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Unidentified interstellar object flying from outside Solar System discovered
Astronomers have announced the discovery of a rare interstellar object, provisionally named A11pl3Z, currently passing through the Solar System, a finding that could mark only the third time such a visitor from beyond our stellar neighbourhood has been European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed early Wednesday that A11pl3Z is of interstellar origin, based on its highly unusual trajectory and velocity. advertisementThe object was first noticed by NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), with further observations quickly pouring in from both professional and amateur astronomers worldwide.
ESA's "Planetary Defenders" are now closely monitoring A11pl3Z using a global network of telescopes.A11pl3Z's orbit is distinctly hyperbolic, with an eccentricity estimated between 6 and 11.6, far above the threshold that separates bound Solar System objects from those originating elsewhere. This extreme path indicates that A11pl3Z is not gravitationally bound to the Sun and is merely passing through before returning to interstellar A11pl3Z is just inside Jupiter's orbit and is expected to make its closest approach to the Sun in October, coming within about 1.35 astronomical units (roughly 200 million kilometres) of our star. It will not pose any threat to Earth, but will pass relatively close to Mars, offering a unique opportunity for ground-based assessment showed that A11pl3Z is about 20 kilometres in diameter and does not display cometary activity or a tail, distinguishing it from the previous interstellar visitor, Comet Borisov. Its current brightness is measured at magnitude 18.8, making it a challenging but viable target for large confirmed, A11pl3Z will join the ranks of 'Oumuamua (2017) and Comet Borisov (2019) as the only known interstellar objects to traverse our Solar System. Astronomers are racing to gather as much data as possible during its brief visit, hoping to unlock new insights into the composition and origins of material from other star systems. The Minor Planet Centre is expected to officially confirm its interstellar status in the coming days.- EndsMust Watch
