I thought I;d see what NASA has to say about the Oumuamua findings. Apparently no one bothered telling them and the last mention was in September.
https://www.nasa.gov/mediacast/gravity-assist-planetary-defense-and-oumuamua-with-kelly-fast
Thank the Zeta Reticulans for NASA
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Before you read this let me explain for the 100th time that the image shown is not a photograph of Oumuamua -I see it stated over and over online that it is such. It is something an artist has come up with nothing more. We have not seen Oumuamua up that close.
https://www.nasa.gov/mediacast/gravity-assist-planetary-defense-and-oumuamua-with-kelly-fast
Thank the Zeta Reticulans for NASA
_________________________________________________________________
Before you read this let me explain for the 100th time that the image shown is not a photograph of Oumuamua -I see it stated over and over online that it is such. It is something an artist has come up with nothing more. We have not seen Oumuamua up that close.
For me the shape was no problem since we still know relatively little about what goes on "out there". If you are a geologist -even someone who has chipped away at a block of coal- then you will know that a tap at the right point will split rock/coal. How it splits up depends on stress lines but long pieces are not that extraordinary. So you imagine a millennia old object being hit by smaller or larger objects as it travels from beyond our solar system -maybe en on entering it. Nothing shocking or odd.
There were some questions that needed answering but Science takes its time. Then we read that Oumuamua had: an “unexpected boost in speed and shift in trajectory as it passes through the inner solar system” That makes you pay attention.
More after this item:
Mystery interstellar asteroid Oumuamua 'could be gigantic alien solar sail sent to look for signs of life'
Patrick Grafton-Green,Evening Standard 19 hours ago
The first known interstellar object to travel through our solar system could be a gigantic alien solar sail sent to look for signs of life, according to a new study.
The mysterious asteroid Oumuamua has been analysed by astronomers from the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics (CfA) after it was found to be unexpectedly speeding up.
NASA said earlier this year observations from their Hubble Space Telescope confirmed the object had an “unexpected boost in speed and shift in trajectory as it passes through the inner solar system”.
Scientists have now concluded that the asteroid “might be a lightsail of artificial origin” using solar radiation to propel itself forward.
The study said: “Considering an artificial origin, one possibility is that Oumuamua is a lightsail, floating in interstellar space as a debris from an advanced technological equipment.
“Alternatively, a more exotic scenario is that Oumuamua may be a fully operational probe sent intentionally to Earth vicinity by an alien civilisation.”
Professor Abraham Loeb, who carried out the study with Shmuel Bialy, told Universe Today: “Oumuamua could be an active piece of alien technology that came to explore our Solar System, the same way we hope to explore Alpha Centauri using Starshot and similar technologies.
“The alternative is to imagine that Oumuamua was on a reconnaissance mission.”
Before he died, Professor Stephen Hawking said the most likely shape for an interstellar spacecraft would be a "cigar or needle" as this would “minimise friction and damage from interstellar gas and dust”.
Researchers have previously said the object is likely to be the same size and shape as London's Gherkin building.
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Here is something for the conspiracy fraternity. We do have solar observatories with powerful instrumentation which is why we get such spectacular solar images. How long would it have taken to have those re-focussed based on the fact that Oumuamua might be an alien probe. If you look at what was happening at some solar observatories (New Mexico was closed down due to criminal activity by a staffer) in September were they refocussing?
To be honest I doubt solar observatories were being used to observe Oumuamua. Humans tend to pontificate and argue until...too late! If this was an alien probe then humanity screwed up. As soon as it was detected there were things we could have done to get better views (military satellites are up there but some general would be stamping his foot and yelling "NO! We gotta watch the Russkies!!").
If this was a probe it might be some civilizations version of Voyager but intended to be observed, contacted or encountered. Was anyone focussing attention on possible transmissions of various kinds from Oumuamua?
There are so many questions but if this research is right then, yeah, we done screwed up.
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Here is something for the conspiracy fraternity. We do have solar observatories with powerful instrumentation which is why we get such spectacular solar images. How long would it have taken to have those re-focussed based on the fact that Oumuamua might be an alien probe. If you look at what was happening at some solar observatories (New Mexico was closed down due to criminal activity by a staffer) in September were they refocussing?
To be honest I doubt solar observatories were being used to observe Oumuamua. Humans tend to pontificate and argue until...too late! If this was an alien probe then humanity screwed up. As soon as it was detected there were things we could have done to get better views (military satellites are up there but some general would be stamping his foot and yelling "NO! We gotta watch the Russkies!!").
If this was a probe it might be some civilizations version of Voyager but intended to be observed, contacted or encountered. Was anyone focussing attention on possible transmissions of various kinds from Oumuamua?
There are so many questions but if this research is right then, yeah, we done screwed up.
