Mystery ‘interstellar object’ exploded over Pacific in 2014, declassified US Space Command report reveals
TOP secret documents have finally been published revealing details of a mysterious object that exploded in space eight years ago.
The blazing fireball was spotted over the southwestern Pacific in Papua New Guinea back in 2014.
It's now been confirmed as an interstellar object.
In fact, it's the first interstellar meteor detected in our solar system.
The rock measured only 1.5 feet wide and was hurtling towards Earth at the incredible speed of 130,000 mph.
Those sorts of speeds are unheard of for meteors within our solar system.
Read more about space
It's thought some debris from it may have landed into the South Pacific Ocean as well.
Harvard space experts Amir Siraj and Avi Loeb made the call years ago.
But their research was caught up in red tape while officials investigated.
They said in 2019 that it probably came "from the deep interior of a planetary system or a star in the thick disk of the Milky Way galaxy".
Most read in News Tech
The United States Space Command (USSC) has now confirmed details in a newly-released memo.
Lieutenant general John E. Shaw, deputy commander of the USSC, said that the findings were "sufficiently accurate to confirm an interstellar trajectory".
Read More on The Sun
Siraj told Vice: “I get a kick out of just thinking about the fact that we have interstellar material that was delivered to Earth, and we know where it is.
“One thing that I'm going to be checking—and I'm already talking to people about—is whether it is possible to search the ocean floor off the coast of Papua New Guinea and see if we can get any fragments.”
- Read all the latest Phones & Gadgets news
- Keep up-to-date on Apple stories
- Get the latest on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram
Best Phone and Gadget tips and hacks
Looking for tips and hacks for your phone? Want to find those secret features within social media apps? We have you covered...
- How to get your deleted Instagram photos back
- How to track someone on Google Maps
- How can I increase my Snapchat score?
- How can I change my Facebook password?
- How can I do a duet on TikTok?
- Here's how to see if your Gmail has been hacked
- How can I change my Amazon Alexa voice in seconds?
- What is dating app Bumble?
- How can I test my broadband internet speed?
- Here's how to find your Sky TV remote in SECONDS
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk