Hubble Finds a Mystery Object (something that astronomers cannot make any sense of)

Sky And Telescope ^ | 9/11/08

[LibWhacker]

Now you don't see it, now you do. Something in Bootes truly in the middle of nowhere — apparently not even in a galaxy — brightened by at least 120 times during more than three months and then faded away. Its spectrum was like nothing ever seen, write the discoverers, with "five broad absorption bands between 4100 and 6500 Angstroms and a mostly featureless continuum longward of 6500 Angstroms." Even the cause of the spectral features is unknown.

[swain_forkbeard]

Maybe a rip in the fabric of space. Is Spock sporting a beard these days?

[TheWasteLand]

Cool! Thanks for the link.

[spokeshave]

Cool...maybe someone on a distant world fired up one of those haldron super-collider thingies....

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

It was the Moties firing their Crazy Eddie retro rockets!

[advertising guy]

ping for later

[Army Air Corps]

Ping!

[goldstategop]

Probably a new type of supernova. That would make for a very massive star that exploded and we saw its light only for a brief while before it faded. That happened 11 billion years ago and we just saw it. The earth and our solar system did not then exist.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[thecabal]

That’s awesome! Man that brings back some memories. I really enjoyed that book as a kid.

[A.Hun]

It continued brightening for about 100 days and peaked at 21st magnitude in two near-infrared colors. It then faded away over a similar timescale, until nothing was left in view down to 26th magnitude. The object brightened and faded by a factor of at least 120, maybe more.

Barack's star no doubt.....

[Question Liberal Authority]

brightened by at least 120 times during more than three months and then faded away.

Barack Obama's star power?

[Buck W.]

“Maybe a rip in the fabric of space. Is Spock sporting a beard these days?”

Extremely obscure South Park reference noted.

[Perdogg]

Maybe a planet with Amazon women?

[neodad]

Bravo for the obscure reference to one of the greatest scifi books ever!

[mnehring]

Just an old alien cursing along with her left turn signals left on..

[cripplecreek]

Its spectrum was like nothing ever seen, write the discoverers, with "five broad absorption bands between 4100 and 6500 Angstroms and a mostly featureless continuum longward of 6500 Angstroms."

[kabar]

LOL. Now he is just a dim bulb in the firmament.

[Sir_Ed]

I loved those two books!

Ed

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Zowie....this could get to be an interesting thread.

[theDentist]

In celebration of George Takei’s wedding?