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yesterday

Refined Orbit Confirms A11pl3Z as Third Interstellar Visitor

Tracking of A11pl3Z’s trajectory aims to reveal whether the interstellar visitor is cometary or asteroidal before it reaches about two astronomical units from the Sun in October.

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Overview

  • A11pl3Z was first spotted on July 1 by the ATLAS sky survey and promptly listed by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center and NASA/JPL as a confirmed object.
  • Archival data from ATLAS (June 25–28) and the Zwicky Transient Facility (June 14–21) have extended its observation arc and sharpened orbital calculations.
  • Latest measurements show a hyperbolic eccentricity above six, unequivocally marking A11pl3Z as an object from beyond the Solar System.
  • Trajectory projections indicate it will never approach closer than 50 million kilometers to Earth, posing no impact risk.
  • Ongoing observations are focused on detecting any cometary activity or asteroid-like characteristics as the object nears its October perihelion at roughly two astronomical units.