Latest news with #PaulWiegert
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
‘City Killer' Asteroid Won't Hit Earth, But What Happens If It Slams Into The Moon?
Earth has dodged a celestial bullet, but the moon might not be so lucky, and that has scientists keeping their telescopes and minds trained on a massive asteroid called '2024 YR4.' That's not its official name, but more on that later. When it was first discovered, this asteroid had a very small chance of impacting Earth in December of 2032, but later observations concluded the space rock no longer poses any significant risk to our planet. Since then, additional data has helped experts refine the asteroid's potential trajectory and they say the probability of it striking the moon in 2032 has now risen to 4.3%. That's still a very small chance, but there could be some complications for our planet if that collision happens. (MORE: Lego Man's Epic Space Journey) Back To The Beginning 2024 YR4 first caught astronomers' attention in December 2024. It made headlines when its probability of impacting Earth got as high as 3%. It's so far away that it appears as just a tiny glimmer, but using infrared images captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, scientists estimate that it's the size of a 10-story building, about 200 feet in diameter. It's considered a near-Earth asteroid, meaning it's in an orbit that brings it within Earth's region of the solar system. Its size earned the asteroid the nickname 'city killer' since it could cause severe damage to a city or region if it struck Earth. 2024 YR4 is the temporary name given to the rock. While those who discovered it will get to suggest an official name, it could be months or years before that official name is decided by the International Astronomical Union. What Happens If It Strikes The Moon? If this asteroid hits the moon, scientists say it will make impact at a speed of tens of thousands of miles per hour. That would create a huge crater, but more importantly, it could also send fragments of moon rock and granular lunar material flying off the moon. While it's unlikely the Earth would face any significant danger from the lunar strike, that debris could put nearby astronauts at risk, as well as satellites that we depend on for GPS, cellphones, internet and weather forecasting. What about the International Space Station? Well that would be at risk, except that NASA plans to decommission and deorbit the ISS in 2031, a year before the asteroid's potential impact. (MORE: New Images Show Universe Like Never Before) Would We Be Able To See The Collision? The latest calculations from June suggest it's likely the asteroid could hit the near side of the moon, the side pointing towards us. So we could be able to see the once-in-a-lifetime collision here on Earth. Dr. Paul Wiegert, a physics and astronomy professor at Western University told Western News, 'If YR4 hits the moon, it will be the largest asteroid to have hit the moon in about 5,000 years. It's quite a rare event.' Wiegert says, 'People at home will be able to see the explosion with small telescopes or even binoculars.' He also says that if moon rock is launched into space, 'We should also get to see quite a spectacular meteor shower,' within a week of the collision. So What Now? Asteroid 2024 YR4 is currently too far away to detect with space or ground-based telescopes, as it orbits around the sun. But out of sight, does not mean out of mind – NASA expects to make more observations and collect new data when the asteroid's orbit brings it back into Earth's vicinity in 2028. Solve the daily Crossword
ITV News
2 days ago
- Science
- ITV News
Asteroid 2024 YR4 could now hit moon instead of Earth - but what does it mean for our planet?
The asteroid known as 2024 YR4 may no longer be on course to hit Earth, but it's still keeping scientists curious. Estimated to be around 60 metres in diameter, the hunk of rock is currently beyond the reach of telescopes, as it orbits around the sun. But its lack of visibility is raising eyebrows, as the asteroid may have a new destination set in its sights - the moon. When did scientists first become aware of YR4? YR4 was first discovered at the end of last year, with fears it could hit our planet by December 22, 2032. Even through astronomical tools, the asteroid appears as small as a speck of light, but in reality, it is likely to be around 60 metres (200 feet) in diameter, according to observations made in March by the James Webb Space Telescope. The chances of the asteroid making contact with our planet have since changed with every new observation. In February of this year, it peaked at 3.1%, making it the riskiest asteroid ever observed. Both ground and space-based telescopes played a crucial role in establishing the asteroid's size and orbit. Precise measurements allowed researchers to eventually rule out a collision with Earth. What do the latest observations of the YR4 reveal? The matter has since unfortunately disappeared from scientists' view; however, the latest observations (from June) have improved astronomers' knowledge of where it will be in seven years by almost 20%, according to Nasa. The data reveals that even with avoiding direct contact with Earth, YR4 could still potentially pose a threat if it collides with the moon in late 2032. On impact, we could see fine-grained lunar material making its way towards Earth. Our planet won't suffer any significant physical danger, but there is a chance that any astronauts or infrastructure on the moon's surface could be at risk. Satellites that orbit the Earth and any missions close to our planet could also be in the pathway of the debris. What could we see from Earth? Initial research suggests the impact is most likely to occur on the near side of the moon - the side we can see from Earth. The collision between the asteroid and the moon could create a bright flash which would be visible to the naked eye for several seconds, according to Dr Paul Wiegert, a professor of astronomy and physics at Western University in London, Ontario, who spoke to CNN. How could this asteroid impact how astronauts observe future threats? Astronomers believe this asteroid could redefine what kind of threats they pay attention to, expanding their focus to include matter that could crash into the moon as well as the Earth. 'We're starting to realise that maybe we need to extend that shield a little bit further,' said Wiegert. 'We now have things worth protecting that are a bit further away from Earth, so our vision is hopefully expanding a little bit to encompass that.' For now, scientists are assessing how problematic the YR4's lunar impact could be and what can be done to mitigate it.
9 News
4 days ago
- Science
- 9 News
The asteroid that will spare Earth might hit the moon instead. What happens if it does?
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here The asteroid known as 2024 YR4 is out of sight yet still very much on scientists' minds. The building-sized object, which initially appeared to be on a potential collision course with Earth, is currently zooming beyond the reach of telescopes on its orbit around the sun. But as scientists wait for it to reappear, its revised trajectory is now drawing attention to another possible target: the moon. An artist's impression depicts an asteroid orbiting the sun. (ESA via CNN Newsource) Discovered at the end of 2024, the space rock looked at first as if it might hit our planet by December 22, 2032. The chance of that impact changed with every new observation, peaking at 3.1 per cent in February — odds that made it the riskiest asteroid ever observed. Ground- and space-based telescope observations were crucial in helping astronomers narrow in on 2024 YR4's size and orbit. With more precise measurements, researchers were ultimately able to rule out an Earth impact. The latest observations of the asteroid in early June, before YR4 disappeared from view, have improved astronomers' knowledge of where it will be in seven years by almost 20 per cent, according to NASA. That data shows that even with Earth avoiding direct impact, YR4 could still pose a threat in late 2032 by slamming into the moon. The impact would be a once-in-a-lifetime event for humanity to witness — but it could also send fine-grained lunar material hurtling toward our planet. A vapor cloud trail left by the Chelyabinsk asteroid. (M. Ahmetvaleev/ESA via CNN Newsource) While Earth wouldn't face any significant physical danger should the asteroid strike the moon, there is a chance that any astronauts or infrastructure on the lunar surface at that time could be at risk — as could satellites orbiting our planet that we depend on to keep vital aspects of life, including navigation and communications, running smoothly. Any missions in low-Earth orbit could also be in the pathway of the debris, though the International Space Station is scheduled to be deorbited before any potential impact. Initially, YR4 was seen as a case study in why scientists do the crucial work of planetary defence, discovering and tracking asteroids to determine which ones have a chance of colliding with Earth. Now, astronomers say this one asteroid could redefine the range of risks the field addresses, expanding the purview of the work to include monitoring asteroids that might be headed for the moon as well. The moon is covered in craters like Daedalus, as seen by the Apollo 11 crew on the moon's far side. (CNN) "We're starting to realise that maybe we need to extend that shield a little bit further," said Dr. Paul Wiegert, a professor of astronomy and physics at the Western University in London, Ontario. "We now have things worth protecting that are a bit further away from Earth, so our vision is hopefully expanding a little bit to encompass that." In the meantime, researchers are assessing just how much chaos a potential YR4 lunar impact could create — and whether anything can be done to mitigate it. The threatening hunk of rock appears as just a speck of light through even the strongest astronomical tools. In reality, YR4 is likely about 60m in diameter, according to observations in March by the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful space-based observatory in operation. "Size equals energy," said Julien de Wit, associate professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who observed YR4 with Webb. "Knowing YR4's size helped us understand how big of an explosion it could be." A graphic shows the range of possible locations of the asteroid in yellow on December 22, 203 (CNN) Astronomers believe they have found most of the near-Earth asteroids the field would classify as "planet killers" — space rocks that are 1 kilometre across or larger and could be civilisation-ending, said Dr. Andy Rivkin, planetary astronomer from the Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. The planet killer that slammed into Earth 66 million years ago and led to the extinction of dinosaurs was estimated to be roughly 10 kilometres in diameter. Smaller asteroids such as YR4, which was colloquially dubbed a "city killer" after its discovery, could cause regional devastation if they collide with our planet. About 40 per cent of near-Earth space rocks larger than 140m but smaller than a kilometre — capable of more widespread destruction — have been identified, according to NASA. An illustration shows NEO Surveyor, NASA's next-generation near-Earth object hunter. (CNN) But astronomers have never really had a chance to watch a collision of that size occur on the moon in real time, Wiegert said. The latest glimpses of YR4 on June 3 before it passed out of view revealed a 4.3 per cent chance of a YR4 lunar impact — small but decent enough odds for scientists to consider how such a scenario might play out. Initial calculations suggest the impact has the largest chance of occurring on the near side of the moon — the side we can see from Earth. "YR4 is so faint and small we were able to measure its position with JWST longer than we were able to do it from the ground," said Rivkin, who has been leading the Webb study of YR4. "And that lets us calculate a much more precise orbit for it, so we now have a much better idea of where it will be and won't be." ESA's NEOMIR mission could spot previously unknown asteroids (Pierre Carril/ESA via CNN Newsource) The collision could create a bright flash that would be visible with the naked eye for several seconds, according to Wiegert, lead author of a recent paper submitted to the American Astronomical Society journals analysing the potential lunar impact. The collision could create an impact crater on the moon estimated at 1 kilometre wide (0.6 miles wide), Wiegert said — about the size of Meteor Crater in Arizona, Rivkin added. It would be the largest impact on the moon in 5000 years and could release up to 100 million kilograms of lunar rocks and dust, according to the modelling in Wiegert's study. Even pieces of debris that are just tens of centimetres in size could present a hazard for any astronauts who may be present on the moon, or any structures they have built for research and habitation, Wiegert said. The moon has no atmosphere, so the debris from the event could be widespread on the lunar surface, he added. On average, the moon is 384,400 kilometres away from Earth, according to NASA. The Webb telescope captured images of YR4 in March using its NIRCam and MIRI instruments. (A Rivkin/Webb/STScI/CSA/NASA/ESA via CNN Newsource) Particles the size of large sand grains, ranging from 0.1 to 10 millimetres in size, of lunar material could reach Earth between a few days and a few months after the asteroid strike because they'll be travelling incredibly fast, creating an intense, eye-catching meteor shower, Wiegert said. "There's absolutely no danger to anyone on the surface," Wiegert said. "We're not expecting large boulders or anything larger than maybe a sugar cube, and our atmosphere will protect us very nicely from that. But they're travelling faster than a speeding bullet, so if they were to hit a satellite, that could cause some damage." Not all lunar debris that reaches the Earth is so small, and it depends on the angle and type of impact to the moon, according to Washington University in St. Louis. Space rocks slamming into the lunar surface over millions of years have resulted in various sizes of lunar meteorites found on Earth. Hundreds to thousands of impacts from millimeter-size debris could affect Earth's satellite fleet, meaning satellites could experience up to 10 years' equivalent of meteor debris exposure in a few days, Wiegert said. Humankind depends on vital space infrastructure, said Dan Oltrogge, chief scientist at COMSPOC, a space situational awareness software company that develops solutions for handling hazards such as space debris. "Space touches almost every aspect of our lives today, ranging from commerce, communications, travel, industry, education, and social media, so a loss of access to and effective use of space presents a serious risk to humanity," Oltrogge said. Hundreds to thousands of impacts from millimetre-size debris could affect Earth's satellite fleet (AP) The event is unlikely to trigger a Kessler Syndrome scenario in which debris from broken satellites would collide with others to create a domino effect or fall to Earth. Instead, it might be more akin to when a piece of gravel strikes a car windshield at high speed, meaning solar panels or other delicate satellite parts might be damaged, but the satellite will remain in one piece, Wiegert said. While a temporary loss of communication and navigation from satellites would create widespread difficulties on Earth, Wiegert said he believes the potential impact is something for satellite operators, rather than the public, to worry about. Scientists and astronomers around the world are thinking about the possible scenarios since they could not rule out a lunar impact before YR4 disappeared from view, Wiegert said. "We realise that an impact to the moon could be consequential, so what would we do?" de Wit said. A potential planetary defence plan might be clearer if the asteroid were headed straight for Earth. A potential planetary defence plan might be clearer if the asteroid were headed straight for Earth. (AP) Rivkin helped test one approach in September 2022 as the principal investigator of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, which intentionally slammed a spacecraft into the asteroid Dimorphos in September 2022. Dimorphos is a moonlet asteroid that orbits a larger parent asteroid known as Didymos. Neither poses a threat to Earth, but the double-asteroid system was a perfect target to test deflection technology because Dimorphos' size is comparable to asteroids that could harm our planet in the event of an impact. The DART mission crashed a spacecraft into the asteroid at six kilometres per second to find out whether such a kinetic impact would be enough to change the motion of a celestial object in space. It worked. Since the day of the collision, data from ground-based telescopes has revealed that the DART spacecraft did alter Dimorphos' orbital period — or how long it takes to make a single revolution around Didymos — by about 32 or 33 minutes. Though defence plans for a potential moon impact still aren't clear, YR4's journey underscores the importance of tracking objects that are often impossible to see. (Getty) And scientists have continued to observe additional changes to the pair, including how the direct hit likely deformed Dimorphos due to the asteroid's composition. Similarly, if YR4 strikes the moon and doesn't result in damaging effects for satellites, it could create a tremendous opportunity for researchers to learn how the lunar surface responds to impacts, Wiegert said. But whether it would make sense to send a DART-like mission to knock YR4 off a collision course with the moon remains to be seen. It will depend on future risk assessments by planetary defence groups when the asteroid comes back into view around 2028, de Wit said. Though defence plans for a potential moon impact still aren't clear, YR4's journey underscores the importance — and the challenges — of tracking objects that are often impossible to see. YR4 was detected by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS telescope, in Río Hurtado, Chile, two days after the asteroid had already made its closest pass by Earth, hidden by the bright glare of the sun as it approached our planet. The same thing occurred when an asteroid measuring roughly 20m across hit the atmosphere and exploded above Chelyabinsk, Russia, on February 15, 2013, damaging thousands of buildings, according to the European Space Agency. While no one died, about 1500 people were injured when the windows in homes and businesses blew out due to the shock wave. Trying to observe asteroids is challenging for many reasons, Rivkin said. Asteroids are incredibly faint and hard to see because rather than emitting their own light, they only reflect sunlight. And because of their relatively tiny size, interpreting observations is not a clear-cut process like looking through a telescope at a planet such as Mars or Jupiter. "For asteroids, we only see them as a point of light, and so by measuring how bright they are and measuring their temperature, basically we can get a size based on how big do they have to be in order to be this bright," Rivkin said. For decades, astronomers have had to search for faint asteroids by night, which means missing any that may be on a path coming from the direction of the sun — creating the world's biggest blind spot for ground-based telescopes that can't block out our star's luminosity. NASA and other space agencies are constantly on the lookout for potentially hazardous asteroids. (Don Pettit/NASA via CNN Newsource) But upcoming telescopes — including NASA's NEO Surveyor, expected to launch by the end of 2027 and the European Space Agency's Near-Earth Object Mission in the InfraRed, or NEOMIR satellite, set for liftoff in the early 2030s — could shrink that blind spot, helping researchers detect asteroids much closer to the sun. "NEOMIR would have detected asteroid 2024 YR4 about a month earlier than ground-based telescopes did," said Richard Moissl, head of ESA's Planetary Defence Office, in a statement. "This would have given astronomers more time to study the asteroid's trajectory and allowed them to much sooner rule out any chance of Earth impact in 2032." NASA and other space agencies are constantly on the lookout for potentially hazardous asteroids, defined as such based on their distance from Earth and ability to cause significant damage should an impact occur. Asteroids that can't get any closer to our planet than one-twentieth of Earth's distance from the sun are not considered to be potentially hazardous asteroids, according to NASA. This illustration made available by Johns Hopkins APL and NASA depicts NASA's DART probe, upper right, on course to impact the asteroid Dimorphos, left, which orbits Didymos. DART is expected to zero in on the asteroid Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, intent on slamming it head-on at 14,000 mph. The impact should be just enough to nudge the asteroid into a slightly tighter orbit around its companion space rock. (Steve Gribben/Johns Hopkins APL/NASA via AP) (AP) When the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located in the Andes in Chile, released its first stunning images of the cosmos in June, researchers revealed the discovery of more than 2,100 previously unknown asteroids after seven nights of observations. Of those newly detected space rocks, seven were near-Earth objects. A near-Earth object is an asteroid or comet on an orbit that brings it within 190 million kilometres of the sun, which means it has the potential to pass near Earth, according to NASA. None of the new ones detected by Rubin were determined to pose a threat to our planet. Rubin will act as a great asteroid hunter, de Wit said, while telescopes such as Webb could be a tracker that follow up on Rubin's discoveries. A proposal by Rivkin and de Wit to use Webb to observe YR4 in the spring of 2026 has just been approved. An illustration depicts the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft as it descended toward the rocky surface of asteroid Bennu. (NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona) Webb is the only telescope with a chance of glimpsing the asteroid before 2028. "This newly approved program will buy decision makers two extra years to prepare — though most likely to relax, as there is an 80 per cent chance of ruling out impact — while providing key experience-based lessons for handling future potential impactors to be discovered by Vera Rubin," de Wit said. And because of the twists and turns of YR4's tale thus far, asteroids that have potential to affect the moon could become objects of even more intense study in the future. "If this really is a thing that we only have to worry about every 5000 years or something, then maybe that's less pressing," Rivkin said. "But even just asking what would we do if we did see something that was going to hit the moon is at least something that we can now start thinking about." CONTACT US
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomers capture 1st close-up photograph of new interstellar visitor
It's out of this world. Or, more accurately, this solar system. On July 1, astronomers discovered an object near the orbit of Jupiter that was somewhat peculiar. It had a strange orbit, one that didn't take it around the sun like most asteroids or comets. Eventually it was confirmed that this object — named 3I/ATLAS, or C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) — was an interstellar visitor. Now, using the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, astronomers have captured the first detailed image of this cosmic interloper. "We look forward to a bounty of new data and insights as this object warms itself on sunlight before continuing its cold, dark journey between the stars," Martin Still, NSF program director for the International Gemini Observatory, said in a statement. The comet will continue to be visible in large telescopes until September, after which it will be lost in the sun's glare. Learning more about the comet "As this is only our third interstellar visitor ever discovered, we're excited to learn about this entirely new class of object," Paul Wiegert, an astronomy professor at Western University, told CBC News in an email. Astronomers like to study comets and asteroids as they are left over from our solar system's earliest formation and can reveal what conditions were like at the time. Being able to study something from outside of our neighbourhood could potentially provide more knowledge about other star systems. Current observations suggest the comet is roughly 20 kilometres in diameter, far larger than the previous two interstellar comets astronomers observed passing through our solar system. The first comet was 'Oumuamua, which had a measly diameter of 200 metres. The second was 2I/Borisov, which was one kilometre in diameter. The fact that 3I/ATLAS is so large is a boon to astronomers: It makes it easier to study, particularly as it nears Earth. It will make a close approach in December, but poses no threat. A recent study presented by author Matthew Hopkins at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting 2025 in Durham, England, suggests that this new visitor may be the oldest comet ever seen. He estimates its origin to be from a part of our galaxy that is home to ancient stars, and says that it could be seven billion years old, far older than our galaxy's 4.5 billion years. And this new visitor is hustling: when it was discovered, it was travelling at roughly 61 kilometres per second. How they know it's not from our neighbourhood Astronomers can determine the origin of comets or asteroids based on their orbits' eccentricity, or how stretched out its path is. An eccentricity of 0 means it is a perfectly circular orbit. An eccentricity greater than one means the orbit does not circle around the sun, and the higher the value, the more stretched out the orbit. WATCH | Orbit of third-known interstellar object: In 3I/ATLAS's case, its orbit is 6.2, which is how astronomers knew that it came from beyond the solar system. For comparison, 'Oumuamua had an eccentricity of 1.2 and 2I/Borisov's eccentricity was 3.6. Currently, this new comet is still within Jupiter's orbit, roughly 465 million kilometres from Earth. It will make its closest approach to our planet on Dec. 19, at a distance of roughly 270 million kilometres. It will reach its closet point to the sun on Oct. 30 at a distance of 210 million kilometres, which will be just inside the orbit of Mars. Though astronomers have quickly learned some things about this newest interloper, they hope to learn more over time. "This one seems much like a comet from our own solar system. That is, mostly made of ice which has been frozen for billions of years as it wandered the galaxy, but now [is] starting to gently turn to vapour in the light of our sun. This makes 3I/ATLAS look fuzzy with a tail, visible in the image," Wiegert said. "But we really don't know if it is like one of our comets (which are leftover building block from when the Earth and planets formed) or something completely different."
CBC
17-07-2025
- Science
- CBC
Astronomers capture 1st close-up photograph of new interstellar visitor
It's out of this world. Or, more accurately, this solar system. On July 1, astronomers discovered an object near the orbit of Jupiter that was somewhat peculiar. It had a strange orbit, one that didn't take it around the sun like most asteroids or comets. Eventually it was confirmed that this object — named 3I/ATLAS, or C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) — was an interstellar visitor. Now, using the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, astronomers have captured the first detailed image of this cosmic interloper. "We look forward to a bounty of new data and insights as this object warms itself on sunlight before continuing its cold, dark journey between the stars," Martin Still, NSF program director for the International Gemini Observatory, said in a statement. The comet will continue to be visible in large telescopes until September, after which it will be lost in the sun's glare. Learning more about the comet "As this is only our third interstellar visitor ever discovered, we're excited to learn about this entirely new class of object," Paul Wiegert, an astronomy professor at Western University, told CBC News in an email. Astronomers like to study comets and asteroids as they are left over from our solar system's earliest formation and can reveal what conditions were like at the time. Being able to study something from outside of our neighbourhood could potentially provide more knowledge about other star systems. Current observations suggest the comet is roughly 20 kilometres in diameter, far larger than the previous two interstellar comets astronomers observed passing through our solar system. The first comet was 'Oumuamua, which had a measly diameter of 200 metres. The second was 2I/Borisov, which was one kilometre in diameter. The fact that 3I/ATLAS is so large is a boon to astronomers: It makes it easier to study, particularly as it nears Earth. It will make a close approach in December, but poses no threat. A recent study presented by author Matthew Hopkins at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting 2025 in Durham, England, suggests that this new visitor may be the oldest comet ever seen. He estimates its origin to be from a part of our galaxy that is home to ancient stars, and says that it could be seven billion years old, far older than our galaxy's 4.5 billion years. And this new visitor is hustling: when it was discovered, it was travelling at roughly 61 kilometres per second. How they know it's not from our neighbourhood Astronomers can determine the origin of comets or asteroids based on their orbits' eccentricity, or how stretched out its path is. An eccentricity of 0 means it is a perfectly circular orbit. An eccentricity greater than one means the orbit does not circle around the sun, and the higher the value, the more stretched out the orbit. WATCH | Orbit of third-known interstellar object: Orbit of third-known interstellar object 14 hours ago In 3I/ATLAS's case, its orbit is 6.2, which is how astronomers knew that it came from beyond the solar system. For comparison, 'Oumuamua had an eccentricity of 1.2 and 2I/Borisov's eccentricity was 3.6. Currently, this new comet is still within Jupiter's orbit, roughly 465 million kilometres from Earth. It will make its closest approach to our planet on Dec. 19, at a distance of roughly 270 million kilometres. It will reach its closet point to the sun on Oct. 30 at a distance of 210 million kilometres, which will be just inside the orbit of Mars. Though astronomers have quickly learned some things about this newest interloper, they hope to learn more over time. "This one seems much like a comet from our own solar system. That is, mostly made of ice which has been frozen for billions of years as it wandered the galaxy, but now [is] starting to gently turn to vapour in the light of our sun. This makes 3I/ATLAS look fuzzy with a tail, visible in the image," Wiegert said. "But we really don't know if it is like one of our comets (which are leftover building block from when the Earth and planets formed) or something completely different."
