# Have you heard of Project Lucifer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 30, 2024, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282 "2024-09-30T12:38:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/1 "2024-09-30T12:38:12Z")
It’s a conspiracy theory about NASA using a probe to create a new Sun in our solar system. Why? I don’t know. But it’s out there in the Internet! And it certainly has one of the cooler names for a conspiracy. > **[Project Lucifer: Will Cassini Turn Saturn into a Second Sun? (Part 2)](https://www.universetoday.com/16153/project-lucifer-will-cassini-turn-saturn-into-a-second-sun-part-2/)** > > \[/caption\] The story: The Lucifer Project is allegedly the biggest conspiracy theory NASA could possibly be involved in. First, back in 2003, the space agency (in co-operation with secret and powerful organizations) dropped the Galileo probe deep... ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/2 "2024-09-30T12:40:25Z")
So basically the plot of **2010** but a different planet and for no good reason. Meh. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/3 "2024-09-30T12:42:01Z")
This reminds me of one of my favorite memes that goes something like this: “After reading your posts over the last year, I’m getting you all science books for Christmas.” People who swallow crap like that truly do know nothing about science and how the universe works. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/4 "2024-09-30T12:49:07Z")
Lucifer does mean light so that part makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/5 "2024-09-30T12:51:01Z")
Oh, the name’s definitely cool. Everything else about this thing is insane and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/6 "2024-09-30T13:10:52Z")
@Gyrate Aren’t “insane” and “stupid” two top requirements for any conspiracy theory? ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/7 "2024-09-30T13:14:37Z")
The name is _also_ something stolen from 2010. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/8 "2024-09-30T13:20:00Z")
Maybe the nice people who own the rights to _2010_ (or their decidedly un-nice copyright lawyers) can sue whoever is promoting this garbage into penury. That’s probably the best we can hope for. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/9 "2024-09-30T13:20:11Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > So basically the plot of **2010** but a different planet and for no good reason. Actually, a very good reason. 2001 (the novel) took place around Saturn. The movie took place around Jupiter. Then, the location of 2001’s events were amended in the book series so that 2010 occurred around Jupiter as well, thus adopting the movie’s (fictional) chronology in a clear effort to fool the unwitting public into assuming Project Lucifer was fictional. After all, it could never really work… _on Jupiter_. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/10 "2024-09-30T13:21:50Z")
[aside] Does anyone know why Kubrick set the movie around Jupiter when the novel had been around Saturn? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/11 "2024-09-30T13:42:56Z")
Wikipedia says the movie’s location was moved to Jupiter because the special effects folks couldn’t get Saturn’s rings right. Brian ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/12 "2024-09-30T13:50:54Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > It’s a conspiracy theory about NASA using a probe to create a new Sun in our solar system. Why? I don’t know. Yeah, I’m really curious as to the supposed ‘why’ of it. What possible fictional benefit would that have for us? Warming up Mars to make it more hospitable for colonization? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/13 "2024-09-30T14:03:27Z")
I believe there’s also a conspiracy theory that Saturn isn’t real. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/14 "2024-09-30T14:12:20Z")
In the OP’s article, the conclusion is “Although fun, “The Lucifer Project” is the product of someone’s lively imagination”. Is this the same as the Lucifer Project, mentioned here? [The Lucifer Project (skeptoid.com)](https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4143) ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/15 "2024-09-30T14:19:33Z")
It seems to be the same. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/16 "2024-09-30T14:27:11Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > This reminds me of one of my favorite memes that goes something like this: “After reading your posts over the last year, I’m getting you all science books for Christmas.” > > People who swallow crap like that truly do know nothing about science and how the universe works. “Science, my old enemy. We meet again.” “Hello, Conspiracy Theory, if you look around you’ll see I’ve surrounded you with an army of Facts. Give up.” “Ha, Science, when will you learn that your Facts have no effect against me?” “But this time, Conspiracy Theory, my Facts have brought their leader, Reality. The one thing you never win against.” “Curse you, Science!” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/17 "2024-09-30T14:41:42Z")
The sun is approximately 150 billion miles away and still its aberrations effect the Earth. Jupiter is only 500 million miles away, and Mars is 150 million miles away. Does anyone affiliated with this say how a sun is created on either planet without destroying us like gummy bears in a microwave? Also, the vastly different orbits of Mars and/or Jupiter as it pertains to our orbit When it comes to Mars, the distance between the Earth and Mars the distance fluctuates between 35 million miles and 250 million miles, so the question is: Does this project come with a giant thermostat? ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/18 "2024-09-30T14:52:07Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The sun is approximately 150 billion miles away and still its aberrations effect the Earth. Jupiter is only 500 million miles away, and Mars is 150 million miles away. From memory, the distance from the Earth to the Sun is approximately 93 million miles, not billions of miles. The distance between Earth and Jupiter ranges from [365 million to 601 million miles](https://www.space.com/18383-how-far-away-is-jupiter.html). Jupiter is therefore much farther from the Earth than the Sun is. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/19 "2024-09-30T14:54:21Z")
Presumably to turn either Jupiter or Saturn into a star would require compressing it until it (spontaneously?) ignites. How would that happen? In the Arthur C Clarke novel, it was due to alien magic, but no way could any human manage it. (Though after reading the novel, I wondered what the night sky would look like with a second sun in the sky.) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282/20 "2024-09-30T14:54:31Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Yeah, I’m really curious as to the supposed ‘why’ of it. What possible fictional benefit would that have for us? It seems to be a common feature of conspiracy theories that they not only fail the “how” question, but often lack any reason _“why”_ anyone would do that. And even if a reason is given it’s often as implausible as the rest of it. Conspiracy theories are often fractally irrational. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-project-lucifer/1008282.md?page=2)