Using a University of Hawaii telescope on Haleakala, an Institute for Astronomy researcher last week glimpsed our first spotted-by-telescope interstellar visitor. And now UH scientists are scrambling to study the object before it speeds away from the solar system within a week or so.

Analyzing the brightness and how much light is reflected from it could yield some clues as to what it’s made of. It could be cast-off material, ejected from another solar system during planet formation. Or it could be something else. Early speculation: a small asteroid or, perhaps, a comet from the great celestial beyond.

Big names lining up for LG campaigns

Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. is the second neighbor-island mayor and the fifth candidate to enter the 2018 race for lieutenant governor. Other contenders: Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa, and state Sens. Will Espero, Josh Green and Jill Tokuda.

Carvalho, a one-time pro football player, is now terming out after serving as Garden Isle mayor for nearly a decade. While the state’s No. 2 post is more junior varsity than varsity, for some, it’s a stepping stone. Both U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz once served as Hawaii’s lieutenant governor.