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2h ago

Astronomers Confirm Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS and Intensify Global Monitoring

They are coordinating rapid observations to analyze its pristine composition before solar heating transforms its structure

Image
The third known interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, is captured in the center of this image taken by an amateur astronomer using a 20-inch f/6.8 scope and five 20-second exposures via the iTelescope remote imaging service. Credit: Filipp Romanov
Image
This diagram illustrates the trajectory of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it crosses the solar system. In October, it will get the closest to the Sun. | Image: NASA

Overview

  • Observatories confirmed 3I/ATLAS as an interstellar comet traveling at over 60 kilometers per second from beyond the heliosphere.
  • The comet will never come closer than 1.5 astronomical units to Earth and will make its closest approach to the Sun inside Mars’s orbit on October 30.
  • Size estimates of 10 to 20 kilometers remain uncertain because early signs of cometary outgassing may be inflating its brightness.
  • Astronomers worldwide are conducting spectroscopy and imaging across Chile, Hawaii and Australia to capture its pristine materials before intense solar heating alters the comet.
  • ESA is advancing its Comet Interceptor mission, planned for a 2029 launch to wait at the Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 2 for future pristine comets or interstellar visitors.