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posted by janrinok on Sunday November 19 2017, @02:04AM   Printer-friendly
from the not-so-catchy-name dept.

The solar system's first "interstellar interloper" has been named 1I/ʻOumuamua. It is the first known "hyperbolic asteroid" from outside the solar system:

The first known asteroid to visit our Solar System from interstellar space has been given a name. Scientists who have studied its speed and trajectory believe it originated in a planetary system around another star.

The interstellar interloper will now be referred to as 'Oumuamua, which means "a messenger from afar arriving first" in Hawaiian. The name reflects the object's discovery by a Hawaii-based astronomer using an observatory on Maui. It was discovered on 19 October this year by Rob Weryk, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy.

[...] Scientists who have made observations of 'Oumuamua, say that despite its exotic origins, the asteroid is familiar in appearance. In a paper submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letters, they argue that its size, rotation, and reddish colour are similar to those of asteroids in our Solar System. Measuring about 180m by 30m, it resembles a chunky cigar.

"The most remarkable thing about ['Oumuamua'] is that, except for its shape, how familiar and physically unremarkable it is," said co-author Jayadev Rajagopal from the US National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO).

Also at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory and Scientific American.

Previously: Possible Interstellar Asteroid/Comet Enters Solar System


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  • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday November 19 2017, @08:55PM (2 children)

    by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Sunday November 19 2017, @08:55PM (#599031)

    As a Pacific Islander I would pronounce it Oh-Mooah-Mooah, but that doesn't mean I'm right (because I'm not Hawaiian).

    Also it's is written 'Oumuamua (with the apostrophe that is not really an apostrophe at the beginning).

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  • (Score: 2) by Absolutely.Geek on Tuesday November 21 2017, @02:14AM (1 child)

    by Absolutely.Geek (5328) on Tuesday November 21 2017, @02:14AM (#599483)

    As a NZ'er (non-maori) I think it should be Oo-Mooah-Mooah, long "O" rather then the short "O" sound.

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