Scientists aren’t exactly sure what the object is but they know where and when it will crash into earth.
Scientists are claiming that it was pure chance that a newly-discovered piece of space debris received the incredibly appropriate name WT1190F. Some might even say the stars were aligned (sorry…had to do it), when the naming process went down. But the alphabetical letters representing the unidentified object, a popular anagram used for expressing confusion and disbelief, are thoroughly suitable in this situation as the entire event is unusual.
On November 13, WT1190F (conveniently shortened to WTF) will enter earth’s orbit and land in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka, if it doesn’t burn up upon entry. No reason for alarm, because this flying object poses no threat. The reason why it’s notable, however, is due to the fact that this is one of the very few times researchers have A) tracked a piece of space debris, and B) mapped its exact trajectory towards Earth.
So what the fuck is WTF? Turns out nobody knows for sure, but there are feasible theories. According to Nature.com, the object was discovered by University of Arizona’s Catalina Sky Survey. It’s only about a few meters wide and it is hollow. Because of WTF’s small size and its close-to-earth orbit, scientists believe it might be a fuel tank from a previously launched space craft. They nixed the possibility of an asteroid because those typically come from deep space.
Though they have a pretty good idea, scientists are still scratching their heads in a state of WTF about WTF. It’s possible that it is decades old, a lost remnant of the Apollo missions. Maybe it’s a physical response to the Arecibo message (a radio signal sent in search of alien life). Maybe it’s Sandra Bullock reentering the atmosphere after a cosmic disaster with fellow astronaut George Clooney. Or maybe it’s Dr. Evil’s phallic-shaped spaceship.
It’s likely just an oil tank. And most, if not all, of it will burn up upon entry. But Bill Gray, a scientist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, still heeds a word of warning.
Gray told Nature: “I would not necessarily want to be going fishing directly underneath it.”
