Oumuamua, an interstellar object that has passed trought our solar system in 2017 has never been identified. Today, almost four years later, we may have an explanation.

Oumuamua was first spotted by the Haleakala Observatiry, situated in Hawaii. The mysterious object was fast identified as the first interstellar object to cross our solar system. Its name means ‘’message’’ in Hawaiian. The object is said to have a diameter of 400 meters.

The object was first said to be a comet. Only one week later, it was said to be an asteroid. It’s only on 2017, November 6 that Oumuamua is identified as an interstellar object. In July 2018, things become more and more interesting as the astronomers discovered that its trajectory was influenced by something else than gravity. Oumuamua is by this fact temporarily classified as a comet again.

Astronomers and others scientists devlopped theories on the origin of this mysterious object. Comet, asteroid and even a book published in January 2021 talked about the theory of Oumuamua being an alien spaceship and therefore the proof of an intelligent living form other than us, Humans. Astronomers were fast to push aside this theory with their studies. We finally might have an explenation on Oumuamua’s origin. 

Almost four years after the discovery of Oumuamua in 2017, astronomers presented a theory based on deep researches. The interstellar object is probably the piece of a planet that got snatched of by a big impact half a billion years from now. They put forth the theory that Oumuamua is made out of ice, making it more reflective than expected, and changing some calculations previously made about its size. ‘’This would make it much more reflective than thought, meaning it might actually be smaller than what was calculated.’’ Said Steven Desh, a astrophysics professor.

The AGU (American Geophysics Union) stated that Oumuamua is likely to be the piece of a Pluto-like planet. The ice proposed to be what the object is made of showed to be azot ice, same as it can be founded on Pluto’s surface.

It can also explain the strange shape of Oumuamua, when it crossed our solar system, its shape probably was a more classical one, but by getting closer to our sun, outer layers of ice evaporated, giving the interstellar object is flattened shape.

Today, Oumuamua is moving away from the earth. Astronomers supposed that it will reach the interstellar space sometimes in the late 2030’s. The first interstellar object to visit us won’t be coming back.