Do we have proof aliens exist? Interstellar object ‘Oumuamua ‘the first sign of intelligent life’, says Harvard professor

A seemingly self-propelled object that visited our solar system in 2017 may be the first sign of intelligent life beyond Earth, says one astronomer

‘People found it unacceptable to discuss this possibility,’ Avi Loeb says, but he has stood by his claim, and explains the reasoning for it in a new book

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This artist’s impression shows the first-known interstellar object to visit the solar system, ‘Oumuamua. Photo: European Southern Obervatory/M. Kornmesser/ Reuters

Published: 2:30am, 24 Feb 2021Updated: 3:45pm, 24 Feb 2021

Astronomers spotted an interstellar visitor to our solar system for the first time on October 19, 2017. But it wasn’t an alien life form – it was an object.

Even so, the surprise visitor, which was named “‘Oumuamua”, caused a stir in the world of astronomy and astrobiology, the discipline that investigates the possibilities of extraterrestrial life.

The excitement arose because scientists were unable to explain what ‘Oumuamua was. Our interstellar visitor – the term “interstellar” here means that it originated from a place outside our solar system – was not a comet, as it did not have the tail of gases and dust behind it that all comets leave behind.

If such an object is not a comet, scientists say, it’s usually an asteroid. But ‘Oumuamua, which was travelling at 58,000 miles (93,300km) per hour in the direction of the Pegasus constellation, did not move like an asteroid.

They may not find us interesting, they may not find us attractive, so there is no reason for them to visit us

Avi Loeb, astrobiologist on a reason for our lack of evidence for alien existence

Although there was no “outgassing” – no cometary tail – there was still a confusing acceleration that did not result from the pull of our sun’s gravity. In short, ‘Oumuamua seemed to be self-propelled.

Scientists agreed that ‘Oumuamua was an exotic and unusual object, but were content with the idea that it was a new kind of comet that was propelled by a mechanism that is not yet understood.