Reply #22: Exactly... I have seen many

[troubleinwinter]

cuz I don't know what they are. Satellites, weather balloons, lost metallic birthday ballons...

I am the daughter and grand-daughter of astronomers. I grew up knowing what "UFO" means.

My grandfather was quite a well-known astronomer and was on TV all the time, particularly leading up to, and during the moon landings. He was ALWAYS asked, "Do you think there's life in outer-space?" He always said, "ABSOLUTELY!! But the likelihood that humans will ever come into contact with intelligent life is likely nil, considering the vastness of time and space of the universe." People loved the first part and hated the second, in those days. He loved science fiction and would have hoped for seeing 'aliens', but knew we would not.

He told me he believed we'd someday find primitive life in the solar system, but never see any other intelligent life, as we are but a momentary microscopic speck in the universe. He passed a dozen years ago.. he'd love to see our new discoveries.

He wrote the second part of this (I recited it as a toddler):

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
Now I know just what you are
An incandescent ball of gas
Condensing to a solid mass