# What was that strange fireball in the sky? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 4, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120 "2004-12-04T23:31:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/1 "2004-12-04T23:31:03Z")
It was there all day…this huge fiery ball just hanging there like a…huge fiery ball-like thingy. It kept moving and finally disappeared. I know not what it was, but I hope to see its like again. Soon. ---
**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:** [December 4, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/2 "2004-12-04T23:36:27Z")
On my home planet, we used to call that _pffsft_, which translates literally to _The Big Fiery Ball Thing That Traverses The Sky, Bringing Life And Warmth To All Creatures_. I belive humans have their own name for it. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/3 "2004-12-04T23:49:02Z")
Does your anus feel all probey? ---
**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:** [December 4, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/4 "2004-12-04T23:50:29Z")
Yes… and yet, strangely… no ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/5 "2004-12-04T23:51:20Z")
Oops, that was my fault. Well, mine, and taco bell. well, really, mine, taco bell, and bic. It won’t happen again. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/6 "2004-12-04T23:53:48Z")
A bird? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/7 "2004-12-04T23:56:10Z")
It’s a transdimensional life form that manifests itself in our universe as a massive display of nuclear fusion. Though his name is Algonquin C. Bamblewoozy, the one nearest us prefers to be called Tabitha. Yeah, he’s a bit off… ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/8 "2004-12-05T00:46:02Z")
We’re talking about the sun, right? This is a joke thread? ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/9 "2004-12-05T00:50:38Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > We’re talking about the sun, right? This is a joke thread? Actually, we’re talking about that mushroom cloud behind you. It’s gravely serious-look out your window! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/10 "2004-12-05T00:56:16Z")
Oh man, is he from Virginia? :eek: Poor guy. Whodda thunk the aliens would attack Arlington first… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/11 "2004-12-05T02:06:14Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > We’re talking about the sun, right? This is a joke thread? What is this “sun” of which you speak? We know only the gray, monotonous covering that pelts us with liquid and occasionally a white substance resembling the ash from our winter fires, but cold instead of hot. Stories have been told around said fires of the fiery ball, but verily, it has been so long since the denizons hereabouts have seen it, that we put little stock in such foolish tales. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/12 "2004-12-05T02:19:08Z")
That’s my soul up there. ---
**Author:** ![Carcosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@Carcosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carcosa)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/13 "2004-12-05T02:30:39Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It was there all day…this huge fiery ball just hanging there like a…huge fiery ball-like thingy. It kept moving and finally disappeared. I know not what it was, but I hope to see its like again. Soon. Many programmers have been baffled by this. In the trade we refer to it as the scary face in the big blue room. We avoid it whenever possible. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/14 "2004-12-05T02:33:11Z")
The Sun? You mean that thing that’s always creeping around here about 8:00 in the morning? It must DIE! After all it’s making the cockatiels crazy–I swear I saw Music Man trying to _climb the wall_ when the sun came out one day. And then the ringneck parrots zoom up and down the hall or bounce plastic balls on the floor while the dove coos like a maniac and the conure shrieks and the lovebird trills. I’ve told them that ball of fire has been here for 5 billion years and will be here for another 5 billion but every day when it comes out they act like it’s a freakin’ miracle or something! So, how large a nuclear missile do we need to get rid of it? Or should I just put paper over the windows? ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/15 "2004-12-05T02:35:00Z")
It must be a god! The most powerful of gods! Let us bow down and worship Him! ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/16 "2004-12-05T03:06:39Z")
Sun smash! Sun smite! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/17 "2004-12-05T03:16:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It was there all day…this huge fiery ball just hanging there like a…huge fiery ball-like thingy. It kept moving and finally disappeared. I know not what it was, but I hope to see its like again. Soon. I just looked up into the heavens and I can see that all is well for it is there again. Or maybe not, it is now a shade of white and a piece of it has been blown off. Someone seems to attacked the golden orb, but who or what could it be? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/18 "2004-12-05T03:31:30Z")
Hey that fiery ball was hanging around in my sky earlier today. It’s probably lost and wandering around. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/19 "2004-12-05T03:56:03Z")
A very powerful god he must be. For he obviously travels through the underworld in order to return to its usual starting place each morning. For, even when I cannot see the god directly, I can stil discern his presense. Fear inspiring he is! The god you are seeing right now, against the blackness of the underworld must be a she devil god. Female it must be, for it is constantly changing in appearance. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120/20 "2004-12-05T04:23:13Z")
It’s been eaten by the moon! But can the moon keep it down, or will it be forced to disgorge it, and the horrific cycle will begin all over again? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-strange-fireball-in-the-sky/278120.md?page=2)