Visitor from Far, Far Away: Interstellar Object Spotted in Our Solar System

[Calista241]

Source: Space.com

A visitor from interstellar space has likely been spotted in our solar system for the first time ever.

The object, known as A/2017 U1, was detected last week by researchers using the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii.

"We have been waiting for this day for decades," Paul Chodas, manager of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a statement.

"It's long been theorized that such objects exist — asteroids or comets moving around between the stars and occasionally passing through our solar system — but this is the first such detection," Chodas added. "So far, everything indicates this is likely an interstellar object, but more data would help to confirm it."

Read more: https://www.space.com/38580-interstellar-object-spotted-comet-asteroid-mystery.html

[leftstreet]

1. I hope it's Trump's mothership

Interesting article, thanks for posting!

[edbermac]

2. "Klaatu barada nikto"

Imagine if he landed in Washington today.

[Docreed2003]

3. I doubt they would be as nice as they were back the !!

[edbermac]

6. I don't know who would be more scared.

Klaatu afraid of what Trump would do or us afraid of what Gort would do to Earth.

[SonofDonald]

32. Hey Gort!, see that thing with the orange face?

Light it up!

[Canoe52]

24. Thanks for posting, that was the first thing that came to mind!!!

[CanonRay]

26. Gort coming to take Trump back.

[Eko]

4. Cool!

[Xipe Totec]

5. Rendezvous with Rama lama ding dong nt

[Loyd]

34. That book was a big Nothingburger

How it won the awards it did is beyond me. Clarke's vastly superior A Fall Of Moondust, for example, didn't get anywhere NEAR the acclaim it deserved.

[lastlib]

37. Check its light curve!......

That was a SUPERBLY-conceived and written book! It deserved every award it got! I don't think any "first-contact" book has ever pulled off what Clarke did with that one. The insouciant "arrogance" of the Ramans to totally ignore mankind, after all the hoopla Rama caused mankind, was a brilliant twist!

[ThoughtCriminal]

7. Ramans do everything in threes

Just passing through...

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. This seems a bit hyperbolic (nt)

[Ptah]

10. Yes!

[krispos42]

18. Only a complete asymptote would say that.

You're acting parabolic.

[lastlib]

38. Now, now, let's not get caternary!

[tclambert]

44. Hohmann, you guys are bad.

[YOHABLO]

9. Maybe a extraterrestrial coming to take the Republican Congress far far away.

Dream on, Dream on, Dream until your dreams come true.

[EX500rider]

11. They're heeeeere!

[TeamPooka]

12. If they say "Take me to your leader." send them to Hillary.

[jpak]

13. ...and it's slowing down...

[Marcuse]

14. What if the alien asks to be taken to our leader?

We will not be considered a sentient life form and could be subject to cleansing.

[krispos42]

19. "Umm, well... it's complicated"

[GulfCoast66]

27. Berlin is that way!

[tclambert]

43. Call Vlad.

[safeinOhio]

15. Looks like impact

near, or in, Area 51.

[yuiyoshida]

16. Guess its TOO EARLY TO HOPE FOR...

[Auggie]

17. I hope it's Superman

[Honeycombe8]

20. Interstellar: Occurring or situated between the stars

Yes, I had to verify the definition, sad to say.

This is fascinating. Stars, I gather, are like planets in that they have gravity, and have planets orbiting them. But an object that travels between them? I'd never really thought about it, but it wouldn't seem possible. How would it leave the gravity?

I wonder how they know it came from outside the area? Fascinating.

I wonder where the meteors that have struck earth came from?

[defacto7]

31. Lots of questions, some have answers...

All mass has gravity... stars, planets, asteroids, dust, you, it has its own gravity as well. Under the right conditions an object can leave or enter the gravitational pull of any other object. It's more complicated but this is one way to explain it.
They usually figure out where an object is from or not, by its trajectory through space, how it interacts with other objects or what it's made of using spectroscopy or gravitational anomalies.
Most meteors are dust and rocks from passing comets. Meteors that strike earth are called meteorites and are larger rocks that burn in the atmosphere but don't completely disintegrate. They are most likely left over debris from the beginning of our solar system but are from many different origins. To much to explain here, but just big rocks in space.

[Honeycombe8]

46. Thanks!

Lots of info there.

Cool on how they can tell where an object came from, or at least generally where. I suppose an object can leave a star's gravitational pull if it has enough momentum and force, like rockets leave ours.

Fascinating. You are very educated, defacto!

[donotpissoffacow]

40. Some bigger bully passerby

jerked it out of orbit and threw it speeding off in a different direction

[Honeycombe8]

47. You're serious?

Like another object hit it? Or another star's stronger gravitational pull yanked it away?

Imagine...while we here on Earth are all consumed with current events, we forget that all these scientists are focused on the science of the universe and the goings on there.

[left-of-center2012]

21. ...

[Honeycombe8]

48. LOL. nt

[Sam McGee]

22. When they land. . .

. . . and return home, can I go with them? Their world could not be worse than TrumpWorld.

[Permanut]

23. Probably kryptonite..

Nothing to worry about for ordinary mortals.

[Wolf Frankula]

25. But what if the alien looks like this?

Wolf

[BigmanPigman]

28. Interstellar Overdrive....

[FrodosNewPet]

49. Old School Pink Floyd +1

[AngryAmish]

29. All in a dream, all in a dream The loading had begun.

I just hope when The Elder Gods arrive they will continue their slumber.

[lastlib]

39. Should be the theme song for "Childhood's End"!

"Flying Mother Nature's silver seed to a new home in the sun...."

[Liberal Veteran]

30. It's a Pakled Freighter looking their lost crewman, Trump.

[Rollo]

33. He's an excellent driver...

[donotpissoffacow]

41. NO, NO!

They're looking for me. I'm on Route 66 headed for the crater. Don't want no fat-assed orange gropers on board, thank you.

[sandensea]

35. These sightings come as nuclear rhetoric is rapidly escalating, coincidentally.

Or maybe not coincidentally.

[The Wizard]

36. flying saucers (nt)

[Thor_MN]

42. So this is Nibiru? Bit underwhelming. Sad.

[LAGC]

45. ...

(A day late, and a dollar short.)