Part 5/9:
The Theoretical Battle
The discourse surrounding 'Oumuamua's nature sparked a lively debate among astronomers. On one side, Loeb’s alien theory captured headlines, while Celigman’s idea of an undetectable dark comet garnered traction among more cautious scholars. The lack of conclusive evidence led to speculation that 'Oumuamua could represent an entirely new category of celestial objects.
Celigman collaborated with assistant professor Jennifer Bergner to hypothesize that 'Oumuamua’s composition could consist of material capable of releasing hydrogen as it sublimated near the Sun. If true, it would explain its acceleration without emitting detectable outgassing.