# So what was the question: cosmic question mark spotted **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 1, 2023, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903 "2023-08-01T08:03:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/1 "2023-08-01T08:03:50Z")
At first I thought this was some kind of joke, perhaps something The Onion would come up with. But it seems to be genuine: > **[Cosmic Question Mark Spotted in Deep Space Suggests the Universe Is Stumped](https://gizmodo.com/question-mark-spotted-in-deep-space-webb-telescope-1850693160)** > > Webb is casting the universe in a new light, but the space telescope's discovery of a cosmological question mark has us scratching our heads. Of course, we all know what the answer is (42), but what was the question? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/2 "2023-08-01T09:17:07Z")
It’s just The Riddler with another of his wacky schemes. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/3 "2023-08-01T10:37:12Z")
If you zoom in on it, you can quite clearly see that it’s just a bunch of pixels. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2023, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/4 "2023-08-01T12:50:34Z")
The Universe too is mystified by the continuing popularity of certain Earth politicians. And is signaling its perplexity across the vasty deep. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2023, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/5 "2023-08-01T14:05:40Z")
Next you’ll have me believe that [this isn’t Galactus the World-Devourer enroute to our delicious planet.](https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/28/world/hubble-spooky-space-face-scn-trnd/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/6 "2023-08-01T14:23:07Z")
I’m sure the Space CTers will have the “Big ?” tied up with that and with the [donut on Mars](https://www.space.com/mars-rover-perseverance-donut-rock-photo), and who know what else. If they don’t already. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/7 "2023-08-01T14:28:07Z")
It’s clearly one of those “texture not found” placeholders like you see in video games when you get to a part of the map that you weren’t supposed to get to. I believe the current theory is that it’s actually two galaxies colliding / merging. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/8 "2023-08-01T14:34:49Z")
This is only fascinating for the recent generations who have never lain on their backs watching the clouds. These are the same people who think any full moon is somehow newsworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/9 "2023-08-01T19:18:11Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Of course, we all know what the answer is (42), but what was the question? Also known. “What do you get if you multiply 6 by 9” ---
**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:** [August 1, 2023, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/10 "2023-08-01T20:20:40Z")
I’ll take “Folks who’re bad at math” for $200, Alex. For especially large values of $200. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/11 "2023-08-01T20:29:38Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > but what was the question? Not sure, but we can be reasonably certain the question wasn’t written in Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/12 "2023-08-04T13:47:46Z")
Works in base 13. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/13 "2023-08-14T04:22:06Z")
> **[Webb telescope spots cosmic question mark in space | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/13/world/question-mark-galaxy-space-james-webb-telescope-scn/index.html)** > > Experts have ideas about what the cosmic question mark object spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope could be. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/14 "2023-08-14T04:35:18Z")
But that’s the _question._ The answer remains 42 ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/15 "2023-08-14T04:38:52Z")
I meant to say that the answer to the queston was “We don’t know.” But it doesn’t quite work, does it. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/16 "2023-08-14T04:43:16Z")
25 or Six to Four? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/17 "2023-08-14T15:02:50Z")
Douglas Adams did many things well, and 42 is still the perfect answer to the black box self assurance of algorithmic intelligence. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/18 "2023-08-14T15:50:18Z")
That cosmic question mark simply proves that not even God Himself (or Herself) has any idea what’s going on. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/19 "2023-08-14T17:24:26Z")
Just to get it over with, I’ll note that the plain explanation would be some sort of lensing effect (probably around a black hole) that is causing a star’s image to get splayed out into a half donut shape. Below that is a star. They just happen to line up nicely to appear like a question mark. We don’t need to send spaceships to investigate the “space signal” to our species. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-the-question-cosmic-question-mark-spotted/987903/20 "2023-08-14T17:32:07Z")
No, it’s almost certainly a galaxy distorted by a close encounter with another galaxy. We’ve seen a number of other similar galactic shapes before. All that really distinguishes this one is that it happens to be in the shape of a specific symbol that has meaning to us, but it’s no harder to explain than any of the other tidally-disrupted galaxies we know of (most of which are much closer and hence easier to study in detail, if one has an interest in such things). Certainly the point isn’t a star, as it’s an extended object.