A few week ago , researchers harbinger thediscoveryof an asteroid coming from beyond the Solar System . Moreobservationsof the objective , known as A/2017 U1 , were take and researchers have now disclosed what they have see so far .
The new selective information is useable onarXivand has been submit for issue in the Astrophysical Journal Letters .
The most singular uncovering is just how unremarkable this object is . It look interchangeable to other asteroid in our own Solar System . The object is around 200 meters by 30 meters ( 650 foot by 100 feet ) and only emits a tiny bit of textile , indicate the object is indeed jolting .
“ That ’s one of the dubiousness we ’re stress to answer , ” co - author Ralf Kotulla , from the University of Wisconsin - Madison , say in astatement . “ Comet or asteroid ? ”
The team confirmed that the target ’s orbit is very eminent compared to the airplane of the Solar System , where most planets are , and that it move at around 20 kilometers per second ( over 40,000 miles per hour ) – too high to be triggered by perturbations within the Solar System . These watching tone up the call that A/2017 U1 is a visitant from another sensation .
This life shows the course of A/2017 U1 . NASA / JPL - Caltech
“ It ’s a really rare object . This object has considerable velocity . It is not stick to to the Sun , " added Kotulla . " Its orbit does n’t take it anywhere near the major planets . ”
Both the elongate chassis of the object and its color reminded astronomer of some of the Trojan asteroids , a large family of objects that follow and forego Jupiter in its orbit around the Sun . The team signal out how it differs from the more remote objects in the Solar System , as these objects tend to be redder .
The squad also point out that the asteroid was only spot because it came so close to Earth . This allow them to uncover some interesting statistic . It could be possible to find other objects like U1 , at a charge per unit of between one per year to one every two years . And give the large volume of space in the Solar System , there could be a fate more of these target than we expect . The team estimate that there are around 10,000 of them within the orbit of Neptune , about 10 time more than previous estimates ( before the sensing ) suggested .
image of an interloper from beyond the Solar System . Wiyn Observatory / Ralf Kotulla
