Thread: 'Oumuamua
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Old December 3rd 17, 03:49 AM posted to sci.astro.amateur
Mike_Duffy
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Default 'Oumuamua

Reference is to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CA%BBOumuamua

In the opening paragrapgh, it states: "[...] is the first known
interstellar object to pass through the Solar System"

Much later, in section "Hypothetical space missions", the penultimate
sentence reads: "That said, astronomers estimate that interstellar objects
similar to 'Oumuamua pass inside the orbit of Earth several times per
year."

So, the first obvious question is, if these things are so common, why did
it take so long to notice one? I supposes that the answer is simply that
"inside the orbit of the Earth" covers a lot of area compared to roughly
the area of Mercury's orbit (where we noticed 'Oumuamua).

But what I really want to know is whether or not anyone else feels that the
orbit as a whole is sort of suspicious. By that I mean that it made an
acute course change. If one wanted to perform such a course change, the
approach must be made extrememly accurately.

Of course, such a manouver might easily be made once in a while 'by
accident', if these things are as numerous as they say. It just seems
strange to me that the very first time we ever see an object from outside
of our Solar System, is passes closer to the Sun than any object within our
Solar System.