4 years, 11 months ago

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

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 star system to be spotted from Earth, and astronomers have speculated on its origins ever since HOW DID OUMUAMUA FORM AND LAUNCH INTO SPACE? Study lead author Dr Yun Zhang thinks the process they describe could mean that Oumuamua is just one of an army of interstellar projectiles hurtling through space. The Oumuamua asteroid floated through our star system in November 2017 The team suggests their theory could also explain why Oumuamua moves in an unusual, non-gravitational way.

Daily Mail

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