Interstellar Object Detected Racing Through Our Solar System

The detection of interstellar objects traversing our solar system has profound implications for our understanding of cosmic dynamics. Recently, astronomers identified a potential interstellar visitor, designated A11pl3Z, which is moving toward the sun at an astonishing speed of approximately 152,000 mph. This object, likely an asteroid or comet measuring up to 12 miles wide, is projected to make its closest approach in about four months before exiting the solar system. Its trajectory indicates that it originated beyond our solar neighborhood, thereby marking it as potentially the third confirmed interstellar visitor ever recorded .

The visitor from the stars, designated 3I/Atlas by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, is likely the largest yet detected. It has been classified as a comet.

"The fact that we see some fuzziness suggests that it is mostly ice rather than mostly rock," Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told AFP.

Originally known as A11pl3Z before it was confirmed to be of interstellar origin, the object poses no threat to Earth, said Richard Moissl, head of planetary defense at the European Space Agency.

Since that first report, observations from before the discovery have been gathered from the archives of three different ATLAS telescopes around the world and the Zwicky Transient Facility at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. These “pre-discovery” observations extend back to June 14. Numerous telescopes have reported additional observations since the object was first reported.

The comet poses no threat to Earth and will remain at a distance of at least 1.6 astronomical units (about 150 million miles or 240 million km). It is currently about 4.5 au (about 416 million miles or 670 million km) from the Sun. 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest approach to the Sun around Oct. 30, at a distance of 1.4 au (about 130 million miles or 210 million km) — just inside the orbit of Mars.

Although it cannot be seen by the naked eye, modest-size telescopes can spot this interstellar object, which is bright compared to Oumuamua and Borisov.

“This is the most interesting question in my mind right now,” Avi Loeb, an astrophysicist at Harvard who had speculated that Oumuamua was an alien artifact, said during an interview Wednesday morning. “What accounts for its very significant brightness?”

NASA's confirmation of another interstellar object named 3I/Atlas adds to this intriguing narrative. Classified as a comet and estimated to be between 10-20 kilometers wide, this object was initially detected by the NASA-funded ATLAS survey . Despite its significant size and rapid velocity exceeding 60 kilometers per second, it poses no threat to Earth as it will pass within Mars' orbit. Such discoveries not only enhance our comprehension of celestial mechanics but also underscore the dynamic nature of our universe .

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Sara H

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