Comet 3I/ATLAS: A Cosmic Visitor From Beyond Our Stars
Comets are typically named after their discoverers – here, the ATLAS survey team. The 'I' stands for 'interstellar,' showing it came from beyond our solar system, and the '3' marks it as only the third type of this comet ever found.
The comet, first spotted on July 1 by the NASA-funded ATLAS survey telescope in Chile, is only the third known interstellar object ever observed passing through our neighborhood. It arrived from the direction of the star Sagittarius and is now cruising about 420 million miles away from Earth, the space agency reported earlier this month.
Don't worry, NASA says that is more than enough of a safe distance from the Earth's atmosphere.
Researchers say 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to our planet, whatsoever, regardless of its proximity and rare flight path. It will remain at least 150 million miles away at all times, comfortably farther than Mars' distance from Earth.
The icy comet is scheduled to make its closest approach to the Sun on October 30, when it will pass just inside Mars' orbit.
In a remarkable scientific twist, astronomers have since reviewed archives from three other ATLAS telescopes, uncovering images of the comet dating back to June 14. These 'pre-discovery' images and observations are helping NASA and its researchers learn more about the rare comet's trajectory and properties.
3I/ATLAS will stay visible to ground-based telescopes through September before it swings back behind the Sun. It's also expected to 'reappear' in early December, giving astronomers a second chance to observe this cosmic visitor before it drifts back into deep space.
Interstellar comets like 3I/ATLAS offer scientists a rare glimpse into materials from other star systems, potentially unlocking clues about how comets form in distant corners of our galaxy.
'This is like our chance to randomly sample what's going on in the rest of the galaxy,' University of Oxford astrophysicist Chris Lintott told NPR. 'I think the idea that we could see bits of other solar systems flying through our own really captivated the attention of a whole lot of people who started trying to work on these things.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Astronauts from US, India, Poland, Hungary bound for Earth
A SpaceX capsule carrying an international crew from India, Poland, Hungary, and the United States has departed the International Space Station and is set to splash down off the coast of California. Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, undocked from the orbital lab at 7:15 am ET (1115 GMT) on Monday, beginning a 22.5-hour journey back to Earth. Splashdown is scheduled for 5:31 ET (0931 GMT) in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday. "Thank you very much for your support. You guys are amazing," Commander Peggy Whitson, an Axiom employee and former NASA astronaut, told flight controllers in Houston. Also aboard are pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Axiom Space is a private company that organizes missions to the International Space Station, flying both wealthy individuals and, as in this case, astronauts sponsored by their national governments. For the non-American trio, the mission marked a return to crewed spaceflight for their respective nations after decades-long absences. They launched from Kennedy Space Center on June 25 for what turned out to be a two-and-a-half-week mission, during which they conducted around 60 scientific experiments. For rising space power India, the flight served as a key stepping stone toward its first independent crewed mission, scheduled for 2027 under the Gaganyaan ("sky craft") program. Shukla held a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in what was widely viewed as a significant soft power moment. He recounted sharing the sweet dish gajar ka halwa with his crewmates aboard the station. This will be only SpaceX's second crew recovery in the Pacific Ocean. The first occurred in March with the return of the Crew-9 ISS mission. SpaceX has since shifted permanently to West Coast splashdowns, citing incidents where debris from Dragon's trunk survived atmospheric reentry and crashed back to Earth. ia/md
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Axiom-4 astronauts return to earth
Axiom-4 space crew undocked after their latest mission on the International Space Station on Monday morning. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo July 14 (UPI) -- The Axiom-4 space crew undocked from the International Space Station on Monday morning as it prepares to return to Earth. At 7:15 a.m. EST, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Grace, undocked from the station. The spacecraft is targeting its return to Earth on Tuesday. It will be returning with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments from the mission, according to NASA. Grace docked the ISS on June 26. The mission included research and science investigations aimed at further understanding of the microgravity environment. The crew's mission was extended by four days, it was initially scheduled for about two weeks. The mission crew was Shubhanshu Shukla, Slawosz Wisniewski and Tiber Kapu first spaceflight, but Peggy Whitson's, Axiom-4's commander's, fifth mission. Grace is targeting to return off the coast of California. This is SpaceX's second West Coast crew recovery, the first one being Crew-9's mission in March.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary head back to Earth after private space mission
The International Space Station's first visitors from India, Poland and Hungary headed back to Earth on Monday, wrapping up a private mission and catching a ride home with SpaceX. Their capsule undocked from the orbiting lab and aimed for a splashdown the next morning in the Pacific off the Southern California coast. The short, privately financed mission marked the first time in more than 40 years that India, Poland and Hungary saw one of their own rocket into orbit. The three astronauts were accompanied by America's most experienced space flier, Peggy Whitson, who works for Axiom Space, which chartered the flight. They launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on June 25. Advertisement 4 (L to R) Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Peggy Whitson from the U.S., Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. AP 4 Capsule of the private Axiom Mission 4 crew landed in landed in the Pacific off the Southern California coast AP India's Shubhanshu Shukla, Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungary's Tibor Kapu conducted dozens of experiments during their stay. They also fielded calls from their countries' prime ministers as well as schoolchildren. 'We will spread the word in our countries that these things are within our reach. These things are possible even for smaller countries like ours,' Kapu said during Sunday's farewell ceremony, which ended in an emotional group hug. Advertisement Shukla noted that 'it's truly a miracle' when humanity comes together for a common goal. 4 The Axion Mission 4 astronauts salute their family members on their way to launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Titusville, Florida, on June 24, 2025 CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA/Shutterstock 'The sky is no longer the limit. We can explore space,' added Uznanski-Wisniewski. Uznanski-Wisniewski took special pride in the first pierogies in space. He took up the cabbage and mushroom-stuffed dumplings, which were freeze-dried in advance for easy cooking in zero gravity. Advertisement 4 The Axiom Mission 4 crew inside the International Space Station's Harmony module shortly after docking aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on June 26, 2025 NASA+/AFP via Getty Images Their three countries shared the cost of the mission, paying more than $65 million apiece. It was Axiom's fourth station trip since 2022. The Houston company's clientele includes the wealthy as well as countries seeking representation in space. NASA embraces commercial spaceflight, helping to set the stage for private space stations in the works by Axiom and others, as well as lunar landers. Advertisement The space station's seven full-time residents remain behind in orbit, representing the U.S., Russia and Japan. Four of them will be replaced in a few weeks by a fresh crew launched for NASA by SpaceX. 'Safe journey home to the best planet in the solar system,' the space station's Anne McClain radioed as the private crew departed.
