Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas challenges Earth: its behaviour is “significantly different” from that of all known asteroids
The comet, which continues its journey through the solar system, has been observed by space telescopes near Earth.
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has become a major focus of astronomical research. As only the third known comet to originate from beyond the solar system, it has drawn the attention of both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Astronomers classify it as interstellar because of the hyperbolic shape of its orbital path. They note that its behavior is “significantly different” from that of other known asteroids, which makes continued observation especially important. For now, ESA astronomers are closely tracking its movement.
This monitoring is also being carried out with Earth-orbiting space telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope. In addition to its unusual trajectory, its speed—about 219,000 km/h—is another striking feature. Despite this, NASA calculations confirm that the comet poses no threat to Earth.
At its closest approach, 3I/ATLAS will pass roughly 270 million kilometers from our planet, according to ESA data. In early October, the Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter missions will observe its passage near Mars.
The goal of this monitoring is to determine the comet’s physical and chemical properties, including its composition and activity. So far, observations suggest a carbon dioxide–to–water ratio of about 8 to 1, indicating that its nucleus may be especially rich in CO₂.
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3I/ATLAS joins a small group of known interstellar visitors. These include ʻOumuamua, detected in 2017 and still the subject of debate regarding its true nature, and 2I/Borisov, identified as an interstellar comet in 2019.
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