Oumuamua may be an alien lightsail?

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In summary, the conversation discussed the possibility of 'Oumuamua, the first interstellar object observed in our Solar system, being a thin film or lightsail propelled by solar radiation pressure. This theory was proposed in a paper by Baily and Loeb from Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The conversation also mentioned the challenges of detecting gas from such an object and the difficulty in determining its purpose or destination. It was also noted that there are probably many similar objects passing through our Solar system that go unnoticed and unrecorded. Finally, the conversation questioned the feasibility of sending a probe to intercept 'Oumuamua and whether radar imaging could provide a better understanding of its composition.
  • #71
I can't help but be reminded of Charles Schulz's masterpiece, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."



"I got a rock."
 
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  • #72
russ_watters said:
I can't fathom why we would want to spend the better part of a century on the most expensive project ever undertaken in order to turn a "probably not" into a "no".

Because this is the first time we have encountered something with any chance at all of being an alien artifact. Even if the chance is 1% it is shortsighted and irresponsible to just ignore it because the most boring hypothesis is usually the correct one. It really could be something artificial and we should not ignore that possibility just because it seems too interesting to possibly be true.

I admit that it could have been far more compelling and if it had been I probably wouldn't have to make such arguments. If it had accelerated away at 10 Gs for instance or dropped smaller objects along the way that were big enough for us to see I would at least like to think that our species would be making preparations to build a space station and finally start building proper nuclear space drives to chase after it.

Of course if it did accelerate away like that we would never be able to catch it even with fission fragment drive tech, but presumably we wouldn't be having any debate about the object's artificiality, and I would again hope that we as a species could finally get serious about real space exploration.

Yes this object was a lot less interesting than it could have been, but it is still by far the most interesting space object we have ever seen and it is very close to us and moving away at a snail's pace for any civ with any kind of decent space drive. So yes we should be doing everything we can to chase it down and discover what it actually is. I have never seen life imitate science fiction before, and I did not think I would live to see it, but for once something at least mildly interesting actually happened and we are just shrugging and saying ah well...nothing we can do...guess we'll never know.

The working scientists who are afraid for their jobs are particularly disappointing. If we cannot count on them to react reasonably and rationally when something interesting and exciting happens than who can we count on? Yes they are pretending to be rational/reasonable, but really they are just being unreasonably skeptical in a way that is entirely unsupported by the limited evidence. It is just as unscientific to rule something out without evidence as to rule something in.

Oumuamua does not present as any natural object we have seen before. It's not a comet. It may be an asteroid but if it is one it is a very strange one unlike any asteroid we have ever seen and that acceleration would have to be explained even if it wasn't 10 Gs. Maybe it is artificial. Maybe it isn't. If it is artificial chasing it down would be the greatest discovery our civilization has ever made. If it isn't artificial it would still be one of the most interesting natural objects we have ever seen.

You guys are just dismissing it like it's a joke, but if it starts shooting pulsed streams of neutrinos in our direction what will you say then? Maybe it is a ship and their civilization hadn't been by here for a hundred thousand years or so and hadn't realized that our planet now has 10 meter optical telescopes and 500 meter radio telescopes to point at them and so underestimated our ability to detect them. Maybe when they realized their mistake they did that random looking rotation thing to try to throw us off.
 
  • #73
metiman said:
Because this is the first time we have encountered something with any chance at all of being an alien artifact.
That is absolutely not true as a quick google will tell you! [Google with caution!]
Yes they are pretending to be rational/reasonable, but really they are just being unreasonably skeptical in a way that is entirely unsupported by the limited evidence. It is just as unscientific to rule something out without evidence as to rule something in.
The implication that alien origin is being ruled out by scientists is also not true. It was Harvard(!) researchers who broached the possibility in their paper!

It is a common crackpot claim that scientists are not open minded, but please don't fall into that trap. The work of research scientists is little else but exploring new ideas. It's the reason the pursuit of science exists!
You guys are just dismissing it like it's a joke, but if it starts shooting pulsed streams of neutrinos in our direction what will you say then?
Changing things changes things.

Since the discussion has devolved into attacks on science and imaginary scenarios to justify real action (blurring the line between fantasy and reality), I think it has run its course and is time for a lock.
 
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<h2>1. What is "Oumuamua" and why is it being studied?</h2><p>"Oumuamua is the name given to the first interstellar object ever detected in our solar system. It was first observed in 2017 and has been the subject of much scientific interest due to its unusual shape and origin from outside our solar system. Scientists are studying it to learn more about the objects that exist beyond our solar system and potentially gain insight into the formation of other planetary systems."</p><h2>2. What evidence suggests that "Oumuamua" may be an alien lightsail?</h2><p>"The main evidence that suggests "Oumuamua" may be an alien lightsail is its unusual shape and behavior. It is long and narrow, similar to the shape of a lightsail, and it is also accelerating as it travels through our solar system, which is not typical for natural objects. Additionally, it does not have a comet-like tail or show any signs of outgassing, which would be expected for a comet or asteroid."</p><h2>3. What other explanations have been proposed for "Oumuamua" besides it being an alien lightsail?</h2><p>"Some scientists have proposed that "Oumuamua" could be a natural object, such as a comet or asteroid, that has an unusual shape and behavior. Others have suggested it could be a fragment of a larger object that was broken apart during a collision. However, these explanations do not fully account for all of the observed characteristics of "Oumuamua."</p><h2>4. How likely is it that "Oumuamua" is actually an alien lightsail?</h2><p>"At this point, it is impossible to determine the likelihood of "Oumuamua" being an alien lightsail. While the evidence is intriguing, it is still inconclusive and more research is needed. It is important to consider all possible explanations and continue studying "Oumuamua" to gather more data and hopefully gain a better understanding of its true nature."</p><h2>5. What would be the implications if "Oumuamua" is confirmed to be an alien lightsail?</h2><p>"If "Oumuamua" is confirmed to be an alien lightsail, it would be a groundbreaking discovery and could potentially change our understanding of the universe. It would provide evidence of intelligent life beyond our solar system and open up new possibilities for interstellar travel and communication. It would also raise important questions about the origins and diversity of life in the universe."</p>

1. What is "Oumuamua" and why is it being studied?

"Oumuamua is the name given to the first interstellar object ever detected in our solar system. It was first observed in 2017 and has been the subject of much scientific interest due to its unusual shape and origin from outside our solar system. Scientists are studying it to learn more about the objects that exist beyond our solar system and potentially gain insight into the formation of other planetary systems."

2. What evidence suggests that "Oumuamua" may be an alien lightsail?

"The main evidence that suggests "Oumuamua" may be an alien lightsail is its unusual shape and behavior. It is long and narrow, similar to the shape of a lightsail, and it is also accelerating as it travels through our solar system, which is not typical for natural objects. Additionally, it does not have a comet-like tail or show any signs of outgassing, which would be expected for a comet or asteroid."

3. What other explanations have been proposed for "Oumuamua" besides it being an alien lightsail?

"Some scientists have proposed that "Oumuamua" could be a natural object, such as a comet or asteroid, that has an unusual shape and behavior. Others have suggested it could be a fragment of a larger object that was broken apart during a collision. However, these explanations do not fully account for all of the observed characteristics of "Oumuamua."

4. How likely is it that "Oumuamua" is actually an alien lightsail?

"At this point, it is impossible to determine the likelihood of "Oumuamua" being an alien lightsail. While the evidence is intriguing, it is still inconclusive and more research is needed. It is important to consider all possible explanations and continue studying "Oumuamua" to gather more data and hopefully gain a better understanding of its true nature."

5. What would be the implications if "Oumuamua" is confirmed to be an alien lightsail?

"If "Oumuamua" is confirmed to be an alien lightsail, it would be a groundbreaking discovery and could potentially change our understanding of the universe. It would provide evidence of intelligent life beyond our solar system and open up new possibilities for interstellar travel and communication. It would also raise important questions about the origins and diversity of life in the universe."

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