The Search for Interstellar Objects of Technological Origin: St. Louis Astronomical Society July Meeting
Over the past decade, four objects possibly of interstellar origin were discovered within our solar system. They include the interstellar meteor, IM1, detected on January 8, 2014; the `Oumuamua object detected on October 19, 2017; and the rogue comet Borisov detected on August 29, 2019. Among these, the first two displayed some characteristics that differed from known solar-system rocks. The Borisov comet does not orbit the sun. Its path through space indicates that it came from beyond our solar system. IM1 exhibited the highest material strength among all known meteorites. `Oumuamua exhibited a flat shape and non-gravitational acceleration with no detectable cometary evaporation. Dr. Loeb comments, “In June 2023 we recovered 850 spherules from the Pacific Ocean at the possible location of IM1 meteorite fragments. A tenth of these submillimeter meteoritic spherules displayed a unique chemical composition, different from familiar solar system materials.” Dr. Loeb will talk about these objects. He will also discuss how astronomical observatories are monitoring millions of objects near the Earth, looking for possible interstellar visitors. He asks, “Are any of them Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena? Is space trash from extraterrestrial technological civilizations lurking among the natural interstellar rocks?”
Dr. Abraham (Avi) Loeb is the Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University and a bestselling author. Loeb has written 8 books, including most recently, Extraterrestrial (HarperCollins, 2022) and Interstellar (HarperCollins, 2023).
The St. Louis Astronomical Society is an organization for individuals interested in astronomy and telescopes. The public is invited to attend its meetings, telescope observing sessions, and special events. For more information about Astronomical Society events, please visit www.slasonline.org.
Free parking will be available.