Speeding Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua Is A Comet, Not An Asteroid

‘Oumuamua, the first-known interstellar interloper, is seen venting gas and dust in this artist’s concept. (Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA, ESO, M. Kornmesser) Ever since Rob Weryk first spotted ‘Oumuamua zipping through the solar system in October 2017, the peculiar object has been the target of intense scrutiny for astronomers from around the globe. After confirming the suspected asteroid reached a maximum speed of nearly 200,000 miles per hour during its closest approach to the Sun (and is shaped like a cigar), researchers quickly shifted their focus to determining the composition and origin of this mysterious object. In a study published this March, astronomers suggested that ‘Oumuamua may be an asteroid that flew by our solar system after being ejected from a binary star system. Though they relied on models to show this was a possibility, at the time, lead author Alan Jackson noted, “It’s really odd that the first object we ...