Rare interstellar object zooming through solar system: All about the mysterious 3I/Atlas
The interstellar object has been named 3I/Atlas by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center.
Astronomers have confirmed that a rare intersteller object is zooming through the solar system. This is only the third time this has been recorded. Scientists believe many more could pass through unnoticed.
The object has been named 3I/Atlas by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center. It’s been labeled a comet and may be the biggest interstellar object found so far, per Sciene alert report.
“The fact that we see some fuzziness suggests that it is mostly ice rather than mostly rock,” said Jonathan McDowell, astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
The object was first detected as A11pl3Z but later renamed
The object was first detected as A11pl3Z, but once confirmed as interstellar, it was renamed. Richard Moissl, who works on planetary defense at the European Space Agency, said it won’t hit Earth.
“It will fly deep through the Solar System, passing just inside the orbit of Mars,” he said, “but will not hit our neighbouring planet.”
The object is traveling fast—about 37 miles per second. That speed means it isn’t stuck in orbit around the Sun. It came from interstellar space and is heading back out.
“It’s not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again,” said Moissl.
McDowell explained how these objects form, “We think that probably these little ice balls get formed associated with star systems. And then as another star passes by, tugs on the ice ball, frees it out. It goes rogue, wanders through the galaxy, and now this one is just passing us.”
Comet was first spotted by the NASA-funded ATLAS survey
The comet was first spotted on Tuesday by the NASA-funded ATLAS survey in Hawaii. Astronomer David Rankin confirmed the sighting on Bluesky. Afterward, scientists dug into past data and tracked it back to mid-June.
Moissl said the object could be between 10 and 20 kilometers wide, but might be smaller if it’s mostly ice, which reflects more light.
“It will get brighter and closer to the Sun until late October and then still be observable (by telescope) until next year,” he added.
This is the third time an interstellar object has entered our Solar System. The first was ‘Oumuamua in 2017, which sparked alien theories that were later ruled out. The second was 2I/Borisov in 2019.
Comet is ‘moving considerably faster’
Mark Norris, an astronomer at the University of Central Lancashire, said the new comet is “moving considerably faster than the other two extra-solar objects that we previously discovered.”
He said it’s now around the same distance from Earth as Jupiter. But “it is currently only visible in the Southern Hemisphere,” so he couldn’t see it that night.
Norris added that models suggest there can be as many as 10,000 at any one time in the solar system (most of which are small and don’t get caught). With the new telescopes being launched, like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, some of them could be discovered.
Moissl said it is impossible for a mission to launch to this object.
Still, they are keeping a close watch. Norris commented that if they find signs of life, like amino acids, on one these cometos, that could mean something even bigger.
“A lot more confidence that the conditions for life exist in other star systems,” he said.
