The situation is clear! Scientists have revealed the true colors of strange interstellar objects, not foreign objects

After three years of research, scientists have determined that the strange objects from outside the solar system discovered in 2017 are natural objects and not the products of alien civilization.

The situation is clear! Scientists have revealed the true colors of strange interstellar objects, not foreign objects

Department of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University

In 2017, NASA's Pan-Stellar Survey Telescope in Hawaii located an interstellar object. This is the first time that humans have discovered an extra-solar object in the solar system. It is the "Oumuamua" that suddenly broke into our cosmic neighborhood. Oumuamua means "scout" or "messenger" in Hawaiian. It is similar in size to a comet, but it shows some strange and different characteristics from a comet.

The situation is clear! Scientists have revealed the true colors of strange interstellar objects, not foreign objects

Harvard University professor Avi Loeb and other famous astrophysicists suspect that the object is actually the waste of an alien civilization-it may be a space buoy or an alien probe, or even a spacecraft wreck from another world. But two Arizona State University astrophysicists disagree. Their two research reports in "Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets" believe that the true face of the object is most likely a planetary debris from another solar system like Pluto.

New Evidence for the "Rocket Effect" of Interstellar Objects

One of the co-authored professors, Steven Desh (Steven Desch) said in a report on Science.com, "Omomo behaves like a comet in many ways, but it has some weird things. The mystery is increased, and there are constant speculations about what it is." Together with another professor, Alan Jackson (Alan Jackson), he determined several features of the object that were different from comets.

The situation is clear! Scientists have revealed the true colors of strange interstellar objects, not foreign objects

The speed of this celestial body entering the solar system is slower than scientists expected, which means that it has traveled in space for no more than 1 billion years. And its shape is also very strange, like a pancake, flatter than other known solar system celestial bodies.

The scientists also noticed that although "Oumomo" gained a thrust away from the sun (the "rocket effect" commonly seen in comets, because sunlight evaporates ice on the comet), this thrust is beyond what people can explain. range. Finally, Oumomo also lacks the volatile gas that can generally be detected in the tail of the comet.

The situation is clear! Scientists have revealed the true colors of strange interstellar objects, not foreign objects

In short, Oumomo is very much like a comet, but it is different from any observed comet in the solar system.

Desh and Jackson collated and analyzed all relevant data about "Omomo", and speculated that it was composed of various ice cubes. The researchers not only calculated the mass and shape of the celestial body, but also referred to the reflectivity of ice, and found a new answer to the super-large "rocket effect" of Oumomo.

Speculate the source of solid nitrogen ice

"This is an exciting time for us," said Professor Desch, according to a report by Science.com. "We found that the reflectivity of a block of ice is much higher than expected, which means that the size of Aomomo may be smaller."

The situation is clear! Scientists have revealed the true colors of strange interstellar objects, not foreign objects

In that way, the same rocket effect will give Oumomo a greater impetus than the comet usually bears. "Desh added.

The two researchers discovered solid nitrogen ice, which is a type of ice, and its data meets all the peculiar characteristics of the celestial body at the same time. Pluto also has solid nitrogen ice on its surface, which means that this comet-like celestial body is probably made of the same material and has a similar source.

The situation is clear! Scientists have revealed the true colors of strange interstellar objects, not foreign objects

"When we have completed the calculation of albedo (the reflective power of non-luminous objects) and found that the motion of Omomo is consistent with the observations, we know that we are correct," Jackson said. "This value is the same as ours on Pluto. As observed on the surface of Triton, their surfaces are covered with nitrogen ice."

The two then performed further calculations to find out the speed at which solid nitrogen ice on the surface of Pluto-like planets in the early solar system was shot down. Then they added data on how long it would take for solid nitrogen ice from other solar systems to reach our solar system based on this speed.

The situation is clear! Scientists have revealed the true colors of strange interstellar objects, not foreign objects

Aomomo helped us grasp the difference between the Milky Way solar system and other types of solar systems

"It may have been shot down by an impact about 500 million years ago, and then thrown out of the parent system," Jackson added in a report by ScienceNet. "Made of nitrogen fixation also explains Omomo's unusual shape. As the outer layer of nitrogen ice evaporates, its shape gradually becomes flatter, just like soap is gradually being worn away during use."

The strange and abnormal behavior of the interstellar object has caused some people to speculate whether the object is an extraterrestrial technology. Professor Avi Loeb of Harvard University is one of them. He recently published his new book "The Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life". Signs.

The situation is clear! Scientists have revealed the true colors of strange interstellar objects, not foreign objects

"Everyone is interested in extraterrestrials. This celestial body from outside the solar system for the first time inevitably makes people associate," Shishi said. "But in science, it is important not to jump to conclusions."

"It took us two or three years to find an explanation that fits the natural sciences-Oumomo is a piece of nitrogen ice, which is consistent with all the known conditions we know. Just a few years in the history of science is not too long. , And it’s too early to conclude that this is the only solution."

The situation is clear! Scientists have revealed the true colors of strange interstellar objects, not foreign objects

According to the study, there was not enough evidence to show the existence of extraterrestrial technology during Oumomo’s journey through the solar system in 2017, but Jackson and Desh’s research is the latest in a series of analyses on celestial bodies outside the solar system. Aumamo’s visit is a rare opportunity. It has increased our knowledge of other planetary systems and facilitated us to compare their similarities and differences with the solar system.