One of the biggest astronomical surprises of the past several years has been the detection of interstellar objects. To date, two such interlopers have been detected passing through our solar system, the mysterious ‘Oumuamua, and the less-mysterious Comet Borisov. In this talk, Dr. Laughlin gives an overview of ‘Oumuamua’s bizarre properties, and delves into some of the theories surrounding its origin. He also covers the appearance of Comet Borisov, and explain what it has to tell us about the formation of other Solar Systems in the Galaxy.

Greg Laughlin is a Professor of Astronomy at Yale University. His research focuses on the formation, characterization and evolution of planets, both in our own Solar System and Beyond.

This is the monthly meeting of the Westport Astronomical Society, in Westport Connecticut. Due to closures related to Covid-19, this meeting was held virtually.