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Something I don't understand - why is it surprising that there could be rocks floating around that come from other solar systems?

freehunter 7y ago
I don't think it necessarily has to be surprising to be interesting. If it came from another solar system, it's traveled more than 4 light years (obviously much slower than light speed) to get here. That's a long time, and our solar system is a very small target, so the odds are (literally) astronomical. There's a lot we don't know about the space between solar systems or the space outside of our own heliosphere. This is evidenced by our lack of understanding of when (or if) Voyager actually left our solar system. We just don't know enough to say. Having the opportunity to see something that came from outside our solar system is a good thing for science.
- chadcmulligan 7y ago
  oh ok, thanks
- samtheprogram 7y ago
  I was under the impression we did know that Voyager left our solar system -- could you clarify what you mean by this to someone not familiar with these concepts? https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/science/in-a-breathtaking-first-nasa-craft-exits-the-solar-system.html https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/science/in-a-breathtaking...
  - hannasanarion 7y ago
    For several years there were a series of "voyager left the solar system today" headlines, each using a different definition of the solar system boundary because very little is known about where it is.
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garmaine 7y ago
A lot of rocks get ejected from solar systems. Current dynamical models suggest there are as many as 3 of these sorts of objects passing through on closest approach every day. We just aren’t very well equipped to detect them.
_kst_ 7y ago
It's not particularly surprising, but this is (probably) only the second such object we've actually seen, which makes it very interesting. The first such object, ʻOumuamua, was both interesting (because it was the first one we saw) and surprising (because of its apparent odd shape as indicated by its observed light curve).
decoyworker 7y ago
You can assume but you don't know until you actually observe them. It's no longer an assumption.

freehunter 7y ago

I don't think it necessarily has to be surprising to be interesting. If it came from another solar system, it's traveled more than 4 light years (obviously much slower than light speed) to get here. That's a long time, and our solar system is a very small target, so the odds are (literally) astronomical. There's a lot we don't know about the space between solar systems or the space outside of our own heliosphere. This is evidenced by our lack of understanding of when (or if) Voyager actually left our solar system. We just don't know enough to say. Having the opportunity to see something that came from outside our solar system is a good thing for science.

chadcmulligan 7y ago
oh ok, thanks
samtheprogram 7y ago
I was under the impression we did know that Voyager left our solar system -- could you clarify what you mean by this to someone not familiar with these concepts? https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/science/in-a-breathtaking-first-nasa-craft-exits-the-solar-system.html https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/science/in-a-breathtaking...
- hannasanarion 7y ago
  For several years there were a series of "voyager left the solar system today" headlines, each using a different definition of the solar system boundary because very little is known about where it is.

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garmaine 7y ago

A lot of rocks get ejected from solar systems. Current dynamical models suggest there are as many as 3 of these sorts of objects passing through on closest approach every day. We just aren’t very well equipped to detect them.

_kst_ 7y ago

It's not particularly surprising, but this is (probably) only the second such object we've actually seen, which makes it very interesting. The first such object, ʻOumuamua, was both interesting (because it was the first one we saw) and surprising (because of its apparent odd shape as indicated by its observed light curve).

decoyworker 7y ago

You can assume but you don't know until you actually observe them. It's no longer an assumption.