Supposed alien spaceship ‘Oumuamua shows how we anthropomorphize the universe.
6 years, 2 months ago

Supposed alien spaceship ‘Oumuamua shows how we anthropomorphize the universe.

Slate  

It is part of the human experience to slowly realize we are each an isolated mind in a sea of other isolated minds, and then to spend our lives trying to cross the mighty gulfs between ourselves and others, striving to make a connection. The interstellar origin and the possible cigarlike shape of ‘Oumuamua instantly recalled Arthur C. Clarke’s novel Rendezvous With Rama, in which humans explore a cylindrical alien spacecraft passing through our solar system. This has framed the mystery of ‘Oumuamua ever since, culminating in a November article by Abraham Loeb of Harvard titled “6 Strange Facts About the Interstellar Visitor ‘Oumuamua,” which has received recent press. ‘Oumuamua’s shape is more elongated than any solar system object, a challenge to explain. As science continues to provide us more inkblot tests like ‘Oumuamua, the scientific method will continue to help us make sense of what we’re seeing.

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History of this topic

Mysterious interstellar object may have altered solar system orbits, study says
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Mysterious interstellar object may have altered solar system orbits, study says

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A massive interstellar object passing through our solar system during its formative years …

An exciting discovery leads to controversy as Harvard scientists collect fragments from interstellar meteor
1 year, 8 months ago

An exciting discovery leads to controversy as Harvard scientists collect fragments from interstellar meteor

ABC  

An exciting discovery has led to controversy after scientists from Harvard University collected fragments believed to belong to a huge interstellar meteor, but PNG officials have raised concerns that the research was conducted within their waters without a permit. Key points: Analysis of the fragments is hoped to reveal whether the meteor was made up of elements different from those …

Scientists offer 'non-alien explanation' for interstellar visitor known as 'Oumuamua
2 years ago

Scientists offer 'non-alien explanation' for interstellar visitor known as 'Oumuamua

ABC  

When the first object ever known to have visited our Solar System from outer space zoomed past in 2017, it was so strange that at least one leading astronomer was convinced it was an alien vessel. Key points: 'Oumuamua left scientists baffled when it was detected by an observatory in Hawaii in 2017 A new study theorises that it started …

Have Aliens Found Us? First Known Interstellar Object 'Oumuamua Makes Scientists Wonder
3 years, 9 months ago

Have Aliens Found Us? First Known Interstellar Object 'Oumuamua Makes Scientists Wonder

News 18  

On October 19, 2017, astronomer Robert Weryk discovered ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object. Now, scientists estimate that interstellar objects like ‘Oumuamua pass our solar system each year but we are not able to see them because they do not go so close to space. In an opinion piece published in Scientific American, Loeb tries to see ‘Oumuamua in the …

A mega comet has entered our Solar System: Observations place it closer than Neptune
3 years, 9 months ago

A mega comet has entered our Solar System: Observations place it closer than Neptune

India Today  

Comets, the frozen leftovers from the formation of the Solar System, have always been a matter of curiosity for scientists across the world, as they could hold clues about the formation of the universe. A 6,00,000 year orbit When first observed in 2014, the mega comet was about 29 Astronomical Units away from Sun — 1 AU is the distance …

Interstellar object, named Oumuamua, likely a cookie-shaped planet shard, study reveals
4 years ago

Interstellar object, named Oumuamua, likely a cookie-shaped planet shard, study reveals

ABC  

Our solar system's first known interstellar visitor is neither a comet nor asteroid as first suspected and looks nothing like a cigar. Key points: Arizona State University astronomers reported that the strange 45-metre object appeared to be made of frozen nitrogen It was named Oumuamua, Hawaiian for scout, in honour of the observatory in Hawaii that discovered it in 2017 …

'We're Not Alone': Harvard Astronomer is Convinced Alien Has Already Visited Earth
4 years, 1 month ago

'We're Not Alone': Harvard Astronomer is Convinced Alien Has Already Visited Earth

News 18  

Discovering there’s intelligent life beyond our planet could be the most transformative event in human history – but what if scientists decided to collectively ignore evidence suggesting it already happened? '” Prof Loeb, 58, lays out the argument for the alien origins of the object named ‘Oumuamua – “scout” in Hawaiian – in Extraterrestrial: The First Sign Of Intelligent Life …

Oumuamua: Nature of first known visitor from another solar system is still a mystery, scientists claim
4 years, 7 months ago

Oumuamua: Nature of first known visitor from another solar system is still a mystery, scientists claim

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The nature and origin of Oumuamua, the first known visitor from another solar …

First interstellar body, ‘Oumuamua, seen in our solar system might be a Hydrogen iceberg, say scientists
4 years, 9 months ago

First interstellar body, ‘Oumuamua, seen in our solar system might be a Hydrogen iceberg, say scientists

Firstpost  

The celestial body might not only be the first interstellar object discovered in the solar system but also the first hydrogen iceberg. The first interstellar object in our solar system, the cigar-shaped ‘Oumuamua, has been intriguing astronomers ever since its discovery in 2017. Darryl Seligman, the co-author of the study said, “Even though the hydrogen iceberg thing is a little …

interstellar visitor Oumuamua is a 'ripped fragment' from a destroyed planet
4 years, 11 months ago

interstellar visitor Oumuamua is a 'ripped fragment' from a destroyed planet

Daily Mail  

The strange cigar-shaped Oumuamua space rock discovered in 2017 was ripped from a planet and sent hurtling into space after it came too close to its star. As a planet approaches close to its host start, forces stretch and rip it apart, sending fragments hurtling out into space When it appeared in 2017 Oumuamua became the first visitor from another …

How ‘Oumuamua, first interstellar visitor to our solar system, may have formed
4 years, 11 months ago

How ‘Oumuamua, first interstellar visitor to our solar system, may have formed

CNN  

CNN — The first observed interstellar object blazed through our solar system more than two years ago. After discovery, the object was dubbed ‘Oumuamua, Hawaiian for “a messenger that reaches out from the distant past.” At first, astronomers expected that it was a comet because it was long believed that the first object spotted in our solar system that originated …

Should Earthlings Chase ‘Oumuamua Into Interstellar Space?
5 years ago

Should Earthlings Chase ‘Oumuamua Into Interstellar Space?

Wired  

In October 2017, an asteroid-hunting telescope in Hawaii detected something unusual. The group announced Project Lyra just two weeks after ‘Oumuamua’s discovery and in May, Acta Astronautica will publish the updated version of their proposed mission to chase down the asteroid. “The possible scientific return would be tremendous and might fundamentally alter our understanding of our place in the universe.” …

Expect more interstellar object sightings in our solar system, researchers say
5 years, 6 months ago

Expect more interstellar object sightings in our solar system, researchers say

CNN  

CNN — Astronomers have spotted two interstellar objects to our solar system in the last two years, and that’s just the beginning. Researchers believe that in the future, we can expect to see several large objects that originated outside of our solar system zipping through it. But of the 4,000 confirmed planets outside of our solar system, called exoplanets, most …

Three years on scientists confirm Oumuamua not alien spaceship, can't identify it
5 years, 9 months ago

Three years on scientists confirm Oumuamua not alien spaceship, can't identify it

Firstpost  

After investigating the nature of a mysterious and apparently cigar-shaped object called ‘Oumuamua spotted in 2017 speeding through our solar system, astronomers remain uncertain over how to classify it, but are confident it is not an alien spaceship. Its odd shape and motion had prompted some scientists to wonder whether ‘Oumuamua - the first object from another star system found …

Oumuamua: Scientists perplexed by mysterious space rock as they try to rule out ‘alien spaceship’ idea
5 years, 9 months ago

Oumuamua: Scientists perplexed by mysterious space rock as they try to rule out ‘alien spaceship’ idea

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. ‘Oumuamua was first spotted in October 2017, and was quickly identified as the first interstellar object ever …

This interstellar visitor was not an alien spacecraft, researchers say
5 years, 9 months ago

This interstellar visitor was not an alien spacecraft, researchers say

CNN  

CNN — On October 19, 2017, the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii spotted something strange zooming through our solar system. It was the first observed object from outside our solar system, according to a study published in the journal Nature – and, as the researchers call it, an “oddball.” “What we found was a rapidly rotating object, at least the …

Harvard astronomer defends theory interstellar object could have been alien spacecraft
6 years, 2 months ago

Harvard astronomer defends theory interstellar object could have been alien spacecraft

ABC  

The chairman of Harvard University's astronomy department has defended his controversial claim that an interstellar object that passed through our solar system could have been "of artificial origin". Key points: In October 2017, NASA said the recently discovered visitor appeared "to have originated from outside the solar system" Two Harvard astronomers said it could have been a discarded light sail, …

Oumuamua: Nasa reveals more about mysterious 'alien spacecraft' asteroid
6 years, 4 months ago

Oumuamua: Nasa reveals more about mysterious 'alien spacecraft' asteroid

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nasa has revealed more about Oumuamua, the piece of space rock so strange …

Scientist who discovered 'Oumuamua space object says it is not an alien probe
6 years, 4 months ago

Scientist who discovered 'Oumuamua space object says it is not an alien probe

ABC  

The scientist who discovered a mysterious cigar-shaped space object says suggestions by Harvard astronomers it is an alien probe are "wild speculation". Key points: 'Oumuamua was first detected using the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii last year Harvard astronomers suggested the object could be a light sail from an alien craft However, the scientist who found it says it is a …

Fact check: Is Oumuamua, a cigar-shaped rock that entered solar system, an alien spacecraft?
6 years, 4 months ago

Fact check: Is Oumuamua, a cigar-shaped rock that entered solar system, an alien spacecraft?

The Hindu  

A scientific paper led by two researchers at Harvard University made a splash this week by claiming that a cigar-shaped rock zooming through our solar system may have been sent by aliens. The researchers noted in a pre-print of the article that it was an “exotic scenario”, but that “Oumuamua may be a fully operational probe sent to the earth …

Interstellar visitor Oumuamua could be an alien messenger, Harvard scientists admit
6 years, 4 months ago

Interstellar visitor Oumuamua could be an alien messenger, Harvard scientists admit

Firstpost  

The possibility that Oumuamua could be a light-sail produced by aliens exists: Researchers. The first interstellar immigrant “‘Oumuamua” discovered in our solar system may have been an alien probe sent to investigate Earth, and not a comet as previously thought, a new study by Harvard scientists has suggested. “‘Oumuamua may be a fully operational probe sent intentionally to Earth vicinity …

Oumuamua: Did an alien spaceship just pass through our solar system? It's unlikely, experts say
6 years, 4 months ago

Oumuamua: Did an alien spaceship just pass through our solar system? It's unlikely, experts say

ABC  

Experts have expressed scepticism about claims from two Harvard astronomers who say an interstellar object that passed through our solar system in late 2017 and early 2018 could have been part of an alien spacecraft. Key points: Study suggests 'Oumuamua is not an "active comet" and could be a "discarded light-sail of extra-terrestrial origin" The interstellar object was first discovered …

Oumuamua: Asteroid that flew past Earth could have been a spacecraft sailing past us, Harvard scientists suggest
6 years, 4 months ago

Oumuamua: Asteroid that flew past Earth could have been a spacecraft sailing past us, Harvard scientists suggest

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The mysterious rock that flew past Earth could actually have been an alien …

Oumuamua: Interstellar object may have been alien probe, Harvard paper argues, but experts are skeptical
6 years, 4 months ago

Oumuamua: Interstellar object may have been alien probe, Harvard paper argues, but experts are skeptical

CNN  

CNN — A mysterious cigar-shaped object spotted tumbling through our solar system last year may have been an alien spacecraft sent to investigate Earth, astronomers from Harvard University have suggested. Since its discovery, scientists have been at odds to explain its unusual features and precise origins, with researchers first calling it a comet and then an asteroid before finally deeming …

Oumuamua leaves the solar system and its scientists with more questions than answers
6 years, 5 months ago

Oumuamua leaves the solar system and its scientists with more questions than answers

Firstpost  

‘Oumuamua brought to light that space rocks are likely a spectrum rather than a binary: Researchers. The interstellar space-rock ‘Oumuamua that did a fly-by Earth earlier this year has left our solar system, but not the systems of scientists that were studying the rock. “If it’s an asteroid, then it’s really unusual, with exotic scenarios for its formation.” The rock …

An ‘interstellar object’ comes calling
6 years, 8 months ago

An ‘interstellar object’ comes calling

The Hindu  

‘Oumuamua, the first interstellar object discovered in the solar system in October 2017, is moving away from the sun faster than expected. The original observations indicated a 230-metre-long, elongated, tiny object whose colour was similar to that of a comet and whose extremely eccentric orbit too led the International Astronomical to classify it as one. “We think that ‘Oumuamua may …

Astronomers classify the mysterious interstellar object ‘Oumuamua as a comet
6 years, 9 months ago

Astronomers classify the mysterious interstellar object ‘Oumuamua as a comet

Firstpost  

Oumuamua was first detected last October by the University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS1 telescope. The reddish cigar-shaped object called ‘Oumuamua spotted last year tumbling through space is a comet, scientists said on 27 June, solving the mystery over how to classify the first interstellar object found passing through our solar system. “It does not display any tail in any observation we …

Mysterious interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua appears to be a comet after all
6 years, 9 months ago

Mysterious interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua appears to be a comet after all

ABC  

Our first ever visitor from interstellar space left a trail of mystery in its wake when it zipped past late last year. Key points: 'Oumuamua is a Hawaiian word meaning "a messenger from afar arriving first" It is the first object from another solar system we've detected It was unclear whether it was a comet or an asteroid. It did …

Oumuamua: scientists finally decide on real identity of mysterious interstellar object
6 years, 9 months ago

Oumuamua: scientists finally decide on real identity of mysterious interstellar object

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy After months of speculation about the identity of Oumuamua, or the …

What exactly was this ‘interstellar visitor’?
6 years, 9 months ago

What exactly was this ‘interstellar visitor’?

CNN  

Story highlights 'Oumuamua is the first interstellar object observed in our solar system It acts more like a comet than an asteroid CNN — In October, a cigar-shaped interstellar visitor nicknamed ‘Oumuamua was spotted tumbling through our solar system at 85,700 miles per hour. Astronomer Marco Micheli and his colleagues used the observations of ‘Oumuamua’s motion as it traveled through …

Stolen from another sun: This backward-traveling asteroid could be an interstellar space fossil
6 years, 10 months ago

Stolen from another sun: This backward-traveling asteroid could be an interstellar space fossil

LA Times  

Scientists have discovered an immigrant in our midst: an asteroid near Jupiter’s orbit that arrived from outside the solar system some 4.5 billion years ago. “It means we can do measurements in the solar system and find material that formed, probably, around some other star.” The sun-circling orbit of asteroid 2015 BZ509, nicknamed BeeZed, is tied to the orbit of …

Huge, mysterious object flying past Earth might be an alien spacecraft, scientists say
6 years, 11 months ago

Huge, mysterious object flying past Earth might be an alien spacecraft, scientists say

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A huge object that flew past Earth might be an alien spacecraft, scientists …

Oumuamua: First alien object to visit our solar system is wrapped in strange organic coat, scientists reveal
6 years, 11 months ago

Oumuamua: First alien object to visit our solar system is wrapped in strange organic coat, scientists reveal

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “In the end this was a nice result because we’ve expected all along that the majority of …

Oumuamua: Alien asteroid sent flying into our solar system had 'violent past'
7 years, 1 month ago

Oumuamua: Alien asteroid sent flying into our solar system had 'violent past'

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The first ever alien visitor from outside our solar system was …

WHAT IS 'OUMUAMUA AND WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT?
7 years, 1 month ago

WHAT IS 'OUMUAMUA AND WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT?

Daily Mail  

A cigar-shaped object named 'Oumuamua sailed past Earth at 97,200mph in October. But the asteroid's slightly red hue — specifically pale pink — and varying brightness are remarkably similar to objects in our own solar system. But scientists from Queen’s University Belfast took a good look at the object and said it appears to be an asteroid, or ‘planetesimal’ as …

How I discovered the origins of the cigar-shaped alien 'asteroid' 'Oumuamua
7 years, 2 months ago

How I discovered the origins of the cigar-shaped alien 'asteroid' 'Oumuamua

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Research has already helped us learn a lot about ‘Oumuamua’s rare cigar-like shape, what it’s …

What is the buzz about the new ‘interstellar object’?
7 years, 3 months ago

What is the buzz about the new ‘interstellar object’?

The Hindu  

The cigar-shaped rocky object, our first visitor from another solar system is continuing to throw new surprises and is keeping astronomers on their toes. On December 18, scientists from Queen's University, UK published a letter in Nature, stating that the interstellar object that whizzed past our sun in October is made up of icy interiors and carbon-rich surfaces. According to …

Interstellar 'comet' Oumuamua is just a crusty old rock
7 years, 3 months ago

Interstellar 'comet' Oumuamua is just a crusty old rock

Daily Mail  

Earlier this month, a skyscraper-sized space rock floated into our solar system, sparking claims that it was a spacecraft sent by extraterrestrials. Scroll down for video A skyscraper-sized space rock which floated into our solar system has withstood the intense heat of the sun because it is coated in a special crust, a new study suggests OUMUAMUA A cigar-shaped comet …

Oumuamua: What you need to know about the first alien visitor to our solar system
7 years, 3 months ago

Oumuamua: What you need to know about the first alien visitor to our solar system

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Further work by observatories across the world came to pinpoint the asteroid as the first we've ever …

An interstellar visit both familiar and alien
7 years, 4 months ago

An interstellar visit both familiar and alien

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Oumuamua, an interstellar asteroid, passing through our solar system Meech’s team …

The Physics Behind the Strange Interstellar Asteroid 'Oumuamua
55 years, 3 months ago

The Physics Behind the Strange Interstellar Asteroid 'Oumuamua

Wired  

For the first time, humans have detected an interstellar asteroid—a space rock they're calling 'Oumuamua, which is a Hawaiian word meaning "scout." But on top of that, this asteroid has a really interesting shape: It's very long and skinny, with a width to length ratio of about 1 to 10. If you want to learn the answers to more "how …

Oumuamua: First interstellar object observed from Earth has an ‘unusual’ cigar shape
7 years, 4 months ago

Oumuamua: First interstellar object observed from Earth has an ‘unusual’ cigar shape

Hindustan Times  

The first interstellar object spotted racing through our Solar System last month has an “unusual” elongated, cigar shape and is red in colour, astronomers say. Scientists who studied images of the object said in a study – published in Nature – that there are “few objects of comparable size in our solar system”. “For decades we’ve theorized that such interstellar …

Meet ‘Oumuamua, the first observed interstellar visitor to our solar system
7 years, 4 months ago

Meet ‘Oumuamua, the first observed interstellar visitor to our solar system

CNN  

Story highlights A strange visitor to our solar system has been identified as an interstellar asteroid It's zooming through our solar system and will leave in 2019 CNN — On October 19, the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii spotted something strange zooming through our solar system. It is the first observed object from outside our solar system, according to a …

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