Alien Comet May Have Infiltrated the Solar System

New Scientist has a piece about Comet Machholz 1, whose uncommon molecular composition suggests, but does not prove, that it may be an interloper from another star system. "Comet Machholz 1 isn't like other comets. David Schleicher of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, measured the chemical makeup of 150 comets, and found that they all had similar levels of the chemical cyanogen (CN) except for Machholz 1, which has less than 1.5% of the normal level. Along with some other comets, it is also low on the molecules carbon-2 and carbon-3."

Comments

Oh, no, Alien Comet!

[to6o]

I'm sure the other comets are freaking out

Re:Oh, no, Alien Comet!

[Geirzinho]

There are no fences, but to a significant gravitational barrier to overcome when leaving the original star system. Also, to fall into orbit around or sun would require a third body to take away the excess energy. I guess this could be one of our planets, but on overall I'm suspecting more "boring" origins, such as a cold spot in our own solar system.

Re:Oh, no, Alien Comet!

[Alomex]

the Oort cloud, hypothesized to be the source of all comets.

Actually the very existence of the Oort cloud is hypothetical. While it provides a reasonable explanation for the existence of comets in our system there was no further independent confirmation until 2000, when more powerful telescopes identified one object that could belong to the cloud. Given that the number of comets could be into the trillions, having found a handful does not constitute definitive evidence, so it remains a mere hypothesis until more data is gathered.

For a foreign body to enter the system, it would have to pass through the Oort cloud and that would be highly unlikely. It's most probably an Oort cloud comet of a new type.

Comets in the Oort cloud are tens of millions of kilometers apart. An exo-solar comet would have no problem "sneaking" in.

Entry is Free.

[retech]

It entered our system the moment it heard Obama had Nasa's budget on the chopping block. Coincidence? I think not.

Re:Entry is Free.

[berend botje]

Besides that, how would it have come here anyway? What is the escape velocity for getting out of a star system? And, what is the chance of 'hitting' another system in stead of wandering off into the immensely large void?

Me thinks this news smells a bit like trying to get some funding...

Re:Entry is Free.

[Hognoxious]

What is the escape velocity for getting out of a star system?

African or European?

Re:Entry is Free.

[Ihmhi]

I could go for some three-bodies interaction.

Re:Nuke it! Nuke it now!

[Anonymous Coward]

Could we just send him up anyway?

Re:Does anybody know

[mad_robot]

It's the occulter pylon. It holds the occulting disk in place to mask out the light coming directly from the sun.

In related news..

[Max Littlemore]

Scientists have discovered a Buddhist monk who is not human.

Tensing Abowtaleven isn't like other humans. Hans Gripperpienis of the Starbucks, somewhere, measured the chemical makeup of 150 humans, and found that they all had similar levels of the C8H10N4O2H2O except for Abowtaleven, which had less than 0.5% of the normal level. Along with some other humans, he is also low on the molecules C2H5OH and Coc.

food for thought...