Spyware maker NSO Group used real phone location data on thousands of unsuspecting people when it demonstrated its new COVID-19 contact-tracing system to governments and journalists, researchers have concluded. From a report: NSO, a private intelligence company best known for developing and selling governments access to its Pegasus spyware, went on the charm offensive earlier this year to pitch its contact-tracing…
Tag: pegasus
Mirach is guide star to 3 galaxies
Mirach, a bright star in the constellation Andromeda, is often used by stargazers to locate the Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and a galaxy known as Mirach’s Ghost (NGC 404). Source: https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/mirach-guide-star-to-three-galaxies…
Alpheratz belongs to Andromeda, but is part of the Great Square
Alpheratz, the brightest star in the constellation Andromeda, can help you locate the Andromeda Galaxy, the closest large spiral galaxy to our Milky Way home galaxy. Source: https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/alpheratz-belongs-to-andromeda-but-pegasus-can-claim-it…
Aquarius? Here’s your constellation
Aquarius lies in a “watery” part of the sky, near Pisces the Fish, Cetus the Whale, Eridanus the River, and Piscis Austrinus the Southern Fish. Source: https://earthsky.org/constellations/aquarius-heres-your-constellation…
Galaxies in Pegasus
Galaxies in Pegasus Source: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html…
Small asteroid will sweep close this week
Asteroid 2020 SW will sweep closest – closer than weather satellites – on September 24. It will not hit us. It’ll brighten as it draws near, but never enough to see with the eye alone. Charts here for telescope users. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/asteroid-2020-sw-very-close-pass-sept-24-2020…
What’s a constellation? What’s an asterism?
Both constellations and asterisms are patterns of stars. What’s the difference? Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/definition-what-is-a-constellation-asterism…
WhatsApp: Israeli Firm ‘Deeply Involved’ In Hacking Our Users
WhatsApp has alleged in new court filings that an Israeli spyware company used US-based servers and was “deeply involved” in carrying out mobile phone hacks of 1,400 WhatsApp users, including senior government officials, journalists, and human rights activists. The Guardian reports: The new claims about NSO Group allege that the Israeli company bears responsibility in serious human rights violations, including the…
Facebook Wanted NSO Spyware To Monitor Users, NSO CEO Claims
Facebook representatives approached controversial surveillance vendor NSO Group to try and buy a tool that could help Facebook better monitor a subset of its users, according to an extraordinary court filing from NSO in an ongoing lawsuit. From a report: Facebook is currently suing NSO for how the hacking firm leveraged a vulnerability in WhatsApp to help governments hack users. NSO…
Locate Cassiopeia the Queen
An earlier name for Cassiopeia was Cassiopeia’s Chair. A legend from ancient Greek mythology explains why. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/cassiopeia-is-shaped-like-an-m-or-w…