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Comet 3I/ATLAS tracker: How to follow interstellar object passing through Solar System live?
Comet 3I/ATLAS will be closest to the Sun on October 29 and will be observable through telescopes. Here is how you can track it.
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An interstellar comet is set to appear in the skies. A comet named 3I/ATLAS would be closest in its journey to our Sun on October 30, when it will be around 130 million miles from the center of our Solar System, NASA’s website informs.
3I/ATLAS is only the third-known object from outside our solar system to have reached our celestial neighborhood. The ‘I’ in its name denotes ‘Interstellar’, indicating its origins from beyond our Sun’s Solar System. ‘ATLAS’ is the name of the body that discovered this celestial object, and stands for ‘Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System’, an organization funded by NASA, the agency’s website informs.
Thankfully, 3I/ATLAS poses no danger to our planet, as at its closest, it would still be 170 million miles away from it. Astronomers are studying the comet for its various properties. The realisation that it does not have a closed orbital loop around the Sun led to the discovery that it was an object from a different Solar System, NASA informs.
3I/ATLAS tracker
While professional and amateur astronomers will bring out their telescopes to observe this rare and fascinating phenomenon, others can also follow the comet’s trajectory. Some websites provide the latest updates on 3I/ATLAS’ journey.
The Sky Live is a website that provides live updates on the position of the comet in the sky, its coordinates, exact distance from Earth, and other details like Ascension and Declination. Other technical details are also available, like the time of rise and set of the comet and its transit.
NASA’s Eyes On The Solar System app is another useful tool to mark the progress of the comet. While it is not as detailed as The Sky Live website, there is plenty of useful information with impressive graphics available here.
A YouTube channel called WN Space is also providing real-time updates on the position and the journey of the comet. This YouTube simulation is merely to follow the track of the comet and not for minute details.
Also read: 3I/ATLAS update: Harvard scientist warns Manhattan-sized comet could be rare ‘black swan event’
Observing 3I/ATLAST
It will not be possible to view the comet from Earth without a telescope, Gulf News reports. Today, the comet would have to be observed with a telescope having a 6-12 inch aperture. The best time to view the phenomenon would be in early pre-Sunrise hours or the time immediately after Sunset.
The interstellar visitor is about 14-20 kilometers in diameter. Today, at 11:36 UTC, it would reach perihelion (closest approach to the Sun). It would be visible with telescopes at that time.
FAQs:
What is 3I/ATLAS?
It is a comet that originated outside our Solar System and will be closest to our Sun today.
How big is 3I/ATLAST?
It is 14-20 kilometers in diameter.
Does it pose any danger to Earth?
No, the comet is too far away from our planet to be of any concern.
