RE: Oh no! Another alien probe
December 13, 2017 at 9:41 pm
(This post was last modified: December 13, 2017 at 9:45 pm by Jehanne.)
(December 13, 2017 at 9:12 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote:(December 13, 2017 at 7:18 pm)Jehanne Wrote: It is strange that such an object could have ended-up on a hyperbolic orbit that intersected the Sun's orbit about the Galaxy.
Why?
If it formed around its parent star, then it was in an elliptical orbit to begin with. To go from an elliptical orbit (E < 0, negative energy, where K < U, "kinetic energy is less than potential") to a hyperbolic orbit (E > 0, where K > U) would require some interaction within its home system. And, then, it would need to be expelled in such a way as to intersect our Sun in its galactic orbit around the Milky Way at around 250 km/s. Given the "local frame of rest", it seems unusual that any natural object could gain enough energy to, 1) escape its parent star, and 2) to have an intersecting orbit with a neighboring stellar system.
But, "extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence" (unless, of course, one is a Christian or Muslim).
P.S. Local standard of rest:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_standard_of_rest