A new study has found that the bizarre motions of the interstellar object 'Oumuamua can be found to be intelligent
'Oumuamua is a strange interstellar visitor, the first object discovered in the solar system, but which originated outside of it .Scientists are puzzled by its acceleration far from the Sun, which is observed inside comets when the ice inside them begins toThe mystery has sparked the theory that the object is an alien spacecraft.
But the authors of a new study publishedin the journal Nature, found a more down-to-earth explanation. 'Oumuamua's unusual movements are caused by the release of hydrogen molecules trapped in the ice beneath the object's surface. They may have been released when the Sun heated it, which slowed Oumuamua's flight past the star slightly.
This simulation depicts the interstellar object 'Oumuamua as a mass of fragments elongated by stellar tidal forces. Image credit: ZHANG Yun/background ESO/M. Kornmesser
'Oumuamua was first observed in October2017 It remained in the telescope's field of view for about four months. In this short period, it has caused quite a stir due to its bizarre properties. According to NASA, the cigar-shaped object was about 400 meters long and perhaps 10 times thinner. Researchers initially thought it was a comet, but it didn't form a tail or emit a cloud of dust and gas as it approached the Sun.
It could pass for an asteroid—these space rocks move only under the influence of gravity. But this theory is hampered by the unexplained speed changes that the researchers observed.
Read more:
NASA helicopter showed sunset on Mars. It doesn't look like earth.
Physicists have found a way to overcome the limitation on the size of semiconductors
Treasure found that was hidden during the war almost 1,000 years ago
Cover photo: ESO/M. KORNMESSER / KÜNSTLERISCHE DARSTELLUNG DES INTERSTELLAREN ASTEROIDEN ‘OUMUAMUA / CC BY 4.0 CC BY (AUSSCHNITT)
</ p>