4 ms·

How ‘Oumuamua Got Shredded

49 points by dnetesn 9y ago

jwfxpr 9y ago
The HN title needs correcting to add the ‘ to ‘Oumuamua, it is a part of the proper name.
- dang 9y ago
  Done. Thanks.
ehvatum 9y ago
I have also been running many large scale simulations, using commodity hardware and software. The most likely explanation for this object and its motion and trajectory is a combination of "unlimited fuel cheat" followed by extended asymmetric RCS burn in order to create artificial gravity for Jebedia Kerman, the object's only occupant. The object is dynamically unstable, creating the wobble observed. However, my data indicates that Jeb actually prefers the "gerbil in a washing machine" experience - and is capable of enjoying it for trillions of years, without interruption. However, we should be hesitant to approach this object. It is likely armed to the gills with deadly missiles and lasers that serve no useful end other than being fired willy-nilly at anything nearby, "for scientific purposes". This phenomenon is often seen in my models, and its causes remains stubbornly inscrutable. Why fire weaponry into gas giants? Why deploy nuclear warheads into stars? Further study is required.
- itronitron 9y ago
  the chaotic tumble (GWM) also affords Jebediah a continually changing view which would relieve boredom
smoyer 9y ago
Perhaps it's a chaotically tumbling rod rather than a chaotically tumbling cigar. Somewhere out there is a huge alien ship lobbing them at earth! (Ananthem which wikipedia calls "a speculative science fiction")
DoctorOetker 9y ago
It's probably a toy, and we're almost old enough to start trying to fetch toys?
- tqkxzugoaupvwqr 9y ago
  Counter-argument: How could “they” have predicted a civilization with the necessary tools to detect the object would exist at this point in time in our solar system?
  - detritus 9y ago
    Because they have eyes on us closer than we imagined?
runeb 9y ago
Would it make sense to keep probes at standby around the solar system to quicker intercept objects like 'Oumuamua?
- xrayzerone 9y ago
  The economics of doing that with a sample size of N=1 for potential targets is...unsound.
- neolefty 9y ago
  They wouldn't so much be "at standby" as "in orbit". To enable them to intercept an object, they'd have to burn hard with a lot of fuel, which means we'd have place them in orbit with a lot of fuel. It would be more efficient to keep a rocket on standby on Earth ready to launch, since any orbital momentum we give them after launch that is not perfectly in line with their target would have to be canceled.
- TangoTrotFox 9y ago
  If we continued to develop our space tech since the 70s intercepting this would be relatively straight forward. Take for instance something like the SpaceX BFR. One of the fundamental goals is to have the rocket able to be refueled to max capacity once in orbit. That is critical as fuel is always the issue. But with this system its mobility would be immense and it would certainly be able to do things like intercept whatever this object is. There's also technologies like space sails powered by really big lasers on Earth or in orbit. And I'm sure there are countless other options which we'll learn of once we actually start progressing again. I'll spare the NASA rant, but suffice to say it's a shame they're now spending the lions share of their budget developing a launch system that's only ambition is to provide a comparable capacity to what we had 50 years ago.
nerfhammer 9y ago
It's obviously a skyscaper that sheared off of a destroyed alien megastructure

49 points by dnetesn 9y ago

jwfxpr 9y ago

The HN title needs correcting to add the ‘ to ‘Oumuamua, it is a part of the proper name.

dang 9y ago
Done. Thanks.

ehvatum 9y ago

I have also been running many large scale simulations, using commodity hardware and software. The most likely explanation for this object and its motion and trajectory is a combination of "unlimited fuel cheat" followed by extended asymmetric RCS burn in order to create artificial gravity for Jebedia Kerman, the object's only occupant. The object is dynamically unstable, creating the wobble observed. However, my data indicates that Jeb actually prefers the "gerbil in a washing machine" experience - and is capable of enjoying it for trillions of years, without interruption. However, we should be hesitant to approach this object. It is likely armed to the gills with deadly missiles and lasers that serve no useful end other than being fired willy-nilly at anything nearby, "for scientific purposes". This phenomenon is often seen in my models, and its causes remains stubbornly inscrutable. Why fire weaponry into gas giants? Why deploy nuclear warheads into stars? Further study is required.

itronitron 9y ago
the chaotic tumble (GWM) also affords Jebediah a continually changing view which would relieve boredom

smoyer 9y ago

Perhaps it's a chaotically tumbling rod rather than a chaotically tumbling cigar. Somewhere out there is a huge alien ship lobbing them at earth! (Ananthem which wikipedia calls "a speculative science fiction")

DoctorOetker 9y ago

It's probably a toy, and we're almost old enough to start trying to fetch toys?

tqkxzugoaupvwqr 9y ago
Counter-argument: How could “they” have predicted a civilization with the necessary tools to detect the object would exist at this point in time in our solar system?
- detritus 9y ago
  Because they have eyes on us closer than we imagined?

runeb 9y ago

Would it make sense to keep probes at standby around the solar system to quicker intercept objects like 'Oumuamua?

xrayzerone 9y ago
The economics of doing that with a sample size of N=1 for potential targets is...unsound.
neolefty 9y ago
They wouldn't so much be "at standby" as "in orbit". To enable them to intercept an object, they'd have to burn hard with a lot of fuel, which means we'd have place them in orbit with a lot of fuel. It would be more efficient to keep a rocket on standby on Earth ready to launch, since any orbital momentum we give them after launch that is not perfectly in line with their target would have to be canceled.
TangoTrotFox 9y ago
If we continued to develop our space tech since the 70s intercepting this would be relatively straight forward. Take for instance something like the SpaceX BFR. One of the fundamental goals is to have the rocket able to be refueled to max capacity once in orbit. That is critical as fuel is always the issue. But with this system its mobility would be immense and it would certainly be able to do things like intercept whatever this object is. There's also technologies like space sails powered by really big lasers on Earth or in orbit. And I'm sure there are countless other options which we'll learn of once we actually start progressing again. I'll spare the NASA rant, but suffice to say it's a shame they're now spending the lions share of their budget developing a launch system that's only ambition is to provide a comparable capacity to what we had 50 years ago.

nerfhammer 9y ago

It's obviously a skyscaper that sheared off of a destroyed alien megastructure