL pocket in December. In October 2016, the Iraqi Army, backed by allied forces, launched a battle for Mosul, triggering the single largest military campaign since the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. In November, in northern Syria, the SDF, backed by the US, launched a campaign to capture Raqqa and its countryside from ISIL.

In 2017, the new Trump Administration loosened the rules for military engagements, leading to increased airstrikes on ISIL, which further reduced their numbers. In May 2017, ISIL forces in Marawi, in the Philippines, attempted to seize control of the city. After a 5-month-long battle, the ISIL forces were eradicated, resulting the the complete destruction of ISIL's leadership in the Philippines and the loss of the majority of their fighters. On July 22, 2017, after 9 months of grueling urban warfare, the Iraqi Army finally recaptured the city of Mosul. In Syria, ISIL lost control of the Syrian Desert and Central Syria to both the Free Syrian Army (before they were beaten back to a stretch of territory near Al-Tanf) and the Syrian Army. On October 19, in Syria, the SDF captured the city of Raqqa, which had served as ISIL's de-facto capital city up until that point. The Syrian Army also won a 3-month campaign against ISIL in Central Syria, removing ISIL control from Central Syria and capturing an area of land the size of Lebanon. In November, the Syrian Army broke ISIL's 3-year siege of the city of Deir ez-Zor and pushed into the ISIL-held half of the city, recapturing the city in December. The Syrian Army then launched further offensives southward, towards the Iraqi border, capturing the city of Mayadin. The SDF also launched a large-scale campaign in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor, in order to clear ISIL from the remainder of northeastern Syria. In Iraq, the Iraqi Army recaptured Tel Afar and Hawija from ISIL. In late October, the Iraqi Army launched an offensive into the desert regions in Western Iraq, to completely destroy ISIL's remaining control. On December 9, 2017, ISIL had lost control of their remaining territory in Western Iraq. By the end of 2017, ISIL had largely been reduced to 3 pockets of territory in Northeastern Syria, the Middle Euphrates River Valley, and in the Syrian Desert.

From 2018 to 2019, ISIL continued to lose territory. The Syrian Army besieged ISIL in the Syrian Desert and gradually reduced their large pocket, while the SDF cleared the ISIL pocket in northeastern Syria and applied more pressure to the ISIL pocket along the Euphrates River. ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi fled from the ISIL pocket in the Euphrates Valley to a safe house in the Idlib Province, which was mostly run by Tahrir al-Sham. In December 2018, the SDF finally broke through ISIL lines in the Euphrates Valley and took the city of Hajjin, before advancing southward. In February 2019, the SDF captured Al-Marashidah, leaving the remaining ISIL forces in the pocket completely besieged in the town of Al-Baghuz Fawqani. On February 9, the SDF launched an assault on ISIL's final stronghold, facing fierce ISIL resistance. However, as the SDF pushed deeper into the pocket, most of the ISIL members surrendered with their families. On March 23, the SDF captured Al-Baghuz Fawqani, before seizing full control of the region in April. This ended most of ISIL's territorial control and removed their final stronghold.

On the night of October 26–27, 2019, U.S. Special Forces raided al-Baghdadi's compound in Barisha, Syria, near the Turkish border. Al-Baghdadi killed himself and two of his children with his suicide vest when he was trapped in a tunnel, and most of the defenders were killed, while the US took some prisoners. In 2020, ISIL suffered even further losses, losing the majority of their territory in the Syrian Desert. This left ISIL as an insurgency. However, ISIL has been able to take advantage of security gaps in both Iraq and Syria, and the group is continuing to launch attacks in both Iraq and Syria on a regular basis.

In late January 2022, ISIL carried out a mass prison break attack in Al-Hasakah, leading to the Battle of al-Hasakah (2022). While SDF forces won the battle and managed to recapture most of the prisoners, around 400 of them managed to escape. In February 2022, the US carried out a raid in Atme, Syria, in the Idlib Pocket near the Turkish border, killing ISIL leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.

• Also see Operation Inherent Resolve, Fall of Mosul, 2014 Eastern Syria offensive, Siege of Deir ez-Zor (2014–17), Siege of Kobanî, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant occupation of Derna, Fall of Nofaliya (2015), Al-Hasakah offensive (February–March 2015), Battle of Baiji (2014–15), Second Battle of Tikrit (March–April 2015), Battle of Sarrin (June–July 2015), Second Battle of Idlib, Battle of Yarmouk Camp (2015), Qalamoun offensive (May 2015), Palmyra offensive (May 2015), Battle of Ramadi (2015–16), Al-Hawl offensive, Al-Shaddadi offensive (2016), Siege of Fallujah (2016), Mosul offensive (2016), Third Battle of Fallujah, Battle of Sirte (2016), Manbij offensive (2016), Battle of al-Bab, Battle of Mosul (2016–2017), Raqqa campaign (2016–2017), Palmyra offensive (2017), Southern Syrian Desert campaign (December 2016–April 2017), Central Syria campaign (2017), 2017 Mayadin offensive, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya, Military of ISIL, Timeline of ISIL related events, List of wars and battles involving ISIL, Second Iraqi War, Syrian Civil War, Spillover of the Syrian Civil War, Turkish military intervention in Syria, Lebanese Civil War, Libyan Civil War (2014–present), Sinai insurgency, Boko Haram insurgency, and War on Terror for more information and ISIL military campaigns and Counter-ISIL operations, as well as other related conflicts. LightandDark2000 🌀 (talk) 21:50, 31 December 2014 (UTC)
• Alternate OIR airstrike log site (site navigation required)
• CJTF–OIR airstrike log on Facebook
• Airstrike log for Day 1 of "Operation Free Sinjar" (Nov. 2015)
• ISIL leadership chart
• ISIL frontline maps (Iraq and Syria)
• Siege of Kobanî frontline maps (Part 1: ISIL offensive)
• Siege of Kobanî frontline maps (Part 2: YPG and FSA counter-offensive)
• Khabur Valley Battle frontline maps (part of the Al-Hasakah offensive)
• Map of the current military situation in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon
• Map of the current military situation in Libya
• Map of the current military situation in Nigeria
• Map of the current military situation in Sinai
• Map of the current military situation in Yemen
• Map of the current military situation in Afghanistan

• Deputy Emir takes over for al-Baghdadi
• Syrian Kurds plan Northern Syria offensive (2016)
• War in the Levant territorial control animation video (March 15, 2011 – August 15, 2015: Exact control is approximated.)

Recent & Upcoming Astronomical Events

The events of the rare 2014–2015 Blood Moon Tetrad are featured below. (See List of 21st-century lunar eclipses and List of solar eclipses in the 21st century for more info). Also included are other spectacular astronomical events that will be taking place in the meantime. The dates and times are listed for the Pacific Time Zone, when applicable. Dates:

Recent

Lunar Eclipses

• 2014–15 Lunar Tetrad
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2014
  • Wednesday, October 8, 2014
  • Saturday, April 4, 2015 - The shortest Total Lunar Eclipse since 1529!
  • Monday, September 28, 2015 - A rare Blood Supermoon. The next Lunar Tetrad will be in 2032–33, beginning in April 2032
• Sunday, January 20, 2019

Solar Eclipses

• Tuesday, April 29, 2014 - Rare Annular Solar Eclipse
• Thursday, October 23, 2014 - Partial Solar Eclipse
• Friday, March 20, 2015 - Total Solar Eclipse
• Sunday, September 13, 2015 - Partial Solar Eclipse
• August, 21, 2017 - Total Solar Eclipse - The total eclipse was visible in a path of land extending from Salem, Oregon, to Grand Teton National Park, all the way to South Carolina. It was the first total eclipse visible in mainland America in almost 100 years.

Supermoon Triad of Summer 2014

• Supermoon of July 13, 2014 - A Golden Supermoon
• Supermoon of August 10, 2014 - The largest Supermoon in the unusual triad of Supermoons in 2014
• Supermoon of September 9, 2014 - The last of the Supermoons in 2014

Jupiter and Venus Conjunction Tetrad (2014–2016)!!!

• August 18, 2014 - Full conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, distance of 1/6th Degree!!
• June 30, 2015 - Full conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, distance of 1/3rd Degree!!! (The planets will remain as close as 2 Degrees until July 4th. Best dates for viewing are June 30–July 1.)
• October 26, 2015 - Partial conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, distance of 1 Degree
• August 27, 2016 - Full conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, distance of only 0.04 Degrees (or 1/24th of a Degree)!!! The next Major Conjunction won't happen until November 22, 2065.

Comets

• Comet NEOWISE is a comet that was formerly visible to the nakes eye in the evening skies from July–August 2020 (or the early morning before sunrise prior to July 15). Best viewing dates are July 12–23.
  • Comet NEOWISE info
  • Comet NEOWISE tracker (Planetarium)

Other Events

• Blood Moon of February 22, 2014 - An extremely rare Lunar Eclipse-like event in Southern California, during a large waning moon.
• Blood Moon of July 29, 2014 - An extremely rare Lunar Eclipse-like event in Southern California, during a thin waxing moon.
• Strawberry Moon on June 21, 2016. It was the first one since 1948.
• Black Moon on September 30, 2016. "Black Moons" are the 2nd New Moons in a month, and they normally occur about every 32 months (about every 2.5 years).
• Extra Large Supermoon on November 14, 2016. This was the largest Supermoon since 1948, and the next Supermoon this size will occur on November 25, 2034.

Major Celestial Events

• Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way's central Supermassive black hole, began to absorb a large stellar cloud in January 2014, causing it to "activate" and release larger bursts of radiation for the first time in 10,000 years.

Upcoming

Upcoming Planetary Conjunctions

• December 21, 2020 - Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, at a distance of 0.06 Degrees. This is the closest that they will have come in the past 794 years, and the two planets will appear to almost merge into a single star.
• February 11, 2021 - Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, distance of nearly 1/4th Degree.
• April 30, 2022 - Full Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, distance of about 1/7th Degree!!
• March 2, 2023 - Partial Jupiter-Venus Conjunction, distance of about 1/3rd Degree. Also see this article.
• May 23, 2024 - Full Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, distance of 1/9th Degree!! However, this conjunction will not be observable.
• November 2, 2039 - Full Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, distance of about 1/7th Degree!!!
• September 1, 2040 - Full Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, distance of 1/9th Degree!!!
• November 17, 2041 - Full Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, distance of about 1/12th Degree!!! However, this conjunction will not be observable from Western North America.
• May 28, 2048 - Partial Jupiter-Venus Conjunction, distance of about 1/4th Degree. This conjunction will not be observable.
• August 17, 2049 - Partial Jupiter-Venus Conjunction, distance of 1/3rd Degree.

• November 22, 2065 - Major Jupiter-Venus Conjunction, distance comparable to the Major Conjunction on August 27, 2016!!! Further details will be posted when available.

Solar Eclipses

• October 14, 2023 - Annular Solar Eclipse
• April 8, 2024 - Total Solar Eclipse

Annual Meteor Showers

• Quadrantids - January 2–3, peaking sharply during the early morning of January 3.
• Lyrids - April 21–23, peaking from April 21–22. The visibility of this meteor shower was greatly diminished by the light from the moon.
• Eta Aquariids - May 5–6, peaking just after midnight on May 6.
• Southern Delta Aquariids - July 28–30, peaking during the early morning of July 30.
• Perseids - August 11–13, peaking around August 12–13. (There was a Perseids outburst on the night of August 11–12, 2016, with up to 200 meteors per hour.)
• Orionids - October 21–22, peaking during the early morning hours of October 22.
• Taurids (Halloween Fireballs) - November 4–18, peaking just after midnight on November 12. A Taurids outburst is expected in November 2019.
• Leonids - November 17–18, peaking during the early morning hours of November 18. Next meteor storm is in c. November 2031–2034.
• Geminids - December 12–14, the most spectacular meteor shower of the year. It peaks before dawn, on December 14.

Comets

• Halley's Comet will return on July 28, 2061.

External Links

• NASA 2019 Sky Event calendar
• In-The-Sky.org Astronomical Calendar (January 2019)
• Conjunctions involving Venus (Present-2049)

Fun Facts

Did you know...

• The Universe is approximately 94 billion light-years across in diameter.
• The Universe is currently expanding at a rate about 6.643 times faster than the speed of light. This means that the edge of the Universe itself is expanding at about 3.32 times faster than the speed of light. Also, despite the Universe' accelerating expansion rate, the expansion is actually decreasing in terms of the ratio of volume vs. the amount of expansion.
• Literal blue moons actually do occur. They are extremely rare, and it only happens during volcanic eruptions or large wildfires.
• Yellowstone's magma chamber is actually 2.5 times larger than scientists have originally thought. That makes Yellowstone's magma chamber about the same size it was during its last major eruption around 640,000 years ago.
• Scientists discovered the existence of Quadruple helix DNA on March 20, 2013.
• Black holes actually have a limit on how large they could become (theoretically about 50 billion solar masses at this time).
• The Quasar APM 08279+5255 is currently the largest source of water known, with the galaxy containing 100 trillion times the water found in all of Earth's oceans! The central black hole itself has a mass of 23 billion Suns.
• The largest black hole known is the Quasar S5 0014+81, which has a mass of 40 billion solar masses, about 10,000 times more massive than the Milky Way's central black hole. It also has an event horizon with a diameter of 240 billion kilometers (1,600 AU), about 6.3 times the diameter of our Solar System's Heliosheath!!
• Black holes eventually evaporate into planck-sized objects once they are no longer able to absorb any new material. When this happens, the black hole releases a large amount of energy in an explosion.
• Continent-size hurricanes, known as Hypercanes used to ravage the Earth (especially during the Paleocene Epoch). Those storms had winds at 500 mph, a central minimum pressure of around 700 millibars (21 inHg), and lasted for weeks on average. In fact, many cave systems and canyons exist today because of the erosion caused by these Hypercanes.
• California is currently overdue for a Megastorm. If such a storm occurs, much of Central Valley will be submerged under 10 feet of water, and the event will result in at least $750 billion (2011 USD) in damages.
• San Diego is actually overdue for a hurricane. Southern California actually has a history of being directly impacted by Tropical cyclones and hurricane-remnants, but it has been over 150 years since Southern California has actually been directly impacted by a hurricane.
• The United States is currently $19.428 Trillion (2016 USD) in debt, despite what politicians say. About $6.324 trillion dollars of that debt belongs to foreign countries, of which $1.181 trillion belongs to China. This is actually the worst period of national debt America has ever seen in its entire history.
• Wikipedia is actually more reliable than most people believe. In fact, Wikipedia is one of the fastest-growing encyclopedias, with a higher correction rate than many other online encyclopedias. Despite the large amount of vandalism in many different areas, these are handled through administrative actions involving blocks.
• The United States has at least 400 Neo-Nazis. (Yes, sadly, there are Nazis in the United States) As a matter of fact, after the failure of disciplinary action for many of the "lesser" Nazis during the Nuremberg trials, most of them went on to found various Neo-Nazi movements. Neo-Nazis in America have also founded their own institute, which exists even today and continues to deny the Holocaust. Additionally, despite the differences between the views of the various Neo-Nazi factions, most of the hardcore groups plan to: 1. Gain power in Germany and acquire Nuclear weapons. 2.) Use their new nuclear weapons to force the world to surrender and create a global Fourth Reich. 3.) Complete the elimination of all "inferior races" (well, you already know who the Nazis are going to target). 4.) Genetically engineer future "Aryan" generations into "perfect Superhumans" capable of unimaginable tasks. And finally, colonizing planets in the entire Milky Way Galaxy with their "Super-Aryans" to create a Galactic Reich.
• American pharmaceuticals have a rather nasty habit of blowing up the prices of medical drugs by anywhere from ten times, to thousands of times, despite the fact that there is no economic or cost-related reasons for doing so. This has led to a domino effect in which millions of Americans have ended up falling into bankruptcy, suffering worsening medical problems (due to the inability to purchase their drugs), giving up college educations and other goals, among other life crises. This is also a major factor that is severely straining the U.S. healthcare industry. Despite the repeated scandals and bursts of outrage in the public, the vast majority of major pharmaceuticals have refused to change their practices, even stealthily continuing to jack up costs in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's demands for lower drug prices.
• Genetic engineering can actually cure cancer and other genetic diseases once and for all. The problem is, the treatments haven't been completely perfected for all of the diseases (even though cancer treatments in this field have almost been nailed), and there is still quite a lot of opposition in varying places to this kind of technology.
• Prions are misfolded proteins that actually cause any proteins they come into contact with to become new prions. Mad Cow Disease is actually caused by a prion. Prions cause the rapid degeneration of nervous tissue due to cellular destruction, until death occurs. Due to their small size, the body has no immune response to it, but scientists are currently working on a treatment to eliminate prions. Since the destruction prions cause start out slow, no symptoms are visible for the first several years, but by the time symptoms can be identified, it is already too late for the patient. For reasons scientists still do not understand, all known prions only target Nervous Cells.
• HIV started out as SIV, which only infected monkeys, until it jumped over into humans during the early 1900s and mutated into HIV. Today, HIV is causing a global pandemic.
• Allergies and other autoimmune diseases cannot be transmitted to another person (except through genetic inheritance from parents to their children). This is because such diseases are genetic diseases meaning that they are not contagious because it is impossible for a person to acquire another person's genetic disease through normal means (unless the affected person somehow inserts their disease-causing gene into the other person's entire genome, which is impossible). Additionally, most people in the United States have some form of allergies. There is no cure at present for allergies or any autoimmune diseases; only drugs (and herbs) are available, which treat the symptoms of the diseases.
• Many geniuses and inventors had some kind of mental disability (including Autism), or displayed erratic behavior. This includes many famous people who we recognize today, including Albert Einstein.
• Contrary to popular belief, many kids in the younger generations of Americans are actually becoming shorter, most notably for guys.
• Certain drugs and vaccinations had toxic chemicals that eventually lead to cancer and/or Alzheimers, following repeated exposure.
• Many food companies/restaurants use MSG as a flavor enhancer to open up your appetite, without ever telling you that it's there (including ingredient lists on food products). Despite this, studies have shown that continued exposure to MSG leads to cancer and brain damage.
• Superstring theory has been the only possible candidate so far for a Theory of everything. String Theory, if proven, would effectively unite General relativity and Quantum mechanics, the 2 major fields encompassing all of the laws of physics. String Theory would also bridge the gap between Gravity and the other 3 Fundamental Forces, in addition to explaining its behavior. Although the M-theory (the most likely candidate for String Theory) requires 11 dimensions to work, it is most likely that we don't see the other 8 dimensions (including Time) because we are simply unable to perceive anything beyond three dimensions. Thus, an 11-dimensional object would appear 3D to us.
• There are many scientific and mathematical anomalies that scientists currently are unable to explain.
• UY Scuti, the largest known star (at 1,708 Solar Radii), would extent beyond the orbit of Saturn if it was placed in the Sun's position. It is also not the most massive star.
• R136a1, the most massive star known, is a Wolf–Rayet Blue Hypergiant with an estimated mass of 265 Suns. Tt is also the most luminous star known, at 8,700,000 times the luminosity of the Sun.
• Quadruple Rainbows can form under extremely rare conditions. Rainbow clouds are also a rarity, as are clouds in the shape of Double Helixes (such as the cloud structure in Typhoon Tip's eye while it was at peak intensity).
• Fire tornadoes (also known as Firenadoes) actually form under extreme conditions present only in powerful wildfires.
• Contrary to the popular (and ridiculous) assumption of some people, al-Qaeda is actually active and very much alive. Although its leadership has been driven into hiding, the current leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has ordered his subordinates to launch an attack on America. Their possible targets include Los Angeles, among other major U.S. cities. Their attacks were planned to avenge the death of their former leader, Osama bin Laden. In addition, al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as the al-Nusra Front) has become the most powerful anti-Assad fighting force in Syria.
• We (Americans) actually helped the Taliban rise to power when the U.S. Government send aid to Islamic resistance groups to help topple Afghanistan's Communist regime. As such, the United States does have a responsibility to make sure that the Taliban goes down and stays down.
• Unlike what most people believe, everyone is constantly being surveyed by the government in public, no matter where they go (specifically, the governments of developed countries). Soon, with the new development of advanced drones, this surveillance may eventually intrude into the private lives of citizens without their knowing or consent.
• Studies have proven that billions of humans could survive a Nuclear war. People will survive, even if some countries do not.
• Russia has more nuclear missiles (as well as much more powerful ones) than the United States. Even though the United States has more allies (and more nuclear powers on their side), Russia still has the most powerful nukes, as of now.
• Most people reject things/people that "stand out" by habit, even if they refuse to acknowledge it. They also snub and shun people/groups who do things differently, even to an alarming degree (including abuse of power in the workplace). Additionally, most people give in to social conformity in order to "blend in", and they are also heavily addicted to electronics because they refuse to take their time off such devices and try to spend their time building real social relationships. As a result, modern generations are becoming more ignorant and socially deficient. There is psychological evidence backing the existence of this phenomenon; unfortunately, it stifles diversity and social/technological advancements.
• Yellowstone actually experienced a smaller eruption about 174,000 years ago. That eruption generated the West Thumb portion of Yellowstone Lake.
• Both Russia and the United States have developed laser defenses against potential nuclear attacks. Conventional laser weapons actually aren't all that far off.
• In the past, Quasars used to be bunched up close together. A recent discovery in January 2007 found a Quasar Triplet near the visible edge of the Universe.
• Scientists were recently able to map the Gravitational shockwaves of the universe. This could also be proof of the existence of Gravitons, the yet undiscovered particles responsible for Gravity.
• On September 5, 2013, scientists discovered that Tamu Massif was actually the single largest volcano on Earth. It is about 14,620 feet high from its base, and 120,000 square miles across (around the size of New Mexico). The volcano is approximately 1,000 miles east of Japan. The volcano is also so large, its size rivals that of Olympus Mons.
• In late March 2014, scientists discovered 10199 Chariklo, the first known asteroid to have rings.
• IC 1101 is the largest known galaxy in existence. It is a supergiant Elliptical galaxy at the heart of the Abell 2029 Galaxy cluster. It is about 1.07 billion light-years away, in the constellation of Virgo. IC 1101 is an Elliptical Lenticular Galaxy that measures 2.8 million light-years across. The second-largest galaxy, NGC 262 (an unusually large Spiral Galaxy, measures about 2.6 million light-years across.
• In April 2014, scientists discovered the largest meteor impact ever known on the Earth, near the Barberton greenstone belt. The asteroid was approximately 5 times larger than the one responsible for the Chicxulub crater, around 23 miles (47 km) wide in diameter. The crater caused by the Barberton asteroid is estimated to be approximately 297 miles (487 km) across in diameter, though subsequent erosion and tectonic activity have largely erased the crater itself.
• The Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall is the largest observable object in the Universe! It is a galaxy filament that measures approximately 10 billion light-years across!
• There is currently an effective treatment for HIV. It's a drug named Truvada, which prevents the HIV virus from replicating, effectively curbing viral growth and allowing the human immune system to destroy the virus before it is able to reproduce. The only problem is that most people at risk/infected are not taking this drug (and it is also quite expensive).
• That ZMapp is one of the few possible effective treatments for the 2014 Ebola virus. ZMapp successfully saved the lives of 2 missionaries infected with Ebola in West Africa in June 2014, when they decided to try out the drug as an experimental trial; however, the drug is still experiment and has yet to be widely tested by major companies.
• In 2014, scientists discovered that the Transition Zone in the Earth's mantle contains 3 times the amount of water present in all of the Earth's oceans, at a depth between 410 and 660 kilometers (255 to 410 miles). This water is contained within a type of blue colored rock called ringwoodite, which is a type of olivine. This subterranean source of water is where the Earth's oceans actually came from. The rare Blue diamonds also form around this level, at a depth of about 660 kilometers (410 miles) beneath the surface of the Earth.
• That the largest known diamond in the universe is actually the partially-crystallized core of the white dwarf BPM 37093, also nicknamed "Diamond Lucy". The white dwarf has a diameter of 2,500-mile (4,000 km), and about 90% of its carbon core is estimated to have already crystallized. Scientists believe that this kind of crystallization also happens in the cores of other white dwarfs, meaning that gigantic diamonds are probably a common occurrence in the universe.
• On the gas giant HAT-P-7b, it rains rubies and sapphires. Additionally, it rains solid diamonds on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
• That ASASSN-15lh is the most luminous Hypernova ever spotted by astronomers. It was first spotted in May 2015, shining 570 times brighter than the Sun, and 20 times brighter than the total light emitted by the Milky Way, though it was in another galaxy. If this hypernova had exploded in the Milky Way Galaxy, it would have outshone the full moon in the night sky.
• Great Britain used to be connected to France via a large land bridge, thousands of years ago, until the land bridge was destroyed by megafloods that came from the seawater that was previously held back by the land bridge. (The very first geological Brexit. :))
• On Sunday, April 8, 2012, a meteorite exploded over Sutter's Mill, generating loud sonic booms and a bright flash of light across much of California and Nevada.
• The supernova star iPTF14hls has repeatedly defied death. This star went supernova over 60 years ago, in 1954, before going supernova again with even greater intensity in 2014. As of 2017, the star has still been exploding (for over 3 years now), and is still in the process of undergoing a supernova. The supernova star iPTF14hls has generated some of the most unusual supernovae ever observed.

Gallery

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  1. The Annular Solar Eclipse of January 15, 2010, as viewed from from Bangui, Central African Republic.
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  2. Two fragments of the the Chelyabinsk meteor, which had exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, on February 15, 2013.
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  3. The April 2014 Lunar Eclipse from Lomita, California, at 7:44 UTC, near greatest eclipse.
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  4. The full track of Cyclone Katrina–Victor–Cindy, the longest-lived tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, from December 30, 1997 to February 19, 1998.
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  5. Satellite image of the largest wildfires burning in San Diego County, on May 15, 2014.
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  6. An extratropical cyclone over the Central United States, which would later transition into Tropical Storm Sean (2011). The system had previously made landfall in Southern California as an extratropical cyclone on Sunday, October 30, 2011.
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  7. Von Karman Vorticies swirling off the coast of Guadalupe, near Baja California, on June 21, 2012.
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  8. An image of a Quadruple Helix DNA strand, which is only present in the non-gene part of DNA strands. Quadruple helix DNA actually stabilizes the ends of chromosome strands. It was not discovered until January 20, 2013.
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  9. A 3D animated gif image of a Quadruple Helix DNA strand.
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  10. A rare rainbow cloud spotted above Boynton Beach in Florida, on July 31, 2012.
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  11. An image of a double circular rainbow (a faint outer rainbow can be seen outside of the primary ring).
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  12. An image of a fire tornado, which only occurs under extreme conditions in large wildfires.
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  13. The June 2012 Transit of Venus, as seen from Hong Kong. Venus is the distinct, black dot near the top of the Sun, while 2 sunspots can be seen as small, faint black dots near the brighter bottom half of the photo, below Venus. This image was taken by User:Earth100.
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  14. A map of the flood areas of the 1861–1862 California Megastorm. California is currently overdue for another ARkStorm, and should another one hit, the same areas are expected to be flooded, with severe consequences for the entire United States worse than those of California's long-overdue major earthquake.
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  15. Mount St. Helens' new spine lava dome, during its 2004–2008 Eruption, on May 4, 2006. From March 2005 to January 2008, the volcano extruded a solid slab of rock, only for it to collapse subsequently multiple times, leading to an increase in the size of its lava dome. By the end of January 2008, volcanic activity had tapered off and the eruption ended.
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  16. 3D map of Tamu Massif, the largest volcano on Earth, whose size rivals even that of Olympus Mons. Tamu Massif is about 14,620 feet high from its base, and 120,000 square miles across (around the size of New Mexico). The volcano is approximately 1,000 miles east of Japan.
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  17. Aerial photograph of Mount Kilimanjaro on January 30, 2014.
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  18. Aerial photograph of Mount Fuji on December 3, 2013.
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  19. Close-up view of the Hope Diamond, a navy-blue diamond.
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  20. A picture of some Diatoms, microscope creatures made of glass.
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  21. Image of a Rainbow Cloud band, or Fire Rainbow, in San Diego County, on Sunday, June 1, 2014. The image was taken by LightandDark2000.
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  22. An EXTREMELY RARE Double Halo spotted in San Diego County, at 1:57 PM PDT on Sunday, June 1, 2014. I, LightandDark2000, witnessed have this amazing event myself, and I would like to thank User:Earth100 for inspiring me to take those wonderful photographs.
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  23. The center of June 1st's Double Halo, in San Diego County. This photo was taken by User:LightandDark2000.
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  24. A map of the shockwaves left behind by Gravitational Waves early during the formation of the Universe. The Gravitational Waves are actually shockwaves in the Space-time fabric of the Universe. This Cosmic gravitational wave background was discovered by scientists on March 17, 2014.
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  25. Hurricane Isabel displaying annular characteristics as a powerful Category 5 hurricane, on September 14, 2003.
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  26. A satellite image of Superstorm Sandy on the morning of Tuesday, October 30, 2012, at its maximum size, over the Eastern United States. The image was taken by NASA.
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  27. A computer-generated image of the Milky Way Galaxy, using advanced modern technology, and based on astronomers' knowledge of our galaxy's layout.
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  28. A Hubble image of the Andromeda Galaxy.
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  29. A series of images showing the possible progression of the future Milky Way–Andromeda Galaxy collision.
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  30. A map of the Roman Empire under its maximum extent in 117 A.D., under Emperor Trajan.
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  31. A map of the territorial gains made by the Kurdish YPG, Free Syrian Army, and their allies during the Kurdish-led Northern Syria offensive (2015). (See Al-Hasakah offensive (May 2015) and Tell Abyad offensive (2015) for more details.)
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  32. Battle map of the Syrian Democratic Forces' Raqqa campaign (2016–2017), which saw them capture the de facto capital city of the terrorist organization, ISIL.
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  33. No, this is not a picture of a nuclear explosion. It is a picture of Mount St. Helens, during its infamous May 18, 1980 eruption.
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  34. Satellite image of Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System.
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  35. True-color image of Planet Pluto, taken by the New Horizons spacecraft, on July 4, 2015.
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  36. Halley's Comet in March 1986.
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  37. Comet Hale–Bopp in April 1997, shortly after perihelion.
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  38. A picture of C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy), a long-period comet discovered on August 17, 2014 by Terry Lovejoy.
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  39. Eta Carinae, a blue supergiant, in the process of shedding its outer layers. Eta Carinae is expected to go Hypernova within the next 1,000 years, with a pretty good chance within this century. If it goes Hypernova, it will outshine all of the stars in the galaxy (minus the Sun) in the night sky for some time.
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  40. An image of the Cassiopeia A Supernova remnant, captured by the Spitzer Space Telescope.
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  41. A composite image of Kepler's Supernova (Supernova 1604).
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  42. Composite image of Supernova SN 1987A.
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  43. Hubble Space Telescope image of the Ring Nebula.
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  44. Hubble mosaic image of the Crab Nebula.
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  45. A composite image of the Cartwheel Galaxy.
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  46. A Hubble image of two Spiral Galaxies in the process of merging.
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  47. Totality of the Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, as seen from Simpsonville, South Carolina.
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  48. Image of the Earth eclipsing the Sun, as seen from the Moon, during the Apollo 12 mission in November 1969.
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  49. A Leonid meteor during the height of the Leonid Meteor Shower, on November 17, 2009.
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  50. A close-up image of what a stage of the Andromeda–Milky Way collision may look like in the future.
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  51. A massive 93-mile-wide whirlpool off the coast of South Africa, on December 26, 2011.
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  52. NASA satellite image of the smoke from the October 2007 California firestorm, on Monday, October 22, 2007, near the height of the wildfire spread.
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  53. Graph depicting the May 2018 Wikimedia Cyberattack, generated by Grafana. At the time, this was likely the largest account-breaking attack that Wikimedia has experienced in its history, likely affecting over 642,000 user accounts.
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  54. Graph depicting the 2018–19 Wikimedia Cyberattack, generated by Grafana. This cyberattack was likely the largest account-breaking campaign in the history of Wikimedia, greatly surpassing the scale of the previous May 2018 attacks. Unlike the previous campaign, this one mostly targeted admin accounts.
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  55. Image of the One World Trade Center tower in 2014, which is one of the replacements for the Twin Towers in the World Trade Center, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
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  56. Image of the Milky Way Galaxy in the night sky of Drumheller, Canada, on May 21, 2017. Hoodoos can be seen in the foreground.
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  57. Image of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the elliptical galaxy Messier 87 (M87), taken by the Event Horizon Telescope in 2017. The image took 2 years to process, and was released on April 10, 2019.
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  58. Telescope image of Comet NEOWISE as seen from Ray's Astrophotography Observatory, on July 9, 2020.
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  59. The Great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn as seen from a telescope on December 21, 2020.
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  60. Specialized logo celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Wikipedia and the 1 billionth edit achievement.

Hash

Committed identity: 5dba0b825b68d3c81c247a578c891bc08166eb938d1fea8e7acfcbc7e397a8f5a26ada2128e5240649823a6f7978751be107efd8ec36e9300d5f42cfd0cc9afc is a SHA-512 commitment to this user's real-life identity.