Atmospheric beast
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Atmospheric beasts (a.k.a. sky beasts or sky critters) are organisms which could hypothetically exist off of the surface of Earth or other planets with an atmosphere. These could fly (or float) without wings as they weigh less than air.
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[edit] In UFO and cryptid lore
Ufologists and Cryptozoologists have theorized about the existence of biological UFOs, citing photos and observations of sightings that resemble living beings more than machined craft. The controversial substance called "star jelly" is alleged to be composed of the bodies of dead atmospheric beasts. Atmospheric beasts are sometimes explained as interdimensional beings, able to pop in and out of existence in a manner similar to ghosts, while other times they are thought to be fully natural biological organisms that are related genetically to terrestrial life and are built like jellyfish of the air, or they are thought to be alien life forms that are native to outer space itself rather than to any particular planet. Atmospheric beasts are almost never considered to be the same sort of creature as rods, mainly because of the obvious differences in description: atmospheric beasts are hardly ever considered to be invisible to the naked eye, and atmospheric beasts are generally described as far larger than the biggest rods. Since atmospheric beasts are not described as being only visible in film, it would be nearly impossible to explain them as camera artifacts. Atmospheric beasts also have a longer history, while rods are a recent fad.
[edit] In science fiction and astrobiological speculation
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle anticipated these ideas in his short story "The Horror of the Heights", where an airman discovers a previously unknown ecosystem of life forms in Earth's atmosphere.
"Goldfish Bowl" is a 1942 short story by Robert A. Heinlein dealing with the theme.
Carl Sagan said that this kind of animal could live in a gas giant, such as Jupiter, where the unique existent solid place is the core. Most likely, animals could not live there due to its extremely high temperature and pressure. An example of this is found in Iain M. Banks’ The Algebraist. They are also featured in several science-fiction works of Arthur C. Clarke, which include his short story, "A Meeting with Medusa" and in the James Tiptree, Jr novel Up the Walls of the World. Illustrations of atmospheric beasts have frequently appeared in books and exhibiting speculating as to the exotic forms extraterrestrial life might take. Descriptions of this sort often portray these beings as living balloons, filled with lighter than air gases.
A hypothetical, extraterrestrial atmospheric beast is featured on the cover of Extraterrestrials: A Field Guide for Earthlings. A sentient variation of the atmospheric beast, the Slylandro, is portrayed in the Star Control series of computer games.
[edit] References
- Trevor J. Constable. The Cosmic Pulse of Life: The Revolutionary Biological Power Behind UFOs Santa Ana, California: Merlin Press, 1976.
- Ivan Terence Sanderson. Uninvited Visitors New York: Cowles Education, 1967.
