Interstellar Interlopers, Coming in from the great beyond |
Interstellar Interlopers, Coming in from the great beyond |
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#1
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Member ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 541 Joined: 17-November 05 From: Oklahoma Member No.: 557 ![]() |
They finally found a chunk of something coming into the Solar System. Something much bigger than cosmic rays or dust particles.
Asteroid/comet in hyperbolic trajectory |
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#2
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![]() Senior Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 4252 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 ![]() |
Thanks for that reference, Paolo.
Still, there have been several cautionary comments, eg from S&T: QUOTE "If further observations confirm the unusual nature of this orbit," notes Gareth Williams, the MPC's associate director, "this object may be the first clear case of an interstellar comet." Or from New Scientist: QUOTE “It could be that it’s coming from outside the solar system, but it’s really hard to tell,” says Simon Porter, also at the Southwest Research Institute. Further observations in the next couple weeks will make the picture clearer. Maybe these are older comments or perhaps people were concerned it was a piece of a comet that had broken up, so may have gotten a boost near perihelion. Anyway now the S&T story says it is pointlike and hence an asteroid, not a comet. |
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