BREAKING Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
From the moment scientists named 'Oumuamua – which roughly translates to "scout" in Hawaiian – the first interstellar object to enter the solar system, Earth has buzzed with speculation about its nature and origin.
The cigar-shaped oddity from outer space was detected passing through the solar system 2017 and is, by now, on its way to the Pegasus constellation.
'Oumuamua moved in a comet-like way but lacked the tail of vapour that would normally be seen trailing a comet. It was also small compared to comets, which can be several kilometres wide.
Its elongated shape and other unusual characteristics led to theories it was everything from a "cosmic dust bunny," to an alien probe, to a chunk of a distant planet.
Scientists now say they know what it is, and the answer is less sensational than some previous theories have suggested.
According to a study published in the scientific journal Nature on Wednesday, 'Oumuamua is most likely an interstellar comet.
Until 'Oumuamua, scientists had only ever observed comets that originated within the solar system and had similar characteristics. NASA describes these comets as "frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of dust, rock, and ices."
As solar system comets orbit the sun, solar radiation causes them to heat up and spew jets of vapourized dust and gas that are visible from Earth: their signature tails.
The authors of this latest study, Jennifer Bergner and Darryl Seligman, have figured out that 'Oumuamua probably does have a cometary tail. It's just invisible. Because 'Oumuamua is so much smaller than the comets scientists typically observe, Bergner and Seligman wrote that it could have generated a hydrogen gas jet that was just too small and thin to be detectible to telescopes.
The way it moved through the solar system supports the idea, too.
According to NASA, cometary jets are powerful enough to give comets a speed boost at certain points in their orbit, independent of the sun's gravitational pull. 'Oumuamua accelerated as it passed through Earth's inner solar system in a manner similar to a comet, but the lack of a visible tail suggested it wasn't a comet, leaving scientists confused about the source of its acceleration.
If 'Oumuamua's tail was too small to be visible, but just strong enough to give it a boost, Bergner and Seligman said that would explain its comet-like, but confusing, characteristics.
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Ontario Provincial Police confirm one person has died after a single-vehicle rollover crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont. that seriously injured five others.
A grieving mother is speaking out after her 36-year-old son was shot and killed in North Preston, N.S., Wednesday night.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.