[tummler]

Seems odd to me that there would be one short, powerful jet of a natural explanation. Why hasn’t this thing been outgassing like crazy the whole time?

[aaroninsf]

Current speculation is that it's a novel object type, unlike the conglomerate iceballs we call "comets," with a different origin and history.

Unfortunately we did not make the heroic effort it would have taken to get a close look, so as with 1I/ʻOUMUAMUA we'll be left with enigmas and uncertainty.

Unless of course it brakes hard into a parking orbit. :)

[bigbuppo]

I guess the aliens are here to watch the AI bubble pop.

[aaroninsf]

Plot twist: the aliens are AI and are here to watch the meat bubble pop!

[bigbuppo]

We're supposed to talk to meat?

[HPsquared]

Maybe it was cooking away like a sealed food container in a microwave, internal pressure building, then the seal is breached and the internal pressure is released in a single event.