Meet ‘Oumuamua, the Interstellar Cigar

alex revision · November 21st, 2017

Meet ‘Oumuamua, the Interstellar Cigar

In Arthur C. Clarke's 1973 science-fiction novel Rendezvous with Rama, Earthlings discover and then investigate an interstellar "asteroid" that turns out to be a huge alien spaceship shaped like a long cylinder.

Life, it seems, sometimes imitates art.

In the days after the discovery of ‘Oumuamua, the first (real) interstellar object ever known to pass through our solar system, astronomers worldwide went on the astronomical equivalent of "Red Alert" and pointed their biggest guns at the unexpected interloper. "We dropped everything," explains Laura Ferrarese, who coordinated observations by the Gemini South observatory in Chile.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astro...stellar-cigar/

Mike in Denver · November 21st, 2017

Just to add some info about the image...

"Artist's concept of interstellar asteroid 1I/2017 U1 ('Oumuamua)"

What you see here is a drawing (computer generated by the artist, likely,) not a photo. I'm not suggesting that this asteroid is not interesting, but the drawing looks a bit too much like an ancient spaceship (at least SF version of.)

The article linked to above was honest and my quote was a copy from the site. Many other sites, however, are not adding the artist's concept notice.

To be sure, I wish it were so...an ancient spaceship using our solar system as a means of direction change and acceleration. How much fun would that be?

Mike

Ray Allan · November 21st, 2017

Hard to pronounce that name, 'Oumuamua.' I'll just stick with its original designation, A/2017 U1. Maybe they should have called it 'Rama' as in Clarke's novel. What about 'Yonada' after the asteroid/spaceship in the Star Trek episode 'For The World Is Hollow and I Have Touched The Sky?'

Perhaps someday we can catch up to it with a space probe and see what the heck it really is.

Ray Allan · December 4th, 2017

Quote:

Perhaps someday we can catch up to it with a space probe and see what the heck it really is.

They are already talking about it.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...llar-asteroid/

Ray Allan · December 14th, 2017

Is Oumuamua Artificial? 1I/2017 U1 Update for 12/12/17

Donncha Dennis · December 21st, 2017

It turned out to be just another floating rock.

November 21st, 2017	#1
alex revision Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 27,577	Meet ‘Oumuamua, the Interstellar Cigar Meet ‘Oumuamua, the Interstellar Cigar In Arthur C. Clarke's 1973 science-fiction novel Rendezvous with Rama, Earthlings discover and then investigate an interstellar "asteroid" that turns out to be a huge alien spaceship shaped like a long cylinder. Life, it seems, sometimes imitates art. In the days after the discovery of ‘Oumuamua, the first (real) interstellar object ever known to pass through our solar system, astronomers worldwide went on the astronomical equivalent of "Red Alert" and pointed their biggest guns at the unexpected interloper. "We dropped everything," explains Laura Ferrarese, who coordinated observations by the Gemini South observatory in Chile. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astro...stellar-cigar/ __________________ Professor Robert FAURISSON:(January 25, 1929 — october 21, 2018) Vincent REYNOUARD : Le Blogue Sans Concession

November 21st, 2017	#2
Mike in Denver Enkidu Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Under the Panopticon. Posts: 4,297	Just to add some info about the image... "Artist's concept of interstellar asteroid 1I/2017 U1 ('Oumuamua)" What you see here is a drawing (computer generated by the artist, likely,) not a photo. I'm not suggesting that this asteroid is not interesting, but the drawing looks a bit too much like an ancient spaceship (at least SF version of.) The article linked to above was honest and my quote was a copy from the site. Many other sites, however, are not adding the artist's concept notice. To be sure, I wish it were so...an ancient spaceship using our solar system as a means of direction change and acceleration. How much fun would that be? Mike __________________ Hunter S. Thompson, "Big dark, coming soon"

November 21st, 2017	#3
Ray Allan Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 15,248	Hard to pronounce that name, 'Oumuamua.' I'll just stick with its original designation, A/2017 U1. Maybe they should have called it 'Rama' as in Clarke's novel. What about 'Yonada' after the asteroid/spaceship in the Star Trek episode 'For The World Is Hollow and I Have Touched The Sky?' Perhaps someday we can catch up to it with a space probe and see what the heck it really is. __________________ *"Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy."* --Henry A. Kissinger, jewish politician and advisor

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December 21st, 2017	#6
Donncha Dennis Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 363	It turned out to be just another floating rock.