Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

SMALL BODIES

Ice can survive an interstellar trip

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature Astronomy

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Observations and thermal models of the first interstellar visitor 1I/‘Oumuamua show that ices could have survived a long interstellar journey, suggesting the possibility that ‘Oumuamua could be a comet.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1: Artist’s impression showing the highly elongated interstellar object 1I/2017 U1 (‘Oumuamua).

ESO/M. Kornmesser.

References

  1. Meech, K. J. et al. Nature 552, 378–381 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Fitzsimmons, A. et al. Nat. Astron. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-017-0361-4 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Clark, R. N. et al. Icarus 218, 831–860 (2012).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. A’Hearn, M. F. et al. Astrophys. J. 758, 29 (2012).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Gulkis, S. et al. Science 347, aaa0709 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Karen J. Meech

Authors
  1. Karen J. Meech
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen J. Meech.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Meech, K.J. Ice can survive an interstellar trip. Nat Astron 2, 112–113 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0382-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0382-7

  • Springer Nature Limited

Search

Navigation