The first body of interstellar origin was discovered as it passed through the inner Solar System on October of 2017. It was given the name “Oumuamua,” after the Hawaiian term for “scout.” The existence of interstellar interlopers was not entirely unexpected since planetary systems are expected to eject many Earth masses of comet and asteroid-like bodies as they form. However, many of the observed properties of Oumuamua were and still remain mysterious. In this talk, Prof. Armitage will discuss what we know about this interstellar visitor and what we hope to learn about the formation and early evolution of planetary systems as more such objects are identified.
