Astronomers have shed light on the mysterious origins of interstellar objects (ISOs) like `Oumuamua and Comet Borisov, which originate from beyond our Solar System. Research suggests that the nearby triple star system Alpha Centauri (AC), our closest stellar neighbor, is a significant contributor to this material exchange.
Located 79,000 km/h towards us, AC ejects potentially millions of objects into interstellar space, including large particles larger than 100 meters in size. These hard-to-detect objects have only a 1-in-a-million chance of approaching the Sun. Smaller particles also make the journey, with NASA’s Cassini mission detecting interstellar dust in our Solar System in 2003.
Objects travel to our Solar System through gravitational interactions, magnetic fields, and interstellar drag. However, only particles larger than 10 microns can survive the journey intact. Studying debris from AC could provide indirect insights into exoplanets in the system, as material may originate from the same reservoirs that formed its planets.
As Alpha Centauri approaches within 200,000 AU in 28,000 years, the number of detectable AC meteors in Earth’s atmosphere could rise tenfold. This study highlights how stellar systems are not isolated but exchange material across the galaxy, shedding light on planet formation and the dynamic nature of the Milky Way.
Understanding interstellar material exchange deepens our grasp of cosmic evolution and opens new possibilities for studying exoplanets and the formation of other planetary systems.
Source: https://www.businesstoday.in/visualstories/news/cosmic-highway-found-alpha-centauris-debris-could-connect-us-to-distant-worlds-209750-14-02-2025