NASA issues major update on ‘interstellar object' hurtling through solar system
The object, named 3I/ATLAS, was first detected on 1 July around 420 million miles from the Sun.
Now, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured the clearest images yet, showing it speeding at a record-breaking 130,000mph - the fastest interstellar object ever found.
The images reveal that 3I/ATLAS is far smaller than first believed, with an icy core between 1,000 feet and 3.5 miles wide.
Despite its size, it is still the largest known interstellar visitor, up to 14 times bigger than the second largest.
Scientists are confident it is a comet made of ice, dust, and frozen gases, with a tail and dust plume visible as it moves closer to the Sun.
It will make its nearest approach in late October, passing 130 million miles from the Sun - inside Mars' orbit – but poses no danger to Earth.
Dr David Jewitt, science team leader for the Hubble observations, said: 'No one knows where the comet came from.
'It's like glimpsing a rifle bullet for a thousandth of a second. You can't project that back with any accuracy to figure out where it started on its path.'
Believed to be over eight billion years old, 3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object ever detected, following 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.
More telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope, will observe it before it disappears from view later this year.
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NASA issues major update on ‘interstellar object' hurtling through solar system
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released a striking update on a mysterious comet racing through our solar system from another star. The object, named 3I/ATLAS, was first detected on 1 July around 420 million miles from the Sun. Now, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured the clearest images yet, showing it speeding at a record-breaking 130,000mph - the fastest interstellar object ever found. The images reveal that 3I/ATLAS is far smaller than first believed, with an icy core between 1,000 feet and 3.5 miles wide. Despite its size, it is still the largest known interstellar visitor, up to 14 times bigger than the second largest. Scientists are confident it is a comet made of ice, dust, and frozen gases, with a tail and dust plume visible as it moves closer to the Sun. It will make its nearest approach in late October, passing 130 million miles from the Sun - inside Mars' orbit – but poses no danger to Earth. Dr David Jewitt, science team leader for the Hubble observations, said: 'No one knows where the comet came from. 'It's like glimpsing a rifle bullet for a thousandth of a second. You can't project that back with any accuracy to figure out where it started on its path.' Believed to be over eight billion years old, 3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object ever detected, following 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. More telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope, will observe it before it disappears from view later this year.
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