Hubble Space Telescop: What the Heck is That?

By Alex in Science & Tech on Sep 15, 2008 at 11:16 am

Here’s a reminder that we really don’t know much about the universe: the Hubble Space telescope found something that scientists couldn’t make any sense of.

The mystery object did not behave like any known kind of supernova. It is not even in any detectable galaxy. "The shape of the light curve is inconsistent with microlensing," say the researchers. They recorded three spectra of it — and its spectrum, they write, "in addition to being inconsistent with all known supernova types, is not matched to any spectrum in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database" of vast numbers of objects. "We suggest that the transient may be one of a new class."

So, what do you think it found? Link – via reddit

Neat stuff from the NeatoShop:

Johnny Cat
Sep 15th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
It’s a streetlight.
Lasse
Sep 15th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Alien scientists taking the piss on us by holding up a mirror.
Victor Fricke
Sep 15th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
It’s another planet in a galaxy far, far away that was destroyed by the Deathstar.
Tom
Sep 15th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Intergalactic dumping grounds?

It’s more likely than you think.
Paul in Boca
Sep 15th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Come on, it’s Sarah Palin showing chuck Norris that SHE owns the universe.
Dan0
Sep 15th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
dirt on the lens.
Shish
Sep 15th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
It was an alien civilization experimenting with a proton supercollider that converted their entire solar system into strange matter.
sw
Sep 15th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
WHO CARES?! how is this going to benefit mankind? spend those quadrillions on erradicating hunger here on earth!
anon
Sep 15th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I posted this comment in /. and I’ll post it here what they really discovered is more funding.

Anyone else find it ‘convenient’ that they discover ‘something’ right around the time of their ‘final’ service?

/tinfoil hat
ted
Sep 15th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Who cares about eradicating hunger here on earth? Spend those quadrillions on eradicating typos on Neatorama.
Now, that will benefit mankind (and womankind, too).
Geez
Sep 15th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
good! the more things they discover about the universe the better.

and to those complaining about the money they get….it’s a mere fraction of what the military gets and how exactly does the military benefit mankind? i’d rather give that money to science….
anon
Sep 15th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
@Geez – Actually I don’t like spending so much money on the military either. I would say that such funding is better spent on education (as in hire more teachers to make class sizes smaller), public healthcare, and energy research (solar, wind, and better transmission infrastructure). All pretty much in that order.

I don’t see the sense in deep space research unless we are actually planning to colonize space.
Retrokatze
Sep 15th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Cthulhu!!!
Neslock
Sep 15th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Very funny, Johnny Cat
Terry
Sep 15th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
There will be a piece of information somewhere that will most likely collapse our scientific categorisation system one day.
sigh
Sep 15th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
It’s a planet that once had an LHC. LOL.
nielo
Sep 15th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Did they find the missing “e” from the hubble telescop?
Johnny Cat
Sep 15th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
thankee sai Neslock!
Retrokatze
Sep 16th, 2008 at 5:46 am
Pigeon droppings?
ted
Sep 16th, 2008 at 9:47 am
No, nielo. Apparently, it’s still out there.

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