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The Origin of Oumuamua

Puppycow said:
Here's the automatically generated transcript of the first minute of narration:

I've highlighted the issues I had with the first minute of the video.
Alternatively, here's what it says in the video description:

The idea that the comet "should" have a massive tail simply isn't true. Compared to comets from our own solar system, those that develop "massive" tails are those that have perihelion distances that take them very close to the sun. They don't have massive tails when they are out in the Oort cloud, for example. This one is both moving faster and even at its closest approach, it is farther from the sun than earth's orbit. Besides, it does have a tail. Saying that there's "no tail" simply isn't true. The "Sunward jet" is explainable for the same reason. It's not close enough to the sun for the solar wind to have much effect on it. All the other stuff is just cherry-picking supposed "anomalies" that aren't really anomalies. The "Ecliptic-aligned trajectory" for example. ATLAS, the telescope that found it, does a survey that looks for asteroids specifically in the ecliptic plane, because those are the ones most likely to present a potential danger to earth.
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And if it was moving away from the sun, the massive tail would be streaming out in front of it. Away from the sun, and all that.
 
rjh01 said:
I looked at his other videos. When the titles includes "scientists cannot explain it" it tells me that the source is not very credible. Plus it is a new channel that talks only about the one subject. Conclusion: Get your information elesewhere.
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To me it looks like someone recently learned how to make videos with AI animation and decided to start a Youtube channel. Comet 3I/Atlas was a convenient news hook that a lot of people are interested in lately. It's not clear who is behind the channel or what their credentials are to speak as any kind of expert on the topic.

For science-based non-hype news about this comet, I like Frasier Cain's channel. These are two of his recent videos on the topic (but he also covers all sorts of other space news and has been doing so for many years):

Since embedding doesn't work now I'll just make it a straight link with the video description.

3I/ATLAS Special (Vol.3) | Q&A 369
This Q&A addresses viewer questions about 3I/ATLAS, exploring its cometary nature and data release issues. Fraser Cain examines the scientific consensus versus unsubstantiated claims and discusses observations from various telescopes and missions. The video also features a bonus question for Patreon subscribers.
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3I/ATLAS Turns BLUE // Crew Stranded in Space // Isaacman Is Back
Comet 3I/ATLAS unexpectedly shifts blue, prompting further observation. A Chinese crew faces a space debris delay, while Jared Isaacman's NASA administrator nomination resurfaces. This week's Space Bites+ explores the potential detection of Von Neumann probes within our solar system.
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Here's the latest headline from Wired:

The First Radio Signal From Comet 3I/Atlas Ends the Debate About Its Nature

First-rate clickbait. This exploits the difference between what a "radio signal" means to the layperson and what it means to astronomers. Further, there's no clue in the headline about which way it "ends the debate".

No, it's not sending out radio signals. What they actually mean is that it was examined with a radio telescope. Sorry to spoil the fun.
And what did it detect? "OH absorption was detected on the 1665 MHz and 1667 MHz lines," according to the researchers.
What MeerKAT specifically detected were lines of radio absorption by hydroxyl radicals, that is, OH molecules, a pattern that would be consistent with typical comet activity.
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And of course, the idea that this will "end the debate" is nonsense. Once people have made up their minds, evidence like this is unlikely to sway many of them. I'll concede the point if Loeb himself finally admits "I give up. It's just a comet." If he keeps saying that it might be a "trojan horse" mothership disguised as a comet it means that the "debate" hasn't actually ended. Any evidence we find that is "consistent with typical comet activity" hasn't stopped him from making these claims in the past.
 
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Puppycow said:
Here's the latest headline from Wired:

The First Radio Signal From Comet 3I/Atlas Ends the Debate About Its Nature

First-rate clickbait. This exploits the difference between what a "radio signal" means to the layperson and what it means to astronomers. Further, there's no clue in the headline about which way it "ends the debate".

No, it's not sending out radio signals. What they actually mean is that it was examined with a radio telescope. Sorry to spoil the fun.

And of course, the idea that this will "end the debate" nonsense. Once people have made up their minds, evidence like this is unlikely to sway many of them. I'll concede the point if Loeb himself finally admits "I give up. It's just a comet." If he keeps saying that it might be a "trojan horse" mothership disguised as a comet it means that the "debate" hasn't actually ended. Any evidence we find that is "consistent with typical comet activity" hasn't stopped him from making these claims in the past.
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I saw that one but decided it was so silly it was not worth posting. ;)
 
Try this article instead.

gizmodo.com

Radio Signal Crushes Alien Theory About Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

Sorry to burst your bubble.
gizmodo.com gizmodo.com

Radio Signal Crushes Alien Theory About Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS​

Ever since astronomers first detected interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in July, speculation about its true nature has run wild. Some experts speculate it isn’t a comet at all but rather an extraterrestrial spacecraft sent to sniff around our solar system.

New evidence has dumped cold water on this provocative hypothesis. MeerKAT, a radio telescope operated by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, recently detected a radio signal from 3I/ATLAS. Before you get excited, this isn’t a technological radio signal used for transmission. It’s a natural radio emission and some of the strongest evidence yet that 3I/ATLAS is a naturally occurring comet.

The astronomers who identified the signal posted a brief description of their findings on The Astronomer’s Telegram, a website where researchers announce new astronomical discoveries. They explain that MeerKAT detected lines of radio absorption by hydroxyl radicals (OH) at two different frequencies: 1,665 megahertz and 1,667 megahertz. This indicates that 3I/ATLAS was behaving like a normal comet as it zipped around the Sun last month.

D.J. Pisano, a researcher and professor of extragalactic multi-wavelength astronomy at the University of Cape Town, reported the findings alongside several collaborators. The findings have not yet been peer reviewed.
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rjh01 said:
The simplest explanation is that the lines are artificial in origin. It is a satellite in earth orbit.
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Yeah, I'm thinking something like that. Either that or some kind of artifact. In the first picture there's a second horizontal line that doesn't intersect the comet.

Our friend Avi goes about things in a very different way from most scientists. Most scientists would double and triple check that there isn't some banal explanation before telling the whole world. Because you don't want to look like a fool.
 
SHUT THE ◊◊◊◊ UP AVI!!!

www.dailystar.co.uk

3I/ATLAS precise turn for Jupiter means it's spacecraft that will deploy devices

Mysterious objet 3I/ATLAS is fuelling more alien speculation after top Harvard professor Avi Loeb revealed a string of bizarre new anomalies—including a perfectly calculated path to Jupiter and strange "jets"
www.dailystar.co.uk www.dailystar.co.uk

3I/ATLAS precise turn for Jupiter means it's a spacecraft that can deploy devices - expert​

Mysterious objet 3I/ATLAS is fuelling more alien speculation after top Harvard professor Avi Loeb revealed a string of bizarre new anomalies—including a perfectly calculated path to Jupiter and strange "jets"​

The polarising interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has continued to spark worry with a series of bizarre anomalies that have been unveiled by a renowned Harvard professor.

Professor Avi Loeb has highlighted a precisely-tuned trajectory to Jupiter's Hill radius, in addition to proving it has unusual "jets", suggesting once again that 3I/ATLAS could be an alien mothership.

Professor Loeb, notable for stirring controversy with theories about extraterrestrial origins, has suggested in a new Medium blog post that several unusual features of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS could indicate it’s not a natural comet. Instead, he has once again said it could potentially be an alien spacecraft engineered to deploy devices near Jupiter.
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Looks like we're doomed.

www.dailystar.co.uk

'Spaceship' 3I/Atlas causes panic as world leaders activate 'space defences'

The catalyst for the sudden global focus is the object’s erratic behaviour, with scientists documenting rigid, physics-defying anti-tail jets and unexplained pulsations
www.dailystar.co.uk www.dailystar.co.uk

'Spaceship' 3I/Atlas causes panic as world leaders activate 'space defences' in secret​

The catalyst for the sudden global focus is the object’s erratic behaviour, with scientists documenting rigid, physics-defying anti-tail jets and unexplained pulsations​

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A wave of large-scale planetary defence drills has been carried out across the world in recent weeks, prompting speculation that governments are preparing for the unpredictable behaviour of the interstellar object known as 3I/ATLAS.

Although each exercise has been presented as routine, their timing and scale have raised questions among space analysts and defence officials. The European Space Agency initiated the sequence with the activation of its full planetary defence triad, which includes mission control, rapid-response modelling and ground-based observation networks.
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The unprecedented three-day simulation was followed by Japan’s accelerated asteroid-impact drill involving civilian, military and commercial satellite operators. Within two days, the US Space Force completed a high-altitude orbital tracking rehearsal that had originally been scheduled for late 2026 but was abruptly moved forward.

[all remaining ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ snipped]
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Amazingly, Avi only gets a brief mention in all of this garbage.
 
shemp said:
Looks like we're doomed.

www.dailystar.co.uk

'Spaceship' 3I/Atlas causes panic as world leaders activate 'space defences'

The catalyst for the sudden global focus is the object’s erratic behaviour, with scientists documenting rigid, physics-defying anti-tail jets and unexplained pulsations
www.dailystar.co.uk www.dailystar.co.uk






Amazingly, Avi only gets a brief mention in all of this garbage.
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Quick people. Pray really hard. I've been told that works. (And in this case we'll have prof that it actually works.)
:duck:
 
Gord_in_Toronto said:
Quick people. Pray really hard. I've been told that works. (And in this case we'll have prof that it actually works.)
:duck:
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Maybe this will be the rapture that xtians keep yammering about, and we will finally be rid of them for good. In any case I won't start worrying about this until Donald Trump, the final authority on all crises, tells me I must!
 
If we could figure out from which language Oumuamua gets its name, perhaps we could work out where it came from, and call them (unless they're still using landlines?) and ask If Atlas is theirs as well, and could they please train it not to destroy Earth?

Should I perhaps discuss this with Avi first, or approach governments directly?
 
It's Hawaiian. It means, basically, "scout" or "first distant messenger". From 'ou "reach out for" and mua "first", the latter reduplicated for emphasis.
 
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