‘We have been waiting for this day’: Mystery object may be first interstellar visitor

[Free Vulcan]

Astronomers around the world are trying to track down a small, fast-moving object that is zipping through our solar system.

Is a comet? An asteroid? NASA’s not sure. The space agency doesn’t even know where it came from, but it’s not behaving like the local space rocks and that means it may not be from our solar system.

If that’s confirmed, NASA says “it would be the first interstellar object to be observed and confirmed by astronomers.”

Read more at: http://wqad.com/2017/10/27/we-have-been-waiting-for-this-day-mystery-object-may-be-first-interstellar-visitor/

[Right_in_Virginia]

They think this is an object from outside our solar system .... just passing through.

No word on what the object is. 

[Victoria33]

@Quix

In case you don't know about this.

[Free Vulcan]

They think this is an object from outside our solar system .... just passing through.

No word on what the object is.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Tough to argue with. 

[catfish1957]

I am not an Astrophysicist, but what kind of stellar bodies make 90 degree turns?

Was there some kind of gravitational influence?

[Right_in_Virginia]

I am not an Astrophysicist, but what kind of stellar bodies make 90 degree turns?  ...

And at this speed?

[Gefn]

Ping @Suppressed

I hope it's good aliens like ET. Probably bad aliens 👽

Maybe a rogue planet or moon

[dfwgator]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KNJcOZXmMU

[Ghost Bear]

I am not an Astrophysicist, but what kind of stellar bodies make 90 degree turns?

Was there some kind of gravitational influence?

If I'm looking at the graphic properly, it looks like the mystery body passed within the orbit of Mercury, so the apparent 90 degree turn was probably due to the influence of the Sun's gravity.

Just to make clear, I'm not an astrophysicist either, though. 

[Suppressed]

If I'm looking at the graphic properly, it looks like the mystery body passed within the orbit of Mercury, so the apparent 90 degree turn was probably due to the influence of the Sun's gravity.

Just to make clear, I'm not an astrophysicist either, though. 

The article states that it was quite close to earth.  But still, consider that the earth makes a 360-degree turn each year from that gravitational pull.

[Ghost Bear]

The article states that it was quite close to earth.  But still, consider that the earth makes a 360-degree turn each year from that gravitational pull.

The article states that it passed Earth at about 15 million miles distance, which is only close in astronomical terms. Still, looking at the graphic, it could do both: after passing within Mercury's orbit nearly perpendicular to the ecliptic (that is, the plane formed by Earth's orbit around the Sun) the object curved around the Sun and went off at an angle that was much closer to the ecliptic, appearing to pass "under" the Earth as it did.  Not sure, but it looks like it then rose above the ecliptic as it went further out, so it was still at an angle to the ecliptic, just a much lower angle than it was when it came in.

All of that is assuming that the graphic is at all accurate. And that I'm looking at it correctly. 

[Joe Wooten]

I am not an Astrophysicist, but what kind of stellar bodies make 90 degree turns?

Was there some kind of gravitational influence?

It came into the solar system on a parabolic trajectory, picking up speed as it came down into the sun's gravitational well. It will slow down some as it exits the system, but it will keep some of the velocity it picked up.

[Snarknado]

I am not an Astrophysicist, but what kind of stellar bodies make 90 degree turns?

Was there some kind of gravitational influence?

Don't comets travel at comparable speeds and slingshot around the sun in even tighter orbits?

[Smokin Joe]

If it didn't slow down, where's the beef?

[Suppressed]

The article states that it passed Earth at about 15 million miles distance, which is only close in astronomical terms. Still, looking at the graphic, it could do both: after passing within Mercury's orbit nearly perpendicular to the ecliptic (that is, the plane formed by Earth's orbit around the Sun) the object curved around the Sun and went off at an angle that was much closer to the ecliptic, appearing to pass "under" the Earth as it did.  Not sure, but it looks like it then rose above the ecliptic as it went further out, so it was still at an angle to the ecliptic, just a much lower angle than it was when it came in.

All of that is assuming that the graphic is at all accurate. And that I'm looking at it correctly. 

@Ghost Bear
Now that I can see it on a big screen, not just my phone, I see that's what it looks like.  That makes more sense for the large deflection.  Thanks!