from the hang-around-for-a-bit-would-you? dept.
Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Earth has captured a tiny object from its orbit around the sun and will keep it as a temporary satellite for a few months before it escapes back to a solar orbit. But the object is likely not an asteroid; it's probably the Centaur upper stage rocket booster that helped lift NASA's ill-fated Surveyor 2 spacecraft toward the moon in 1966.
This story of celestial catch-and-release begins with the detection of an unknown object by the NASA-funded Pan-STARRS1 survey telescope on Maui in September. Astronomers at Pan-STARRS noticed that this object followed a slight but distinctly curved path in the sky, which is a sign of its proximity to Earth. The apparent curvature is caused by the rotation of the observer around Earth's axis as our planet spins. Assumed to be an asteroid orbiting the sun, the object was given a standard designation by the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts: 2020 SO. But scientists at the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California saw the object's orbit and suspected it was not a normal asteroid.
Most asteroids' orbits are more elongated and tilted relative to Earth's orbit. But the orbit of 2020 SO around the sun was very similar to that of Earth: It was at about the same distance, nearly circular, and in an orbital plane that almost exactly matched that of our planet—highly unusual for a natural asteroid.
As astronomers at Pan-STARRS and around the world made additional observations of 2020 SO, the data also started to reveal the degree to which the sun's radiation was changing 2020 SO's trajectory—an indication that it may not be an asteroid after all.
[...] Before it leaves, 2020 SO will make two large loops around our planet, with its closest approach on Dec. 1. During this period, astronomers will get a closer look and study its composition using spectroscopy to confirm if 2020 SO is indeed an artifact from the early Space Age.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Saturday November 14 2020, @09:23PM (5 children)
... as what came back with it [imdb.com] (one of many similar movies). Soon to be made into a Amazon.com series [variety.com], apparently.
(Score: 4, Funny) by NateMich on Sunday November 15 2020, @12:21AM (4 children)
I remember seeing Event Horizon when it came out. I also remember saying, "That is the worst movie I've ever paid to see."
I've seen worse movies since then, but I always use "The spaceship went to hell. Literally" as a reference for how bad a movie really is.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 15 2020, @02:50AM (1 child)
28% critic, 61% audience score on rotten tomatoes
(Score: 3, Informative) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday November 15 2020, @09:30PM
Some of the audience reviews use terms like "plot twist" which makes me wonder if any of them have actually seen that turd, because I have and there are no plot twists.
It might be the most predictable thing I have ever seen.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 15 2020, @06:57AM
That movie's a rip off of The Black Hole (1979) with added visual/aesthetic rip-offs from Alien and Hellraiser.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday November 16 2020, @04:38PM
Seems fitting to me. I saw it and kept waiting for the giant alien bug or whatever to jump out. Yet, instead they went with the we saw Satan aspect. I would have avoided the whole thing, if I knew they were going down the whole supernatural evil path.
Unlike some, I believe there are "supernatural" (Not really, because it's natural for them and we just don't understand it.) beings that are evil and I try to avoid all the hollywoodised ideas thereof. In the event that you know there is a hungry grizzly bear around and that they absolutely love the smell and taste of roast beef. Why wear an outfit made from it? Okay, bad analogy, but I don't want to be the Devil's roast beef.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 15 2020, @02:19AM (1 child)
Wilma, it's Twiki.....Buck's in trouble! Hawkman went cuckoo, captured Buck, and is trying to make him lay an egg in an ancient piece of Terran technology. It's up to you, me, and Dr. Theopolis to save Buck.
(Score: 2) by Muad'Dave on Monday November 16 2020, @02:17PM
I swear I remember Twiki saying, "Bidi-bidi-bidi - gimme an enema, Buck!"
(Score: 2) by Rupert Pupnick on Sunday November 15 2020, @11:50PM (2 children)
"Astronomers at Pan-STARRS noticed that this object followed a slight but distinctly curved path in the sky, which is a sign of its proximity to Earth. The apparent curvature is caused by the rotation of the observer around Earth's axis as our planet spins."
This explanation makes no sense. Why describe the path as having "apparent curvature" when it really DOES have curvature due to the influence of gravity? And if "apparent curvature" is caused by the rotation of an Earth-bound observer, why doesn't the path of the sun have "apparent curvature"?
Am I missing something (myself as well as the submitter Arthur T Knackerbracket), or is this careless crap science journalism? Sure, there may be more sophisticated forces at work (solar wind), but at least get the basics right.
Wait, let's check the byline to see who wrote this: "Jet Propulsion Laboratory". Not even a real person would put their name to this.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday November 16 2020, @12:00AM (1 child)
(Score: 2) by Rupert Pupnick on Monday November 16 2020, @01:35AM
But it says that the "apparent curvature is caused by the rotation of the observer", which would apply to any observation from Earth of an object that isn't Earthbound. What you say is generally true, but you have to admit that that passage is terribly written.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 16 2020, @05:43AM
The loser Universe is not returning our best junk.