Scientists Attempt to Answer , Lingering Questions About , Oumuamua.
In 2017, astronomers observed the first interstellar object
to pass through our solar system, naming it Oumuamua,
or "messenger from afar arriving first” in Hawaiian.
CNN reports that the object's trip through
our solar system gave rise to a number of
questions that have remained unanswered.
While the object was roughly
the size of an asteroid, it was oddly shaped,
similar to a cigar or pancake. .
CNN reports that while Oumuamua moved
somewhat like a comet, it also lacked a cometary
tail and was much smaller that known comets.
Most perplexing of all was that
the object appeared to accelerate
on its way out of our solar system.
On March 22, a new study was published
in the journal 'Nature,' which attempts to
answer some of those lingering questions.
A new theory to explain the object's acceleration
centers on Oumuamua being a water-rich
comet containing high amounts of hydrogen.
According to the new theory, that hydrogen was trapped
inside bubbles within the comet's icy interior before
being released by heating from passing by our sun.
The team behind the new theory believe
that the release of hydrogen gas could have
been enough to accelerate the object. .
In 2025, Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory will begin operations, aiming to detect and hopefully unravel the mystery of other interstellar travelers like Oumuamua.