Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will make its closest strategy to Earth on Friday, Dec. 19, marking a key second within the journey of one of many rarest guests ever noticed in our photo voltaic system.
Found on July 1 by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescopes in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is simply the third confirmed interstellar object identified to have handed by way of our cosmic neighborhood, following 1I/‘Oumuamua in 2017 and comet 2I/Borisov in 2019. Its trajectory exhibits that it originated from past our photo voltaic system and can ultimately journey again into interstellar area.
Throughout its closest strategy, the comet will come no nearer than about 1.8 astronomical items from Earth — roughly 168 million miles (270 million kilometers) — practically twice the common Earth-sun distance, based on the European House Company (ESA). Comet 3I/ATLAS poses no hazard to Earth or some other planets because it passes by way of the interior photo voltaic system.
Whereas the comet will maintain a secure distance from Earth, the flyby nonetheless holds significance for researchers. By observing 3I/ATLAS close to its closest strategy, astronomers could have a chance to check the mud and gases launched from its icy nucleus because the comet is warmed by the solar, providing a uncommon perception into how comets and planetary materials kind round different stars.
In latest months, a number of area companies and observatories have turned their consideration to this interstellar customer. Simply final week, new photographs captured by the Hubble House Telescope and JUICE Jupiter probe have been launched, exhibiting the fleeting traveller racing by way of the interior photo voltaic system.
You can even observe the shut strategy of 3I/ATLAS on-line in a free livestream hosted by Gianluca Masi on the Digital Telescope Mission. The livestream will start at 11 p.m. EST on Dec. 18 (0400 GMT on Dec. 19), climate allowing. Extra info will likely be launched nearer to the time.
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