REVEALED: Secret HIDING beneath UFO Oumuamua’s cosmic crust that our Sun is unable to melt

The mysterious UFO that flew into our solar system has baffled experts and may be a comet, not a meteor, scientists have predicted.

Queen’s University Belfast Professor Alan Fitzsimmons commented: “We have discovered that the surface of `Oumuamua is similar to small solar system bodies that are covered in carbon-rich ices, whose structure is modified by exposure to cosmic rays.

“We have also found that a half-metre thick coating of organic-rich material could have protected a water-ice-rich comet-like interior from vaporising when the object was heated by the sun, even though it was heated to over 300 degrees centigrade.”

The unusual makeup of the celestial body could explain how it was able to travel 23 million miles away from the sun without revealing its icy nature.

Astronomers would normally expect a comet to emit telltale signs like a tale or particles.

But a cosmic crust may have protected it from the Sun’s powerful rays.

The groundbreaking observations were made after Dr Michele Bannister and her Belfast team realised ‘Oumuamua was still just in range of its largest telescope.

The mysterious extraterrestrial visitor could also reveal other solar systems contain minor icy worlds just ours.

It was observed that ‘Oumuamua is the same colour as the icy minor planets in our solar system.

Dr Michele Bannister said: “We’ve discovered that this is a planetesimal with a well-baked crust that looks a lot like the tiniest worlds in the outer regions of our solar system, has a greyish/red surface and is highly elongated, probably about the size and shape of the Gherkin skyscraper in London.

“It’s fascinating that the first interstellar object discovered looks so much like a tiny world from our own home system.

“This suggests that the way our planets and asteroids formed has a lot of kinship to the systems around other stars.

“We are continuing our research into `Oumuamua and are hopeful that we will make more discoveries in the near future.

“Discoveries like this really help to give a little more insight into what’s out there and encourages people to look up and wonder.”