# UFOs... in spaaaace!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufos-in-spaaaace/712161>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 8, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufos-in-spaaaace/712161 "2015-02-08T23:37:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufos-in-spaaaace/712161/1 "2015-02-08T23:37:01Z")

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Apropos of SETI deliberating whether to begin [active search for aliens](http://www.seti.org/seti-institute/should-we-broadcast-and-what-if-life-in-solar-system) by broadcasting signals rather than listening for them.

There have been zillions of reported UFO encounters…all on Earth. Have there been any incidents, phenomenon or other oddities encountered in space that people have hypothesised is an encounter with an alien starship?

The only one I can thing of is the WOW! signal, I seem to recall speculation that its origin was communication between two alien ships.

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufos-in-spaaaace/712161/2 "2015-02-09T00:17:42Z")

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UFOs have very little to do with what astronomers are talking about when they talk about the possibility of alien intelligence. The accounts of people claiming to have seen or interacted with the occupants of strange flying vehicles is so at odds with what science tells us we can reasonably expect that the UFO phenomenon is considered paranormal- more akin to reports of ghosts, angels or Bigfoot than serious SETI reports.

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**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufos-in-spaaaace/712161/3 "2015-02-09T00:51:31Z")

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From the WOW signal [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wow!_signal):

> [@](#):
>
> Scientists say that if the signal came from extraterrestrials, they are likely to be an extremely advanced civilization, as the signal would have required a 2.2-gigawatt (2,200,000 kW) transmitter, vastly more powerful than any on Earth:[13] the Earth transmitters with the highest power are the Taldom transmitter at 2500 kW in long wave and the Bolshakovo transmitter at 2500 kW in medium wave.

2.2 gigawatts?!?! :eek:

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**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ufos-in-spaaaace/712161/4 "2015-02-09T01:06:50Z")

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Apparently a [whole bunch of astronauts](http://www.syti.net/UFOSightings.html) have seen UFOs. According to a woo site, anyhow.