Hanny's Voorwerp and the Antikythera Mechanism - similarities, differences and insights

TL;DR

This paper compares Hanny's Voorwerp and the Antikythera mechanism, highlighting their discovery processes, technological influences, and potential for advancing understanding of cosmic phenomena and ancient engineering.

Contribution

It offers a comparative analysis of two iconic objects, emphasizing the importance of technological advances and systematic surveys in uncovering their mysteries.

Findings

Voorwerpjes are linked to obscured galaxies or AGN that have recently turned off.

Systematic surveys of the Antikythera wreck are needed for better understanding.

Technological advances enable deeper exploration of historical and cosmic objects.

Abstract

I present some insights into Hanny's Voorwerp and the Antikythera mechanism - contrasting their similarities and differences. They are both excellent examples of serendipitous discoveries in which human curiosity and perseverance have played an important role. Both objects have captured the imagination of the general public, and their discovery was only made possible via the introduction of new technologies. One major difference is that there is only one Antikythera device but there are now many Voorwerpen or "voorwerpjes", as they are more commonly known. The study of a collection of objects, as is common in astronomy, greatly aids our understanding of cosmic phenomena. In the case of the voorwepjes, we now know that such systems are to be identified with obscured galaxies or Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) that appear to have recently and indeed rapidly turned off. Clearly, the discovery of more examples of devices similar to the Antikythera mechanism would have a significant affect in advancing our understanding of this object and the people that constructed it. Thus far, surveys of the site of the Antikythera wreck are incomplete and non-systematic. Like radio astronomy and other progressive fields, technological advances proceed exponentially in terms of capacity and capability. Recent advances in diving technology are no exception to this rule. It is almost 40 years ago that Jacques Cousteau led the last adhoc survey of the Antikythera wreck - the time has surely come to revisit the site and conduct a proper scientific and systematic survey. The deepest areas of the site are so far completely unexplored while it is known that some artefacts did fall into this area during the original excavation. During this workshop, I called for a return to the site using the most modern diving technologies.