L'oggetto roccioso a forma di sigaro, avvistato dagli astronomi in ottobre, proviene effettivamente da un altro sistema solare. Gli scienziati sono arrivati a questa conclusione con certezza, dopo aver analizzato i dati sull'orbita del misterioso asteroide. La scoperta, senza precedenti, è stata confermata lunedì dagli studiosi e apre a nuove prospettive sulla formazione di altri mondi stellari nella nostra galassia, la Via Lattea.
L'asteroide, ora ribattezzato "Oumuamua", è lungo circa 400 metri ed è largo 10 metri. La sua forma insolita non ha precedenti tra i 750'000 asteroidi e comete osservati finora nel nostro sistema solare.
Gli astronomi stimano che un asteroide interstellare simile a "Oumuamua" passi all'interno del sistema solare circa una volta all'anno. Ma questi ammassi rocciosi sono difficili da tracciare. Solo di recente i telescopi per il monitoraggio di questi oggetti sono diventati abbastanza potenti per avere la possibilità di scoprirli.
ATS/M. Ang.
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