This Long, Narrow Asteroid Is The First Object From Another Solar System Anyone Has Ever Seen

​Scientists have confirmed that an interstellar object first detected in October is a long, narrow asteroid about one-quarter mile wide — unlike any asteroid observed in our solar system before. The asteroid has been named 'Oumuamua, Hawaiian for "a messenger from afar arriving first," and it's currently racing through our solar system at a speed of 85,700 miles per hour, though it was previously observed traveling around the Sun at an unthinkably fast 196,000 miles per hour. Scientists hope that 'Oumuamua, the first object from another part of the Milky Way to be seen traveling through our solar system, can help them learn how other solar systems were formed, according to a NASA press release.

In a video, NASA scientists explain why they're so excited about the discovery of 'Oumuamua. "We have been waiting for the discovery of an interstellar object for decades, basically," says Paul Chodas, the manager of NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies.

Scientists know that 'Oumuamua originated outside our solar system not only because of its unusual shape but also because of its trajectory and speed. They think it's probably been bouncing around the Milky Way for hundreds of millions of years. But they don't think 'Oumuamua is unique — in fact, they expect to find more similar interstellar asteroids in the future, thanks to improved telescopic technology.

Astronomers estimate that an interstellar asteroid similar to 'Oumuamua passes through the inner solar system about once per year, but they are faint and hard to spot and have been missed until now. It is only recently that survey telescopes, such as Pan-STARRS, are powerful enough to have a chance to discover them.

[NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]

Even though scientists would love for it to stick around longer, 'Oumuamua is already on its way out of the solar system and will pass beyond Saturn by early 2019 — but NASA's planning to keep an eye on it until it's too faint to be seen via ground-based telescopes.