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| Artist's impression of C/2017 U1 |
Last week, a mysterious
object whizzed past Earth, which scientists suspected was the first 'alien
comet' to visit us from another solar system. Now, researchers have revealed
stunning images of the comet in action, and information on its possible
chemical composition. The image 'sends a shiver down the spine,' according to
scientists studying it.
Their findings suggest that
it is a small rocky or icy object that may have been drifting through our
galaxy for millions or even billions of years, before entering our solar system
by chance. Researchers from Queen's University
Belfast have been studying the mysterious comet, called C/2017 U1, using
powerful telescopes across the world.
While most comets follow
ellipse-shaped orbits around the sun, this comet appears to orbit at an angle,
and doesn't circle the sun. Its orbital path suggests it
entered our solar system from the direction of the constellation Lyra, looped
around the sun, and will never return.
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| Last week, a mysterious object whizzed past Earth, which scientists suspected was the first 'alien comet' to visit us from another solar system. Now, researchers have revealed stunning images of the comet in action, and information on its possible chemical composition |
Professor Alan Fitzsimmons,
who is leading the study, said: 'By Wednesday this week it became almost
certain this object was alien to our solar system. 'We immediately started
studying it that night with the William Herschel Telescope in the Canary
Islands, then on Thursday night with the Very Large Telescope in Chile.'
Initial findings suggest
that the comet is a small rocky or icy object that may have been drifting
through our galaxy for millions or even billions of years, before entering our
solar system by chance. The object flew into the
solar system from above, was close to the sun last month, and is now already on
its way back out to the stars, according to the researchers.
Astronomers believe it was
probably thrown out of another star system during a period of planet formation. Despite suspecting such
objects existed and looking out for them over past decades, scientists have
never seen such an interstellar visitor until now.
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| Initial findings suggest that the comet is a small rocky or icy object that may have been drifting through our galaxy for millions or even billions of years, before entering our solar system by chance |
During their investigations,
Professor Fitzsimmons' team captured clear images of the unusual object. Professor Fitzsimmons added:
'It sends a shiver down the spine to look at this object and think it has come
from another star.'
The researchers highlight
that more information is needed to pin down the exact details of where the
visitor came from, but hope that further studies will reveal more about the
mysterious comet. But not everyone is
convinced that the comet comes from another solar system.
Dr Maria Womack, a planetary
scientist at the University of South Florida said: 'It could have interacted
with Jupiter or another planet in such a way that changed its orbit. When you think of photos of
comets, they're a fuzzy blob. People
have to make determinations of where they think the centre is. Someone who is at the
telescope has to make a call.'
Via DailyMail