What is oumuamua? Why is it grabbing so much attention in recent times? It’s an interstellar space rock that traveled for 4.5 billion light-years and reached our solar system in 2017. Unfortunately, we missed Oumuamua when it was close to Earth; we were only able to identify it when it was leaving. One important point everyone should know 3I/ATLAS is not Oumuamua; both are different interstellar objects.
This article gives insight into Oumuamua space rock in a simple and understandable way, without going too much into technical details.
When did Oumuamua first found?
As I said in the year 2017, on 19th October, they found out about the space rock when it had already crossed the sun and was going away from it. When it is around 33 million km away from the Planet Earth. The size of the space rock is around 400 meters long, and the width is around 167 meters. It is reddish in color and cigar-shaped, not round. This raised speculation about an alien spaceship. Why did NASA get scared of this object? Well, this interstellar space rock changed our knowledge about space science and what we know about outer space till now.
Unusual behavior
When the scientists first identified it, they thought it was an asteroid; later they thought it was a comet based on its size. However, it doesn’t fit in any of these categories; these made scientists and the public think it is an alien space probe that came to know about us. Generally, any comet when it gets closer to Sun, the ice evaporates and releases gas forming a gas tail. This Oumuamua doesn’t release any kind of such gases.
Its unusual speed and slingshot trajectory made scientists across the world stunned and left thinking, What is this thing? As the object approached the Sun, its speed accelerated. Generally if an asteroid or comet gets close to the Sun, its speed decreases due to the Sun’s gravity. This anti-gravity effect of this object is another unusual behavior. As it went closer to the sun, its speed accelerated, and it moved away from the sun in an unusual speed.
A new study suggests that it’s a comet with solid nitrogen ice, which is usually found on Pluto and other exoplanets. As it went closer to the sun, the nitrogen gas must have melted, giving a boost to increase its speed, outgassing. By the time they identified it, it was already heading away from the sun, and its unusual speed made it difficult for them to capture and understand its nature. Some scientists suggest that the nitrogen gas emitted by it makes it very difficult to capture through telescopes.
Where it originated and heading now?
The first ever interstellar object known to us is Oumuamua; however, till now, scientists have not been able to tell its exact location or where it came from. But, able to make a rough estimation, it may have come from Lyra’s consultation with the Star Vega, as the center. One of the important stars in the night sky. Also, the pole star to the Earth during early man’s time.
It’s passing through the Kuiper belt, far beyond the mini planet Pluto, due to the object’s speed and distance made it very difficult to capture through the telescopes. Currently it is heading towards Pegasus Consultation.
Conclusion
Like anyone, even I got confused between Oumuamua and 3I/ATLAS interstellar space objects(comets), both showing a similar kind of behavior, but one is heading out of the solar system, whereas the other is coming close to our Sun. Even with advancements in AI, Robotics, and Space Technologies, we are not able to identify and understand what these rocky objects are exactly;
Are they really rocky comets outside the solar system, or is it an alien probe with hidden technology that we are not able to identify?
Are aliens coming to earth? – Short Article – Brahmatatsattva %
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