Traveler

The asteroid Oumuamua seems to be the first one that we’ve seen that we know comes to us from another solar system. Astronomers will probably be able to find more such wanderers in the future as computer-aided skywatching becomes more widespread.

”Oumuamua” is a Hawaiian name that connects to the wandering nature of the object; it combines Hawaiian words into a name suggesting “scout” or “messenger.” The picture at the link is an artist’s conception of what Oumuamua may look like. The general shape is known, but not details.

As stories about the asteroid describe, its trajectory suggests that it came from an area currently occupied by the star Vega. But because of its speed, we know that Vega wasn’t there back whenever Oumuamua was. Characteristics of the orbit suggest it is a natural object and not a spacecraft.

Or maybe that’s what we’re supposed to think.