Cigar Shaped Object at Edge of Solar System

I'm sure we all remember that rush of 'new' planets and planetoids last month... during which time we learned that an object larger than Pluto is out there and may be classified as the 10th planet. Well... a further analysis of one of the other Kuiper Belt Objects that was announced during that period has revealed that it is actually shaped like a long, flattened cigar:

www.newscientistspace.com...

"One of the three large new bodies discovered recently in the outer solar system is spinning so quickly it has stretched into a cigar shape, according to new observations. If confirmed, the strange shape is sure to fuel the controversy over what constitutes a planet."

"The team says more light is reflected when the longer side of the object is facing the Sun, while less bounces off when the shorter sides are pointed that way. 2003 EL61 appears to be about twice as long as it is wide - and shorter still in height. "It takes the shape of a short, flattened cigar," says team member Chad Trujillo, an astronomer at the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii, US."

Strange indeed. I wonder if it goes on a comet-like path around the sun. It would explain that strange sighting of that weird cigar-shaped thing one of the astronauts saw.

Yes,
I was struck by how similar this thing appears to be to a common type of UFO sighting.... though there is a difference in size along the scale of thousands of miles.

I think its interesting that many UFOs are also described as Cigar shaped. Shape changing mother ship ala "flight of the navigator " anyone? LOL

Interesting find though Object like neutron stars up to 600 times per second and never take that type of shape but they have vastly stronger gravity.

Could be a huge cigar shaped "mother ship"

We should send a craft out there to check up on those giant cigars, I have heard they are good from cuba but from there !!!

Cigar obviously describes the profile of the object. A disc in profile looks like an oblong cigar shape.

This description has annoyed me for some while, for some reason.

Originally posted by cargo
Cigar obviously describes the profile of the object. A disc in profile looks like an oblong cigar shape.

This description has annoyed me for some while, for some reason.

Im sure many descriptions of "cigar shaped'' UFOs are no doubt because of the perspective. Like you stated a disc shape seen from the side looks just like that.

But there are some UFOs reported as "Cigar shaped" that seem not to disked shaped and clearly to the people seeing them shaped like a cylinder. The most famous case I can think of though not described as a ''Cigar'' since the people at the time had no clue what a cigar was.

The ''Pillar'' of smoke and fire that followed the Jews during the Exodus. If we saw that today pillar shaped might not come to mind and cigar could easily be used.

20 years ago(?) the Soviet Union sent a couple of probes to Mars to study it's moons. It died within 15 minutes after parking in orbit and turning on its instruments.

The very last picture to transmitted was of an object that took on a cylindrical shape and rounded at its ends. It was calculated that te object was a few miles in diameter and 18 miles long. In the image, the object was red in color. Far from what I would call 'natural'.

Some scientists have written it off as a glitch in the instruments before they comepletely shut down.

What amazes me is that supposedly state-of-the-art instruments could take a picture of a red, cylindrical shaped object that was 18 miles long.

My thoughts on this.

They're here and our scientists have finally made a sighting.

[edit on 24-9-2005 by jrod]

It's a mothership full of hungry aliens grey or green I don't know, but they are going to show up in october, (haha V) the 5th year of our new millenia. War occurs just before halloween, mars is serious! Hmm is the blend of drugs and television getting to me. HAWHAWHAW I THINK SO!

Alien Frisbee.... I mean they have to play too....

its an intergalatic cruise ship taking atour round our system

Can we stay on the topic, please.

Sanc'.

Yeah,

I mean... this isn't Hoagland out there claiming to have spotted a cigar shaped object at the end of the solar system... it's legitimate astronomers. This would be, if it pans out, one of the weirdest discoveries in the history of astronomy... and one that should immediately draw up questions about whether or not artificial worlds exist.

So... for now... let's keep the one-liners to a minimum.