Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

apnews.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

621–630 of 864 posts

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#621

Post by tharkun__ »

doodlebugging wrote: post #492
timeon wrote: post #456

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For better picture, Olympic-sized swimming pool is 50 meters long.

Thanks. It's also half as wide as it is long and 2 meters deep. That still is not a useful comparison if the audience has never seen one. It's a comparison without a useful reference. I always thought it funny and nearly worthless for an author or announcer to describe the volume of something in terms of Olympic swimming pools as if everyone listening or reading had a useful frame of reference in that comparison.

Can you convert this to libraries of congress for me please?

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#622

Post by cmeacham98 »

graz wrote: post #617
blululu wrote: post #603

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The helium is generally the biggest cost for a launch. You generally need welding grade helium instead of the party balloon variety which costs more. The price fluctuates a lot because of some complicated economics related to natural gas production, but getting that high can easily set you back $400.

Why not hydrogen instead of helium? It's much cheaper and lighter.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster

In all seriousness, I have no idea.

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#623

Post by culi »

ok_computer wrote: post #475
irrational wrote: post #436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe Japanese fire balloons during WWII? "One of the most unusual military actions of World War II came in the form of Japanese balloon bombs, or “Fugos,” directed at the mainland United States. Starting in 1944, the Japanese military constructed and launched over 9,000 high-altitude balloons, each loaded with nearly 50 pounds of anti-personnel and incendiary explosives. Amazingly, these unmanned balloons originated…

Geologists were able to reduce the search area for the origin of these balloons using the mineral composition of sand in the sand bags. The airforce then bombed hydrogen generating facilities nearby the suspected launch sites. Section offense and defense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu-Go_balloon_bomb

Wow that's really fascinating. I wonder what sorts of properties allow geologists to characterize sand to that level

Also wonder how effective it is. Especially nowadays in such an interconnected world where products, and especially sand, could be coming from the opposite side of the globe

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#625

Post by jonnybgood »

PaulWaldman wrote: post #490

Is there a reason F-22s are being used to take these balloons down? Is it to take advantage of a training opportunity? I would think less advanced aircraft may be more cost effective to operate.

Yes, there is a reason. The F-22 is an integral part of the US Integrated Air Defense System for the homeland. Any foreign engagement by air of the US homeland will first be met with F-22s.

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#626

Post by LastTrain »

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #470
WestCoastJustin wrote: post #441

I feel sorry for the pool soul who decided to send up their DIY weather balloon with gopro to get that space shot. Who knows he might even have a video of a F-22 sending a missile over.

How much does a weather baloon cost? ...compared to a F22 flight, a missle + all the logistics? If it's cheap enough, there will probably be youtubers and tiktokers buying them en-masse just "for the lulz".

The national weather service already launches > 180 weather balloons PER DAY.

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#628

Post by sockaddr »

yosito wrote: post #435
throwaway4good wrote: post #12

I like how the measurement unit seems to be either small cars or school busses.

Americans will measure with anything except the metric system.

I read somewhere that it was traveling at about three football fields per Abraham Lincoln fart.

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#629

Post by culi »

dendrite9 wrote: post #524
irrational wrote: post #436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe Japanese fire balloons during WWII? "One of the most unusual military actions of World War II came in the form of Japanese balloon bombs, or “Fugos,” directed at the mainland United States. Starting in 1944, the Japanese military constructed and launched over 9,000 high-altitude balloons, each loaded with nearly 50 pounds of anti-personnel and incendiary explosives. Amazingly, these unmanned balloons originated…

More than 500 Americans and more than 2000 Japanese died fighting in the Aleutian islands during WW2. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/battle-of-attu-60-years.htm

Now compare that to the 800+ indigenous Aleutians that were interned during WW2, many of which died in the American concentration -- err, I mean internment -- camps. The Aleutian people were also legal citizens of the US.

Edit: some more info. 881 Aleuts were gathered up, endured slave labor, and 118 died from lack of food, warmth or medical care. All extremely preventable as is evidenced by the camp just 30 miles away of around 700 Nazi POWs. All 700 returned home alive and in good health. Historian Stan Cohen even wrote, "All in all, the German imprisonment in Alaska was quite pleasant."

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/02/21/516277507...

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#630

Post by culi »

HideousKojima wrote: post #573
dendrite9 wrote: post #524

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More than 500 Americans and more than 2000 Japanese died fighting in the Aleutian islands during WW2. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/battle-of-attu-60-years.htm

Asking why Japan invaded the Aleutians is a fun question for flat earthers. On most map projections it's way out of the way but on a globe if you draw a geodesic from Tokyo to Seattle (or Sapporo to San Diego and Los Angeles) it's basically halfway.

Maybe it's like pacman where going off one edge teleports you to the opposite edge. A finite land that goes on infinitely
Post reply on HN