Space oddity Oumuamua probably shard of Pluto-like world, scientists say

Ok, so now Oumuamua is cookie-shaped and not a cigar. A new study by the Arizona State University speculates it's a chunk of a Pluto-like planet. The artist rendition must have been inspired by the Millennium Falcon.



The Guardian article

Arizona State University astronomers report the strange 45-metre (148ft) object appears to be made of frozen nitrogen, just like the surface of Pluto, and Neptune’s largest moon, Triton.

Oumuamua looked like an asteroid but sped along like a comet. Unlike a comet it did not have a visible tail. Speculation flipped back and forth between comet and asteroid – and it was even suggested it could be an alien artefact.

But, there's contorversy and an artificial 'alien' origin cannot be dismissed.

Given that Oumuamua is unlike comets and asteroids – and something not seen before – “we cannot assume business as usual, as many scientists argue”, Loeb wrote in an email Wednesday. “If we contemplate something that we had not seen before, we must leave the artificial origin hypothesis on the table and collect more evidence on objects from the same class.”

a reply to: Encia22

So basically: "We don't know and nobody knows but we're going to keep grabbing that science grant money."

a reply to: Atsbhct

Most probably.

Unless I'm wrong, I don't think Oumuamua will be coming back anytime soon, so what's the point when it can't be proved what it was exactly.

a reply to: Encia22

So icy planets can be knapped like chunks of flint to produce circular icy slivers , interesting theory but it seems more convoluted and less likely than Avi Loeb's proposal.

It was aliens.

They got lost on their way to the grocery store and took a detour through the backcountry.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: Encia22

So icy planets can be knapped like chunks of flint to produce circular icy slivers , interesting theory but it seems more convoluted and less likely than Avi Loeb's proposal.

I mean, according to our friend Avi it would have needed to be super duper thin... That makes me go with manufactured over natural...

Slowpoke scientists afraid to risk some taxpayer money..
They knew well ahead when it was coming by, I remember I posted in a ATS post they should prepare a greeting party for this
it is a once in a lifetime chance... but nahhh, doing something like that takes balls.. and they rather write books and give interviews.

Now we sit here and speculate and wave goodbye to a lost opportunity and possible alien tech.

originally posted by: Spacespider
Slowpoke scientists afraid to risk some taxpayer money..
They knew well ahead when it was coming by, I remember I posted in a ATS post they should prepare a greeting party for this
it is a once in a lifetime chance... but nahhh, doing something like that takes balls.. and they rather write books and give interviews.

Now we sit here and speculate and wave goodbye to a lost opportunity and possible alien tech.

There is no wonder anymore. We don't have a space enemy like the USSR so there is no need to put money into that exploration. Sucks for all of us who actually care about, you know, our place in the universe.

a reply to: Skooter_NB

We don't have a space enemy like the USSR so there is no need to put money into that exploration.

You have China as a space rival now , the race for the Moon is as much about strategy as it is resources.

Like I have said , it was a Giant Space Rat Turd and they are covering that up....

originally posted by: Skooter_NB
Sucks for all of us who actually care about, you know, our place in the universe.

I'll tell you whatever you need to know about humanity's place in the universe. We're the descendants of little, hairy rodent-like things that evolved from little sacks of chemicals on a tiny ball of rock covered with a shockingly thin layer of gas and water at various temperatures, spinning around a small, still-burning piece of a huge explosion that happened billions of years ago.

What are we supposed to DO about it? Live, reproduce, die. Repeat as necessary. But if you don't, no one will never know or care.

So basically it's a giant saucer/cookie shape? ?

Hmmmm......

Key word is "probably."

Educated whimsy (hypothesis) is fun!