It’s been a year since the detection of ‘Oumuamua (1I/2017 U1), the first known object to enter the solar system from interstellar space.
In the aftermath of the discovery, astronomers have been reviewing their observations and sustaining a lively debate about the possible origin and nature of the visitor.
Now, two papers stake new ground in this debate. One claims to have narrowed in on the object’s home star, the other argues that it is not a comet, contrary to earlier reports.
First caught by the robotic telescope Pan-STARRS in Hawaii, ground- and space-based telescopes monitored ‘Oumuamua as it quickly left the solar system, disappearing from view only a few months after it was discovered.
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