La Huella OVNI: What is the ‘Oumuamua?

• La Huella OVNI and Jorge Luis Sucksdorf talk about the ‘Oumuamua.
• They show what makes the space rock special.
• Also, here are some ideas about this puzzle.

This space rock ‘Oumuamua’ has interested scientists and space fans since people found it in October 2017.

‘Oumuamua briefly came into our space area from far space before starting its trip to deep space.

On October 19, 2017, a big camera at the University of Hawaii saw a strange spot in the sky.

At first, they thought it was just a light, but they soon saw this thing was moving and going through our space area in a strange way.

What ‘Oumuamua means

They called this puzzling thing ‘Oumuamua, which in Hawaiian language means «messenger», like a surprise guest from far space.

People quickly talked about if ‘Oumuamua could be from aliens.

The way it moved and how fast made some think it might be a tool or ship sent by smarter beings. But, most scientists thought of normal reasons.

‘Oumuamua has a special shape. Even though they couldn’t see it well, sky watchers thought it might look long, like a cigar or a roll.

What it looks like

Its shape might explain why it shines differently when it spins, making people think it’s flat and turning.

People think ‘Oumuamua is about 230 meters long and 35 meters wide, making it a big thing.

Even though it’s big, it didn’t look like most comets, making people wonder what it’s made of.

Sky watchers quickly got pictures and information before ‘Oumuamua moved too far.

What it is

From this information, they thought ‘Oumuamua looks reddish, showing it might have ice. Some thought it might also have a top layer.

Even though the idea of it being from aliens was interesting, sky watchers thought of simpler reasons.

They finally called ‘Oumuamua a far space rock or comet, showing it’s from outside our space area.

Experts looked closely at how ‘Oumuamua moved. They knew it wouldn’t hit Earth as it would go away.

How it moves

They thought its strange way of moving was because of the pull of planets and other things as it went through our space.

Even though they didn’t think it was from aliens, people still wondered what it’s really made of.

Some think it’s mostly ice with a hard outside, looking at its color and that it doesn’t look like a comet.

Another idea is that ‘Oumuamua might use a «sun sail» to move. This idea is because a sun sail uses sunlight to move, like a boat uses wind.

The ‘Oumuamua is a puzzle in space

This thing is still a puzzle in sky studies. Even though they didn’t think it’s from aliens, there are still questions about what it’s made of and where it’s from.

It makes us think about life in space and what that means for us.

As we keep watching space rocks, we should be ready to ask new questions as we learn more about space.

Sucksdorf ends by saying that wanting to know more about ‘Oumuamua and other space things keeps people looking at space and learning about everything above us.