Interstellar Object
Lightweight Picogram-Scale Probes Could be the Best way to Explore Other Star Systems
Inspiration for space exploration can come from all corners. One of the most inspiring, or terrifying, sources of inspiration for…
We’ll Inevitably see Another Interstellar Object. Which Ones Make the Best Targets to Visit?
We finally have the technological means to detect interstellar objects. We've detected two in the last few years, 'Oumuamua and…
Alien Artifacts Could Be Hidden Across the Solar System. Here’s how we Could Search for Them.
Do aliens exist? Almost certainly. The universe is vast and ancient, and our corner of it is not particularly special.…
Impacts From Interstellar Objects Should Leave Very Distinct Craters
In a recent study submitted to Earth and Planetary Astrophysics, a team of researchers from Yale University investigated how to…
If Launched by 2028, a Spacecraft Could Catch up With Oumuamua in 26 Years
A new study by the Institute of Interstellar Studies (i4is) shows that with the right maneuver, a spacecraft could catch…
Not Saying it was Aliens, but ‘Oumuamua Probably Wasn’t a Nitrogen Iceberg…
In a recent paper, Amir Siraj and Prof. Loeb show that the "nitrogen iceberg" theory cannot explain the mysterious nature…
Rogue Planets Could be Habitable
The search for potentially habitable planets is focused on exoplanets—planets orbiting other stars—for good reason. The only planet we know…
What Happens to Interstellar Objects Captured by the Solar System?
Now that we know that interstellar objects (ISOs) visit our Solar System, scientists are keen to understand them better. How…
Cosmic Rays Erode Away All But the Largest Interstellar Objects
So far we know of only two interstellar objects (ISO) to visit our Solar System. They are 'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov.…
Protoplanetary Disks Throw Out More Material Than Gets Turned Into Planets
When a young solar system gets going it's little more than a young star and a rotating disk of debris.…