# Seligman 2020: Evidence that 1I/2017 U1 ('Oumuamua) was Composed of Molecular Hydrogen Ice

> Darryl Seligman, Gregory Laughlin, 2020. 8 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The hydrogen-iceberg reading.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CSKB77W65G2/evidence-that-1i-2017-u1-oumuamua-was-composed-of-molecular  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[1I/'Oumuamua](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/oumuamua)Seligman 2020

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# Evidence that 1I/2017 U1 ('Oumuamua) was Composed of Molecular Hydrogen Ice

Darryl Seligman, Gregory Laughlin, 2020. _The Astrophysical Journal Letters_.

Proposes a body rich in molecular hydrogen ice: sublimation proportional to the solar flux reproduces the acceleration without a visible coma, mass loss sharpens the axis ratio, and such bodies could form in the coldest cores of giant molecular clouds. ApJL 896, L8.

**1I/'Oumuamua** Articledoi: **[10.3847/2041-8213/ab963f](https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ab963f)** Checked against the original0

## What it's used for here

The hydrogen-iceberg reading.

## Cited by on this site 8 records

[Mostly molecular hydrogen ice, formed in a giant molecular cloud core.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/oumuamua/answers/ANS0CSKCACW5ZD5/mostly-molecular-hydrogen-ice-formed-in-a-giant-molecular)

Answer

ANS

[Sublimation of molecular hydrogen ice from a body made largely of it.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/oumuamua/answers/ANS0CSKC2JW01ZS/sublimation-of-molecular-hydrogen-ice-from-a-body-made)

Answer

ANS

[Hydrogen sublimation reproduces the acceleration without a visible coma and sharpens the axis ratio over time.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/oumuamua/evidence/EVD0CSKC2TP7Z1X/hydrogen-sublimation-reproduces-the-acceleration-without-a)

Evidence

EVD

[Sublimation of a volatile ice drives the axis ratio to extreme values.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/oumuamua/evidence/EVD0CSKCG0J1CWD/sublimation-of-a-volatile-ice-drives-the-axis-ratio-to)

Evidence

EVD

[Water sublimation driven by sunlight does not fit the outbound acceleration for a body of this size.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/oumuamua/evidence/EVD0CSKC1KM4693/water-sublimation-driven-by-sunlight-does-not-fit-the)

Evidence

EVD

[Seligman and Laughlin propose a molecular hydrogen iceberg](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/oumuamua/events/EVT0CSKBXYE5VM7/seligman-and-laughlin-propose-a-molecular-hydrogen-iceberg)

EVT

[Darryl Z. Seligman](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/oumuamua/people/FIG0CSKBS261SH6/darryl-z-seligman)

FIG

[1I/'Oumuamua](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/oumuamua)

The mystery article

MYS

## Cite it

```
Seligman, D., & Laughlin, G. (2020). Evidence that 1I/2017 U1 ('Oumuamua) was Composed of Molecular Hydrogen Ice. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ab963f
```

[Read it free at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ab963f)

Key

**SRC** 0CSKB77W65G2

Kind

Journal article

Rights

The publisher's

Kept

27 Oct 2026, for editors

Checked

Against the published article

Added by

[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

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