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Giant Ribbon Discovered At Edge of Solar System

Posted by kdawson on from the gift-wrapped dept.

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.'"

9 of 251 comments (clear)

  1. Tag this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    startrekgenerations

  2. Ribbon? by clone53421 · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.
    1. Re:Ribbon? by Darkness404 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Wait... If both statements are true. Bill Gates must be God! It would explain some of the weird things in DNA that don't seem to do anything but it doesn't work when you take them away....

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  3. Widespread Reach by cosm · · Score: 5, Funny

    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
  4. Bah, hack scientists by skornenicholas · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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!

  5. Final Fantasy by White+Flame · · Score: 5, Funny

    At last, we now know why the solar system is immune to status effects.

  6. All hail by Bysshe · · Score: 5, Funny

    All hail his noodly appendage.

    --
    Read what I mean, not what I wrote.
  7. The Note by DynaSoar · · Score: 5, Funny

    "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
  8. Re:Easy... by grcumb · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.