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."
It's more likely than you think.
Anyone else find it 'convenient' that they discover 'something' right around the time of their 'final' service?
/tinfoil hat
Now, that will benefit mankind (and womankind, too).
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....
I don't see the sense in deep space research unless we are actually planning to colonize space.