Outer space thread

[O Really]

We would get it in the middle of the night, except that we've got overclouding all night. Oh well.

[Vrede too]

NASA:

... For North America the action will start in the early hours of the morning on Nov. 8. The partial eclipse will begin at 3:09 a.m. CST, with totality beginning at 4:16 a.m. and ending at 5:42 a.m. Then, the partial phase will resume, lasting until 6:49 a.m. Those in the eastern part of the United States will miss most or all of the last partial phase because the Moon will set during totality or shortly after totality ends....

More info at the link.

We would get it in the middle of the night, except that we've got overclouding all night. Oh well.

Partly Cloudy here . . . if I get up.

[billy.pilgrim]

https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/ ... ms-orlando

Has this been a secret, or am I just way far out of the current events loop?

I didn't even know that we have Space Plane much less one on it's 6th mission and has been up for 3 years on its most recent.

[Vrede too]

https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/ ... ms-orlando

Has this been a secret, or am I just way far out of the current events loop?

I didn't even know that we have Space Plane much less one on it's 6th mission and has been up for 3 years on its most recent.

... The rest of the spacecraft's mission was top secret....

Placing and servicing illegal space weapons?

[billy.pilgrim]

https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/ ... ms-orlando

Has this been a secret, or am I just way far out of the current events loop?

I didn't even know that we have Space Plane much less one on it's 6th mission and has been up for 3 years on its most recent.

... The rest of the spacecraft's mission was top secret....

Placing and servicing illegal space weapons?

Did you know that we have a Space Plane that can stay airborne indefinitely (I guess). The article has this one unexpectedly landing at 900 days.

[Vrede too]

Did you know that we have a Space Plane that can stay airborne indefinitely (I guess). The article has this one unexpectedly landing at 900 days.

I think I sort of knew, but a 900 day mission is a surprise.

[Vrede too]

NASA Scientists Present Theory About Why We Haven't Met Other Intelligent Life. It's Crushing.
E.T., phone Earth ... if you can.

... The “Great Filter” theory — as in “filtering out” various forms of life — argues that other civilizations, possibly several, have existed during the life of the universe. But they all destroyed themselves before they could make contact with Earth, noted the paper, “Avoiding the ‘Great Filter’: Extraterrestrial Life and Humanity’s Future in the Universe.”

The scientists fear that all intelligent life, such as humans, have deeply ingrained dysfunctions that may “snowball quickly into the Great Filter,” they wrote....

Whatever seems likely to wipe out humans would conceivably also threaten intelligent life on other planets, the authors argue. The likely culprits — which could be impacted by humans or other intelligent life forms — include nuclear war, pandemic, climate change, and uncontrolled artificial intelligence, the authors note.

The trick, the biggest challenge of all, will be to work together to survive, the researchers said.

“History has shown that intraspecies competition and, more importantly, collaboration, has led us towards the highest peaks of invention. And yet, we prolong notions that seem to be the antithesis of long-term sustainable growth: Racism, genocide, inequity, sabotage,” the writers warn.

My money is on self-destruction rather than working together to survive. Exhibit A: RepuQs.

E.T., Phone Hell? Creationist Ken Ham Says Jesus Can't Save Space Aliens
The Noah's Ark guy is being rude to extraterrestrials ... again.

Creationist Ken Ham, who built a giant Noah’s Ark-themed attraction in Kentucky, said he doesn’t think there’s life outside of Earth.

And if such life existed, they shouldn’t expect any form of salvation from Jesus Christ.

“Jesus came to save us, not to another planet to save another race of beings,” Ham wrote on Twitter, adding that it’s clear “salvation through Christ is only for the Adamic race,” aka human earthlings.

On the bright side, however, Ham said they won’t need redemption anyway ... since they don’t exist. The Bible, according to his strict interpretation, says only Earth was made to be inhabited, “and the other celestial bodies were created for signs, seasons, days, and years,” he tweeted.

... Not all Christians agree with Ham.

Pope Francis, for example, has said that he would baptize Martians if they came to Earth and asked.

“Who are we to close the door?” he said in 2014.

In 2008, Jesuit Father José Funes ― who, at the time, was the director of the Vatican Observatory ― said space aliens would not be inconsistent with the Bible.

“This is not in contrast with the faith, because we cannot place limits on the creative freedom of God,” he told the Catholic Review. “To use St. Francis’ words, if we consider earthly creatures as ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters,’ why can’t we also speak of an ‘extraterrestrial brother’?”

Funes added that such aliens may not even need redemption from Jesus, who may have come to Earth only because humans are the “lost sheep” of creation.

“God became man in Jesus in order to save us. So if there are also other intelligent beings, it’s not a given that they need redemption,” Funes said. “They might have remained in full friendship with their creator.”

The late evangelist Billy Graham also felt similarly.

“I firmly believe there are intelligent beings like us far away in space who worship God,” he once said, adding that there’s no need to fear such beings since they’re also part of creation....

Nicer, but no less .

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Biggest Donor Believes Aliens Are Among Us
Robert Bigelow donated $10 million to the Florida governor on July 7.


Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received his biggest-ever donation from a man who has a feeling aliens are “right under people’s noses.”

Robert Bigelow, a Las Vegas space entrepreneur and founder of Budget Suites of America, donated $10 million to the Republican governor on July 7, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

The donation marked the biggest individual contribution to DeSantis, who is running for reelection in November.

DeSantis has garnered monetary support from at least 42 billionaires and billionaire relatives who have a combined net worth of $275 billion, according to the newspaper.

The top DeSantis donor’s interest in extraterrestrial life is no secret....

So what? Put them on a plane to Martha's Vineyard.

[GoCubsGo]

Got caught up in this.

[Vrede too]

Got caught up in this.

Cool. I figured that Lucy would pull the football away again.

[GoCubsGo]

About 12:30 EDT.

[Vrede too]

Stay Up to Watch the Rare Green Comet Shooting Across Tonight's Sky—It Was Last Seen 50,000 Years Ago

... Those in the Northern Hemisphere should direct their telescopes towards the northeastern horizon before midnight, around 11:18 p.m. ET, reports People. If you don't have stargazing equipment handy, you can tune into the Virtual Telescope Project's livestream; the broadcast will begin at 11 p.m. ET.

... tonight isn't your only chance to see the comet—it will get closer to Earth throughout the rest of January and into early February. On January 26 and 27, it will be in the eastern region, close to the Little Dipper. By the evening of February 1, C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be in its closest proximity to Earth as it moves through the boundaries of the Camelopardalis constellation.

[Vrede too]

viewtopic.php?p=179262#p179262

Rep. Tim Burchett Accuses 'Redneck' GOP Colleague of Drinking After House Floor Fight
“People shouldn’t be drinking, especially when you’re a redneck, on the House floor,” Burchett (R-TN) said of Mike Rogers (R-AL), who lunged at Matt Gaetz.

He's back in the news already.

'Huge Cover-Up': GOP Lawmaker Says Feds Must 'Release Everything' On UFOs

... “And I just feel like America is ready, we need to know, and to stop with all the shenanigans.”

Oooh, I hate shenanigans.

Burchett, who also said there’s a reference to a UFO in the Bible,

Of course there is.

said recent UFO footage shows the objects making the kinds of maneuvers that no human could withstand.

“If you were human and make the turns that have been seen in some of this footage, you would literally turn into a ketchup package,” he said. “I mean, you would be gone.”

"ketchup package" is a pretty good metaphor, though I think he meant 'packet'.

... Burchett said the government has been covering up UFO encounters since the Roswell incident of 1947.

“I don’t trust government. There’s an arrogance about it,” he said.

Umm, he IS the US government, and has been for 4 years.

“I think the American public can handle it and they need to release everything.”

That, he said, includes potential UFO spacecraft or material from a spacecraft.

He should go to Area 51 and fix that for us.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN2) is from Knoxville, not neoplacebo's district, but close.

[neoplacebo]

I've been telling you guys that there's a lot of wingnuts in TN Republican politics. But I do hope Tim, Diana, Marsha, and anyone else who wants to go be given access to one of those UFO's, that they all be given seats on it, and it then takes off never to be seen or heard from again.

[Vrede too]

I've been telling you guys that there's a lot of wingnuts in TN Republican politics. But I do hope Tim, Diana, Marsha, and anyone else who wants to go be given access to one of those UFO's, that they all be given seats on it, and it then takes off never to be seen or heard from again.

Tonight:

Asteroid coming exceedingly close to Earth, but will miss


This diagram made available by NASA shows the estimated trajectory of asteroid 2023 BU, in red, affected by the earth's gravity, and the orbit of geosynchronous satellites, in green. On Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, NASA revealed that this newly discovered asteroid, about the size of a truck, will zoom 2,200 miles above the southern tip of South America Thursday evening. Scientists say there is no risk of an impact....

By comparison, I am about 6,000 miles from the southern tip of South America.

... The closest approach will occur at 7:27 p.m. EST ...

“In fact, this is one of the closest approaches by a known near-Earth object ever recorded.”

Discovered Saturday, the asteroid known as 2023 BU is believed to be between 11 feet (3.5 meters) and 28 feet (8.5 meters) feet across.

Great, 5 whole days warning.

... The asteroid's path drastically will be altered by Earth's gravity once it zips by. Instead of circling the sun every 359 days, it will move into an oval orbit lasting 425 days, according to NASA.

Yay, we did that.

"Scientists say there is no risk of an impact."
Oh no! The sportscasters' jinx!

I was really hoping this would be it, and I wouldnt have to go to work Friday.

[Vrede too]

He's back in the news already.

'Huge Cover-Up': GOP Lawmaker Says Feds Must 'Release Everything' On UFOs

... “And I just feel like America is ready, we need to know, and to stop with all the shenanigans.”

Oooh, I hate shenanigans.

Burchett, who also said there’s a reference to a UFO in the Bible,

Of course there is.

said recent UFO footage shows the objects making the kinds of maneuvers that no human could withstand.

“If you were human and make the turns that have been seen in some of this footage, you would literally turn into a ketchup package,” he said. “I mean, you would be gone.”

"ketchup package" is a pretty good metaphor, though I think he meant 'packet'.

... Burchett said the government has been covering up UFO encounters since the Roswell incident of 1947.

“I don’t trust government. There’s an arrogance about it,” he said.

Umm, he IS the US government, and has been for 4 years.

“I think the American public can handle it and they need to release everything.”

That, he said, includes potential UFO spacecraft or material from a spacecraft.

He should go to Area 51 and fix that for us.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN2) is from Knoxville, not neoplacebo's district, but close.

I've been telling you guys that there's a lot of wingnuts in TN Republican politics. But I do hope Tim, Diana, Marsha, and anyone else who wants to go be given access to one of those UFO's, that they all be given seats on it, and it then takes off never to be seen or heard from again.

Now we KNOW they're lying.

[O Really]

Ut oh. Now it's fershure it's little green men flying around looking for people to probe.

[GoCubsGo]

Ut oh. Now it's fershure it's little green men flying around looking for people to probe.

Ellioooooooooot

[neoplacebo]

It figures. Another TN wingnut. And I've said before that Marsha Blackburn could single handedly solve the immigration problem if she were to stand naked at places where lots of immigrants attempt to enter. Just the sight of her would likely make most of them run the other way. It would be sort of like Romney's self deportation plan in advance.

[Vrede too]

It figures. Another TN wingnut. And I've said before that Marsha Blackburn could single handedly solve the immigration problem if she were to stand naked at places where lots of immigrants attempt to enter. Just the sight of her would likely make most of them run the other way. It would be sort of like Romney's self deportation plan in advance.

Might work with other aliens, too.

CRT for UFOs: A Black studies syllabus for extraterrestrial colonizers
OPINION: President Biden reassured America that aliens were not idling in their balloon ships preparing to gentrify Earth. But if they were, here's some advice from people who are very familiar with colonizers.

COURSE TITLE: Introduction to Conquering and Ruling Terrestrials for Usurpers From Outer Space
COURSE DESIGNATION: CRT for UFOS 101



Prediction: This will zip right through the empty space between RWers ears or sail far far above their heads.

[neoplacebo]

It figures. Another TN wingnut. And I've said before that Marsha Blackburn could single handedly solve the immigration problem if she were to stand naked at places where lots of immigrants attempt to enter. Just the sight of her would likely make most of them run the other way. It would be sort of like Romney's self deportation plan in advance.

Might work with other aliens, too.

CRT for UFOs: A Black studies syllabus for extraterrestrial colonizers
OPINION: President Biden reassured America that aliens were not idling in their balloon ships preparing to gentrify Earth. But if they were, here's some advice from people who are very familiar with colonizers.

COURSE TITLE: Introduction to Conquering and Ruling Terrestrials for Usurpers From Outer Space
COURSE DESIGNATION: CRT for UFOS 101



Prediction: This will zip right through the empty space between RWers ears or sail far far above their heads.

I think it would be cool if aliens landed in some high tech shiny silent spaceship, got out of it, and asked to be presented with George Soros and Bill Gates. The right wing nutjobs would go crazy over it. They'd ask the aliens if they're sure they don't want to see trump and it would be the first time anyone on earth heard an alien laugh.