Asri-unix.892 net.space utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ARPAVAX:C70:sri-unix!DIETZ@USC-ECL Thu Mar 4 07:35:04 1982 Quasar Spaceship Theory This theory is not very consistent with the evidence. (1) Shifts in positions of quasars. If quasars are moving at near c, and are only a few thousand parsecs away, shouldn't we see them move? Remember, we can determine their positions to within very close limits by using very long baseline interferometry. (2) Observable effects of such spaceships If the ships produce lots of high velocity gas they should have dramatic effects on the interstellar medium. We should see features that look like long jets of very hot gas, radiating X-rays and such. We would know if such features existed within a few thousand light years: no such effects have been detected. If there are 10^11 quasar spaceships within a few thousand light years their density comes out to one spaceship per ~10 cubic light years. If one were within, say, 20 light years it shouldn't be hard to spot, even if the beam is directed away from us. (3) Other details The gravitational lens is inexplicable unless qusars are at cosmological distances. Quasars often have a two lobed structure. This structure is easy to explain if the quasar is a galaxy, but not if it is a spaceship. If quasars are spaceships they should be visible in other galaxies, but they are not. ------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.