Astronomers study interstellar objects passing through the solar system

A new study led by researchers from the Initiative for Interstellar Studies revealed that roughly seven interstellar objects enter our solar system every year and they follow predictable orbits while they are here. According to the reports by Science Alert, the research could allow sending a spacecraft to rendezvous with one of these objects. The research was conducted by multiple researchers who were joined in by researchers from the Florida Institute of Technology, Harvard's Institute for Theory and Computation (ITC), the University of Texas at Austin, the Technical University of Munich, and the Observatoire de Paris.

The first-ever interstellar object ever was detected on October 19th, 2017. The second object was detected less than two years later, which was an easily-identified interstellar comet named 2I/Borisov. The detection of the second object confirmed that ISOs enter our solar system on a regular basis. This has been suspected by many researchers for a long time. 

Finding additional ISOs and planning missions to intercept or rendezvous with these bodies will greatly benefit from knowledge of their likely orbits and arrival rates, read the study. 

Studying interstellar objects 

Marshall Eubanks, who is the Chief Scientist of Space Initiatives and CEO of Asteroid Initiatives LLC, told Universe Today via email that the discovery cannot be "understated". He wrote, "Just by proving that they exist, it has had a profound impact, creating a field of study almost from nothing (a field that funding authorities are just beginning to recognize). Interstellar Objects provide us with the opportunity to study, and in the future literally touch, exobodies decades before the earliest possible missions to even the nearest stars, such as Proxima Centauri." In the aftermath, there were a series of proposals for missions that could rendezvous with future ISOs that were spotted passing the solar system. 

The ISOs formed in another star system. The opportunity to study them closely would offer scientists an insight into the conditions that are present there. Also, the study of ISOs is considered to be the next best thing to sending interstellar probes to neighbouring star systems. Such missions pave way for lots of technical challenges. Also, they need an advance warning. 

It was concluded that in an average year, the solar system would be visited by up to seven ISOs that are similar to asteroids. Also, objects like 2I/Borisov would be rare, which appear once every 10 to 20 years. Further, it was also found that many of these objects would be moving at velocities greater than that of 'Oumuamua’, which moves at over 26 km/s before and after picking up a boost from the Sun.

(Image Credits: Unsplash/VincentBenech)