On October 19 , scientists using the University of Hawaii ’s Pan - STARRS 1 telescope spotted what resemble a small-scale asteroid or comet . pronounce from its movements , it was n’t a typical space stone . Unlike a normal asteroid or comet , the object was streaking too speedily through infinite to revolve the Sun . The researchers then realized that they ’d in all probability caught sight of our first reassert interstellar visitor , according toNational Geographic .
The objective is called A/2017 U1 , and it ’s probably less than 1300 feet wide , agree to NASA . It still has n’t been delineate , makeup - wise , but it could be the remains of an exoplanet . It may have been flung from a still - nameless star system long ago , and eventually journeyed through our solar organisation . Its world is important because it could provide scientist with new insights into how star and planets contour . These probably develop when chunks of rock and meth are hurtled into interstellar blank space , but until now , researcher had seen only diminutive mote of this material .
Rob Weryk , a postdoctoral investigator at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy ( IfA ) , was reportedly the first to spot A/2017 U1 , although he also compare short letter with a second researcher , Marco Micheli , who observed the phenomenon through the European Space Agency ’s telescope in Spain ’s Canary Islands . After reckon the rock ’s flight and speed , Weryk account the observance to theMinor Planet Center , which collects observational data for asteroid and comets .
" We have been waiting for this daytime for tenner , " Paul Chodas , coach of NASA ’s Center for Near - Earth Object Studies , say in apress program line . " It ’s long been theorized that such objects exist — asteroid or comets move around between the champion and occasionally make pass through our solar scheme — but this is the first such sensing . So far , everything indicate this is probable an interstellar physical object , but more datum would help to confirm it . "
mightily now , A/2017 U1 is speeding away from Earth at a pace of 98,000 miles an 60 minutes . It grows dimmer by the day — giving astronomers just a small window of prison term to study the remarkable find .
hear more about how scientist spotnear - Earth asteroidsby watching NASA ’s TV below .
[ h / tNational Geographic ]
