No Docking Today

12
November 2018

No Docking Today

The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics is the world's largest astrophysical organization conducting comprehensive studies of the universe. Many reputable scientists work in its laboratories. They publish interesting, and sometimes, very unexpected, but always rigorously argued results of their work. This time they published a sensation! The astrophysicists Shmuel Byali and Abraham Loeb stated that an interstellar spaceship or at least its autonomously operated part is currently crossing our solar system: “We discuss the possible origins of such an object including the possibility that it might be a light sail of artificial origin. Our general results apply to any light probes designed for interstellar travel.”

This story began a year ago. The Pan-STARRS telescope system (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System) recorded the movement of an unusual asteroid. The “cigar” is 180 meters long and 30 wide, moving along paths that are not typical of such objects. Its speed kept changing despite the laws of physics known to date. The tailless comet was given the name Oumuamua (translated from Hawaiian as a scout or envoy) and “put on a radio-listener”. Although the scientists did not succeed in capturing any signaling signs of life, calculations for intercepting the alien from space by an automatic probe were made. But an incredible thing happened. The cosmic wanderer began accelerating when it could only slow down. It is now impossible to catch up with it. The conclusion of American astrophysicists is that the interstellar object is controlled by some reasonable forces. If this is so, meeting with earthlings is not included in their plans.

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