The bright area represents the comet’s core, which consists of a dense mixture of ice, rock, and dust. Typically, the nucleus is enveloped in a cloud of gas and dust known as a coma.
Since being discovered in July, Comet 3i/Atlas has captivated both astronomers and space enthusiasts. There have been intriguing theories suggesting it could be alien technology or a spacecraft, though no scientific backing exists for these ideas.
The comet is not stationary.
Researchers tracking its trajectory project that the comet will make its closest approach to the sun around October 30, as its orbit navigates through the inner solar system in the following weeks.
NASA has stated that 3i/Atlas poses no risk to Earth, maintaining a distance of about 170 million miles during its pass.
However, its near pass of Mars provided a unique observational opportunity.
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, jointly run by the ESA and Russia’s Federal Space Agency, directed its cameras at the comet for approximately a week starting October 1, officials from ESA noted. At that point, 3i/Atlas was roughly 18.6 million miles from the spacecraft.
Despite this, the orbiter’s instruments are primarily designed for imaging the Martian surface rather than distant objects, as explained by Nick Thomas, principal investigator for the imaging system.
“This posed a significant challenge for our instruments,” he stated in a statement. “Comets are approximately 10,000 to 100,000 times less dense than typical targets.”
Other interstellar visitors to our solar system include Oumuamua in 2017 and 2i/Borisov in 2019.
ESA emphasized, “All celestial bodies in our solar system share a common origin, but interstellar comets are unique outsiders, providing insights into the formation of distant worlds.”
As 3i/Atlas travels through our solar system, astronomers are eager to analyze its size and physical characteristics. Earlier this year, it was visible through ground-based telescopes, but it’s currently too close to the sun for observation. It is expected to reappear on the opposite side of the sun by early December, according to NASA.
NASA is tracking 3i/Atlas with the Hubble Space Telescope and plans additional observations in the upcoming months. The James Webb Space Telescope, Spherex Space Observatory, Parker Solar Probe, and the Exoplanet Survey Satellite are among the instruments hoping to catch a glimpse of the comet.
A photo taken recently by the Saturday camera captured streaks of light, leading to speculation online that it could be Comet 3i/Atlas. However, NASA has not confirmed this, and their public information office is currently closed due to the government shutdown.
ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft did focus its camera on the comet as it passed, although further analysis will be required to distinguish interstellar objects from the gathered data.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
