Who’s excited?!! Claude is!!!!
A few days ago (well, on Oct 19) a comet named C/2017 U1 was discovered by Maui’s (much protested) Pan-STARRS 1 telescope on Haleakala, Hawaii. …. well, hold onto your blurry binoculars and tattoo plans because, after some new observations pegged this fly-by bad-boy as being interstellar, it has now been re-designated (for the time being) as A/2017 U1.
Postdoctoral researcher and astronomer, Rob Weryk, of the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, was the first to notice it and knew instantly that it was special.
“It’s motion could not be explained using either a normal solar system asteroid or comet orbit,” said Weryk. “This object came from outside our solar system.”
It’s believed to be less than a quarter-mile (400 meters) in diameter and is now moving at about 97,200 mph (156,400 km/h) relative to the sun, in the direction of the constellation Pegasus …. that interstellar baby is outta here!!!! -see ya Solar System, no time to chat!
There’s better, in-depth, info out there, Google it and let your imagination run wild ….