Posted on 09/19/2019 10:07:15 AM PDT by Red Badger
A MYSTERIOUS object hurtling towards our Solar System may be an alien spacecraft.
That's the shock claim made by one space scientist, who has exclusively revealed to The Sun that our incoming visitor could be piloted by hyper-intelligent beings.
Last week, scientists in Germany announced they had spotted a distant object heading in our direction.
Dubbed "C/2019 Q4", the high-speed body appears to be on a path originating from another star system that will see it fire past Mars in October.
Despite numerous attempts to study C/2019, scientists remain clueless as to what it is. Many speculate the distant mass is a comet.
According to prominent astronomer Dr Seth Shostak, while this is the interstellar traveller's most likely identity, we can't say for sure it's not a flying saucer.
This is the first colour-composite image of the interstellar object, published MondayCredit: Gemini Observatory
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"We can't rule out that this is an interstellar probe," Dr Shostak, a senior astronomer at the SETI Institute in California, told The Sun. "If we get a closeup look, we may well see it has a metal exterior with portholes and little green faces looking out at us. "However, I would bet next month's pay cheque this is a comet."
Dr Shostak, 76, has won numerous awards for his work, which among other things involves scanning the stars for signals sent out by aliens.
Artist's impression of the interstellar object Oumuamua
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He's a top scientist at the SETI Institute, a UFO-hunting non-profit dedicated to finding out if we're alone in the universe.
If C/2019 really is from another star system, it would be only the second interstellar visitor ever known to have reached the Solar System.
The first, a cigar-shaped object called Oumuamua, took the world by storm when it careened past Earth in 2017.
A pair of Harvard scientists claimed it could be a spacecraft, sparking a frantic flurry of scans – including from SETI telescopes – as the object flew by.
What is Oumuamua?
Here's everything you need to know...
Oumuamua is a cigar-shaped asteroid that sped past Earth in 2017 Some boffins think the space rock was an alien probe sent by a distant civilisation It was spotted by scientists in Hawaii, and its name means 'scout' in Hawaiian Researchers involved in SETI- the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence - used a powerful dish to scan Oumuamua They found no signs of radio signals, suggesting it wasn't an alien spaceship after all Recent research suggests that the object could have been ejected by a gas giant planet It's now moving away from Earth so fast that we're unlikely to ever find out
Experts found no signs of alien signals, and Oumuamua whizzed past Earth before its true origin could be determined.
Dr Shostak, 76, revealed to The Sun that SETI may soon train its scanning equipment on C/2019 to look for signs of life, much like it did Oumuamua.
"I have suggested to our SETI team that we give this new object a look with the Allen Telescope Array," the Virginia-born scientist said. "So maybe we will check it out."
C/2019 was spotted on August 30 by amateur Ukrainian astronomer Gennady Borisov, and scientists around the world have poured over it ever since. Dr Shostak is urging SETI scientists to take a look at the object with the Allen Telescope Array (pictured) 5 Dr Shostak is urging SETI scientists to take a look at the object with the Allen Telescope Array (pictured)Credit: SETI
"It's so exciting, we're basically looking away from all of our other projects right now," Dr Olivier Hainaut, an astronomer with the European Southern Observatory in Germany, told Business Insider last week.
Early images released on Monday suggest it's followed by a tail of dust.
That's typically what you see coming out the back of a comet, though scientists say they can't be sure that's what the object is.
Further observations of C/2019 have exposed the shape of its orbit. The elusive visitor could be piloted by hyper-intelligent beings 5 The elusive visitor could be piloted by hyper-intelligent beingsCredit: Getty - Contributor
If the object is indeed interstellar, scientists should be able to study it until early 2021, when it will grow too dim to see.
They'll largely focus on what it's made of, as well as where it came from, while alien fanatics wait with bated breath.
Dr Shostak strongly believes that life exists outside of Earth, and it may have even visited our planet in the past.
"I have no doubts that aliens are out there, we wouldn't be doing our work if I didn't believe that," he told The Sun.
"It’s even possible they've visited Earth at some point, maybe a billion years ago, maybe 100million years ago. We may never know." Mysterious object from interstellar space ‘approaching our solar system’
“A MYSTERIOUS object hurtling towards our Solar System may be an alien spacecraft.”
Translation: “I need more grant money”
If you build inside an asteroid, or have the technology to put some together, then you don’t have to worry about much of a hull. There’s plenty of sci-fi stories of races using hollowed out asteroids for various uses.
I’m one of those freepers who only accepts TOS as canon.
Regarding scanning the incoming objects for EM emissions...
So lets say this object is heading straight for us. Who would they need to contact? Most likely the beings back at the destination. Why would one waste the energy to broadcast EM out the entire universe when they could simply send something like a pulsed laser backwards directly to their origin point. Likewise, if they wanted to talk to us, some sort of directed beam would make it quite clear we were the intended recipients.
For one thing, it saves energy. For another, if there really are other races out there, maybe they aren’t all friendly so advertising your position by broadcasting isn’t prudent.
Lastly, what exactly would they be saying? They’re travelling at sub light speeds. Those at the destination, if still alive, can see them and whether they’ve arrived. Barring periodic status updates, what would they be chatting about for us to intercept?
Unless they’re cosmic drug dealers with associated cosmic boom boxes to advertise their wares.
But sometimes I’ll skim the Apocrypha. :D
“There’s no point in acting surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for 50 of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late to start making a fuss about it now. … What do you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh, for heaven’s sake, mankind, it’s only four light years away, you know. I’m sorry, but if you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that’s your own lookout.”
“Energize the demolition beams.”
Maybe they’ll abduct all the Rat candidates.
I thought these were INTELLIGENT aliens...................
Perhaps they are looking for guinea pigs.
I dearly hope it is not a space ship. If it is we are doomed. But then again we are doomed regardless. Just sayin.
“Wonder if they were showing him photos of Helen Thomas on the set when they filmed that!”
The Geneva Convention bans such tortures.
Perhaps it is a rock from Klendathu.
That could be a Busaard Ramjet exhaust!
Well...we can hope.
The Media at Work:
Q: “Is it a flying saucer?”
A: “No, it is not a flying saucer.”
Q: “Are you sure it is not a flying saucer?”
A: “It’s a comet.”
Q: “Are you saying that you are absolutely certain and can unequivocally prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that it is not a flying saucer?
A: “No, we cannot say for sure that it is not a flying saucer. We can barely detect the thing. If we get a closeup look, we may well see it has a metal exterior with portholes and little green faces looking out at us. Or it could be a flying cow.”
Headline: “Mystery object approaching us from interstellar space could be ALIEN spacecraft, top scientist admits”
They’re laughing at us electing BJ Clinton.
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