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vexborg · May 9, 2008, 04:24 PM

I wonder what they are going to tell us?

"NASA has scheduled a media teleconference Wednesday, May 14, at 1 p.m. EDT, to announce the discovery of an object in our Galaxy astronomers have been hunting for more than 50 years."

NASA - NASA to Announce Success of Long Galactic Hunt

Any guesses as to what they'll announce?

residentEvil · May 9, 2008, 04:25 PM

that's not a moon!

scottiB · May 9, 2008, 04:48 PM

^ Brilliant!

vexborg · May 9, 2008, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by residentEvil

that's not a moon!

Indeed brilliant

But, could they perhaps have found a black hole in the center of the Galaxy - or an killer meteorite on the way to Earth?

reader50 · May 9, 2008, 05:09 PM

Intelligent signal source from outside our solar system. Seems like the SETI effort has been going for about that long. Early pulsars were labeled with handles beginning with "LGM" for "Little Green Men" - until they figured out it wasn't carrier signals, but neutron stars.

Maybe this is why SETI@home has been flakey lately. They've got us doing makework while they recheck the signal they've found.

One can dream.

Thorzdad · May 9, 2008, 05:48 PM

Well, the announcement is based around the Chandra X-ray observatory, so I doubt it has anything to do with signs of life. With Chandra, we're talking about huge, high-energy events. Very possibly it's they've imaged the suspected supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy. That would be very cool.

Dakar the Fourth · May 9, 2008, 05:53 PM

My thoughts exactly Thorzdad.

Stogieman · May 9, 2008, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by vexborg

Indeed brilliant

But, could they perhaps have found a black hole in the center of the Galaxy - or an killer meteorite on the way to Earth?

Or space Nazis living on the dark side of the moon.

C.A.T.S. CEO · 06:20 PM

Space sharks with frigin' lasers on their heads?

Edit: to be serious, have we been hunting for a SMBH for 30-some years, not 50? I didn't think it was that old...

BadKosh · May 9, 2008, 10:47 PM

Probably evidence of what happens when 2 black holes meet...

turtle777 · May 9, 2008, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by vexborg

Any guesses as to what they'll announce?

Intelligent life on earth ?

Nah, that'll never happen

-t

imitchellg5 · May 9, 2008, 11:22 PM

Congrats to NASA. It's always nice to see the results of billions of dollars of tax money, even if those results won't change anything for anyone ever.

Face Ache · May 10, 2008, 01:10 AM

Originally Posted by BadKosh

Probably evidence of what happens when 2 black holes meet...

analogika · May 10, 2008, 04:36 AM

^

way better than the gay joke I hadn't quite figured out a punchline for...

Zeeb · May 10, 2008, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Congrats to NASA. It's always nice to see the results of billions of dollars of tax money, even if those results won't change anything for anyone ever.

How do you know that? The technology NASA develops may save our asses one day. You don't think the earth has enough resources to support 6 billion people indefinitely do you? Since no one is really serious about conservation, if anything NASA needs much *more* money.

As for the object, my bet is also with the black hole.

Hugi · May 11, 2008, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Congrats to NASA. It's always nice to see the results of billions of dollars of tax money, even if those results won't change anything for anyone ever.

Trust me. It's wort it. You've spent a thousand billions on Iraq, so you must be able to spare 20 billion to remind the world that there's also a lot of intelligent life in the US.

Cold Warrior · May 11, 2008, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Hugi

Trust me. It's wort it. You've spent a thousand billions on Iraq, so you must be able to spare 20 billion to remind the world that there's also a lot of intelligent life in the US.

Let's stay on topic and not stray into the political/war realm.

This sounds like an interesting event - at least for space/science nerds.

scottiB · May 14, 2008, 12:30 PM

30 minutes until we meet our doom.

Dakar the Fourth · May 14, 2008, 12:32 PM

I thought we already knew what the announcement was? I read something about some of missing matter that makes up the universe being discovered. Or was that old news I never caught?

Oisín · May 14, 2008, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Intelligent life on earth ?

How dare you steal my joke and then post it an hour and a half before I was going to? You bastard! I steal your -t!

osiris · May 14, 2008, 12:46 PM

They'll probably announce that after a 50 year investigation, it has been confirmed that there is no intelligent life in this solar system.

starman · May 14, 2008, 12:54 PM

Well, if it's a signal, that means it has to be within 50 light years. Hmm...

EDIT: re-reading that (and getting distracted by this thread

) they're announcing an object. With X-Rays.

Hmm...

I hope this isn't some kind of 'dud' announcement.

keekeeree · May 14, 2008, 12:57 PM

Listening to the music waiting for the live stream to begin reminds me of the good ol' days of live streaming Macworld keynotes...

starman · May 14, 2008, 12:58 PM

That means you have Real Audio installed. Ewww.

osiris · May 14, 2008, 01:03 PM

1-2 minutes...

keekeeree · May 14, 2008, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by starman

That means you have Real Audio installed. Ewww.

I karma compensate by using NeoOffice.

keekeeree · May 14, 2008, 01:14 PM

100-year-old remnants of a recent supernova discovered.

No massive death and/or mayhem forecast (at least not for today).

starman · May 14, 2008, 01:14 PM

That's it?

/snore

osiris · May 14, 2008, 01:18 PM

Why are there giant Vogan ships hovering in the air in much the same way that bricks don't?

Chongo · May 14, 2008, 01:23 PM

I thought was to confirm the "Iron Sky" base on the far side of the moon.

mdc · May 14, 2008, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by osiris

Why are there giant Vogan ships hovering in the air in much the same way that bricks don't?

Don't forget your towel.

Dakar the Fourth · May 14, 2008, 01:30 PM

"Our planet was dying..."

osiris · May 14, 2008, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by mdc

Don't forget your towel.

Wiskedjak · May 14, 2008, 01:51 PM

Seriously? What's with the hype? Did NASA hire a new marketing agency?

Dakar the Fourth · May 14, 2008, 01:57 PM

"Could an asteroid be headed for a collision course for earth, threatening all life as we know it?"

"Stop by on Tuesday the 23rd and find out!"

cjrivera · May 14, 2008, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak

Seriously? What's with the hype? Did NASA hire a new marketing agency?

Maybe they're taking tips from Apple?
I was waiting for them to say, "And one more thing...." at the end of the teleconference.

analogue SPRINKLES · May 14, 2008, 02:05 PM

Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens - Yahoo! News

turtle777 · May 14, 2008, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES

Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens - Yahoo! News

Hey, what's ok for Catholics isn't necessarily ok for Canadians

-t

vexborg · May 14, 2008, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by keekeeree

100-year-old remnants of a recent supernova discovered.

No massive death and/or mayhem forecast (at least not for today).

What a bloody disappointment - here I was, hoping for a black hole or an upcoming end of the world... And then this!

Bastards!

Jawbone54 · May 14, 2008, 03:36 PM

50 years for that?

I am THIS close to giving up on the possibility of ever being assimilated.

Face Ache · May 14, 2008, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES

Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens - Yahoo! News

In the 1640s the Roman Pope didn't believe in vacuums, because "God is everywhere".

This set back the invention of the Dyson by some 100 years.

imitchellg5 · May 14, 2008, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by vexborg

What a bloody disappointment - here I was, hoping for a black hole or an upcoming end of the world... And then this!

Bastards!

See. What did I say?