News Digging > Science > Surprisingly simple explanation for the alien comet ‘Oumuamua’s weird orbit
Surprisingly simple explanation for the alien comet ‘Oumuamua’s weird orbit
Surprisingly simple explanation for the alien comet 'Oumuamua's weird orbit,When the first interstellar comet ever seen in our solar system was discovered in 2017, one characteristic -- an unexplained acceleration away from the sun -- sparked wild speculation, including that it was an alien spacecraft. An astrochemist found a simpler explanation and tested it with an astronomer: in interstellar space, cosmic rays converted water to hydrogen in the comet's outer layers. Nearing the sun, outgassed hydrogen gave the tiny comet a kick.

Surprisingly simple explanation for the alien comet ‘Oumuamua’s weird orbit

When the first interstellar comet ever seen in our solar system was discovered in 2017, one characteristic — an unexplained acceleration away from the sun — sparked wild speculation, including that it was an alien spacecraft. An astrochemist found a simpler explanation and tested it with an astronomer: in interstellar space, cosmic rays converted water to hydrogen in the comet’s outer layers. Nearing the sun, outgassed hydrogen gave the tiny comet a kick.