Discovery of a Meteor of Interstellar Origin
Authors:Amir Siraj, Abraham Loeb
(Submitted on 15 Apr 2019)

Abstract: The first interstellar object, `Oumuamua, was discovered in the Solar System by Pan-STARRS in 2017, allowing for a calibration of the abundance of interstellar objects of its size [Math Processing Error] m. One would expect a much higher abundance of smaller interstellar objects, with some of them colliding with Earth frequently enough to be noticeable. Based on the CNEOS catalog of bolide events, we identify the [Math Processing Error]m meteor detected at 2014-01-08 17:05:34 UTC as originating from an unbound hyperbolic orbit with an asymptotic speed of [Math Processing Error] outside of the solar system. Its origin is approximately towards R.A. 3h24m and declination [Math Processing Error], implying that its initial velocity vector was [Math Processing Error] away from the velocity of the Local Standard of Rest (LSR). Its high LSR speed implies a possible origin from the deep interior of a planetary system or a star in the thick disk of the Milky Way galaxy. The local number density of its population is [Math Processing Error] or [Math Processing Error] (necessitating 0.2 - 20 Earth masses of material to be ejected per local star). This discovery enables a new method for studying the composition of interstellar objects, based on spectroscopy of their gaseous debris as they burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.

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