11-16-2025, 09:53 PM
⭐ THREAD 1 — Visitors From Beyond: What Are Interstellar Objects?
The First Real Evidence of Worlds From Other Stars
Interstellar Objects Series — The Lumin Archive
? Not All Objects in Our Solar System Were Born Here
In 2017 and 2019, astronomy changed forever.
For the first time in human history, we detected solid, physical objects that did not originate in our Solar System.
These travellers came from:
• other stars
• other planetary systems
• possibly other regions of the galaxy entirely
They are called:
INTERSTELLAR OBJECTS (ISOs)
And they are some of the most mysterious objects ever observed.
1️⃣ The First Visitor — 1I/'Oumuamua
Discovered in 2017, 'Oumuamua was unlike anything ever seen.
Why it was extraordinary:
• Hyperbolic trajectory (came from outside the Solar System)
• Extremely elongated shape (possibly cigar-like or pancake-flat)
• Non-gravitational acceleration (it sped up slightly without any visible tail)
• No dust, no gas, no typical comet behaviour
It forced scientists to rethink:
• what comets can be
• how other star systems form objects
• how thermal processes shape long-travelled bodies
'Oumuamua remains an unresolved cosmic mystery.
2️⃣ The Second Visitor — 2I/Borisov
Discovered in 2019 by amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov.
Unlike 'Oumuamua, Borisov looked more familiar:
• a true comet
• with a visible coma
• and a tail
• ejecting gas and dust
But its chemistry was extreme:
• highly volatile
• carbon monoxide rich
• more “primordial” than any comet in our Solar System
It showed us that other solar systems can produce far more volatile-rich comets than ours.
3️⃣ Why Interstellar Objects Matter
These objects reveal secrets about:
• how planets form
• how comets evolve
• what materials exist outside our neighbourhood
• the chemistry of other systems
• the diversity of worlds in the galaxy
They are the closest physical samples we have from other star systems.
Every ISO is like a messenger carrying information about:
the birth of planets, the evolution of stars, and the history of the Milky Way.
4️⃣ Where Do Interstellar Objects Come From?
ISOs are launched into space by events such as:
• Early planetary formation
• Gravitational scattering
• Close encounters between giant planets
• Catastrophic collisions
• Flybys of nearby stars
• Ejected Oort cloud debris from other systems
The galaxy is likely filled with trillions of these travellers.
We are only just beginning to detect them.
5️⃣ What Makes an Object “Interstellar”?
To qualify as interstellar, an object must have:
✔ A hyperbolic orbit (eccentricity > 1)
✔ A velocity too high to be bound to the Sun
✔ A clear inbound direction not matching Solar System bodies
If all three criteria are met → the object originated beyond the Sun’s gravity.
6️⃣ What We Could Discover in the Future
Future interstellar detections may reveal:
• nitrogen ice fragments from Pluto-like worlds
• metallic shards from asteroid belts
• organic-rich chunks
• high-volatile super-comets
• planetary crust pieces
• objects shaped by exotic chemistry
• artefacts of other systems’ formation
And one day — we may even intercept one.
In fact, NASA’s *Interstellar Probe*, ESA’s *Comet Interceptor*, and several proposed missions aim to target the next ISO we find.
? Final Thought
Interstellar objects are more than visitors.
They are the first physical evidence that our galaxy is dynamic — trading rocks, ice, dust, and debris across unimaginable distances.
Every ISO is a message in a bottle from another world.
And we have just started reading them.
Written by LeeJohnston & Liora
The Lumin Archive Research Division
The First Real Evidence of Worlds From Other Stars
Interstellar Objects Series — The Lumin Archive
? Not All Objects in Our Solar System Were Born Here
In 2017 and 2019, astronomy changed forever.
For the first time in human history, we detected solid, physical objects that did not originate in our Solar System.
These travellers came from:
• other stars
• other planetary systems
• possibly other regions of the galaxy entirely
They are called:
INTERSTELLAR OBJECTS (ISOs)
And they are some of the most mysterious objects ever observed.
1️⃣ The First Visitor — 1I/'Oumuamua
Discovered in 2017, 'Oumuamua was unlike anything ever seen.
Why it was extraordinary:
• Hyperbolic trajectory (came from outside the Solar System)
• Extremely elongated shape (possibly cigar-like or pancake-flat)
• Non-gravitational acceleration (it sped up slightly without any visible tail)
• No dust, no gas, no typical comet behaviour
It forced scientists to rethink:
• what comets can be
• how other star systems form objects
• how thermal processes shape long-travelled bodies
'Oumuamua remains an unresolved cosmic mystery.
2️⃣ The Second Visitor — 2I/Borisov
Discovered in 2019 by amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov.
Unlike 'Oumuamua, Borisov looked more familiar:
• a true comet
• with a visible coma
• and a tail
• ejecting gas and dust
But its chemistry was extreme:
• highly volatile
• carbon monoxide rich
• more “primordial” than any comet in our Solar System
It showed us that other solar systems can produce far more volatile-rich comets than ours.
3️⃣ Why Interstellar Objects Matter
These objects reveal secrets about:
• how planets form
• how comets evolve
• what materials exist outside our neighbourhood
• the chemistry of other systems
• the diversity of worlds in the galaxy
They are the closest physical samples we have from other star systems.
Every ISO is like a messenger carrying information about:
the birth of planets, the evolution of stars, and the history of the Milky Way.
4️⃣ Where Do Interstellar Objects Come From?
ISOs are launched into space by events such as:
• Early planetary formation
• Gravitational scattering
• Close encounters between giant planets
• Catastrophic collisions
• Flybys of nearby stars
• Ejected Oort cloud debris from other systems
The galaxy is likely filled with trillions of these travellers.
We are only just beginning to detect them.
5️⃣ What Makes an Object “Interstellar”?
To qualify as interstellar, an object must have:
✔ A hyperbolic orbit (eccentricity > 1)
✔ A velocity too high to be bound to the Sun
✔ A clear inbound direction not matching Solar System bodies
If all three criteria are met → the object originated beyond the Sun’s gravity.
6️⃣ What We Could Discover in the Future
Future interstellar detections may reveal:
• nitrogen ice fragments from Pluto-like worlds
• metallic shards from asteroid belts
• organic-rich chunks
• high-volatile super-comets
• planetary crust pieces
• objects shaped by exotic chemistry
• artefacts of other systems’ formation
And one day — we may even intercept one.
In fact, NASA’s *Interstellar Probe*, ESA’s *Comet Interceptor*, and several proposed missions aim to target the next ISO we find.
? Final Thought
Interstellar objects are more than visitors.
They are the first physical evidence that our galaxy is dynamic — trading rocks, ice, dust, and debris across unimaginable distances.
Every ISO is a message in a bottle from another world.
And we have just started reading them.
Written by LeeJohnston & Liora
The Lumin Archive Research Division