How Astronomers Determined A Mysterious Asteroid Isn't A Spaceship

When scientists spotted the first-ever interstellar asteroid to fly into our solar system, speculation emerged that it could be an alien spacecraft. The idea seems far-fetched, but researchers wanted to take a closer look, just in case.

They recruited as many telescopes as they could, including the Green Bank Telescope, the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope. It could pick up even faint radio signals coming from the asteroid — intelligent or otherwise.

NASA Says This Asteroid Is A First For More Than One Reason

NASA Says This Asteroid Is A First For More Than One Reason

Scientists have discovered an interstellar object entering our solar system, and its bizarre shape could yield important info.

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So far, the telescope has collected terabytes of radio data — and none of it points to signs of intelligent life. But scientists will search as long as they can. A second round of observations is planned for "the coming week."

And researchers will have to scramble if they want to study the celestial visitor before it leaves for good. The fast-moving asteroid is already halfway to Jupiter, and as it gets farther away, it'll get harder to detect.