Related papers: Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto): dislo…
The first known interstellar object, 1I/2017 U1 'Oumuamua, displayed such unusual properties that its origin remains a subject of much debate. We propose that 'Oumuamua's properties could be explained as those of a fractal dust aggregate (a…
Aims. We address the problem of young stellar objects that are found too far away from possible star formation sites. Different mechanisms have been proposed before to explain this unexpected circumstance. The idea of high-velocity…
The Oort cloud (OC) probably formed more than 4$\,$Gyr ago and has been moving with the Sun in the Galaxy since, exposed to external influences, most prominently to the Galactic tide and passing field stars. Theories suggest that other…
The recent discovery of the first confirmed Interstellar Objects (ISOs) passing through the Solar System on clearly hyperbolic objects opens the potential for near term ISO missions, either to the two known objects, or to similar objects…
Comets are classified from their orbital characteristics into two separate classes: nearly-isotropic, mainly long-period comets and ecliptic, short-period comets. Members from the former class are coming from the Oort cloud. Those of the…
We present studies of C/2015 D1 (SOHO), the first sunskirting comet ever seen from ground stations over the past half century. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) witnessed its peculiar light curve with a huge dip followed by a…
In studies of the oldest solar system bodies - comets and asteroids - it is their fragments - meteoroids - that provide the most accessible planetary material for detailed laboratory analysis in the form of dust particles or meteorites.…
In 1977, while Apple II and Atari computers were being sold, a tiny dot was observed in an inconvenient orbit. The minor body 1977 UB, to be named (2060) Chiron, with an orbit between Saturn and Uranus, became the first Centaur, a new class…
In this work we find evidence that the object is of cometary origin.
We studied C/2025 D1 (Groeller), a long-period comet with an unprecedented perihelion distance of 14.1 au, using archival observations. The data reveals that it had been active at inbound heliocentric distances $r_{\rm H} \gtrsim 20$ au.…
We discuss the morphology and spectrophotometry of 5 comets visible in August, 2001. We decompose comae into coma profiles and azimuthally renormalized images, in which general and local features are quantitatively comparable. Comet…
(abridged) We want to provide further evidence of the origin of the proposed stellar members of Chamaeleon and to identify interlopers from the foreground \epsilon Cha and \eta Cha associations. To this aim, we compile lists of…
This comprehensive study of comet C/1995 O1 focuses first on investigating its orbital motion over a period of 17.6 yr (1993-2010). The comet is suggested to have approached Jupiter to 0.005 AU on -2251 November 7, in general conformity…
An analysis is presented for the photometric data on comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) from observations at a large heliocentric distance (near 4.1 AU). Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) displays intense activity despite the relatively large…
We examine meteoroid orbits recorded by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar (CMOR) from 2012-2019, consisting of just over 11 million orbits in a search for potential interstellar meteoroids. Our 7.5 year survey consists of an integrated…
3I/ATLAS is only the second confirmed cometary object known to enter the Solar System from interstellar space. Cosmogonic considerations suggest that this body may possess relatively high tensile strength and a substantial metal fraction.…
Context. The dynamical evolution of near-parabolic comets strongly depends on the starting values of the orbital elements derived from the positional observations. In addition, when drawing conclusions about the origin of these objects, it…
I present a re-analysis of the available observational constraints on the trajectory of 'Oumuamua, the first confirmed interstellar object discovered in the solar system. 'Oumuamua passed through the inner solar system on a hyperbolic…
Comets provide a valuable window into the chemical and physical conditions at the time of their formation in the young solar system. We seek insights into where and when these objects formed by comparing the range of abundances observed for…
Given the current and past star-formation in the Milky Way in combination with the limited gas supply, the re-fuelling of the reservoir of cool gas is an important aspect of Galactic astrophysics. The infall of \ion{H}{i} halo clouds can,…