Space scientists provided a disturbing update on the mysterious “Interstellar object” that is going through our solar system at high speed. With data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, experts revealed how large the object is really, called 3i/Atlas.
According to its analysis, the rock It measures approximately 11 kilometers in diameterequivalent to the fact that Mount Everest is bigger. This way, Comet 3i/Atlas is ever detected. Because of this condition, there are several social networks theories that the object could be an alien spacecraft.
However, Chris Lonantott, an astronomer from the University of Oxford, clarified to the specialized magazine Live Science: “Any suggestion that is artificial is absolute nonsense”. In that sense, he added that these theories are “an insult to the exciting work that is being done to understand this object.”
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The comet’s images were captured by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory before their official discovery. But since it was identified on July 1, scientists reviewed the previous data to learn more about this enigmatic object.
In a new study recently published, more than 200 researchers confirmed the estimated size of the main body of the comet, known as its nucleus: it has a radius of about 5.6 km, which translates into a diameter of approximately 11.2 km. This makes 3i/Atlas the largest of the three objects from outside the solar system so far.
As a comparison, Oumuamua, discovered in 2017, had an estimated size of about 400 meters wide, while Comet Borisov, discovered in 2019, measured around a kilometer wide. Beyond size, specialists could also determine details about the ice, dust and gas cloud that surrounds 3I/Atlas.
Astronomers classified him as a interstellar object due to the hyperbolic form of its orbitwhich means that it does not turn in a closed trajectory around the Sun. When analyzing its route in time, it is clear that its origin is beyond the limits of the solar system.
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In general, comets receive their name from the person or group responsible for their finding; In this case, it was the Atlas observation team. The “I” in its designation indicates that it is interstellar, that is, that it comes from outside space. The number “3” reflects that it is the third object of this type detected to date.
As the scientists explained, There is no risk of impact with land. Although its route takes it to the interior of the solar system, Comet 3i/Atlas will not be dangerously approaching our planet. Its minimum distance to the Earth will be approximately 1.6 astronomical units – about 240 million kilometers (150 million miles) -, which rules out any threat of collision.
“The observations of the comet’s trajectory show that it is moving too fast to be limited by the seriousness of the sun and that it follows what is known as a hyperbolic path. In other words, its orbit does not follow a closed trajectory around the sun. Simply, It is going through our solar system and will continue its trip to interstellar space, to never be seen again”NASA explained in its official place.