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Strange Astronomical Observations that Defy Easy Explanation

α Scorpii, λ Scorpii, and ε Sagittarii? Yeah, could be I guess although the description seemed to imply the three stars were spread out more with the westmost two being one above the other. Really, it's not worth putting much effort into. Dude saw three stars in the sky but can't even remember the date and time. Seems to think three points forming the vertices of a triangle is unusual for some bizarre reason and reports the exciting observation here.
 
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Well, there's also the TR-3B (Black Manta). If one believes that's real, one has to wonder why the US government is bothering to fund a space program based on conventional rocket propulsion.
 
Same reason you still have some navies put cadets on sailing ships---to train them---and have a back-up.
Start off simple...keep old tech alive just in case.

Nice models of that concept
https://www.therpf.com/forums/threads/ufos-ce3k-and-tr-3b.302185/
https://fantastic-plastic.com/tr-3b-flying-triangle-by-lightforce.html
https://free3d.com/3d-model/tr-3b-2385.html
https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/tr-3b-astra-petebailey12
https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-print-models/miniatures/sci-fi/tr-3b-astra

There might always be a dampening field that could impair such craft (if real). ST IV had the BoP save the day by having wings, right?

If anti-gravity became real---I would still want rocket tech to continue.
 
The latest observations of Tabby's star (KIC 8462852) show it's dipping on schedule and was also dipping in 1978 and as long ago as 1935:

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interesting....amazed that some actually thought it might be a Dyson’s Sphere.
 
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The jury's still out. None of the natural explanation appear to be a very good fit because the infrared observations don't seem to match up. Hopefully, some observing time will be allocated to this object by the James Webb Space Telescope, which would provide results in the range from long-wavelength visible light (0.6 μm) to mid-infrared (28.3 μm). The next dimming events are predicted to occur in about 4.3 years time.
 
Multispectral observations during dimming events would be best. Longer-term observations could provide information about the secular dimming. If it is aliens, I suspect they are mining asteroids in the system and perhaps also performing stellar lifting. However, we need a lot more data before we can rule out natural causes.
 
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"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

Question is: How would we know that we have eliminated all natural causes vs we have eliminated all natural causes that we know of?
 
Direct observation of instant substantial dimming at all wavelengths simultaneously by an object or objects whose size we can infer to be much larger than a planet would be a bit of a dead giveaway. The only way we'd be able to image the system is by using solar gravitational lensing and that means putting a detector at greater than 550 AU from the Sun.

ETA: Not directly related but ASKAP has the potential for revealing lots of interesting new information about the cosmos. Observations indicate unusual radio objects lie toward the centre of our Galaxy. These are probably related to magnetars - neutron stars with intense magnetic fields - but this is not yet certain:

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Strange radio waves emerge from direction of the galactic centre - The University of Sydney
 
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Roko's Basilisk said:
Pareidolia

Don't get me started on astrology. It doesn't even use good astronomy.
Click to expand...

I know of that phenomena just I do think the nebula is beautiful.

Yeah some people do see patterns that could look like faces in things. Hehe here you go.

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I loathe TV ads but this one I like.
 
Presumably that was the version with audio description turned on. It doesn't really make it a effective commercial for people with impaired vision.
 
Roko's Basilisk said:
Presumably that was the version with audio description turned on. It doesn't really make it a effective commercial for people with impaired vision.
Click to expand...

Correct that was the version with descriptions... Basically rocks in the Snowy Mountains that had the look of faces if you look at the way the lines and cracks went.
 
Anyway, we're way off the topic of this thread, which is astronomical observations that defy easy explanation. Planetary nebulae, such as the one you mentioned, are well understood. Perhaps it would be best discussed in the Board Astronomy thread?

ETA: Another excellent video from Anton Petrov - this one is about the mysterious behaviour of an FRB. It seems we don't understand them quite as well as we thought.

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This may or may not be one that "defies easy explanation", but it is certainly unusual. First of its kind apparently.

Star system with right-angled planets surprises astronomers

Star systems come in all shapes and sizes. Some have lots of planets, some have larger planets and others have no planets at all. But a particularly unusual system about 150 light-years from our own has scientists scratching their heads.

In 2016, astronomers discovered two planets orbiting the star HD 3167. They were thought to be super-Earths — between Earth and Neptune in size — and circled the star every one and 30 days. A third planet was found in the system in 2017, orbiting in about eight days.
Click to expand...
Now scientists have discovered the system is even weirder than they thought. Researchers measured the orbit of the innermost planet, HD 3167 b, for the first time — and it doesn’t match the other two. It instead orbits in the star’s flat plane, like planets in our solar system, and perpendicular to HD 3167 c and d. This star system is the first one known to act like this.
Click to expand...
 
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