Slashdot Mirror
Giant Ribbon Discovered At Edge of Solar System
beadwindow writes "NASA's IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer) spacecraft has made the first all-sky maps of the heliosphere and the results have taken researchers by surprise. The maps are bisected by a bright, winding ribbon of unknown origin: 'This is a shocking new result,' says IBEX principal investigator Dave McComas of the Southwest Research Institute. 'We had no idea this ribbon existed — or what has created it. Our previous ideas about the outer heliosphere are going to have to be revised.' Another NASA scientist notes, '"This ribbon winds between the two Voyager spacecraft and was not observed by either of them.'"
startrekgenerations
Bill Gates thought that he was being innovative. Who'd have guessed that God came up with it first?
Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
The universe patched to 1.2, introducing Ribbon controls, because they collapse and expand in a visually appealing fashion. This helps the overlords better manage their multi-dimension MDI.
'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
We already KNEW about this, it is called the Great Galactic Barrier
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Galactic_barrier
It's just the little one for each solar system, and these guys get federal grant money!
I predict that further study will reveal the ribbon encircles a giant gift-wrapped present under an enormous Christmas tree. These were not discovered previously, since the present was hidden in the cosmic closet ...
It's good we discovered this early on. If we were already launching interstellar ships, there's a very real danger that at least one crew member's latent ESP abilities would start to run amok after their ship tried entering the ribbon. And, even worse, it'd probably be one of the ship captain's oldest friends.
#DeleteChrome
FTA:
It looks like the ribbon is a side effect of the interaction between the galactic magnetic field and the heliosphere. It's possible that the interaction between the two causes particles to either collect in that region or direct those particles from that region toward Earth.
Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
At last, we now know why the solar system is immune to status effects.
And so begins Louis, Nessus, Teela, and Speaker's journey...
What, can't a solar system look cute for photo day?
"Don't open before christmas"
No, it's a warning beacon advising more civilized species of interstellar travelers to keep away from from a star system inhabited by homo sapiens sapiens.
This ain't rocket surgery.
Sometimes literalists have a way of ruining the joke for everyone...
Ribbon is to solar system as barrier is to galaxy. Simple as that. And if I were being literal I would have noted that V'ger was supposed to be Voyager 6, which of course doesn't (yet) exist. Then again I'm making jokes about Star Trek. None of it has any bearing on reality.
This "ribbon" escaped detection by two former Voyager spacecraft, and is only now being detected by some new spacecraft that happened to be looking for something different. This "ribbon" is a ribbon by some specific property.
It's amazing, to me, how what we see is influenced to a great extent by what we're looking for. The manifold possibilities the universe presents to us!
If aspiration is a virtue, achievement cannot be a vice.
Could this be the cause of the Long-delayed echoes?
Bruce Perens.
Some of us are aware of breast all year long.
Virginia is for lovers. EVE is for griefers.
All hail his noodly appendage.
Read what I mean, not what I wrote.
"Please wear this ribbon on your planetary system in order to help us raise awareness. Awareness is such a precious commodity in galaxies of all colors, shapes and sizes, that we feel it only proper to honor the awareness that is within us all by taking this opportunity to mark those systems with nascent awarenesses with a ribbon. Hopefully by comparing our pre-aware planetary systems we can come to appreciate our own awareness and the source of that awareness, whatever form you may believe that it takes. Remember, it takes a spiral arm to raise a planetary system. Thank you again for raising awareness with this ribbon."
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
It just means that life, the universe, and everything is a gift.
Now we have a good reason to send some more Voyager probes out. The last two were certainly worth the cost, and it'd probably be a lot cheaper to build and launch a comparable probe today than it was when the first two were launched.
Stasis is death. Embrace change.
No, it's a warning beacon advising more civilized species of interstellar travelers to keep away from from a star system inhabited by homo sapiens sapiens.
Actually, it's a banner. When we finally decipher it, we'll read, "Do Not Feed The Monkeys."
Well, actually, ".syeknoM ehT deeF toN oD" If you know what I mean.
Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.
Would these possibly be some sort of 'northern lights' phenomena? If the earth's magnetic field generates a phenomena at a planetary scale, why not a solar system generating a similar field that interacts with galactic particles?
If I understand the article correctly, Voyager 1 passed right above the ribbon and Voyager 2 passed just below the ribbon. Years ago NASA used Jupiter's gravity to send Voyager 1 above the plane of the solar system and Neptune's gravity to send Voyager 2 below the plane of the solar system, leading to both spacecraft just missing the ribbon.
Maybe it was a mistake to send both spacecraft out of the ecliptic plane. Does anyone know the benefit NASA saw from sending both spacecraft out of the solar plane?
o.O You're kidding, right?
Just in case you're serious... No, that's not happening, and there's no need to "look into it", as we already know the distribution of the magnetic field of the Earth pretty well, and it's not doing what you describe. As to where things "get through and hit earth", it does happen and it's easily observable. Aurora are obvious, visible signs of such distortions of the magnetic field coming all the way down to intersect the Earth, which does happen... around the magnetic poles.
Also, we understand fairly well what's going on in the Bermuda Triangle. It's factually well established that there are no more mysterious incidents within this area than within any other similarly sized area of the sea with similar traffic. However, incidents happening there get more hype because they happen there. It's a sociological phenomenon that requires no appeal to strange physics, geoscience, or the like. Indeed, if there was something strange going on there, one would expect a greater than average incidence of missing ships, airplanes, etc. But in fact, there are not. The only thing unusual about the Bermuda Triangle is the amount of stories that come out of it.
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
Actually, it's a banner. When we finally decipher it, we'll read, "Do Not Feed The Monkeys."
I'd be happier if it said "Do Not Feed On The Monkeys" to be honest.
"Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"
FTFY.
Knowledge is power; knowledge shared is power lost.