ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Videos
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
Declassified Documents Reveal An Alien 'Interstellar Object' Slammed Into Earth In 2014
Home>News
Published 03:21 13 Apr 2022 GMT+1

Declassified Documents Reveal An Alien 'Interstellar Object' Slammed Into Earth In 2014

The newly released findings make a space rock that struck Earth in 2014 the first object to come from outside the Solar system.

Jayden Collins

Jayden Collins

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

Scientists have confirmed a meteor that hit Earth in 2014 came from another solar system, making it the first known interstellar object to make its way to our planet.

The interstellar object, known as Oumuamua, was discovered five years ago.

The US Space Command released a memo confirming the new discovery, explaining that the rocky body that measured 0.45 metres across ‘was indeed an interstellar object’.

NASA says the meteor lit up skies near Manus Island, Papua New Guinea on January 8, 2014, and had travelled at more than 160,000 kilometres per hour.

6/ “I had the pleasure of signing a memo with @ussfspoc’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Mozer, to confirm that a previously-detected interstellar object was indeed an interstellar object, a confirmation that assisted the broader astronomical community.” pic.twitter.com/PGlIOnCSrW

— U.S. Space Command (@US_SpaceCom) April 7, 2022

Scientists are still searching the South Pacific Ocean to find debris and more about the object’s origin.

Advert

At a Space Foundation panel on Planetary Defense, Lt. Gen. John Shaw confirmed the updated classification of the rock.

He said: “I had the pleasure of signing a memo with US Space Operations Command’s Chief Scientist, Dr Mozer, to confirm that a previously-detected interstellar object was indeed an interstellar object, a confirmation that assisted the broader astronomical community.”

The memo read that Dr Mozer ‘reviewed analysis of additional data available to the Department of Defense related to the final’.

Additionally, it said: “Dr Mozer confirmed that the velocity estimate reported to NASA is sufficiently accurate to indicate an interstellar trajectory.”

The study was conducted by Harvard astronomers Amir Siraj and Abraham Loeb, who wrote the paper in 2019 to make the case for the rock’s extrasolar origin. 

Oumuama Asteroid /
Philipp Nedomlel / Alamy.

According to Vice, the paper was unable to be published in a peer-reviewed journal due to its reliance on some sensors used in the US Department of Defense. 

Following the discovery of the Oumumua asteroid, the pair of astronomers looked through historical data from NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studied (CNEOS) for evidence of similar meteors that could have come from outside the solar system. 

That lead them to the rock found near Papua New Guinea in January 2014.

After doing their research and crunching their numbers they had concluded that ‘with 99.999% confidence that the 2014-01-08 meteor was interstellar.’

However, the margin error wasn’t enough to get their paper published. 

With the memo now signed by Dr Mozer and Lt. Gen. Shaw, this paper could be on its way to publication.  

Featured Image Credit: Alamy. Netflix

Topics: Space, NASA, Science

Jayden Collins
Jayden Collins

Jayden Collins is a Journalist at LADbible. He has worked across multiple media platforms in areas such as sport, music, pop culture, entertainment and politics. He is part of the editorial team for LADbible Australia.

Recommended reads

Nurse who died and then came back to life reveals what she saw after her 'heart exploded'YouTube/Jeff Mara podcastPilot shares screenshot of exactly how much they earn and people are gobsmackedKevin Carter/Getty ImagesMillie Bobby Brown shares bizarre theory that she was a gay soldier killed with sword in past lifeTaylor Hill/FilmMagicFamily of boy, 3, thrown into crocodile enclosure issue heartbreaking health update as he undergoes multiple surgeriesJohnson's Zoo

Advert

Choose your content:

26 mins ago
2 hours ago
3 hours ago
  • Kevin Carter/Getty Images
    26 mins ago

    Pilot shares screenshot of exactly how much they earn and people are gobsmacked

    It can vary by airline, but the salary is still very high

    News
  • Johnson's Zoo
    2 hours ago

    Family of boy, 3, thrown into crocodile enclosure issue heartbreaking health update as he undergoes multiple surgeries

    His parents opened up about the 'very uncertain and unsettling time' they are facing as a family

    News
  • Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images
    3 hours ago

    Chilling reason why FIFA wanted to reschedule England's World Cup clash with Mexico revealed

    The match is now going ahead at the original time, but there had been plans to reschedule it

    News
  • Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
    3 hours ago

    Decision made on England vs Mexico World Cup match kick-off time amid fears of delays

    The World Cup match between England and Mexico was cast in to chaos.

    News
  • Scientists reveal where 'alien object' heading past Earth will actually be going
  • 'Potentially hostile alien threat' pictured as interstellar object officially declared a 'threat'
  • Mysterious interstellar object tracked by 'alien-hunting spacecraft' as it passes Earth
  • Interstellar object dubbed 'hostile alien threat' by Harvard scientist is travelling at 130,000 MPH