‘Oumuamua dove down into the inner solar system from above the plane in which the planets orbit. It was visible only for a few months, speeding up as it retreated from the Sun. Based on the observed acceleration, astronomers calculated that by the time it reached the distance of Jupiter’s orbit in May 2018, ‘Oumuamua was about 62,000 miles (100,000 km) ahead of where it would be if only gravity dictated its motion. The planets are shown here as they appeared October 19, 2017.