Humans have been exploring space for decades now.

Normally, we’re the ones that go visit the far ends of the solar system and beyond, to discover
things, that we can’t with a regular telescope.

The general idea is that these things exist, they’re there in space, and we just have to go and
find them.

But with the discovery of Oumuamua, all of that changed.

In a jaw-dropping twist that sends shockwaves through the scientific community, Loeb brings
forth the first-ever, tangible images of ‘Oumuamua. The enigmatic interstellar object that has
confounded astronomers for years.

Join us as we embark on an extraordinary journey, peering into the very fabric of existence,
where the mysteries of ‘Oumuamua await their long-awaited unveiling.

What is ‘Oumuamua.

In 2017, an astronomical event unlike any other occurred. for the first time, we spotted an object
that we believe originated beyond our Solar System. Its origin was once a source of
controversy.

Was it a comet, although with a peculiar orbit? Was it an asteroid because it didn't have a
noticeable tail? Or was it something completely unique. A visitor from another galaxy and the
first instance of an altogether new kind of object? It was named 'Oumuamua, which means
"messenger from the distant past" in Hawaiian, and it became a magnificent discovery as well
as a glimpse into what items exist across interstellar space.

But one scientist, enamored with his own notion and ignoring the extensive study done by other
experts who specialize in this subject, has gone on a public crusade to persuade the world of
the most implausible explanation for this natural phenomenon. aliens.

For the better part of four years, Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb has been all over the media,
rallying popular support for a theory that defies scientific proof. Contrary to popular belief,
including that found in Loeb's new book, Extraterrestrial. The First Sign of Life Beyond Earth,
this is not a possibility worth considering as a scientist.

A simple examination of the evidence reveals why.1

1 https.//www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2021/02/11/harvard-astronomer-views-interstellar-
interloper-as-humanitys-wake-up-call/?sh=180b8d924a21
Every object gravitationally impacted by the Sun will follow one of four orbital routes, according
to the law of gravity. Circular with an eccentricity of zero, elliptical with an eccentricity larger
than zero but less than one, parabolic with an eccentricity precisely equal to one, or hyperbolic
with an eccentricity more than one.

Oumuamua's Unique Orbital Characteristics.

Prior to 2017, we had encountered a few items with eccentricities of one or more, but only by a
little margin. values like 1 point 0-0-0-1 or such. Even with Jupiter's help, the fastest-moving
Solar System object yet spotted has an eccentricity of 1 point 0-6. This relates to an object
escaping the Sun's gravity, although by a small margin.

For 'Oumuamua, it was quite the opposite. It immediately became clear that this object was
something special, as its eccentricity was about 1 point 2, corresponding to an escape speed
that was more like 26 kilometers per second. 2

It was the fastest-moving naturally occurring object to leave the Solar System with such a
speed, a phenomenon that would be impossible from even an ideal gravitational interaction with
a planet like Jupiter or Neptune, which weren’t in the path of ‘Oumuamua at any point.

Clearly, it must have originated from outside of our neighborhood. By the time this item reaches
interstellar space, it will only be moving at 1 kilometer per second.

Many of these objects, according to models and estimates, should travel through our Solar
System on a yearly basis, but we wouldn't be able to detect them unless we began taking
frequent, practically nightly images of the whole sky with high sensitivity, over and over again.

That is exactly what the Pan-STARRS telescope has been doing for years, and it was this
telescope that discovered 'Oumuamua. It is the first detection of an interstellar intruder.
Scientists finally agreed on this label when it came to identifying this item.

In fact, the only reason we discovered this one was because it got very near to the Sun, which is
unusual for an object of this type. It really traveled through Mercury's orbit, which is rarely
scanned by our telescopes since it’s a big no-no to unintentionally risk aiming your telescope
towards the Sun.

It wasn't discovered until it had passed across to the opposite side of Earth's orbit, on its journey
out of the Solar System. We discovered it when it was 23 Million kilometers away from Earth.

Unusual Characteristics and Observations of ‘Oumuamua.

2 https.//www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2021/01/28/the-uncensored-guide-to-oumuamua-aliens-
and-that-harvard-astronomer/?sh=765b99aa6abe
When it was closest to the Sun, it was traveling at incredible speeds. up to 88 kilometers per
second, or three times the speed at which Earth circled the Sun. But we were lucky to have
captured it at all. It was tiny (approximately 100 meters long), dim, and bright red, comparable to
the Trojan asteroids that circle Jupiter.

Its color differs from that of known frozen things, failing to match comets, Kuiper belt objects, or
even centaurs, and further examinations showed a certain level of boredom in 'Oumuamua,
since it exhibited no molecular or atomic absorption or emission signals.

In fact, if it weren't for two peculiar characteristics of this object, there would have been little to
notice about it other than the fact that it exists and follows the course we saw.

The first unusual aspect of 'Oumuamua was discovered in October of 2017, shortly after its
detection. We only had a brief window of opportunity to make follow-up studies because it was
pretty close to Earth but yet traveling away very rapidly, so a number of telescopes set their
sights on this cosmic oddball.

The brightness of the object fluctuated by around a factor of 15 over a timeline of about 3 point
6 hours but not on a regular basis like clockwork. Comets and asteroids may differ by a few
percent or even a factor of two, but a factor of 15 is unheard of. Models of this object suggest
that it is both elongated and tumbling, which would explain its frequent, extreme brightness
changes.

This is a good explanation because, unless there is some mechanism for obscuring the light
from this object on one side, such as an interstellar analogue of Saturn's two-toned moon
Iapetus, or perhaps dust or outgassing, a change in the object's apparent size could explain the
large brightness variations.

It's not surprising that this thing is tumbling, but seeing an object so fully stretched, like a rock
that's been worn for a very long period in a river or ocean, makes this object all the more
remarkable.

The second strange characteristic appeared as we followed 'Oumuamua's route out of the solar
system.

We thought, maybe naively, that it would follow a hyperbolic orbit, as if the only force acting on it
was gravity. What we discovered, however, was that a regular, fully hyperbolic orbit did not suit
what we saw.

It felt as if there was an extra acceleration, as if something undetected was pushing it in addition
to gravity's pull.
Insights from 'Oumuamua's Discovery and Implications.

Since its discovery, the astrophysics community has published several publications on
'Oumuamua, bringing together the lessons we learnt and aligning our pre-existing ideas with the
new findings to construct a comprehensive picture of what may be lying in interstellar space.

A single object, such as 'Oumuamua, will only get this close to a star in the Milky Way once per
100 trillion years, or nearly 10,000 times the current age of the Universe.3

So, how did we become so lucky to watch it?

It's because there are so many of them.

According to some calculations, there may be as many as 1025 bodies like this – interstellar
interlopers — hurtling across our galaxy. Given the huge quantity of these objects out there,
they will travel through our Solar System on a regular basis, up to a few times every year.

We'll be able to see them if we have the necessary equipment and scan the sky often,
exhaustively, pollution-free, and at dim enough magnitudes. Many thought 'Oumuamua was a
one-time event. As astronomer Gregory Laughlin described it, "this was the time of
'Oumuamua's life."

Borisov, unlike 'Oumuamua, has a recognizable look to us. So, what was the difference
between these two objects?

We must acknowledge that there might be several answers to that question. Perhaps they aren't
that dissimilar, but 'Oumuamua was too tiny to accurately quantify with the tools we had in 2017.
We spotted Borisov as it was entering the Solar System, allowing us lots of opportunity to
examine it, whereas we only observed 'Oumuamua as it was leaving.

3 https.//www.space.com/38857-oumuamua-interstellar-asteroid-explained-in-images.html
Huzaifa
Oumuamua Sparks Debate Among Scientists.

Scientists have been at war over how to explain its peculiar properties and precise origins since
its discovery, with researchers initially labelling it a comet, then an asteroid, before eventually
declaring it the first of its kind. a new class of "interstellar objects."

According to a recent report published by experts at the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for
Astrophysics, the elongated dark-red object, which is 10 times as long as it is broad and
travelling at speeds of 196,000 miles per hour, might have a "artificial origin."

"'Oumuamua may be a fully operational probe sent intentionally to Earth's vicinity by an alien
civilization," they said in their report, which was accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal Letters.

"Considering an artificial origin, one possibility is that 'Oumuamua is a light sail, floating in
interstellar space as debris from an advanced technological equipment," the paper's authors
said, hinting that the object may be propelled by solar radiation.

Abraham Loeb, professor and head of astronomy, and Shmuel Bialy, a postdoctoral scientist at
the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, wrote the study.

Loeb has written four books and over 700 papers on themes ranging from black holes to the
future of the cosmos, the quest for alien life, and the formation of stars.

The article says that similar light-sails exist on Earth.

Initially, scientists assumed the swiftly moving dim light was a typical comet or asteroid that had
formed in our solar system.

Comets, in particular, are known to accelerate due to "outgassing," a process in which the sun
warms the frozen comet's surface, causing melted gas to escape. 'Oumuamua, on the other
hand, didn't have a "coma," which is the atmosphere and dust that surrounds comets as they
melt.

Multiple telescopes concentrated on the item for three nights to figure out what it was before it
vanished.

The researchers feel that we should look for other interstellar objects in our sky in the future.

"It is exciting to live in a time when we have the scientific technology to search for evidence of
alien civilizations," Loeb remarked in an email. "The evidence about 'Oumuamua is fascinating
but not conclusive." I'll be overjoyed when we get convincing evidence."
Assessing 'Oumuamua's Possible Alien Origins.

While no concrete evidence has been found to support this claim, the unique characteristics of
'Oumuamua continue to fuel intriguing theories and imaginative possibilities.

Some propose that 'Oumuamua's peculiar shape and elongated dimensions indicate a
purposefully designed spacecraft. Its unusual trajectory and high speed also hint at a possible
propulsion system beyond our current understanding.

The object's origin from another star system raises questions about potential advanced
civilizations in the universe, prompting speculation that 'Oumuamua could be a probe sent by an
alien civilization to explore and study other star systems.

Furthermore, the absence of a coma or tail typically associated with comets adds to the mystery
surrounding its composition and origin. Oumuamua's tumbling motion, which suggests a non-
natural object, further ignites the imagination, resembling how a spacecraft might behave.

Oumuamua travels in a complicated tumbling spin as well, but a functional solar sail would have
a far smoother route and evident radiation-driven acceleration, according to Jackson. He
indicated that the spinning motion of a broken solar sail will be significantly more heavily
impacted by radiation forces than apparent.

He also stated that the solar sail would be thinner than the authors of the current research
indicate.

"The sail on IKAROS is 7 point 5 micro metres thick and weighs only 0 point 0-0-1 gram per
centimeter square, which is 100 times less than their estimate," Jackson explained.4

"A spacecraft and sail combination may have a large net mass, but the sail must be extremely
light." Their estimate of how far it might travel before disintegrating would also be modified but,
as I have mentioned, I doubt any viable vessel would deploy its sail in interstellar space."

The Search for 'Oumuamua's Source and Limitations of Detection.

Due to the inability of solar sails to change direction once launched, there is a possibility of
tracing 'Oumuamua back to its origin. However, the definite source of 'Oumuamua is still
unknown.

The task of tracking 'Oumuamua becomes challenging beyond a certain point due to the motion
of stars. Even if an alien civilization were to attempt charting such a long course, they would

4 https.//edition.cnn.com/2018/11/06/health/oumuamua-alien-probe-harvard-intl/index.html
encounter similar difficulties, aside from debates about their willingness to launch a spacecraft
that would take millions of years to reach its destination, as explained by Jackson.

Astronomers had limited time to observe 'Oumuamua, resulting in a lack of substantial

evidence, leaving room for speculation regarding its nature and origin.

Katherine Mack, an astronomer and cosmologist, emphasized that scientists are open to
publishing unconventional ideas if there is even a slight chance of their validity. However, they
would exhaust all other possibilities extensively before truly believing in such ideas.

It is worth noting that the researchers behind the new study have expertise in solar sails, leading
them to suggest that 'Oumuamua might resemble one, according to Coryn Bailer-Jones from
the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. Bailer-Jones' research on potential 'Oumuamua origin
sites was approved by The Astrophysical Journal in September.

Bailer-Jones clarified that the involvement of aliens in this context relies on accepting their
assumption, which is not based on conclusive evidence that 'Oumuamua has a sail-like
structure.

Additionally, it assumes that such a structure cannot occur naturally. The mention of aliens is
minimal in the study, only briefly discussing the possibility that 'Oumuamua could have been
directed towards the solar system.

Bailer-Jones expressed no objections to this type of speculative research, finding it engaging

and thought-provoking, given the crucial question of the existence of extraterrestrial life.

Planned Mission to Explore Oumuamua in 2028.

A potential mission is being considered to commence in early 2028 and reach 'Oumuamua
sometime between 2050 and 2054, depending on the speed and trajectory of the spacecraft as
it departs our Solar System.

In the initial four years of the expedition, the spacecraft would make two orbits around Earth, as
well as one each around Venus and Jupiter, utilizing their gravitational forces to gather
momentum before heading towards the enigmatic celestial object.

To aid the approach towards 'Oumuamua, solar sail technology, exemplified by the Planetary
Society's successful LightSail 2 proof-of-concept mission, would be employed to power the
probe.

However, the expedition would incorporate a photon sail propelled partly by a laser originating
from Earth, similar to the approach proposed by Breakthrough Starshot for their light sail probe
intended to reach the closest star system, Alpha Centauri, within two decades after launch.
Alternative teams have also put forth suggestions for missions to 'Oumuamua, although most of
them rely on an Oberth maneuver performed near the Sun.

In this scenario, once the probe enters the Sun's gravitational well, its thruster would ignite,
resulting in significant acceleration.

In contrast, the I4IS team has proposed an Oberth maneuver around Jupiter, which would
necessitate a substantial shield to protect against the Sun's intense heat and radiation.

According to the authors, "The mission would closely resemble existing interplanetary
missions." However, the launch date must not be earlier than February 2028 due to the current
orbital alignment of Jupiter.

So, what does all of this imply for 'Oumuamua?

Alan Jackson, a fellow at the Centre for Planetary Sciences at the University of Toronto
Scarborough, expressed his skepticism and criticized the study, stating in an email, "I am not
convinced at all and believe that the study has significant flaws.

As Carl Sagan famously said, 'extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,' and this
paper lacks any evidence, let alone extraordinary evidence."5

In March, Jackson published a report in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
proposing that 'Oumuamua originated from a binary star system or a system with two stars.

According to Jackson, the spectral data obtained from 'Oumuamua resembles that of an
asteroid or a comet, rather than a solar sail, which would exhibit distinct differences. The current
report suggests that the sail might be covered in interstellar dust, thereby obscuring its true
spectral signature.

"Once a functional spacecraft reaches interstellar space, it is highly likely that its solar sail would
be retracted to avoid damage," Jackson added. "When you are sufficiently far away from a star,
the sail becomes ineffective, and there is no reason to keep it deployed." 6

It would be remarkable if the sail could be deployed again upon approaching the solar system.
Even if it were left deployed, dust accumulation would predominantly occur on the leading side,
similar to bugs on a car windshield.

5 https.//edition.cnn.com/2018/11/06/health/oumuamua-alien-probe-harvard-intl/index.html

6 https.//edition.cnn.com/2018/11/06/health/oumuamua-alien-probe-harvard-intl/index.html
The investigation into 'Oumuamua's nature and origin continues to be a subject of debate and
speculation within the scientific community.

As our understanding of the cosmos expands and technology advances, future missions and
observations may shed more light on the mysterious interstellar visitor.

Whether Oumuamua will ultimately be identified as an extraordinary artifact of extraterrestrial

technology or a natural celestial object, the quest to unravel its enigma serves as a reminder of
the ongoing pursuit to understand our place in the universe.

Regardless of the final verdict on 'Oumuamua, the quest for answers persists, driving us closer
to unlocking the mysteries of the cosmos and potentially uncovering evidence of life beyond our
planet.

That's all we have for today. As we venture further into the unknown, we eagerly await the next
celestial enigma that will captivate our collective imagination.

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