A new set of images taken on board NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) last week show an angular fin-shaped object, potentially the size of the Earth, in front of the sun.

The images, taken as NASA monitor's recent sunspot activity, have UFO enthusiasts talking about a technologically advanced race of beings siphoning energy from the sun, while those more down-to-earth say its just a camera glitch.

No matter what it turns out to be, this kind of science news is an inexhaustible source of parenting power when it comes to harnessing the energy of kids to research, imagine, and get creative with new and unusual scientific information.

One of the better, more scientific, data-based videos on the unidentified object I found with my 10-year-old son before he left for school this morning was posted by the website Suspicious Observers.

The video is part of The Mobile Observatory Project, started by Suspicious Observers, which was created by Ohio Lawyer and space enthusiast Ben Davidson.

However scientifically sound, kids may prefer the more colorful, sci-fi television show-inspired version of the news, complete with Star Trek style theme music posted to YouTube by HighTechAddict.

In the latter video, we see something resembling a Portugese Man-o-war jellyfish with tendrils that extend down to the sun as it allegedly siphons solar energy and then skedaddles back into space.

After watching both videos and examining photos from the NASA website, my son Quin said, It could just be a sun shark.

Rather than dismiss this pronouncement, I asked him what he based it on.

I was kidding mom. I was mocking the idea that aliens are sucking energy out of the sun, Quin said. But it would be really cool to imagine the surface of the sun is like the ocean and these sharks are born there, swimming around like leviathans.

Originally posted here:

Dear NASA, could giant sharks live on the sun?