Oumuamua

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Scientists Do 180 Away From 'Weird' Theories on 'Oumuamua

They're going back to positing that interstellar visitor was a comet, albeit with gas, dust trapped

(Newser) - Was it an asteroid , a comet , a chunk of a distant planet , or an alien artifact ? All of these possibilities have been floated since the mysterious 'Oumuamua, our first known interstellar visitor, sped through our solar system in 2017. A 2021 study suggested what was previously thought to...

Study: Interstellar Visitor Is Chunk of Distant Planet

Oumuamua is a cookie-shaped sliver of nitrogen ice, researchers say

(Newser) - Our solar system’s first known interstellar visitor is neither a comet nor asteroid as first suspected and looks nothing like a cigar. A new study says the mystery object is likely a remnant of a Pluto-like world and is shaped like a cookie. Arizona State University astronomers say the...

Sorry, Seekers: Interstellar Visitor Was Natural
Our First Interstellar
Visitor Wasn't
So Spooky
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Our First Interstellar Visitor Wasn't So Spooky

'Whole host of natural phenomena that could explain it,' says scientist of 'Oumuamua

(Newser) - Scientists are still scratching their heads about an interstellar object that came into our solar system in 2017, but one thing is now clear: The cigar-shaped object astronomers named 'Oumuamua was perfectly natural, reports Space.com . That might disappoint those who theorized that 'Oumuamua, the first interstellar visitor...

Mystery of Our First Interstellar Visitor Solved

Oumuamua was a comet, not an asteroid, scientists say

(Newser) - Last year's visitor from another star system —a cigar-shaped object briefly tumbling through our cosmic neck of the woods—has now been identified as a comet. A European-led team makes the case in Wednesday's edition of the journal Nature, the AP reports. Telescopes first spotted the mysterious...

No Signals Detected From Interstellar Visitor

'This is a fishing expedition,' researchers say

(Newser) - 'Oumuamua is Hawaiian for "messenger from afar"—but the only message researchers are getting from our first known visitor from another solar system so far is "I am an inanimate rock." The Breakthrough Listen project says its first search for artificial signals emanating from the...

Scientists to Check if This 'Messenger' Comes From Aliens

Green Bank telescope will scan 'Oumuamua for signs of alien technology

(Newser) - It's unlikely that the first object found to have visited our solar system from interstellar space is carrying a message from aliens, but scientists will listen for one anyway. Beginning Wednesday, the Green Bank telescope in West Virginia will observe the mysterious cigar-shaped 'Oumuamua across four radio transmission...

Meet 'Oumuamua, Our First Guest From Another Solar System

And scientists think there could be thousands more just like it passing through

(Newser) - Houston, we have a visitor—and astronomers think there could be 10,000 more just like it "lurking" in wait, as the Guardian puts it. Meet 1I/2017 U1, or 'Oumuamua (Hawaiian for "messenger" or "scout"), which scientists say is an asteroid from another solar system—...

7 Stories