Could the solar system be teeming with interstellar objects? We'll soon find out (op-ed)

"How do you tell the difference between a spaceship and a space rock? 

For astronomers like me, this question has proved tricky — so tricky that we were very nearly fooled when the first recorded interstellar object, named 'Oumuamua, was spotted passing through the inner solar system in 2017."

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asteroid Dinkinesh and Selam
A pair of stereoscopic images of the asteroid Dinkinesh and Selam created with data collected by the L’LORRI camera on NASA's Lucy spacecraft in the minutes around closest approach on Nov. 1, 2023. NASA/Goddard/SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL/NOIRLab for the original images/Brian May/Claudia Manzoni for stereo processing of the images

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comet 'Oumuamua
An artist's depiction of the interstellar comet 'Oumuamua, as it warmed up in its approach to the sun and outgassed hydrogen (white mist), which slightly altered its orbit. Image credit: NASA, ESA and Joseph Olmsted and Frank Summers of STScI
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