For example, being flat like a pancake is obviously highly unusual and very different from anything we have seen from stellar comets.
"Flat as a pancake" is one of several theoretical possibilities from its light curve, not a known fact about the object.
"Highly unusual" in space tends to mean "there are a bunch, but we haven't seen them until now". In 1992, exoplanets were "highly unusual". Now they're everywhere.
I’m very onboard with “it was an interesting object and we should learn more”.
I object to UFO cranks jumping to “it was a starship” conclusions like Avi Loeb wants to. Just as I would have when those weird first exoplanets showed up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial:_The_First_Si...
The rest of the scientific community seems to take the same position.