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Interstellar comet
3I/ATLAS will reach its closest approach to Earth on Friday (19/12), marking a significant moment in the journey of one of the rare visitors ever observed in our solar system.
The comet was discovered on July 1 by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescope in Chile.Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object confirmed to have crossed our cosmic neighborhood, after 1I/’Oumuamua in 2017 and comet 2I/Borisov in 2019.
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The comet’s path shows that it came from outside the solar system and will return to interstellar space.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), this comet will not approach Earth more than about 1.8 astronomical units (AU) (about 270 million kilometers) or almost twice the average Earth-Sun distance during its closest approach.
Comet 3I/ATLAS is also said to pose no danger to Earth or other planets when passing through the inner solar system.
Although the comet will maintain a safe distance from Earth, its close trajectory still has significance for researchers.
By observing 3I/ATLAS as it approaches its closest approach, astronomers will have the opportunity to study the dust and gas released from its icy core as the comet is heated by the Sun.This could provide rare insight into how comets and planetary matter form around other stars.
In recent months, various space agencies and observatories have focused on visitors from this interstellar region.
Last week, new images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and Jupiter probe JUICE were released, showing the comet passing rapidly through the inner solar system.
Quoted from
Space
, 3I/ATLAS’ journey to its closest point to Earth can also be watched online via a free live broadcast hosted by Gianluca Masi at the Virtual Telescope Project.
The live broadcast will begin at 11 p.m. EST on December 18 (11 a.m. EDT on December 19), weather permitting.
(lom/dmi)
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