Outer space thread

[neoplacebo]

This whole thing would have been better if the thing had some undecipherable writing and symbols on it with a depiction of two obviously dissimilar asexual beings among a setting of space flowers. trump would call this a hoax.

[billy.pilgrim]

Well - that didn't take long.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55071058

Of course.

Blink and it's gone


"The monolith, a 12-foot tall vertical, metal prism, has disappeared from the red rocks of the southeastern desert late Friday evening, according to Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Kimberly Finch. In its place remains a pile of rocks and a smaller pyramid made from, what appears to be, the same material."


https://www.ksl.com/article/50057437/mo ... -its-place

[Vrede too]

Blink and it's gone

[Vrede too]

This whole thing would have been better if the thing had some undecipherable writing and symbols on it with a depiction of two obviously dissimilar asexual beings among a setting of space flowers....

From your lips . . .


https://www.yahoo.com/news/utah-monolit ... 14041.html

No word on whether Romanian monkeys are beating the shit out of other monkeys with sticks.

Meanwhile, on the moon:

[Vrede too]

One could make a case for it being cool enough to leave in place, but I'll bet that the feds and treehugger purists won't want to set a precedent.

Nttawwt.

Hiker recounts seeing mysterious monolith removed from Utah desert site

... Around 8:30 p.m. Friday, while Newlands and his friends were hanging out in front of the structure, he said a group of four men came to the monolith and took it down.

"We were shell shocked. We were like, 'Holy smokes,'" Newlands told ABC News. "It was like watching an Internet meme die in real life."

... Newlands said he heard the group call the monolith "litter," and he said he believes it shouldn't have been put in the desert in the first place.

"If people are going to this, get permission, be respectful," he said.

The BLM said the attention generated by the monolith resulted in trash problems for the desert as visitors left human waste and other garbage in the area near the monolith's location.

Not that I necessarily believe their supposed motivation, or that they were even human.

... Officials nearly 6,000 miles away in northeastern Romania were also scratching their heads over a similar monolith that was discovered Nov. 26. Just like the object in Utah, the approximately 10-foot mysterious beam disappeared from its spot in the city of Piatra Neamt on Tuesday, according to city officials....

The city's mayor, Andrei Carabelea, offered some humorous hypotheses behind the structure in a Facebook post.

"My guess is that some alien, cheeky and terrible teenagers left home with their parents UFO and started planting metal monoliths around the world. First in Utah and then at Piatra Neamt. I am honored that they chose our city," he wrote.

Now, about that one on the moon and the huge one out by Jupiter . . .

This ain't over.

World-Renowned Arecibo Radio Telescope Set To Be Dismantled

The world-renowned radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in northern Puerto Rico, now on the brink of collapse, is set to be withdrawn from service, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced today....

I've been there, way cool.

Too late.
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/01/94076700 ... s-research


The Arecibo Observatory's mammoth telescope collapsed overnight. It's seen here in November, after a cable damaged its dish.


The Arecibo Observatory collapsed when its 900-ton receiver platform fell hundreds of feet, smashing through the radio dish below.

Coincidence with the monoliths? I don't think so. The attack is coming - 2020.

[Vrede too]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/meet-outdoor ... 49099.html

rossbernards

If you’re interested in what exactly happened to the monolith keep reading because I was literally there. On Friday, 3 friends and myself drove the 6 hours down to the middle of nowhere in Utah and got to the “trailhead” around 7 PM after passing a sea of cars on our way in.

We passed one group as we hiked towards the mysterious monolith, while another group was there when we arrived, and they left pretty quick after we got there. For the next hour and 40 minutes we had the place to ourselves.

I had just finished taking some photos of the monolith under the moonlight and was taking a break, thinking about settings I needed to change for my last battery of drone flight when we heard some voices coming up the canyon. We were contemplating packing up our things as they walked up, so they could enjoy it for themselves like we did. At this point I looked down at my watch and it was 8:40 PM.

4 guys rounded the corner and 2 of them walked forward. They gave a couple of pushes on the monolith and one of them said “You better have got your pictures.” He then gave it a big push, and it went over, leaning to one side. He yelled back to his other friends that they didn’t need the tools. The other guy with him at the monolith then said “this is why you don’t leave trash in the desert.” Then all four of them came up and pushed it almost to the ground on one side, before they decided push it back the other when it then popped out and landed on the ground with a loud bang. They quickly broke it apart and as they were carrying to the wheelbarrow that they had brought one of them looked back at us all and said “Leave no trace.” That was at 8:48.

If you’re asking why we didn’t stop them well, they were right to take it out. We stayed the night and the next day hiked to a hill top overlooking the area where we saw at least 70 different cars (and a plane) in and out. Cars parking everywhere in the delicate desert landscape. Nobody following a path or each other. We could literally see people trying to approach it from every direction to try and reach it, permanently altering the untouched landscape. Mother Nature is an artist, it’s best to leave the art in the wild to her.

sylvanslacks

We removed the Utah Monolith because there are clear precedents for how we share and standardize the use of our public lands, natural wildlife, native plants, fresh water sources, and human impacts upon them. The mystery was the infatuation and we want to use this time to unite people behind the real issues here— we are losing our public lands— things like this don’t help.

Let’s be clear: The dismantling of the Utah Monolith is tragic— and if you think we’re proud— we’re not. We’re disappointed. Furthermore, we were too late. We want to make clear that we support art and artists, but legality and ethics have defined standards-- especially here in the desert— and absolutely so in adventuring. The ethical failures of the artist for the 24” equilateral gouge in the sandstone from the erecting of the Utah Monolith, was not even close to the damage caused by the internet sensationalism and subsequent reaction from the world.

This land wasn’t physically prepared for the population shift (especially during a pandemic).

People arrived by car, by bus, by van, helicopter, planes, trains, motorcycles and E-bikes and there isn’t even a parking lot. There aren’t bathrooms— and yes, pooping in the desert is a misdemeanor. There was a lot of that. There are no marked trails, no trash cans, and its not a user group area. There are no designated camp sites. Each and every user on public land is supposed to be aware of the importance and relevance of this information and the laws associated with them. Because if you did, anyone going out there and filming the monolith and monetizing it without properly permitting the use of the land— would know that’s an offense too.

#utahmonolith #leavenotrace

[Vrede too]

It only looks like a monolith. Honest.

NASA: Mystery object is 54-year-old rocket, not asteroid

California:

Well I, for one, welcome our monolithic overlords.

Count all LEGAL alien monoliths!

One was also discovered in Russia, I think.

In Russia, monolith discovers you.

We have many monolith.

[Vrede too]

Caught On Camera Moment Radio Telescope Collapses

Nor shown: Initial phaser strike.

[billy.pilgrim]

"the group of young men drive from southern California to tear down the structure. Under cover of darkness, they hike up to the structure and tear it down while chanting “Christ is king!”. They then erect a homemade wooden cross in its place and drag the remains of the monolith down the mountain to their car.

During the video, the men also make offensive comments and drink substantial quantities of energy drinks, while also referencing Donald Trump and the QAnon conspiracy theory and their mission is to demonstrate “how much we love Jesus Christ”."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... a-mountain

"Visitor, we advise you to consume mass quantities."

[Vrede too]

"the group of young men drive from southern California to tear down the structure. Under cover of darkness, they hike up to the structure and tear it down while chanting “Christ is king!”. They then erect a homemade wooden cross in its place and drag the remains of the monolith down the mountain to their car.

During the video, the men also make offensive comments and drink substantial quantities of energy drinks, while also referencing Donald Trump and the QAnon conspiracy theory and their mission is to demonstrate “how much we love Jesus Christ”."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... a-mountain

"Visitor, we advise you to consume mass quantities."

I would rather take my chances with aliens.

... The vandalism angered local officials.

“We are upset that these young men felt the need to drive five hours to come into our community and vandalize the monolith,” Atascadero’s mayor, Heather Moreno, said in a news release. “The monolith was something unique and fun in an otherwise stressful time.”

The cross did not make it until mid-morning.

[billy.pilgrim]

I'm not sure if this is getting tiresome or funnier.

https://www.insider.com/the-netherlands ... ve-2020-12

[Vrede too]

I'm not sure if this is getting tiresome or funnier.

https://www.insider.com/the-netherlands ... ve-2020-12

Artists group takes credit for mysterious Utah monolith (and others)


“ANOTHER Monolith outside of Joshua Tree. That makes 4. What does it mean?”

Life-Size Replica Of Utah's Monolith On Display As (West Valley City, UT) Christmas Decor



https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/16758 ... olith-meme



Maybe tiresome.

[billy.pilgrim]

I dunno, these animals seem fascinated.

https://www.upworthy.com/mom-creative-p ... hters-sock

[Vrede too]

I dunno, these animals seem fascinated.

https://www.upworthy.com/mom-creative-p ... hters-sock

I couldn't even spot the dirty sock in the final pic.

[Vrede too]

The truth is here!

Former Israeli space security chief says extraterrestrials exist, and Trump knows about it

Twitter accounts:

Galactic Federation Official
@GalacticFeder10

I am the official representative of the Galactic Federation. Since our existence has been revealed, I am personally screening those wishing to join us. Welcome!

#Aliens

they are already amongst us.

Is it weird that it would be more comforting if he was an alien? Idk. It's 2020 and I am tired.

[O Really]

Aliens visit San Diego.
We've got our own monolith, although some have pointed out that seeing it in the middle of a shopping center isn't quite the same as the middle of a desert.

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/ ... o/2465747/

[Vrede too]

Aliens visit San Diego.
We've got our own monolith, although some have pointed out that seeing it in the middle of a shopping center isn't quite the same as the middle of a desert.

Just when you thought the invasion had ended:

[billy.pilgrim]

Scott made it

https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/star-t ... 22083.html

[GoCubsGo]

Nice!

[Vrede too]

Nice!

We're on the path towards:

Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk
Riverside, Iowa

Steve Miller, a Riverside councilman, knew this before anyone else. Steve was a Trekkie, and he read in Gene Roddenberry's book, Making of Star Trek (1968) that Kirk would be born in a small town in Iowa. The book didn't name the town. Miller thought, "Why not Riverside?" At the next council meeting (March 25, 1985) Miller proposed that Riverside declare itself the Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk. The motion passed unanimously.

Riverside quickly altered its town slogan from "Where the best begins" to "Where the Trek begins," and changed its annual summer festival from River Fest to Trek Fest. Miller jabbed a stick into the ground behind the town barber shop (he owned the property) and declared that it was the future birth spot. An engraved monument was eventually placed on the spot for present (and future) fans. Later, a bench was added for contemplation along with a Shuttlecraft-shaped donation box for upkeep....


Ground Zero Kirk. A bench offers relief to those whose knees go weak.

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/51558

... Murphy's Bar and Grill decided to get into the act. If Kirk was born in Riverside, he must have been conceived there as well, and what more fitting place for bad boy Kirk than in the local bar? A plaque was engraved, then mounted on the floor under the pool table, proclaiming that Kirk was "Conceived at This Point" exactly nine months before the date on his birthplace monument down the street.



... every year, on the Friday night closest to the March 22 birth date, Trek fans gather at the bar to drink "Romulan ale" -- blue schnapps, pineapple juice, and Sprite -- and then call William Shatner at home to sing Happy Birthday. "One time somebody did answer," said Wanda Blakley at the town's Star Trek museum. "Usually we just get a machine."

Star Trek Voyage Home Museum


Space dock: Shuttlecraft and USS Riverside in the Museum parking lot.

... Standing in the museum is a life-size statue of a guy in a Starfleet uniform, carved from a tree. Is that Captain Kirk? "It's supposed to be," said Wanda Blakley, one of the museum volunteers. "Although people say it looks more like Han Solo."

On a pedestal next to the statue sits what we thought was a jet engine, but Wendee said it was in fact a titanium time capsule created by Sean Christopher Paris, a self-described "galactic artist," in 1990. "It's so pretty, we didn't have the heart to bury it," said Wendee. That's why it's in the museum and not beneath the Kirk birthplace monument, which is where the artist had wanted it. "It's supposed to be opened on the day Kirk is born."


Captain's Chair, with the seat up, in the Museum bathroom.


Wooden Kirk stands next to Kirk time capsule that was too pretty to bury.

... Riverside has a population of around 900. None of them is named Kirk, but Wendee and Wanda don't think that's a problem. "We have over 200 years," said Wanda. "We'll find one."

I would stop just to take a dump on the USS Enterprise bridge.

While I was typing this an ad came on for:

The UnXplained

The UnXplained is a non-fiction series on the History channel that looks at subjects that have mystified mankind for centuries. The show is hosted and executive produced by William Shatner.