by Michael E. Salla   There is sufficient evidence to suggest that NASA has deliberately tampered with satellite imagery depicting a comet changing its flight path after interacting with the sun on February 18. Comet NEAT (C/2002 V1) was first observed by astronomers in November 2002 and was initially described as a ’small’ comet that would come closest to the Earth on December 24, 2002, when it would be at 0.8 AU (note: 1 AU equals 93 million miles the distance between the Earth and the sun). Astronomers suggested that NEAT would brighten considerably as it approached its perihelion ( approach to the sun) of 0.1 AU.   By the time of its eventual arrival in the sun’s vicinity, the precise size of the comet had become a matter of controversy as evident in a February 19, BBC report that described the comet as "unusual in that it is very large and very bright. In fact, it is the brightest comet ever observed by one of Soho’s instruments."   According to NASA flight projections, the comet would flyby the sun and continue its orbit without having an appreciable impact on either the sun or the Earth.   Real time photographs of the comet by the SOHO satellite positioned between the Sun and Earth showed the comet’s passage around the sun (for NASA’s projected passage - click image left).   As predicted, the comet appeared very large, with some estimates of its coma (gases, ice, etc., surrounding the core) up to four times the size of Jupiter while having a planet sized core up to the size of Mercury. click "F5" in keyboard to see effects On its passage past the sun on Feb 18, an enormous solar flame moves towards the comet as though to strike it in the fashion of a lightning bolt (image time-dated 2002/2/18 06:54). (click image right)   Just before what appears to be a critical impact, the images from SOHO’s LASCO 3 corona graph, stop for a critical seven hours, when they resume, the next image (time dated one hour later), shows that the solar flame has disappeared, and what appears to be the remains of a crude cut and paste effort involving the comet.   Subsequent images released by NASA showed the comet continuing its flight path without any significant interaction with the sun (image time-dated 2003/2/18 09:54) (see NASA’s animated sequence)   At this point, amateur astronomers on Web discussion boards began crying foul and were accusing NASA of image tampering. It should be pointed out that the processing of SOHO images occurs at the NASA Goddard Flight Center making it plausible that image tampering could occur using popular software packages such as Paint Brush (click image left).   The period from when the comet reportedly exited the range SOHO’s LASCO corona graphs, showed the sun resuming intense solar flare activity in the region where the comet had earlier been. The entire sequence of NEAT’s passage appeared as in the following set of images released by NASA:

Discussion about comet NEAT would most likely have soon ended were it not for the following image (time-dated 2003/02/20 23:42) released by SOHO on Feb 20, more than two days after the first ’tampered’ image and when NEAT should have left the view of SOHO’s LASCO corona graphs. The image showed what appeared to be the comet NEAT in an unanticipated position suggesting that it had changed direction and continued to be interacting with the sun. The next image (time-dated 2003/02/20 23:42)  (click image right) was delayed by 12 hours, but time dated 36 minutes later, showed no sign of the comet.

 

Some astronomers suggested that the image depicting NEAT was still in the vicinity was an anomaly caused by such explainable factors as the SOHO satellite recording part of its own equipment discharge. For amateur astronomers, this was the smoking gun they had been looking for. Website discussion boards suddenly began to be systematically hacked making it difficult for news to get out and raising suspicion of NASA faking the fly by.  

 

Surprisingly, a second set of images appeared almost two days later on Feb 22, that showed comet NEAT was still in the sun’s vicinity and continuing to interact with it.

 

The images came from SOHO’s LASCO 2 corona graph which focuses on the vicinity much closer to the sun. These images showed an object, perhaps NEAT’s core or segments of it, being ejected out of the sun (click image left)

 

Amateur astronomers participating in a number of web page discussion boards again began to experience a high degree of hacking with boards going offline. This only added to growing accusations of foul play and suspicions about a NASA conspiracy to suppress the true nature of comet NEAT’s precise location and interaction with the sun.

 

Only to compound matters further, the critical LASCO instruments for recording the activities around the sun’s corona, were closed down for the 4-day period from 24-27 February for repositioning the SOHO satellite. The cause was either routine ’Spacecraft Thruster Firing’ as NASA claimed, or NASA was trying to prevent further leaks on NEAT’s actual position.  (click image right)

 

The strongest evidence of image tampering are the images provided by the SOHO satellite which show what appears to be either the comet itself or its remnants in a variety of positions around the sun after NEAT should have left the sun’s vicinity. Some have suggested that the released images were deliberately leaked by sympathetic NASA officials who wanted the general public to learn about the true nature of the comet’s interaction with the sun.

 

Another significant piece of information is a set of images that showed what looked like an eye to the right of the comet just before the comet was apparently struck by a solar flare (image time-dated 2003/02/18 08:54).

 

For those familiar with the Great Seal of the US (see reverse of one dollar bill), this was strikingly familiar with the Eye of Horus signifying Providence is watching over human affairs.

 

There are three explanations for this mysterious eye. One the eye is just a fortuitous natural event captured on camera. Two, the eye was contrived by sympathetic NASA officials wanting to communicate that they are helping get information out.  (click image left)

 

Or three, some ’external’ intervention from a ’non-human’ agency or intelligence has indeed occurred. Given that a significant number of individuals, groups, and organizations have been waiting for a cosmic event to signify ’divine intervention’ in human affairs, then arguably, Comet Neat and the eye signifies that this has indeed occurred. If either of the latter two explanations is accurate, NASA may be expected to continue encountering difficulty in keeping news of comet NEAT’s interaction with the sun from becoming public knowledge.

Did NASA Fake Comet NEAT’s Flyby of the Sun?
In summary, the primary evidence that NASA has faked the flyby of comet Neat lies in analysis of three sets images released by the SOHO satellite. The first is the February 18 image ( time-dated 2003/2/18 06:54) which shows evidence of tampering. The second is the February 20 image (time-dated 2003/02/20 23:42) which is the smoking gun that NEAT did not leave the sun’s vicinity in the path predicted by NASA. The third are the February 22 images that show an object, possibly NEAT, being expelled from the sun (time-dated 2003/02/22 19:31). Circumstantial evidence is the following. Firstly, delays in release of images that depicted NEAT at critical stages in its passage. And second, hacking of amateur astronomer discussion boards that were attempting to analyze the data as it was emerging. When the evidence is analyzed, one is forced to choose between one of two choices. Either NASA is correct and nothing extraordinary has occurred other than the routine passage of a small but bright comet that will return again in 37,000 years. In this case, all the anomalous images and delays have plausible explanations. Alternatively, deliberate tampering of satellite imagery by NASA has occurred in order to suppress from public attention the true passage of Comet NEAT and its significance for humanity.

What strengthens the case for the latter explanation, is that some extraordinary weather patterns began to appear on February 24 that would be consistent with the intense solar activities beginning from February 18. For instance, it takes approximately about five days for coronal mass ejections from the sun to reach the earth. Aside from the snow and icy conditions that surprisingly appeared in the USA on February 24, a foot of snow has fallen in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the Middle East on February 25. Children and police in the GAZA strip, and elsewhere in Israel/Palestine were having snowball fights! Such bizarre weather might be simply welcomed as a respite from the turmoil of the Middle East or may signify something extraordinary has occurred.

What is even more troubling for NASA’s account of the NEAT comet, is that on February 28, NASA released a space weather report that said the "Earth is approaching a cometary debris stream that might trigger an unusual Antarctic meteor show this weekend"

 

The disturbing thing is that when one investigates the meteor showers and associated cometary debris predicted for 2003, there is no mention of the comet Bradfield. According to a comprehensive list of meteor showers and associated comets scheduled to pass the Earth in 2003, the last meteor shower was the Quadrantids between January 1-6, and the next are the Virginids in late March and Early April. If indeed, the comet’s interaction with the sun did have an effect on recent weather patterns, and the ’surprise’ cometary debris which the Earth is passing into on March 1 is associated with NEAT, then it is plausible to suggest that NASA’s depiction of NEAT’s passage is contrived.

Based on the evidence, it may be concluded that Comet NEAT was diverted in its interaction with the sun over the period February 18-22. The reopening of the LASCO corona graphs on the SOHO observatory on February 27, signified that the comet NEAT had moved out of the vicinity of the sun into a flight path known only to NASA. The cometary debris which NASA claims is associated with the comet Bradfield, is in most likelihood, the first physical manifestation of the comet NEAT’s break up and/or changed flight pattern. The meteor shower predicted for March 1 is possibly part of the tail of NEAT which has been widely dispersed and may continue to cross the Earth’s orbit for some time yet. More significantly, it is not clear where the major portions of comet NEAT are, and how they will interact with the Earth or affect weather patterns when they cross the Earth’s orbit. There continues to be uncertainty over where exactly comet NEAT’s flight path will take it, and the amount of cometary debris it will bring in its wake. Comet Neat’s fly by of the sun has truly been an extraordinary event and despite the uncertainty over its significance, we might take comfort from the cosmic eye seen to be overseeing NEAT in the SOHO satellite image of February 18, that perhaps Providence is indeed watching over humanity.