NASA Warns That Asteroid Oumuamua Has Begun Sending Radio Messages to Earth.
What is Oumuamua?
In October 2017, a team of astronomers detected an unusual
interstellar object hurtling through the solar system at a speed of 92,000
km/h. It was named 'Oumuamua,' which in Hawaiian means "first messenger
from another world." This strange celestial body attracted attention for
its elongated shape, unusual behavior, and speed, sparking intense debate about
its origin and nature.
The extraterrestrial hypothesis
Physicist and astronomer Abraham Avi Loeb, a professor at
Harvard University, argues that Oumuamua is not an asteroid or a comet, as
initially thought, but an extraterrestrial spacecraft. In his book
Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth , Loeb argues
that this object would be the first evidence of alien technology in space.
According to Loeb, several characteristics of Oumuamua reinforce this theory. For example:
- Unprecedented, elongated shape: An asteroid with these proportions, which could measure between 400 and 800 meters long and between 35 and 167 meters wide, has not been observed before.
- No visible trail: Unlike comets, Oumuamua did not leave a gaseous tail or a “coma.”
- Unusual speed and trajectory: Its orbit does not conform to the typical characteristics of known space bodies, and its acceleration defies explanations based on conventional physics.
Loeb also dismissed theories such as “molecular hydrogen
ice” and proposed that this object could be an inert spacecraft, whose
propulsion system no longer functions but continues its journey through space.
Counterpoints from the scientific community
While Loeb's hypothesis is intriguing, it is not without its
critics. In March 2021, astronomers Alan Jackson and Steven Desch of Arizona
State University presented a study proposing that Oumuamua could be a fragment
of nitrogen ice released from a Pluto-like planet outside the solar system.
According to them, the evaporation of this ice would have generated the
object's unusual acceleration.
However, Loeb and his colleague Amir Siraj discredited this
theory, arguing that nitrogen is an extremely rare element in the universe and
would not be sufficient to form an object of this size. They argue that
Oumuamua's behavior is still more consistent with an artificial object.
The need to explore Oumuamua
As Oumuamua moves further away from the solar system,
ground-based telescopes can no longer observe it in detail. Therefore, several
scientific institutions have launched space missions to study this intriguing
object up close.
The Institute for Interstellar Studies proposed the LIRA
project, which plans to launch a spacecraft in 2028 to reach Oumuamua in
approximately 26 years, or around 2054. This project would utilize advanced
technologies such as nuclear thermal propulsion and laser sails. It also
proposes taking advantage of Jupiter's gravitational assist through a maneuver
called "Jupiter Oberth" to gain speed and efficiently reach its
destination.
Is Oumuamua the key to understanding extraterrestrial life?
Five years after its discovery, Oumuamua remains a mystery.
Its elongated shape, unique behavior, and lack of scientific consensus keep all
possibilities open, including the theory that it could be an alien artifact.
The possibility that Oumuamua is the first contact with
technology of extraterrestrial origin generates both skepticism and enthusiasm
in the scientific community. Unraveling its nature will require ambitious space
missions that allow direct observations. Until then, the question remains: Is
Oumuamua a simple interstellar rock, or is it truly a "messenger"
from other civilizations?