Darryl Seligman
September 14, 2023
Zoom recording
Abstract:
1I/‘Oumuamua was the first macroscopic interstellar object discovered traversing the inner Solar System. In this talk, I will review the mysterious properties that 1I/‘Oumuamua exhibited, including an elongated shape and a surprisingly low velocity with respect to the local standard of rest. Most intriguing, 1I/‘Oumuamua appeared unresolved and asteroid-like, yet moved under the action of nongravitational acceleration. I will discuss existing theories regarding the physical nature of the object that have invoked both artificial and natural provenances. This context helps to delineate the criteria for identifying natural behavior as opposed to technosignatures. The interstellar interlopers and their divergent properties provide our only window so far onto an enormous and previously unknown galactic population. The forthcoming Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is poised to further transform our understanding of interstellar interlopers, and I will discuss the feasibility of future discoveries via ground-based observations as well as possible intercept missions.