By Tim Binnall
An unexpected question about UFOs at a Chilean Congressional hearing prompted a stern response from a renowned astronomer who dismissed the idea of aliens visiting the Earth as "absurd." According to a local media report, the interesting exchange (seen below) occurred late last month during a gathering of the country's Chamber of Deputies Committee on the Environment. During the hearing, which examined how a planned industrial project might impact a nearby observatory, member Cristóbal Martínez seized the opportunity to ask one of the invited speakers, famed Chilean astronomer José Maza, about the UFO phenomenon.
Acknowledging that his question might evoke some chuckles from those in attendance, the politician somewhat nervously explained that the astronomer's considerable expertise compelled him to ask "have you ever seen, I don't know how to say it, a flying saucer?" While the question was put forward with a laugh and the observation that "everyone wants to know" the answer to the UFO mystery, it quickly became apparent that Maza was not as amused by the unexpected inquiry. "We have never seen anything," the astronomer replied, calling the concept of visitors from another world "a joke."
Ever the educator, Maza noted the enormous distances between planets and indicated that it would take a staggering 40,000 years to travel to the relatively close Alpha Centauri star system that is a 'mere' four light-years from Earth. Further diminishing the possibility of extraterrestrial visitors, the astronomer mused that "it's absurd" that aliens would make such an arduous journey simply to "scare someone and leave." Lest there were any doubts about where Maza stood on UFOs, he ultimately compared the phenomenon to the fantastical tales of Santa Claus' flying reindeer and Peter Pan. The astronomer's strongly worded response to the unusual question subsequently became a viral moment on social media in Chile, where the nature of UFOs is as hotly debated as it is here in America.
Reflecting on the exchange that made him someone of a meme, Maza later asserted that he was not angry about the inquiry, but "was a little surprised that in the formality of a meeting of a committee of the Chamber of Deputies, they asked me the question," which would have been "absolutely natural" to pose in a more casual setting. That said, the astronomer did not change his stance on UFOs, and seemed to appreciate, in retrospect, being able to address the issue as he did. "You actually see so much, so much, both in all the media about UFOs, tarot, numerology," he lamented, "for me it was an opportunity, being able to be in a very important place to make us see that we don't really know anything about UFOs, because they don't exist, period."
