National Geographic | THE COMPASS

National Geographic

THE COMPASS

This week, we explore alien worlds. Find out why the legend of Area 51 still fascinates us, learn what we know from decades of UFO government investigations, and discover the planet that just became a top suspect in the hunt for alien life. Plus, top stories you may have missed.

UFO believers look for suspicious spacecraft during a UFO and Vortex Tour in Sedona, Arizona. This composite image is a combination of six photographs taken in 2017 through night vision goggles.

COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNIFER EMERLING

The legend of Area 51—and why it still fascinates us

Secluded in the Nevada desert, the military base has long been associated with alien and UFO sightings. Here's the real history behind the conspiracy theories.

HOPING TO CATCH A GLIMPSE

This image released by the U.S. Department of Defense shows a 2004 encounter between two Navy fighter jets and an unknown object near San Diego.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE/THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

What we know from decades of UFO government investigations

Mysterious flying objects. Claims of crashed alien spacecrafts. The U.S. has spent decades inquiring into the unknown—here's what they've learned.

OUR ONGOING FASCINATION

GOOD READS

1.

Did humpbacks try to save a seal from orcas? See for yourself.

2.

Meet the experimental archaeologist who tested out Stone-Age living on the Thames.

3.

Why this company sent ancient human fossils into space.

4.

Inside the race to kill an invasive menace—before it gets to a town near you.

Frank Drake stands in front of a whiteboard with his eponymous equation, which estimates the number of detectable alien civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy.

COURTESY OF SETI INSITUTE

Why alien hunters have spent 60 years finding new solutions for the Drake Equation

Astronomer Frank Drake came up with the famous formula as he prepared for a last-minute meeting in 1961. It still guides the search for intelligent life beyond Earth.

A FRAMEWORK FOR SCIENTISTS

A SURVEY OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY FOUND APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY WORLDS WITH SIMILAR CONDITIONS TO EARTH?

A. 30 THOUSAND
B. 3 MILLION
C. 300 MILLION

CLICK TO SEE IF YOU'RE RIGHT!

An illustration shows what exoplanet K2-18 b could look like based on science data.

ILLUSTRATION BY NASA, CSA, ESA, J. OLMSTED (STSCI), SCIENCE: N. MADHUSUDHAN (CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY)

In the hunt for alien life, this planet just became a top suspect

The mixture of gasses measured in exoplanet K2-18 b suggests it may have a global ocean beneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere—and astronomers even spotted a tantalizing, though unconfirmed, sign of life.

A WHOLE NEW CLASS OF WORLD

A man in a cowboy hat looking at telescopes.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RAMIN RAHIMIAN, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

Where earthbound travelers can search for extraterrestrial life

Here’s where believers and skeptics alike can see U.S. scientists at work.

ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE?

What archaeology is telling us about the real Jesus +

HERE ARE THE FACTS

Who wrote the Dead Sea scrolls? Science may have the answer. +

SEE THE
THEORIES

Biblical stories of Jesus' birth reveal intriguing clues about his times +

DIVINE
ACCOUNTS

WHAT WILL WE EXPLORE NEXT?

Be sure to check your inbox next week to find out.

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