# UFO spotted in Mars sky. How long before the crackpot theories come out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 19, 2004, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufo-spotted-in-mars-sky-how-long-before-the-crackpot-theories-come-out/235172 "2004-03-19T07:42:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufo-spotted-in-mars-sky-how-long-before-the-crackpot-theories-come-out/235172/1 "2004-03-19T07:42:55Z")
It appears that Spirit has snapped [a picture](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3520636.stm) of an unidentified object in the Mars sky. Scientists think it might be Viking 2. Yeah right. By the looks of it, there’s no doubt this thing is a Plutononian school bus on its way to Venus. Or New Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufo-spotted-in-mars-sky-how-long-before-the-crackpot-theories-come-out/235172/2 "2004-03-19T08:43:22Z")
Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone knows Plutonians are home schooled due to the prohibitive commute times. This thing is clearly a [rod](http://www.roswellrods.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufo-spotted-in-mars-sky-how-long-before-the-crackpot-theories-come-out/235172/3 "2004-03-19T13:14:41Z")
> [@](#): > > UFO spotted in Mars sky. How long before the crackpot theories come out? “How long”? You think you need to wait?! The story appeared in _Fortean Times_ online this AM. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufo-spotted-in-mars-sky-how-long-before-the-crackpot-theories-come-out/235172/4 "2004-03-19T14:08:15Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > “How long”? You think you need to wait?! The story appeared in _Fortean Times_ online this AM. But they just linked to the BBC article! I want my crackpot theory now! Waaaa! Where’s my conspiracy? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufo-spotted-in-mars-sky-how-long-before-the-crackpot-theories-come-out/235172/5 "2004-03-19T14:56:37Z")
Has anyone called NASA to remind them that Mars is right next to a _meteor belt!_ ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufo-spotted-in-mars-sky-how-long-before-the-crackpot-theories-come-out/235172/6 "2004-03-19T16:47:06Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Has anyone called NASA to remind them that Mars is right next to a _meteor belt!_ Asteroid belt. As-ter-oid. You know, as in “flying monkeys coming out of your as-ter-oid”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufo-spotted-in-mars-sky-how-long-before-the-crackpot-theories-come-out/235172/7 "2004-03-19T22:19:36Z")
> [@](#): > > By the looks of it, there’s no doubt this thing is a Plutononian school bus on its way to Venus. What I want to know is, is this some kind of affirmative action bussing situation, or are we looking at a privately funded transport system for privileged Plutonian children? If it IS plutonians on their way to Venus, why the heck are they doing that when they have a perfectly good planet of their own? The funds used to pay for these interplanetary busses could instead be put towards good public schools on planet Pluto itself. Who’s paying for this program anyway? It better not be coming out of any funds that Earth contributes to. And there should have been some kind of public hearing process about this. How can they commute right across our solar system without having to at least open a thirty day comment period beforehand? I swear, the school systems in this solar system are going to hell… ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufo-spotted-in-mars-sky-how-long-before-the-crackpot-theories-come-out/235172/8 "2004-03-20T17:44:54Z")
> [@Ghanima](#): > > What I want to know is, is this some kind of affirmative action bussing situation, or are we looking at a privately funded transport system for privileged Plutonian children? Blame the plutocratic goverment of Pluto. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufo-spotted-in-mars-sky-how-long-before-the-crackpot-theories-come-out/235172/9 "2004-03-20T17:53:45Z")
Well, at least it’s theirs. Not like _our_ own bunch of lunatics.