THE COSMIC NEIGHBORHOOD — Astronomers this month detailed a piece of rock orbiting around Jupiter that is of interstellar origins.
That means the object came from somewhere outside our solar system and because of that, it's called an 'exo-asteroid.'
The object, called 2015 BZ09, orbits the sun and passes by Jupiter, but in a weird way. Study author Dr. Helena Morais explained to CNN that both celestial bodies take around the same time to orbit the sun, but move in opposing directions: clockwise, and counterclockwise, meaning they pass each other twice.
According to Cosmos Magazine, the exo-asteroid has been doing that for 4.5 billion years and will continue to do so forever.
Last year scientists found this interstellar object passing through our cosmic neighborhood. Called Oumumua, this was said to be the solar system's first interstellar visitor.
In other words, Oumumua is tourist, but the exo-asteroid, because of its orbit, isn't going anywhere.
Details of the exo-asteroid was published in the journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters.
