Fragments of first interstellar meteorite found in the Pacific Ocean: Aare there signs of alien technology in them?

Harvard University's Professor Avi Loeb and his team have made a groundbreaking discovery, finding at least 50 small spherical iron fragments near the path of the first officially recognized interstellar meteor, IM1. This meteor, also known as CNEOS 20140108, was initially detected in 2014 over the South Pacific, off the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. With an estimated mass of 460 kg and a diameter ranging between 80 cm and 1 m (2.6-3.3 feet), IM1 was confirmed as an interstellar meteor in 2022 after being identified as a candidate in 2019.

Professor Loeb, who leads the Galileo Project, an initiative aimed at identifying potential objects created by extraterrestrial civilizations, expressed excitement about IM1's peculiar characteristics. He stated, "IM1's fireball was detected by the U.S. Government in 2014, and it was evident that this meteor was moving at a speed surpassing the value required to escape the Solar System." He further explained that IM1 exhibited remarkable material strength, surpassing all 272 meteors listed in NASA's CNEOS catalog.

The interstellar origin of IM1 was officially confirmed by the U.S. Space Command under the Department of Defense in a letter to NASA on March 1, 2022, with a confidence level of 99.999%. Professor Loeb's previous research, conducted in collaboration with undergraduate student Amir Siraj, had already indicated IM1's exceptional speed, surpassing that of 95% of stars near the Sun. These findings, coupled with IM1's unusual material strength, raised the possibility that the meteor could be of technological origin, comparable to NASA's New Horizons spacecraft colliding with an exoplanet in the distant future.

As part of the Galileo Project's efforts, Professor Loeb and his team embarked on a mission to retrieve the meteoritic spherules of IM1. On June 14, 2023, they set sail for the estimated landing zone of the meteor in the South Pacific Ocean. After several days of exploration aboard the appropriately named ship, Silver Star, the team managed to collect magnetic sleds from the ocean floor. However, their initial attempts were met with frustration as the primary material collected was black volcanic ash.

Nevertheless, the team experienced a breakthrough when they discovered a metallic marble of sub-millimeter size and mass. This discovery provided the impetus to further investigate the presence of spherules. By employing a filter with a mesh size of a third of a millimeter and examining larger particles under a microscope, the researchers identified numerous spherules within a few hours. In total, they collected over 50 spherical fragments along the expected path of IM1, approximately 85 kilometers off the coast of Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

The significance of these findings cannot be understated. Professor Loeb declared, "Their discovery opens a new frontier in astronomy, where what lies beyond the Solar System is studied through a microscope rather than a telescope." He also emphasized the importance of humility when predicting the nature of interstellar objects, considering that 83% of the matter in the Universe is composed of dark matter yet to be found within the solar system.

To gain further insights into the composition and characteristics of the spherules, the researchers utilized electron scanning microscopy and elemental analysis. The results confirmed that the spherules along the meteor's path originated from the same source, exhibiting unique morphology and composition compared to background spherules from the control region. Notably, the mass spectroscopy revealed the presence of uranium and lead, which allowed the estimation of the spherules' age.

Based on the abundance of uranium-238, lead-206, uranium-235, and lead-207, Professor Loeb estimated the age of the spherules found along the meteor path to be around the age of the Universe (13.8 billion years). In contrast, the background spherule's age aligned with the age of the Solar System (4.6 billion years). The team plans to conduct further examinations to discern any distinctions between the spherules and materials originating from the solar system.

Professor Loeb concluded by lauding the scientific endeavor behind the expedition, highlighting the pursuit of truth despite the odds and the dedication of the team. This discovery marks a significant milestone in our understanding of interstellar objects and serves as a testament to the power of scientific curiosity and perseverance.