Has the mystery behind the first visitor from outside the solar system been revealed?

by time news

‘Umoamua may be composed of hydrogen ice, which explains its unusual properties. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, but it is rarely found in the solid state

The diagram shows the trajectory of the interstellar object “Omoamua” that crossed the solar system. The diagram shows the original trajectory of “Omoamoa” and the new trajectory, which takes into account the new measured speed of the object. Image: ESA/HUBBLE

In 2017, astronomers spotted the first interstellar object to enter our solar system, named “Oumuamua”, which means “scout” or “messenger” in Hawaiian (Polynesian). However, its strange properties have left astronomers with many unanswered questions about its origin and composition. Now, new research suggests that the mystery of ‘Umoamua may have been solved.

According to the study, ‘Umoamua may be composed of hydrogen ice, which explains its unusual properties. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, but it is rarely found in the solid state. The researchers suggest that ‘Omoamua could have formed in the dense molecular clouds of gas and dust that exist between stars, where temperatures are extremely low, allowing hydrogen to freeze into ice.

The study also suggests that the hydrogen ice evaporated during the takeoff process as ‘Umoamua approached our Sun, which explains why it had no visible halo or tail, like a comet. The lack of outgassing could also explain why ‘Umoamua had an unusually elongated shape, rather than the more spherical shape one would expect from a comet.

The researchers used computer simulations to test their hypothesis and found that a hydrogen ice structure could explain the observed properties of Omoamoa. They also note that the lack of detection of hydrogen emissions from Omoamoa by telescopes in the past is consistent with their hypothesis.

The idea that Omoamoa might be composed of hydrogen ice is not entirely new, but previous studies have suggested other possibilities, such as being a fragment of a disrupted planet or hydrogen ice. The new research adds weight to the hydrogen ice theory and provides a more detailed explanation of how ‘Umoamua could have formed and developed. The authors of the study also point out that if their hypothesis is correct, it may have implications for the study of interstellar objects in the future. They suggest that other interstellar objects may also be made of hydrogen ice, which could explain their unusual properties. They also suggest that future missions to study interstellar objects should carry instruments capable of detecting hydrogen emissions, which could help confirm or rule out the hydrogen ice theory.

For the scientific article in Science

More on the subject on the science website:

You may also like

Leave a Comment