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The title should really be changed, perhaps even resubmitted under a new title to give it a second chance at serious conversation. Everyone's talking about haha

by Aachen 5y ago

The title should really be changed, perhaps even resubmitted under a new title to give it a second chance at serious conversation. Everyone's talking about haha look bad picture quality ufo crazies (and they're not wrong), but the article is about comets traversing interstellar space that we can observe when they drop by our solar system.

sandworm101 5y ago
Yes. And those things aren't ufos, they aren't even flying.
- Aachen 5y ago
  Is Voyager 2 flying? Not sure if the definition of flying is propulsion and/or steering, or if it requires atmosphere. If it's the former, Oumuamua might actually count if you choose to not reject the implausibly unlikely but interesting-to-explore hypothesis that it's a space ship. Or at least that it has propulsion (iirc that's the part we're sure of) regardless of whether it's intelligently designed or can steer.
  - sandworm101 5y ago
    They are falling, thier movement dominated only by gravity. Flight is a winning fight against gravity by another stronger force. A floating balloon is flying. A falling meteor isn't
    - Aachen 5y ago
      Oumuamua wasn't just falling, is the interesting thing about it. For Voyager probes I guess one could argue are falling most of the time, but specifically on this topic, comets are not always only acted upon by environmental forces. Hmm actually isn't that characteristic of a comet, it being icey and having a "tail" of exhaust gas? But then Oumuamua's acceleration could iirc not be explained by that exhaust, so it's even more than just that. Of course that doesn't make it a space ship, it (presumably) lacks controls for one, but it does mean that comets are by definition not falling, and specifically the objects this project will be looking for might be doing even more than just venting under influence of heat.
      - sandworm101 5y ago
        Those forces are nothing compared to the acceleration of gravity. Flying means that gravity has been overcome.
- dylan604 5y ago
  And they've been identified and even given names

by Aachen 5y ago

sandworm101 5y ago

Yes. And those things aren't ufos, they aren't even flying.

Aachen 5y ago
Is Voyager 2 flying? Not sure if the definition of flying is propulsion and/or steering, or if it requires atmosphere. If it's the former, Oumuamua might actually count if you choose to not reject the implausibly unlikely but interesting-to-explore hypothesis that it's a space ship. Or at least that it has propulsion (iirc that's the part we're sure of) regardless of whether it's intelligently designed or can steer.
- sandworm101 5y ago
  They are falling, thier movement dominated only by gravity. Flight is a winning fight against gravity by another stronger force. A floating balloon is flying. A falling meteor isn't
  - Aachen 5y ago
    Oumuamua wasn't just falling, is the interesting thing about it. For Voyager probes I guess one could argue are falling most of the time, but specifically on this topic, comets are not always only acted upon by environmental forces. Hmm actually isn't that characteristic of a comet, it being icey and having a "tail" of exhaust gas? But then Oumuamua's acceleration could iirc not be explained by that exhaust, so it's even more than just that. Of course that doesn't make it a space ship, it (presumably) lacks controls for one, but it does mean that comets are by definition not falling, and specifically the objects this project will be looking for might be doing even more than just venting under influence of heat.
    - sandworm101 5y ago
      Those forces are nothing compared to the acceleration of gravity. Flying means that gravity has been overcome.
dylan604 5y ago
And they've been identified and even given names