Ask The Bad Astronomer

Astronomer, author, columnist, and successful populizer of science Phil Plait, perhaps best known as The Bad Astronomer, is a regular sight on Slashdot for his unusual ability to find lucid explanations of esoteric scientific claims and controversies. Phil has graciously agreed to answer Slashdot readers' questions, so ask him below about space, science, debunking conspiracy claims, and anything else that makes sense. Asking more than one question is fine (and encouraged!), but please separate unrelated questions into separate posts, lest your questions be moderated down.

Comments

Pie in the Sky

[Colonel Korn]

If you could give Apollo-level funding to a single NASA program, what would it be? Would you direct that money internally or involve private space companies?

Finally, what do you think of lunar-based observatories from a cost vs. performance standpoint?

UFO and legitimacy question

[Tablizer]

If one views UFO's as a mystery instead of as "aliens", do you think there's a legitimate case for further study, even if it may only produce psychology lessons?

Reliable pilot and passenger witnesses have seen "flying disks" in broad daylight up close, for example. I'd like to know what triggered that perception if it's not "real".