2017 U1, or Oumamua

quarky

Unusual shape, not gravitationally bound to the Sun (apparently). 
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/huge-object-passing-earth-could-be-alien-spacecraft-from-another-part-of-galaxy-say-scientists-a3716961.html

I doubt it is, but how cool would it be if it was alien.

ICBM

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/118902/rendezvous-with-oumuamua



That was the very first thing that I thought when I heard about it, and even more so when the shape was mentioned. I'm sure the astronomers did too...

The really interesting detail for me is that it spins on its axis every 7.3 hours - although I'm not sure that definitely means the longitudinal axis. If it does, I would think it increases the possibility of it not being natural.

quarky

I thought I had seen something about it before

I just hope it is alien, that would be such as incredible discovery. Rama was a very good book too, although I never read any of the sequels.

chillidoggy

It looks like a big turd.

Sassafras

Vogons?

Panama_Jack666

Sassafras said:

Vogons?

Vegans?

ICBM

quarky said:

I just hope it is alien, that would be such as incredible discovery.

It's unfortunate that it was only discovered after it had passed us, so there was no possibility of sending even the most basic photographic probe to catch up with it.

I have to admit I'm in two minds as to whether I think it could be artificial - the physical dimensions are very unusual, as far as I know it has the highest length to width ratio of any object yet discovered, and if it is indeed rotating on its main axis at that rate, it's far more unusual still. It apparently has a very uneven light curve, but that doesn't actually rule out a cylinder - if it was painted ... but I am very unsure of whether there is intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy - it's easy to plug numbers into the Drake equation and get a convincing result which shows there must be, but it's also quite possible that one or more of those numbers is wildly wrong (in particular the formation of complex life one - bearing in mind there is as yet no evidence that life has even arisen more than once on Earth, let alone anywhere else) and that the true number is 1. Although it is possible that the Fermi Paradox has just been resolved without us knowing it.

quarky said:

Rama was a very good book too, although I never read any of the sequels.

Nor me. The original is one of his best works though - hugely imaginative but actually quite believable.

Clarky

I reckon it is intelligent life
swept by Earth.. took a very quick look at what's going on here
thought "fk that place" and drove on by

chillidoggy

If it was intelligent life, they could at least have confirmed that the earth is flat.

Kilgore

Clarky said:

I reckon it is intelligent life
swept by Earth.. took a very quick look at what's going on here
thought "fk that place" and drove on by

I think you're right. It's packed with aliens but they've turned the lights off and are being very quiet.

Sassafras

Panama_Jack666 said:

Sassafras said:

Vogons?

Vegans?

Couldn't be vegans, they're hardly an intelligent life form.

axisus

I'm surprised that they didn't call it Big Black Mamba. It seems to be heading towards a black hole with fervent excitement.

Kilgore

It's a f**k off big Monolith a la Arthur C Clarke.

Fretwired

Clarky said:

I reckon it is intelligent life
swept by Earth.. took a very quick look at what's going on here
thought "fk that place" and drove on by

I was reading some scientists believe it could be alien, but that it could be billions of years old and therefore an artefact (such as a probe) from a long dead civilisation.