One of the most interesting discoveries in astronomy happened in 2019 when an interstellar comet was discovered in our solar system. The comet was called Borisov, and astronomers believe that interstellar comets may not be rare after all. Recently, scientists have calculated that there may be more objects outside of our solar system in the Oort cloud than objects born within our solar system.
A new study by researchers at the Center for Astrophysics was published this week | Harvard & Smithsonian, who presented new calculations focusing on the Oort cloud. This cloud is made up of debris and lies at the very edge of our solar system. Project researchers believe that the Oort cloud is home to a significant number of interstellar objects.
Comet Borisov was very important to astronomers. Study researcher Amir Siraj said before Borisov, the first interstellar comet, was discovered, scientists had no idea how many interstellar invaders there might be in our solar system. While the exact number is unknown, one theory has it that there were fewer interstellar visitors than objects in our solar system.
Calculations by the scientists for their study now indicate that there could be significantly more objects from outside the solar system than expected. They performed calculations on data collected by Borisov, but indicate that the calculations are fraught with uncertainties. But even taking these uncertainties into account, the study found that interstellar material in the Oort cloud outnumbered native material from the solar system.
One question the study certainly raises is why we couldn’t find any other interstellar visitors when they are so numerous. Study researchers say we just don’t have the technology to see them. One of the reasons we can’t see it is because the Oort cloud is so far from the sun. The cloud is between 200 billion and 100 trillion miles away, and objects in the Oort cloud do not generate their own light.
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