Samples of an interstellar object from the ocean floor? It could be something completely different and quite interesting

Professor Avi Loeb recently announced that he was able to extract mineral particles with an unusual chemical composition from the ocean floor. According to him, these are most likely particles from the interstellar object IM1, which entered the Earth’s atmosphere a few years ago. But from the beginning, Loeb’s arguments were met with skepticism by the entire scientific community. This is not surprising: such dramatic conclusions require very strong evidence.

However, as it turns out, an alternative, non-terrestrial explanation for the origin of these particles might also be interesting.

Well, planetary scientist Monica Brady from Great Britain in the latest article published on the portal Conversation She wrote that the arguments presented by the Harvard astrophysicist did not convince her.

According to the researcher, the unusual chemical composition of the “balls” discovered by Loeb’s team may not necessarily have an extraterrestrial explanation. However, it is interesting that the evaluation of the chemical composition was performed correctly by Loeb. The problem is that dozens of nuclear tests were conducted around the Marshall Islands more than half a century ago. This happens to be just a few hundred kilometers from where Loeb’s team discovered mysterious spheres that they hypothesized came from interstellar space.

As Grady says, it is possible that these particles were created during these nuclear experiments, which “are a type of man-made supernova explosion.”

However, since such a theory has emerged, it would be worthwhile to test it. To do this, it will be necessary to look for similar particles on sandy beaches around Bikini Atoll and Eniwetok, where the tests were conducted. Alternatively, the chemical composition of the oxygen isotopes in the pellets can be measured. This parameter depends on the three stable isotopes of this element. The relative abundance of these isotopes would make it possible to verify whether the material discovered by scientists is of terrestrial or extraterrestrial origin.

Of course, Grady’s theory is just speculation at the moment, but again, that’s exactly what Loeb believes. The scientific community would certainly benefit from trying to confront the spherules in this way as well.